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

Tuesday, 31 March 2009

BBC News

• Deutsche Bahn boss derailed after spying rowHartmut Mehdorn's decade long tenure at Deutsche Bahn has finally been derailed. But investors with a long memory will recall how he successfully transformed the German transport operator into a profitable company.
• Greens oppose airport expansionPlans for the expansion of Bristol International Airport are being opposed by the Green Party in the city.
• Passengers 'rate Heathrow worst'Passengers have rated Heathrow's Terminal 1 as the worst place to travel from in a survey carried out by Which? Holiday magazine. Only 31% of the 9,000 people questioned said they were satisfied with services at the west London airport.
• Network Rail pledges fewer delaysNetwork Rail is promising fewer delays and less overcrowding on trains, despite having to cut its overall budget by 20%. A five-year programme of maintenance and improvements worth nearly £12bn is to begin on Wednesday.
• Tube trains 'came close to crash'London Underground (LU) has begun an inquiry into the incident near Ealing Broadway in west London at about 1800 GMT on Friday.

Department for Transport

• (DFT) Over 200,000 children to benefit from £10m of cycle training Over 200,000 more school children in England will have the opportunity to have Bikeability training this year thanks to £10m of government funding, earmarked today by Transport Minister Paul Clark as part of the official launch of Bikeability for 2009.
• Dame Deirdre Hutton appointed as first female Chair of the Civil Aviation AuthorityThe Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, has appointed Dame Deirdre Hutton CBE as Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after an open competition. She is the first woman appointed to the post. She will take up the position in August 2009 when the term of office of the present Chairman, Sir Roy McNulty, comes to an end after eight years of distinguished service. She will sit on the Board of the Authority during the intervening period.

Financial Times

• Obama gets tough on US car industryThe Obama administration ratcheted up the government's involvement in the US auto industry, raising the spectre of bankruptcy if debtholders, unions and executives at General Motors and Chrysler fail to make new sacrifices
• Shipowner bails out of shipping futuresNobu Su, the owner of the privately-held TMT, said he believed the shipping futures market was 'finished' and is to concentrate on building up his physical fleet
• Hitachi in talks for Europe train ordersThe Japanese manufacturer has had 'extensive dialogue' with three potential customers eyeing trains from its planned UK factory, underlining its interest in strengthening its presence in Britain
• EU and Canada set for 'open skies' dealThe agreement, scheduled to be signed at a summit in May, will enable EU carriers to fly freely from any member state to and from Canada, whose airlines will have reciprocal rights
• Air Berlin withholds dividend againEurope's third-largest budget airline said it would not pay a dividend this year - the third consecutive year it has withheld payment since listing in 2006 - after net losses almost doubled to €75m
• DryShips in crisis as dry bulk rates collapseThere is 'substantial doubt' about the ability of one of the highest-profile US-listed shipping companies to continue as a going concern

The Guardian

• Network Rail admits shortfall in platform-lengthening budgetRail infrastructure owner reveals £210m gap in platform programme aimed at accommodating 1,300 new carriages
• Big Brother: coming to a car near you¢ Privacy row brewing over surveillance on the road ¢ Box could reduce accidents, pollution and congestionThe government is backing a project to install a
• Obama threatens US car industryBarack Obama demands radical reform, and quickly, as he delays a decision about more cash for struggling carmakers¢ Graphic: vehicle production in North America (pdf)President Barack Obama raised the possibility that two of Detroit's teetering carmakers could be forced into bankruptcy today, blasting General Motors and Chrysler for failed leadership, unrealistic business plans and a slow rate of reform.The White House earlier ordered the resignation of GM's veteran boss and instructed cash-strapped Chrysler to surrender its independence to Italy's Fiat.Obama announced tax incentives for Americ...

The Herald

• Inverness flies high as most loved airportSmall regional airports deliver a superior service to their larger, busier counterparts, according to a customer survey which found Inverness to be Scotland's most loved airport.

The Independent

• Blackpool towers above Heathrow for passenger satisfactionBlackpool's fading Victorian glamour and down-at-heel B&Bs may place it in the second division of seaside resorts, but its airport is the best in Britain.

The Scotsman

• Train to Borders is delayed – againTHE Borders rail line has hit further delays, with the start of the search for a builder now running up to five months late, The Scotsman has learned.

The Telegraph

• Ministers ready to take over rail franchise amid recessionMinisters are paving the way to take over the running of a major train franchise amid fears that the rail industry could be the next victim of the recession.

Times Online

• Angela Merkel enters talks with GM Europe to broker rescue Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, will meet Carl-Peter Forster, the head of General Motors Europe, today as the two sides try to mount a rescue package for the American carmaker's European division.

