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

Wednesday, 31 October 2012

BBC News

• Aer Lingus unions plan two hour stoppage Aer Lingus trade unions in the Irish Republic have announced a two hour work stoppage for Monday 19 November in a continuing dispute over pensions.
• Blackwall Tunnel charge planned for drivers [video]Drivers could be asked to pay a toll charge of £2 to use the Blackwall Tunnel in south-east London to fund a new crossing under the River Thames.
• Station revamp design work startsDetailed design work starts on a £5m scheme to refurbish Llandudno railway station.
• Storm Sandy cancels flights to USUK passengers flying to and from the east coast of the US face further flight cancellations and delays in the wake of

ITV News

• Transport Secretary to give evidence into West Coast Mainline contract The Transport Committee will today call on the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and the Department for Transport Permanenet Secretary Philip Rutnam to give evidence on the cancellation of the competition to run the West Coast Main Line franchise.

Financial Times

• Officials accused of frustrating rail inquiryLaidlaw lists some problems his team are having in their investigation into West Coast fiasco, including access to bidding information
• Investors deterred by UK rail uncertaintyPerth-based bus and train operator said revenues from bus operations outside London rose nearly 4 per cent year-on-year in the six months to mid-October

The Guardian

• Thameslink deal under scrutiny as government considers options Department for transport worried about Siemens finalising £1.4bn trains contract with Bombardier waiting in the wings

The Herald

• One-third of trains arrive lateThe true extent of delays suffered by rail travellers is revealed today “ with one-third of ScotRail services usually more than a minute late arriving.
• Government criticised over West Coast fiascoTHE Government carried on with the bidding process for the biggest Scotland to London rail franchise despite being aware it was flawed and open to legal challenge, a new report has found.
• Best foot forward at launch of Scotland's longest walking trailScotland's longest walking route, stretching 470 miles from the English Border to Cape Wrath, has been launched with the hope it will bring more tourists to the country.

Daily Express

• Olympics hit Heathrow passengers and profitsFEWER passengers used airports owned by the group formerly known as BAA this summer, sparking a profit warning.

The Mirror

• Back on the rails: Hope for Britain's last train maker Bombardier as Government admits Thameslink deal could collapseAfter months of insisting the deal with German firm Siemens would be signed soon, the Government now says there are further delays
• Train cleaners to strike for 48 hours over pay and conditions The strikes will hit train services on London Midland,the East Coast mainline,the Transpennine Express and the Tyne and Wear Metro

ATOC

• Train companies helping Britain back to workExeter, Canterbury and Liverpool are among the towns and cities where people are making the most of half-price rail travel to go the extra mile in their search for work,...

Network Rail

• Work to start on £5.1m Llandudno Station upgrade

Belfast Telegraph

• Protest to protect OAPs' benefits Pensioners are set to protest to defend their right to age-related benefits in Westminster. The Hands Off The Bus Pass demonstration, organised by Britain's biggest pensioner pressure group the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), aims to oppose the suggestion that universal benefits should be means-tested.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Etihad Airways orders two more Airbus jets in £260million dealRAPIDLY-GROWING Etihad Airways today ordered two more Airbus jets in a £260million deal.

London Evening Standard

• £2 to use Blackwall Tunnel... drivers will be charged to pay for new river crossing at SilvertownMotorists are facing toll charges of more than £2 to use the Blackwall tunnel to fund a new road crossing under the Thames at Silvertown, it emerged today.

Manchester Evening News

• Video: West Coast rail fiasco blamed on 'significant errors' at topAn investigation into the botched bidding to run the West Coast rail franchise has found ˜significant errors™ by the Department for Transport.

The York Press

• Railway group in locomotive building hope RAIL enthusiasts are looking to set up a base for restoring locomotives and rolling stock at a York museum.

Bucks Free Press

• MP raises HS2 concerns with Chief Executive A SOUTH Bucks MP raised concerns at the lack of detailed information over HS2 when he met the project's Chief Executive yesterday.

The Shields Gazette

• Bus firms promise cheaper faresNORTH-East bus companies are promising cheaper fares and big savings as part of their transport blueprint.

Other Regional Press

• Rail freight depot scheme set for approvalA giant rail freight depot on green belt land near Upper Sundon will move a step closer to reality next week.
• Rail passengers travel by bus after Trans-Pennine line closureTAKING the train proved a pain for hundreds of trans-Pennine rail passengers yesterday.
• New flights to Bristol take off at Aberdeen AirportTHE first passengers have taken off on a new airline route at Aberdeen Airport.
• ˜If there™s one message, it™s that East West Rail is happening™Far be it from me to reinforce stereotypes, but there weren’t very many women on board the specially-chartered East West Rail information train last Friday.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Plans launched for Thames crossings and Manchester Airport road30 October 2012: Public consultations have started on two major zombie road projects in London and Manchester. read more

Global Rail News

• Bombardier launches bogie research centreBombardier has officially launched the construction of a new Bogie Technical Centre in Siegen, Germany. Pierre Beaudoin, president and chief executive officer, Bombardier, and Andre Navarri, president and chief operating officer, Bombardier Transportation, took part in laying the foundation stone at Bombardier’s Siegen bogie production site. The new centre of excellence is due to begin [...]
• Nominations open for RailwayPeople HR AwardsNominations are now open for the Railway People HR, Recruitment and Skills Awards 2012. The Awards, which will be held at the Birmingham ICC on December 8, will celebrate the outstanding achievements and recognise the excellent work carried out by individuals, teams and companies in rail human resources, recruitment and training. Asif Ahmed, director, RailwayPeople.com, [...]
• Morgan Sindall awarded £15.9m operating centre contractConstruction firm Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £15.9 million contract to build Network Rail’s North West Operating Centre in Manchester. The new site in Gorton, which is due to be completed by December 2013, will provide a base for all of Network Rail’s operations in the region. The three-storey structure will feature a ‘green [...]

Railnews

• Flaws confirmed in West Coast process The transport secretary has confirmed that a series of errors and flaws effectively derailed the bidding process for the intercity West Coast contract, following the publication of draft inquiry findings. Patrick McLoughlin has also admitted to MPs that his department has not yet reached agreement with Virgin over a possible franchise extension from 9 December.

Aviation Industry

• Hub airport plans must be 'sensible' - minister Proposals from an independent commission on increasing airport capacity in the south-east must be œsensible if they are to be adopted by the government. New aviation minister Simon Burns yesterday (October 29) clarified reports last week that he had said that the government would accept whatever proposals were eventually made by the new independent commission. œI said that I thought that we would probably accept the recommendations as long as they are sensible, met the terms of reference given to the commission, and were relevant to the challenges facing us, said Burns during a speech at th...
• BA to drop Gatwick-Manchester flights British Airways is to drop its Gatwick-Manchester route from March next year. The carrier flies up to three-times daily to Manchester from the Sussex airport, but said it will withdraw from the route from March 31, 2013. The cuts will not affect BA™s flights to Manchester from Heathrow, which will be retained with up to 11 return services per day. British Airways is currently the only carrier flying between London and Manchester, since Bmi™s mainline services were integrated into BA™s operations at Heathrow. œBritish Airways retains a strong presence in Manchester where it currently employs o...

Other News Sources

• RMT demands action against blacklisting website targeting union learning repsTRANSPORT UNION RMT today demanded action against a trade union blacklisting website which is actively targeting activists at all levels - even including volunteer union learning reps whose 'crime' is helping colleagues acquire skills, training and education.
• Action for Rail campaigners take protest to Barrow-in-FurnessTransport unions and supporters from the community will be taking a protest against the McNulty rail review cuts to jobs and services, and the campaign for renationalisation of Britain's railways, to Barrow-in-Furness this week.
• RMT confirms 48 hour strikes by rail cleaners in four separate disputes over poverty payRAIL UNION RMT today confirmed that cleaners on four major rail cleaning contracts will be taking strike action for forty eight hours this Friday and Saturday in four separate disputes over pay and conditions.
• Scottish group promotes train over plane Taking a train between Edinburgh and London is cheaper than the majority of flights, according to a report from sustainable transport group Transform Scotland. The group™s report, entitled On track for business: Why Scottish businesses should try the train, has claimed that there are cheaper train tickets available for 81 per cent of flights between Edinburgh and London. Currently rail only has a 12 per cent share of the business travel market on the route. Transform Scotland also claims that rail offers a better option for business travellers between the two capital cities because it offers ...