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

Saturday, 15 December 2012

BBC News

• Train delays after signal damageThe main railway line between Cardiff and Newport reopens after vandals damage trackside signalling equipment.
• Rail strike talks set to beginRail managers and trade union officials are preparing for talks on a threatened strike in the run-up to Christmas on the ScotRail network.
• Translink to increase servicesTranslink, Northern Ireland's public transport company, says it will increase services and the number of carriages on trains.
• Cyclist bus death driver clearedA motorist who opened his car door in front of a cyclist who was crushed by a bus is found not guilty of manslaughter.
• Rail staff to hold 24-hour strikeWorkers at CrossCountry Trains will stage a 24-hour strike over a

Financial Times

• Tour de France 2014 to start in YorkshireLe Grand Depart sets off in Leeds in 2014 as organisers acknowledge British cycling success in the Olympics and Britons™ support for the sport
• NY taxis to adopt ˜e-hail™ technologyNew Yorkers will soon be able to hail a cab with their smartphone after the Taxi & Limousine Commission voted in favour of a 12-month pilot exercise
• BA in Ryanair deal for Heathrow slotsPlan part of low-cost airlines proposal to appease European regulators over its contentious bid for Aer Lingus, the Irish flag carrier

The Herald

• Rail strike row letter revealedTHE passenger at the centre of a ScotRail dispute wrote a letter of complaint detailing how he was reduced to tears in a
• Travellers face wave of strikes on ferries and trainsTRAVELLERS are facing a wave of disruption to train and ferry services in the run-up to Christmas after Britain's largest transport union stepped up its campaign of industrial action.

The Telegraph

• Thousands of festive travel plans to be disrupted by RMT strikeRail passengers set to have festive travel plans thrown into disarray by strike called by RMT rail union.
• Student chases train for a mile after leaving homework onboardUniversity student sprinted a mile down a railway track after she left her dissertation onboard train.

Daily Record

• Rail bosses to meet union reps in bid to avert strikes planned for ChristmasSCOTRAIL workers are proposing to strike on December 22 and Christmas Eve in support of worker Scott Lewis whom unions say was sacked for trying to help a passenger.

ATOC

• £8 million to provide better information for passengers at thousands of National Rail stations More than £8 million of industry funding will be spent by train companies to give customers at stations across the UK the most accurate information about their journey....
• "The regulator recognises that train companies take customer information seriously": train companiesResponding to the regulator's report into passenger information,...
• Capacity, efficiency, safety - ATOC and Network Railback 30-year Railway Technical StrategyNew technology that could boost the capacity of the network and allow operators to run more trains, more often, more efficiently have been unveiled this week. The Rail Technical Strategy (RTS),...

Belfast Telegraph

• Airbus deal helps save 9,000 jobs Airbus has announced a new order for 100 aircraft which it said will help sustain 9,000 jobs. Related StoriesIn a rage as returning problem with phone bill has left my ears ringingOrder books 'still below average'Apple's e-book deal gets EU nodGourmet firm wraps up £1m sandwich dealFather and son in boardroom ban after failing to pay over £150k tax
• Coach firm drives towards targets National Express said it is on course to meet its 2012 targets as new routes helped it drive a rise in coach passenger volumes. Related StoriesIn a rage as returning problem with phone bill has left my ears ringingOrder books 'still below average'Apple's e-book deal gets EU nodGourmet firm wraps up £1m sandwich dealFather and son in boardroom ban after failing to pay over £150k tax

Birmingham Post

• Revenue rise for London Midland despite almost 1,000 cancellationsRail operator London Midland recorded a bumper 13 per cent increase in revenue despite cancelling hundreds of trains.
• Chiltern Trains reveals new faster service from Birmingham to LondonBirmingham’s main business district looks set to capitalise on a new faster train service linking Snow Hill station with London.
• CrossCountry Trains workers to stage one-day strike before ChristmasWorkers on CrossCountry Trains are to stage a 24-hour strike over a “comprehensive breakdown” in industrial relations.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Foreign Secretary William Hague opens Leeds-Bradford Airport's new terminal development Foreign Secretary William Hague today officially opened Leeds-Bradford Airport™s £11 million passenger terminal development against a background of freezing rain and fog, which caused the main runway to be closed for a time for de-icing.
• Black ice causes huge demand for 999 services Ambulance bosses were forced to activate a major-incident plan after hundreds of trips, slips, and falls as yesterday morning™s black ice sparked an œunprecedented number of 999 calls.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Festive travel misery as ScotRail staff to strike on December 22 and Christmas EvePassengers face uncertain festive train travel after ScotRail’s main union announced strikes on the Saturday before Christmas and Christmas Eve over the sacking of a ticket examiner.
• Bus drivers revolt over ˜insulting™ festive lunch offer as bosses get bonusesANGRY bus drivers have shunned an “insulting” offer of a free Christmas lunch – in protest at bumper bonuses handed to their bosses.
• Edinburgh Airport chief claims public purse used to lure services to GlasgowEDINBURGH Airport boss Gordon Dewar today claimed public money was being used to give rivals Glasgow an unfair advantage.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool to get own version of ’Boris bikes’ scheme that have proved successful in LondonLIVERPOOL is to get its own version of the ’Boris Bike’ hire scheme that has taken London by storm.

