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

Tuesday, 17 February 2009

BBC News

• Job cuts at Mini spark angry rowsAngry agency staff confront union officials at BMW's Mini Cowley plant, after the carmaker confirmed 850 job cuts.

Financial Times

• GM to set tougher targets for revampThe Detroit carmakers will unveil aggressive new restructuring targets as they seeks to convince US politicians they can survive the global industry's deepening downturn
• Two groups pull out of Gatwick bidTwo of the five consortia considering bids for UK's Gatwick airport have abandoned the process, but it is possible that some investors could switch groups in order to remain in the process

The Guardian

• Network Rail to recycle rubbish into sleepersMaterial from old car bumpers and plastic bottles will replace timber sleepers in trial on slower lines

The Telegraph

• 3i grounds bid for Gatwick airportA consortium headed by 3i's Infrastructure fund froze its interest in the process after baulking at the £2bn price tag believed to have been placed on Britain's second biggest airport.
• Airline crew held over 'cocaine haul' South African Airways crew arrested over drug smuggling in Heathrow.
• Sale of the century' for motorists as cars offered for half price amid recession Motorists looking to buy a new car are being urged to take advantage of a

Times Online

• New trains, old track [letter]Japanese bullet trains will operate on the mixed-traffic lines of our current rail network
• Chrysler and GM gear up to ask for bigger bailout General Motors and Chrysler are expected to tell the US Government today that they need a bigger bailout than the $17.4 billion (£12.1 billion) the ailing car companies were promised last December. The companies must submit updated restructuring plans to the Government today as part of their December 2 rescue agreement.
• 3i Infrastructure quits Gatwick bidding An investment fund run by 3i, Britain’s largest quoted private equity group, has pulled out of bidding for Gatwick airport amid speculation that it could not raise sufficient financing.

Reuters News

• 3i infrastructure group halts Gatwick bidThe source told Reuters the consortium was not prepared to match the asking price put up by Gatwick's Spanish owner Ferrovial (FER.MC), believed by analysts to be in the region of 2 billion pounds ($2.89 billion).

Network Rail

• PLASTIC FANTASTIC: RECYCLED SLEEPERS FROM HALIFAX SET TO ROLL OUT ACROSS THE NETWORK
• PLASTIC FANTASTIC: RECYCLED SLEEPERS SET TO ROLL OUT ACROSS THE NETWORK
• SECURING THE RAILWAY AT SYDNEY GARDENS - PUBLIC VIEWS WANTED The public has been invited to have their say on Network Rail™s proposals to beat railway crime at one of West Country™s top ten rail crime hotspots.

Transport Briefing

• Galliford Try checks in St Pancras Marriott contractBuilding services firm Galliford Try has landed a £103m contract to restore London's St Pancras Chambers and create 67 residential apartments, a £10m penthouse and a 244-bedroom five star Marriott Renaissance Hotel for St Pancras Chambers Investments, part of the Manhattan Loft Corporation.
• Bus suppliers sought to build Routemaster successorTransport for London has invited bus manufacturers and component suppliers to sign up to a new register of Service Providers from which companies will be selected to help build the next generation Routemaster bus.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Disabled cannot access half of Waless railway stationsLESS than half of railway stations in Wales offer wheelchair access to the platform and the train.

Derby Telegraph

• Unite supports Bombardier campaignUnite is backing our campaign, which is calling on the Department for Transport to award the £7.5bn Intercity Express Programme contract to Derby train-maker Bombardier.
• Cross-party support for campaign to win rail contract for city worksThe Change Track campaign, launched on Saturday, calls on the Government to change its mind and award a £7.5bn contract to Derby train-maker Bombardier.

Edinburgh Evening News

• 'Edinburgh Harbour' plan sparks campaign by outraged LeithersTHOUSANDS of Leithers have signed up to a campaign against plans to name a multi million-pound development in the port "Edinburgh Harbour".
• Road bridge paint job to cost £55 million in next 15 yearsMORE than £55 million is to be spent repainting the Forth Road Bridge over the next 15 years, it has been revealed.

Liverpool Echo

• Arriva brings in 199 busesMERSEYSIDE’S major bus operator Arriva will invest £28m in its routes by the end of the year, when 199 new buses will be on the road.

London Evening Standard

• Infrastructure group halts Gatwick bidA consortium comprising private equity group 3i's infrastructure arm and two Canadian pension schemes has pulled out of the bidding for London's Gatwick airport, a source briefed on the matter said today.
• Work to restore hotel at St Pancras station stalled for 18 monthsNo work has been done on the restoration of the Gothic masterpiece fronting St Pancras railway station for the past 18 months

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Inverness to focus on transportThe first city-wide forum involving all seven Inverness council wards will focus on transport strategy for the Highland capital.

