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

Friday, 19 June 2009

BBC News

• Public money 'wasted on railways'Spending more money on roads not rail would get much better value for the taxpayer, motoring body the RAC says.
• BA union backs pay cut for pilotsPilots at British Airways have been asked by their own trade union negotiators to accept a pay cut and work longer hours.

Financial Times

• Wizz Air signs deal for 50 Airbus jetsAs part of its drive to become the leading budget airline in Europe, Wizz Air has placed an order for 50 short-haul jets from European aircraft maker Airbus
• High-speed train on debut runLord Adonis admits on return trip between London St Pancras and Ashford that construction of any new high-speed line will require substantial public funding

The Scotsman

• Cap that! Transport chiefs 'turning kids into propaganda tool' for tramsTRANSPORT leaders in Edinburgh have been accused of using "propaganda" tactics to promote the controversial trams project to primary pupils via a £10,000 baseball caps giveaway.
• On the road to a greener Scotland by 2050ROADS full of electric cars, a massive increase in wind farms and homes heated using renewable fuels must all be the norm by 2050 if Scotland is to meet its ambitious climate change targets, according to a new report.

The Telegraph

• Video: First ride on the new high speed rail lineThe UK's first domestic highspeed rail line has been unveiled with trains reaching speeds of up to 140mph.

Times Online

• High-speed rail line will cost taxpayers £8bn, admits Lord AdonisTaxpayers face a bill of at least £8 billion for a new 200mph railway line from London to Manchester after the Government admitted for the first time that the service would require a huge public subsidy.
• Luton Airport to charge £1 to drop-off passengersLuton Airport will begin charging drivers £1 to drop-off passengers from July 1.
• Britain's fastest train: you'd spill your coffee (if you could buy one)It was not possible to carry out the coffee-spillage test as Britain™s fastest domestic train shot through the Kent countryside at 140mph.

Daily Express

• National Express gets reprieveNATIONAL EXPRESS, the rail and bus group, has gained a six-month breathing space from its banks to renegotiate the financial commitments on its east coast rail service with the Government.

Mail Online

• Rail rivals taking aim at Eurostar High-speed train operator Eurostar is facing a key 12 months that could bring as many opportunities as pitfalls. From January next year, the European Union is changing the rules to allow greater competition on the European rail network.

Network Rail

• END OF THE LINE FOR CENTRAL STATION LOITERING
• JOBSEEKERS IN LINE FOR SIXTEEN NEW RAILWAY ROLES
• SOUTH SUB LINE PREPARES FOR SUMMER MODERNISATION

Belfast Telegraph

• Ryanair workers face jobs axe Around 100 Ryanair workers are set to lose their jobs after the airline announced cuts to its winter services from Shannon and Dublin airports yesterday Related StoriesBA pilots get shares and a pay cutMortgage lending falls by 2%Bombardier wins new deal for eight aircraftGo south for work partners, Ulster firms toldFour house-hunters chasing every property

Edinburgh Evening News

• Airport ready for departure lounge arrivalTHE first phase of a £40 million project to extend the terminal building at Edinburgh Airport will open to the public in November, it was announced today.
• Lothian to wheel out pram-friendly bus fleet for cityA FLEET of 24 "pram-friendly" buses are set to be introduced on some of the city's busiest routes. Lothian Buses will be replacing all the buses on the 22 route, which serves Leith Walk and Princes Street, this autumn with the new design, which has space for a pram or buggy as well as a wheelchair.

London Evening Standard

• Britain's fastest commuter train makes maiden journeyTHE country's fastest commuter train made its public debut today, travelling at 140mph between St Pancras International and Ashford.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Thousands take up free bus offerREADERS have been taking advantage of a Post offer in their thousands. Since June 10 the Post has teamed up with Nottingham City Transport to offer two days' free bus travel, worth £6, to readers who collect three coupons printed in the paper.
• Off beaten track [leeter]It just goes to show how weak the fanatics' argument for a tram in Nottingham is, and how tiny the local support for it, when they have to drag in James Harkins, Managing Director of Light Rail (UK) Ltd, from Warrington, all the way over in Cheshire, to make highly insulting personal attacks on me (Tory policy mad, Your Views, June 13).
• Richard Jackson: Transport and HighwaysCIVIL engineer Richard Jackson is ditching his day job as a car sales manager to take up his new role at County Hall. Transport and Highways, arguably the highest profile cabinet position, will see him dealing with tram issues, roads and public transport.

