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

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

BBC News

• Railway recovery is back on trackThe new owner of a trouble-hit County Durham steam railway has opened up a 10-mile stretch of track.
• Honda to replace chief executiveHonda chief executive Takeo Fukui is to step down from his position at the head of Japan's second-biggest carmaker.
• Criticism for train company [video]East Midlands Trains has come bottom in a passenger survey of long-distance operators.
• Airport geese risks played downThe threat of a bird strike at a UK airport similar to that in New York is being kept under constant scrutiny, a minister says.

Department for Transport

• West of England recieves more than £500,000 for beating congestion targets The West of England will receive more than £536,000 through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• London receives £3.9 million for beating congestion targets Greater London will receive £3.9 million through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• West Midlands receives more than £1 million for beating congestion targets The West Midlands will receive more than £1 million through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• East Midlands receives more than £1 million for beating congestion targets The East Midlands will receive more than £1 million through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• Yorkshire receives £2.2 million for beating congestion targets Yorkshire will receive more than £2.2 million through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• North West receives more than £1.8 million for beating congestion targets The North West will receive more than £1.8 million through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• Tyne & Wear receives £874,000 for beating congestion targets Tyne & Wear will receive almost £874,000 through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding congestion tackling targets, Transport Minister Paul Clark announced today.
• TA Reservists get exemption from EU drivers' hours rules Territorial Army reservists who drive for a living can take part in weekend military training after the Government secured an important exemption from EU drivers' hours rules, Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced today.

Financial Times

• US Airways to stop charging for drinksUS Airways plans to stop charging passengers for soda, tea and other drinks this week in the latest sign that the airlines industry is braced for one of the steepest declines in demand for air travel in its history

The Guardian

• Ministers rule out loan to loss-making vanmaker• LDV's Russian parent firm expected to provide funds • Buyout team leader urges government to be flexible

The Herald

• Get back to work, politicians urge tram contractorsContractors at the centre of a row holding up Edinburgh’s £510m trams project last night faced growing political pressure to “get back to work”.

The Scotsman

• Airport Shuttle bus service up for sale as passengers fall awayEDINBURGH'S main bus company has announced the sell-off of a controversial minibus shuttle service to the capital's airport.

The Telegraph

• Move bus routes from affluent suburbs to poorer areas, says Harriet HarmanBus companies could be forced by law to remove routes from more affluent areas and open new services in poorer districts, a cabinet minister has declared.
• The £17million train station with only one service a day Crowds gathered to watch the opening of Corby station but a shortage of rolling stock means that only one train a day, bound for London, will leave and return.

Press Association

• Stansted battle reaches High CourtThe Government decision to expand Stansted Airport is to come under challenge at the High Court.

Highways Agency

• Hungarian traffic company to learn from Birmingham experience A Hungarian company is hoping to use the experience of the Highways Agency's Birmingham-based National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC) to get the roads and motorways in Budapest and the rest of the country flowing more freely.
• £2.5m resurfacing scheme for A14 between Rothwell and Kettering, Northamptonshire A £2.5m scheme to replace the worn out road surface on both sides of the A14 between Junction 3 for Rothwell and Junction 7 for Kettering, Northamptonshire, will start on the evening of Monday, 2 March and be complete by Friday, 3 April.

Daily Record

• Talks resume over Edinburgh's stalled trams projectTALKS will resume today in an effort to get work on a trams project in the Scots capital back on track.

Network Rail

• TRANSPORT SECRETARY SEES THE REAL APPRENTICE SHOW
• CHANGES TO STROUD LEVEL CROSSINGS TO DETER MISUSENetwork Rail is stepping up its efforts to stamp out level crossing misuse at Beards Lane and Downfield, where a recent survey recorded nearly 100 incidents of misuse over a short period of two days. About 90% of the incidents reported involved young people.
• RAIL LINE REOPENS AS WORK BEGINS ON NEW CAR PARK
• TRANSFORMATION OF FARRINGDON BEGINS WITH THAMESLINK BRIDGE LIFT

Transport Briefing

• Thameslink Programme delivers Farringdon footbridgeNetwork Rail has completed the installation of a new footbridge at London's Farringdon station in the most visible Thameslink Programme works to date.
• Olympic body hands out cash for better cycle routesPlans to spend £11.5m enhancing walking and cycling routes to the 2012 Olympic venues in east London have been published this week by the Olympic Delivery Authority.
• Crossrailnews.co.uk launch turns spotlight on CrossrailAcumen Intelligence, the company which publishes the Transport Briefing website and suite of email newsletters, has launched Crossrailnews.co.uk, the first business-focused website dedicated to the £16bn London Crossrail project.
• Milton Keynes begins bus real-time system roll-outMilton Keynes is to install real-time passenger information displays at bus stops across the borough to help passengers plan their journeys and provide accurate details of bus arrival times.
• Thameslink trains to be prototypes for Crossrail fleetMembers of the Crossrail project team will help finalise the technical details of the new Thameslink train fleet in a bid to create a national specification for a high capcity urban train control system.
• 'Driverless' trains specified for Thameslink rail upgradeThameslink trains through central London will drive themselves under plans revealed by the government this week (23 February).

Derby Telegraph

• MP takes fight to ParliamentDERBY North MP Bob Laxton is to raise questions in Parliament over the Government's decision to name a Japanese company as the preferred bidder for a multi-billion-pound rail contract.
• 'I'm sorry, I cannot talk to you now'TRANSPORT minister Lord Andrew Adonis arrived at Derby station to unexpectedly have the Evening Telegraph's campaign launch edition thrust into his hands.
• We form an alliance to fight for U-turn on £7.5bn rail contractINFLUENTIAL business people, politicians and rail industry representatives have got around the table to hammer out an action plan to protect thousands of Derby jobs.
• Mayor gives her backing to our fight to save rail jobsTHE Mayor of Derby said many people felt "bewildered and angry" after a Japanese firm was chosen ahead of city train-maker Bombardier for a £7.5bn contract.

London Evening Standard

• Anger at rail ticket office cutsPROTESTS against plans to reduce ticket office opening hours at King's Cross and other stations grew today.
• Brake now, my lollipop stick is watching youLOLLIPOP men and ladies in London are to have spy cameras fitted in their sticks in a move which will reignite the debate about the spread of a "surveillance society".
• BAA backs down over forced sale of StanstedBAA is to agree to sell Stansted airport rather than take legal action to prevent the move, it emerged today.

Manchester Evening News

• £1m bonus as congestion fallsGREATER Manchester has secured a £1m bonus for cutting traffic levels while the congestion charge debate raged. The region voted overwhelmingly in December to reject a government deal that would have seen nearly £3bn spent on public transport in return for a peak-hour charge of up to £5 a day.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Bid to resolve city™s tram project hold-up Talks to resolve the dispute surrounding Edinburgh™s tram project are to take place today.

Wales Online

• Assembly plans to encourage people to leave their cars at homeA FIFTH of people in Wales would walk to work within four years under plans launched today by the Welsh Assembly Government to encourage walking and cycling.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• East coast rail link branded third-rateStaff morale on the "third rate" London to Leeds east coast mainline rail service is "shattered", peers in the House of Lords have claimed.
• Leeds commuters face strike threat to train servicesThe threat of disruption across the railway network grew today when Britain's second largest rail union began a strike ballot among workers at Network Rail.

Chester Standard

• Transport deterioration revealedLiverpool and Manchester have seen a deterioration in transport provision, according to a new study.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• New Corby rail service up and running - see the video here - 5.25pm updateA full train timetable for Corby should be up-and-running by April.

Wall Street Journal

• Bankruptcy Loan Sought for Car MakersThe Treasury's advisers have started lining up the largest bankruptcy loan ever, at least $40 billion in financing for GM and Chrysler, in case the two auto makers need it.

Washington Post

• The Acura, Mazda and Toyota Drivers Charged With Saving Detroit A check of the cars owned by members of President Obama's auto industy task force indicates why America's Big Three are in such trouble: A strong majority among the eight members and 10 top aides drive foreign cars, according to a survey released yesterday by the Detroit News.
• U.S. May Set Greenhouse Gas Standard for Cars The Obama administration is considering establishing national rules for regulating greenhouse gas emissions for automobiles, according to White House officials, a move backed by both auto manufacturers and some environmentalists.

