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

Monday, 15 December 2008

BBC News

• Bus to set sail on town's riverA river bus which travels on land and over water could soon be carrying passengers around a Northumbrian town.
• 'Glitch' on West Coast main lineThe West Coast main line has suffered slight delays on the first working day of its new timetable, following a £9bn modernisation of the entire line.
• Cycling curbed in shopping centreCyclists have been banned from a number of pedestrianised areas of Liverpool by the city's council.
• Town's £3.5m bus station openedA £3.5 million bus station has opened in a Black Country town.
• New pilot bus service plugs gapMetro operator Nexus has stepped in to provide a pilot bus service in Sunderland after the old one was axed.
• North-south rail option launchedA new, faster early train service between north and south Wales has been launched today by the economy and transport minister.
• Heathrow 'must meet EU targets'The government cannot contemplate allowing Heathrow airport's expansion if it fails to meet pollution targets, a minister has said.
• West Coast rail works completedWork to rebuild the West Coast rail line between London and Glasgow is completed after 10 years.
• Help urged for UK motor industryUnion bosses have joined calls for the government to urgently give financial support to the UK's auto industry.

Financial Times

• Italian fast rail link to squeeze AlitaliaThe age of long-distance high speed rail travel finally arrived in Italy at the weekend, with the new link between Milan and Bologna set to challengeAlitalia, the...
• Wary welcome for transport plansBusiness leaders have given a guarded welcome to the Scottish government's identification of 29 transport projects it wants to see proceed over the next 20 years
• Shipping charter rates soarChinese demand for iron ore lifts a slumping market and helps to push prices up and could encourage shipowners to bring ships back into service
• NZ launches legal action against airlinesNew Zealand's competition authority has begun legal action against 13 airlines and seven airline staff for what it says was

The Guardian

• Meet Britain's new army of young eco warriorsWhile governments talk of climate change, a growing band of young, committed environmentalists is emerging in the UK. The storming of Stansted was just the beginning
• Limiting Heathrow's capacity is pointless [letters]The Observer suggests that building a runway at Heathrow would sabotage the UK's position in the fight against climate change ('There is no case for Heathrow's third runway', Leader, last week). The authoritative Stern Review suggested that limiting airport capacity is an inefficient way of regulating demand and leads to more congestion for aircraft on the ground and in the air, needlessly polluting the atmosphere.
• Cut-price crossing shames the nationWe need a brave new Forth road bridge which will link us with our past and carry us into the future
• Benn warns against breaching EU air pollution limits at HeathrowHilary Benn, the environment secretary, lifted the lid yesterday on the Cabinet-level debate on the expansion of Heathrow, saying the government must not contemplate allowing itself to breach air pollution limits set by the European commission.

The Independent

• Ed Miliband: You Ask The QuestionsDoes your support for "popular mobilisation" on climate change mean you support the Plane Stupid protesters at Stansted last week?
• Speed boost for west coast rail linePassengers on the west coast main line are being promised a major improvement in service following the long-awaited completion yesterday of a decade-long £9bn upgrade.

The Telegraph

• Commuters who drive to work 'face workplace parking levy'Commuters who drive to work could be charged hundreds of pounds a year for company parking spaces under new Government plans.

Times Online

• Gordon Brown to overrule minister on Heathrow runwayExpansion go-ahead may lead to Cabinet resignations as signs of divisions become public
• Airbus and Boeing plan loans for buyers Boeing and Airbus are preparing to pump the world aviation market with billions of dollars worth of loans to carriers in 2009 to try to offset what is expected to be “a very, very tough” year for aircraft manufacturers.

Reuters News

• Government may unveil help package for car firmsLONDON (Reuters) - The government is set to unveil a limited aid package for beleaguered car manufacturers this week in a bid to prevent thousands of potential job losses, a Sunday newspaper said.

Belfast Telegraph

• Ryanair chief outlines Aer Lingus bid details Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary is due before an Oireachtas Committee this week to outline the budget carrier's bid for rival Aer Lingus.

Birmingham Post

• Luxury buses hailed a big success in Birmingham and Black CountryA range of luxury buses boasting air conditioning, leather seats and tinted windows have been hailed a success after attracting an extra 100,000 passengers on board each month.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Airport fares best as passenger numbers fallPASSENGER numbers at Edinburgh Airport held fell by nearly eight per cent last month but still held up better than elsewhere in Scotland.
• 'Radio Roadworks' to guide drivers through trams chaosTRANSPORT chiefs are considering spending a six-figure sum on creating a dedicated radio station to guide drivers through traffic during the tram project.

London Evening Standard

• Free Streetcar for London drivers who sell their vehiclesTHE Mayor is backing a scheme to give drivers who sell their vehicles free membership of a pay-as-you-go car club for two years.
• Millionaire who funded Stansted protest has Lush shops at airportsThe tycoon bankrolling the anti-aviation activists who stormed Stansted owns shops in airports around the world, the Evening Standard can reveal.
• Commuters to face £1,400 fare rise on JavelinsCOMMUTERS on a new high-speed rail link into London could face fare increases of nearly £1,400 a year it emerged today as the train made its debut journey into the capital.
• Tube travellers told: Shut doors on leaving stationTUBE commuters are to be instructed to push shut any sliding doors they find open while the train is moving, the Evening Standard can reveal.

The York Press

• Green Party oppose York railway station barrier planGREEN Party campaigners descended on York railway station to urge commuters to support their protest against ticket barriers.

International Herald Tribune

• U.S. to use bank bailout to aid automakersA day after the Senate abandoned legislative efforts to prevent General Motors and Chrysler from collapsing, the Bush administration said Friday that it would use money from the $700 billion financial bailout to keep them alive into next year.
• The U.S. railroad disability board that couldn't say noThe board, plagued by labor-management infighting and weak standards, approved nearly every single disability application it received last year.

Aviation Industry

• UAL hoping for cost savings with Continental dealUnited Airlines could take its partnership with Continental Airlines deeper by joining up on things such as fuel purchasing and consolidating ticket counters, UAL Corp.

Other News Sources

• National Express develops reward programmeNational Express East Coast has appointed Yorkshire-based agency Chocolate Communications to launch a new loyalty scheme for frequent travellers.
• Bike rage in BrisbaneGrowing tension between cyclists, joggers and walkers on Brisbane's burgeoning bikeway network has forced their separation on one busy strip, where a refusal to share the bitumen has been likened to "kindergarten behaviour".
• Cabinet Split Over Airport GrowthThe expansion of Heathrow airport must be stopped if levels of noise and air pollution are not drastically cut, the Environment Secretary has warned.
• BT Reflex reach truck has safety enhancementsToyota Material Handling has launched a new generation of its BT Reflex reach truck, which it said delivers a raft of changes to ensure operators have the safest possible working environment.
• Rail upgrade promises more trains Train passengers are being promised a

Other Subscription Services

• Stagecoach in Aberdeenshire road safety driveBus operator Stagecoach is launching an initiative to encourage safer driving behind its vehicles in Aberdeenshire.