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

Tuesday, 06 January 2009

BBC News

• Transport group's £350m blueprintWalking, cycling and public transport must play a bigger role in the future of local travel, a new report suggests.
• Motorcyclists to ride easier [video]Motorcycles are now able to use many cycle lanes in London after an announcement by the Mayor.
• Bridge cash row set to continueScottish ministers are to pursue a Treasury cash advance for the new Forth road bridge, despite the request being rejected.

Department for Transport

• New car resolutions for smarter drivers New car buyers in England are being urged to ACT on CO2 to save fuel and money when searching for New Year deals.

Financial Times

• Rail power lines inquiryRail experts were still investigating on Monday how overhead power lines came to collapse across all four tracks of Britain’s busiest main line on Sunday, causing serious disruption.

The Guardian

• Boris 2009: transportNoticed those fares rises yet? They have in Enfield, and I doubt they're alone. It's no surprise that from the moment he announced them Mayor Johnson has worked super-hard to limit the political damage
• UK braced for bleak news as global car sales fallThe crisis in the global car industry was underlined today with a further round of plunging sales figures from key markets around the world.In Japan, sales of new vehicles slumped by 22% last month to their lowest ever December total, while French sales were down almost 16% as the impact of the credit crunch continues to bite.Across the Atlantic, Ford disclosed that it sold 32% fewer cars in December than it did a year earlier. While purchases by individual customers were down by 27%, the number of vehicles sold to fleet buyers such as rental agencies and hospitality businesses plummeted by 4...

The Independent

• Euston trains returning after line repairs Rail passengers can expect "largely normal" services today after engineers worked through the night to repair damaged power lines which had stopped trains running in and out of a major London station.
• Euston trains returning after line repairs Rail passengers can expect "largely normal" services today after engineers worked through the night to repair damaged power lines which had stopped trains running in and out of a major London station.
• Rail passengers hit by technical problems Passengers had to endure further travel misery on a key London to Scotland rail route today.

The Scotsman

• Council staff lead drive to cut number of cars in citySTAFF working for the city council are helping to lead the way in reducing the number of cars on the streets of the Capital.
• Bus boss Shaw joins boardABERDEEN bus and rail giant FirstGroup yesterday appointed Nicola Shaw to the main board. Shaw, who is managing director of First's UK bus operations, joins the board as director responsible for buses in the UK, Ireland and Germany.
• Ferry firm out of stepApart from our currency having fallen by 40 per cent since the start of the euro, it seems the new Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry may be destined for a bad start.

The Telegraph

• Trainspotters being stopped under anti-terror powersThe Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000 has been used to stop 62,584 people at railway stations and another 87,000 were questioned under "stop and search" and "stop and account" legislation.
• Thousands of drivers who bought cars on hire purchase face 'negative equity' Thousands of motorists who bought cars on hire purchase are handing them back to finance companies.

Times Online

• Sharewatch: Brake signalsFIRSTGROUP: The year ahead could be a tricky one for Scotland’s two transport groups, Stagecoach and Aberdeen- based FirstGroup.

Reuters News

• UPDATE 1-Bombardier, Deutsche Bahn in $2.1 bln rail deal* Largest deal by German railway with single supplier (In U.S. dollars unless noted)

Belfast Telegraph

• Fears over staff cuts at Derry airport Jobs at the loss-making City of Derry Airport are under threat, it was revealed last night.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Heathrow high-speed link could hit BIABirmingham could get a 35-minute high speed rail link to Heathrow under plans being considered by the government.

Bolton News

• Full steam ahead for station campaignCAMPAIGNERS are to meet with rail bosses to look at getting a disused railway station on a major line into Bolton reopened.

Bristol Live

• Bristol-Heathrow rail link consideredBristol is a step closer to getting a high-speed link up to London and Europe after the Government confirmed it is considering creating a £4.5-billion international rail interchange at Heathrow.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Princes Street set for tramsPREPARATIONS for the closure of Princes Street for tram works will get under way today.
• City cycles to head of bike death leagueEDINBURGH has one of the highest death tolls for cyclists in Scotland, new figures have revealed.
• Motorways' 'missing link' wins backingPLANS to create a new roadway dubbed "the missing link" between the M8 and M9 motorways have been given a major boost following endorsement in the major Scottish Government transport review.

London Evening Standard

• Driving fines for foreigners unenforceable, admits MetTHOUSANDS of foreign drivers are caught on London speed cameras but escape punishment because they are untraceable, Scotland Yard said today.
• Hoon: Heathrow study on pollution 'over-cautious'GEOFF Hoon has cleared the way for expansion of Heathrow airport by branding the Government's own warnings over pollution "over-cautious".

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Flyglobespan drops another route from north-eastScottish budget airline flyglobespan has dropped its fourth international route from Aberdeen in as many months it has emerged.

The York Press

• Protest groups fight York Station barrier plans TWO separate campaigns have been launched against the controversial proposals to install automatic ticket barriers at York Railway Station.

Wales Online

• We deserve a fast transport system [Letters]SIR – To expand on Mervyn Matthews’ suggestions for improvements in the transport system (Western Mail, December 31), could I also propose some electrified mono-rail systems over all of the cycle tracks that have sprung up everywhere.
• Transport plans ’need 50% funding boost to be implemented’BIG improvements to transport in Cardiff and the Valleys could be on the cards to if council planners get their way.

