U K
The information below comes from the
UK Activity Report.
British Airways is to open its new £250m world cargo centre at Heathrow Airport on 19 January, which will enable it to double its capacity to handle freight, mail and courier traffic. 31-Dec-1998
Clearwater Estates and Greenwich Borough Council are in discussions with eight port operators about running the planned Greenwich Maritime Terminal in London, which will be big enough to take cruise ships up to 38,000 tons. 31-Dec-1998
Alfred McAlpine and Amec have jointly won an £80m contract to build a 30km section of the Channel tunnel rail link between the Medway and Fawkham junction. 31-Dec-1998
Hughes Waste Management of Fareham has been banned from operating its fleet of 114 vehicles and 17 trailers, following allegations that it repeatedly flouted traffic laws. 30-Dec-1998
Shoreham Airport has announced plans to build a £1m railway station to support its strategy of launching short haul scheduled flights to UK and European cities. 30-Dec-1998
Motorail is planning to set up a head office and phone booking operation in Inverness, in preparation for the relaunch of its vehicle transport service between Scotland and England. 29-Dec-1998
Eddie Stobart, the road transport company, is planning to set up a £22m warehouse at Sherburn-in-Elmet near Leeds, with the creation of 250 jobs. 29-Dec-1998
Virgin Atlantic has won Civil Aviation Authority approval to fly to Shanghai twice a week. 24-Dec-1998
Jacobs Holdings is to start up a new parcels distribution business called Ontime Logistics in the new year, with 410 employees and 350 vehicles. 23-Dec-1998
Manchester Airport is considering plans to make an £8m bid for Humberside Airport, with a view to expanding it. 21-Dec-1998
Stagecoach is considering plans to launch a £194m bid for Citybus of Hong Kong, having secured exclusive rights until January to negotiate a deal. 19-Dec-1998
Anglia Railways is to introduce new Turbostar trains between East Anglia and London next May. 18-Dec-1998
Nexus has won government approval for a £84m scheme to extend the Tyneside Metro system to Sunderland, and work is due to start next autumn. 17-Dec-1998
The government has awarded grants to 33 local authorities to improve public transport. 17-Dec-1998
Go-Ahead has announced that it has won a contract to operate Stockholm's commuter rail network, as part of a consortium with VIA-GTE and BK Tag. 17-Dec-1998
The government has announced plans to boost the merchant fleet by providing tax breaks for shipowners that register their vessels in the UK. 17-Dec-1998
Railtrack is considering plans to set up new underground links to the mainline railway, creating north-south and east-west connections across London. 14-Dec-1998
The European Investment Bank has told the government that it is prepared to help fund the construction of the Channel tunnel rail link and the modernisation of the London Underground. 12-Dec-1998
Blackburn council is considering plans for a £5m redevelopment of the railway station. 11-Dec-1998
Dudley Council is considering plans for the introduction of canal buses to ferry shoppers between the Merry Hill Shopping Centre and Netherton. 11-Dec-1998
Victoria Wharf is planning to redevelop a port at Yelland in North Devon to export ball clay, despite fears it could affect trade at Bideford Port. 11-Dec-1998
Durham County Council is considering plans for the relocation of the Seaham Harbour Dock Company and the redevelopment of its existing site into a shopping centre. 11-Dec-1998
Lancashire County Council is to set up a new think-tank to boost the use of rail services in West Lancashire, and rail companies are being asked to pledge their support. 11-Dec-1998
The Scottish Office is considering plans to restart the rail link between Edinburgh and Galashiels, as part of a strategy to regenerate the economy of the Scottish Borders. 11-Dec-1998
Eurostar is considering plans to run direct train services from Watford and Heathrow to continental Europe, which would enable people from Scotland and the north to use the service without having to cross London. 11-Dec-1998
Metroline is planning to expand the services offered by its recently-acquired Scottish Citylink coach service, in order to compete with its main rival ScotRail. 10-Dec-1998
Devon County Council has announced plans for three new commuter rail stations in Plympton, South Brent and Tavistock. 10-Dec-1998
Bombardier of Canada is to create 40 jobs at new offices in Vernon Gate, Derby, in order to manage its train building project for Virgin. 10-Dec-1998
Virgin Rail has awarded a £1.06bn contract to Bombardier of Canada for the supply of tilting trains for its Cross Country franchises, and they will be manufactured at plants in the UK, Belgium and France. 10-Dec-1998
British Airways is discussing the possibility of forming closer ties with Japan Airlines, which could result in JAL joining the Oneworld alliance. 10-Dec-1998
The Highland Council is linking up with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and rail-freight company EWS to build a road, rail and sea freight terminal at Fort William to serve northern Scotland. 09-Dec-1998
Stagecoach has emerged as a potential bidder for the Via Rail train company, which is to be privatised by the Canadian federal government. 09-Dec-1998
Fisher International has acquired Railway Claims, the Derby-based company that specialises in defending claims against the rail industry, for undisclosed terms. 09-Dec-1998
The government is considering plans to introduce a single safety body for air and rail travel, with responsibility being removed from Railtrack and the Civil Aviation Authority. 09-Dec-1998
The government is to conduct an audit of publicly owned trust ports, in order to identify which ones are in danger of becoming insolvent. 09-Dec-1998
North Yorkshire County Council is in discussions with Railtrack to transfer freight from the roads to the railways between York and Scarborough, and loading depots will be set up at various points along the route. 08-Dec-1998
Stagecoach is seeking a new corporate headquarters in Perth and has announced plans to streamline its bus management in the UK to link Scotland with the north-east of England. 08-Dec-1998
Hampshire County Council is to launch a public inquiry in February into plans for a £147m light rapid transport link between Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth. 07-Dec-1998
The Uniserve Group is planning to build a £5.5m warehouse and office complex near Tilbury Docks, which will become the base for all its southern surface freight services. 07-Dec-1998
British Gypsum is testing the use of freight trains on a disused track between Loughborough and Rushcliffe Halt, which could replace 100 lorry journeys a week. 07-Dec-1998
The government is set to announce measures to dilute the monopoly of the Post Office in return for an increase in its commercial freedom. 05-Dec-1998
Wokingham District Council has approved plans for a railway station to be built at the proposed new mini-town at Grazeley near Reading. 04-Dec-1998
The government has approved plans for a £167m tram system in Nottingham, run by a consortium of Tarmac, Adtranz, Transdev and the council-owned bus operator. 04-Dec-1998
Sir Robert McAlpine has won a £15m contract to build London's Millennium Bridge, in a joint venture with Monberg & Thorsen. 04-Dec-1998
The government is to postpone a decision on building a major new airport in the south-east until after 2002. 04-Dec-1998
Associated British Ports is in discussions to acquire British Steel's cargo terminal at Immingham. 02-Dec-1998
Bond Helicopters is to close its helicopter oil-rig service at Liverpool Airport with the loss of 28 jobs. 01-Dec-1998
Milford Haven Port Authority has acquired the Port of Pembroke, which will mean that the authority is now responsible for all port facilities across the haven. 01-Dec-1998
John Menzies is to buy a 49% stake in Sigma Aviation, the provider of passenger services at Manchester airport, for £0.5m, in its first move into UK regional airports. 01-Dec-1998
The government has announced plans for a £70m bridge across the river Forth at Kincardine, with construction expected to start in 2003. 01-Dec-1998
Color Line, the Norwegian ferry company, is to sell its services from Tyneside to Bergen, Stavanger and Haugesund, to another Norwegian company Fjord Line. 30-Nov-1998
The government is planning to encourage more shipping owners to register their fleets in the UK by replacing corporation tax with a tonnage tax based on the size of their fleets. 28-Nov-1998
Jacobs Holdings is forming a parcels and freight distribution subsidiary called Ontime Logistics, and it will set up a network of 120 franchisees around the country. 27-Nov-1998
Bristol International Airport has awarded a £22m contract to Amec for the construction of a new passenger terminal building. 27-Nov-1998
Rail companies are to recruit an additional 800 train drivers as part of a 10-point action plan, in response to government demands for an improvement in service. 27-Nov-1998
Doncaster Council is considering plans from the Teesland Group for the creation of a transport interchange, in order to combine local rail, bus and coach services. 27-Nov-1998
Rail Investments is relaunching Derby's College of Rail Technology as Catalis Rail Training. 27-Nov-1998
Railtrack is seeking planning permission for a £400m scheme to redesign Edinburgh's main railway station. 27-Nov-1998
Railtrack is considering plans to restore a second track between Hereford and Oxford, via Malvern and Worcester. 27-Nov-1998
Centro, the executive arm of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, is in discussions with Railtrack to extend the Birmingham-Wolverhampton Midland Metro line through Merry Hill and Dudley at a cost of £100m. 26-Nov-1998
Virgin is planning to create about 1,500 jobs in its airline and charter holiday operations, including 1,000 cabin crew, 150 airport staff, and 250 at the new Mediterranean holiday company, Virgin Sun. 26-Nov-1998
First Engineering, the Scottish railway infrastructure contractor, is to open offices in London and Birmingham. 26-Nov-1998
