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

Tuesday, 05 August 2008

BBC News

• Station reopening scheme studiedTransport Minister Stewart Stevenson is to visit a Berwickshire village to discuss reopening its station.
• Tram route uncovers aviation pastA flight simulator thought to be 50 years old has been discovered in a hut due to be demolished to make way for Edinburgh's tram system.
• Slowdown in air passenger growthThe number of people travelling on international flights grew at the slowest rate in five years in June, a report says.

Financial Times

• Oil falls as fears for growth intensifyCrude oil prices fell below $120 a barrel for the first time in three months amid mounting worries about slowing economic growth and signs of rising supplies from Opec, the oil exporting countries cartel
• BA aims to rebuild trust in T5The UK airline is unveiling a multi-million-pound marketing campaign in an attempt to counter months of bad publicity by claiming 'Terminal 5 is working'
• New York airports congestion blowThe operator of New York's regional airports vowed to block airlines from using take-off and landing slots won through federal auctions, dealing a blow to government...

The Guardian

• Backdating road tax is retrogradeThe proposal to backdate Vehicle Excise Duty, or road tax, will hit the least well-off hardest and give 'green taxes' a bad name
• Car tax: What the committee saidThese extracts come from the environmental audit committee's report on car tax.

The Herald

• Suckling Airways: turbulence will passSuckling Airways, which owns ScotAirways, recorded increased losses last year when the company gave up on the attempt to run a

The Scotsman

• Pilots up in arms over safety talks with airline fined for faulty gaugesPILOTS have been rebuffed in their attempts to raise safety concerns with troubled airline Flyglobespan, their union has claimed.

Times Online

• Holidaymakers facing a wave of fuel surcharges from travel companies Thousands of holidaymakers are receiving demands for surcharges running into hundreds of pounds as travel companies pass on the soaring cost of fuel.

Reuters News

• MPs say green tax on cars must go furtherLONDON (Reuters) - Tax rises for drivers of

Mail Online

• Budget airline fined just £5,000 for flying faulty jet struck by lightning 3,000 miles across the AtlanticA budget airline which flew a faulty jet 3,000 miles across the Atlantic after it had been struck by lightning, was fined £5,000 yesterday.

Transport Briefing

• C2C tries again for Olympic rail franchise extensionNational Express is submitting a new bid to government requesting an extension of its C2C train operating franchise.
• Eurostar brings back Brussels-Ashford direct trainsHigh speed train operator Eurostar is reinstating direct Ashford International to Brussels trains from 14 December, the date of the international timetable change.
• HLOS train delivery blueprint updated by governmentDelivery of the 1,300 new carriages pledged by the government for Britain's rail network is to be split into three phases.

Birmingham Post

• Longbridge railway line hopes dashed by A38 road plansPlans for road improvements at Longbridge in Birmingham will kill off any hopes of resurrecting a nearby disused railway line, it has been claimed.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Overgrown bike routes slammed by cyclistsCYCLISTS today called for work to tackle overgrown bike paths in the city to be prioritised following a series of complaints.
• Controversial bus pram ban has 'no legal necessity'THERE is no legal requirement for Lothian Buses to enforce its controversial ban on prams, it emerged today.

Journal Live

• Calls for new ideas on public transportDRIVERS could claim free bus travel in exchange for their old cars as part of proposals to be put forward at a public transport conference.

Liverpool Echo

• FlyGlobeSpan fined for flying faulty jetA budget airline which flew a faulty jet 3,000 miles across the Atlantic after it had been struck by lightning, was fined £5,000 today.

London Evening Standard

• Ex-minister attacks 'confusing' car duty riseLabour's plans to increase road tax for millions of motorists came under renewed attack

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Holiday jet stuck for hours by arrest of cabin crew girlNorth-east holidaymakers were stuck at Aberdeen Airport for more than six hours yesterday after police arrested a flight attendant who had drunk too much.

The York Press

• Extra bus services to aid night economy FIRST York bus chiefs today revealed they will be laying on extra services on three city routes.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Car park improvements at Leeds Bradford airportBosses at Leeds Bradford International Airport say improvements to the car parking facilities outside the main terminal represent just the start of plans for its £70m overhaul

Blackpool Gazette

• Calls for more stops for Pleasure Beach trainCALLS have been made for a controversial road train to make more stops in a bid to help South Shore traders.

The Shields Gazette

• Would you give up your car for a free bus pass?DRIVERS could claim free bus travel in exchange for their old cars under proposals to get more people onto public transport.

Washington Post

• NYC airports to defy Bush plan for flight auctions WASHINGTON -- The managers of New York City's three crowded airports vowed Monday to block a Bush administration experiment to reduce flight delays around the country by auctioning off takeoff and landing slots. A federal official said the airports had no such power and hinted they may lose funding if they don't back down.
• BA closes in on deal with American LONDON -- British Airways PLC, which is already in talks with Spain's Iberia SA over a combination, said Monday it hopes to seal an alliance with its U.S. partner American Airlines within weeks.
• Car leasing's fall means cost climb for consumers CHICAGO -- Just when motorists were starting to adjust to exorbitant gas prices, they face the prospect of much higher costs, fewer choices and a dearth of financing options if they want to lease their next car.

