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

Wednesday, 21 January 2009

BBC News

• Freight service to cut congestionThe company behind a new rail freight service from Inverness to Grangemouth claims it will cut 13,000 lorry journeys a year on the busy A9 route.
• Union fears rail cutbacks [Audio - Today Programme]Rail unions are worried that train companies will start cutting services as the recession starts to bite. National Express has already announced that it is to cut 300 jobs. Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, discusses his fears over the future of the transport network.
• Founder's grandson to run Toyota Toyota picks the grandson of the company's founder to be its new president as the carmaker braces for a tough year.
• France mulls more car sector helpFrance is considering providing car firms with up to 6bn euros in additional state aid, a french news agency reports.
• Fiat and Chrysler create allianceItalian carmaker Fiat signs a global strategic alliance with Chrysler, taking a 35% share in the troubled US giant.

Department for Transport

• Uninsured drivers left with nowhere to hide by new crackdown Tough new powers to tackle the selfish minority of uninsured drivers who cost law-abiding motorists £400m each year were set out by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick today.

The Guardian

• Mitsubishi unveils first mass-market electric car from a major car makerThe i-MiEV has a top speed of 87mph, can be 80% charged in 20 minutes and has a good range — as long as the headlights, heater and radio aren't on at the same time, writes Alok Jha
• Railway firms ask Hoon for state aid as years of growth hit the buffersBritain's train operators face a "potentially devastating" blow from the economic downturn and need government assistance to stave off disaster, public transport chiefs warned ministers yesterday.

The Herald

• Fiat goes to the aid of ChryslerItaly’s Fiat took a 35% stake in Chrysler yesterday, launching a venture designed to secure the beleaguered US carmaker’s future.
• Rail freight service on track to cut A9 lorry journeysMORE than 13,000 lorry journeys on the A9 will be saved each year, according to the company behind a new rail freight service between Grangemouth and Inverness.

The Independent

• Uninsured cars face scrapyard crushers A estimated two million uninsured motorists face having their vehicles confiscated and crushed even if they are not caught driving them, under government plans announced today.
• Rail passengers face cut in services as recession bites Rail passengers face cuts to services and higher prices after talks between the Government and rail chiefs over the prospect of the first fall in passenger numbers for 15 years.

The Scotsman

• Hard-shoulder plan 'short-term fix'The Government's recent motorway plans are "short-term and inadequate" in dealing with the overall problem of road congestion, an RAC Foundation chief has said.

The Telegraph

• Rick Haythornthwaite, the former chief executive of Invensys and Blue Circle, is to be the new chairman of Network Rail, the owner of Britain's tracks, signals and stations.Mr 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.
• French car industry to get €6bn bail-outFrancois Fillon, the French Prime Minister, said the state would provide "massive" support to Renault, Peugeot and Citroën and hundreds of suppliers and distributors struggling against a collapse in demand for new cars and tightening credit markets.
• Rail cuts threat because of recessionRail companies are ready to take drastic measures if demand falls dramatically over the coming year.

Times Online

• Fiat takes 35 per cent stake in Chrysler Fiat, the Italian vehicle manufacturer, confirmed today that it will take a 35 per cent in Chrysler forming a partnership aimed at securing the troubled US carmaker’s future.

Daily Record

• Exclusive: Fears that swan flock could cause disaster at Glasgow AirportAIRPORT bosses fear roosting birds could cause a catastrophic plane crash similar to last week's near-disaster in New York.

Mail Online

• Switching off street lamps 'could triple road deaths' Turning off street lights to cut town hall bills and fight climate change could triple the number of fatal road accidents, a study suggests.
• Commuter MPs attack rail fare price hikes as a 'stealth tax' Angry Conservative MPs from commuter belt towns have lined up to attack the Government and train operators over above-inflation rises in the cost of rail tickets.
• Uninsured motorists risk a £1,000 fine and losing their car... even if they don't drive it Uninsured drivers will face a £100 fixed penalty fine and could see their car crushed under government plans to make it an offence to keep an uninsured car.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL™S LIVERPOOL STREET STATION TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN NEW TV COMMERCIAL FOR T-MOBILE