Blackpool Gazette

• New air route gets off to flying startAIRPORT bosses are confident of a flying start to 2009 as a new route to Dublin takes to the air today.

Doncaster Free Press

• Buses could be under council control by summer BUSES in Doncaster could be back under council control from as soon as this summer if a proposed new partnership gets the go-ahead.

Reading Evening Post

• £300m booster for rail passengersRail passengers could enjoy less crowded journeys as the Government puts a £300 million project to build 200 new carriages out to tender.

Forbes

• A Terrible Time For Carmakers Automakers finish 2008 on a bleak note. Expect 2009 to be worse.

International Herald Tribune

• Automakers fear new normal of lower sales in U.S.The collapse of the U.S. new-car market dragged on in December, raising questions of whether the auto industry will ever again have sales levels that it took for granted just a few years ago.

Washington Post

• U.S. Auto Sales Fell 36% in December The auto industry capped off 2008 with its worst sales in 16 years as Americans continued to steer clear of dealerships in December, according to sales figures released yesterday.

Transport for London

• All change at Tottenham Court Road as £1bn Tube and Crossrail station development gets underwaySpring 2009 demolition work signals start of one of the biggest ever central London station redevelopments.

Aviation Industry

• Wincanton picks Isotrak to manage transportWincanton has chosen Isotrak’s Active Transport Management System (ATMS) for its Britvic Soft Drinks bulk logistics contract.
• UK could face legal action over air qualityThe UK could be facing legal action over its failure to meet air quality rules, it has been revealed.
• United Airlines Traffic Down 11.5% Year Over YearTraffic on United Airlines fell 11.5% in December from a year earlier, with the worst weakness on flights in the Pacific region, according to preliminary figures released Monday.
• ˜AF edges ahead in fight for Alitalia stake' New owners want partner before re-launch read more

Other News Sources

• Star Trak bus system letting passengers downIt was meant to transform the bus network, but after eight years and more than £2.5 million of investment, the Star Trak information system still does not work.
• Virgin Cuts Fares, May Shrink in ’Depressing’ Year (Bloomberg) -- Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., the long-haul carrier controlled by billionaire Richard Branson, is slashing prices, offering London-New York round trips for as little as 259 pounds ($377), and may trim seats to ride out a slump in demand, Chief Executive Officer Steve Ridgway said.
• Free bus passes put East Dorset District Council £80k downFREE bus passes for the elderly and disabled have left East Dorset District Council facing a shortfall of more than £80,000 in its budget for the next financial year.
• Motorbikes allowed to use London bus lanesNew rules allowing motorbikes to use London's bus lanes are causing friction in City Hall today.
• Skill-share scheme may help hauliers retain staffHauliers could contract their staff to other operators to retain skills during the economic downturn under a skill-share scheme to be launched next month.
• Volvo in dual-fuel technology tie-upClean Air Power has signed a letter of intent with Volvo to incorporate its dual-fuel technology on Volvo truck engines.
• Grontmij roads boss joins AmeyAmey today appointed former Grontmij roadworks design manager Gordon MacDonald to the role of Highways Technical Director.
• Transport minister backs highspeed Transport minister Lord Adonis has revealed that a £20bn 200mph high speed line from London to Manchester is likely to be endorsed this year by the government.
• Treasury rejects new Forth bridge payment planThe Treasury has rejected the Scottish Government's application for £2.3bn to fund the new Forth bridge.
• UK's ballasted train tracks need replacing with concrete for high speed, claims concrete groupGovernment aspirations for a 200mph high-speed rail service modelled on the Japanese bullet trains could fail if the right rail track is not provided warned transport infrastructure group Britpave today.
• Crossrail work starts at Tottenham Court RoadBus diversions around Tottenham Court Road start this weekend as £1bn Tube and Crossrail station development gets underway
• Virgin Atlantic™s campaign has 80s glamourVirgin Atlantic is launching a £6 million campaign set in its launch year of 1984 to celebrate the airline™s quarter century.
• Suez Canal rejects toll cutDESPITE a projected traffic fall this year of 7%, the Suez Canal Authority said today that its tolls will be unchanged.
• Chinese warships arrive off AdenCHINA'S three-warship deployment to the Gulf of Aden has arrived on a mission to escort merchant ships and protect them from pirates.
• New road surface generates powerA new road surface has been discovered that generates electricity as cars drive over it. Developed in Israel and announced last month by the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), the road surface contains thousands of miniscule piezoelectric crystal that generate electricity when squeezed together. According to the ETA, if the surface were installed on every British motorway, it [...]
• Traffic could create electricity A possible new approach to creating electricity in Ireland has been suggested, as engineers claim to have developed a type of road that can make the power from traffic.
• BP to reward fleet fuel efficiencyBP has unveiled its new Car and Van Fleet Fuel Efficiency Awards, which are designed to support businesses that aim to become as efficient as possible.
• Gatwick Airport signs up to new legal commitmentsLondon Gatwick Airport has signed a new legal agreement with West Sussex County Council and Crawley Borough Council. The agreement outlines how the airport’s operation, growth and environmental impacts will be managed responsibly. It underpins the important relationship between the airport owner and its local authorities with responsibility for planning, environmental management and highways.

Other Subscription Services

• Euroseas cuts charter rates for boxship duoNASDAQ-listed Euroseas has revealed it has renegotiated lower charter rates for two containerships it owns.