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

Friday, 08 August 2008

BBC News

• East trains most crowded [video]Rail commuters in the eastern region of England face the worst overcrowding in the country.
• Air route survey for passengersPeople living in Dundee and the surrounding regions are to be asked about the potential demand for an air link between the city and Amsterdam.
• Fuel blamed for 5% fare hike [video]Bus and rail fares across Northern Ireland are set to rise by 5% later this month, Translink has announced.
• Train fire closes major stationA major railway station was evacuated after reports of a fire in a train.
• Robot plane sweeps over UK fieldsThe first flights have been conducted of an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor UK farmland.
• Expense 'does not deter drivers'Nearly half of drivers would never consider giving up their car, regardless of how expensive petrol became, a survey shows.
• BA bosses in price-fixing chargeFour current and former British Airways executives may face jail if convicted of fixing the price of fuel surcharges.
• Toyota's profits beat forecastsJapanese carmaker Toyota sees quarterly profits drop less than expected but highlights the tough trading environment.

Financial Times

• BA men face price-fixing chargesFour past and present British Airways executives are to face price-fixing charges in the first cartel probe to threaten managers at a leading multinational with jail
• BAA talks on Crossrail in 'final stages'The airport operator is in advanced discussions to put up an estimated £250m towards the new rail link between Heathrow and the City, sources close to the negotiations say
• Ryanair 'expects' to lose BAA battleMichael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said he

The Guardian

• UK biofuel 'not up to standard'Less than one fifth of the biofuel used on UK roads meets government environmental standards intended to safeguard human rights and guarantee carbon savings, figures released today show.
• Executives face court over fuel surcharge fixing by BA and VirginFour current and former British Airways executives face up to five years in jail after being charged with price-fixing offences yesterday, paving the way for the UK's most high-profile cartel trial.
• Punters swap horses for rouletteBusiness & money: Takings per machine rockets 18.2% as racing falls behind for first time in Ladbrokes' 122-year history

The Herald

• Road and rail chaos as heavy rainfall returnsHeavy rain brought flooding and major disruption to Scotland’s roads yesterday. The downpours also sparked new fears that homes could be flooded by a dam which had threatened to burst in Renfrewshire.

The Scotsman

• Fanfare heralded nothing but a great train robberyWhen National Express took over the east coast train line with great fanfare in December, there were empty promises about "stimulating demand on the rail network".
• City fuel among UK's cheapestANY motorist will be able to talk first hand about the effect that the rising cost of fuel is having on them.
• Transport optionsI could not agree more with Chris Harvie (Debate & Opinion, 5 August). It beggars belief that our small island cannot provide a TGV-style rail service between major cities in the UK. One would have thought in the 21st century, fast, reliable, comfortable and affordable trains would be the norm.

Times Online

• Toyota profits crash as US and European drivers fight with high petrol prices Toyota Motor, the Japanese titan that is on the cusp of becoming the world’s largest carmaker, has suffered a severe blow to quarterly earnings as American and European markets crumple under high petrol prices and economic strain.

Reuters News

• Boeing sees first 787 cancellation, lags AirbusNEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Boeing Co has announced the first cancellation of an order for its delayed 787 Dreamliner, signaling that airlines may be getting impatient for deliveries of the new, fuel efficient plane.
• Will German rival to London's black cabs catch on?LONDON (Reuters) - They are as ubiquitous in London as red double-decker buses and as much of a symbol of the capital as Big Ben, but change is afoot for the black taxi cab.

Mail Online

• Chelsea tractors 'worthless' as price of second-hand cars plunges 12%Dealers are refusing to take 'worthless' gas-guzzling 4x4s in part exchange amid plummeting values for secondhand cars.

