Transport Expertise Association

Stobart and DB Schenker launch Valencia rail service

Pierre Billet-Legros — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:57:24 +0000

Aug 4, 2009

Stobart Rail and DB Schenker Rail (UK) have launched temperature-controlled intermodal services from Valencia to the UK via the Channel Tunnel.

The service will offer a shared multi-client train for new and existing customers of both companies.

By working together, all road and rail assets will achieve high levels of utilisation, thereby enabling a commercially sustainable door-to-door solution for companies involved in the export of fresh products.

The proposition is unique in that all rail traction is provided by a single rail freight operator across three countries, with the involvement of DB Schenker’s European subsidiaries: Euro Cargo Rail in France and Spain.

Stobart’s planning infrastructure and capability in the fresh and chilled sector enables shipments to be monitored from the pack-house to the store.

Source : http://www.eyefortransport.com/content/stobart-and-db-schenker-launch-valencia-rail-service

BA TO SCRAP FREE MEALS TO SAVE MONEY

Gilles Rivet — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:43:08 +0000

(Daily Express, Thursday July 30, 2009)

British Airways is to scrap all free meals, except breakfast, on its short-haul flights in a cost-cutting exercise which will save around £22 million a year.

After 10am, passengers on flights lasting less than two hours will be served only drinks and snacks.

To be introduced from Monday, the economy measure comes at a time when thousands of BA staff have agreed to take pay cuts or go part-time to help the airline cater with the recession.

The changes to catering have come about as part of BA’s review to reduce costs and waste without heavily impacting on the customer experience.

BA research has shown that passengers’ needs on catering change after around 2.5 hours and that is when more refreshment is required.

A BA spokesman said today: “When you fly with British Airways, the in-flight catering is top-class and, unlike some other airlines, it is free. It is not unusual to make small changes to avoid waste and save money where it makes sense and it meets customers’ changing tastes.”

NY MTA Bus-Subway Jobs Being Cut, but no fares being raised or service cut

Gilles Rivet — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:40:40 +0000

(The New York Post)

NEW YORK – About 360 maintenance, cleaning, painting and managerial positions will be eliminated in 2010 as part of NYC Transit’s yearly cost cutting.

That means 63 of 1,201 subway-car cleaners and 25 of 1,515 station cleaners will be gone next year, Howard Roberts, the MTA’s subway and bus chief said yesterday.

Between 2009 and 2010, 308 of 2,420 managerial positions at NYC Transit will be cut.

The 2010 cuts will save $37.7 million, but won’t include layoffs. They will come mainly through attrition and job reassignments.

And $5.2 million of the savings will come from eliminating administrative positions, Roberts said.

He added that he cut as many managerial spots as possible.

“I will cut somebody sitting in an office very, very quickly compared to somebody who was out cleaning stations and cleaning cars,” he said.

“But this is the reality of the numbers and the [financial] pressure that we’re under.”

This year, the MTA also began cutting hundreds of station agents and maroon-vested roving station customer assistants, a process that will take years and save millions of dollars more.

Transit watchdog Gene Russianoff said riders will feel the cuts. “The MTA says they can do more with less. In my experience, they usually do less with less,” he said.

(Update AP, July 29)

NEW YORK — The worsening economy is taking a toll on New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, despite a nearly $2.7 billion state bailout.

But the giant transit agency said Wednesday it still expects to keep its promise to state leaders to get through 2010 without raising fares or cutting service.

The MTA said the bailout, cost-cutting and proceeds from recent fare and toll hikes will offset dramatic drops in tax revenue and ridership.

The agency says it expects to get less than half as much real estate tax income this year as it had last year – a projection that has worsened significantly in the last five months. Projected fare and toll collections also are dropping, with ridership off more than 3 percent since last year.

http://www.nypost.com