London Evening Standard

• Railway boss: Olympics 'joined up working' will mean smoother Christmas getawaysThe boss of Britain™s railways today put his reputation on the line as he assured passengers they will enjoy a smoother Christmas getaway thanks to lessons learned during the Olympics.

Manchester Evening News

• Rush hour services disrupted after tram hits taxi at Piccadilly GardensThe incident happened at around 5.40pm and caused the Piccadilly Line to be temporarily suspended.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Airport safety alert over windfarm The operator of the biggest airport in the Highlands is concerned that proposals for a windfarm near Inverness may affect aircraft safety.

The York Press

• Yorkshire wins bid for Tour de France YORKSHIRE has beaten worldwide competition to bring the world™s largest annual sporting event - the Tour de France - to the county.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Futuristic makeover starts at Birmingham New StreetWorkers have started installing 8,000 reflective stainless steel panels at the site of the landmark New Street Station development in Birmingham.

Yorkshire Post

• Hague opens airport™s £11m terminalLeeds Bradford airport’s new £11m passenger terminal has been officially opened by the Foreign Secretary.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Commuters hit with above-inflation rail fare riseRail passengers catching trains from Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough are to be hit by inflation-busting fare increases in the new year.

Other Regional Press

• Trains running again between Newport and Cardiff - but delays remain A SIGNALLING problem caused delays and cancellations for rail passengers in Gwent today.
• Christmas bus strike in Aberdeen called offA CHRISTMAS bus strike in Aberdeen has been averted after a union agreed to accept a new deal.
• Bus lanes could be introduced on A90 in AberdeenTRANSPORT chiefs are considering introducing bus lanes on Anderson Drive “ to get the best from the Aberdeen bypass.
• Man charged in connection with train station bomb hoaxBedfordshire Police, on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, have charged a Bedford man in connection with an incident that happened at Bedford Railway Station on Wednesday afternoon, (December 12).

Global Rail News

• Go-Ahead highly commended in sustainability awardThe Go-Ahead Group this week received a highly commended award in the inaugural  Sir Mervyn Pedelty Award launched by FTSE Group to recognise companies which have made the most significant improvements to their business’ sustainability. FTSE created the award in memory of the late Sir Mervyn Pedelty, former chief executive of the Co-operative Bank, and [...]
• Improving West Coast Mail Line performanceTrain punctuality is a very important topic within Network Rail these days. The ORR (Office of Rail Regulation) has stated that it will fine the company £1.5 million for every 0.1% that the PPM (Public Performance Measure) falls below 92% for long distance routes at the end of March 2014. As Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s [...]
• Network Rail team complete 80-mile charity bike rideA group of cyclists from Network Rail Infrastructure Projects’ Supplier Engagement/Assurance Team donned cycling shorts, wigs and comedy moustaches to complete an 80-mile bike ride in aid of Action for Children. On December 5, cyclists Neill Carruthers, Leigh Dawkins, Graham Trueman, Kishan Savjani and Allan Tillman pedalled their way from London Euston to Network Rail’s [...]
• Sydney light rail system announced in transport master planPlans for a new $1.6 billion light rail network have been announced as part of Sydney’s future transport master plan. New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrel has described the plans as “a once-in-a-generation project to revitalise the centre of Sydney”. The new 12 km route will link Circular Quay and Randwick via Sydney’s bustling George [...]
• Yakunin appointed as UIC chairmanPresident of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin has been appointed as the International Union of Railways (UIC) chairman. Yakunin, who will hold the position for two years with a possible two-year extension, replaces Satoshi Seino, president of East-Japan Railways. The UIC is an international forum dedicated to the development of the global rail industry. In an [...]
• Amtrak announces plans for higher speeds on Northeast CorridorAmtrak is cancelling plans to expand its Acela Express fleet on the U.S. Northeast Corridor to pursue the introduction of next-generation high-speed trains on the route. Early next year, Amtrak will issue a Request for Information (RFI) to formerly start the process of replacing the existing 20 Acela Express trains and adding extra capacity on [...]
• Bidding opens for Brazil high-speed rail projectBrazil’s National Transportation Agency (ANTT) has opened bidding for the Rio – Sao Paulo high-speed rail line. The tender includes the operation and maintenance of the route for the next 40 years as well as the installation of soundproofing, electrification, telecommunications, signalling and train control systems. The closing date for proposals has been set for [...]

Aviation Industry

• IATA wants œAmazon shopping experience for flightsAssociation calls for distribution of airfares through agents to become œmore modern
• Ryanair fails to stop probe into Aer Lingus stakeCompetition Commission can continue investigation following Court of Appeal ruling

Other News Sources

• Scottish ferries strike action rock solidGeneral secretary Bob Crow said
• RMT announces strike on Cross Country Trains from Penzance to Aberdeen over complete breakdown of industrial relationsFollowing a comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations between Cross Country Trains and RMT, the union has secured a yes vote from train managers, senior conductors and on board catering staff for both strike action and action short of a strike. The Cross Country service radiates out of Birmingham and covers much of England, major points in Scotland as well as Cardiff in Wales.