Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Wednesday, 24 October 2012

BBC News

• Minister warns on rail problemsRail Minister Norman Baker warns train firm London Midland about its performance after further cancellations of services.
• Steam train comeback on the TubePlans to retrace the first Tube journey are announced, 150 years after it took place
• Rail cancellations 'unacceptable'Cancellations and alterations affecting more than 60 London Midland trains are condemned as

Financial Times

• Airlines lose delay compensation appealEuropean Court of Justice rules people whose flights are severely delayed are entitled to same payments as those whose flights are cancelled
• Bidders claim rail flaws spotted in 2011Errors suggest there were problems from the outset with the tender for the West Coast main line franchise scrapped by the government this month
• UPS reaffirms guidance in tough marketThe express package operator sticks with its guidance for fourth-quarter earnings in what it said was confidence in its ability to operate amid the worldwide economic slowdown
• Norfolk Southern rail hit by fuel switchOne of the two main railroad operators in the eastern US broke the industry™s run of robust results when it announces third-quarter net income down 27 per cent

The Telegraph

• Disabled fliers face 'hurt and humiliation'Disabled passengers regularly experience humiliation and even physical hurt when flying, according to a report published today.

Network Rail

• West Lodge crossing is Network Rail™s 600th closure

Edinburgh Evening News

• Report warns harsh winter would delay trams and see costs soarTRAM chiefs have admitted the project would be hit by further delays and rising costs if Scotland experiences another severe winter this year.

London Evening Standard

• Labour joins call to fast-track airports review Labour today joined Mayor Boris Johnson in demanding that a review into London’s airports be completed before the next election.
• Consultation over tunnel for the Thames gets under wayPlans to build London™s first new river tunnel in half a century will take a step forward next week when the public gets its say.
• Rail company stole my soundtrack ideaA musician has accused a rail company of plagiarism, claiming it œstole his idea of creating a soundtrack for commuters and replaced him with younger, more fashionable acts.

Manchester Evening News

• Crime gangs ' to blame for surge in bicycle thefts' Organised criminal gangs are responsible for a surge in bike thefts from people's homes, police believe.
• More than 100 new buses are hitting the region’s roads - with leather seatsMore than a hundred new buses are being introduced across Greater Manchester “ with leather seats and extra legroom

The York Press

• We're ready for Arctic blast, say roads bosses HIGHWAYS bosses in North Yorkshire and York are fully prepared for the Arctic blast this weekend, with tens of thousands of tons of salt stockpiled, they say.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Rail services hit by chaosAround 60 rail services were being cancelled or disrupted today due to a shortage of train drivers.

Blackpool Gazette

• Doubling up to ease tram woesTRANSPORTS chiefs are to turn to Blackpool’s old fleet of trams to cope with demand for the service.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow Airport flight pattern trials underway Heathrow airport is now conducting flight pattern trials meaning more planes can descend over Wandsworth during "respite periods" when residents would normally expect a break from aircraft noise.
• UK & World News: Disabled flyers 'are humiliated'Disabled people risk
• Landslide causes train delaysRail passengers face delay due to a landslide.

Freight on Rail

• Foreign lorry road user charging missed opportunity. In response to the Government’s statement today that it is pressing ahead with time based lorry road user charging for all HGVs 1, Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Manager, issued the following comments:-

Global Rail News

• Lifetime Achievement Award for Railway Children founderThe founder of Railway Children has been honoured almost 20 years after setting up the international safeguarding charity. David Maidment launched the charity in 1995 after witnessing first hand the appalling conditions homeless children have to endure on India’s railway stations. Railway Children now has a network of 24 partner organisations across Africa, Asia and [...]
• Gallery: RailStaff Awards 2012A selection of images from this year’s RailStaff Awards at the ICC in Birmingham. For more pictures from the night visit the RailStaff Awards website.
• Willet wins first ever Samaritans/Network Rail Lifesaver AwardA Newark Northgate station worker has won the first ever Samaritans/Network Rail Lifesaver Award at the 2012 Railstaff Awards. Sharon Willet of East Coast trains has been recognised after her actions helped safeguard a vulnerable young man. Seven months after completing a free suicide prevention course ran by the Samaritans, Sharon noticed a young man [...]
• Heathrow Express driver wins Rail Person of the Year 2012A Heathrow Express train driver has been recognised after she convinced colleagues to work a day without pay to support a fellow driver who had taken time off to care for his terminally ill mother. Cheryle Cowell, who has worked for Heathrow Express for the last seven-and-a-half years, stepped in to help Glauco Hugentobler Ayres [...]
• TfL graduate wins newcomer awardTransport for London’s (TfL) Amy Selway has won this year’s Newcomer-Graduate of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012. Amy, who works as a Change and Effectiveness specialist at TfL in the Human Resources department, joined the company’s graduate trainee programme after gaining a first class honours degree in Human Resource Management and Business [...]

Railnews

• London Midland cancellations 'caused by low pay' Cancellations of London Midland services are set to continue until December, the operator has warned. More than 60 trains are set to be cancelled today alone because of an acute shortage of drivers which is apparently being caused by low pay rates, while MPs are now calling for action to be taken by the Department for Transport.

The Business Desk

• Logistics firms welcome road charging plan for foreign drivers HAULIERS have welcomed the intention by the Government to go ahead with plans to introduce a road charging system for foreign truckers.
• National Express resilient in austere times BIRMINGHAM transport group National Express has reported “resilient” trading, despite what it refers to as the increasing challenges of austerity.

Aviation Industry

• Minister urges consensus over airport expansionBurns wants industry and political parties to work together to solve capacity problem

Other News Sources

• Research shows ’significant’ carbon benefits of HS2 rail freight Research published in September 2012 by Greengauge 21 has demonstrated the significant carbon benefits which could be achieved by allowing capacity released by High Speed 2 (HS2) on the existing network to be used by rail freight.