Interfleet Technology, the rail industry consultancy with 150 staff, is planning to move to new offices in Derby's Pride Park. 25-Nov-1998
Offshore Transport Services, the Scunthorpe-based international freight operator, is considering plans to set up a new company in Spain in order to avoid the UK's high road taxes. 25-Nov-1998
Nottingham City Council is looking at the possibility of introducing guided bus ways in which buses steer themselves along specially-designed lanes. 25-Nov-1998
Safeway has announced plans to switch from road to rail freight in supplying the Inverness area from its main depot in Bellshill. 24-Nov-1998
Aram Resources is planning to set up a chain of terminals along the south coast, starting with a £2m investment in Southampton, to enable it to move shingle and stones by sea from Cornwall. 24-Nov-1998
Merseytravel has reached agreement with Liverpool City Council over the routing for the city's new super tram. 23-Nov-1998
Virgin Atlantic is looking at the possibility of operating daily flights between Birmingham and New York by taking over the route which British Airways is abandoning. 23-Nov-1998
The Office of Fair Trading is investigating an alleged cartel operated by Stagecoach and 12 other companies to fix the price at which they supply school bus services in Hull. 20-Nov-1998
Eurotunnel has begun drawing up plans for a second Channel crossing, and it could involve a second tunnel or a bridge. 20-Nov-1998
Stagecoach is to move National Transport Tokens, the distributor of travel tokens, from Preston to Blackburn. 19-Nov-1998
Bovis is to manage a £100m contract for Railtrack to redevelop Leeds City railway station. 19-Nov-1998
Arriva has been ordered to sell Lutonian, the Luton-based minibus business, as the Monopolies & Mergers Commission has found that unfair tactics were used to force it to submit to a £1.4m takeover. 19-Nov-1998
Railtrack has said that mainline trains could be used to cross London on London Underground tracks, and it is considering reviving the £2bn Crossrail project using a section of the Circle line instead of building a tunnel. 19-Nov-1998
Liverpool Airport has won government approval for an £8m grant to build a new £20m terminal, which will create thousands of jobs, increase the number of shops, and double passenger numbers to 2m a year. 18-Nov-1998
Alstom is to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide, prompting concern that hundreds of jobs could be lost at its train-making factory in Birmingham. 18-Nov-1998
Railtrack is proposing to divert East Coast freight trains through Gainsborough, Lincoln, Sleaford and Spalding, instead of using the main line between Hertfordshire and Doncaster. 18-Nov-1998
Virgin Atlantic is forming an alliance with China Eastern Airlines to bid to fly a new route between Heathrow and Shanghai. 18-Nov-1998
Virgin Rail is planning to compete for more rail franchises when competition rules are relaxed in 2002. 18-Nov-1998
Devonport Engineering Consortium, the Plymouth-based shipbuilder, has closed down with the loss of 32 jobs. 17-Nov-1998
Alstom Transport has opened a new studio at its factory in Birmingham in order to design the most advanced trains in Europe. 17-Nov-1998
Vosper Thornycroft is planning to expand its Portchester shipyard over the next two years, and the workforce will rise from 50 to 300 as it relocates Halmatic from Southampton and Vosper Thornycroft Controls from Cosham. 17-Nov-1998
MTL, the Merseyside bus company, has stopped looking for offers for the business and will instead pay a £48m dividend to shareholders, who mainly comprise its workers. 17-Nov-1998
Amtrak Express Parcels has moved its Cambridge depot to larger premises in Bar Hill, which will enable it to expand and create more jobs. 16-Nov-1998
Highland Council and Scottish Natural Heritage have beaten off a legal challenge by environmental groups that means they are now clear to build the £14.8m Cairn Gorm mountain railway. 16-Nov-1998
The Ministry of Defence is looking for private companies to assist with the running of its fleet of nine high-security VIP jet aircraft, which could result in the privatisation of the Queen's Flight. 16-Nov-1998
Connex is to close its Croydon headquarters, where it employs 120 staff, and merge it with the South Eastern office in Blackfriars. 13-Nov-1998
Sussex Enterprise has presented the government with plans for a new transport system, including a network of edge-of-town interchanges linking the south coast with Gatwick, London and the Channel tunnel. 12-Nov-1998
Mayflower has won a £40m contract to supply buses to New World First Bus, the Hong Kong bus operator in which First Group has a stake. 12-Nov-1998
The government is to remove strict borrowing restrictions on the local authority owners of four regional airports - Leeds, Norwich, Manchester and Newcastle - which will give them freedom to expand their facilities. 11-Nov-1998
Suffolk Business Airport has had its plans for a £50m airport at the former Bentwaters base delayed for up to a year by the local authority. 10-Nov-1998
Gatwick Airport is planning to create 7,000 new jobs over the next decade by extending facilities, although the development will stay within the present boundary. 10-Nov-1998
Chiltern Railways is to cut peak-time rail services in Oxfordshire by 10% due to a shortage of capacity on the network. 10-Nov-1998
The Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company is considering plans to set up a bus corridor or light rail track on a former railway line in east Belfast. 10-Nov-1998
Simons, the Lincoln-based developer, is linking up with Wakefield Council and Arriva Yorkshire to build an £8m bus station and shopping centre in Wakefield. 10-Nov-1998
British Airways is cutting its planned growth in capacity from 8% to 2% next year, and a number of unprofitable routes will be terminated. 10-Nov-1998
P&O has acquired a 32% stake in Porto Industriali di Cagliari, the Sardinian container port, and believes it has the potential to become the leading trans-shipment port in the central Mediterranean. 10-Nov-1998
Westinghouse Air Brake Company subsidiaries Vapor and Stone are moving to a new £1.25m headquarters in Burton upon Trent, from where they will sell their train door and air conditioning systems. 09-Nov-1998
The East Lancashire Partnership, which includes a number of local authorities and business groups, is to conduct a feasibility study into the creation of a tram system to connect towns in the area. 09-Nov-1998
Southampton airport is to rebuild its runway next year. 09-Nov-1998
London Underground is said to be planning to remove staff and ticket offices from many stations in order to replace them with closed circuit television and pre-paid tickets. 09-Nov-1998
A Morrey Distribution, the storage company, is planning to expand its warehouse near Stoke with the creation of up to 60 new jobs. 09-Nov-1998
Sally Ferries is to cut 100 jobs when it closes its passenger and freight services between Ramsgate and Ostend later this month. 07-Nov-1998
Virgin Rail is to create 1,000 jobs in Scotland over the next five years by expanding its booking and call centre service in Edinburgh and Dingwall. 06-Nov-1998
Railtrack is looking to set up more profit sharing deals with train operating companies in order to give it more incentive to improve the rail network. 06-Nov-1998
The restrictive practices court has outlawed a price fixing and market sharing agreement between ten bus operators in the north-west. 06-Nov-1998
British Midland is considering plans to invest $500m in six new long-haul aircraft, and they will be used on routes between Heathrow and ten US cities. 06-Nov-1998
AEA Technology Rail has opened a new production centre in Derby to cope with rising demand for monitoring systems from the railway operators. 05-Nov-1998
Adtranz is to cut 90 jobs at six signalling operations around the country with the Reading site being hardest hit. 05-Nov-1998
Link 51 Storage Products is cutting 25 jobs at its facilities in Brierley Hill and Telford, in order to maintain competitiveness. 05-Nov-1998
Rapid Transport International is seeking government approval for a £50m rapid transit scheme in Northampton, and Galliford is acting as project manager. 05-Nov-1998
Railtrack is in discussions with Amec and Balfour Beatty about an £80m railway infrastructure maintenance contract in the West Anglia and North London region. 05-Nov-1998
A&P Group is to create 500 jobs on Tyneside having won a £9m contract to convert a ship for the oil industry. 05-Nov-1998
Vosper Thornycroft has bought Halmatic, the Southampton-based boatmaker, for undisclosed terms. 04-Nov-1998
Northern Spirit has launched a new generation of Transpennine Express trains, including computer plug-in points for business people and on-train ramps for people with disabilities. 04-Nov-1998
Local politicians are planning to block the government's sale of Belfast port as they fear it could be sold off too cheaply. 03-Nov-1998
Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners have approved the construction of a £2m freight centre at the port's facility at Lisahally. 03-Nov-1998
Norwich Airport is planning to create hundreds of new jobs over the next three years and offer new destinations, improved facilities and extra flights on established routes. 02-Nov-1998
The European Commission is taking the UK and seven other EU countries to the European Court of Justice over their bilateral aviation deals with the US, claiming that the deals distort the European air market. 31-Oct-1998
First Group is to offer two weeks of free travel on its North West Trains service between Manchester and Oldham, in compensation for the poor service during the summer. 30-Oct-1998
The rail regulator has threatened to fine train operators over the poor performance of their telephone-based National Rail Enquiry Service. 30-Oct-1998
Aberdeen Harbour Board has awarded contracts for the redevelopment of the port's pontoon ship repair facilities at a cost of over £2m. 30-Oct-1998
The government has approved a £30m project to deepen the approach channel to the port of Harwich, and funding will come from Prudential Portfolio Managers. 29-Oct-1998