Transport Briefing

• DfT gets ready for High Speed 3, HS4, HS5 and HS6Aspirations to build five new high speed rail lines in Britain have been revealed with the Department for Transport setting up separate holding companies to manage development activities for the multi-billion pound projects.
• Shuttle bus deal gives new station airport connectionEast Midlands Airport is to lay on a dedicated shuttle bus to operate between the new East Midlands Parkway station and the Airport from 26 January – the station’s opening day.
• Metrolink tram depot site clearance works completedEngineers have finished clearing the site for a new tram depot in Old Trafford, ahead of the first of a fleet of new trams being delivered in the summer.
• Croxley rail extension nominated by regional assemblyThe extension of the London Underground Metropolitan line to Watford Junction station inched a step forward this week.
• Mayor splits TfL deputy chair responsibilities in twoA Conservative councillor from west London, a digital publishing expert and a finance expert based at Canary Wharf have been given new roles on Transport for London's Board by Mayor of London and TfL chair Boris Johnson.
• Alstom shrugs off downturn with solid order bookRolling stock manufacturer Alstom has posted third quarter results showing an 11% rise in sales year on year.
• Network Rail picks ex-Invensys chief as chairmanNetwork Rail has chosen Rick Haythornthwaite to be the company's new chairman.
• Eurostar ups trains following tunnel fire damage repairsEurostar, the cross-Channel passenger train operator, is to restore a full timetable and normal train running speeds on Monday 23 February.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram bosses put off laying first piece of track for three monthsTRAM bosses today admitted they have postponed the laying of the first piece of track in the £512m project for at least three months.

London Evening Standard

• Stagecoach says 4.89 pct stake is loan collateralBritish transport company Stagecoach said chief executive Brian Souter and non-executive director Ann Gloag have used shares equivalent to a 4.89 pct stake in the group as collateral for personal loans.
• IDS attacks rail firms over station deathFORMER Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith criticised rail companies today for failing to do enough to avoid fatalities and injuries at their stations.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Road upgrade will mean over 500 construction jobs MORE than 500 construction jobs will be created by the £320million upgrade of one of Scotland™s major roads, the Scottish Government said yesterday.

The York Press

• Work starts on new cycle path CYCLISTS in York are to see their pedal-powered travel given a boost with the creation of a new route for bikes in the city.
• Use bus to beat queues at York Hospital PATIENTS and visitors should be able to use Park&Ride buses to get to York Hospital, to ease parking problems at the site, local councillors said today.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• £7m action at A64 bottleneckTHE HIGHWAYS Agency is to spend more than £15.1m on improvements to the busy A64 Leeds to Scarborough road.

Burnley Express

• MP calls on bus company to rethink fare riseBURNLEY MP Kitty Ussher has called on Burnley and Pendle bus company to rethink its fare rises that have hit children's fares the hardest.

West Sussex Gazette

• Car park fees hike bid opposedCAR park users in Mid Sussex are furious about plans for massive increases to charges in Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill.
• Rail revolt as trains dump passengersTRAIN passengers using the Arun Valley line are being regularly dumped at Horsham so that a late-running train can be run fast to Barnham and make up time, a West Chiltington

International Herald Tribune

• Fiat alliance gives Chrysler another lifelineFiat said it would take a 35 percent stake in Chrysler, giving it the ability to market its cars through Chrysler's dealership network. Chrysler will have access to Fiat's technology.

Washington Post

• Chrysler And Fiat Strike an Alliance The ailing Chrysler yesterday agreed to give Fiat a 35 percent stake in the company in return for access to the Italian automaker's line of small cars and international sales network.

Railnews

• News: Despite full order book, Bombardier lays off 77 workers BRITAIN’S only remaining train builder, Bombardier Transportation, has been forced to lay off 77 workers at its Derby factory — despite having a full order book — because some of its suppliers have had credit facilities withdrawn by their banks.

Transport for London

• Mayor strengthens Transport for London Board This press release was originally issued by the press office at the Greater London Authority.