Sheffield Star

• Campaign to reopen tunnel on right trackALKS have been held about how to press ahead with a campaign to reopen the railway through the Woodhead Tunnel. Sheffield Hillsborough MP Angela Smith gave a presentation to regional development officers and representatives of Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.
• Station bridge row goes to Transport SecretaryNEW Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has confirmed he is personally involved in trying to solve the Sheffield station ticket barrier row. Lord Adonis told MPs his department is exploring ways of reopening a route through the station for people who do not have rail tickets.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Transport minister hails pedal power in MorayMoray has been held up for other councils to emulate as an example of how to encourage cycling. The praise for the north-east council was made by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson when he was challenged on the Scottish Government’s commitment to boosting the use of bikes.
• Transport group to focus on £140m city square plansTransport chiefs are to launch a study into the opportunities that could be created by Sir Ian Wood’s vision to transform Aberdeen city centre. The region’s transport partnership, Nestrans, has been asked to make an initial assessment of the impact of the plans to raise the level of Union Terrace Gardens and the Denburn Valley to street level to create a new civic square.
• Move to give Oban better rail serviceA transport agency is fighting to bring better rail services to Oban “ a town it says suffers the poorest service in Scotland in terms of frequency.
• MSP hits out at Skye bus fares ˜disgrace™A Highland MSP has highlighted a œdisgraceful disparity in bus fares, depending on whether passengers cross the Skye Bridge.
• Hydrogen filling station a Scots firstThe north-east is poised to become the first part of Scotland to embrace the new generation of eco-cars after plans to develop Scotland™s first hydrogen filling station were put forward last night.
• Fuel costs rises bring jobs warningThe average price of petrol in Scotland rose by more than 5p a litre in the last month “ the second-highest monthly increase yet.

The York Press

• Price of railcards cut for Selby™s older residents and the disabled OLDER residents of Selby district and disabled people living in the area are now able to pay significantly less for a railcard, which entitles them to a third off train fares.

This Is Local London Network

• Bus passenger numbers soarBus passenger numbers in Hertfordshire are at their highest levels for 20 years, with 35 million passenger journeys made last year.

Wales Online

• Wales ’faces 15-year wait for super-fast trains’RAIL passengers in Wales will have to wait more than a decade before they can enjoy high-speed 140mph services, an industry watchdog said yesterday.
• Cardiff Airport may be left behind in Bristol’s wakePLANS to expand Bristol International Airport could leave rival Cardiff Airport further behind as the two terminals battle for passengers, a transport expert warned yesterday.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Metro hands lifeline to Leeds bus routesTransport chiefs have stepped in to save a number of under-threat bus services in Leeds. First, the city's biggest bus operator, wants to slash several key routes from next month.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Town's station could re-openA railway station axed by Dr Beeching could be re-opened.
• At last, potholes are being filledRoad surfaces are starting to get better in Corby after a long campaign to get potholes repaired.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Eland's Rail Telecoms Cables Get NR Seal of Approval Eland Cables now has more Network Rail approved rail telecoms cables than any other rail cable supplier. That's the message from the Eland rail team, which is celebrating after securing full product acceptance on Armoured Copper Trackside and Copper Trackside Cable. The NR/PR/TEL/00015 approval (formerly RT/E/PS/00015), awarded on 28 May 2009, covers 32 variants of 0.63mm and 0.9mm PE and Armoured PE Copper Trackside Cables (from two-pair to 100-Pair). This complements Eland's already extensive range of Network Rail approved railway cables, including signalling cables, MV cables,...

Railnews

• News: Transport Secretary helps launch domestic passenger ’preview’ services on high speed line NEWLY appointed transport secretary Lord Adonis today travelled in the cab of the first train with ’Bullet train technology’ to carry domestic service passengers at 140 mph on Britain’s high speed line - just over a week before the launch of ’preview’ services on the route.

