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

Wednesday, 13 August 2008

Financial Times

• Operators accused over longer rail journeysTrain operators were yesterday accused of manipulating journey times to avoid paying fines after data showed some key commuter routes into London now take longer than...
• Sea change as Nobu Su scans next horizonNobu Su, an influential yet enigmatic figure in global shipping, has made a dramatic shift from dry bulk cargo to concentrate predominantly on oil tankers, cutting his dry bulk fleet by two-thirds in the past 12 months

The Guardian

• The eco-unfriendly mayorBoris Johnson's call for a 'green' airport on the Thames estuary flies in the face of his earlier opposition to expansion at Heathro
• Airlines: Drop in flights through British airspaceThe number of flights through British airspace has fallen for the first time since the post-September 11 downturn, as high fuel costs force airlines to cut back services.

The Herald

• Glasgow Airport owners 'will be ready to sell in a month'Glasgow Airport was last night said to be on the brink of a sell-off. The Herald understands Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial is looking at plans to put the airport on the market this month.

The Independent

• Terminal blues: What it's like to live in an airport I'm huddled on a hard plastic bench. Harsh fluorescent lights beat down on me. Armed police patrol nearby. I haven't slept for three days and I'm so bored I'm having hallucinations. This is not life on the street. This is life in a big, centrally-heated, windowless cube. I am living in the South Terminal of London's Gatwick Airport.
• The airports that make you pray for a delay "You can check out anytime you like/ but you can never leave..." Suppose you found yourself, as in The Eagles' "Hotel California", lost in transit. These are the optimum airports in which to face an indefinite delay.

The Scotsman

• Rail fares to rise by 6% in 2009Thousands of train travellers will face new year fare rises of at least 6% amid rocketing inflation figures.

The Telegraph

• Aviation slump continues as fuel prices and credit crunch hit flight numbers The number of planes arriving and leaving Britain has fallen for the first time since September 11.
• Train journeys take longer than 20 years ago Rail journeys are taking longer than 20 years ago, according to new figures.

Times Online

• Gatwick ’chaos’ risks our reputation, says Boris Johnson London Boris Johnson has called for a new London airport, sharply criticising Gatwick’s treatment of passengers.
• Car dumping on Britain's streets dives as scrap metal prices rise The number of old cars abandoned on Britain's streets has fallen with the rising costs of recyclable metal.
• Supermarkets pricing spells death for petrol forecourts More than 500 petrol stations could close this year as smaller forecourts are squeezed out of business by the credit crunch and an escalating supermarket price war.

Reuters News

• London mayor calls for new airportLONDON (Reuters) - London Mayor Boris Johnson on Tuesday called for a new airport to the east of the city to ease congestion at the other five which serve the capital.

Mail Online

• Boris Johnson brands Gatwick bosses 'chimpanzees' after his holiday bags go missingBoris Johnson launched a damning attack on Gatwick Airport 'hell' after his bags went missing following a family holiday.

Airwise News

• Strike Paralyses Brussels Airport For Second DayNegotiators failed on Tuesday to reach a deal to end almost two days of a strike by baggage handlers at Brussels Airport, which has caused chaos and left thousands of passengers stranded, local media reported.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Bike path plans for disused Flintshire railwayPLANS to turn a disused railway line into a walkway and cycle path will open up work opportunities for people who cannot afford cars.

Edinburgh Evening News

• BAA's airport monopoly under threatTHE airport monopoly by BAA in Scotland and south-east England is set to come under threat with the Competition Commission poised to rule that it is harming passenger interest
• Will this scheme turn out to be a bridge too far after all?NEWS that the Forth Road Bridge might not be in as poor a state as first thought has led to calls from environmentalists to scrap the new crossing planned to replace it. But t

Liverpool Echo

• Anger over JLA queuesPILOTS have complained about having to queue with passengers to get through security checks at Liverpool’s John Lennon airport.

London Evening Standard

• We stood in hell ... Boris slams Gatwick over lost bagsBoris Johnson launched a blistering attack on Gatwick airport after his bags went missing following a family holiday
• Train that runs on soya and seedsTrain bosses are testing a new biofuelled train in a bid to avoid spiralling diesel costs
• Trains into London now slower than in 1987 - or is just a ruse?Rail passengers face slower train journeys into London than 21 years ago

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Video campaign to improve driving standardsAN online TV show aimed at driving up road safety standards has been launched.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Airport™s £10m bid to attract new airlinesAberdeen Airport has begun a £10million construction programme aimed at attracting more international routes to the north-east.

