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

Wednesday, 08 April 2009

BBC News

• Trains speed up on rail viaductTrain journey times from Ulverston and Grange-over-sands are set to improve after rail bosses doubled the speed limit of a south Cumbrian viaduct.
• Rival's 'threat' to rail serviceA rail company running trains between Wrexham, Shrewsbury and London has said it may not survive if Virgin launches a rival service.
• Watchdog urges longer rail leasesTrain operators should get longer franchises so they can invest more in new carriages, a report by the Competition Commission has suggested.
• Airport brings in £1 drop-off feeLuton Airport says it is to introduce a £1 charge for dropping passengers off at the terminal.
• Two wheels good? Segway launches two person transporterUS carmaker General Motors is joining with scooter maker Segway to make a new type of two-seat electric vehicle aimed at urban driving.
• UK car firms get European fundingThe European Investment Bank approves funding for two carmakers in the UK, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan.

Department for Transport

• £674m boost for Sheffield's roads Sheffield roads are set for a major upgrade after Transport Minister Paul Clark announced that the city is to benefit from £674m of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding to improve its local roads

Financial Times

• Watchdog train lease proposal faces snubMinisters look set to reject the key finding of a two-year Competition Commission inquiry into train-leasing companies after the watchdog's final report closely resembled a preliminary version lambasted by the government.
• Segway and GM launch Puma joint venture The US carmaker and Segway have unveiled a tiny electric car designed to drive on its own and avoid collisions.
• Aer Lingus considers allianceThe Irish airline is consulting with Goldman Sachs on whether to seek a protective alliance another European carrier and is also looking for a successor to its chief executive that recently resigned
• Veolia climbs aboard to run HK tram groupThe French group agreed to buy half of Hong Kong's tram system from local conglomerate Wharf and to run the network
• Shipping hard hit by collapse in global tradeShipping markets have been hit hard by the collapse in global trade flows and the slump in the availability of trade finance as the Baltic Dry index fell for the 20th consecutive session

The Guardian

• German car scrappage scheme extended to meet demandGermany's car scrappage scheme has been so successful it has been extended until the end of the year after attracting 1.2m applications.
• Rail watchdog seeks franchise reform to end carriage famineThe government came under further pressure to reform the system of rail franchises yesterday after the competition watchdog said short contracts were contributing to a dearth of carriages on the network.
• In praise of ... Wrexham and Shropshire trainsWhy, all of a sudden, does everyone want to go to Wrexham? Or perhaps they want to leave. Either way, the town is caught between two battling train companies, each offering to carry the citizens of north-east Wales to London.
• 'Climate change activists break the law to engage the public and politicians'Campaigner Tamsin Omond explains why she climbed on to the roof of Parliament in protest at Heathrow's third runway

The Herald

• Keeping Rail On TrackThe labyrinthine arrangements by which Britain's railway system operates have proved too complex for the Competition Commission. After a two-year inquiry instigated by the former Transport Secretary, Douglas Alexander, into whether the rolling-stock companies which lease the trains to the operating companies were overcharging, the commission found that the revenue streams of each were too complex to draw firm conclusions about profitability - and did not uphold the charge.

The Independent

• Brown's electric dream for BritainGordon Brown has promised an environmentally friendly Budget later this month to kick start a

The Scotsman

• First tram tracks to be laid in 2 monthsTHE first tangible signs of a tram line returning to Edinburgh after a gap of nearly 53 years will come in two months, when track laying starts in Princes Street, The Scotsman has learned.
• Latest green transport fuel could really grow on treesWILLOW trees grown in Scotland could provide the transport fuel of the future, according to the latest scientific research.
• Provost lords it up … in a SkodaAberdeenshire Council has won the praise of politicians and raised more than a few eyebrows by plumping for the humble Skoda as the new civic car for Bill Howatson, the Provost of Aberdeenshire

The Telegraph

• Make rail franchises longer, says reportA politically-inspired inquiry into the train leasing market has concluded that the main barrier to increased competition is the short duration of rail franchises.
• Waitrose to put delivery bikes back on the roads Supermarket giant Waitrose has put a fleet of bicycles back on the road so staff can deliver shopping to customers in a more traditional and greener way.

