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

Saturday, 25 July 2009

BBC News

• Plane evacuated after emergencyA runway at Gatwick had to be closed after an aircraft bound for Cardiff diverts to make an emergency landing.
• Your viewsReaders share their thoughts on road taxes
• US car scrappage scheme unveiledThe US begins its car scrappage scheme, aimed at persuading owners of
• Spanish join National Express bidA major shareholder from Spain teams up with a private equity firm to propose taking over bus and rail firm National Express.

Financial Times

• Porsche offered ousted chief €140mA row over the €50m payoff for Porsche™s ousted chief executive intensified when it emerged that the sports carmaker™s family owners had originally offered Wendelin Wiedeking €140m
• Macquarie severs management links with airports groupThe Australian investment bank severed its management ties with Macquarie Airports in return for 150m new shares in the latest effort to overhaul its stable of listed satellite funds
• Spain's Cosmen family in National Express bidThe Cosmen family has teamed up with CVC, the private equity group, to make a joint takeover bid in a deal that could value the debt-laden transport group at more than £500m
• Eurotunnel suffers as traffic tumbles Company that runs the Channel Tunnel has insisted sales trends continue to run in the company's favour, in spite of a near-halving in revenue

The Guardian

• Takeover bid for National ExpressApproach follows swiftly on from the rejection of an offer from rival FirstGroup, which walked away on Wednesday but could potentially now return to the frayNational Express, the embattled bus and rail company, has received a takeover offer from its largest shareholder, the Cosmen family of Spain, with backing from private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.In a brief statement, CVC confirmed today that it had made an
• Clarkson makes C-word attack on PMThe Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is at the centre of a new controversy after again making offensive comments about the prime minister in front of the BBC2 show's studio audience.Clarkson, who previously had to apologise to Gordon Brown in February after calling him

The Herald

• National Express receives takeover approach from Spanish investorsBeleaguered National Express has received a takeover bid from a Spanish investor and a UK private equity group, prompting speculation about a future break-up of the transport giant.
• Stagecoach 'lining up bid' for National ExpressScottish transport giant Stagecoach is rumoured to be preparing to bid for struggling rival National Express after it confirmed an unnamed suitor was circling the business.

The Independent

• Woman dies after mobility scooter crash An elderly woman pedestrian who was struck by a mobility scooter has died, police said today.

The Scotsman

• PM doesn't get climate issue: aideThe Government's top environmental adviser has accused Gordon Brown of failing to see the importance of the environment and hindering work to prevent climate change.

The Telegraph

• Thieves stealing more expensive carsThe average value of a stolen car has risen as thieves target prestige cars insurance survey has found.
• Bicycle sales boom by 20 per cent Bicycle sales have jumped by 20 per cent as workers take advantage of a tax break scheme according to new figures.

Times Online

• Ryanair™s axing of winter flights from Stansted is met with dismayThe announcement by Ryanair that it is to cut winter services from Stansted has been greeted with dismay in France, where thousands of British homeowners have come to rely on the low-cost airline.
• Travellers are suffering bags of stress at the airport scalesAt Stansted airport, between a luggage shop and a newsagent™s, is a place where the hand-luggage hopes of budget travellers are dashed by the weighing scales of BAA.
• United Airlines gets the blues as Dave Carroll sings another complaintUnited Airlines is bracing itself for another wave of bad publicity as the disgruntled passenger who sang about his broken guitar on YouTube is ready to follow the catchy hit with a second lament. Consumer revenge, it seems, is best served with a video camera and three-part harmonies.
• Gatwick closed as passengers tell of 'hair-raising' emergency landingBritain™s busiest holiday airport was closed to all flights for more than an hour and a half today after a plane was forced to make an emergency landing.
• Briton held in latest French 'bossnapping'A British executive became the latest bossnapping victim in France today when he was held by workers facing redundancy at an air cargo firm.
• Car production down 30% but decline slowingThe decline in car production is slowing, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said this morning, suggesting that the Government™s car scrappage scheme is having some effect.

Daily Express

• Eurotunnel feels heat of fire aftermathCHANNEL TUNNEL operator Eurotunnel has seen a sharp fall in cars and lorries on its shuttle trains, hit by the economic downturn and the effects of last September's fire.

Daily Record

• Exclusive: Grieving dad rages as car crash killer boasts about driving skillsA CALLOUS double-killer driver is looking forward to causing more mayhem on the roads when he gets out of jail.

Mail Online

• The sweet music of revenge: Singer pens YouTube hit after United Airlines breaks his guitar... and shares plunge 10%
• Passengers describe terrifying moment plane made emergency landing at Gatwick after cabin filled with smoke

The Mirror

• PM doesn't get climate issue: aideThe Government's top environmental adviser has accused Gordon Brown of failing to see the importance of the environment and hindering work to prevent climate change.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseytram would be one of the most “commercially successful” schemes in EuropeMERSEYSIDE’S proposed tram line between Liverpool and Kirkby would be one of the most “commercially successful” schemes in Europe, it was claimed today.

