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

Thursday, 24 January 2013

BBC News

• Snow disruption: Heathrow boss 'sorry' over cancellations [audio]London's Heathrow Airport cancelled hundreds of flights this week leaving thousands of passengers stranded because of the snow.
• Bristol transport expert panel appointed Bristol mayor George Ferguson has appointed a panel of transport experts to advise him on matters such as bus routes and metro services.
• Airline Flybe plans 300 job cutsRegional airline Flybe says it is planning to cut about 300 jobs as part of a programme to return the carrier to profitability.

Financial Times

• Eurotunnel revenues jump after OlympicsChannel tunnel operator said the event and diamond jubilee celebrations helped lift the number of cars and coaches on trains 7 per cent to 2.48m
• Flybe announces 300 job cutsThe regional carrier will axe 10 per cent of its UK workforce, including one-fifth of its British-based management to try to return to profit
• Turkey seeks to build six-runway airportGovernment plans to hold a tender in May to build and operate near the Black Sea coast in its efforts to make Istanbul a global hub

The Herald

• Tax hike hits airline staffREGIONAL airline Flybe has blamed government hikes in airport departure taxes for a decision to axe 300 jobs.
• Delays cost bus firm £15,000 fineA BUS company owned by First Group has been fined £15,000 following an "eruption" of passenger complaints in Falkirk.

The Independent

• More flights are cancelled as Heathrow says: ˜we™re full™Dozens more British Airways flights to and from Heathrow were cancelled today as the airline sought to avoid the mayhem that passengers experienced at the weekend.Related StoriesBoris Berezovsky's former girlfriend claims he owes her millionsCentral London helicopter crash: Pilot 'told not to take off'Young father named as Algeria terrorist victimBaroness Warsi: Fewer than one in four people believe Islam is compatible with British way of lifeThousands of immigrants caught up in Border Agency forgotten box farce blunder

The Scotsman

• Majority of politicians back free trams for over 60s PRESSURE was mounting today on the Scottish Government to guarantee free travel for over-60s and disabled people on Edinburgh’s trams.

The Telegraph

• Proposal to cut winter flights at Heathrow rejected Airlines have dismissed a proposal to impose flight restrictions at Heathrow during winter months in an effort to reduce disruption in the event of extreme weather.
• Heritage train derails and catches fireA train has derailed and caught fire on a bridge in Manchester city centre, leading to warnings of severe disruptions.
• Olympics and Jubilee drive Eurotunnel profitsPassengers taking their cars across the channel to Britain for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics helped Channel Tunnel company Eurotunnel achieve a record year, it was announced today.
• Proposals could cut misery for people under Heathrow flight pathPeople living under the Heathrow flight path can look forward to less nocturnal noise under proposals put forward by the Government.

Mail Online

• Flybe to axe 300 UK jobs and to cut costs with suppliers in bid to slash costs by £35mThe jobs cuts, which amount to 10 per cent of the company's UK workforce, will affect a fifth of its management team as well as its support and production staff including human resources and IT.

Network Rail

• Network Rail launches its 2013 apprenticeship scheme in south and south west EnglandYoung people across the south and south west of England are being urged to consider becoming an apprentice with Network Rail as the company launches its 2013 advanced apprenticeship scheme.

Belfast Telegraph

• Ferry operator begins new £25m upgrade in Scotland Work has begun on a £25m upgrade of P&O Ferries' operation in Cairnryan, Scotland. Related StoriesMinister to meet groceries leaderDisneyland and airline join forcesWe'll fight youth unemploymentDownturn slows but builders still fear job lossesDNA experts boost war on cancer with £200k US deal

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Campaigners: ˜We™re sick of broken promises over Low Moor station™ Angry locals voiced their frustration last night at the long-running saga of a new rail station for Low Moor.

Bristol Live

• Rail line campaigner gives talkTRANSPORT campaigner Cat Hobbs, who played a leading role in winning improvements for the Severn Beach Line, is the key speaker at Friends Of Suburban Bristol Railways' (FOSBR) annual meeting on Saturday.

Derby Telegraph

• Flybe to review East Midlands Airport operationArticleA BUDGET airline is to review its operations at UK airports, including East Midlands, as part of a drive to return the business to profit.

London Evening Standard

• Big firms launch campaign for more Thames crossingsA campaign for more Thames crossings in east London has been set up by business leaders.
• Heathrow boss Colin Matthews: We're full so any snow will cause delaysHeathrow boss Colin Matthews today admitted the airport was powerless to stop disruption if it snows again this winter.
• Rail bosses plan to award themselves 125 per cent bonusesNetwork Rail bosses are looking at plans for two new bonus schemes which could see them paid up to 125 per cent on top of their salaries.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Ticket-printing service to avoid queues during revamp of...TRAIN passengers will be able to print off their own tickets at home under a new pilot scheme in Nottingham.

The York Press

• £183m transport boost raises Outer Ring Road dualling hopes YORK is set to get a share of £183 million in Government cash for major Yorkshire transport projects - which could be used to pay for long-awaited improvements to its Outer Ring Road and a new bus station.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Airport will not be affected by Flybe regional review, says airlineAirline Flybe has said its operations at Cardiff Airport will not be affected by the announcement that its 13 regional bases are under review.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• MP Michael Fabricant calls for guaranteed payout over HS2 lineHomeowners whose properties will be blighted by the £32 billion HS2 rail line should be given guaranteed compensation based on what their homes would be worth if the scheme had never been considered, an MP has said.

