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

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

BBC News

• Staff return 'see-through' shirtsThe outfits were "simply too thin and too cheap", making them virtually "see-through", the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) has claimed
• Town wants train station returnedWith 500 new homes planned in St Clears, Carmarthenshire, campaigners say they need their train station back.
• Delays following rail vandalismMore than 100 trains were delayed after signalling cables were stolen in the West Midlands.
• Rail group fights train decisionA rail group has vowed to save British jobs by fighting the government's decision to hand a £7.5bn contract for trains to a Japanese firm. The Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum has said it planned to lobby ministers.
• Transport failings 'hit business'The UK transport network is unreliable, congested and damaging business competitiveness, says the Confederation of British Industry.
• Chrysler and GM seek further aidTroubled US carmaking giants Chrysler and GM seek $21bn as they submit survival plans to the US government.

Financial Times

• US automakers to seek $21.6bn in fundsGeneral Motors and Chrysler present long-awaited plans to return to viability, but said they would need up to $21.6bn more in federal funds between them to carry them out
• One-way trade at busy port highlights depth of problemsFrom one large cargo ship, stevedores unload 50kg bags of Vietnamese rice. At another, clouds of dust rise as grain is offloaded into a truck, while nearby a ferry...
• Sainsbury deal boosts CAPClean Air Power continued its recent good run after the Aim-listed company, which makes equipment that enables trucks to run on a mixture of liquefied natural...
• Jarvis warns on profits after Network Rail delayThe government-owned rail track operator's decision to defer track renewal work for 2009/10 has hit hard the maintenance group
• Watchdog to screen Gatwick biddersGroups seeking to acquire the London airport will face the Competition Commission to ensure that they meet key criteria such as independence and sufficiency of funding

The Guardian

• Chrysler and GM plead for $39bn aidThe troubled carmakers General Motors and Chrysler pleaded for billions more ­dollars from the US government last night as they promised to axe further jobs, factor­ies and marques in a desperate struggle for financial survival.Meeting a deadline to provide

The Independent

• Climate change protesters chained to airport entrance Environmental activists chained themselves to the main entrance of a regional airport today in a protest against airport expansion around the country.

The Scotsman

• Can PR blitz stop chaos as Princes Street closed?TRANSPORT chiefs in Edinburgh last night unveiled details of the publicity blitz they hope will avert chaos when Princes Street is completely closed off from this weekend to make way for major tram works.
• Festival cavalcade to face axe after shops outline tram worriesIT has been the colourful opening fixture in the Capital's festival season for decades.

Press Association

• Railway staff send back blousesWomen railway workers have been getting shirty over new uniforms by refusing to wear blouses because they claimed they were too see-through.

Transport Briefing

• Rail cycle hire scheme launched at Waterloo stationSouth West Trains has launched what it claims is the UK rail network's first green cycle hire initiative.
• Pilot rail scheme tests recycled plastic sleepersNetwork Rail is to trial plastic sleepers made from recycled rubbish when replacing sections of railway track.
• South Essex Rapid Transit bus consultation plannedThurrock Council is to begin a public consultation into building a busway network in south Essex.
• Tram lease and double track plan hatched by TfLTransport for London has approached operators of light rail systems in Continental European cities in a bid to hire in extra trams to relieve overcrowding on the Croydon Tramlink network.

Birmingham Post

• New Street planners want more than 250 compulsory purchase ordersThe £600million regeneration of New Street Station is vital to the economic prosperity and success of the West Midlands, a public inquiry heard.

Bolton News

• Hoon is dodging the issue, say Bolton commutersTRANSPORT Secretary Geoff Hoon today answers the questions from The Bolton News readers. (see questions under 'Bolton News' section header) Earlier this month, we sent our dossier to the minister in the hope of addressing the problems faced by hundreds of commuters in Bolton every morning. But despite spending almost two weeks answering them, readers say they feel short-changed by Mr Hoon’s responses.
• Transport Secretary answers your questions [Bolton]1. Why aren’t more carriages added at busy times? 2. One of the reasons given as to why there could not be extra carriages added to trains was that some stations do not have platforms long enough to cope. Why then do the trains not make a double stop at the station?

Daily Post (North Wales)

• New traffic officers could tackle A55 queuesNEW dedicated traffic officers should be deployed to cut the congestion caused by crashes and roadworks on the A55, a report by AMs says today.

Derby Telegraph

• Rams back our campaign to seal train deal for BombardierTHE name emblazoned across Derby County's shirts this season shows that city train-maker Bombardier is a keen supporter of the wider community. So the Rams are now returning the favour by pledging their support to the Evening Telegraph's Change Track campaign.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Bus firm follows a new route for selling off its old vehiclesPeople in Edinburgh are being offered the chance to make like Cliff Richard in the iconic 1963 film and own a double-decker of their own – for as little as £2000.

Liverpool Post

• Analysts fear rail sector may be next major recession victimAs the crunch bites deeper, analysts fear the rail industry could soon be hit. Tony McDonough reports

London Evening Standard

• Stations can be frightening late at night, admits ministerA TRANSPORT minister today admitted that waiting for a train late at night in London in a poorly lit and unmanned stations can be a "frightening experience".
• Rail staff refuse to wear 'see-through' blousesRAIL bosses have been forced to scrap new blouses for female train staff after they were found to be see-through.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Seven arrested at Hampshire airport protestSeven people have been arrested in a protest against expansion plans at Southampton International Airport, police have said.
• Railway film show to mark arrival of steamCelebrations to mark the arrival of the railways and first steam train in Petersfield 150 years ago are well on track.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Transport bosses perform laybys U-turnTRANSPORT bosses have done a U-turn and agreed to provide laybys so drivers can stop and admire the view on a new section of one of the most scenic roads in the Highlands.

