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

Tuesday, 13 January 2009

BBC News

• Heathrow protests at growth planOpponents of a the construction of a third runway at Heathrow have staged a protest at the airport ahead of a government announcement on the project.
• Battle lines drawn over HeathrowThe debate about the expansion of Heathrow has been raging for several years - but in many ways the argument in these last days before the government's decision feels like the calm before the real storm.
• Protesters buy up Heathrow landLand earmarked for the construction of Heathrow's third runway is bought by anti-expansion protesters.
• Wincanton admits 875 jobs at riskAbout 875 jobs are at risk at distribution group Wincanton after it confirms that two of its depots may close in the spring.

Financial Times

• Lobbyists raise pressure on HeathrowBusiness and trade union leaders and the aviation industry stepped up pressure on ministers on Monday to give the go-ahead this week for a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow.
• South Korea's Posco may sell to Toyota That the world's biggest carmaker is to start buying foreign steel for domestic production speaks volumes about the depressed state of the car industry
• Shipowners take piracy risks on boardMaritime insurer warns that the terms of charters could make it impossible to avoid the most dangerous routes

The Guardian

• The aviation industry will keep bluffingThe IPPR has previously questioned the government's case for expanding aviation. It is now suggesting that the only aircraft allowed to use the new runway should be those meeting the Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe's (Acare) environmental targets for improving aviation technology by 2020. The aviation industry would carry the risk that if its promised greener, cleaner planes don't materialise, the runway will remain empty.
• Heathrow third runway decision: anxiety grips Labour backbenchersSeats would be endangered and the government's environmental credibility destroyed if expansion went ahead, MPs warn
• Heathrow expansion 'will not affect greenhouse gas targets'Aviation and business leaders today dismissed warnings that a third runway at Heathrow would compromise the UK's legally binding greenhouse gas target as they launched a final push for expansion of Britain's largest airport.
• Boris Johnson to challenge government in court if it backs Heathrow runwayBoris Johnson confirmed today that he is preparing to challenge the government in court if it "fails to see sense" and gives BAA the green light to apply for a third runway at Heathrow.
• Spain's high-speed trains steal passengers from airlinesSpain's sleek new high-speed trains have stolen hundreds of thousands of passengers from airlines over the last year, slashing carbon emissions and marking a radical change in the way Spaniards travel.Passenger numbers on fuel-guzzling domestic flights fell 20% in the year to November as commuters and tourists swapped cramped airline seats for the space and convenience of the train, according to figures released yesterday.High-speed rail travel - boosted by the opening of a line that slashed the journey time from Madrid to Barcelona to 2 hours 35 minutes in February - grew 28% over the same pe...
• Emma Thompson and Alastair McGowan among celebrities who have bought Heathrow land to delay third runwayLand earmarked by Heathrow owner BAA to build a third runway has been bought by a group of celebrities, scientists, politicians and green campaigners in an attempt to severely delay the development.

The Independent

• Wheels within wheelsThe growth of online commerce should be an unqualified environmental benefit. The truth is more complicated
• Protesters buy land to thwart third runwayGreen campaigners opened a surprise new front yesterday in the increasingly heated row over a third runway for Heathrow airport – by announcing they had brought land in the middle of the runway site and would not give it up.

The Scotsman

• Runway decision could be shelvedA decision on a third runway for Heathrow could be put off again amid bitter Labour infighting.
• Celebs buy Heathrow expansion landLand earmarked for the construction of a controversial third runway at Heathrow airport has been bought "under the noses" of the Government by a coalition of green cam

The Telegraph

• Alex Salmond's cutprice road bridge 'could not cope with more cars' Alex Salmond's design for a cutprice Forth road bridge will not be able to cope with higher levels of traffic the project's managers have admitted.
• Emma Thompson joins forces with Greenpeace to buy Heathrow runway land Actress and comedian join forces with Greenpeace to foil third runway plan.
• Hundreds of Heathrow protests sit down for cake and champagne Hundreds of protesters campaigning against a third runway at Heathrow Airport descended on Terminal 1 eating cake and sipping champagne.

Times Online

• Greenpeace buys Heathrow land earmarked for airport's third runway Campaigners opposed to a third runway at Heathrow have bought a parcel of the land earmarked for the airport’s expansion and are preparing for a fierce legal battle to defend it.
• Polite protest over third runway at Heathrow The domestic departures area in Terminal 1 at Heathrow last night hosted a mass Edwardian-themed picnic as 250 protesters spread out blankets and sat down to dinner in front of the departure gates.