British Airways' budget airline Go has launched two new services to Munich and Venice. 29-Oct-1998
Highlands & Islands Enterprise has won approval to invest £10m in the construction of a mountain railway up Cairn Gorm in Scotland, which will create 60 jobs. 28-Oct-1998
British Airways has reached agreement to take a minority stake in Iberia, the Spanish airline, as part of its strategy of building an alliance of European airlines in conjunction with American Airlines. 28-Oct-1998
Penzance Dry Dock and Engineering Company has announced 40 redundancies following the loss of a major contract to DML of Plymouth, and it is considering plans to close down and transform the site into a recreation-based hotel. 27-Oct-1998
Colchester Council is planning to close Colchester harbour to commercial shipping by 2001, due to ongoing financial losses. 27-Oct-1998
KLM is considering plans to increase its direct service from Belfast to Amsterdam from three to five flights a day. 27-Oct-1998
Wallace Arnold is to spend £8m on the purchase of an additional 51 coaches for its Euro fleet, and the contract has been awarded to Plaxton's of Scarborough. 27-Oct-1998
Sea Containers has vowed to keep the fast cross-channel ferry service running from Newhaven to Dieppe throughout next summer, even if P&O Stena Line decides to scrap their Elite catamaran. 27-Oct-1998
Hays Customer Solutions is planning to create up to 1,000 jobs at a new national call centre at the De Montfort Business Park in Leicester. 26-Oct-1998
Nexus, the transport operator, is to move up to 200 staff from its Cuthbert House headquarters in Newcastle into a new building on the city's West Central Route next September. 26-Oct-1998
John G Russell, the Glasgow-based transport company, is opening a 141,000 sq ft warehouse on the Bellshill Industrial Estate in Lanarkshire. 23-Oct-1998
Angel Train Contracts has agreed a £375m deal with English Welsh & Scottish Railway to buy and lease back 280 freight locomotives. 23-Oct-1998
Vosper Thornycroft is looking to recruit 25 extra workers in Portchester to cope with rising demand for maintenance work on customs craft and lifeboats. 22-Oct-1998
Railtrack has awarded a £60m resignalling project at Dartford station to Westinghouse Signals. 22-Oct-1998
Gill Airways of Newcastle is to add four more Air France franchise routes, which will create 150 jobs over the next year. 21-Oct-1998
Alconbury Development has said it will set up a new bus network linking Alconbury airfield to a number of nearby towns if it wins approval to transform the airfield into a freight centre. 21-Oct-1998
SeaCat Scotland is said to considering the possibility of setting up a fast ferry route between Belfast and Glasgow. 20-Oct-1998
City of Derry airport is planning a £3m investment to expand the runway and upgrade facilities in a bid to establish a direct daily service to London. 19-Oct-1998
Tibbett & Britten is to acquire the remaining 56% of Hi-Tech Logistics from IBM and other shareholders, and has also agreed a contract to distribute IBM products in the UK. 16-Oct-1998
Mersey Docks & Harbour Company and Denholm Shipping Services are to develop a major new steel terminal at Birkenhead Docks. 16-Oct-1998
WS Atkins Rail is to undertake a feasibility study into the £35m extension of the Docklands Light Railway to London City Airport. 15-Oct-1998
English Welsh & Scottish Railway is opening a customer service delivery centre in Doncaster with the creation of 300 jobs. 15-Oct-1998
Freightliner, the rail container carrier, is considering plans to bring in a trade partner in order to help fund a £100m investment programme over the next seven years. 15-Oct-1998
Danesbury Freight, the haulage company, is preparing plans to relocate to the site of the former Congleton Paperboard factory at Buglawton, creating up to 100 jobs. 15-Oct-1998
Virgin Rail has selected Angel Train Contracts and Lombard GATX to finance the purchase of 132 trains from Fiat Ferroviaria, Alsthom and Bombardier, in a £850m leasing deal. 14-Oct-1998
National Express and DHL are to invest £70m in the improvement of air cargo handling facilities at East Midlands airport, including a new £35m parcel sorting centre. 14-Oct-1998
Cornwall County Council is to consult companies on how to spend up to £500m of EU regional aid, and a number of transport projects could be considered in order to improve railway infrastructure, roads, and Newquay airport. 13-Oct-1998
Portsmouth naval base is planning a £60m improvement scheme in order to replace six existing jetties with modern facilities, and the work will be carried out by Balfour Beatty Costain. 13-Oct-1998
Railtack has submitted plans to reconstruct and widen three railway bridges as part of the £150m Leeds City Station re-development plan. 13-Oct-1998
The Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society has won outline planning permission to build a £3m railway heritage centre at Leven, and aims to relocate the historic North Queensferry station to the site as the main attraction. 13-Oct-1998
Cambridgeshire county council is planning to set up 80 high-tech bus stops on rural routes at a cost of £1m, including waiting areas, payphones, and computer displays showing the latest travel information. 12-Oct-1998
Fareham council has announced plans to create a second bus station as part of the proposed supertram links with Gosport and Portsmouth. 12-Oct-1998
Virgin Atlantic has won a three-year contract from the Ministry of Defence to transport troops between London and Washington. 10-Oct-1998
Stansted airport is submitting plans to increase passenger capacity from 8m to 15m a year, which would create about 7,000 jobs. 09-Oct-1998
Teesside Airport has started work on a £1.5m apron extension in order to provide better facilities for wide-bodied jets and increase the number of destinations flown to. 09-Oct-1998
A former RAF bomber station at Strubby in Lincolnshire has been put up for sale, including heliport, runway, offices and a hangar. 09-Oct-1998
North Devon and Torridge District Councils are considering plans to reopen the Bideford-Barnstaple railway line, which was closed to freight in 1982. 09-Oct-1998
Centro has awarded a £6.5m contract to Shepherd to build a bus station in Walsall. 08-Oct-1998
British Airways is one of a number of companies that has offered to acquire AOM, the Paris-based carrier, in what is seen as an attempt by BA to break-up Air France's dominance of domestic routes. 08-Oct-1998
Virgin Rail has won regulatory approval for its planned tie-up with Stagecoach, on the condition that it pays refunds to passengers on late trains. 08-Oct-1998
Great North Eastern Railway has awarded a £25m train servicing contract to Alsthom that includes an innovative method of rewarding Alsthom for providing higher quality components and fewer replacement parts. 07-Oct-1998
Stagecoach, the operator of Prestwick airport, has agreed a 10-year deal with low-cost airline Ryanair that will result in more Ryanair services from Scotland to continental Europe. 05-Oct-1998
Virgin Trains is considering proposals to operate 200mph trains in Florida, in what would be the first major overseas venture by a UK private rail company. 05-Oct-1998
Railtrack is considering plans to make modifications to large parts of the rail network to enable more freight to be carried, and it is specifically looking at increasing bridge heights and the use of low-floor wagons. 02-Oct-1998
Stagecoach has sold its 95% stake in Kenya Bus Services to management for £3m, which completes its withdrawal from Africa. 02-Oct-1998
Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority is trying to secure government funding for a £25m rail project that will reinstate a Glasgow commuter line and connect Lark Hall to the rail network. 01-Oct-1998
UK ports had a 1% increase in freight volumes in 1997, handling 558m tonnes, according to government figures. 01-Oct-1998
The government is planning to improve the performance of some of the rail operators by launching a shadow "strategic rail authority" that will include the slimmed-down British Rail and will have the power to take over failing rail franchises. 01-Oct-1998
British Airways' cut-price airline Go is to create 200 jobs at Stansted Airport and add eight more planes. 01-Oct-1998
Midland Mainline is planning to build a £10m rail station near Nottingham, which would create more than 100 jobs. 01-Oct-1998
Three train companies are facing heavy repair bills on trains inherited from British Rail - Thames Trains and Chiltern Railways are having to replace motors, while Connex Rail is having problems with faulty doors and motor mountings. 30-Sep-1998
Peel Holdings is to invest £30m in a new passenger terminal at Liverpool Airport, creating up to 4,200 jobs. 30-Sep-1998
Jersey European Airways may pull out of plans for a stock market flotation this autumn due to recent falls in airline share prices. 30-Sep-1998
United Airlines has applied to the US Department of Transport to operate new services from Heathrow to Boston, Denver, Miami and Seattle. 30-Sep-1998
Central Railway has unveiled plans for a £3bn rail freight link connecting the north-west of England to northern France via the Channel Tunnel. 30-Sep-1998
Railtrack is to start construction work on stage one of the Channel Tunnel rail link next month, having won the backing of its shareholders. 29-Sep-1998
TBI is planning to build a £13m second terminal at Belfast International Airport. 29-Sep-1998
Northern Spirit has launched a direct train service linking Newcastle to Manchester Airport, called the Transpennine Express. 28-Sep-1998
London Underground has been taken off the £2.75bn Jubilee Line extension project and replaced by Bechtel of the US in order to ensure the line is ready in time for the opening of the Millennium Dome. 26-Sep-1998
Connex Rail has placed a £70m order with Adtranz for 25 new trains, and they will be used in the south-east from 2000. 25-Sep-1998
The Port of Southampton has secured a roll-on roll-off service operated by Hyundai Merchant Marine, which will involve the export of vehicles to the Far and Middle East. 25-Sep-1998
