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

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

BBC News

• Poor links 'hitting economy' [Humberside] videoA report has claimed that poor transport links are affecting the economy around the Humber Ports.
• Flyers 'still using cars' [video]The majority of people flying out of Manchester airport are not using public transport to get there, new figures have revealed.
• Transport network 'lags' behind [Yorkshire]A lack of investment and poor planning has left Yorkshire's transport network lagging behind, experts have revealed.
• Transport system 'faces meltdown' [North East]The transport network in the North East of England could become "paralysed" unless urgent action is taken, engineers have warned.
• Economic case for Fife rail lineA campaign to reinstate a Fife railway has been given a boost.
• Rail overcrowding 'to get worse'Rail passengers in England and Wales face more overcrowding and higher fares unless the network is expanded, a spending watchdog has warned.
• Software blocks car phone usersA Canadian firm unveils software which prevents motorists using mobile phones by intercepting their calls on the road.
• Suez tankersWhy supertankers dominate the Suez Canal

Financial Times

• Travellers squeezed by fares, warns watchdogCommuters will suffer continued rises in train charges and more overcrowding until fresh investment is injected into the rail system, says a National Audit Office report
• Virgin Atlantic cuts ticket fuel surchargesThe airline is trimming the surcharge on economy and premium economy tickets for the first time since June, increasing pressure on British Airways to make a similar move

The Guardian

• The cyclistI've been working at the college since 2002. I work in IT services, providing support for the 5,000 computers. As well as troubleshooting, we maintain the college IT network.
• Recession could derail government plan to cut subsidies for train firmsRail passengers face more above-inflation fare rises as funding threatened by downturn

The Herald

• Life in the Westminster fast lane overwhelms Scottish bus conductorAs a long-term Scottish Nationalist, albeit one who rather implausibly can't stand haggis, Stagecoach chief Brian Souter is no stranger to the political world.

The Scotsman

• Watchdog flags rail fare risesRail passengers must expect above-inflation fare rises, with many commuters suffering from overcrowding in the short term, a report from a Government spending watchdog has sai

The Telegraph

• Parliament climate change protesters threaten further disruptionClimate change protesters who stormed the Houses of Parliament have threatened further demonstrations unless the Government adopts more eco-friendly policies.

Times Online

• Train standing at Platform 1 is not overcrowded, it's 'acceptably loaded' Among the passengers crushed into the corridors of commuter trains, the Department for Transport’s latest solution for rail overcrowding is unlikely to provoke spontaneous applause.

Reuters News

• Shipping turns to private guards to combat piratesLONDON (Reuters) - Commercial shipping companies are increasingly using private security firms to combat pirates off the coast of Somalia because foreign navies are restricted in what they can do to tackle piracy, security experts say.

ATOC

• Bringing rail ticketing into the 21st centuryTrain operators are working hard to push rail ticketing into the 21st century says a leading rail ticketing expert.

Network Rail

• £7.8M IMPROVEMENT AT FALMOUTH STEAMS AHEADThe scheme to double the number of train services on the Falmouth branch line has entered a vital stage. The additional 400 metres-long track, which is a key element to help deliver two trains per hour at peak period, will be installed during a massive programme of work on 13 “ 17 October and 20 -24 October.

Belfast Telegraph

• AA: Petrol to be £1 a litre by ChristmasNorthern Ireland motorists will be paying £1 or less for a litre of petrol in the next couple of months according to the AA.

Birmingham Post

• Motorists prefer road charging to road tax, survey findsThree out of five people would rather pay a road pricing charge every time they use their car than buy an annual tax disc, according to a survey.
• Silverline calls for a more coach-friendly BirminghamBirmingham’s image as a conference centre is being tarnished by the lack of coach pick-up points according to a local travel company.
• Midland rail operator allowed to increase standing room on trainsWest Midlands rail operator London Midland was given permission to pack more passengers onto overcrowded trains when it took over the franchise last year, a report has warned.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Traffic light change under wayMOTORISTS have endured more traffic hold-ups around Princes Street as the latest attempt to ease tramwork congestion gets underway.

London Evening Standard

• Commuters face losing their direct Thameslink route to CityThousands of commuters in south London face having their direct rail link to the City severed, campaigners claim

Manchester Evening News

• City's most dangerous cycle routesTHE most dangerous cycle routes in Manchester can be revealed today as new figures show cyclists are involved in nearly five crashes a week.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Motorists invited to air views on travelRoadside interviews are to be carried out by Transport for South Hampshire to generate an accurate picture of travel patterns.
• £15m plan to revamp ferry portPortsmouth's ferry port is to undergo a £15m revamp to entice more passengers to pass through.

The York Press

• Rail operator to support green schools initiativePUPILS from a York school have helped launch a major new green initiative by York-based train operators National Express East Coast.
• New body would ˜improve railway line™ ESTABLISHING an œintegrated transport authority (ITA) for Yorkshire and Humber would help to improve the York-Harrogate railway, a member of the Institution Of Civil Engineers (ICE) said today.

Burnley Express

• MP 'positive' on Manchester link after meeting with rail supremoPLANS for the much-anticipated Todmorden Curve are going in the right direction.