Yorkshire Post

• High speed rail line ’a shot in the arm’ for economy A LEADING business figure has described plans for a high speed rail line connecting Yorkshire to London as a “shot in the arm” for the economy as the Government confirmed transport funding worth more than £300m will be handed over to councils and local enterprise partnerships in the region.

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool rail services hit by derailmentRAIL services between Blackpool and Manchester will be affected on Thursday after a train derailment left four people hurt.

Plymouth Herald

• Residents quizzed on plan to restore missing rail linkLONG-running attempts to restore the rail link between Plymouth and Tavistock have moved a step closer.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government reforms allow councils to reduce road work disruptionNew government reforms announced today (January 23rd) will make it easier for local authorities to clamp down on disruptive road works. Local transport minister Norman Baker confirmed that road works permit schemes will give councils more control over how utility companies dig up roads in their area. They can now set conditions on the length of time that road works will be in place and can also stipulate how much of the highway is left open to vehicle drivers. Previously, councils had to apply to the Department for Transport to receive these permits, but this is no longer the case. Road us...

Global Rail News

• Paisley pattern for Unified RailwayA railway electrification project in Scotland has been hailed as the way forward for railway co-operation. ScotRail waived its right to disruption compensation payments from Network Rail during extensive engineering works. Both organisations worked together to maximise time engineers had available at evenings, weekends and during a nine-day closure of the line in mid-October. A [...]
• Merson in CGL acquisitionRail signage company Merson Group has acquired the trade and assets of cladding and drainage specialist CGL Systems Ltd. Merson said the deal would extend the group’s product range and allow it to increase its export activity. The move will create a combined workforce of 200 and an annual turnover in excess of £25 million. [...]
• New platform for RailtexNew Year 2013 means another confidence-boosting rail industry exhibition to look forward to. Railtex takes centre stage at Earls Court in London from 30 April to 2 May. The show will be opened by Transport Minister Simon Burns MP. Railtex brings together designers, engineers, railway staff, planners and leaders with a full programme of displays [...]
• Partnership opens up European rail travel to the UKTrain ticket booking website loco2.com has expanded its coverage across Europe after becoming the first UK company to sell Deutsche Bahn (DB) tickets online. The partnership opens up thousands of new routes and will make it simpler for UK customers to buy German train tickets. Loco2 now offers tickets from both SNCF and DB – [...]
• WWII bomb found at Japanese rail depotAn unexploded WWII bomb has been discovered at a rolling stock depot in the Japanese city of Hamamatsu. The city’s railway station will be closed on February 17 while the explosive is transported from the workshop to the Enshu-nada coast and disposed of. The 860kg naval bomb is thought to have been dropped by the [...]
• Futuristic railway station designsA look at some of the amazing station designs from around the world.
• Alstom wins Italian high-speed signalling contractAlstom is to deliver signalling and infrastructure works on the Treviglio-Brescia section of the Milan-Verona high-speed line. The 20 million euro contract was awarded to the French engineering giant by the infrastructure arm of the FS Group. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2016. The 39 km Treviglio-Brescia line will cross 20 cities [...]
• Video: Blast-proof train developed by European engineersA team at Newcastle University have developed blast-resilient metro carriages designed to protect passengers from the kinds of terrorist attacks seen in London and Madrid. SecureMetro, an EU-funded project led by Newcastle University, has released a video of a controlled explosion carried out on its prototype carriage. The footage demonstrates how the new design works [...]
• Funding secured for Italian airport link studyThe EU has pledged half a million euros to conduct a feasibility study into constructing a new rail link between terminals at Malpensa Airport in Italy. The proposed 3.4 km line would connect Terminal 1 with Terminal 2, which is currently only accessible by road. A Trenord-operated service – the Malpensa Express – currently runs [...]

Railnews

• Concern in south west over fragile rail link A group including local authorities and the emergency services in Devon and Cornwall is putting pressure on Network Rail to make the region's railways more resistent to the effects of bad weather. The main line to the far south west has been blocked by floods more than once in recent weeks.

Aviation Industry

• Flybe to cut 300 jobs in UK divisionAirline wants to create "slimline" business model but does not plan to cut route network

Other News Sources

• Tube bosses lying over Bakerloo safety action, says RMTTUBE BOSSES today stood accused of 'lying through their teeth' over the effect of industrial action being taken by train drivers to protect passenger safety on the capital's Bakerloo line.
• Assembly calls for clarity on police station closures and TfL fares decision 23 January 2013 The Mayor must publish Transport for London™s advice on his annual fares decision to justify above inflation fare rises, a report[1] from the London Assembly said today. In its cross-party response to the Mayor™s draft budget[2], the Assembly™s Budget and Performance Committee warns that the Assembly is unable to properly scrutinise the annual decision without more information about the alternatives. No read m...
• News from Darren Johnson AM: Silvertown crossing will add 14.6m to 29m extra vehicles a year to roads 23 January 2013 A new document produced by Transport for London has revealed that the proposed four lane, £600m tunnel at Silvertown could double the capacity of the existing Blackwall Tunnel, although œwider road network capacity is such that this is unlikely to be achieved in practice[1] TfL say that their aim is to deal with traffic queues through the use of tolls which would limit the capacity increase to only 50%. However, decisions about the level of tolls and the level of traffic would be made by a future Mayor once the tunnel wa...