Wiggins has announced plans to transform the Manston airfield in Kent into an international passenger airport within three years. 25-Sep-1998
Railtrack is to present the government with plans to spend up to £1bn on the upgrading of the East Coast Mainline, including new flyovers, improved power supplies, and new track. 24-Sep-1998
Virgin Atlantic has dropped plans to set up a domestic US airline because of Washington's strict regulations that limit foreign ownership to 25% of the voting shares. 24-Sep-1998
The government is planning two large-scale pilot projects to determine the feasibility of imposing tolls on motorways and urban roads, and local authorities are being invited to participate in the scheme. 24-Sep-1998
Tramtrack Croydon is to begin testing Austrian-made trams on the streets of Croydon from next month, and the full service is expected to be operational by November 1999. 24-Sep-1998
Go North East of Gateshead is to invest £8m in 83 new buses, in order to improve services throughout the north-east. 24-Sep-1998
Marcroft Engineering is expanding its rail maintenance facilities in Stoke, and expects to recruit a further 50 employees. 24-Sep-1998
Celtic Airways is planning to launch new air services from Cornwall to Brussels, Cork, Sheffield and Teesside, next March. 24-Sep-1998
Howard Smith Towage, the tug operator, is to close its business in Swansea due to the impending closure of an oil refinery. 23-Sep-1998
Swan Hunter has announced plans to build a £25m dry dock at Wallsend to improve its chance of winning a contract to build one of the Royal Navy's next generation aircraft carriers. 23-Sep-1998
Peel Holdings has been selected as the preferred bidder to buy a former RAF base near Doncaster for conversion into a regional airport with retail and leisure facilities, creating up to 5,000 jobs. 22-Sep-1998
British Airways has formed a global marketing alliance with American Airlines, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, that will serve 632 destinations in 138 countries. 22-Sep-1998
Simon Cargo is investing £2m to upgrade facilities at its Humber Sea Terminal at Killingholme, in order to make it one of its major UK port operations. 21-Sep-1998
Connex is planning a £17m satellite-based system to give passengers accurate information on trains that are running late, and it will be installed at stations across the south-east. 21-Sep-1998
White Horse Ferries is considering plans for a daily ferry service between Weston-super-Mare and Cardiff Bay. 21-Sep-1998
Go-Ahead is bringing forward plans to spend £400m on 100 new trains for its Thameslink franchise, and they will be introduced over a five-year period starting in 2000. 19-Sep-1998
Bus companies in Leeds are linking up with the City Council to invest more than £10m on service improvements, including new buses, new routes and improved security. 18-Sep-1998
The Royal Mail is planning a £4m delivery office in Sunderland, which will create 30 jobs. 17-Sep-1998
Portsmouth City Council is planning to build a multi-million pound fifth berth at Portsmouth continental ferry port, and is in negotiations with a ferry operator about financing the project. 15-Sep-1998
National Grid is expected to take control of National Air Traffic Services, the air traffic control arm of the Civil Aviation Authority, with a £500m offer for a majority stake in the operation. 14-Sep-1998
Railtrack is seeking shareholder approval to acquire the first 43-mile section of the planned Channel tunnel rail link between London and Folkestone. 12-Sep-1998
London & Continental has revealed the preferred contractors for the first phase of the Channel tunnel rail link, with contracts going to the Eurolink consortium, Kvaerner and a joint venture between Amec and Alfred McAlpine. 11-Sep-1998
National Express, the bus and rail operator, is planning to step up its international acquisitions programme in order to benefit from lower prices that have been brought about by economic uncertainty. 11-Sep-1998
UK railways carried passengers 34.5bn km in the 12 months to June, the highest level since the mid-1960s, according to the government's new quarterly bulletin of rail statistics. 10-Sep-1998
BAA is linking up with CIR of Italy to bid in the planned privatisation of Italian airports, and the first target is expected to be the government's sale of a 55% stake in Aeroporti di Roma. 10-Sep-1998
Associated British Ports is looking to take over more terminals and potential targets include the 20 terminals at its ports that are currently operated by shipping and manufacturing companies. 10-Sep-1998
Simon, the port services and shipping group, is considering plans to build a £20m roll-on roll-off ferry port on the Humber near Immingham, which could create hundreds of jobs. 09-Sep-1998
Forth Ports is in discussions with Tilbury Container Terminals about the development of a new river berth for deep-sea container traffic at the east London port. 08-Sep-1998
Airbus has said that its plans for a European superjumbo will create 10,000 high-skill jobs in the UK and safeguard a further 40,000 in more than 400 UK companies. 08-Sep-1998
Four of the UK's largest air cargo companies, Air Foyle, Atlantic Airlines, HeavyLift Cargo and Channel Express, have formed an alliance in response to British Airways' link up with American Airlines. 07-Sep-1998
Arriva has won a £7.2m a year contract to supply and manage 2,500 vehicles for Cable & Wireless. 07-Sep-1998
Jarvis is looking to benefit from rail privatisation in Australia in partnership with Stagecoach and Australia's Goninan. 05-Sep-1998
Dennis has won a £47m contract to supply 433 buses to Metroline. 03-Sep-1998
Wallace Arnold is planning a £4.5m coach interchange at Wakefield, creating 190 jobs. 02-Sep-1998
Metalastik, the Leicester-based subsidiary of the BTR AntiVibration Systems Group, has developed a new rubber and metal spring for railway suspension systems known as the interleaved hourglass. 01-Sep-1998
Amey has created a new division called Amey RailTec that will specialise in providing solutions for the rail maintenance sector. 01-Sep-1998
Hays Distribution has won a five-year contract to supply all of BP's forecourt stores, which will result in 400 additional jobs at Hays' distribution centres in Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Manchester and London. 29-Aug-1998
Consultants Halcrow Fox have released a report that recommends the construction of up to six new rail stations on the East Coast main line. 28-Aug-1998
Stagecoach has acquired a controlling stake in Fullers Group, the New Zealand ferry company, in order to expand its public transport operations in Auckland. 28-Aug-1998
Ebac of Bishop Auckland has won a contract from Bombadier to build new trains for Amtrak of the US, and they will be designed in the UK and built at its US manufacturing plant. 28-Aug-1998
HMB Buses of Gateshead is being liquidated, and bailiffs have seized 36 coaches after services ceased and 73 employees were laid off. 27-Aug-1998
Wales & West is to spend £1.5m on upgrading its trains and will recruit 30 new drivers, in response to criticism of its performance on the Portsmouth to Cardiff route. 27-Aug-1998
British Airways has ordered 59 short-haul aircraft from Airbus with an option on a further 129, which will protect thousands of UK jobs particularly at the Rolls-Royce aero engine factories. 26-Aug-1998
Fife Council is planning to invest £1.8m in a new railway station at Dunfermline, and Railtrack is expected to invite tenders soon. 25-Aug-1998
Isle of Anglesey Railway is planning to transform the Amlwch freight branch into a tourist line using steam and diesel traction, and services could start early next year. 25-Aug-1998
A consortium that includes Airport Group International and Bechtel has paid £110m for a 30-year concession to develop and manage Luton airport, and a new terminal will be built as part of a plan to increase capacity to 10m passengers in eight years time. 25-Aug-1998
Chiltern Railways has promised to deliver a £2.5m package of improvements, including standby trains, new train engines and additional drivers, in response to the recent increase in train cancellations. 20-Aug-1998
The planned privatisation of London Underground's infrastructure has attracted formal interest from 108 companies, according to London Transport. 19-Aug-1998
AEA Technology is acquiring Transport Consultants International, the railway engineering consultancy, for £12m, which will enable the two companies to offer their shared customer base a wider range of services. 19-Aug-1998
Ugland International is planning to sell its fleet of 13 refrigerated vessels in order to fund the expansion of its vehicle processing division. 18-Aug-1998
EDS of the US has won a £1.4bn order to install the world's largest smartcard ticketing system for London Transport. 14-Aug-1998
Seeboard Powerlink, a consortium that includes BICC and ABB, has won a 30-year contract to operate London Underground's high-voltage power distribution. 14-Aug-1998
Go, the British Airways low-cost airline, is to offer cheap flights from Stansted to Edinburgh, the first time it has competed directly with EasyJet on a specific route. 13-Aug-1998
The EU has said it will not allow British Airways and American Airlines to sell take-off and landing slots at Heathrow and Gatwick in order to win approval for their alliance, and instead they will be required to simply surrender them. 11-Aug-1998
Railtrack is asking for additional government funding to help it build a rail freight link between Scotland and the Channel Tunnel, as part of a plan to triple the volume of freight moved by rail over the next 10 years. 11-Aug-1998
British Airways is planning to expand its fleet capacity by 8.5% this year, but has not commented on reports that it is to order 34 Boeing 777 long-haul planes and 100 Airbus short-haul planes. 11-Aug-1998
MTL, the Merseyside transport company, is said to be having difficulty selling its remaining businesses as potential purchasers are not meeting its price expectations. 10-Aug-1998
Boeing is planning to set up a $170m training centre for airline flight crew and maintenance staff at either Heathrow or Gatwick, employing 55 staff from 2000. 05-Aug-1998