Carlisle News & Star

• Andrew Tinkler submits new plans for Carlisle AirportFresh proposals to redevelop Carlisle Airport have been tabled with Carlisle City Council.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Bus pass demand puts token scheme at riskThe number of people travelling on buses has risen dramatically following a free bus pass scheme for the over-60s.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Nora Systems Presents New Product at Railway Interiors in Amsterdam from 4-6 November Floorcoverings in rail vehicles and buses must meet high requirements. nora® systems have added a floorcovering with a slip resistance of R11 to its proven assortment of rubber floorcoverings: the noraplan® ultra grip, the first resilient PVC-free safety floorcovering . Every day, thousands of people take trams, trains, buses and suburban rail trains to work, to another city or to a holiday destination. Their shoes carry sand, gravel, soil, moisture and thawing salt into the vehicles. The sand and gravel can act like sandpaper. Dirty shoes, wet from rain and sno...

Transport for London

• New Wood Lane Underground station opensWest London has a brand new station as Wood Lane station has opened on the Hammersmith & City line.

Aviation Industry

• CAFOD welcomes calls for tougher climate change targetsCAFOD has welcomed recommendations by the Government's Climate Committee that the UK should cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050.
• Virgin Trains to extend DIY printing to all advanced ticketsVirgin Trains will extend its E-ticketing print-your-own-ticket scheme to all advance purchase tickets by the end of October, businesstravelworld.com has learned. Rail firm thetrainline, which powers the Virgin Trains site, said that the train operating company is to extend its current scheme – which covers journeys between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly.
• Hybrid buses take to the road in JapanJapanese vehicle manufacturer Isuzu and partner ITOCHU Corporation are introducing fuel-efficient, low-emission hybrid buses to the streets of Japan.
• ACEA FREIGHT TRANSPORT EVENT - MATCHING THE TRANSPORT CHALLENGESOn 10 December, politicians, logistics experts and commercial vehicle manufacturers will gather in the Autoworld in Brussels to explore how the economic efficiency of freight transport can be maximised while minimising its environmental impact.
• New research looks to transport users for solutions'Ideas in Transit' is a new initiative which will look to transport users' experiences and creativity as a source of innovation to tackle the UK's transport problems.
• Platinum TrainsWe're both very interested in a new open-access rail operator whose recently emerged on the scene, lodging an application with the ORR last month to operate non-stop Anglo-Scottish trains using the East Coast Main Line (ECML).
• New RM design revealedLondon's Evening Standard reveals the second serious Routemaster design since the competition to design a modern-day version to operate along London's streets was closed.

Other News Sources

• Why free bus passes should be extendedEarlier this year over 60s and the disabled were given the right to enjoy free bus travel anywhere in the country. However, according to 14-year-old Jonathan Webb this privilege should be extended to cover the young, as well as the old. He explained why:
• Mother hits out at bus driversA mother has accused bus drivers in Norwich of discriminating against women with pushchairs.
• Bus company challenge in cityTransport giant First Group could face a legal challenge for "abusing" its market dominance in Aberdeen.

• Low-cost airlines: We won't profit off CO2 tradingBRUSSELS, Belgium: Low-cost airlines claimed Monday they will not make windfall profits from a trading program intended to limit their greenhouse gas emissions.
• City to follow in Europe's cycletracks?
Hopes have been raised that Norwich could take a lead from Barcelona and Paris and set up a citywide bicycle rental scheme after a company expressed an interest in providing the service.

• Russian rail to invest in Deutsche BahnThe intention of Russian Railways (RZD) to inject capital into Deutsche Bahn (DB) following the partial DB privatisation is everything but secret. Vladimir Iakounine showed his interest as soon as the privatisation was announced.
• Keep docks traffic moving, urges ICECONGESTED roads and over-stretched railway links are a major threat to the future of Southampton docks, according to top engineers.
• Jet Airways Announces Optimization Of Its Long-Haul International NetworkOctober 10, 2008: In light of the downturn in major economies worldwide, more specifically in the USA and UK, Jet Airways plans to optimize its network, focusing more on its established international gateways and routes.
• Rail fares 'set to rise'Rail passengers must expect above-inflation fare rises, says a new report, with many commuters likely to face overcrowding in the short term.
• ICE calls for the government to get back on track with its 10 year transport planThe ICE launches its State of the Nation report on transport today, calling for a 30-year plan to reduce national congestion.
• Government told airport expansion doesn't add upAirport expansion
• Hyundai Bids for Daewoo ShipbuildingHyundai Heavy Industries, the world's biggest shipbuilder, has submitted a final bid for local rival Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Top shareholders of Daewoo are selling a 50.4 percent stake in the world's No. 3 ship maker....
• Cut capacity now, box owners warnedCONTAINER shipowners to lay up tonnage and cancel orders or face the worst load factors in ten years, warns Charles de Trenck, analyst and founding partner of Transport Trackers.
• The role of auctions in emissions tradingThe EU's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) is
• Petrol prices fall further as oil markets dipBusinesses and drivers are benefiting from a series of falls in international oil prices, leading to lower prices at the pump.
• Kellogg's and Kimberley-Clark team up to deliver savingsKellogg's has joined forced with Kimberly-Clark to deliver a series of transport cost savings as part of a new collaborative venture.
• Watchdog flags rail fare risesWatchdog flags rail fare rises