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

Tuesday, 20 January 2009

BBC News

• Is your journey really necessary?Have you been cutting back on the amount you spend on transport? Some people have.
• Rail jobs campaign is stepped upRail passengers will be asked to join opposition to plans by National Express East Anglia to cut 300 rail jobs.
• Runway demo at Stansted AirportAbout 50 environmental campaigners have been protesting against the building of a second runway at Stansted Airport.
• Eurotunnel reopening in FebruaryThe section of the Channel Tunnel hit by a fire will reopen in three weeks, Eurotunnel says.
• Work suspended at Jaguar factoryJaguar Land Rover says it is halting work at its car plant in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, for two weeks.

Financial Times

• Chrysler and Fiat in joint venture talksChrysler and Italy's Fiat are in talks over creating a joint venture that would give Chrysler the ability to build and sell Fiat cars in North America, according to people close to the matter
• Strike action hits new-look AlitaliaAlitalia, under new private ownership, was hit yesterday for the first time by strike action while facing mounting pressure from consumer associations over its...
• Move to take over Gatwick intensifies as BAA receives six indicative offersBAA received at least six indicative bids to acquire London Gatwick airport yesterday, as the process to take over the second-largest UK airport intensifies. Bidders...
• Thai Airways seeks government loans Thailand's flag carrier has been hit by last year's high fuel prices and political protests that besieged the country's busiest airports

The Guardian

• Jaguar Land Rover begins two-week shutdown in response to falling demandEfforts to persuade the government to help Britain's struggling car industry are intensifying amid further production cuts.Jaguar Land Rover's plant at Castle Bromwich, which employs around 2,000 people, began a two-week shutdown today “ having just restarted production after the Christmas break.JLR said halting production at the plant, which makes Jaguar XF, XJ and XK models, would help bring production in line with demand and facilitate changes before the introduction of new models launched at Detroit this month.Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said the news was

The Herald

• Key train services ’under threat’Train companies want to cut key services to increase profits at the expense of the wider economy, union leaders warned yesterday.

The Scotsman

• Air regulator backs call to sell off airportTHE independent regulator of the UK's aviation industry has backed a decision by the competition watchdog to force the sale of one of Scotland's busiest airports.

The Telegraph

• Former Invensys chief to be chairmain of Network RailMr Haythornthwaite will take over from Sir Ian McAllister, the former Ford UK boss, who has chaired the government-backed Network Rail since it took over from Railtrack in October 2002. Sir Ian said last October that he would step down after the annual meeting in July 2009.
• Airline passenger numbers continue to fall The number of flights fell last year to their lowest level since September 11.
• Eurostar services to return to normal Eurostar services will return to normal at the end of February after months of delays which followed last September's fire.

Times Online

• Minister tells French carmakers the price of a bailout will be keeping jobs at home French car companies will have to keep jobs in France if they are to benefit from a government bailout.
• Gatwick airport: middle child deserves attention Gatwick has always been the unloved middle child of London’s airports. Heathrow is larger, more profitable and better connected to the world’s leading cities. Stansted has been the fastest-growing airport in the region and is now the UK’s principal hub for low-cost airlines.
• Fiat and Chrysler discuss joint venture Fiat is in discussions with Chrysler over an industrial partnership that could lead to the Italian company taking a stake in the American group and marketing its compact cars in the United States.

Reuters News

• Ferrovial set to mull early bids for GatwickLONDON (Reuters) - Ferrovial, under pressure from regulators to sell London's Gatwick airport, has received indicative offers from bidders including the operators of London City, Budapest and Chicago Midway airports.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCES NEW DESIGNATE CHAIRMAN

Belfast Telegraph

• Bmi fights back in spat with Aer Lingus The gloves came off today in the row between bmi and Aer Lingus over market share on the lucrative Belfast to London Heathrow air corridor.

Birmingham Post

• Plans for a monorail between New Street and Birmingham airportRadical plans for a £280 million monorail service capable of whisking passengers from New Street Station to Birmingham International Airport in 16 minutes are being developed as an answer to the city’s reputation for traffic chaos.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Plans for direct Aberystwyth to London trainRAIL watchdogs have given plans to restore a direct service from Aberystwyth to London a cautious welcome.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Passengers hit as bus firms raise pricesBUS passengers in the Lothians saw costs go up at the weekend after operator First announced it was raising ticket prices.
• Robotic car park in gear to reopen as buyer is foundA HUGE city centre car park which has been sitting empty for five years is finally set to reopen after buyers were found.

