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

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

BBC News

• £12m rural digital research boostMore than £12m has been given to the University of Aberdeen to find ways of using digital technology to assisting rural communities. The funding will look at how technology can help improve issues such as healthcare, transport and tourism.
• Cash boost for public transportMore than £5m is to be spent improving bus services in central Milton Keynes.
• Rail line work to double servicesA £7.8m refurbishment of a train line in Cornwall has been completed ahead of schedule, Network Rail has said.
• New luggage tunnel for HeathrowWork has started on a £260m tunnel to improve baggage handling at London's Heathrow airport.
• Daimler posts loss as sales slumpGerman's Daimler reports a loss for the first three months of 2009, after a big fall in the sales of cars and vans.

Financial Times

• Londoners warned of upgrade threat on UndergroundThe economic slowdown could threaten a programme to improve train speeds and frequencies across much of the London Underground, says the organisation's outgoing managing director.
• Stagecoach in dispute over cash for SWTOne of Britain's biggest train operators is facing millions of pounds of losses if it does not get support from the government as growth in passanger numbers slows
• Aer Lingus warns on profitsAer Lingus has issued a profit warning and said trading conditions deteriorated rapidly during the first three months of the year. It forecast a loss for 2009

The Guardian

• On the wrong track: Why high-speed trains are not such a green alternativeHigh-speed rail may seem like a slick green alternative to air travel, but improving links between cities would be far more cost-effective
• Stagecoach warns rail division faces 'substantial loss'Transport group says it will go to arbitration if legal dispute with government over contract payments due from South West Trains is not resolved
• Cycle for safety [letter]In a generally thoughtful article on road safety (27 April), Peter Preston expresses a misplaced concern that increasing the numbers of people walking and cycling could have an adverse impact on road casualties.
• Underground, underfunded, overratedIs the grass always greener when it comes to public transport in other countries? Or are Britain's buses, trains and tube lines really that bad, asks Huma Qureshi

The Herald

• Stagecoach warns of loss amid dispute over contractStagecoach is in dispute with the government over revenue support which could mean its rail business making a “significant loss” next financial year, the group warned yesterday.

The Independent

• Airlines: Grounded for good?Global air traffic was down by more than 11 per cent in March and cargo by 21 per cent, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said yesterday, as fears of a swine flu pandemic added to the aviation industry's woes.

The Telegraph

• Axing check-in will save Ryanair €50mRyanair expects to make €50m (£45m) annual savings from axing its airport check-in desks from October and badgering its passengers to take fewer bags on its flights.
• Stagecoach in multi-million pound franchise rowStagecoach has warned that its rail division faces a "significant" loss unless it can resolve a serious dispute with the Department for Transport over its South West Trains franchise.

Times Online

• British Airways offers SMEs 'free' business flightsUp to 5,000 business class flights on offer for new and existing exporters
• Stagecoach faces losses in Government rowStagecoach Group is facing millions of pounds worth of losses at its rail division after failing to agree terms with the Government for subsidies on the South West Trains rail franchise.
• Danger of having BP contractors over a barrelWith oil prices stuck at less less than $50 a barrel, Tony Hayward, BP$™s chief executive, is confronting perhaps the most difficult choice of his career. Should he cut the dividend and face the wrath of investors “ and run the risk of losing his job “ or curb the group™s spending plans at the expense of future production and growth?

Reuters News

• Ferrovial left with jumbo-sized problemsLONDON (Reuters) - The Spanish owners of London's three airports must wonder whether someone above the skies has got it in for them.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL AWARDS £100m RAIL LINK CONTRACTS
• FULL SPEED AHEAD FOR KENT RAIL STRATEGY

Transport Briefing

• TfL invites bids for station enhancements frameworkTransport for London is seeking bids for four framework contracts to upgrade stations situated on the Underground and Overground networks, as well as the future Crossrail line.
• Steer Davies Gleave leads transport framework awardFour companies have secured a place on a transport planning framework established to firm up proposals for the development of public transport in the West Midlands.
• Underground strategy chief to succeed O'Toole as MDRichard Parry is to take over from Tim O'Toole as managing director of London Underground. Parry, who is currently London Underground's director of strategy and service development, will take up the role on 1 May. Initially, he will hold the title of interim managing director prior to the Transport for London board deciding whether or not to make his appointment permanent.
• Falmouth rail line upgrade doubles train capacityNetwork Rail says a project to double capacity on the Falmouth branch line in Cornwall has been completed - ahead of the introduction of an enhanced timetable on 18 May.
• Carillion to construct Airdrie-Bathgate line stationsConstruction firm Carillion has won an £80m contract from Network Rail to build the new stations on the Airdrie-Bathgate rail line.

Birmingham Post

• Warning over Birmingham's capacity to cope with high speed rail lineBirmingham will struggle to cope with a new high speed rail line because existing stations are running out of capacity, the Minister responsible for the nation’s rail network has warned.

