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

Tuesday, 09 June 2009

BBC News

• TfL consultants 'cost millions'Unions have accused Transport for London (TfL) of "wasting" millions of pounds on consultants.
• Strike contingency plan unveiledExtra transport services will be laid on in London if a planned 48-hour Tube strike goes ahead.
• Virgin to sell Nigerian airline Virgin Atlantic announces it is to pull its brand name and sell its shares in Nigerian flag-carrier Virgin Nigeria.

Department for Transport

• More frequent and more secure rail services for London and the South East Passengers in London and the South East can look forward to more frequent rail services, improved stations, more staff and better security, Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said today as he awarded the South Central rail franchise to Southern Railways Ltd., a subsidiary of Govia Ltd - the current franchise operator.

Financial Times

• US transport chief rejects fuel tax riseThe US government will encourage private-sector investment in new ports, railways, airports and bridges but will not raise federal fuel taxes or restructure financing for existing roads, according to the transport secretary.
• Airline losses of $9bn expectedGlobal airlines are expected to make losses of $9bn this year, double the level forecast in March, according to the International Air Transport Association.
• Tube staff prepare to strikeExtra river services and buses will be laid on, and Oyster cards will be accepted on all main line rail services, if a two-day strike called by Underground staff goes ahead from this evening.
• US transport chief rejects fuel tax riseThe US government will encourage private-sector investment in new ports, railways, airports and bridges but will not raise federal fuel taxes or restructure financing for existing roads, according to the transport secretary.

The Guardian

• How green are the airline industry's environmental promises?Emissions growth will be carbon neutral by 2020, says airline trade body, but it rejected developing countries' call for a climate levy
• Eurostar faces rivals for cross-channel routeCross-channel rail passengers will soon be able to travel on a competitor to Eurostar after the government promised to open up the High Speed One line to a new operator.
• Darling to cut public spending, admitting difficult choices lie aheadThe chancellor said the government should make health, education, transport and housing its four spending priorities as it seeks to reduce a budget deficit forecast to balloon to a record £175bn this year.
• BAA urges reforms over government control if it goes bustBAA has urged the government to revise proposals that would give ministers powers over its airports if it went bust, after complaints from creditors who are owed £13.1bn by the Heathrow operator.
• LDV collapses into administrationLDV says it would be a tragedy if £600m investment in new, fuel-efficient vans in recent years went to wasteThe Birmingham-based van maker LDV fell into administration today after teetering on the brink for months when a prospective bidder failed to raise enough money. As many as 3,000 jobs at dealers and suppliers have been put at risk by the failure of the firm, which has already made most of its staff redundant.PricewaterhouseCoopers has been appointed administrator of LDV Group and a parts supplier, Birmingham Pressings. The two firms employ about 850 people at their offices and plant in ...
• Chrysler takeover halted by US courtDisgruntled bondholders argue the government's bail-out treats them unfairly in comparison to other creditors, such as the treasury and auto unionsThe US supreme court tonight ordered a temporary halt to Chrysler's rescue takeover by the Italian carmaker Fiat, in a shock intervention affecting thousands of jobs which casts uncertainty over the Obama administration's broader efforts to bail out Detroit's motor manufacturing industry.In a one-line order, judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg ruled that the sale of Chrysler be
• Volvo wins green car of the yearFamily car trumps futuristic hybrids in What Car? competitionIt may not be a streamlined hybrid, a futuristic electric vehicle or a snazzy biofuel car, but a distinctly boxy diesel Volvo has won What Car? magazine's award for the year's greenest car.A small family car with carbon emissions on a par with Toyota's Prius, the Volvo S40 DRIVe received the award today from London mayor Boris Johnson. Vauxhall's Ampera electric car and US electric car-maker Tesla also received awards.Johnson said:

The Herald

• Business leaders join government-led group to push for high-speed rail linkA Scottish Government-led team of business leaders and council officials has been set up to press the case for a high speed rail link between Scotland and England, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced yesterday.

The Scotsman

• Landmark for tram works as Princes Street is fast trackedTHE first set of rails for Edinburgh's £545 million tram project are expected to be laid this week after being delivered to Princes Street.
• Look, we're making tracks at last in the capital's tram sagaTRAM tracks returned to Princes Street yesterday after a gap of 53 years in the first tangible sign that the capital's new transport network is at last on its way.
• Commuter fears as Tube talks failMillions of commuters and visitors to London are facing travel chaos after talks aimed at averting a 48-hour strike by Tube workers broke down.