Railnews

• News: A4s line up to mark Mallard’s record run 70 years ago An amazing photograph opportunity not to be missed, said the National Railway Museum in York.

Aviation Industry

• Are rising fuel costs hurting the aviation insurance market?Are rising fuel costs hurting the aviation insurance market? With rising fuel costs forcing many airlines to cut back on services and ground aircraft, industry experts have predicted that the aviation insurance industry could be set for a difficult year ahead.
• Firms urged to address international supply chain emissionsPressure on firms to assess the carbon footprint of their international supply chains looks set to increase, with the emergence of new evidence suggesting that despite falling domestic emissions of greenhouse gases, emissions associated with imports to the UK are continuing to rise.
• EU subsidy attracting interest on Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry routeThe only ferry route linking Scotland with the continent may be saved with the help of a subsidy from the European Commission, it has been reported.
• Airport Safedock SystemDallas/Fort Worth International Airport increases safety and efficiency with installation of Safedock Docking Guidance Solutions.
• Runway Friction TestingThe Douglas“SPD Mu-Meter is one of the enduring success stories for the compilation of runway friction reports and contaminant drag measurement data without the need for specialist towing vehicles.
• BA and AA draw closerBritish Airways is now closer to forging an alliance with American Airlines than at any time in over a decade, sources close to the two carriers believe.
• Mobile phones on EmiratesNo one is shouting about it just yet, but mobile phones are now being used on board aircraft.

Other News Sources

• Network Rail's improvement plansPLANS have been published to improve the East Anglian rail network following a year of problems. National Express East Anglia and Network Rail have highlighted 10 key actions which they are working on to tackle the issues which have caused the most problems during the past year.
• Rail companies post rise in punctualityNational Express East Anglia revealed the figures as it launched its second annual joint improvement plan, with track owner Network Rail, which is aimed at boosting reliability and punctuality and tackling problems that have hampered services in the past year.
• RingGo Introduced at Major London StationsRingGo cashless parking today rolls out at three major stations in the capital as part of its continuing expansion across the UK. The three stations are, London Waterloo, situated in Southwark, London Victoria, and London Paddington, both in Westminster. Paddington station is also the London Terminus of the First Great Western network, which has successfully operated RingGo since 2006.
• City plans for further Vel'oh expansionThe Ville de Luxembourg has confirmed that the Vel'oh public bicycle service has recorded 50,000 bicycle rentals since its inception in June.
• Age-friendly recumbent bicycles are gaining in popularityEver wear sweatpants to work? Dine at a fancy restaurant in jeans and flip-flops? Bring a pillow to church? Comfortable doesn't have to mean inappropriate. Riding a recumbent bicycle may generate sideways glances from onlookers, but the low-to-ground, age-friendly bikes are a popular outlet for baby boomers looking for a little less wear and tear in their daily exercise routine.
• TDG increases profit and turnoverTDG has increased its profit and turnover for the first half of 2008, despite the company being surrounded by takeover speculation for much of the period.
• Road safety consultationResidents are being urged to respond to a public consultation being run by the Driving Standards Agency and press for an award-winning road safety course for young drivers to be a compulsory part of the theory driving test in the future.
• not all airlines are bustOne of the oldest jokes in the industry is that the quickest way to become a millionaire is to be a billionaire and then start an airline.
• Boys in Blue go greenThe police force are issuing new driving regulations and even sending officers on green driving lesions to cut down their carbon emissions and fuel bills. Some forces have even turned to using electric cars to patrol their streets.
• Air passenger growth slowsWorld passenger numbers were up 3.8% in June compared to last year, the lowest level since 2003.
• More UK tourists visiting United StatesThe number of UK tourists visiting the USA increased 11% in May, thanks to the favourable exchange rate of the pound against the dollar.
• Put road tax rises in reverse, say MPsTo add to Gordon Brown's misery, MPs will today attack proposals to hit millions of drivers with backdated car tax increases of up to £245
• Norwich LEZ could extend to lorries in future Norfolk CC refuses to rule out HGV extension for LEZ Norfolk...Norfolk County Council will not rule out extending its newly-launched Norwich Low Emission Zone (LEZ) to target HGVs in the future.
• Management Dynamics launches Air Rate ManagerManagement Dynamics has developed Air Rate Manager, an on-demand application to help companies manage air freight costs more efficiently.
• Fuel prices hit BA profitsThe rising cost of fuel is taking its toll on British Airways (BA), as its bill for the first quarter of the financial year rose by nearly 50 per cent compared to 2007.