Journal Live

• National Express train seat booking fee is a ’stealth tax’A PLAN by rail bosses to charge £1 for seat reservations was branded as a “stealth tax” last night.

London Evening Standard

• Fears for rail services in downturnA meeting between rail bosses and the Government is raising fears that train companies are looking to reduce services in the wake of the economic slowdown. Executives of the five largest public transport groups, Stagecoach, National Express, Go-Ahead, Arriva and FirstGroup, are meeting Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon, with the impact of the economic downturn believed to be on the agenda.
• Heathrow night flights could rise 30 per centPlans have been drawn up to add an extra 7,500 night flights a year over London once Heathrow's third runway is built
• Jaguar factory halts car productionWorkers at a factory which builds Jaguar cars started two weeks of non-production in another sign of the impact the economic downturn is having on British industry
• Campaigners protest against second runway at StanstedAround 50 protesters gathered to demonstrate against the creation of a second runway at Stansted Airport

The News (Portsmouth)

• More than 400 rail station staff to goFrontline staff are set to get the chop in job cuts planned by South West Trains.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• No stopping FirstGroup as it celebrates 20th anniversaryThe UK’s largest bus and rail operator marks its 20th anniversary today.
• New freight link will take thousands of lorries off A9A NEW rail freight interchange, which is expected to take thousands of lorries off the A9, will be formally opened next week by the Scottish Government’s transport minister.
• Call to sell off Scottish Water to pay for new bridgeSCOTTISH Water should be sold off to pay for the new Forth Road Bridge, ministers will be told today.
• New hopes of dualling key road in north-eastThere were fresh hopes last night that one of the north-east™s busiest commuter routes will become a dual carriageway, after Alex Salmond confirmed it is in line for a package of improvements.

Burnley Express

• Burnley-Manchester rail link to benefit from £400m. Government backing?A £400m. deal in Downing Street has ensured Burnley's big economic projects are given greater priority from national government.

Carlisle News & Star

• Reopening Keswick to Penrith railway will happen in one goThere is no value in re-opening the Keswick to Penrith railway line in stages, said the man behind the scheme this week.

Doncaster Free Press

• Airport extends consultation periodRobin Hood Airport has decided to extend the consultation period of its draft master plan in order to allow more individuals and organisations to feedback their views.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Campaigners lobby runway inquiry officialsAbout 50 people have gathered to protest against the creation of a second runway at Stansted Airport.
• Union to launch fight against rail job cutsA leading rail union is to launch a campaign aimed at reversing plans by National Express East Anglia to cut hundreds of jobs.

Reading Evening Post

• ’Don’t invest in third runway’, Tories warnA clear warning to industry not to invest money and energy in the proposed third runway at Heathrow has been issued by Tory leader David Cameron.

The Shields Gazette

• Expansion plans for airportA CALL to expand Newcastle Airport has been given cross-party support by all South Tyneside's political groups.

International Herald Tribune

• France weighs support programs for ailing automakersThe government was due to meet car industry representatives Tuesday and detail a plan to help in the face of a big drop in sales stemming from the economic crisis and credit restrictions.
• Fiat nearing a deal for stake in ChryslerThe Italian automaker may take a 35 percent stake in Chrysler, allowing Fiat to begin selling small cars in the United States.