Stagecoach is in discussions with a number of banks about forming a joint venture to provide financial backing for its Porterbrook rolling stock leasing business, which would make it easier to win orders for new trains. 05-Aug-1998
The government has announced plans to close four coastguard stations with the loss of 50 jobs, although it stressed that maritime rescue services will be enhanced by an investment in new technology of up to £10m. 01-Aug-1998
First Group has won the right to retain its Midland Bluebird bus operation in central Scotland, as the government has overturned a ruling by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission that the company was too dominant in the area. 01-Aug-1998
London Underground has awarded a £1bn contract to a consortium of Racal Telecommunications, Fluor Daniel, Hyder, Charterhouse Bank, and Motorola, for the management of its radio and transmission services. 01-Aug-1998
Ocean is forming an alliance with Caliber Logistics, a subsidiary of FDX Corporation, to give its MSAS freight forwarding division access to Caliber's road distribution network in the US. 31-Jul-1998
First Group is aiming to complete a series of improvements to its North Western Trains service by September, in order to avert the threat of legal action by the Greater Manchester passenger transport authority. 31-Jul-1998
Railtrack has extended its contract with Balfour Beatty for the renewal of track in its southern zone for another three years. 28-Jul-1998
EasyJet is ordering another 15 Boeing 737-700s, with an option on a further 15, in order to help beat off competition from other low-cost airlines. 28-Jul-1998
Parc Group, the Irish supplier of contract pilots to airlines, is planning stock exchange listings in both London and Dublin in September, in order to help it to expand into other specialist staffing areas. 27-Jul-1998
The Post Office is forming a joint venture with Selektvracht to set up a mail-sorting facility at Utrecht in the Netherlands, which will enable the Royal Mail to offer its worldwide delivery service to Dutch bulk mailing customers. 23-Jul-1998
Stagecoach is planning to ask for an extension on its South West Trains franchise, as it claims it is making good progress towards meeting its passenger charter standards on punctuality and reliability. 22-Jul-1998
The government has unveiled its new transport white paper which is aimed at boosting investment in public transport, and funding will come from additional costs for motorists such as charges on workplace parking spaces and possible tolls on motorways and trunk roads. 21-Jul-1998
Ocean Group is to merge its freight forwarding business with its smaller road distribution companies forming a new operation called MSAS Global Logistics, in order to enable its multinational customers to deal with a single organisation. 20-Jul-1998
Virgin Atlantic is said to be planning to operate a "limoboat" service, taking business passengers from London to Heathrow airport. 20-Jul-1998
Connex South Central has been refused permission to extend its train operating franchise from seven to 15 years, despite offering to spend £370m on improvements, raising concerns that other companies may also fail to secure franchise extensions. 18-Jul-1998
Railtrack has agreed to make additional improvements to the railway network in order to reduce train delays by 7.5% over the next year, including plans to remove bottlenecks and improve its communication with the train operating companies. 17-Jul-1998
ICL has won a £25m contract from the train operating companies to install a journey information system that will aim to reduce queues at ticket counters and provide more reliable information. 17-Jul-1998
British Airways is considering plans to bid for CityFlyer Express, the regional airline operating out of Gatwick. 13-Jul-1998
Arriva is in negotiations to acquire VSN-North, the Dutch bus company, for an estimated £40m. 10-Jul-1998
The European Commission has recommended that British Airways be allowed to go-ahead with a planned alliance with American Airlines, but they will have to give up 267 weekly slots at Heathrow and Gatwick to other airlines. 09-Jul-1998
Virgin Express, the low-cost airline, is planning to move its base from Brussels to Ireland in order to escape high labour costs and claimed interference from government and unions, although most of its services will still fly from Brussels. 08-Jul-1998
Securicor has acquired Hays Express, the overnight parcels business, from Hays for £16.7m, and will merge it with its Omega Express division. 08-Jul-1998
Balfour Beatty has won a £100m contract from Railtrack to redesign the railway tracks outside Euston station in London, as part of the upgrading of the west coast main line. 08-Jul-1998
Railtrack is planning to start selling leases on properties in the City of London in order to help fund its investment programme, and rail franchise operators can expect to receive a share of the proceeds. 07-Jul-1998
The European Commission is now expected to clear the way for the planned alliance between British Airways and American Airlines, by asking them to relinquish just 220 take-off and landing slots at Heathrow. 04-Jul-1998
Silverlink, one of the National Express franchises, is considering plans to use tilting trains on its London to Birmingham line, but would first want an extension of its seven year operating franchise. 04-Jul-1998
London Underground is to split itself into train operating and infrastructure companies from next spring, in preparation for its partial privatisation which will involve the infrastructure transferring to the private sector and train operations remaining in the public sector. 03-Jul-1998
Amey has withdrawn from a contract with Railtrack to maintain tracks in the Bristol area, as the two companies have failed to agree terms. 03-Jul-1998
Virgin is said to be close to appointing two US investment banks to advise on the flotation of its Virgin Atlantic airline, which could take place later this year. 02-Jul-1998
The government's transport white paper is to include plans for charging motorists who drive into city centres within the next two years, with the money being re-invested in local public transport. 01-Jul-1998
Pilot Developments has won government approval to redevelop a disused stretch of the London Underground between Epping and Ongar, and plans to introduce luxury dining car trains and commuter services. 01-Jul-1998
Great North Eastern Railway is asking the government to extend its franchise on the east coast main line from seven to 15 years, and also wants a guarantee that any future operator would be required to run tilting trains in order to reduce its leasing costs on these trains. 30-Jun-1998
London & Continental Railways is planning to part-fund the Channel tunnel rail link by raising £360m selling off future tax losses, which means that profitable companies will be able to buy equity in LCR in order to shield their profits from the Inland Revenue. 29-Jun-1998
BAA is to invest $7m expanding the retail and restaurant facilities at Newark airport in New Jersey. 27-Jun-1998
Iberia, the Spanish airline, says it is close to selling a 5% equity stake to each of British Airways and American Airlines, and it expects to be fully privatised in the first quarter of next year. 27-Jun-1998
Prism Rail is moving from Aim to the main stock market next week, and has confirmed plans to spend £390m improving services on the London-Tilbury-Southend line by the end of next year. 26-Jun-1998
TBI is in discussions with three US airlines that are interested in opening routes into Belfast International Airport. 24-Jun-1998
The government is expected to give the go-ahead next month for a £85m project to widen the M25 motorway near Heathrow, but most of the other road schemes proposed by the previous government will be axed. 20-Jun-1998
TBI is acquiring a 90% stake in Skavsta Airport in Sweden for £20m, with the remainder being held by Nykoping city. 19-Jun-1998
White Horse Ferries has confirmed plans to raise £2.5m in a flotation on Ofex in order to build a further six ferries for its River Thames service. 19-Jun-1998
The Civil Aviation Authority has called for the formation of a formal market for the trading of take-off and landing slots at EU airports in order to increase competition among airlines. 18-Jun-1998
The government has given the go-ahead for a £35m project to link London's Docklands Light Railway to London City Airport, with funding from both the public and private sectors. 18-Jun-1998
The government is planning to set up a network of three traffic control centres to provide information on traffic congestion, in partnership with motoring organisations and electronics companies. 17-Jun-1998
Ryanair of Ireland is planning to raise £43m in a share issue in order to fund the purchase of 25 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. 17-Jun-1998
National Grid has expressed an interest in taking control of National Air Traffic Services, which the government is planning to sell off next year. 15-Jun-1998
British Airways has announced plans to create 3,500 jobs at Gatwick airport over the next 10 years, in order to support an expected 60% increase in passengers and a near doubling of cargo. 13-Jun-1998
The consortium that has won the contract to operate Eurostar, which includes British Airways, National Express and the Belgian and French state railways, is said to have dismissed the option of running the trains from Glasgow and Manchester as it would not be economically viable without government subsidy. 13-Jun-1998
London Transport is planning to spend £1bn over the next two years on the improvement of stations, escalators, track and signalling, with about £500m coming from government grants. 12-Jun-1998
The government is planning to sell 51% of the air traffic control system to the private sector, a move supported by the Civil Aviation Authority and British Airways but opposed by the controllers' union. 12-Jun-1998