Daily Express

• TUI to buy 19.9% Air Berlin stakeTHOMSON Holidays owner TUI Travel, Europe's biggest travel company, is to take a 19.9 per cent stake in German airline Air Berlin.

Mail Online

• Fears for 5,000 Vauxhall jobs as Obama gives GM 60 days to shape up or go bust Fears for 5,000 Vauxhall jobs as Obama gives GM 60 days to shape up or go bust

Network Rail

• A NEW START FOR PASSENGERS [press release]Tomorrow marks the start of a new era for rail in Britain as Network Rail embarks on a £35bn programme of expenditure targeted at building a bigger and better railway.
• Control Period 4 Delivery Plan 2009We are publishing this at a time when more passengers are choosing to travel by rail than at any time for sixty years. The railway is safer than it has ever been, and punctuality is at its highest since records began.

Transport Briefing

• Rail plan for Merseyside backs new Liverpool stationsPlans for a new station at Headbolt Lane and a possible new station in the centre of Liverpool are included in Network Rail's newly published Merseyside Route Utilisation Strategy.
• Hants bus rapid transit secures phase one fundingA busway is to built along part of the former rail alignment between Gosport and Fareham after the South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit scheme secured £20m from the government's Community Infrastructure Fund.
• Buckshaw Parkway station shortlisted for CIF cashConstruction of a new station at Chorley Buckshaw in Cheshire has moved a step closer after the scheme was shortlisted to receive £3.3m from the government's Community Infrastructure Fund.
• Transcend takes up Crossrail Programme Partner remitTranscend, the Programme Partner responsible for overseeing delivery of the £16bn Crossrail project, began working for Crossrail Ltd today (30 March).
• Rail £35bn five-year spending programme unleashedNetwork Rail has published its CP4 Delivery Plan, setting out how it proposes to spend the £35bn allocated to it for Control Period 4, which begins tomorrow (1 April).
• Leicestershire bypass opened by Transport SecretaryTransport Secretary Geoff Hoon has opened a new £21m bypass of Earl Shilton in Leicestershire.

Belfast Telegraph

• Northern Ireland airports fail to land top slots in Which? league tableParking, shopping and eating facilities at Northern Ireland’s two main airports have scored badly in a customer satisfaction survey published today.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Arriva trains launches Wales tourism schemeBOREDOM will be a thing of the past if a new scheme, launched today by a Welsh rail operator, is a success.

Derby Telegraph

• Japan makes its own trade rules [letter]REGARDING the Change Track campaign (Evening Telegraph, March 21), Michael Clausecker, director general of UNIFE, said it was " unfair that Japanese rail companies could bid for work in Europe, when Japan itself refused bids from EU countries".

Liverpool Echo

• Network Rail plans for expanding Liverpool's Central StationRAIL bosses today welcomed plans to end the overcrowding misery at Liverpool's Central Station.

London Evening Standard

• Runway activists fight for 'grannies'Campaigners against a third runway at Heathrow were today launching an "adopt-a-granny" scheme.
• Government U-turn on rail overcrowding pledgeThe Government has cut back promises to ease rail overcrowding, it was revealed

Metro

• Heathrow and Gatwick 'worst' airportsFlyers should look to Britain's smaller airports if they want a better start to their holidays.
• Passengers charged for claiming air taxPassengers claiming back £10 air taxes on unused flights are being asked to pay up to £40 in administration fees by airlines.

Wales Online

• Cardiff Bus apologises following inquiryCARDIFF Bus today apologised for abusing its dominant position in the city's bus business to drive a low-cost competitor out of business.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Regional airports rate above Heathrow for serviceRobin Hood Airport, near Doncaster, and Humberside Airport enjoy top-six positions in a table which rates 38 terminals on their check-in efficiency, parking provision, shops and restaurants.

Blackpool Gazette

• Airport is number one for passengersAIRPORT staff in Blackpool are the best in the business when it comes to looking after their customers, according to consumer bible Which?
• Wyre road campaigners delay meetingCAMPAIGNERS fighting against the threat of lorries rumbling through a housing estate have delayed a meeting with Lancashire County officials in order to build a stronger case.

Bucks Free Press

• Villagers campaign to bring back buses A CAMPAIGN to bring bus services back to south Bucks villages has been given the support of councillors and MPs.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Plan for steam train track boostedPlans to connect two railway lines in Norfolk and bring steam fans flocking have moved a step closer.