The York Press

• York Station ticket office opening hours to be reducedTHE opening hours of the ticket office at York Station are to be reduced along with 11 other East Coast mainline stations, it has been claimed.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds women in see through blouse rowWomen railway workers have been getting shirty over new uniforms by refusing to wear blouses because they claimed they were too see-through, it was revealed today.

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool Airport low-cost housing scheme rejectedPLANS for a low-cost housing development on land at Blackpool airport have been rejected.

Doncaster Free Press

• 300,000 fly from airport to PolandMORE than 300,000 passengers have whizzed from Doncaster's Robin Hood Airport to Poland.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Chance to adopt a railway stationVolunteers are being asked to adopt a railway station and become its the eyes and ears.
• Date for launch of new Corby rail service confirmedEast Midlands Trains has announced the first new train out of Corby will leave the town's new station at 6.37am on Monday.

Forbes

• Loans Can't Bridge Detroit Disconnect Unless demand for cars can be revived, it may not matter how much fat GM and Chrysler cut.

Wall Street Journal

• Obama Signs Stimulus PackageObama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus into law with the aim of pumping money into infrastructure projects, health care and renewable energy.

Washington Post

• Where Wall Street, Detroit Intersect The Detroit autoworker and the Wall Street investment banker live in totally different economic realities -- or so it seems to just about everyone.
• How Auto Restructuring Will Affect Consumers General Motors and Chrysler delivered their plans for survival yesterday to the White House in order to receive billions of dollars in loans. Here are some answers to questions about how their restructuring could affect what's in your garage.
• GM, Chrysler seek nearly $22 billion more U.S. loans DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC requested nearly $22 billion in additional U.S. government loans and said they had reached tentative deals with the United Auto Workers union to reduce labor costs.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Sainsbury's expands use of methane in lorriesSainsbury's is set to expand its use of dual fuel installations on its vehicles.Clean Air Power has revealed that the supermarket has placed an order for five more lorries to be fitted with the Genesis system.It adds to the one already installed on a Sainsbury's Mercedes-Benz Axor Euro 3 vehicle and emissions from the lorries are set to be cut by 30 per cent as a result.The system allows around half of the diesel required to be substituted with methane that has been produced from landfill.Logistics operations support manager at Sainsbury's Gary King said the firm is "keen to continue ...

Aviation Industry

• Regional daily's bid to force government u-turnA regional daily newspaper is launching a bid to force the government to change its mind over the award of a multi-billion pound train-making contract to the Japanese.
• Russian air traffic falls 20% Fears of industry crisis grow read more

Other News Sources

• Baghill is a better option [letter]I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree that a London rail link is necessary for Pontefract's future prosperity. I disagree vehemently with the proposed link's station location and indeed the route itself.
• High-speed rail gets big boost from stimulus planThe $787 billion economic stimulus bill President Obama is due to sign this afternoon "dedicates $8 billion to high-speed rail, most of which was added in the final closed-door bargaining at the instigation of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel,
• Ameriprise takes Stobart stakeAmeriprise Financial Inc, the Minneapolis-based financial advisor, has acquired a 7.1 per cent stake in Warrington-based logistics firm Stobart Group Ltd (LSE: STOB).
• Government’s train contract decision will badly affect Crewe, MP says... UNITE union representative Mick Roberts said: “The spin-off for Crewe will be some years down stream but it’s bad news for Bombardier. If Bombardier had built this train then there would have been a 20-year and maybe even more train servicing and maintenance package and that’s where Crewe is affected.”
• Blow For Crewe's Rail IndustryCREWE'S rail works suffered a blow this week when it emerged that Japanese firm Hitachi is to be awarded the contract to re-equip the inter city east coast and Great Western lines with rolling stock. The decision comes as a bitter disappointment to workers at Crewe's Bombardier site, who would have serviced the trains in the future had they been built by Bombardier in the UK. Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson challenged Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon on the issue on the House of Commons.
• Councils decide to support airport expansion schemeA HUGE expansion of Southend Airport, creating more than 7,000 new jobs in the next ten years, has been backed by councillors. The Stobart Group, which took over the running of the airport in December, has said it wants to extend the runway .
• New trains will boost Norfolk's economyNorfolk's economy is set for a major boost with the new generation of high speed trains set to start running between the county and London, it emerged today.
• Abingdon schools unite in campaign for safer cycle and pedestrian routes in the townAll six of the town’s state-run and independent secondary schools and Abingdon and Witney College have called for Oxfordshire County Council to carry out a review of the town’s paths and cycleways.
• Stansted Express signs up to Visitor Oyster Card scheme Under a deal announced today, visitors to the capital will able to buy a card pre-loaded with £10 when they purchase their train tickets at Stansted, allowing direct access to the Tube and bus network as soon as they arrive in London.
• Rail line is suffering ’death by 1,000 cuts’The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said National Express planned to axe 100 hours of ticket office opening times on the line.
• BA helps to find new Great BritonsLondon 2012 partner British Airways has launched a £500,000 fund to help talented young people achieve their dreams.
• Driver Hire wins business with £5 incentiveDriver Hire has gained more business by offering operators a cash-saving incentive to use drivers that have undergone its fuel-efficient driving (FED) training.
• Obama More Positive Than Bush At Climate TalksOfficials from 22 counties including the US, India and China and the EU met, last week, in Tokyo. They were preparing for the Copenhagen meeting in December which will ratify changes to the international treaty on the climate, after Kyoto. The meeting in Copenhagen is intended to fix commitments to reduce carbon emissions during the [...]
• Parliament to back tighter rules on tankersBid to toughen sanctions on ship-owners expected to "sail through" Parliamentary committee.
• Spain given deadline to explain support for carmakersCommission sends letter to Spanish government requesting more information on a €4bn support scheme.

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