The government is examining ways to boost investment at regional airports owned by local authorities, which could involve the relaxation of public spending rules to enable councils to expand airport facilities. 11-Jun-1998
The rail regulator has given approval to the £2.1bn upgrade of the west coast main line, having received assurances from Railtrack and Virgin Rail that services will improve and other operators will be given access to additional paths. 09-Jun-1998
The government is to invest £230,000 in the development of a new generation of airships, which will be made by Airship Technologies in Bedfordshire and used for tourism, border control and defence purposes. 09-Jun-1998
Central Railway has confirmed its intention of going ahead with a £3bn project to provide a freight rail link between the Channel Tunnel and Liverpool, and it will present its application to the government within the next year. 08-Jun-1998
The government has finalised plans for the £7.7bn construction of a high-speed rail link between London and the Channel Tunnel, and the project will be undertaken in two stages with completion due in 2007. 04-Jun-1998
Railtrack has announced plans to invest £3.1bn upgrading the rail network over the next decade, as it shifts the focus of its investment programme away from infrastructure renewal and signalling. 04-Jun-1998
NFC, the logistics company, is to return £307m to shareholders in a share buy-back that will effectively prevent it from making any large acquisitions in the near future, although it is still seeking bolt-on purchases in Europe and North America. 04-Jun-1998
Condor Ferries of Guernsey has won a three-year licence to operate ferries from the UK to the Channel Islands. 03-Jun-1998
The government is considering plans to sell franchises for the operation of 2,000 miles of UK canals, but this is just one of a number of possible options for the future of the nationalised British Waterways. 02-Jun-1998
Virgin Group is planning to float a number of its businesses on the stock market over the next two years to enable it to continue to invest in start-up ventures, and likely candidates for flotation include the airline, the travel business, and the cinema business. 01-Jun-1998
Virgin Rail is planning to float in mid-July, but a final decision will depend on the rail regulator giving approval for Railtrack's planned upgrade of the West Coast line. 30-May-1998
Wiggins has signed a 20-year deal with Air Atlanta Icelandic to operate charter and freight flights from Manston airfield, as part of a plan to transform the site into London's fourth airport. 29-May-1998
Ryder System of the US is looking to sell its UK leasing business in order to focus on logistics, and is already in discussions with a number of unnamed companies. 27-May-1998
British Airways has complained to the European Commission about price cuts by Lufthansa that forced its German subsidiary to withdraw from the Frankfurt-Munich route. 25-May-1998
British Regional Air Lines is planning to introduce new flights from UK regional airports to European cities after its flotation next month, and it is also looking at acquisition opportunities. 22-May-1998
Angel Train Contracts has ordered 280 new freight locomotives at a cost of £375m, which will be built by General Motors in Canada and GEC Alsthom in Spain and then leased to English Welsh & Scottish Railway. 22-May-1998
British Airways' plans to form an alliance with American Airlines have been hit by a US Justice Department recommendation that the two airlines would have to give up at least 336 weekly slots at Heathrow in order to win government approval. 22-May-1998
The Health & Safety Commission has unveiled a £250m package of measures to improve safety on the railways, including the installation of sensors to stop trains that have gone through a red light. 22-May-1998
Virgin Express is in discussions to acquire a small unnamed UK airline that would give it access to an operator's licence for Boeing 737 aircraft. 19-May-1998
The government is planning a £15m rail freight terminal east of Cardiff, which will be run by Freightliner and is intended to take 40,000 truck journeys off the road each year. 18-May-1998
Stagecoach has won approval to bid for the Yellow Bus Company in Auckland, New Zealand, reversing a previous decision in which the company was excluded because of its existing operations in the city. 16-May-1998
Derby Cycle Corporation has sold a majority stake to two US investment groups - Thayer Capital Partners and Perseus Capital - and now plans to double its annual turnover to $1bn by spending £150m on acquisitions in the US and continental Europe. 16-May-1998
Railtrack has awarded a £400m provisional contract to a consortium led by GEC Alsthom for the installation of a radio-based signalling system on the main west-coast rail line. 16-May-1998
British Airways has announced plans to run Eurostar trains from Heathrow to Paris and Brussels, but the move is dependent on the success of its joint bid with National Express to take over the UK arm of Eurostar. 16-May-1998
The Corporation of London is trying to revive the CrossRail east-west main line rail link under London, and is looking to the private sector to fund the £2.1bn project. 15-May-1998
The government is planning to sell off the Port of Belfast, yielding up to £100m, but will retain a golden share which will enable it to block any future takeover. 13-May-1998
BAA is expected to win the contract to operate Newark airport in the US within the next few weeks, which would give a major boost to its international expansion plans. 11-May-1998
Virgin Atlantic, the airline, is said to be planning to return to the stockmarket this autumn with a £1bn flotation, which would follow a planned listing of Virgin Rail in the summer. 11-May-1998
Stagecoach is trying to win clearance to bid for the Yellow Bus company in Auckland, New Zealand, and competition between itself and First Group is expected to intensify as they both try to build up their operations in the Pacific Rim. 08-May-1998
The rail regulator is expected to give the go-ahead next week for the £2.1bn modernisation of the West Coast main line, which will enable trains to travel at up to 140 mph. 07-May-1998
Associated British Ports is said to have made a £105m takeover approach for American Port Services, the London-quoted operator of US port facilities. 07-May-1998
National Parking Corporation is in discussions with property companies about forming a joint venture to redevelop its 500 car park sites, with a view to building retail and office complexes with underground parking. 06-May-1998
Jarvis is to acquire Streamline, the road and airport maintenance and building materials concern, for £184m in order to help it expand overseas and benefit from the growth in outsourcing. 02-May-1998
Stagecoach is acquiring a 20% stake in Road King, the operator of toll roads in China, for £67m, and hopes this will lead to further transport deals in the country. 01-May-1998
National Express is to spend this year's £2m fuel duty rebate announced in the Budget on the purchase of 11 new buses for its Travel West Midlands operation. 01-May-1998
Merseyside Transport and nine other bus operators in north-west England have been referred to the restrictive practices court following an Office of Fair Trading investigation into alleged price fixing. 29-Apr-1998
The government is planning to earmark cash raised from new charges on motorists for major investment in public transport, and further details will be included in a transport white paper in June. 29-Apr-1998
British Midland is planning a flotation for its British Regional Airlines subsidiary in the summer, in order to repay borrowings and spend £20m on new aircraft. 29-Apr-1998
Railtrack and London & Continental Railways have promised to finalise plans to rescue the high-speed Channel Tunnel rail link within two weeks, following government concern that the negotiations will not be completed before the deadline. 29-Apr-1998
Thameslink is to launch a faster train service between London and Gatwick airport next month, reducing the journey time by five minutes by reorganising its timetables. 28-Apr-1998
Stagecoach has launched a £368m bond to fund the purchase of 113 new trains, and this is expected to become a popular way of raising money in the UK transport sector. 28-Apr-1998
First Group is to focus its overseas expansion plans on Asia and Australasia, rather than mainland Europe where margins are tighter, and is particularly interested in building up its bus operations in China and New Zealand. 27-Apr-1998
White Horse Fast Ferries is to raise £1.85m on Ofex in order to fund the purchase of new boats to take tourists to the Millennium Experience in London. 27-Apr-1998
Connex is asking the rail franchising director for an extension of its seven-year South Central franchise to 15 years to enable it to justify a £385m investment in new trains, station improvements and track electrification. 25-Apr-1998
P&O is to form a joint venture with Shougang of Hong Kong to merge their bulk shipping businesses, and the new entity will be called ABC Bulk Carriers. 25-Apr-1998
The Civil Aviation Authority is to delay the introduction of the new £53m air traffic control system at Prestwick, which is being developed by Electronic Data Systems of the US, due to technical problems. 23-Apr-1998
AB Airlines is floating on Aim this week with a value of about £25m, and proceeds will be used to fund the acquisition of new aircraft. 21-Apr-1998
Virgin Rail expects to proceed with plans for a flotation, and details are expected to be announced next month for a flotation as early as June. 21-Apr-1998
British Airways is planning to create 7,000 jobs over the next 12 months, including cabin crew, customer services, telephone sales and pilots, with most of them located at Heathrow and Gatwick. 20-Apr-1998
Seascope Shipping, the shipbroker, is in discussions to acquire at least one niche business in the shipping industry. 17-Apr-1998
Central Railway is drawing up plans to build a freight and passenger rail link from Liverpool to the Channel Tunnel, running through Manchester, Sheffield, Leicester and London, and stopping at Lille in northern France. 15-Apr-1998