Aviation Industry

• 2012 Olympics may see Tube mobile coverageCommunications minister Lord Carter has put the idea of mobile coverage on the London Underground back on the government agenda, only months after it was revealed that a planned Tube mobile trial had been shelved indefinitely.
• Better transport Olympic legacy priorityA better transport system is the legacy Londoners most want to see from the 2012 Olympics, according to a survey released today by London Councils.
• Stansted Airport response to G2 public inquiry update
• Edinburgh Airport terminal extension takes shape - Scottish secratary visits site of £40m developmentEdinburgh Airport will mark a crucial milestone today with a visit from Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy MP to the site of its new multi-million pound terminal extension
• Destination Coded Vehicle (DCV) SystemsDestination Coded Vehicle (DCV) systems meet the increasing needs of airports for fast baggage transport over longer distances.
• Electric Mobility, The Filling Station of the FutureThe RWE Group and APCOA Autoparking GmbH are entering into a partnership in the area of electric mobility.

Other News Sources

• MP Catches The Bus ComplaintsBUS giant Stagecoach is being urged take more care of its elderly passengers. MP Sandra Osborne wants a better service for OAPs getting a raw deal after cuts on their routes.
• VIRGIN’S PLEDGE TO REVAMP CARLISLE RAIL STATIONVirgin Trains is pledging to spend money restoring Carlisle’s historic Citadel railway station if it wins an extension to its West Coast franchise.
• Rail improvements revealedRail customers on the Norwich to London Liverpool Street line are to be quizzed on plans to increase the number of carriages and the option of faster trains at peak times.
• Could 'intelligent transport' transform Cambridge?With the Cambridgeshire Transport Commission currently holding public hearings to gauge local views on plans to reduce congestion – the next meeting is on June 25th* – Cambridge Network members are offered the opportunity to find out more about ’intelligent transport’ at a unique event in London on July 1st.
• Heathrow invites car owners to pick and mix their partnersBAA has upgraded its successful Heathrow Commuter carshare scheme, the largest in Europe
• OpenSkies misses first year targetsOpenSkies, the British Airways all-premium class carrier will continue despite missing first year financial targets, its boss pledged.
• 80% of corporates using travel alternatives moreA new survey has found that 79.2% of companies are making more use of conferences calls, Webex and other alternatives to travel since the recession hit businesses.

News from Europe

• Work on the Alicante AVE starts at the end of the yearThe high speed train line to Madrid will be operational in 2012 Work to bring the AVE high speed train line to Alicante in 2012 is to start at the end of this year.
• Final OK on high-speed train only after electionsThe Portuguese government will likely only take a final decision on advancing with planned high-speed rail links to Spain in October, after scheduled legislative elections, Public Works Minister Mário Lino said Tuesday.
• Lufthansa challenged over fare surchargesGerman airline's selective surcharge causes anger.
• EU airports pledge to cut CO2 to zeroThirty-one European airports including Paris Charles de Gaulle launched a joint programme yesterday (16 June) to cut their carbon dioxide emissions to zero, airports body ACI Europe said.
• Europe split over best way forward for traffic systemsCountries including the UK are resisting efforts by the European Commission to impose an EU-wide framework for intelligent traffic systems
• Commission outlines vision for future of transport The European Commission yesterday (17 June) presented its vision for an integrated, technology-led and user-friendly sustainable transport system after 2010. But environmental NGOs complained that the vision failed to place sufficient emphasis on managing demand and neglected to put sustainability at the heart of future policies.
• German-Danish Bridge Plan Stokes ConcernsSeen alternately as a technical marvel or potential money pit, a proposed 12-mile bridge across the Baltic also is raising big environmental worries
• Airbus signs order for 50 jets with Wizz AirAirbus says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Central and Eastern European low-cost carrier Wizz Air for the sale of 50 A320 single aisle jets.

Other Subscription Services

• Box trade faces $25bn black hole warns DrewryDREWRY revises 2009 minus 5.3% teu forecast throughput to minus 10.3%, with minimal growth in 2010.
• Hapag Lloyd French staff up in arms over lay off termsHAPAG Lloyd has run into a new dispute over the terms it has offered for making 40 of its 170 employees in France redundant.