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

Saturday, 13 December 2008

BBC News

• White House considers auto rescueThe White House is considering using money earmarked to rescue the banking industry to bail out the country's carmakers.

Financial Times

• Italian consortium purchases AlitaliaA group of 21 Italian investors bought the struggling state-controlled airline and plan to merge it with smaller rival Air One
• Main line upgrade sees light at end of tunnelVirgin Trains is aiming to capture 85% of the market for rail and air travel between London and Manchester after the two are linked by Europe's most frequent long-distance rail service
• Competition watchdog stands firm on BAA break-upReport will confirm recommendation for group to sell three airports in Scotland and London

The Guardian

• Road pricing blow as Manchester rejects congestion chargeThe government's plans for road pricing across the UK were in disarray yesterday after Manchester resoundingly rejected plans to introduce a congestion charge.In a referendum, the proposal was defeated by a majority of 4 to 1, meaning there is now little chance of a pay-as-you-drive scheme being introduced for at least a decade.

The Telegraph

• Road pricing trials continue despite Manchester rejectionGovernment to press ahead with trials for national road pricing despite Manchester voters rejecting congestion charge.
• More trains but some losers as new timetable startsJourney times on some of Britain's key routes will be cut as more trains are set to run on Britain's railway network since the cuts of the early 60s.
• BAA hit by falling air trafficPassenger numbers at seven of Britain's major airport fell by nearly nine per cent last month as the aviation industry continued to be hit by the economic slowdown.
• Renault offers £6000 off people carrier as desperation in car industry growsRenault is offering £6000 off a £19000 people carrier in the latest stark indication of desperation among car manufacturers and dealers.

Times Online

• The open road: 50 years of the motorwayOn December 5, 1958, a sharp, sunlit Friday, Harold Macmillan, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, stood on a platform in front of a pair of stout microphones and declared his country’s first motorway open – all 8.26 miles of it, newly laid in four pristine lanes of asphalt around Preston, Lancashire.
• Gatwick's falling passenger numbers likely to knock sale priceBAA's hopes of securing a top price for Gatwick received a setback yesterday when it was revealed that passenger numbers at the airport in November were down 13.5 per cent on the same month last year.
• Emergency rescue plan for British motor industryA financial rescue package for Britain’s motor industry was being put together last night, mirroring efforts in Washington to save America’s three big carmakers from collapse.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham calls for new UK transport policy after Manchester rejects congestion chargeBusiness leaders in Birmingham have said the Government needs to radically rethink its transport strategy after the city was joined by Manchester in rejecting plans for a congestion charge.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Hanson quarry jobs blow in North WalesBuilding materials group Hanson Aggregates is to mothball its rock quarrying operations at a North Wales quarry after losing a rail ballast contract with Network Rail.

Journal Live

• Bowes Railway Museum raiders caught red-handedTwo raiders were caught red-handed stealing metal from a “priceless” carriage at a historic railway museum.

Liverpool Echo

• Eight month break deal for Vauxhall workersVauxhall is offering workers an eight-month career break because of falling sales.

Manchester Evening News

• Death-knell for road charging?Greater Manchester's landslide rejection of congestion charging looks set to sound the death-knell for similar schemes across the country.
  

The York Press

• Safety measures for A19 corridorA radt of proposed improvements to a major North Yorkshire road has taken a step further towards realisation.
• 'Airfield would help lift Britain out of recession'An airport near York could help lift Britain out of recession, it was claimed, as a lengthy public inquiry entered its closing stages.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds council bosses vow to resist road tollsCouncil bosses today vowed to resist any moves by the Government to force a road tolls scheme on Leeds after Manchester's resounding rejection of the idea.

Carlisle News & Star

• Airport set for take-offA £25m plan to redevelop Carlisle Airport is set for take-off next week, and this time it is unlikely to be grounded by a public inquiry.

Doncaster Free Press

• First bus fares to riseFirst, the leading bus operator in Doncaster, has today announced plans to increase fares in the New Year.

The Shields Gazette

• 100 face axe at car parts firmUp to 100 jobs face the axe at a South Tyneside factory which supplies car parts to Nissan.

Railnews

• News: The disaster which changed safety on the railwayTwenty years ago today the Clapham rail crash became the worst rail crash on the railway for 21 years.

Aviation Industry

• November traffic figures BAA's airportsBAA™s seven UK airports handled a total of 9.8 million passengers during November compared to a figure of 10.8 million last year...
• Ground crews to picket Southwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines ground crews say they'll picket at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix on Friday as they push for a resolution to stalled contract talks.
• Delta offers voluntary severance programs to staffDelta Air Lines will offer voluntary severance payouts to most of the 75,000 employees at Delta's and Northwest's mainline operations.

Other News Sources

• £1.7bn saved on new Forth bridge crossing strategyThe existing Forth Road Bridge is to be maintained as a dedicated public transport corridor and the new replacement Forth crossing will be trimmed down to have just two lanes of traffic in each direction, Scottish ministers revealed this week.
• Channel Tunnel to re-openThe Channel Tunnel is set to fully re-open on 15 February after running at reduced capacity for longer than five months.
• Aer Lingus tells Government: Ryanair offer is 'pathetic' Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus has scorned budget rival Ryanair's takeover proposal, following a meeting with the country's transport ministry to discuss...
• EU to blacklist failing shipsAn EU decision to ban ships with three detentions from European ports has today been described as the
• On track for more competitive rail freight in EuropeThe European Commission has just taken a decisive step in promoting the international transport of goods by rail. Today it adopted a proposal for a regulation that would involve working with Member States to designate international rail corridors providing operators with an efficient, high-quality freight transport infrastructure.
• Europcar named Worlds Leading Green Transport Solution Company (press release) At the 2008 World Travel Awards ceremony on December 2 in the Turks & Caicos, Europcar was named the World's Leading Green Transport Solution Company, an environmental award launched this year read more
• TUI Travel welcomes CAA decision to pursue ATOL breach agentsTUI Travel has welcomed the Civil Aviation Authority's decision to seek refunds from agents who have sold dynamic packages without ATOL protection.
• Lifeline for $14bn US car industryAmerica's once mighty car industry was staring into the abyss today after a $14bn emergency bail-out plan fell apart in the Senate.
• Brussels Airlines to join Star AllianceBelgian carrier Brussels Airlines looks set to join the airline group the Star Alliance.

Other Subscription Services

• Teesport box volumes could fall 15%High Street bloodbath will be reflected in container throughput, says Group development director Martyn Pellew.