Reuters News

• Greenpeace buys Heathrow runway landLONDON (Reuters) - Greenpeace says it has bought a piece of land on the proposed site of the Heathrow third runway in a bid to thwart the expansion plans.

Mail Online

• Alistair McGowan and Emma Thompson join protesters to buy a slice of Heathrow runway A coalition of MPs, celebrities, scientists and green campaigners has bought land earmarked for a third runway at Heathrow airport from under the noses of the Government.

Network Rail

• EAST MIDLANDS™ GREENEST STATION TO OPEN ON 26 JANUARY
• DISUSED GWUAN-CAE-GURWEN BRANCH LINE GETS READY FOR FREIGHTThe scheme to bring the disused Gwuan-Cae-Gurwen (GCG) railway line back into use as a working freight line has entered a vital stage with the line coming into operation, starting with test trains running today.

Transport Briefing

• Call to follow Woolwich DLR with Dagenham extensionLabour members of the London Assembly have called on Mayor Boris Johnson to ensure that the Docklands Light Railway link to Woolwich Arsenal is not the last DLR extension to be built.
• Penalty fares rise to £50 on buses, trains and tramsFare evaders using public transport in London face tough new sanctions with penalty fares on bus and rail services in the capital more than doubling.
• Network Rail hunts for £3bn Crossrail delivery partnerNetwork Rail has announced it is on the look out for a delivery partner to handle work worth £3bn on the overground sections of the Crossrail project.
• Guided busway opening date slips as weather closes inCambridgeshire's £116m guided busway is to miss its scheduled opening date after construction delays forced project chiefs to cancel plans to start running commercial services in April 2009.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales bus company under fire over disabled-unfriendly busesDISABILITY access groups have criticised a North Wales bus company for using unsuitable vehicles.
• MP’s sympathies with Holyhead portANGLESEY MP Albert Owen said while safety was paramount he sympathised with the port.

Liverpool Echo

• John Lennon airport growth ’is vital’THE government was today urged to back the expansion of Liverpool John Lennon airport or risk thousands of jobs.
• Jaguar Land Rover seeks bank advice on bail-outJAGUAR Land Rover (JLR) is reported to have appointed American bank Citigroup to advise it on talks with the government over financial aid.
• Jaguar Land Rover: United we standBUSINESS leaders in Liverpool and Birmingham today gave their backing for the ECHO’s Support Jaguar Land Rover campaign.

London Evening Standard

• New delays on West Coast line as floods hit servicesWEST Coast rail services out of Euston suffered yet more disruption today - this time because of flooding.
• Expansion would put Londoners' health at risk, says GLA reportA NEW study into the impact of a third runway at Heathrow has found it would put the health of thousands of Londoners seriously at risk, the Standard has learned.
• First Capital to cut ticket office staff at 28 stationsONE of London's biggest commuter rail companies is planning to cut ticket office staff in the evenings and weekends to save money.
• Despair of village doomed by bigger HeathrowRESIDENTS in a village that would be demolished to make way for a third Heathrow runway fear time has run out in their battle against the bulldozers.
• Runway decision could be shelvedA decision on a third runway for Heathrow could be put off again amid bitter Labour infighting.
• Green light will cost Labour seats across country, say MPsLabour MPs warned that giving the green light to a third runway at Heathrow would ruin the party's green credentials for decades and lead to the loss of swathes of seats at the next election
• Tory bid to block law on funding for CrossrailCrossrail has faced being delayed after the Conservatives sought to block vital legislation to fund the scheme

Newcastle Journal

• High-flying career provides a challenge for new airport bossIt's a testing time for airports as the economy dampens demand for foreign holidays, but Kerry Quinn, the boss of Durham Tees Valley Airport, believes exciting times lie ahead for the regions second airport, as she tells Peter McCusker.
• Transport operators 'to make plea for help'TWO of the regions largest transport operators will reportedly call on the Government for unprecedented help in the fight against the economic downturn at a meeting with transport secretary Geoff Hoon later this month.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• MP launches attack on rail ticket pricesTRAIN operators were under fire last night for leaving ticketing systems unfair and confusing despite sending fares soaring faster than the cost of living.
• Talks planned to defuse row over Forth Bridge funding Talks are to be held later this month aimed at resolving a funding row over the proposed new Forth Road Bridge, it emerged yesterday.