Times Online

• Parallel linesBritain's train companies have done much to suck the pleasure out of rail travel. Carriages are often standing-room-only crowded. Catering can be grim, if available at all. Fares for a trip across England can top a return flight to New York.
• People: Lord Adonis, Jordan, Neil Morrisey, John HumphrysAll aboard the Adonis Express. Frustrated commuters will get direct access to the Transport Minister next week when Lord Adonis embarks upon a railway voyage to criss-cross Britain in six days.
• Cheap tickets to ride [letter]The Government should cut train fares and tax the fuel used on domestic flights
• BA may clip Concorde’s wings and sell her to Dubai There is some corner of a foreign desert that is for ever England. Dubai already has the Queen Elizabeth 2, the world’s fastest cruise ship, and now it is bidding for Concorde, the fastest airliner.
• EIB grants green loans to Jaguar and Nissan Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Nissan's British factory have won hundreds of millions of pounds in loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the first round of money for UK-based carmakers.
• Carmakers make new appeal for help in Budget Global car markets could take five years or more to return to pre-recession levels, industry experts said yesterday, as figures showed that British car sales for March fell 30.5 per cent compared with the same month last year.
• GM and Segway plan electric two-wheeler GM, the stricken car giant best known for its gas-guzzling Hummers, is to tie-up with Segway, the electric scooter producer, in an attempt to prove its commitment to reinventing itself.

Reuters News

• Few companies seen dominating EU train, rail networksFRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe's air and rail networks could each be dominated by just three players within 10 years as transport operators learn to cooperate better across borders and people's travel habits change, a consultant predicts.

Mail Online

• Pothole damages bill costs more than repairing the roads Pothole damages bill costs more than repairing the roads

Transport Briefing

• NATA benchmark overhaul backs road alternativesCriteria used by the government to judge the relative merits of transport projects are to be revised to prevent the benefits of road schemes being overestimated at the expense of public transport schemes.

Birmingham Post

• Virgin Trains accused of trying to close down small rail rivalVirgin Trains has been accused of trying to force a smaller train rival out of business with attempts to launch a “spoiler service” in the region.

Bolton News

• Pupils lead protest against bus fare risesA GROUP of Bolton youngsters are leading an internet revolution against an increase in bus fares for teenagers. Pupils from Canon Slade School have helped set up a Facebook group, which has more than 6,000 members, calling on transport chiefs to reassess the price hike, which has seen concessionary bus fares rise from 70p to 80p.

Derby Telegraph

• Australians choose city for UK baseA RAIL company from Down Under has chosen Derby for its first base outside Australia, recognising the city as a centre of excellence in the rail industry. Perth-based MRX Technologies has bought the freehold of a 2,000 sq ft unit at the Victoria Centre on Pride Park.

This Is Local London Network

• More passengers using Wycombe busesTHE number of people travelling to High Wycombe by bus in the year since Eden opened has jumped nearly a fifth.

Wales Online

• Now or never for rail electrification to SwanseaWHEN the Paddington to Heathrow line was electrified in 1998 the British Rail view was it should continue to Bristol and South Wales as the lowest cost option if the line was to be electrified at all.
• Rival rail services may shut Wrexham and ShropshireA SMALL Welsh rail operator could find itself locked in a David and Goliath struggle for its existence if rival firms are allowed to expand services on its route.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Start date for full Corby rail service revealedEast Midlands Trains has confirmed new hourly train services will run from Corby to London from Monday, April 27.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Airport set to charge drop-off feeLuton Airport is set to introduce a £1 charge for dropping passengers off at the terminal.

Wall Street Journal

• White House Presses Plan on Car SwapsObama is pressing lawmakers to move ahead with a program to provide vouchers for people who turn in gas-guzzling vehicles and buy more efficient ones.

Transport for London

• A scheme to make Henlys Corner more accessible given go-aheadFunding approved for improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists at Henlys Corner junction.
• Filming on the Tube just became easierLondon Underground (LU) today launched the revamped LU Film Office website that will make filming on the Tube more accessible to professional and amateur filmmakers and photographers alike.

