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

Wednesday, 10 September 2008

BBC News

• Firms hear freight terminal plansThe opportunities offered by a rail freight terminal in Shropshire are being outlined to more than 100 firms.
• Taxpayers 'face £1.4bn Tube bill'Taxpayers may have to cover a £1.4bn funding shortfall for improvements to London Underground, Transport for London (TfL) has said.
• Legal bypass challenge launchedCampaigners mounted a legal challenge to the remit of the Aberdeen bypass, as a public inquiry into the plans got under way.
• Future of tram link 'pessimistic'Campaigners calling for a multi-million pound cross-river tram service in London have been told that funding for the scheme looks "pessimistic".
• Airline calls for liquids reviewVirgin Atlantic urges a review to be carried out of current hand luggage restrictions following the end of a major terror trial.
• United Airlines nosedives when old bankruptcy story resurfacesUnited Airlines shares nosedive after an old news story about its 2002 bankruptcy battle resurfaces.

Financial Times

• Opec makes surprise cut to oil outputOpec surprised the oil markets by announcing that it would make a small but symbolic reduction in its output because the oil cartel views the market as oversupplied
• United shares plunge on old news storyUnited Airlines plunged after a false report that the US carrier had returned to bankruptcy court surfaced on the internet
• Continental closes Gatwick operationContinental Airlines, one of the leading US carriers, is abandoning its long-standing base at Gatwick airport in order to concentrate its London operations at Heathrow
• Boeing's strike delays deliveries to RyanairRyanair said on Tuesday the strike at Boeing's US aircraft assembly plants was forcing it to postpone the opening of its new operating base at Edinburgh, Scotland because of the delay in the delivery of new aircraft

The Guardian

• Flybe cuts plans for growth after fall in business passengersFlybe has become the latest airline to slash growth plans this winter as the economic downturn squeezes demand for flights.
• How to profit from a new fare structure [letters]If the groups representing rail passengers really are welcoming the "simplification" of rail fares (Reserved welcome for simplified train tickets, September 8), then they have failed to spot some heavy increases by the back door.
• Cross River Tram SeminarI've been watching the webcast of the Transport Committee and its seminar about the Cross River Tram scheme. Councillors and business representatives have been arguing that it will aid growth and regeneration from Peckham in the south to Camden in the north
• What do the new Tories stand for? Transport policyWhat we know so far about the Conservatives' plans for office
• Segway to happinessThe Segway PT (personal transporter) has the potential to do for personal transport what the mobile phone did for personal communication. It's a funny looking device, with two wheels side by side, handlebars in front of you, and an on/off button. When you switch it on, two huge gyroscopes power up beneath your feet, and keep the Segway upright and more stable than an ordinary bicycle.
• How good an eco-driver are you? Regulator's tips on careful motoring may save £500 a yearAs the rising price of petrol starts to affect driving habits, it was perhaps only a question of time before the Driving Standards Agency, regulator of driving tests, got in on the act. Deploying an instinct which combines expediency with usefulness, the agency is today instituting eco-awareness for those undergoing the test.
• Tube upgrade shortfall is on track to pass £3bnAfter the Metronet failure, the Underground runs into trouble on its other lines

The Independent

• Airports in talks to lift security ban on liquidsThe government is in discussions with security companies and Britain's airports to lift the ban on liquids being carried in hand luggage as early as next year, The Independent has learnt.
• Airline plot suspects should be retried, CPS saysThe seven defendants accused of plotting to blow up airliners packed with passengers over the Atlantic should face full retrials, prosecutors say, insisting that the evidence is strong enough to result in further convictions.

The Telegraph

• Mobile phones 'will work on underground'Passengers using the city's Subway network will be the first in the UK to benefit from the deal to secure mobile coverage on underground trains.
• Flights to get shorter as airlines seek to save fuelFlights are set to become shorter as airlines change their routes in order to save fuel.
• Speed cameras save fewer lives than claimedSpeed cameras have saved just half the number of lives on Britain's roads than the Government has claimed.
• Virgin Atlantic calls for hand luggage review after airliner terror trial endsAirline calls for review of airport security rules limiting liquids in hand luggage following the end of the airliner terror trial.