The York Press

• Big shake-up of city bus services BUS passengers across York are facing another major shake-up, with numerous services being re-routed or reduced.
• Crunch talks on cheap rail fares CHEAPER train fares between North and West Yorkshire are on their way, with an extension of the Metrocard discount travel system.

Bucks Free Press

• Chesham MP airs concerns over aircraft noise THE Chesham and Amersham MP has joined with other South Bucks representatives to ask for a meeting with the Transport Minister.
• £20 million "park-and-ride" scheme on the cardsWYCOMBE may be set to receive a £20 million œpark-and-ride scheme in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Doncaster Free Press

• New campaign for airport jobs BOSSES at Robin Hood Airport have backed a new campaign which could help create thousands of new aviation jobs in the region.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Flights to Norway startFlights have begun between Norwich International Airport and the Norwegian capital Oslo for the first time.
• Rail passengers urged to oppose ticket office cutsThe country's biggest railway workers union has launched a campaign aimed at reversing plans to cut ticket office opening times at a number of railway stations across Bedf

Sunderland Echo

• Newcastle to Oslo flights startWearsiders will be able to jet out to Scandinavia with the launch of a new airline service today.

International Herald Tribune

• A small showing by Chinese carmakers, but with big dreamsFor the first time, two Chinese carmakers, BYD and Brilliance Auto, are exhibiting this year on the main floor of the Detroit auto show.
• Honda unveils a cheaper challenger to Toyota's PriusThe Toyota Prius, which currently dominates the U.S. hybrid car market, will face its most serious challenger this year as Honda introduces the Insight hybrid.

Transport for London

• Mayor unveils DLR Woolwich Arsenal stationNew link vital to community and 2012 Olympics delivered ahead of schedule and well within budget.

Aviation Industry

• An Integrated Transport Management Plan,An Integrated Transport Management Plan, which will look at traffic, parking and cycling issues in the Ormskirk area, and a report on the future of adult social care are just two of the items that will be discussed at the next meeting of Lancashire Local West Lancashire on Wednesday 21 January.
• Oxfordjet’ Facility Enjoys Successful First Six MonthsOxford Airport, UK, is rounding off a successful half year since the opening of its new oxfordjet business aviation facility on July 17th with a debut appearance at this month’s NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference at Long Beach, California during January 13-16. Head of Customer Services David Surley and Customer Service Representative Diane Pashley will be highlighting the benefits of the UK’s newest business aviation centre at Stand No 832.
• Dempsey a furiousa about changes to Mannion contractTransport Minister Noel Dempsey is reportedly prepared to support the calling of an extraordinary general meeting of Aer Lingus shareholders to discuss changes made to the contract of chief executive Dermot ...
• Virgin Atlantic and bmi to expand codeshare (press release) Virgin Atlantic and bmi are to expand their existing codeshare agreement so that customers travelling on bmi's UK domestic and Middle East networks can benefit from seamless connections with Virgin Atlantic's North American services read more