Commercial vehicle sales reached 30,902 units in March, up 27% on last year, with trucks up 25%, light vans up 30%, panel vans up 28%, and buses and coaches up 17%, according to the SMMT. 15-Apr-1998
National Express has been named as the preferred bidder for New York State's Stewart International Airport. 11-Apr-1998
Ryanair is looking to add Helsinki to its list of destinations served from Stansted airport. 10-Apr-1998
Simon Group is planning to build a £20m ferry terminal at Killingholme on the River Humber, and is seeking backers from the motor industry. 08-Apr-1998
Christian Salvesen is forming a joint venture with Danone of France to distribute chilled foods in Spain, and will be responsible for the installation of a computer system as well as the management of the operation. 08-Apr-1998
Hays has acquired two European food distributors - the Cedima chilled food business in northern France for £1m and the Sodibelco Group in Milan for up to £9m. 08-Apr-1998
The £78m Millennium Link project to link up canals between the west and the east of Scotland is set to go ahead following the promise of additional funding from British Waterways Board, Scottish Enterprise and local authorities. 07-Apr-1998
British Airways and National Express have agreed to each take a 40% stake in the company seeking to take over the British arm of Eurostar, with SNCF of France taking the other 20%. 06-Apr-1998
BAA is close to agreeing a deal with London Transport in which it will finance the construction of an extension of London Underground's Piccadilly Line to Heathrow's proposed Terminal 5. 04-Apr-1998
The rail regulator has said it will only approve the proposed £2.1bn upgrade of the west coast main line if Railtrack and Virgin Trains agree to make further improvements to the infrastructure in order to enable other companies to use the line. 04-Apr-1998
FMR Corp, the US owner of Fidelity Investments, has bought a 12% stake in Virgin Express, the no-frills airline that operates on European routes. 03-Apr-1998
British Airways has announced £100 flights to Rome, Milan and Copengahen through its new Go low-cost airline, prompting fears that there will be some consolidation over the next year in the no-frills sector. 02-Apr-1998
MTL, the Merseyside bus and train operator, is believed to have received takeover bids from four public transport operators - Arriva, First Group, Go-Ahead and Stagecoach - but a deal is not expected for another month. 02-Apr-1998
British Airways has acquired the remaining 35% of Deutsche BA, its German operation, reflecting the importance of Deutsche BA to its European strategy. 02-Apr-1998
The rail regulator has announced that new rail services can be launched in competition with existing franchises from September 1999, with new operators being allowed to compete for up to 20% of the current revenues. 01-Apr-1998
John Menzies is forming a joint venture with Lufthansa Airport and Ground Services to handle all Lufthansa's cargo at Heathrow in a £21m deal. 01-Apr-1998
First Group has won a £80m contract to run bus services in Hong Kong through a joint venture with New World First of Hong Kong, and will invest £160m on 600 new buses over the next two years. 01-Apr-1998
The government has sold its 14% stake in Mersey Docks & Harbour to institutional investors, raising £70m. 31-Mar-1998
National Express has placed orders worth a total of £148m for 40 electric trains from GEC Alsthom and 22 diesel trains from Adtranz, for use on its ScotRail and Central Trains franchises. 31-Mar-1998
The government has given London & Continental Railways and Railtrack a further two months to fine-tune their plans for the high-speed Channel tunnel rail link in order to ensure that the cost to the taxpayer is kept to a minimum. 28-Mar-1998
EasyJet is acquiring a 40% stake in TEA Switzerland, the charter carrier, for undisclosed terms, and has an option to increase its stake to 90%. 26-Mar-1998
Virgin Express, the low-cost airline, may move its headquarters from Brussels to the UK or Ireland due to interference from the government and unions in Belgium. 25-Mar-1998
P&O is to increase passenger prices on its Dover to Calais ferries by 6% this year, while freight rates are up 12%. 25-Mar-1998
The government has decided to hand over the infrastructure of the London Underground to the private sector under three separate concessions, and will expect a £7bn investment programme over the next 15 years, although train operations will remain under public ownership. 21-Mar-1998
SNCF of France is to support the British Airways-National Express bid to take over the Eurostar international train service, although it is not expected to become an equity partner in the project. 21-Mar-1998
BAA has failed in its attempt to take over the running of South Africa's nine airports, as its joint bid with Schipol airport was beaten on price by Aeroporti di Roma. 21-Mar-1998
The US Justice Department has said that British Airways' proposed alliance with American Airlines must undergo "significant change" in order to win approval and ensure competition between the UK and the US. 20-Mar-1998
Anglia Railways has placed a £26m order with Adtranz for eight three-car diesel trains for use on the London to Norwich line. 20-Mar-1998
MTL, the Merseyside bus and train operator, is up for sale and a number of potential buyers have been approached, although interest has been affected by management problems and recent strikes. 19-Mar-1998
The government is to consider a proposal to introduce a single new railway authority to take over the powers of both the franchising director and the rail regulator, enabling it to co-ordinate long-term planning and impose tighter regulation. 19-Mar-1998
Meridian Cable Cars is to set up a £8m cable car system to take visitors over the Thames to the Millennium Dome, in order to improve transport links to the site. 16-Mar-1998
Stagecoach and First Group are launching rival bids for a five-year franchise to operate buses in Hong Kong, but they both face competition from a number of local companies. 14-Mar-1998
British Airways and National Express are considering a joint bid to operate the Eurostar rail service, with BA taking responsibility for marketing and National Express managing the London to Paris and Brussels routes. 13-Mar-1998
Eddie Stobart is expected to win a £20m government grant to help it set up a rail freight terminal in the Midlands, in a project that will create two new distribution centres, one in Glasgow and the other in either Birmingham or Daventry. 12-Mar-1998
The European Commission has begun legal proceedings against eight countries, including the UK, to prevent them from negotiating transatlantic aviation deals without agreement from Brussels, as it wants to negotiate an EU-wide deal with the US. 12-Mar-1998
Adtranz has introduced a refurbished train called the Classic that combines a modern body shell with 25-year-old underframes, and Connex is said to be considering placing orders for its South Central and South Eastern franchises. 11-Mar-1998
Jersey European Airways is planning a flotation in the next four months at a value of over £80m. 09-Mar-1998
Safeland is planning to demerge Safestore, the provider of flexible rented storage space, and set up a chain of storage buildings across the UK and Europe. 06-Mar-1998
Associated British Ports has completed a strategic review that will see it focus on offering more services to existing customers, acquiring more companies, and expanding further into distribution, while it has also announced a £100m share buy-back. 05-Mar-1998
Hays Group is targeting mainland Europe for the next stage of growth of its logistics business, while its personnel and commercial services divisions also hope to benefit from the increase in outsourcing in Europe. 05-Mar-1998
Railtrack has awarded a contract worth £18m a year to Tarmac for rail track renewal work in East Anglia. 04-Mar-1998
Hochtief, the German construction concern, is interested in reviving the Green Arrow consortium with Costain and Siemens in order to re-bid for the construction of the Channel tunnel rail link, following problems with the London & Continental Railways project. 04-Mar-1998
Railtrack is said to have been threatened with criminal prosecution by the Health & Safety Executive because of the poor condition of parts of the rail network. 03-Mar-1998
Virgin Rail is awarding a £850m contract for the construction of 55 mainly tilting trains for its cross-country network to Bombardier of Canada. 03-Mar-1998
Stena Line and P&O have won government approval for their planned link-up on the Dover-Calais ferry route, and a combined service will be launched on March 10. 28-Feb-1998
Go-Ahead Group is planning to expand into new transport-related areas such as port and airport services, parking, and traffic management for local authorities. 28-Feb-1998
First Group is planning to invest £50m on new buses and on improving bus priority measures in Leeds, Manchester and Aberdeen, but government ministers are said to be annoyed that the company is calling for the government to match this spending. 27-Feb-1998
The government has given a one-month extension to London & Continental Railways and Railtrack to agree a proposal to save the high-speed Channel tunnel rail link. 27-Feb-1998
British Airways has agreed a code-sharing and passenger-swap deal with Finnair, in a move that further extends its programme of setting up European alliances. 27-Feb-1998
EasyJet has begun legal action against British Airways' new low-cost operation called Go, alleging that the company has subsidised the business by guaranteeing leases on new aircraft. 27-Feb-1998
Ryanair of Ireland is planning to undercut British Airways by 75% on six new routes from Stansted to Italy, France and Scandinavia. 26-Feb-1998
United Carriers, the road transport company, is in discussions with an unnamed company that could lead to a merger. 25-Feb-1998
The government is planning to give inspectors new powers to detain unsafe heavy goods vehicles and tow them away to truck pounds in order to improve road safety. 25-Feb-1998