Reuters News

• EU transport chief promises tougher airline checksSafety checks will be stepped up on European Union airlines in the wake of a crash last month at Madrid's Barajas airport that killed 154 people, the EU's transport commissioner said on Tuesday.
• O2 to start tube mobile service in GlasgowLONDON (Reuters) - Telecoms carrier O2 will start a limited programme giving underground rail passengers access to mobile signals in Glasgow later this year, one of the first such services to be offered in Britain.

Mail Online

• Air hell for five years: No end to anti-terror baggage measures despite jury verdictsAir passengers face five more years of bans on carrying liquids in their hand luggage, it has emerged. The news comes despite eight suspects escaping conviction over an alleged plot to blow up planes.

Network Rail

• A SHARED VISION BOOSTS THE RAILWAY AT READINGProposals to deliver the biggest ever investment at Reading are unveiled for the first time today by Network Rail. Backed by the Department for Transport, the scheme aims to boost performance and expand the railway. Five new platforms, an elevated railway, a new station entrance and a new train depot are among a host of improvements presented at Network Rail™s exhibition.
• NETWORK RAIL SUPORTS LICHFIELD CITY'S SHERIFF'S RIDE

Transport Briefing

• Reading station to gain five platforms in rail overhaulFive new platforms, a flyover and a new train depot are among the major enhancements being presented by Network Rail at an exhibition opening today (10 September) showcasing the £425m Reading expansion project.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Low-floor bus pioneer joins the fight against prams banTHE man who introduced low-floor buses to Edinburgh has joined the campaign against to Lothian Buses' controversial ban on prams.
• The sky's the limit as airport sale is cleared for take-offTHE rivalry between the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh is as old as the hills but it has never quite taken to the skies before. While the two regularly jostle for sporting, cultural and business honours, their respective airports are not generally considered a natural point of competition.
• High-flying city stays off airline hit listTHE second-est airline in Scotland has insisted that it will not cut routes from the Capital “ because the city's economy is "more resilient" to the economic downt

Journal Live

• Huge potential forecast for lineTHE boss of a charity which helps run a troubled tourist railway yesterday predicted a brighter future following a US takeover.
• Car tax hike hits 100,000 motoristsMORE than 100,000 North East motorists will be hit by controversial car tax hikes that could run into hundreds of pounds, The Journal can reveal.

Liverpool Echo

• Rail chaos after man jumps onto tracks at Orrell ParkA MAN was taken to hospital with multiple injuries after jumping onto tracks at a Liverpool train station.

London Evening Standard

• £2bn shortfall in cash needed to upgrade TubeAn alert over a £2billion black hole in plans to upgrade three key Tube lines has been issued
• Londoners 'to be clobbered hardest by car tax rises'Motorists in London and the South-East will be hardest hit by Gordon Brown's road tax rises, according to analysis by the Conservatives

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Inverurie bottleneck to disappear as century-old crossing upgradedA major bottleneck at an entrance to one of the north-east™s fastest-expanding towns will be eased within the next few weeks, following a major upgrade to a century-old rail crossing.
• Bus card pensioner told to pay up or get offA FEMALE pensioner with a valid travel card was asked by a bus driver to pay or get off yesterday after a machine failed to read her pass properly.
• New flights and jobs on the way for AberdeenLow-cost airline Flybe is planning a major expansion at Aberdeen Airport that could lead to 100 new jobs and several new routes, it emerged yesterday.

Wales Online

• A nightmare on the buses after council’s transport fiascoThe start of the new school year has resulted in chaos after Rhondda Cynon Taf Council failed to tell all parents and pupils about new bus routes, new contracts and new pick-up and drop-off times. Young children have been left on the side of busy main roads, with parents waiting for them at different bus stops.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds drivers face road tax 'smash and grab'New figures today revealed Government plans for a smash-and-grab raid on the finances of West Yorkshire's hard-pressed motorists.