London Evening Standard

• Gatwick airport runway shut after emergency landingRunway at Britain's busiest holiday airport was closed after a plane made an emergency landing
• Boris: Bendy buses are on borrowed time

Metro

• Runway shut after emergency landingBritain's busiest holiday airport was closed to all flights after a plane was forced to make an emergency landing.
• PM doesn't get climate issue: aideThe Government's top environmental adviser has accused Gordon Brown of failing to see the importance of the environment and hindering work to prevent climate change.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Blaze wrecks cars at Newcastle Central StationATTEMPTED car thieves started a blaze that wrecked four vehicles. The blundering crooks tried to hot-wire a vehicle parked in Newcastle’s Central Station car park, but sparks caused a neighbouring car, belonging to a hairdresser and loaded with bleach and aerosols, to explode.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Mopeds hauled away in crackdown on teenage speedstersANOTHER moped is piled on to the back of a truck as a police crack down on antisocial young riders gathers pace.
• Pervert bus driver is jailed for child pornA SCHOOL bus driver has been jailed after he was found with a stash of child pornography.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Demand high for isles Sunday ferryDemand for Sunday ferry crossings between the Western Isles and the mainland shows no sign of letting up, with operators Caledonian MacBrayne reporting bookings for crossings on the Sabbath for œmany, many weeks in advance.
• Traffic tailbacks end as Elgin road bridge costing £2.8million opens Months of traffic chaos in Moray came to an end yesterday following a £2.8million bridge replacement in Elgin.
• Ministers are urged to explain trunk road delaysLabour politicians have called for an œurgent statement from Scottish ministers on why vital upgrades to trunk roads in the north are being delayed by several years.

The York Press

• City of York Council unveil plans for new Askham Bar Park&Ride TRANSPORT bosses in York have unveiled plans for the city™s new Park&Ride site, as they try to combat congestion.

Wales Online

• Good news for carmakers in latest production figuresTHERE was some cheer for carmakers yesterday as figures showed that the decline in year- on-year production last month was the smallest so far this year.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds MP's fears over rail carriage cutsMINISTERS have been warned that it would be "totally unacceptable" if they sneak out the announcement of a major cut in the number of new train carriages for Leeds, du

Blackpool Gazette

• Parking charges will drive shoppers awayPLANS to raise car parking fees in Blackpool town centre have been branded as "lacking foresight".

Carlisle News & Star

• Erosion rules relaxed to ease west Cumbria developmentCar parks, cafes and tourist developments could be built in areas of coastal erosion across Cumbria “ as Government consider relaxing a ban.
• Cumbria police hunt thieves behind series of costly bike theftsPolice are hunting thieves behind the theft of a number of expensive mountain bikes in north and west Cumbria.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Train vandals put travellers at riskCorby has become a hotspot for rail vandals, with police getting up to four reports of trespass and stone throwing every week.

The Shields Gazette

• We want public vote on Metro privatisationTRANSPORT campaigners have demanded a public vote over which private firm gets to run the Metro.

Washington Post

• Sweden's Saab posts Q2 drop in profits STOCKHOLM -- Second-quarter profits at Swedish aerospace and defense group Saab AB dropped 14 percent due to weaker demand, project delays and order cancellations, the company said Friday. The figures were not as bad as expected, however, causing shares to rally.
• Toyota to end Calif. joint venture with GM NEW YORK -- Toyota Motor Corp. is moving toward liquidating its stake in a California manufacturing plant that it jointly operated with General Motors, the Japanese automaker said Friday.
• Meltdown 101: The cash for clunkers program WASHINGTON -- Got an old gas guzzler in the garage? Car shoppers can take advantage of new government incentives worth $3,500 to $4,500. Owners can scrap their clunker in exchange for a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle, and lop off thousands of dollars from the sticker price. Congress approved the
• Encouraged by Federal Aid, U.S. Firms Set to Jump-Start an Industry for Electric-Car Batteries The Energy Department is getting ready to hand out about $2 billion in grants to create a domestic industry for electric-car batteries, and 122 companies are scrambling to get pieces.