Bristol Live

• Bristol needs proper cycle lanes [letter]I regularly cycle around the streets of Bristol for work and leisure, and it is not unusual for me to see serious accidents involving collisions between motor vehicles and cycles.
• Bristol could get Oyster Card within a yearAn electronic ticketing system for trains and buses could be up and running in Bristol within a year. Bristol City Council has agreed to spend £20,000 looking into the idea of introducing pre-payment smart cards, similar to London's Oyster Card. The cash for a feasibility study was added to the council's budget after the Liberal Democrats took control of the authority from Labour in February

Derby Telegraph

• On track to secure train-making dealA SITE near East Midlands Airport has been short-listed for a £100m train-making factory that could create up to 500 jobs.

Journal Live

• Time is running out for East Coast Main Line rail upgradesRAIL bosses may only have five years to plan for a doubling in train passenger numbers as public spending cuts loom.Over the next 30 years passenger numbers on the East Coast Main Line will rise by more than 100%, meaning more passengers than ever will be forced to stand unless improvements are made.

London Evening Standard

• Crossrail will eat money. Kill it, Boris, and save the bankrupt Tube insteadKill Crossrail. Kill it now. Offer it up as London's gift to public sector sanity, while there is still time to avoid millions of pounds climbing into billions on a project that London does not need. What London needs is a fully working, modernised Tube. So kill Crossrail to save the Tube.
• Rail unions demand freeze on jobs 'massacre'Rail union bosses are meeting Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, today in an escalating dispute over job losses, service cuts and fare rises
• Heathrow builds £260m luggage tunnelWork is under way on this £260million tunnel designed to reunite every Heathrow passenger with their luggage, regardless of which terminal they use

Manchester Evening News

• Transport: storms on the horizonI blogged a little while ago about the leaders of Greater Manchester's 10 councils having a private meeting to discuss £1.3bn worth of transport priorities.

Newcastle Journal

• How to turn greenhouse gas into a clean fuelA new process converts carbon dioxide into methanol, without the need for extreme temperatures and pressures

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Query over Heathrow motionA COUNCILLOR will invoke a little-used rule at a full meeting of Aberdeenshire Council later this week to find out why a motion he tabled at a previous authority gathering was disallowed.
• Bus round-trip shock for travellerONLY WAY BETWEEN MORAY VILLAGES BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT WAS 100-MILE DETOUR – SO MAN TOOK TAXI

The York Press

• Tornado to make North Yorkshire Moors Railway debut in May THE first locomotive to be built in Britain for 50 years is to return to the area as part of a unique steam event at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Pensioners' free bus travel scheme 'not fit for purpose', says reportThe Government yesterday branded its own flagship scheme to give pensioners free bus travel as "not fit for purpose" in the latest embarrassing blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Carlisle News & Star

• Multi-million pound Maryport harbour plan unveiledDetails of the multi-million pound plans fro the development of Maryport Harbour were unveiled yesterday.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Survey highlights road discontentCounty drivers have backed the results of an RAC survey which shows nine out of 10 motorists are fed up with the state of local roads.

Reading Evening Post

• A third bridge: but no cars...Cars could be banned from a third Thames crossing after Oxfordshire County Council revealed its vision for the bridge for the first time.
• Bus lane signs driving motorists madMotorists are calling for clearer signage and better road markings after being fined when they were caught in the town’s bus lanes.

West Sussex Gazette

• Runway bids arriveCAMPAIGNERS have vowed to fight any expansion of Gatwick Airport once it is sold “ and will have the backing of influential MPs and conservation groups.

Washington Post

• Electric Cars -- Not Ready to Roll General Motors has announced a plan to stave off bankruptcy that includes cutting 21,000 jobs, reducing its dealer network and eliminating its Pontiac division.

Railnews

• News: Rail unions demand freeze on job cuts and shareholder dividends BRITAIN’S three main rail unions are meeting Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon on 28 April to demand a halt to job cuts and payments of dividends to shareholders of train operating companies.

Aviation Industry

• Telent awarded mast audit contract for new digital railway systemTelent has been awarded a contract to carryout structural inspections of all Network Rail’s GSM-R radio masts for the UK’s new £1.7 billion digital Railway Communication System being constructed across the UK rail network.
• World's largest integrated baggage systemThe key piece in completing the world™s largest integrated baggage system is underway, with the start of boring on a 1.8km-long tunnel underneath Heathrow Airport™s airfield. The new £260 million tunnel will provide a vital link between all of the airport™s terminals, enabling Heathrow to handle 110 million bags annually by 2012.
• South Essex link takes offA stylish new coach service will join Stansted™s impressive public transport network this week (Friday, May 1), connecting the airport to south Essex.
• Manchester Airport Optimizes Passenger Related Processes and Capacity with Bluetooth Automated Tracking SolutionManchester Airport improves efficiency and planning capabilities by replacing manual sample measurement of passenger queue and dwell time with an automated tracking solution. With the intelligent Queue & Dwell Time Monitoring solution from BLIP Systems, Manchester Airport now has access to accurate and valid real time as well as historic data about passenger time spent from check-in to departure 24-7-365.

