Time now for all us Wiggins watchers to move with the times and start using Planestation, the new company identity. The name Wiggins Group plc has now disappeared from the database at Companies House and Planestation is now listed on the LSE website.

So fellow travellers, forget Wiggins, the name of the game is now PLANESTATION. Lets hope it goes like an express train.

Golfclub12

Thanks, but I don't live in that TV area.

What is the link for the local TV website?

27 february 2004
Kent International Airport Manston Cleared For Take-Off

Plans for significant new passenger services at Kent International Airport Manston have been welcomed today by Kent County Council.

Cabinet Member for Regeneration Alex King said he was excited by the proposals from Irish airline company EUjet to establish a European service from Manston.

Mr King said: “This is very good news for Thanet, one of the county’s most deprived areas, as it will provide a jobs boost and put the airport on the map as a regional centre. It will also provide an essential service for Kent residents, business people and tourists who are currently forced to travel long distances to Gatwick, Heathrow or Stansted.

“The county council is fully committed to appropriate expansion at Manston and we very much welcome EUjet’s proposed growth of up to two million passengers annually in three years time.

“This level of expansion at Manston is in stark contrast to the Government’s proposals for an airport twenty times the size at Cliffe – so I am pleased that this announcement has come so soon after the successful resolution of our battle to stop Cliffe airport.”

The county council has allowed for expansion of Manston to up to six million passengers a year by 2021 in its structure plan policies. EUjet are expecting to start operating from Manston in June provided they can raise the extra capital needed – airline routes will be announced later.

The proof is not always immediately obvious in the price - thats why some funds go for out of favour stocks only for them to recover. Stocks come in and out of favour all the time. And sceptics still need convincing. Remember Marconi!

Now this is a good deal. If the deal had not been done then maybe some would be saying that they are incapable of making a deal - which is now clearly untrue. The share price rose 20% today which imho means that the market is reacting favourably.

Planestation are not off the runway just yet, but a deal is a deal, and it has put fuel in its tank. More throughput = economies of scale through increased use of facilities etc and more chance of people getting used to the idea of using Manston. The strategy seems to be one of 'build the infrastructure etc and they will come'.

The deal also means that the property bank they sit on will get more use. The fact that one company (Ex ryanair big boss etc ) is going there means that others are likely to be looking as well. Now I do not presume that an ex-ryanair entrepreneur is also an idiot. He will have had his reasons for doing the deal. And likewise the guys with access to more information than we will ever have and have put in 46 Million will also have their reasons.

There are other potential deals on the cards, and infrastructure improvements are well underway. From a macroeconomic perspective it could be argued that the best is yet to come. If you are after a quick buck then find another share. If you recognise that there are such things as recovery plays then buy in. Follow the professional money.

I'm not after a quick buck Duplex and I agree with your comments. Look at Stansted 10 years ago - just a little hanger basically with hardly any traffic, and now it's overcrowded with another runway in the pipeline. Manston is going to go the same way.

Cardiff Airport was also very similar - now it is thriving.

For those wanting an idea of how much revenue etc that this deal means - this might be useful to you. A step in the right direction:

www.lemminginvestor.com/PTGbipTerminal280204.html

There is a rumour that the high speed rail link from St Pancras to Manston may be announced soon, and that would be a huge boost for Manston.

Hi, Its no rumour as far as I know - it is going to happen as part of the Strategic Rail Authority plans. Correct me if I am wrong.

Apple

Sorry not quite sure.

Hi Duplex, I think you are right. There is a fact sheet about it on the SRA website but I can't get it to download for some reason.

Scottie
The SRA document is probably a large .pdf file and I suspect you are trying to'open' it. If that is the case, try right clicking on the link and selecting 'save target as'. Tell it where you want the file to be saved and it will show you how long it will take and it's size. It is a much quicker method anyway with .pdf files. You can then read it offline at your leisure using Acrobat Reader.

Thank you for that Socrates, I will give it a go!

Asking price gone up to 5.2 already, and serious buying going on despite little weekend press coverage

Looks like she's taking off! Watch for the breakout.

SRA IKF Document Link

http://www.sra.gov.uk/publications/consultation/IKF_consultation/IKF_doc

SRA 22nd December 2003
Green Light for High Speed Services for Kent - Four Bidders Selected for new Kent Franchise


The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) today confirmed that it was proceeding with its plans for domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) as part of the new Integrated Kent Franchise (IKF), and to place an order for a fleet of new trains to operate these services.

The Authority also announced today that four bidders have been selected to compete for the new Integrated Kent Franchise, which will provide services to Kent, South East London and parts of Sussex from early 2005.

The four selected bidders are:

DSB (Danish State Railways)

GNER Holdings Ltd

First Kent Integrated Railways Ltd (FirstGroup plc)

London South Eastern Railway Ltd (consortium of Go-Ahead Group and Keolis)

All four will be sent an initial Invitation to Tender for the new franchise shortly. A final tender document will be issued in the Summer of 2004 following a consultation on the proposed service specification. The document will request bids for operating services on the existing network with the addition of domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from 2007.

Nicola Shaw, SRA's Managing Director, Operations said:

"The selection of bidders is the next step towards a new private operator for the franchise. Robust competition between the four bidders will ensure that the best operator is chosen. The inclusion of domestic services on the CTRL will bring major benefits for passengers with new trains and faster journey times."

Notes to Editors

In December 2003, the SRA received the Secretary of State's approval to progress with plans to include domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) as part of the Integrated Kent Franchise (IKF).

The SRA will continue the process for ordering trains to operate the domestic services.

The Integrated Kent Franchise will include routes on the national rail network currently operated by South Eastern Trains throughout Kent, parts of Sussex and South East London, and the new CTRL services.

In October 2003, the SRA undertook a consultation on the principle of an Integrated Kent Franchise and a further consultation will be held in early 2004 on the service specification for the new franchise.

In November 2003, the operation of services on the South East network transferred from Connex to South Eastern Trains, acting on behalf of the SRA. Once the IKF competition is complete, South Eastern Trains will hand over operations to the successful bidder for the Integrated Kent Franchise.

The SRA also made announcements today on: the Thames Trains Franchise and the Preferred Bidder for the Greater Anglia Franchise.

For further details contact the SRA Press Office: 020 7654 6339/6862/6387/6234
Latest news and announcements from the SRA can be viewed on our website www.sra.gov.uk

Darling planning extra 2bn for Network Rail

Independent On Sunday News : Business, 29 February 2004
Alistair Darling has drawn up radical new funding plans for Network Rail that would see the state-backed company receiving an extra 2bn of taxpayers' money.


http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/story.jsp?story=496185

UP 10.5% Today Breakout!

Good news ! Where to next ? and what do you think the next announcements will be and when ?
Do you think to price will continue upwards this week ? :)

L2 4Buying 3Selling WINS & EVO on the buy looking good to keep going north. Nice to see shake out today early on then back up. Think we will see another 2p on the price yet. still only got market cap of about 60 mil LNC were supposed to be willing to pay up to 100 mil and thats before the new contract. Still the racecourse and LFG to bring news yet. My guess is 15-25p by this christmas.

Some profit taking early this afternoon and then a good rally after that. Chartists are saying that there is resistance at 5.5-ish, but once it's through that it could really go.