The Telegraph

• Airline fares to fall further in recession, says top IATA economistAirline fares could fall for another year as carriers struggle to fill empty seats during the recession, according to Brian Pearce, of the International Air Transport Association.
• BA warns passengers of summer of strikes if costs aren't cut British Airways's chief executive Wilie Walsh has warned passengers face another summer of strikes and chaos if the airline can not win a fight with the unions over cuts at the airline.

Times Online

• Chrysler sale to Fiat held up by ranking of creditors caseThe US Supreme Court was yesterday persuaded to put Chrysler's sale to Fiat on hold, upsetting President Barack Obama's plan to save the carmaker. Richard Mourdock, the Indiana Treasurer, objected to the division of Chrysler's assets because the union, an unsecured creditor, would receive a better settlement than the secured creditors, against US bankruptcy law.

Press Association

• Vow to commuters over rail capacityCommuters have been promised a 10% increase in train capacity after the firm behind Southern services retained its franchise deal.

Highways Agency

• Improvements to official traffic website allows coach crews to check data on the move With some coach firms planning for a particular busy summer, the Highways Agency is promoting its latest journey planning tools to help fleet managers and on-board crew check the road is clear ahead.

Daily Express

• Chrysler's Fiat deal contested by lendersA GROUP of lenders to Chrysler yesterday launched legal action in an attempt to put the brakes on the planned sale of the US car giant to Italy's Fiat.

Transport Briefing

• East London Line phase two design contract awardedTransport for London has awarded Parsons Brinckerhoff a contract to draw up preliminary designs for phase two of the East London Line extension project.
• Scotland creates high speed rail development unitA task force charged with drawing up a fully developed business case for extending high speed rail links between Scotland and England has been set up by the Scottish Government.
• Government buys London and Continental RailwaysHigh Speed 1 rail infrastructure and St Pancras International station have become state-owned with the government buying Channel Tunnel rail link developer London and Continental Railways and assuming the company's multi-billion pound debt.

Birmingham Post

• A41 Warwick Road could become Red RouteThe Warwick Road could be the next road in Birmingham to become a Red Route.

Derby Telegraph

• Train campaigners seeking talks with successor to HoonCAMPAIGNERS in Derby are seeking a meeting with the new Transport Secretary to discuss the future of the city's rail industry following Geoff Hoon's resignation.

London Evening Standard

• BA's American tie-up 'crucial' as industry faces £6bn lossBritish Airways chief executive Willie Walsh today said the case for a tie-up between the UK flag carrier and American Airlines (AA) is "stronger than ever", as the industry braced for $9 billion (£5.67 billion) of losses this year.
• BA to axe thousands more staff in bid to save £300mBritish Airways is to meet union bosses this week to discuss moves to axe thousands more staff
• Commuters facing Tube misery as talks seek to halt strikeTwo million Tube commuters face horrendous journeys getting to work - and home again - if the 48-hour strike goes ahead

The News (Portsmouth)

• Eco officers to take to two wheelsEnvironmental enforcers are going to be hopping on their bikes to stop fly-tippers, dog foulers and graffiti vandals in a bid to become greener.

The York Press

• Disabled groups object to ticket gates proposal DISABLED rail passengers would suffer if ticket barriers are installed at York Station, it has been claimed.

Sunderland Echo

• 100 new Nissan jobsNissan is to take on another 100 workers because of the success of the car scrappage scheme, bosses announced today.

C.N.N.

• NTSB to start hearings on plane's Hudson River landingThe National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday will launch three days of hearings into the circumstances surrounding the US Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on New York's Hudson River.

New Scientist

• Opinion: What the aerospace industry hope didn't cause the AF447 crashAs investigators begin to recover debris from the crash, Paul Marks highlights what would probably be the worst finding for the aircraft manufacturers betting on a carbon fibre future

Transport for London

• Plans released to keep London moving if Tube strike goes ahead The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) have unveiled a raft of extra services as part of a major effort to help Londoners and commuters get around the capital, if a planned 48-hour Tube strike goes ahead this week.

Aviation Industry

• Transport plans consultation deadline extendedThe deadline for responses to a public consultation on the Access from the North and Berryden Corridor Transport proposals has been extended to early July.
• BAA responds to Government consultation on airport regulationBAA has submitted its response to the Department for Transport™s (˜DfT™) consultation proposals in relation to the on-going review of the economic regulation of UK airports...
• Southwest's first officers clearly didn't like proposed contractWe've looked at a breakdown of the voting for a new Southwest Airlines pilots' contract, and it underscores that a lot of first officers didn't like the proposal.
• British Air Chief: American Airlines Deal is CloseThe head of British Airways expects to win government approval this year for a deal with American Airlines that would allow the companies to cooperate on trans-Atlantic flights.
• BAA responds to calls for reform Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0pt; mso-para-margin-right:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow...