Aviation Industry

• ROLLING STOCK LEASING MARKET INVESTIGATION— The Competition Commission (CC) has published the final report from its inquiry into the market for the leasing of rolling stock for franchised passenger services, and has set out a number of measures designed to improve competition in the market.

Green Miscellany

• UK Offer EV Charging Parking SpotsElectric vehicle (EV) usage might be encouraged, but have we really thought about the present infrastructure by offering relevant and very real facilities?

Other News Sources

• Revamped Poole bus station openedPOOLE’S revamped £300,000 bus station has been officially opened by town mayor Joyce Lavender. The 40-year-old station received a much-needed facelift after the Daily Echo called for action last year.
• Guided buses go on showPASSENGERS will soon get a preview of Cambridgeshire's plush new high-tech guided buses - which include wi-fi technology for computer users, leather seats and air conditioning.
• Bus campaigners face another wait for serviceCAMPAIGNERS who have spent nine months trying to rescue their bus service may have to wait until next year before it returns.
• Lost Baggage Suit Against British Airways Moves Forward [USA]A federal judge for the Eastern District of New York ruled that a class action against British Airways for lost passenger luggage could move forward, denying the airline's motion to dismiss.
• Virgin outlines London rail plansRail managers today outlined their vision of a new direct train service from Shropshire to London – including trains capable of speeds of up to 125mph taking passengers to the capital twice a day.
• Dubai to offer buses for women onlyAfter inventing pink taxis and air-conditioned bus shelters, Dubai is becoming the first Gulf city to institute public transportation service for women only. The story comes from the newspaper
• Power from seaweedResearchers working on a €6m research project called Biomara are investigating the feasibility of using algae to produce biofuel.
• Biofuel powerInvensys Process Systems has joined OPTFUEL, a European consortium researching the feasibility of using second-generation biofuels to power vehicles.
• DVLA increases licence replacement fee by 14%The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has increased the price of obtaining a replacement licence by 14% to cover its rising administrative costs.
• Tesco's Teesport DC 'will cut truck journeys'Tesco claims its Teesport Distribution Centre, set to open in August, will cut the number of truck journeys it makes by 12,000 a year.
• Inventor set to launch 'stowaway alarm'A security consultant at freight forwarding group Allport is set to launch an alarm device to prevent stowaways boarding containers.
• Beijing stimulus seen aiding portsCHINA™S ports stand to benefit from investments by the government to prop up the economy, shipping leaders have told Fairplay.
• Maersk raises ratesMAERSK Line announced a general rate increase today on many routes to the Middle East and South Asia.
• Scientists prove viability of underground carbon captureCarbon dioxide pollution could be trapped in giant underground water tanks created by empty oil and gas fields, according to new research by a team of international scientists. The researchers - from universities in Manchester, Edinburgh, and Toronto - said their experiment to find CO2 locked in underground water in gas fields was a success. The CO2 [...]
• Green cars 'key' to auto sector recoveryProven technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from private cars, particularly fuel-efficiency innovations, represent a huge opportunity to reinvigorate the global automotive industry, especially if tax breaks and other subsidies are introduced to reduce prices of new vehicles for consumers, suggests new research by McKinsey.
• Ryanair puts brakes on Manchester expansion Low cost carrier Ryanair said today it would not expand at Manchester Airport until it starts paying less for landing fees, passenger facilities and air traffic control services.

News from Europe

• Airport express modelled with military precisionNORWAY: Australian simulator specialist Sydac has teamed up with The Railway Engineering Company, based in Wiltshire, UK, and Swedish company MSE Weibull to deliver six high-fidelity train simulators and three signalling simulators to Norsk Jernbaneskole under a contract worth £4·2m. They will be used in a purpose-built training centre near Oslo.
• Eurostar refubishment design contract awardedEUROPE: Eurostar has selected Italian consultancy Pininfarina to undertake design work for the mid-life refurbishment of the 28 high-speed trains used on services from London to Paris and Brussels.

Other Subscription Services

• Stagecoach helps movers feel right at homeTransport giant Stagecoach is aiming to take the stress out of moving house by providing free bus travel for home movers. The national ’Stagecoach Home Movers’ campaign is offering people moving into new homes a special pack containing a voucher for seven days’ free transport on the company's local bus network.