Carlisle News & Star

• Warnings for 24 Reays Coaches drivers who broke rulesDrivers at a Wigton coach firm who were behind the wheel for up to 21 hours without a break put themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk.

West Sussex Gazette

• Countdown to gridlock - traders fight backARUNDEL traders are fighting back over 'crackpot' plans to close the A27 railway bridge over several weekends.

International Herald Tribune

• Alitalia rescue gets some labor supportThe head of one of the three biggest unions at the airline said he would support the rescue plan but wanted guarantees that Alitalia would remain under Italian control and that the unions could have a representative on its new board.

Railnews

• News: Docklands Light Railway makes life better THE Docklands Light Railway is proving a key factor in making life better for North Woolwich residents according to a new report compiled by Social Research Associates Ltd, the second to look at DLR impact in the area.

Transport for London

• Transport for London responds to PPP Arbiter's Guidance on Tube Lines second period funding

Aviation Industry

• Rail, Road Or Waterway?s road transport the best way to send oranges from Spain to northern Germany? Or would it be better to ship them by rail or waterway for part of the route? A new software package determines the cheapest, fastest or most environmentally compatible mode of transportation.
• Rees to be transport 'mystery shopper'NSW Premier Nathan Rees has received first-hand accounts of the crises facing public transport and other services while mixing with Sydney rail commuters.
• Campaign to Double Swindon to Kemble Railway Line UpdateMore than 1,800 people have signed Gloucestershire County Council's petition calling for an extra railway track between Kemble and Swindon. If the decision to redouble the line between Swindon and Kemble is not made next month, it won't happen for at least another seven years as earlier this year the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said the scheme would not be included in its planned programme of works for 2009 to 2014.
• Synthetic Vision: Seeing what Pilots Can™tIn darkness or bad weather, synthetic vision systems allow pilots to see terrain and obstacles and help them navigate.
• New appointments at oneworldOneworld, one of the world™s three major airline alliances, has appointed two new managers in Europe.
• Air France KLM confirms entry into the rail marketAirline to run high speed services after rail liberalised in Europe in 2010

Green Miscellany

• Camden commuters recycle as they goCommuters at one of London's busiest train and tube stations no longer have an excuse not to recycle their rubbish as they make their way to and from the rat race every day.

Other News Sources

• Bus safety improvements urgedSafety improvements are to be recommended for buses after an elderly Weston-super-Mare man died following a fall down a double-decker's stairs.
• Glass repaired at Aberdeen bus stop... that’s no longer in useA BUS shelter was fitted with brand new glass – but the stop has not picked up passengers for years.
• Hybrid vehicle focusRicardo has formed the Ricardo Global Hybrid Product Group, a strategic business that will focus its resources on technology, facilities and engineering skills for hybrid and electric vehicle development.
• Europe pushes for prioritised rail freightMEPs have called on the European Commission to make rail freight a priority and reduce Europe's need for road transport.
• Hard Shoulder Running installation beginsWork this week begins on installing £150M of technology around the 'Birmingham Box' to adapt the motorways for Active Traffic Management (ATM - also known as hard shoulder running).
• Virgin wants hand luggage reviewVirgin Atlantic has called for a review into restrictions on what passengers can take on planes. The company said it was time to reassess hand luggage regulations.
• Virgin Trains cleared over email gaffeVirgin Trains has escaped censure from the Advertising Standards Authority following a direct marketing gaffe earlier this year.
• Korean yards œ10 years ahead of ChinaKOREAN shipbuilders will maintain their competitive edge over China in terms of technical knowhow according to STX Shipbuilding Vice-Chairman Lee In Sung.
• Gas main repair work prompts bus stand moveGas main repair work in Manchester city centre will affect six bus services for three weeks from Monday 15 September.