Other News Sources

• Two industry awards for local bus operatorA CORNISH BUS company has scooped two of the most prestigious awards in the business.
• UK docks face crisis over business rate changesThe UK Government’s decision to assess the occupiers of commercial and industrial property separately for business rates within the 56 statutory docks of England and Wales will undoubtedly bankrupt some businesses, warns commercial property consultants, Lambert Smith Hampton. Worse still, perhaps, such a move could see many shipping companies switching their business to Zeebrugge or Rotterdam, finishing journeys by road or rail and so bypass British ports completely
• Babcock Says It’s Open to Offers for U.K.’s PD Ports Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group, an Australian investment fund, said it may consider a sale of PD Ports Plc, operator of Britain’s third-biggest container dock.
• Big guns line up as Heathrow enters End GameUnions and businesses back Heathrow expansion - 172,000 'jobs at risk'
• '65,000 jobs' hope for third runwayGiving the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow airport could create 65,000 jobs.
• Fears over planned bus service changesPLANS are under way to make major changes to bus services in north Kirklees.
• All aboard the Love BusA travel firm is set to play Cupid this Valentine’s Day offering a unique way for Wirral Romeos to pop the question on the most romantic day of the year.
• CHAMBER CHIEF SLAMS RAIL CHAOSNationally the chaos caused by electric overhead equipment breakdowns have cost UK businesses an estimated £38m.
• Runway decision could be shelvedA decision on a third runway for Heathrow could be put off again amid bitter Labour infighting.
• Heathrow operator and airline head push for 3rd runwayLondon's Heathrow airport would use extra capacity from a third runway to improve punctuality before increasing the number of flights, business leaders campaigning for expansion of the airport said on Monday.
• Future of aviation depends on Heathrow expansion, says BMIBMI claims the future of the aviation industry depends on the expansion of Heathrow airport. The airline, which second biggest airline at Heathrow...
• Heathrow hit by climate change protestHeathrow has been hit by climate change protests tonight as the government prepares to make a decision over a third runway.
• Real-time road monitorsResearchers are to develop new sensor systems for cars and trucks that will allow road and bridge infrastructure to be assessed in real-time.
• Boeing cuts backBoeing has announced that it will cut 4,500 jobs from its commercial jetliner manufacturing division in the second quarter of the year.
• Railway safety stays on trackA computer modelling program that may help prevent rail accidents by more accurately predicting vehicle behaviour is being developed by Manchester Metropolitan University and Phoenix Inspection Systems.
• Local companies encouraged to log on and Meet the BuyerA website designed to help companies from the eastern region generate potential new business has been launched by the Essex Chambers of Commerce and BAA Stansted...
• Iveco keeps sights set on 15% heavy market shareIveco aims to increase its market share in heavy trucks from 8% to 15% by 2011 under its current five-year growth plan.
• Leyland asks government to support truck marketLeyland Trucks has called on the government to give the UK's truck market the same kind of financial support as it gave the banks.
• MoD considers rail freight depot developmentThe Ministry of Defence is considering whether or not to open its rail depot near Bicester, Oxfordshire, to commercial freight.
• Be prepared for Driver CPC, says haulierA haulage boss has expressed concerns that
• Volvo launches 700hp FH16 flagshipVolvo has taken the wraps off the world's most powerful production truck, which boasts 700hp and 3,150Nm of torque.
• Oberstar Calls for $85 Billion in Transport and Public WorksChairman of the House™s Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Jim Oberstar plans to introduce what he calls, œthe largest transportation investment package since the creation of the Interstate Highway system in the 1950s.
• Labour back benches signal Heathrow third runway disquiet42 Labour back bench MPs have signalled that they oppose the building of a third runway at London's Heathrow airport, widely expected to be approved this week, citing environmental concerns.
• FLARE dropped from Crossrail shortlistThe FLARE consortium of Fluor, Arup and EC Harris has been dropped from the bidding process to become Delivery Partner to manage Corssrail.
• Celebs buy Heathrow expansion land
• Games spectators to benefit from new transport linkAn important north-south transport link that will be used by thousands of spectators during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has opened ahead of schedule today.
• Airport campaigners stage picnic protest Environmental protesters have gathered at Heathrow - for a picnic.
• Stotts Transport is bought by local rivalFricor, which owns Somerset temperature-controlled specialist Peter Green Haulage, has snapped up local rival Stotts Transport for an undisclosed sum.
• BA's 777-300ER acquisition does not rule out A350: Walsh British Airways is still considering the Airbus A350 XWB as part of its 'big twin' fleet evaluation, stressing that its Boeing 777-300ER acquisition is not...
• Air France-KLM confirms it will take 25% of Alitalia Air France-KLM has confirmed its selection as Italian flag-carrier Alitalia's strategic partner, and will take a 25% share in the airline through a €323...
• Toyota to launch 10 hybrids by 2015Toyota has announced plans to launch up to 10 hybrid cars by 2015, starting with the third generation Prius and the new HS250h Lexus Hybrid, both unveiled this week at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit. The 3G Prius is the first ever ’plug in’ model, and is being launched a year early. Toyota has [...]
• All jobs at Wincanton’s depot likely to be lost, union saysThe GMB union has confirmed that it now expects virtually all of the jobs at Wincanton’s Trafford Park distribution depot to be lost following the sale of the Swindon-based company’s chilled distribution division to Culina Logistics.
• Ryanair slams Aer Lingus "flip flops" O'Leary questions board's credibility read more

Other Subscription Services

• New vehicle carriers face lay-upSHIPOWNERS face the prospect of placing vehicle carrier newbuildings directly into lay-up as new car sales slump.