Aviation Industry

• Indian carriers look to foreign investors Government considering proposals  read more

Other News Sources

• Teenagers want better bus servicesYoung people in the Forest of Dean are calling for a better bus service.
• Shipowners ready to give UK tonnage tax a wide berthSHIPOWNERS are losing faith in Britain’s tonnage tax regime at a time when London’s status as a global maritime centre is under considerable pressure.
• GREEN ROAD AHEAD FOR STOBART FLEETThe Stobart Group is already working closely with the Government on green transport initiatives which could be used in its vehicles, which includes a fleet of 1,850 lorries.
• More transport improvement urgedLeicester needs "further improvement" to its transport provision, according to a new study.
• 'Sad fact trams can't be built in UK' - MP on transport visitRochdale MP Paul Rowen has criticised the fact that trams that will run to Rochdale are not being built in this country after visiting the factory in Vienna where the new trams are currently being constructed.
• Rural Advocate visits Lincolnshire to learn from transport schemes tackling rural isolation Rural communities run the risk of missing out on job opportunities and being cut off from services because of the continuing decline in local transport services.
• Minister marks Halesowen bus station openingA top politician paid a visit to Halesowen to celebrate the official completion of the town’s £30million regeneration.
• New blow for city bus workersWorkers who stand to land a £30,000 pay-off as part of the deal to sell Preston Bus could lose a working day every week.
• Free bus passes - for busless islandersTHE promise of £51,000 from ministers in Whitehall to run free buses for pensioners would be a welcome financial boost for just about any council. The problem for the Isles of Scilly is there are no buses.
• Railway line set to reopenWhen it went on up for auction last year the Whitwell and Reepham Railway Station had been through some rough times.
• Long Island Rail Road marks 175th anniversaryNEW YORK - The Long Island Rail Road is marking its 175th birthday by giving riders Broadway tickets and other prizes. The railroad has announced monthly customer appreciation days with free prize drawings, starting Tuesday
• NY Senate’s high-speed rail task force dissolvingThe well has run dry for the Senate’s high speed rail task force, a group created by former Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to improve rail travel and boost upstate’s economy.
• 'No rail projects were dropped for the A46'THE chairman of East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA) insists no rail schemes were dropped in favour of the A46 dualling scheme.
• Public Urged To Fight New Radlett Rail Frieght Terminal PlanCAMPAIGNERS are urging the public to get behind the fight to stop the building of a massive rail freight terminal on the former Radlett Aerodrome site, following news that developers Helioslough are to submit a new planning application for the scheme.
• Orlando might see high-speed rail after all as new idea plows aheadThe high-speed train that was supposed to race through Orlando might be back on track, even though it was stopped nearly five years ago by then-Gov. Jeb Bush.
• High Court Challenge To Stansted Expansion The Government's decision to expand Stansted Airport will be challenged in the High Court today.
• Movement on high-speed rail welcome newsTransportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said he's moving ahead with a high-speed rail project, a move that is in contrast with previous statements. Last week, however, LaHood indicated that he's committed to the initiative as his agency has proposed several corridors for service to President Barack Obama. Rail advocates are welcoming the development
• Bombardier eying railway signaling system for DFC BS reported that Bombardier Transportation India Limited, the domestic outfit of Canadian firm Bombardier Inc, is buoyant about its railway signaling system business.
• Fancy adopting a train station?Trains bosses want residents to become the eyes and ears of rail stations in our area, by "adopting" them
• Capital trams face 70 weeksThe German construction firm at the centre of the dispute told The Scotsman it had repeatedly warned tram officials since last year that delays to earlier parts of the project would set back its sched...
• TfL unveils FORS online benchmarking schemeLondon transport managers can now benchmark their performance against fellow operators under a Transport for London (TFL) freight benchmarking scheme.
• Amey scoops £275M Highways Agency MAC contractContractor Amey has scooped the Managing Area Contract (MAC) for the West Midlands for the next five years.
• Ryanair introduces third-party ads across its siteRyanair, the low cost airline, has introduced third-party advertising across its site for the first time.
• Manchester falls two places in transport studyA new study by property consultancy GVA Grimley claims Manchester’s road and rail service levels are worse than they wore 12 months ago.