The York Press

• £50k spent on traffic surveys TRANSPORT bosses in York spent more than £50,000 last year studying traffic levels.
• Bus fares row A ROW has broken out over increased bus fares, with First York being accused of œpulling the wool over passengers™ eyes.
• Bridge roadworks start delayed MOTORISTS were given a stay of execution, when work scheduled for a busy bridge in York failed to start.
• Security stepped up after rail cable thefts British Transport Police and Network Rail have stepped up security after it transpired that a theft of rail signal-controlling cable last weekend which caused disruption to train services through York, was the second incident of its kind in quick succession.
• Shopping centre™s car parking award North Yorkshire Police in conjunction with the British Parking Association awarded Monks Cross Shopping the Park Mark in recognition of their achievement in ensuring safe, well regulated and patrolled parking facilities.

Wales Online

• Severn barrage linkANEW road or rail link between Wales and south-west England has always been seen as one of the benefits of building a barrage across the Severn.
• Barrage road link viewsTHERE seems to be a broad feeling among business people and transport experts in Wales that to go ahead with a barrage across the Severn and not exploit its transport potential would be to waste a rare chance to stimulate the Welsh economy.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• £2.5m bus station for Pudsey gets green lightPlans for a new £2.5m bus station in Pudsey have got the go ahead from councillors.

Blackpool Gazette

• Delays expected on Blackpool PromDRIVERS can expect delays on Blackpool Promenade this week while survey work is carried out ahead of further investment in the tramway.
• Widening plan to end M55 bottleneckBUSINESS leaders today welcomed plans which could bring to an end to the M55 bottleneck.

Carlisle News & Star

• Delay over new Stobart rail routeThe Carlisle-based logistics group Eddie Stobart says its plans for a second rail freight route have been delayed.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Cash bonus set to help growthA major £12m package of improvements to transport links, town centres and leisure facilities in the north of the county is set to be approved.
• Sites sought to ease parking woeA new car park could be built in Corby Old Village to cope with the increase in vehicles when the town's new railway station opens.

West Sussex Gazette

• Port sees usage rise thanks to investmentCOMMERCIAL fishermen are set to benefit from new and improved facilities, thanks to ongoing strategic investment at Shoreham Port.

Western Daily Press

• Traders fear development will cause chaos in old port of watchetTraders in one of Somerset's historic harbour towns are holding an emergency meeting amid fears a multi-million-pound waterfront facelift could cause traffic chaos and damage their livelihoods.

Forbes

• Nanny State Mileage Rules Lefties like regulations. Righties trust ''the invisible hand.'' Which is best for improving fuel economy?

International Herald Tribune

• German townsfolk wonder: Is it possible to be too green?The Marburg town council's decision to require solar-heating panels has triggered a vehement debate over the boundaries of ecological good citizenship.

Washington Post

• Over 33,000 buyers signed up for GM electric car DETROIT (Reuters) - In a bid to show the demand for the upcoming all-electric Chevrolet Volt, a proponent of the car has released details of an unofficial waiting list for the vehicle with over 33,000 prospective buyers.
• Boeing said discouraged by tanker chances WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co executives, who discussed revised guidelines for a $35 billion refueling aircraft competition with U.S. defense officials on Tuesday, remain discouraged about Boeing's prospects for the work, said a defense analyst and another source briefed on the talks.
• Ford exec says company can weather downturn TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Despite the headwinds of a slumping U.S. economy, tight credit, high gasoline prices and declining home values, Ford Motor Co.'s top American executive said he is confident the company has enough cash to weather losses and make a profit again.

Aviation Industry

• Waterman calls for Skills AcademyRail entrepreneur Pete Waterman is leading calls for the establishment of an employer-led National Railway Skills Academy.
• Beijing Mini Cooper Rickshaws Combine Car, Cycle And UglyIn celebration of the launch of the Mini Cooper Clubman in the Chinese market, Mini has chopped the back half off a handful of cars so they can be converted into rickshaws.
• P&O Ferries order 2 massive ships for Dover CalaisP&O Ferries have placed an order with Aker Yards for the 2 biggest ever ferries to sail between Dover and Calais.
• Boris Johnson's New Thames Estuary Airport PlanLondon Mayor Boris Johnson has called for an investigation into a brand new London airport in the Thames Estuary.Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Johnson said: "It is...ever more urgent that we investigate the possibility of a long-term solution, in the form of a new and more eco-friendly international airport at a site in the Thames Estuary".He added that this is a matter "of which you will be hearing a lot more in due course".A spokesperson for the Mayor of London confirmed directly to Airport International that Johnson has ordered transport officials in Ci...