Washington Post

• Fiat and Chrysler in partnership talks: source TURIN, Italy (Reuters) - Fiat SpA is in talks with Chrysler LLC over a possible stake in the struggling U.S. automaker, a source close to the Italian group said on Monday.
• Ford's Hybrid Chief Charges Forward DETROIT -- Hybrid cars are a tough sell these days. Low gas prices have made it easy for consumers to get back in their gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles. The cars remain pricey compared with their more traditional counterparts. And if someone were still tempted, the state of the current economy would probably scare them off.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Cactus Wins Signalling Contract for Haparandabanan Line Mölndal - Cactus has won a subcontract for supplying CTC systems according to European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) level 2 at Haparandabanan. The main contractor is Ansaldo STS Sweden. The contract includes development and adaptation to the specific conditions of the Swedish rail network according to the Swedish National Rail Administration - Banverket. This gives Cactus valuable opportunities as the Swedish rail network is progressively being upgraded to ERTMS. Haparandabanan is a railway line from Boden to the Finnish border that connects the Finnish and Ru...
• BHP Depends on Atlas Rail for Rapit Growth BHP is relying on Atlas Rail to streamline its operations on the BHP IO Rapid Growth Project 4. Atlas Rail will supply a fully automated wheel demount press, an automated wheel press and various brake testing machines for the ore car repair shop located in Port Hedland, Western Australia. The objectives of Rapid Growth Project 4 are to increase system capacity across BHP Billiton's Western Australian iron-ore operations to 155,000,000t/year. This includes the development of a new crushing and screening plant, as well as new stockyards, car dumping and train loading facilities at ...

Aviation Industry

• Assembly examines Mayor's emerging transport strategyThe London Assembly Transport Committee will tomorrow (20-1-09) examine the Mayor’s emerging priorities for the capital’s transport network.
• Three oil companies meet UK biofuels standardOnly a handful of companies have met the goals of the United Kingdom’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation as of the first half of the reporting year, according to the U.K.’s Renewable Fuels Agency. The Renewable Fuels Agency was established in 2007 when the RTFO order was enacted to administrate the legislation.
• A320 ditching reignites debate about training pilots for landing on waterDespite the success of the US Airlines Airbus A320 crew in ditching an aircraft in the Hudson river so skilfully that all passengers and crew escaped, the event has reignited debate about whether airline pilots should be specifically trained for it.
• LCAs Flight of Fancy - At the Cost Of Our Childrens EducationThe subject of noise from Royal Docks - London City Airport and Education is one that clearly needs addressing in light of the proximity of the airport and the scientific evidence which suggests that aircraft noise affects learning
• 43 'really good' new busesTrent barton has announced an order for 43 brand new buses, worth £6 million, for later in the year. The vehicles will feature their Best Impressions-designed 'cafe' interior. While trent barton has been affected by the current financial difficulties, they have identified that now, more than ever, the standard of service they offer is incredibly crucial.

Other News Sources

• Give our youngsters a better bus serviceFRESH calls have been issued for an improved bus service for young people in the north of the borough seeking a night out in Basingstoke. On Monday, Stagecoach South and Newbury Buses, who share the Newbury to Basingstoke service via Kingsclere, relaunched the service, now entitled The Link, with new double-decker easy-access buses.
• FREE BUS SCHEME HITS COUNCIL BUDGETA FREE bus travel scheme for the over-60s has bust the council budget once more.
• "Transport woes hit trade" - business chiefTRANSPORT links for businesses need ’drastic action’ according to Colin Daniels, chief executive of Warrington Chamber of Commerce.
• Court gives green light for Frankfurt’s fourth runwayA German court has given the green light for the construction of a fourth runway and a third terminal at Frankfurt airport. The runway was given approval in 2007 but the start of construction had been delayed by law suits from environmental groups and residents of local towns affected by the proposed runway
• MP Anne Main challenges airport expansion decisionTHE Tory MP for St Albans challenged the transport secretary's “over-optimistic greenwash” told to members of Parliament over the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
• Arriva bus depot closes after 80 yearsA RETIRED bus conductor has waved goodbye to transport’s golden era as a depot in East Cleveland closed its doors for the last time.
• Hike in rail fares from Yate to Bristol is slammedHIKES in rail fares from Yate Train Station into Bristol have been slammed as "irresponsible".
• Old rail line could soon be going livePASSENGERS on a long-neglected railway line could soon be travelling in better trains after transport chiefs announced plans to electrify it.
• Portable bike lane makes cycling saferAs all cyclists know too well, riding the city streets without a bike lane is a dangerous past time - especially at night. In the US, nearly two people a day are killed on the road in cycling accidents, whilst 43,000 cyclists are injured every year. With bike lanes costing up to £25,000 per mile to install, [...]
• EU nations pledge to 'coordinate' car industry rescueIndustry ministers from the 27 member states agreed on Friday (16 January) to coordinate national measures in support of their ailing car industries, amid warnings from the European Commission of
• Hertz to slash 4,000 jobs Car rental company cites fall in demand read more