Travel Briefing: Virgin Says Network Rail Proposal Unworkable

England’s popular transportation Virgin Trains is unhappy with the upgrade proposal submitted by Network Rail. According to The Guardian, Virgin warns of over crowded trains and increased bus replacement services if Network Rail’s proposal is approved by the Office of Rail Regulation. In a statement taken earlier today, “Virgin Trains has significant concerns over the viability of introducing this plan, due to the huge disruption that will be caused to our customers, inevitable severe overcrowding on many trains, effect on our revenue and the reputational damage that will be suffered in the longer term,” said Virgin Trains.
If you’ve lived in a major city you’ve probably experienced something similar to this situation. Fewer trains, rearranged schedules, increased car traffic and long days are nothing new. Our suggestion, begin planning now. It’s shocking to see how decision-makers underestimate a city’s dependency on public transportation. If possible, organize car pooling groups and determine alternate routes. We’ve found that plans made at the earliest inkling of a system upgrade or transit strike help avoid those unexpected system failures.
Delta Joins the Pack and Cancels Flights for Inspection
Yesterday we reported that AA cancelled flights for inspection. Today Delta does the same. USA Today reports, “American Airlines and Delta Air Lines canceled dozens of flights Thursday as they continue their inspections of wiring bundles on some of their planes. American, the nation’s largest airline, canceled 132 flights of its estimated 2,300 flights scheduled for Thursday, spokesman Tim Wagner said. That was about 6% of American’s Thursday schedule after the Fort Worth-based airline canceled 325 flights on Wednesday.”
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T5 Launch Marred by BA Baggage Delays
“British Airways passengers suffered by baggage delays at Heathrow’s £4.3bn Terminal 5 today after “technical” problems hit the state-of-the-art luggage delivery system within hours of the building’s public debut.”
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Travelers Avoid Hassles with Luggage Delivery Services
CNN reports, “On a recent trip to Egypt, the coffee table books, pottery and other gifts Lorna Gladstone collected might have turned into a nightmare at the airport baggage check-in. So she packed her belongings into four suitcases and left them with the hotel concierge to ship home through a service called Luggage Free. “I can go through security with my handbag and my book,” said Gladstone, a retired resident of McLean, Virginia, who uses the service whenever she travels.
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Great Video for Bike Commuters
We saw this over at PSFK and had to post it. It’s a great ad for cyclist in the UK. Watch out for them.