Other News Sources

• All aboard the pirate and princess expressIT will be all aboard for some hearty fun as families get the chance to ride a “pirates and princesses” train.
• Transport costs could alter world trade [USA Today]On the high seas, giant vessels stuffed with furniture, toys and electronics are slowing down in a bid to conserve fuel.
• Monster trains coming down the tracks?Call them freight trains on steroids, monster trains double-stacked with containers, long enough to block every rail crossing at the same time in some Chicago-area communi
• Transport heritage expert to oversee Homefield projectA HERITAGE transport expert will be put on track to oversee the removal of redundant railway rolling stock stored at a former bus depot in Douglas.
• No 3rd runway if air quality is poor [August 7th - Letter from Head of Media at BAA]With reference to the letter by John Murphy 'an argument built on a fiction' (Chronicle, July 31), I would like to take the opportunity to clarify a number of facts concerning the future growth of Heathrow.
• Branson 'Should Stop Meddling'Sir Richard Branson should stop trying to scupper the proposed British Airways tie-up with American Airlines and plan a similar deal himself, a top aviation analyst has said.
• Teesside’s going up, up and awayIf the aviation industry is facing its bumpiest ride in years, Teesside hasn’t noticed. Does it have its head in the clouds or are its feet firmly on the ground?
• Bullocks sell to StagecoachAnnounced last Friday (8 August) was that Cheadle-based independent operator Bullocks have sold their bus business to Stagecoach in Manchester
• Welcome praiseClick on the Hull & East Riding.co.uk link and you'll be whisked away to a feature on planned service cuts for EYMS being saved by Hull City Council.
• Hull's first 24/7 serviceStaying with Hull, and Stagecoach's operations therein, the city is to receive it's first-ever 24-hour service, operating through the small hours on Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning. For the fifth largest city in the UK, is a 24/7 service not long overdue for Hull? We think so.
• Business travellers avoiding cheapest airfares, says researchBusiness travellers are changing their behaviour as the economy turns down, but not by booking the cheapest flights. Travel management company Hogg...
• DSV To Build New Distribution Facility In ScotlandDSV has signed a £3.4 million contract with Glascow-based McKean and Company in order to build a new distribution facility at Eurocentral in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The new facility, which compliments DSV’s recent growth, will incorporate a cross-dock and storage warehouse an office facilities.
• Call for trains to run all night for festival-goersFirst ScotRail has been urged to run hourly trains to key towns and cities to help boost audiences from outwith the capital.City of Edinburgh Council leaders say it is "crazy" that no services run aft...
• Oil giants dragging their feet over fuel cutsSupermarkets yesterday slashed 2p off the price of petrol as oil giants were criticised for failing to pass on the benefits of tumbling fuel costs
• Car parking bill soars to £633mThe cost of parking in council-run car parks is shooting up at three times the rate of inflation.
• Automotive investmentHigh-tech car components manufacturer TRW Automotive is to create up to 170 new jobs at its north-east base.
• Mitsubishi Fuso trials Canter hybrids in LondonThe streets of London are cleaner this week following the handover of 10 Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids to operators in the capital...
• Gallagher Review casts doubts over biofuelRunning cleaner, greener vehicles has become a major focus for many operators. Many have begun trialling the use of biofuels, while others are already running a proportion of their fleet on biodiesel...
• Own-account firms feel the fuel pinchSeveral own-account transport firms are following the lead of the haulage industry by introducing fuel levies for customers.
• Frenni Transport awarded by PalletwaysPembrokeshire's Frenni Transport has been awarded a European Transport award by Palletways at its second national sales convention.
• Transport improvements felt by 2010Passengers will feel the benefits of improved transport services around the Olympic Park two years before the Games start.
• ˜No job losses™ as Lafarge moves loads on to railA cement company which is switching 50,000 long-distance truck journeys a year on to rail promises there will be no job losses among drivers as a result.
• Third Delhi airport runway trials to begin next week Trial operations are due to begin next week on a long-awaited third runway at Delhi airport in India, which airlines and the Government hope will ease congestion. The...
• Carter almost ready to fly slowed rotor/compound helicopter A second slowed rotor/compound helicopter prototype could be flown for the first time in December, according to its developer, Texas based- Carter...
• Australian strategists address general aviation problemsSecondary airport privatisation, the skills shortage, regulation and the ageing fleet are the four recurring issues affecting the Australian general aviation...
• Interorbital prepares for test flightsA final series of rocket engine test firings that could lead to low-altitude flights are being prepared by Mojave air and spaceport-based Interorbital...
• DEFRA Consult on the Air Quality Experts GroupDEFRA is inviting input to their reviewof AQEG via an online survey.
• Vision for 'community of the future' set out as second Carbon Challenge site gets green lightThe development of an innovative, zero carbon neighbourhood in the centre of Peterborough moved a step closer today as pPod - a consortium consisting of Morris Homes, Gentoo Homes, and Browne Smith Baker architects - was selected as the preferred developer for Phase 1 of the city™s South Bank. The project will meet the highest level of the government™s Code for Sustainable Homes, as part of English Partnerships™ ground-breaking Carbon Challenge.
• Europe and UN to link carbon trading schemes The European Commission and the UN have announced plans to link their respective emissions trading schemes, bringing the reality of a global carbon market a step closer.
• More must be done to halt growth of transport's carbon emissions Existing efforts to curb the impact of carbon emissions from vehicles are making progress but industry and politicians must raise their game if we are to shave the share of greenhouse gases put out by transport.