Other News Sources

• Commuters facing three-day Tube strike nightmareMillions of Londoners are facing a three-day commuter nightmare of walking to work, taking lengthy bus journeys or paying for taxis as the Tube grinds to a halt.
• Manchester to host European aviation summitManchester Airport is to host a major conference next week which airport chiefs from across Europe are expected to attend.
• Get on your bike for cycle weekGloucestershire County Council is encouraging people to swap four wheels for two in Bike Week, June 13th to 21st.
• Horse tram 24-hour ticket initiativeFor just £5 – the cost of a return ticket – residents and visitors can ride along Douglas promenade as often as they like for a 24 hour period.
• Planes, trains and autos on MP's agendaSPEED cameras, bus stations and fairly-priced train tickets for all – these were some of the topics a panel of Conservative MPs and councillors have been grilled on.
• Extra trains for Brighton commuters promisedLonger trains between Brighton and Victoria and an extra peak time Gatwick Express service have been promised by Southern today.
• Go-Ahead keeps South Central rail franchiseus and train operator Go-Ahead’s Govia joint venture has retained its South Central rail franchise for another five years ten months, it confirmed today.
• FTA says Third transport secretary in year could unsettle freightLeading trade body the Freight Transport Association FTA today welcomed the appointment of Lord Adonis as the Secretary of State for Transport, but warned that continuing political turmoil could weaken government focus on transport issues yet further.
• Tories will back track on tramNOTTS County Council's new leader has insisted she will not backtrack on her pledge to ditch the tram.
• High speed rail linkSpecial team set up to develop business case for cross-border rail improvements.
• Tasmania™s Manx ConnectionWhen the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company purchased its latest Incat-built high speed ferry for service on the Irish Sea it continued a relationship established 22 years ago. In 1987, Incat’s chairman Robert Clifford was invited by naval architects Hart Fenton, acting for then Steam Packet shareholder...
• TOP Ships Fifth Newbuilding VesselTOP Ships Inc. (NASDAQ: TOPS) announced that it has taken delivery of the M/T Britto from SPP Plant & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd of the Republic of Korea.The Britto is the fifth of six 50,000 dwt product / chemical tankers to be delivered within 2009. The Britto has entered into a bareboat time-charter...
• Network Rail launches £2.4m celebratory campaignActor Bernard Hill delivers the voiceover for the £2.4 million advertising campaign promoting Network rail™s upgrade of the West Coast main line.
• London Gatwick Airport responds to government consultation on regulationThis is the first time Gatwick has responded to a major policy consultation affecting its core business separately from BAA. With the sale of the second busiest UK airport ongoing, it makes clear that, while its response represents the views of Gatwick Airport™s management team, the views of a future owner may also need to be taken into consideration...
• New transport secretary 'committed to low carbon future'The UK's new Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, has affirmed his department's commitment to the low carbon vehicle agenda.

News from Europe

• DB Schenker to review British Piggyback freight optionsDB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd announced a review of options for Piggyback rail freight services in Britain in June 8, following independent enquiries from a number of freight customers seeing to cut distribution costs.
• Busiest network sees costs riseSWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways’ 3 011 route-km network is the busiest in the world, with each km of track carrying an average of 92·7 trains a day during 2008, up from 90·8 in 2007. Total train-path km sold by SBB’s infrastructure division reached 158·7 million, up by 2·5% on the year before.

Other Subscription Services

• Stagecoach invests £9M in new green fleet for Europe's most frequent express coach serviceStagecoach announced today that it is investing more than £9m in an entire new fleet of vehicles for its Oxford Tube network, the most frequent express coach service in Europe. The fleet of 26 new Van Hool Astromega double deck coaches – each costing more than £350,000 – is being built in Belgium.
• Safe Bulkers cancels one of two newbuildingsSAFE Bulkers has trimmed its capital expenditure by $12m by cancelling one of its two capesize newbuildings.
• Pirates accept cut-price deal for tug hostagesRELATIVES and friends of 11 Nigerian seafarers held captive by Somali pirates raised more than $150,000 to secure their release.
• IMO approves goal-based shipbuildingGOAL-based ship construction standards for tankers and bulk carriers were approved by the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee.
• FreeSeas inks short-term charters for handysize trioFREESEAS has found short-term takers for three handysize bulkers at $9,000 to $13,400 a day.
• Red faces over Maersk Alabama hijackingTHE capture of the Maersk Alabama was