The York Press

• Pocklington car parking fees ˜disaster™ claims A MAYOR today called for car parking charges that are being proposed for an East Yorkshire town to be scrapped, saying the effect on the local economy would be œdisastrous.

This Is Local London Network

• NORTH KENT: High-speed trains to London could be run during summerHIGH-SPEED trains due to begin taking passengers from north Kent to London from December could run trial services this summer.

Wales Online

• Council looks at bringing back trams to SwanseaTRAMS could once again become a common sight on the streets of Swansea, turning back the clock to the days of the famous Mumbles Railway.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• National Express in row over ticket office opening hoursANOTHER rail firm was embroiled in a row over ticket office opening hours today when union leaders complained that passengers were being "short- changed".

Blackpool Gazette

• Protesters win fight over airport homesPLANS for a low-cost housing development on land at Blackpool airport have been rejected.

C.N.N.

• Cisco Leads Mobile Experience Transformation as Service Providers Evolve Toward a 4G Mobile InternetMobility Is Fastest Growing Internet Protocol Segment for Service Providers as Broadband and Video Drive Growth

Forbes

• America's Rip-Off Airports Travelers looking to keep costs low might avoid these pricey spots.
• Who's Driving Detroit? Not a ''car czar,'' but a task force.

International Herald Tribune

• End of a road in DetroitThe resolve of Detroit's white-collar workers has given way to grim resignation as General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler have announced more and more job cuts.
• GM pushes UAW on retiree health careWith its access to a government lifeline in the balance, GM was locked in intense negotiations on Monday with leaders of the United Automobile Workers union.
• Obama gains Republican support from governorsRepublican governors have become allies with President Barack Obama, as others in the party have spurned him.

Wall Street Journal

• Don't Believe the Stimulus ScaremongersAmericans are losing faith in the fairness and wisdom of economic policy.

Washington Post

• GM, Chrysler Finalize Plans To Restructure General Motors and Chrysler raced to save their place in the American auto industry yesterday, putting the final touches on plans to curb production, cut jobs and pare brands in hopes of securing billions of dollars in additional federal aid.

Railnews

• News: CBI forecast could mean 2.6% cut in regulated fares THE serious impact on passenger train operating companies of the continuing economic downturn has been highlighted by the latest — and gloomy — economic forecast by the Confederation of British Industry.

Transport for London

• London's new bus moves a step closer as TfL invites manufacturers to express an interestA notice has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) inviting bus manufacturers to express an interest in developing and building a new bus for London, based on the iconic Routemaster.

Aviation Industry

• Do you really need a car?As general living expenses continue to move higher and higher many people are now looking towards their car and wondering if they actually need this expensive piece of machinery as part of their everyday life.
• Return of New Bus GrantIn something that might be akin to the bus grant of the 1970s, the European Investment Bank is understood to be developing a financing package that will fund up to 75 per cent of costs to help cities improve their energy efficiency and buy cleaner, hydrogen fuel cell or hybrid bus fleets.
• NWA Peanuts Prompt ProtestsThe return of peanuts to the snack menu at Northwest Airlines this month has prompted a spasm of protests from travelers with allergies.

