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

Saturday, 11 April 2009

BBC News

• Crash report urges safety checksInvestigators call for improved safety systems on helicopters like the one that crashed in the North Sea, killing 16 people.
• Downturn 'hits regional airports'Some regional airports could struggle to survive because of the recession and raised security costs, operators tell the BBC.

Financial Times

• S Korea to set up shipping fundSouth Korea plans to set up a shipping fund of about Won4,000bn ($3bn) to buy vessels from troubled shipping companies to help them ride out one of the industry's most...

The Guardian

• Sunny spells and rail delays for Easter weekendForecasters predicted an improvement to the Easter weather over the weekend following yesterday's dull or damp start to the holiday in parts of the UK.Cloudy skies and outbreaks of rain over East Anglia and south-east England should gradually die out today with northern and western parts having sunny spells.

The Herald

• More rail misery for passengers on west coast lineExclusive: Rail passengers in Scotland are facing at least another year of severe disruption on the West Coast Main Line due to a massive track renewal programme that will see the route closed down again over consecutive weekends, The Herald has learned.

Times Online

• Budget row over £2,000 payout to scrap a carThe Treasury is blocking plans to give motorists £2,000 towards the cost of a new car, The Times has learnt.
• British car industry pleads for help to escape the slow laneThe British car industry is desperately pressing for assistance in the Budget on April 22.

Bristol Live

• Avon Valley Railway celebrates 35 yearsAs the Avon Valley Railway celebrates 35 years, and the Mangotsfield to Bath branch line upon which it is based marks 140 years, David Clensy visits Bitton Station to discover the surprisingly radical aspirations behind the heritage line

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Bus driver saves North Wales mum's life after heart attackA mum who had a heart attack on a bus has hailed the driver a hero after his quick thinking saved her life.

Metro

• Fatality causes Easter rail chaosEaster holiday rail travellers have hit problems when the West Coast main line was blocked by a fatal accident.
• Terror suspects spark airport probeTwo of the 12 men arrested over an alleged al-Qaida plot worked for a cargo company which has access to secure areas inside airports, it is reported.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Perth bus company ordered off roadA Perth bus company which tried to interfere with services run by rival firm Stagecoach has been ordered off the road for three-and-a-half years.
• Model railway enthusiasts set to put on their 27th exhibitionMoray Model Railway Group today opens its 27th annual exhibition at Elgin Town Hall.
• Cruise ship embarks on saleA luxury cruise ship, chartered by the Queen to mark her 80th birthday, has gone on the market after its parent company fell into administration.

The York Press

• High-speed rail travel set to miss YorkRail passengers and commuters in York look set to lose out when plans for a new high-speed rail link are unveiled later this year.

Wales Online

• Professor calls on Welsh Assembly to support NASA Beagle projectA leading academic has urged the Welsh Assembly Government to help secure funding for the Nasa-backed Beagle project.

Blackpool Gazette

• Blackpool roadworks Roadworks in Blackpool threaten to blight this year's Easter trade.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• £89m for signs to bust A14 jamsAn £89m project to install electronic signs along the A14 will begin next month.
• Fatality means train services disruptedEaster holiday rail travellers in Northampton hit problems today when the West Coast main line was blocked by a fatal accident.

Washington Post

• Chrysler Creditors Disagree on Treasury's Proposal to Cut Debt A dispute has erupted involving the creditors of Chrysler who are negotiating with the federal government to reduce the beleaguered automaker's debt load.

Aviation Industry

• Air traffic fell less in March, may hit bottomAMR Corp.s American Airlines and UAL Corp.s United Airlines pared declines in traffic in March, suggesting that the industry's slump in travel may be easing.

Other News Sources

• Driving Green TrainsAt the Railtex exhibition in London held on March 10-12, Corys TESS exhibited a Class 350/2 Desiro driving simulator for train operator London Midland. The simulator was due to move to Birmingham after the show for commissioning in June. A simulator for the Class 172 Turbostar DMU is also included in the contract. Bombardier is building 27 trainsets for the TOC.
• Driving Green TrainsAt the Railtex exhibition in London held on March 10-12, Corys TESS exhibited a Class 350/2 Desiro driving simulator for train operator London Midland. The simulator was due to move to Birmingham after the show for commissioning in June. A simulator for the Class 172 Turbostar DMU is also included in the contract. Bombardier is building 27 trainsets for the TOC.
• Rail Company told: 'We're not sardines'Northampton South MP Brian Binley has hit out at train overcrowding and the whereabouts of promised new carriages for London Midland services.
• Rail work is a bridge too far for commutersIt is akin to painting the Forth Road Bridge - but far more costly and inconvenient. Replacing the track which runs along the 1660 miles of the West Coast mainline, one of two arterial routes connect...
• UK logistics sector bucks global pessimism trendDespite rising unemployment and the continuing economic decline, the UK logistics industry is more optimistic about the future than it was a month ago, research from Transport Intelligence suggests.
• Pirates want $2 million The pirates holding a US ship's captain hostage have reportedly demanded $2 million for his release.
• Thousands of Wincanton drivers get NVQsWincanton is confident its NVQ programme for drivers is helping to improve its fuel efficiency and prevent accidents.
• UK funding crisis threatens UAV airspace integration effortThe UK's ASTRAEA unmanned air vehicle airspace integration project is likely to advance into a second phase of activity, despite a decision by one of its...
• Airlines left in the dark over airport slotsA proposal that would allow airlines to keep much-valued landing slots at European airports even when they are left unused has run into political headwinds, as companies struggle to maintain profitability in a depressed market. 
• 'Gearbox failure' caused chopper crashAn initial report into the North Sea helicopter disaster has found evidence of a