Washington Post

• American Airlines to expand in-flight Web access DALLAS -- American Airlines plans to expand Internet access to about half its fleet of aircraft over the next two years as it attempts to raise revenue and improve customer service.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Transport funding boost announced New funding has been announced to boost transport infrastructure for areas located near to new housing developments.The government has said it will allocate £170 million to develop facilities in the vicinities of 29 new residential projects.Among the developments will be new bus routes and better road junctions, plus pedestrian and cycle bridges.Commenting on the plans, transport minister Paul Clark said: "Transport is essential to supporting housing growth and the Community Infrastructure Fund is real evidence of the significant focus that government places on this critical ...

Aviation Industry

• Capital air links set to soar12 new flights to take off over next five days...

Green Miscellany

• Mercedes testing new hybrid bus with world's largest lithium batteryMercedes-Benz has begun demonstrating its new Citaro G BlueTec hybrid bus with what is claimed to be the world's largest lithium ion battery pack application.

Other News Sources

• New plan to reduce planes' C02 emissionsGENEVA (AP) — Aviation groups in Europe announced a plan Tuesday to change the way commercial planes land in order to reduce their global-warming emissions of carbon dioxide.
• Heathrow And Gatwick Rated Worst In UKHeathrow's Terminal 1 finished bottom of the Which? Holiday magazine customer satisfaction table with a score of 31%, after a survey involving 9,000 people. The west London airport's Terminals 2, 3, and 4 were the next least-popular with those polled. Gatwick's two terminals finished just above the Heathrow terminals in the table.
• Airport satisfactory in customer surveyEAST Midlands Airport has been ranked 16th out of 38 UK terminals in a Which? customer satisfaction survey.
• Bus safety technologyNorth East to trial innovative technology.
• Bus and Coach Statistics 2007-08A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.
• Havering Council to pull plug on London Lorry BanHavering Council has decided to remove the London Lorry Ban (LLB) to give HGV drivers more scope for night-time deliveries from April 2010.
• TfL launch £4.2m scheme to encourage bike use and reduce car journeysA £4.2m scheme designed to reduce cars on the roads and encourage people to embrace eco-friendly transport launched today.
• NOL box dip continuesVOLUMES of Neptune Orient Lines have fallen further as container shipping continues to be hit hard by the economic downturn.
• Largest container ship deliveredDAEWOO Shipbuilding in South Korea delivered the world™s largest container ship of 14,000 teu to MSC today.
• TfL launch £4.2m scheme to encourage bike use and reduce car journeysA £4.2m scheme designed to reduce cars on the roads and encourage people to embrace eco-friendly transport launched today.
• £7.75m bypass gets Government backing to bring it step closerPLANS for the £7.75-million Stallingborough bypass are a step closer after receiving the go-ahead from the Government.
• Government confirms £11.2million for new A12 junctionTHE Government has guaranteed Colchester £11.2million for a new A12 junction. It is hoped work will start this year on the long-awaited link road near Colchester United’s Weston Homes Community Stadium.
• Action to improve the Borough's railway stations [Broxbourne]From a user’s perspective, the Borough’s network of railway stations has suffered for a number of years from under investment and limited parking, particularly for commuters. In response to this, the Borough Council has been working with the rail operator and the County Council to tackle these problems.
• Calderdale Council draws up multi-million pound roads planCalderdale Council’s Cabinet meets on April 6 to discuss a Local Transport Capital Programme for 2009/10. Some £6.8m has been earmarked for road improvements, including widening County Bridge at Sowerby Bridge.
• BA’s strategy for dealing with global meltdown is to remain a premium airlineWILLIE WALSH, chief executive officer, British Airways, in this interview with JOHN OSADOLOR at the airline’s Waterfront, Heathrow Airport, London headquarters, speaks on varied issues affecting the global airline industry and operations of British Airways (BA) on the Nigeria-United Kingdom route, among others.
• Airline tax refund charges 'unfair'Airline tax refund charges 'unfair'

News from Europe

• Transport Council in BrusselsThe Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council will meet for the first time at 10:00 on Monday 30 March 2009 in Brussels. The meeting will be chaired by Czech Transport Minister Petr Bendl.
• EU Backs ’Open-Skies’ Airline Agreement With Canada The European Union agreed to deregulate air travel with Canada, expanding trans-Atlantic competition in the face of an industry slump after a similar EU- U.S. “open-skies” deal

Other Subscription Services

• East Midlands Trains introduces new cost saving recycling initiativeEast Midlands Trains is helping the environment and saving money by recycling more waste from its trains and maintenance depots. A new recycling scheme implemented at the company’s Neville Hill Depot in Leeds is expected to result in 90% of the company’s on train waste arriving there being recycled, delivering a cost saving of £150,000.