Other News Sources

• ommuters say service is getting worseThe initiative was warmly welcomed last night by commuter Tim Moss, of Brome, near Eye.
• Campaign to end 3rd class rail serviceThe government was urged last night to end Norfolk's third class rail service and give it new high speed trains like those which will soon serve other parts of the country.
• £6.4 million investment in Liverpool’s public transport networkLiverpool’s public transport network is set to benefit from an investment of over £6 million from the Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funding is being allocated for six projects, to be taken forward by Merseytravel, which aim to improve the provision and accessibility of public transport into the city centre. The projects include:
• Stagecoach spends £13m on Manchester fleetStagecoach Manchester, a subsidiary of Perth-based transport giant Stagecoach Group, is to add another 88 buses to its Manchester-based fleet this year — in addition to the £15m spent on 100 new buses last year.
• DEAL FOR CARLISLE AIRPORT COULD BE SEALED WITHIN DAYSThe Stobart Group is ready to complete the deal to buy Carlisle Airport and begin its long-awaited development in the next few days, the News & Star understands.
• Spokeswomen promote town cycling initiativeTEENAGE girls helped to launch a bicycle sharing scheme based on a continental model at the weekend.
• Daylight Saving Time, Cycle Paths to Spur 'Green Growth'Korea will introduce daylight saving time, probably next year, and a network of bicycle roads connecting all parts of the country, the Presidential Committee on Green Growth said Monday.
• Cycle route will be completedBrighton and Hove City Council is to close the last cycling gap along the coast by building a lane between Brighton Pier and marina
• Cycle and path network a step closerA network of cycle and footpaths linking Norwich to the broad on its doorstep has come a step closer after a route was chosen.
• Row over Lowestoft station move planA controversial idea to move Lowestoft's railway station about a quarter of a mile away from the town centre has sparked another heated debate.
• Global aviation under pressure to deliver climate dealA group of four airlines worried that high-level climate change talks will end without any credible global deal have formed a new pressure group to speed progress by the world's airlines.
• Plan revealed to borrow trams from Germany for Croydon networkTramlink bosses want to bring in trams from Germany to ease overcrowding on the network. With Croydon's 24 trams struggling to cope with ever-greater demand the city of Cologne has been approached in the hope it can offer short-term help.
• Anger over tram markingsRESIDENTS have accused planners behind the proposed extension to Nottingham's tram network of "riding roughshod" over their wishes.
• BAA May Fail to Match Gatwick Estimate as Bids Fade BAA Ltd., the world’s biggest airport operator, is struggling to raise the 2 billion pounds ($2.9 billion) it’s seeking for London’s Gatwick terminal as the number of bidders dwindles and financing dries up.
• Stimulus funds could fuel fast trains in Anaheim {CA, USA]Anaheim's two high-speed rail projects could get a funding boost if President Barack Obama signs the $787 billion stimulus package Tuesday.
• Get home at 104.5mphA two-hour train service linking London and Preston begins on Monday.
• Rail Watchdog Backs Objections To Ticket Office Cuts In Welwyn HatfieldAN independent watchdog has opposed "without hesitation" plans to cut ticket office opening hours at railway stations across Times Territory.
• National Express in row over ticket office opening hoursPlans to axe 100 hours of ticket office opening hours at East Coast Main Line stations, including York, Doncaster and Wakefield have been condemned.
• Museum to host UK's newest locomotiveBritain's first locomotive to be built in 50 years is going on show at the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York for the next two months.
• State Leaders Consider Combining Two Transportation OrganizationsState leaders are considering a plan that would combine the State Road and Tollway Authority and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority into a new entity. It would create long and short-term st...
• Public comment sought on transportation projectsThe North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority is seeking public comment on a list of transportation projects to be funded in the 13-county North Jersey region, which includes Bergen and Passaic c...
• Stimulus means $4.2M for transportation in KC areaJohnson County will get an estimated $2.5 million and Wyandotte County an estimated $1.7 million for transportation projects from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which Congress pas...
• Train set for deliveryAlstom Transport was recently awarded €170m (£153m) to supply the State of Victoria in southeast Australia with 20 additional X™Trapolis suburban trains for Melbourne™s metropolitan rail network.
• Network Rail bridge liftA bridge is replaced along the up and down main lines on the Liverpool to Manchester line over Wargrave Road, near Earlestown, Merseyside.The 9m single span bridge has three riveted plate main girders, cross girders, and rail bearers. The rail bearers are supported on the bottom flanges of the cross girders, with the deck plates forming a trough containing ballast.The wing walls, abutments and pilasters are constructed from masonry brickwork. Work consisted of the removal of the existing deck and reconstructing the deck with a
• Airmiles defends closure of dormant accountsAirmiles is risking angering customers of the loyalty scheme with a plan to close the accounts of dormant collectors who do not add to their Airmiles in the next six months.
• Hargreaves Transport boss outlines plansThe new boss of Hargreaves Transport says he wants to change the perception that the company operates predominantly in the North-East.
• Why ship pollution still crucialSHIPPING was warned this morning to keep its eye on pollution issues even at a time that global business is fixated on the financial squeeze.
• CMA CGM to bypass Panama CanalFRANCE'S CMA CGM plans to reroute its Asia/Mexico/Caribbean PEX2 service and bypass the waterway on the homebound leg of the service via the Cape of Good Hope.
• Pan United profits surgeSINGAPORE listed Pan United Corp with interests in building materials, shipping and ports has achieved a 51% increaser in net profit for FY2008.
• Hong Kong volumes plungeHONG Kong container volumes have registered a sharp decline in January as the economic downturn shrunk exports through Asia-Pacific ports.
• Should you walk or wait if your bus is late?There’s nothing more annoying than waiting so long for a bus that you could have walked to your destination. Equally frustrating is to start walking because you’re fed up waiting, only to be passed by your bus two minutes later. In an effort to minimise these annoyances, three US students have come up with the ’bus-wait formula’ [...]
• Commission wants clarity over aid to Spanish carmakersEuropean Commission investigates if support for Spanish car industry complies with EU rules.
• UK Coalition Supports Labelling Tyres for Quieter, More Fuel Efficient TransportLetter to EU Committee highlights need for labelling for quieter tyres.

Other Subscription Services

• Stagecoach Group publishes new Corporate Social Responsibility ReportStagecoach Group's commitment to sustainable business, enhancing local communities and helping meet the global challenge of climate change is outlined in a new publication.
• Suez January transits fall to five-year lowOPERATORS opt for voyages round the Cape of Good Hope to save on dues and avoid the risk of Somalian pirates.