English Welsh & Scottish Railway has warned that plans by Railtrack and Virgin to upgrade the west coast main line will provide under half the capacity needed for rail freight. 25-Feb-1998
Arriva, the bus and coach company, is looking to acquire more bus companies and car dealerships in mainland Europe, and has arranged a £100m debt facility to fund the purchases. 25-Feb-1998
British Midland is aiming to move back into the long-haul market and has asked for clearance to serve up to 10 US cities once the transatlantic market is fully opened up by the UK and US governments. 25-Feb-1998
Stagecoach has been prevented by the New Zealand competition authorities from acquiring the Yellow Bus company in Auckland, as it already owns an Auckland bus company. 25-Feb-1998
TDG is looking for buyers for its Cox plant hire business and for some of its poorly performing European operations, in order to return cash to shareholders and focus on its core logistics business. 24-Feb-1998
British Airways has asked Boeing and Airbus to devise new ways of financing aircraft purchases to enable it to cut the capital assets it owns and allow other companies to assume ownership of its aircraft. 24-Feb-1998
Virgin has decided that its planned investment with Railtrack in the west coast main line is not dependent on it being given an extension to its franchise, which expires in 2012. 20-Feb-1998
Mersey Docks is to increase capital spending to £65m this year, with investment in a new passenger and cruise terminal and new warehousing. 19-Feb-1998
Cammell Laird has reached agreement to lease and operate the Gibraltar shipyard for 20 years. 19-Feb-1998
Railtrack is in discussions with Bechtel of the US about the preparation of a rescue plan for the troubled high speed Channel tunnel rail link. 19-Feb-1998
The government is said to be ready to give permission for the high speed Channel tunnel rail link to be built in two stages, with the first stage linking the tunnel to north Kent. 18-Feb-1998
British Airways has had its bid to acquire 25% of Iberia rejected by the Spanish government, and BA is now being told it will only be allowed to buy a 5% stake in the Spanish airline. 18-Feb-1998
British Airways is planning an 8% increase in capacity in its summer programme, but is cutting back flights to South Korea and Sri Lanka due to the political and financial problems in the region. 17-Feb-1998
AB Airlines is considering a flotation in order to raise £7.5m, and it has also ordered six new Boeing 737-700 aircraft for delivery starting 2001. 16-Feb-1998
Virgin Rail has awarded a £1bn contract to GEC Alsthom to supply and maintain tilting trains for the West Coast main line. 14-Feb-1998
Silja of Finland is to wind down its Sally Line UK ferry business due to tough competition on cross-Channel routes, and it will also pull out of its Ramsgate cargo and port business. 13-Feb-1998
HSBC has sold its 20% stake in the Eurorail consortium that is hoping to build the Channel tunnel rail link to its partner companies - BICC, Kvaerner, NatWest and Seeboard. 12-Feb-1998
MTL, the Merseyside bus and train company, has shelved plans for a flotation following a series of strikes. 07-Feb-1998
Railtrack has linked up with 25 local authorities to propose a £237m rail link between Oxford and Cambridge, which would form part of an east-west route between Swindon and Felixstowe. 06-Feb-1998
Concorde Express, the John Menzies transport services business, has won a £4.5m three-year contract to supply cargo handling services for the SAS airline at Heathrow. 06-Feb-1998
British Airways is to close its 17 ticket offices in the US as customers are increasingly booking tickets via the internet and telephone. 06-Feb-1998
Kvaerner of Norway is looking to revive the Eurorail consortium to take on the construction of the high speed Channel Tunnel rail link, following the problems being experienced by London & Continental Railways. 05-Feb-1998
The rail regulator has begun a review of the rail leasing market and may decide to revise the terms of existing contracts with the rolling stock leasing companies if they are found to be abusing their market power. 04-Feb-1998
Railtrack is to approach the government with plans to build the Channel Tunnel rail link alone, but this is likely to be rejected on the grounds that there should be open competition if the London & Continental Railways consortium fails to produce a viable plan in the next 30 days. 03-Feb-1998
Eurotunnel has agreed a £8.5bn financial restructuring with 174 banks, giving the banks a 45.5% stake and cutting its annual interest bill from £650m to £400m. 31-Jan-1998
British Airways is to launch its Go cut-price airline from Stansted airport in spring, but the rival EasyJet airline is to complain to the European Commission about BA cross-subsidising the new business. 31-Jan-1998
National Express has agreed to pay £0.5m in additional passenger benefits to compensate for its failure to meet a deadline for introducing new trains on its Gatwick Express franchise. 27-Jan-1998
Local authorities in the West Midlands are considering a scheme to offer half-price rail and bus travelcards to commuters who drive to work. 26-Jan-1998
The Port of Liverpool is to build a roll-on roll-off terminal for Irish Sea ferries at Twelve Quays, and a second facility is planned at Trafalgar Dock. 23-Jan-1998
The government has announced an urgent inquiry into the three rail rolling stock companies following criticism of how directors of the Porterbrook, Eversholt and Angel leasing companies made vast profits when they were resold after privatisation. 22-Jan-1998
London Docklands Development Corporation has given its support to a plan to double the number of flights at London City Airport, creating up to 3,000 jobs, and the government now needs to decide whether to give approval or refer it to a planning inquiry. 21-Jan-1998
British Airways had to cancel 26 flights worldwide yesterday, as its check-in computer system crashed at Heathrow. 21-Jan-1998
Jarvis and Railtrack are to set up an "alliance board" in order to reduce the impact of engineering work on train operations. 21-Jan-1998
GEC Alsthom has won a $153m order to supply 25 six-car electric multiple unit underground trains from the Singapore Land Transport Authority. 20-Jan-1998
The High Court has ruled that councils in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham must meet the cost of building the loss-making Sheffield Supertram, meaning that central government is not liable for the £115m bill. 20-Jan-1998
The £550m fast rail link from central London to Heathrow has opened, but passengers will be transferred to coaches two miles short of the airport until the full service starts in June. 20-Jan-1998
Mersey Docks is bidding to run the port of Maputo in Mozambique through a joint venture of its Portia Management Services division, Skanska of Sweden, Grindrod of South Africa, and Lisbon Container Terminal. 19-Jan-1998
Debonair, the Luton-based budget airline, has reached agreement to fly domestic routes within Italy, which will generate £20m of additional revenue per year. 17-Jan-1998
Luton Borough Council has announced the final shortlist of bidders to operate Luton Airport, and it includes National Express, Lockheed Martin, and a joint venture between Peel Holdings and Copenhagen Airport, with a final decision expected next month. 16-Jan-1998
London & Continental Railways has announced preferred bidders for two tunnelling contracts on the Channel tunnel rail link, and they are a consortium of Kier, Edward Nuttall and Wayss & Freytag, and a consortium of John Mowlem, Besix and Phillip Holzmann. 16-Jan-1998
Amey has linked up with SECO/DGF of France to win a £130m track renewals contract for Railtrack's Great Western region. 16-Jan-1998
The government is close to finalising plans to split the London Underground infrastructure away from the train operations and lease it to the private sector, raising the possibility that the train operations will be left in the public sector. 16-Jan-1998
Siemens has pulled out of the bidding to supply two major train orders to Virgin Rail, citing stiff penalty clauses demanded by Virgin for late delivery or breaches of contract. 16-Jan-1998
British Airways has formed an alliance with Lot, the Polish state-owned airline being lined up for privatisation, which will involve the swapping of passengers. 16-Jan-1998
The EU competition commissioner has expressed optimism that the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines will be given the go-ahead, and a statement is expected next month. 14-Jan-1998
Cammell Laird is in negotiations to operate the Gibraltar Shipyard, and a deal would probably involve a profit-sharing arrangement with the Gibraltar government. 13-Jan-1998
EasyJet, the low-cost airline, has confirmed that it is planning to bid for Air Holland in an attempt to set up a new hub in Amsterdam. 13-Jan-1998
Stagecoach is said to be interested in joining the bidding to operate Stockholm's commuter and light rail services. 12-Jan-1998
National Express is inviting bids for the supply of 13 two-car trains for its Central Trains franchise at a cost of about £13m, with an option for a further 50 carriages. 09-Jan-1998
Arriva, previously known as Cowie, is acquiring a 75% stake in Vancom Nederland, the Dutch public transport operator, for about £9m. 08-Jan-1998
P&O has ordered two new cruise ships for a total of £520m, and they will be used mainly in the Caribbean after delivery in 2001. 07-Jan-1998
P&O's Australian operation is selling a 37.5% stake in Terminales Rio de la Plata, the Argentine container terminal business, to an infrastructure fund controlled by GE Capital. 06-Jan-1998
National Australia Bank is discussing a possible £300m sale and leaseback deal with London & Continental Railways, which may involve Eurostar trains being purchased by a consortium of bidders. 05-Jan-1998
The Highways Agency is considering plans for the introduction of electronic bulletin boards at busy road junctions to inform motorists of local train times, as part of a plan to integrate the road network with other forms of transport. 05-Jan-1998
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