Other News Sources

• Shadow transport secretary says Canvey roads ’inadequate’CANVEY’S creaking transport system has been branded “inadequate” by a Tory shadow minister visiting the island. Stephen Hammond spoke after taking in the island’s aging roads with Castle Point’s prospective Tory candidate Rebecca Harris.
• Haringey Council Benefits from Sophisticated Transport Planning ToolsOne of the most difficult environments in which to plan transport service requirements is that of local government. The services are varied, there are a large number of vehicle types, and there are conflicting demands on resources. In spite of this, the latest technology used to plan complex transport needs in the logistics industry is not usually applied by local government. One recent exception to this attitude is London authority Haringey Council.
• Local Link gives a transport boost for BuryMore Bury residents now have a great new way to get out and about, visit friends and travel to local shops, health appointments and work. A door-to-door 'Local Link' service, funded by Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA), was extended this week to serve more passengers.
• Transport bosses help keep Wigan on the moveTransport bosses have stepped in to help passengers following the withdrawal of the 612 daytime service by bus operator First.
• Transport for London names new legal directorTransport for London (TfL) has promoted Andrea Clarke to the post of legal director, succeeding Gareth John, who joined facilities management company Sodexo in January.
• Borough's transport boostROAD users and commuters in Sandwell are set to benefit from an increase in the annual multi-million pound Government allocation to improve transport during the next 12 months.
• Outgoing Underground chief warns tube upgrade at riskTim O'Toole the US "transport tsar" who was introduced to London by former Mayor Ken Livingstone to improve the capitals tube network has warned Londoners to scream "bloody murder" if plans to upgrade are scrapped.
• Council given £140,000 cycle fundsBuckinghamshire County Council has been awarded £140,000 from the Department for Transport to fund cycle training.
• London Mayor Boris Johnson orders Fulham-Wandsworth-Tooting bus reviewBoris Johnson has ordered managers at Transport for London (TfL) to investigate the feasibility of a bus route between Fulham and Tooting, via Wandsworth.
• Consultation on free bus travelChanges to the way the concessionary bus pass scheme in England is delivered have been heralded by a new consultation document. One option being considered by Transport Minister Paul Clark is to give county councils responsibility for running the scheme.
• Guided bus goes final mileTHE final mile of track for Cambridgeshire's guided busway is being laid, county council officials have announced.
• New frequent bus service links Streetly, Sutton and ErdingtonA NEW 'super bus route' linking Kingstanding with Sutton Coldfield, Streetly, and Erdington is being launched next week in response to public demand.
• Eurostar cranks up carbon targetEurostar is to upgrade its carbon emission reduction target because it has met its goal two years ahead of schedule.
• Election platform for rail congestion issueRochdale’s congested railway network is to become a general election issue — but politicians are likely to be told: “Don’t mention Manchester.”
• Hitachi train factory could go near East Midlands AirportEast Midlands Development Agency is trying to woo Hitachi to the region for its new train assembly plant. Hitachi has shortlisted a site near East Midlands Airport to assemble trains.
• Train on time for official openingThe final train needed to run a full hourly service from Corby arrived just in time for the official station opening.
• Train seats to go on busy c2c lineTHE number of seats on the busy c2c line from Shoebury to Fenchurch Street will be cut from next month.
• BA flight giveaway to small businessesBritish Airways is offering small firms £15m worth of free flights to help boost their overseas sales
• Airdrie-Bathgate rail link£100 million contract awarded to deliver rail improvement work.
• Traffic continues to decline on M6 toll roadThe recession has been blamed for a cut in the number of vehicles using the M6 Toll Road by an average of more than 10% in the first quarter of 2009, says the company running the road.
• Richard Parry to replace Tim O'Toole as London Underground bossTransport for London has announced that London Underground™s current director of strategy and service development Richard Parry is to take over as interim managing director following Tim O™Toole™s departure.
• Hapag-Lloyd pushes up liner rates for Far East services Shipping line Hapag-Lloyd is increasing rates for services from the Far East to Northern Europe and the western Mediterranean by $500 per TEU from 15th June.
• Eurostar to extend high speed partnershipEurostar is set to increase its ticketing partnership with other European rail companies including high speed operators from this year. Richard Brown, Eurostar's ceo, told a press conference today new ’through fares' would make ’greener' train travel easier to more European destinations.

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• Owners jittery as Maersk Alabama steward sues over pirate attackPROSPECT of hefty payouts could deter owners from sailing through the Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal.