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

Saturday, 09 May 2009

BBC News

• Seaside banRailway posters reveal hardships of wartime life
• UK 'lagging on child road safety'Britain is still "some way behind" other countries in tackling road safety for child pedestrians, a spending watchdog says.
• UK car sales 24% lower in AprilUK car sales fell by 24% in April compared with the same month last year, the latest industry figures show.
• Toyota reports worst annual lossToyota, the world's biggest carmaker, makes its worst annual loss and expects to lose money again this year.
• Scrappage boost for Nissan jobsThe Nissan factory in Sunderland is recruiting 150 new staff as the scrappage scheme spurs demand for new cars.
• Shipping forecastAn economic barometer on a Cornish river
• Car scrappage scheme 'unpopular'There is growing evidence that the government's car scrappage scheme is not popular with motorists, a study claims.

The Guardian

• Tata looking for Land Rover help¢Indian firm will tap debt markets for bridging loan ¢Carmaker rejects terms for receiving government aidTata is trying to raise up to £1bn by ­September to keep Jaguar Land Rover afloat without government help.It is understood that the Indian firm has mandated its financial adviser ­Citigroup to find banks with a solid credit rating ­prepared to underwrite some of the £340m loan pledged by the European Investment Bank.Tata is also seeking to tap the debt ­markets to help secure the £500m-£1bn short-term financing package needed. Some of this funding will comprise of a loan facility to be call...

The Independent

• Branson wants to create a spaceport in Scotland Sitting on the banks of the Moray Firth, the small Scottish town of Lossiemouth is synonymous with aeronautical endeavour. For the past 70 years, its airbase has been home to some of the RAF's most elite squadrons and boasts that it exists to "Provide Combat Capability for Expeditionary Operations Worldwide".

The Scotsman

• Car scrappage move 'not generous'Most motorists eligible for the Government's "bangers for cash" offer will refuse the new scheme because it is not generous enough, a survey suggests.

Times Online

• Toyota warns on profits amid first loss in 71 yearsToyota Motor, the world™s biggest carmaker, today stunned investors in Tokyo by revealing its first group full-year loss in 71 years and issuing a warning that losses in 2009 would be even worse.
• Chrysler™s exit from Chapter 11 moves closer as rebel lenders abandon fightRebel lenders have dropped their legal fight against Chrysler™s restructuring plan, increasing the car-maker™s chance of a speedy exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
• Toyota in reverse for first time in 71 yearsToyota, the world's biggest carmaker and a figurehead for Japanese industrial might, has made its first annual net loss in 71 years, triggering investors' fears that it had botched its strategy in China and may fall victim to a price war on hybrid cars.

Mail Online

• Railcard holders facing rises of up to 50 per cent in ticket prices

The Sun

• Roo set to lose £50k on car saleWAYNE Rooney is set to lose £50,000 when he sells his beloved 200mph Mercedes

Network Rail

• SELECTION OF NEW PUBLIC MEMBERS BEGINS

Belfast Telegraph

• Firms to get free flights in bid to win business British Airways and UK Trade & Investment are to offer small and medium sized businesses in Northern Ireland free flights to help them win business abroad.
• AEO status for Hamilton Shipping Hamilton Shipping has become the first company in Northern Ireland to be granted Authorised Economic Operator or AEO status.

Journal Live

• New contracts awarded as demand for Nissans increasesNISSAN yesterday announced 150 temporary jobs were being created after reporting a rise in demand from the continent.

London Evening Standard

• 'Dick Turpin' rail operators increase cost of railcard by 25%The cost of a network railcard, which offers families cheap tickets in the South East, is to rise by 25 per cent
• Jail for Fagin who organised teams of female pickpocketsA modern-day Fagin who recruited an army of women pickpockets to rob Tube passengers is facing jail

The News (Portsmouth)

• Plans to make railways safer in Sussex and HampshireA team of police and security guards are to patrol trains to keep passengers safe.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Commuter bus services to be cutNorth-east commuters may have to find alternative routes around Aberdeen after it emerged several city bus services will be changed later this year.
• Campaign for footpath on busy stretch of A96 makes progressA grandfather who is campaigning to build a footpath on a busy stretch of road where a pedestrian was killed has revealed his cause has moved forward after the Scottish Government agreed to look into the cost of the project.

The York Press

• York to Leeds buses get a boost A NEW bus service between York and Leeds which will run four times an hour “ double the existing service “ will be launched on Monday by Yorkshire Coastliner.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Robbers armed with sword bring terror to Leeds railway stationA PAIR of robbers armed with a two-foot-long curved sword brought night-time terror to a railway station in east Leeds.

Blackpool Gazette

• Residents say crash 'waiting to happen'A TRAFFIC review of a major Thornton trunk road has been demanded by residents after plans for a waste technology plant were given the go-ahead.
• Hopes high for fairer deal on free bus faresBLACKPOOL'S battle to claw back funds to meet a £1m shortfall, caused by concessionary bus fares, has scored a victory.

Carlisle News & Star

• ˜Mosquito device™ to keep Workington teenagers awayA HIGH-pitched mosquito device has been installed under Workington™s multi-storey car park to crackdown on youth disorder.
• Melanie™s building up steam for three-day extravaganzaHUGE steam engines will once again be rolling through Carlisle city centre this month.

Sunderland Echo

• 150 new jobs at NissanNissan is to create 150 new jobs as demand surges for its Wear-built cars.

The Shields Gazette

• 150 new jobs as Nissan sales surgeNISSAN'S Wearside plant is to create 150 new jobs as demand surges for its cars.
• Bus accident boy 'serious'AN 11-year-old boy suffered serious head injuries after he was knocked down by a bus.

Wall Street Journal

• United CEO Questions LegislationUnited's CEO took issue with legislation before Congress, saying an aviation treaty between Canada and the EU will put pressure on the U.S. to relax restrictions on foreign ownership of its airlines.

Washington Post

• Chrysler Lenders Drop Opposition to Sale Plan NEW YORK, May 8 -- The small but staunch lenders group that stood against the sale of Chrysler disbanded Friday, removing the only major obstacle in the Obama administration's plan to quickly restructure the automaker in bankruptcy court.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New north-west aerospace supply chain centre proposedThe Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has unveiled plans to establish a new supply chain centre for the aerospace industry in the region.Under the proposals, the new £8.2 million facility would provide support to businesses involved in the aerospace supply chain and help them to win new contracts.The Composites Certification and Evaluation Centre will receive £2.5 million worth of academic commitment and resources from the University of Manchester Part of the Northwest Composites Centre, created in 2006, which conducts research into composite materials for lighter ...

Railnews

• News: Branson, sporting fake tattoos, helps to sell the Virgin Trains message Sir Richard Branson has returned to the small screen in the role of a Glasgow Central station cleaner at the launch of Virgin Trains’ latest TV campaign.
• News: Jobs protest rally sparks summer of discontent WITH job losses in the rail industry mounting to more than 2,000, a mass rally of rail union members at Westminster was being planned as Railnews went to press.
• News: New ’open access’ operator fears for survival as competition looms WREXHAM and Shropshire has said it fears for its survival if Arriva Trains Wales’ proposals for a direct Aberystwyth to London service goes ahead.
• News: ’More for less’ is challenge facing new chief constable BRITISH Transport Police is facing the dual challenge of rail crime on the increase as recession bites and a clampdown on budgets.
• News: Super Expresses may shrink inter-city network INTRODUCTION of Super Express trains could cause a contraction of the inter-city network because of the cost of modifying infrastructure for the longer coaches.
• News: New £155m train order will boost capacity on commuter routes A NEW £155 million fleet of Electrostar trains is to be built by Derby trainmaker Bombardier to boost capacity on National Express East Anglia’s Stansted Express, West Anglia and some of the company’s Cambridge services from December.
• News: Anna should walk into rail regulator job, says MPs MPs have said that Anna Walker’s lack of experience in the industry could prove a strength in her proposed role chairing the Office of Rail Regulation.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair may cut out baggage handlersEUROPE'S largest low-cost airline Ryanair is looking at the possibility of getting passengers to carry their luggage all the way to the plane, cutting out the need for baggage handlers.
• Alaska Airlines boosts Hawaii servicesAlaska Airlines is adding service between Oakland and Hawaii. The airline will start four-times-weekly service between Oakland, Calif., and Kahului Nov.
• Air Berlin April passenger levels fall 3.4 percentGerman airline Air Berlin Plc said Tuesday its passenger levels during April fell 3.4 percent as the economic crisis cut into demand.
• Trickery claim by flight attendantsStriking Air New Zealand cabin crew took to Christchurch streets yesterday, saying they were victims of a

Other News Sources

• California leading high-speed rail sweepstakesProposed high-speed rail systems in California and Florida have been tabbed the leading candidates to get at least part of $8 billion in federal stimulus funding. The Wall Street Journal reported Fri...
• Animals On Runways Can Cause Serious Problems At Small AirportsEquilibrioception A Purdue University study of 10 small Indiana airports found that animals can gain easy access to runways and infield areas, increasing the likelihood of planes striking those animal...
• Government in Jaguar bailout rowThe Government is at loggerheads with Jaguar Land Rover over plans to bail out the carmaker
• Flying carIf PAL-V Europe of the Netherlands has its way, we might all soon be driving around in three-wheeled vehicles that can fly.
• Wincanton's McFaull becomes president of CILTGraeme McFaull, chief executive of Wincanton, has been sworn in as president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) at an inaugural lunch in London today (Friday 8 May).
• HGV job seekers rise more than four times in a yearThe number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance looking for work as an HGV driver has risen more than four and half times over the past year
• Government called to cut duty as HGV traffic slidesThe FTA and the RHA say the drop in HGV traffic should prompt a rethink on fuel duty rises...
• Vehicle tracking sector has attracted Vehicle tracking firm is in talks with the government over TrustMark scheme
• Saving Recycled Car Parts From Near ExtinctionCongress Seeking to Destroy Millions of Replacement Car Parts While Questions Abound on New Parts Supply Chain Viability
• Tories vow to ditch Stansted expansion plansShadow Transport secretary Theresa Villiers renewed her pledge to scrap plans for a second Stansted runway yesterday at a meeting with campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE)
• Tory axe hangs over CrossrailThe Conservatives have refused to rubber stamp the £15.9bn Crossrail project, saying every existing scheme would be œsubject to review should they win the next General Election.
• Laing O™Rourke selected as preferred bidder for Isle of Dogs Crossrail StationCanary Wharf Group plc (CWG) has selected Laing O™Rourke as preferred bidder for enabling and civil engineering works at the Isle of Dogs Crossrail Station at Canary Wharf in London.
• Norway’s railway workers win better protection against violenceRailway workers in Norway have won improved protection against violence at work, following their unions’ lobbying efforts.
• An attack on affiliates is an attack on the ITF, regional conference toldEmployers that “pick a fight” with affiliates in the Americas region will have the ITF to deal with, warned ITF general secretary David Cockroft yesterday.
• Growing clamour for single wagonsOperators are becoming more open to offering one-wagon load services, now there is falling demand for block trains, reports James Falkner
• Alstom Transport, the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Rotterdam Rail FeedingRailway equipment manufacturer Alstom Transport, the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Rotterdam Rail Feeding have launched a trial of a hybrid shunting locomotive.
• Recession promotes supply chain rethinkShippers have become much more open to radical supply chain alterations as a result of the recession, according to the CEO of Ceva Logistics.
• DHL plans cuts as profits fallDeutsche Post DHL has warned it
• Freight: 'the worst is over'Latest figures from some major research departments have suggested that the worst of the recession for the European freight industry may now be over.
• Swansea ferry link held backHopes that a new ferry service between Swansea and Cork would be launched this year have been dashed because of delays in buying a ship.
• Norfolkline goes under the hammerP&O and DFDS have emerged as two of the frontrunners in the sale of European ferry operator Norfolkline by AP Moller-Maersk.
• Fivefold rise in number of unemployed UK hauliersNew government figures have revealed a shocking increase in the number of UK hauliers now unemployed.
• Business aviation market 'by no means good', but improvingCessna, Embraer and Gulfstream are reporting glimpses of market recovery in the wake of a ravaging first quarter
• NTSB: Crashed Convair 580 had reversed elevator trim cablesUS investigators have confirmed that elevator trim cables on a Convair 580 freighter had been reversed before the aircraft crashed in Ohio last September...
• Bombardier to build CSeries testbed at training facilityBombardier will build an entire CSeries testbed aircraft at the new testing and training facility to be erected in Mirabel.The Canadian airframer...
• Piracy suspects ordered freedA SPANISH judge today ordered seven of the 14 pirate suspects arrested in the Gulf of Aden to be freed.
• Warsaw sends Gdansk revision to ECPOLAND'S treasury ministry said today it has sent a revised restructuring plan to the EC for the Gdansk shipyard.
• Hanjin's losses mean yard talksHANJIN Shipping announced first-quarter operating losses of $177M today and said it plans to cut costs by adjusting the delivery timing of newbuildings.
• NTSB urges strict medical oversightThe National Transportation Safety Board issued a barrage of recommendations today following their probe of the November 2007 spill of the Cosco Busan in California.

EIN News Subscription

• Ryanair rules out 'fat tax' for passengers ... BUDGET airline Ryanair has said it will not be ... to consider such a charge, but as Europe becomes bigger, other airlines will undoubtedly have ...

Other Subscription Services

• Shipping must pay up for piracy protectionNIPPON Foundation boss says maritime industry must make financial contribution for additional security.
• Italian box ports call for state aidTHE country’s private terminal operators are furiously cutting costs and calling on the government for help in staunching the flow of blood.
• Ship scrap prices could plummet to $100 per ldtPRICES set to plunge as demand for ship demolition continues to grow.
• VLCC owners take gamble in bid to boost returnsSHIPOWNERS taking trips from Middle East to US for rates as low as -$6,000 a day to pick up cargo with more attractive returns.