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

Thursday, 01 November 2012

BBC News

• Changes to Jersey bus services from CT Plus announced The first set of proposed changes to Jersey's bus service have been revealed.
• Stagecoach buys FirstGroup's Wigan bus arm for £12m Transport group Stagecoach is to expand its presence in the Greater Manchester area after buying a Wigan bus operation from rivals FirstGroup for £12m.
• Cardiff Airport: Western Gateway plan for Heathrow hub Ambitious plans to transform Cardiff Airport into an international hub have been submitted to the UK government.
• Airports call for air duty reviewScotland's three largest airports call on the chancellor to conduct an urgent review of air passenger duty.
• Borders rail deal due 'shortly'Transport Minister Keith Brown says an announcement on the deal to build the Borders to Edinburgh railway is due shortly.
• Ryanair 'to create 1,000 jobs'Airline Ryanair is to expand its operations and create an estimated 1,000 jobs, including 360 at Manchester Airport.
• Tube workers strike over pensionsLondon Underground maintenance workers begin a 24-hour strike in a row over pensions and benefits.
• VIDEO: Ryanair 'growing like gangbusters'Budget airline Ryanair is to expand its operation, creating up to one thousand jobs at airports in Liverpool, Manchester and the East Midlands.
• Heseltine issues growth challengeLord Heseltine recommends ending a century of centralisation and moving growth funds nearer to industry in his report into boosting UK growth.
• China fund buys stake in HeathrowChina Investment Corporation, the country's sovereign wealth fund, buys a 10% stake in the firm that runs London's Heathrow airport.

Financial Times

• Moody™s downgrades Hapag-LloydProfits at the container shipping line were likely to be ˜materially lower™ than expected, the rating agency said, amid overcapacity in the industry
• Siemens pushed on Thameslink rail financeTransport minister ˜assessing™ other options should German company be unable to find its funding for the one of the UK™s largest train orders
• McLoughlin defends West Coast pricingTransport secretary gives evidence to MPs for first time since he cancelled the award to FirstGroup of a new contract to run the line
• Cost cuts pay off for European airlinesLufthansa and Air France-KLM shares rise after the German flag carrier and French operator™s interim results beat consensus forecasts
• Chinese fund in Heathrow airport dealCIC International to pay £257.4m to Ferrovial for a 5.7% holding in Heathrow Ltd and £192.6m to its other owners for a 4.3% of the operator

The Herald

• Rises in airport tax 'hit Scottish economy'SCOTLAND has lost 1.7 million air passengers over the past five years as a result of progressive increases to airport departure taxes that are causing long-term damage to the economy, a report commissioned by the country's three biggest airports has found.
• West Coast errors were 'regrettable'Mistakes over the West Coast rail franchise should not have been made and are very regrettable, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told MPs yesterday.

The Independent

• West Coast rail errors 'regrettable' Mistakes over the West Coast rail franchise should not have been made and are very regrettable, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told MPs today.Related StoriesDead Gurkhas are namedPub closures soar amid high taxation and cheap supermarket dealsMore pets abandoned since the start of the financial crisisBank freezes Jimmy Savile's £4.3m estate in response to mounting sexual abuse claimsWho's a bad boy then? Foul-mouthed parrot Beaky seeks new, tolerant home
• Anyone but Branson? Mails trawled for evidence of 'anti-Virgin' bias over rail franchise Thousands of internal Department of Transport emails are to be trawled for evidence that civil servants wanted to hand the lucrative London to Scotland West Coast train service œto anyone but Branson.Related StoriesDead Gurkhas are namedPub closures soar amid high taxation and cheap supermarket dealsMore pets abandoned since the start of the financial crisisBank freezes Jimmy Savile's £4.3m estate in response to mounting sexual abuse claimsWho's a bad boy then? Foul-mouthed parrot Beaky seeks new, tolerant home

The Telegraph

• Jobs go at black cab maker Manganese Bronze Workers at ailing London black cab maker Manganese Bronze were dealt a major blow on Wednesday as the company’s administrators made 156 people redundant with immediate effect.
• Top civil servant at Department for Transport barred from seeing West Coast franchise details The most senior civil servant at the Department for Transport was kept at “arm’s length” from the West Coast franchise competition until just weeks before the contract was controversially awarded to FirstGroup, MPs have heard.
• Trains cancelled because of post-Olympics driver shortageMore than 400 train services have been cancelled by a train company because of a post-Olympics driver shortage.
• The moment a bus driver got stuck squeezing through level crossing A bus driver who had just dropped of school kids has been fined for running the gauntlet at a level crossing.

Daily Express

• Race to rescue black cab firmTHE company that makes the iconic black cab was yesterday placed into administration, sparking a hunt for a buyer to save the business and its 277 jobs.

Network Rail

• North Doncaster rail chord gets the green light from government
• Burnley photographer selected in national competition

Derby Telegraph

• Thameslink contract review is still not needed, McLoughlin tells MPs TRANSPORT Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has repeated his belief to an influential panel of cross-party MPs that there is no need to review the Thameslink rolling stock decision.

Journal Live

• Railway lines of the North East impress prize judgesSTUNNING photos of the railway lines in the North East will go on display after scooping top prizes in a national competition.

Liverpool Post

• Ryanair announce two new routes from Liverpool John Lennon AirportRYANAIR announced two new summer routes for Liverpool today to Poland and Croatia – taking its seasonal links from the city to 39.

London Evening Standard

• £1.4bn deal to supply trains for Thameslink ’in meltdown’ The £1.4 billion contract for new trains for the Thameslink line is on the edge of “meltdown,” it was claimed today. Government transport officials admitted they were “assessing options” over what to do next if the deal with German trainmaker Siemens falls through.
• Rail franchise errors 'regrettable'Mistakes over the West Coast rail franchise should not have been made and are very regrettable, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has admitted.

Manchester Evening News

• Ryanair to create 360 jobs with five new Manchester Airport routesRyanair has announced five new routes at Manchester Airport “ creating hundreds of new jobs from next summer.
• British Airways to scrap daily Manchester to Gatwick flights after 20 years British Airways is scrapping its services between Manchester and Gatwick after a drop in demand. The carrier has operated the route for 20 years but will suspend flights from March 31, bosses have confirmed.

Metro

• Probe launched into anti-Branson bias in West Coast Mainline bidClaims that officials at the department of transport went into the West Coast Mainline bidding process with an ˜anyone but Branson™ attitude are now being investigated. There are claims that officials had an 'anyone but Branson' attitude to the bidding process (Picture: PA) While transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin told MPs ˜serious™ mistakes had been made in the fiasco, his permanent secretary, Philip Rutnam, said he and the Laidlaw inquiry would be sifting through emails for evidence. Mr McLoughlin apologised for the debacle “ which will cost taxpayers at least £40million.He was forced t...

Nottingham Evening Post

• nfahy commented Ryanair to create 460 jobs at East Midlands airportLow-cost airline Ryanair is to create 460 new jobs at East Midlands airport next year.

The York Press

• Final push to fund new cycle-path link WORK has finally begun on a long-planned cycle path to link the villages of Rufforth and Knapton, despite complete funding not yet being secured.
• Speed cameras go up on A64 TEMPORARY speed cameras have been put in place on the A64 ahead of major road works on Bishopthorpe Bridge.

Bucks Free Press

• Court to decide release of HS2 information KEY information on the HS2 business case could be made public tomorrow if a court demands its release, it was claimed yesterday.

Sunderland Echo

• Bus chiefs’ bid to avoid council taking control BUS chiefs have vowed not to axe any routes for 12 months if councils back down from takeover threats.

Other Regional Press

• Cardiff bus launches new fares for short journeys and groups Cardiff Bus has launched two new fare deals on its services for short journeys and passengers travelling in small groups.
• WEST NORFOLK: MPs’ delight at rail pledge More frequent rail services between West Norfolk and London may have moved a step closer after ministers reportedly agreed to introduce a half-hourly timetable in a new franchise agreement.
• UK & World News: China buys Heathrow operator stakeThe Chinese government's main sovereign wealth fund says it has bought a 10% stake in the operator of Heathrow Airport, expanding its investments in British infrastructure.
• Nostalgia: Trolleybuses in and around Huddersfield (with gallery)HERE is another collection of photographs of trolleybuses on Huddersfield's roads in the 1960s.
• Get into gear for cycling safetyBike-users have been getting a handle on staying safe and being considerate this week, thanks to a two-day campaign by Beds Police and the town centre Bluecaps.

Bus and Coach.com

• Luxury Citaros for Reading routeWhat are claimed by operator Stewarts Coaches of Reading to be among the most luxurious buses in Europe have this month entered service on a contract linking central Reading with the Thames Valley Park, a business centre on the edge of the town.
• Government plans more devolved fundingThe government is inviting 20 English town and city regions to bid for the devolution of powers to boost local growth.
• Lost coach concessions to hit NX profitsNational Express has warned that the loss of £15million of annual concessionary coach travel income will have an impact on the group's profits this year.
• Bowens collapses with 400 job lossesBowens Travel Group has collapsed.
• NEBOA launch QCS alternativeA new range of multi-operator tickets, lower fares for young people and a pledge not to change the network for 12 months are key features in partnership proposals by the North East Bus Operators' Association as an alternative to plans by Nexus, the Tyne and Wear.
• Fresh attack on œflawed Nexus bus QCSNexus, the Tyne and Wear PTE, has overstated the benefits of its bus Quality Contract Scheme by at least £310million, according to a report by independent economic consultants Oxera.
• First sells Wigan to Stagecoach for £12mFirstGroup has sold its Wigan bus operations to Stagecoach for £12million.

Global Rail News

• Siemens confident it will finalise Thameslink contractSiemens’ managing director has said that he remains confident that the company will finalise the £1.4 billion Thameslink rolling stock contract. Responding to a parliamentary question, transport minister Simon Burns said that the Department for Transport (DfT) was “assessing options were it not possible to secure financial close” on the deal. Steve Scrimshaw, managing director [...]
• Russia celebrates 175 years of railRussia has marked the 175th birthday of the country’s railway with a reconstruction of the very first train journey at Vitebsky railway station. On October 30, 1837, the very first public rail line between St Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo was inaugurated. President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin attended a reception in Moscow yesterday (October 30) [...]
• TBF appoints new patronsThe Transport Benevolent Fund (TBF) has appointment two new patrons to the charity. Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), and Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE, the new chairman of Network Rail, have joined the charity. Michael Roberts previously worked at the CBI, where from 2000 he was director of business [...]
• Sandy rail cleanup in picturesEngineers have begun clearing the East Coast’s rail network of debris and flood damage in the wake of storm Sandy. The total cost of the damage caused by the storm is expected to be between $30-40 billion and officials are predicting several more days of disruption before the transport system is back up to strength.
• Raymond Blanc appointed as Eurostar culinary directorMichelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc has been appointed as Eurostar’s culinary director. The TV chef has been brought in to introduce ‘sustainable and seasonal food’ to Eurostar’s Business Premier service. Commenting on his appointment, Raymond Blanc said: œAs a chef, I™m always searching for the purest ingredients, striving to ensure that everything I use is traceable [...]
• First four apprentices join East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is committed to tackling the railway industry’s predicted skills shortage, the company announced at the unveiling of its first four engineering apprentices. The Derby-based train operator has recruited four young people to work at its maintenance depots in Etches Park, Derby, and Eastcroft in Nottingham to complete mechanical and electrical engineering qualifications [...]
• China revival provides boost for VosslohVossloh has recorded an improved third quarter following a “modest” first half to 2012. The rail infrastructure and technology experts have announced nine-month sales figures slightly above last year’s results thanks to a strong performance by the company’s rail infrastructure division. Nine-month sales by the rail infrastructure division totalled 571.5 million euros, just below 2011′s [...]

Aviation Industry

• Government should speed up airports decision - Heseltine Lord Heseltine has called for the government to speed up the process of solving the airport capacity crunch in the south-east. The former Conservative deputy prime minister made the call in his independent report on how to improve the UK economy, entitled ˜No stone unturned in pursuit of growth™, which was commissioned by chancellor George Osborne and business secretary Vince Cable. One of Heseltine™s recommendations on airport capacity reads: œThe government should accept the need to clarify urgently its preferred solution to the problem of airport capacity in the south-east and indicate tha...
• Ryanair announces new routes for summer 2013 Ryanair has announced nine new routes from airports in the north-west and Midlands for the summer 2013 season. The no-frills giant is adding five new routes from Manchester as well as two routes from both Liverpool and East Midlands. The new Manchester services will be to Corfu, Krakow, Lanzarote, Paphos and Trapani (Sicily) while Lublin and Zadar are being added from Liverpool and Marseilles and Menorca are new destinations from East Midlands. Ryanair added that it would also be increasing capacity on 17 existing routes from East Midlands airport. Other carriers, such as Flybe and Monarch, h...
• Lufthansa and Air France KLM unveil increased profits European airline giants Lufthansa Group and Air France KLM made better than expected profits during the key summer period thanks to strong passenger sales. The continent™s two biggest carriers by revenue both beat City analysts forecasts for operating profit in the third quarter from July to September. Lufthansa Group made an operating profit of €648 million for the three month period “ up by 6.2 per cent on the same quarter last year. Meanwhile Air France KLM saw operating profit rise by 27.5 per cent to €506 million for the same period. But both airlines warned that cargo revenue had de...

Other News Sources

• New roof canopy will be needed for £5m Norwich bus station, council bosses reveal A new canopy roof will have to be put over Norwich’s £5m bus station just seven years after it opened, council bosses have admitted.
• Bus deal for Blackburn Youth Zone MEMBERS of Blackburn with Darwen's™s Youth Zone get a discount on bus travel this half term making it easier for them to enjoy the centre™s packed programme of activities.
• News from Darren Johnson: Cutty Sark Gardens Cycling Ban 31 October 2012 Darren Johnson AM will meet with local cyclists at Cutty Sark Gardens tomorrow to draw attention to Greenwich Council™s recent enforcement of a bye-law prohibiting cycling in the area. Since the completion of renovation works on the ship and gardens, some Londoners who have been cycling through the gardens for years have complained about the council™s decision to enforce a ban. Assembly Member Johnson commented: No ...