Aviation Industry

• London Commuters Will Suffer If Train Jobs Are Cut, Union Says London train commuters will face poorer service and fewer seats if rail companies carry out plans to cut 800 jobs, said Bob Crow, the leader of Britain’s largest rail labor union.
• British Transport Police Selects MetaCarta to provide Location-Based Situational Awareness for 2012 OlympicsCAMBRIDGE, MA and LONDON - MetaCarta, Inc., the leading provider of geographic search and referencing solutions, has partnered with the British Transport Police (BTP) to help provide situational awareness for the 2012 Olympics.
• UK transport firm to help ease traffic woesQATAR’S roads and traffic are set to benefit from the world’s latest technology as the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) announced yesterday it will establish a centre at the Qatar Science & Technology Park.
• New hoppers to increase rail transportation to over 10% for CEMEX UKNew state-of-the-art rail hopper wagons are now transporting aggregates on behalf of CEMEX UK, building materials provider, increasing its rail transportation to over 10% of all transport.
• Alexander warns of 'poor climate deal' dangerThe British government will produce a White Paper this year on international development in the current economic climate that will outline its “response to the global challenge of securing our common future”.
• Heathrow™s Airside Operations Unit Get SmartHeathrow™s Airside Operations Safety Unit (AOSU) has become the world™s first to install Smart Arrow boards to assist the safe evacuation of people in an emergency...
• Congested Airspace ManagementConfronting the challenges of managing crowded airspace, nuclear energy and safeguarding oil and gas assets
• "NEW" Alitalia, Workers Strike, Flights CancelledAlitalia cancelled 22 flights on Monday due to a strike, the first since the airline was restructured and relaunched last week under a new network and private ownership.
• Cost of borrowing for Airlines SoarLike consumers and homeowners, American corporations binged on easy credit when times were flush, racking up huge debts.

Other News Sources

• Fears of recession rail axeTRANSPORT Secretary Geoff Hoon is meeting rail operating companies today amid fears that massive cuts to services are being proposed in response to the recession.
• More passengers leads to £2m bus cashSIX new buses have been bought for the service between High Wycombe and Aylesbury thanks to a boost in passenger numbers.
• £2m investment for buses in AylesburyA £2 million investment in new buses for Aylesbury has been unveiled by Arriva and Bucks County Council
• Thrown off bus for paying with £5 noteThis week, and on numerous occasions in the past, she has stepped onto the bus and offered the driver a £5 note for the cost of the journey, which he has refused to accept because he had no change.
• Hard-shoulder plan 'short-term fix'The Government's recent motorway plans are "short-term and inadequate" in dealing with the overall problem of road congestion, an RAC Foundation chief has said.
• StARS attractionA project aimed at producing the second-generation of starter alternator reversible systems (StARS) could help boost Europe™s carbon reduction efforts by cutting emissions and fuel use in cars.
• Electric driveAston University and North Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust are piloting an exclusive electric car trial to help cut carbon emissions .
• Jim's Blog - What's next for High Speed 2?Jim Steer has led the campaign for new high speed rail lines in the UK as founder of Greenguage21. Private sector expertise is what is needed next, he says.
• Tubular Trials Norway is building its first immersed tube tunnel in Oslo, as part of a plan to regenerate the city’s docks.
• Stobart opens extended Tesco rail freight serviceStobart Rail today opens its new six-day-a-week Grangemouth-Inverness rail freight service, which it is operating for Tesco.
• Stobart set to close Larkhall siteStobart Group is planning toclose another of the sites it acquired when it bought the chilled operations of Innovate Logistics out of administration last July.
• Law Distribution buys JH Davies Haulage assetsHaydock-based Law Distribution has taken on 14 drivers and three office staff from JH Davies Haulage after buying the assets of the company from the administrator.
• 'New Panamax' definedRESPONDING to shipping queries on maximum vessel size for the future locks, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has issued precise details on dimensions for the next era of Panamax ships.
• Commission under fire over green road chargingAmid accusations of failure to provide adequate trade-offs for the road freight industry, a European Commission proposal to charge trucks for the environmental damage they cause is attracting fierce criticism from politicians and industry.  
• County says ˜no™ to Third Runway and demands answers to concerns about potential impact of new rail ˜hub™?Buckinghamshire County says ˜no™ to Third Runway and demands answers to concerns about potential impact of new rail ˜hub™

Other Subscription Services

• SeaFrance tight-lipped on job cutsFRENCH Dover Strait ferry operator SeaFrance has declined to comment on reports it plans to axe 300 jobs.