Transport Briefing

• Borders rail timetable aims for 2013 completion dateThe Scottish Government has signalled that it will back the Borders rail reopening project but the line between Tweedbank and Edinburgh is unlikely to open before 2014.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Airport breaks 1m passengers in one monthBirmingham International Airport last month handled a record 1,036,135 passengers – confounding the fuel crisis which has been hitting many airlines.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• A55 cycle track misery to drag on into 2010MOTORISTS face up to 18 months more misery on the A55 because of a £2m project to build two bridges for cyclists at Penmaenmawr.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram plans on track for more routes following SNP U-turnTHE Scottish Transport Minister has signalled support for more tram lines in the Capital as the government unveiled plans to reinstate a rail link between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders within five years.
• 70s rush hour ban set to goA THIRTY-YEAR-OLD rush hour ban on parked cars on a Stockbridge street is set to be scrapped within months.
• TIE insists it's not to blame for floodingTRAM company TIE has again denied it is to blame for persistent flooding on Shandwick Place after the street was turned into "a swimming pool" for the second time in less than a week.
• Children face 85-year wait for the green man to appearCOMMUNITY campaigners fighting for pedestrian crossings on dangerous roads have been told they may have to wait up to 85 years.
• £50K boost for rail linksCITY leaders have approved a £50,000 contribution to a campaign to create high-speed rail links between Scotland and England.
• A9 lost cash to tramsFIRST Minister Alex Salmond has revealed he would have rather spent £500 million on dualling the A9 instead of building Edinburgh's tram line.
• Transport chief wants bus talksCITY leaders are to lobby the Scottish Government for more support for bus operators in the face of rising fuel bills.
• Castle traffic ban gets the green lightMOVES to cut down on the traffic outside Edinburgh Castle have been given the go-ahead by council chiefs.

London Evening Standard

• Eco-protest hits GatwickEco-activists breached security at Gatwick airport in a protest against short-haul flights
• Four BA bosses charged over price-fixing scandalFour former and current British Airways executives were charged with criminal price fixing
• Crossrail backers raise doubts over financingSerious doubts have been raised over funding for Crossrail with warnings that the landmark project could be hit by delays

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Station reopening is still on trackNetwork Rail has insisted plans to open an Aberdeenshire station for the first time in more than 40 years are on track.
• Airline to launch new service from Aberdeen to IbizaSCOTTISH budget airline Flyglobespan is to launch a route from Aberdeen to the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.

The York Press

• Councillors paid to get on their bikesVOTERS have been telling politicians to get on their bike for years. But now city officials are paying York’s councillors to do just that.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds bus users get new servicePEOPLE living in north Leeds are to benefit from changes to their bus links.

Blackpool Gazette

• Free bus travel 'lifeline' for pensionersPENSIONERS travelling through the Fylde believe free bus rides are already proving a "lifeline" for older people.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Campaigners stop lorries at biofuel depotClimate change campaigners have blockaded a biofuel depot in Essex in protest against the destruction the fuels cause the environment.

The Shields Gazette

• Bomb hoax notes found on planeA PACKED holiday jet flew across the Atlantic to Newcastle International Airport “ despite a passenger finding a note claiming there was a bomb on board.
• Football yobs cause more trouble on trainsBRITISH Transport Police have called on football fans to act responsibly this coming season after a 10 per cent rise in arrests.

Wall Street Journal

• All Aboard: Too Many for AmtrakThe number of people riding Amtrak surged 13.9% in July from a year earlier, as high gas prices caused more commuters to rely on intercity rail, but trains are getting overcrowded and a backlog of infrastructure problems stands in the way of expanded service.
• EPA Denies Ethanol Waiver RequestThe EPA denied a request to cut by half the amount of ethanol that must be blended into the nation's fuel supply, a victory for the nation's corn growers and ethanol makers.

Aviation Industry

• Wi-Fi Link and Easier E-MailFREE wi-fi internet connections are being considered for passengers on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line.
• Ryanair advises Transport SecretaryRyanair has answered Transport Minister Ruth Kelly’s recent request for “advice” on improving the “passenger experience” at UK airports.
• BMF Welcomes Boris Bus Lane DecisionThe British Motorcyclists Federation have welcomed London Mayor Boris Johnson’s decision to ask Transport for London to allow motorcycles into London’s bus lanes before the end of the year.
• UK regulator to look at train leasing optionsBritain’s Competition Commissionsaid on Thursday it has concluded that a lack of competitionhampers UK train operating companies in trying to lease rollingstock and that it is considering various possible remedies.

Green Miscellany

• Green car sales on the upThe new car industry has been hit hard by the credit crunch; figures released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), stated that 153,420 new cars were registered in July 2008, a 13 percent fall on the July 2007 figure.

Other News Sources

• UK drivers hit by £500 fuel 'surcharge'British motorists pay up to £500 more a year on fuel than drivers in other parts of Europe because of tax, a consumer survey has revealed