Aviation Industry

• Flybe diversion to London Gatwick AirportLondon Gatwick Airport confirms that the runway was briefly closed earlier today following an emergency landing by a FlyBe Dash-8 aircraft...
• Flybe Emergency Landing at Gatwick Airport: Airport News An emergency landing has taken place at London Gatwick Airport which forced it into temporary closure. The emergency landing involved an aircraft operated by low-cost UK carrier Flybe, according to the latest information obtained by Airport International. The Flybe flight was not scheduled to land at Gatwick Airport, having taken off earlier in the day from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and due to have touched down at Cardiff International Airport later on. No information has yet been provided on the actual cause of this emergency landing, but it has been reported that none of the passengers...
• British Airways drops OpenSkies Amsterdam-New York routeBritish Airways PLC's premium subsidiary OpenSkies said Friday it is ending its service between Amsterdam and New York after a significant drop in demand, leaving the loss-making carrier running just one route between Paris and New York.
• AF KLM revenues slump 21% Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE /* 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-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif&q...

Other News Sources

• Online booking and added charges fuel airline complaints Airline passengers made more than 12,000 complaints and queries to the UK's Air...
• ABTA urges trade to support ATOL proposal ABTA is urging the trade to support its proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority calling for the extension of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) beyond...
• Audi A5 is the least reliable new carThe most reliable new car is the Honda Accord, while the stylish Audi A5 is most likely to break down, according to the 2009 Which? car survey
• Pay-as-you-go motoring back on the cardsA 'Pay as you drive' scheme is a viable alternative to car tax, MPs are suggesting
• Cheap flights: which are really cheapest?Millions of Britons will fly to Europe this summer? But which airlines really have budget flights. We reveal the extra charges the favourites levy
• Metro contractAlstom Transport has won a contract worth around €110m to supply 48 metro cars for the Brasilia Metro network in Brazil, as well as to modernise its signalling system.
• Rail noise reductionAn innovative system to reduce the noise emissions from railways has been developed by the German company Frenzel-Bau.
• Transport jobs set to fall by 4% in next quarter Recruitment in the transport sector is set to fall by a net 4% in the third quarter of the year, as hauliers and logistics companies report disappointing...
• DfT funding for alternative fuelling stationsCenex has announced that the Department for Transport is to inves £1m in alternative fuelling stations.
• British Airways Launches Online Comparison ToolBritish Airways has launched an online value calculator to help highlight the extra bills charged by no frills airlines
• Crossrail budget met by Transport Innovation FundThe Government™s contribution to Crossrail will be met from the bulk of allocations to the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), it was revealed this week.
• Government urged to detach road charging from TIF fundingMPs have urged the government to justify road user charging in order to fund transport improvements in the future, and suggested removing congestion charging as a condition of schemes receiving Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) cash.
• Car production on road to recovery Car production has fallen again but the decline last month was the smallest so far this year.Related StoriesAirline complaints on the riseElectric rail line project unveiledLatest growth figures due to be releasedMotorists 'mistrust' Government's tax measuresUK recession even worse than feared
• Emergency landing closes Gatwick runway The runway at Britain's busiest holiday airport was closed after a plane made an emergency landing.Related StoriesAirline complaints on the rise
• 'Smile detectors' installed at train station A Tokyo railway company introduces a smile scan for their staff.
• Heathrow Airtrack plans submitted for Transport and Works Act orderBAA has submitted detailed plans for the Heathrow Airtrack rail link to the Secretary of State for Transport. The proposed new rail link will connect Heathrow with the national rail network to the south and west of the airport.
• OpenSkies to suspend Amsterdam-New York routeBritish Airways' all-premium transatlantic carrier OpenSkies is to suspend its Amsterdam-New York service next month.The route - one of two served...
• Delta builds case for substantial 'FOCIS' IT strategyDelta Air Lines is in the process of building a business case for developing an information system that harnesses in-flight connectivity and can be incorporated...
• Panama Canal sees drop in cargoCARGO volumes at the Panama Canal declined during 2Q09, as did use of the booking system, giving a clear indication that global cargo is decreasing.
• Turkish navy nabs piratesTURKISH commandos today captured five suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
• US Congress urges $10 box feeUS CONGRESSMAN James L Oberstar recommended a $10 per teu fee on every container moving through a US port to help address a $140Bn shortfall in transportation funding.
• Commission clears Fiat to buy stake in ChryslerItalian firm has bought 20% of US carmaker; Commission has no competition concerns over deal.
• Ombudsman urges air passenger language provisionEU Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros yesterday (23 July) called on the European Commission to do more to help national supervisory bodies to reduce language barriers for European air passengers experiencing problems.
• Investigating Noise Protection for Thousands - Noise Action Plans England Defra consult on noise action plans for England.
• £2.8bn for Transport in the South West: Government Listens to Region™s AdviceThe South West Strategic Leaders™ Board of Local Authority Leaders heard today (23 July 2009) that the Government has given its support to improve transport in the region by making available up to £2.8bn of funding over the next 10 years.
• New Metrolink line work to start this yearA meeting of the Greater Manchester Integrated Passenger Transport Authority (GMITA) has heard that work on new Metrolink lines to Ashton-under-Lyne and East Didsbury should begin before the end of the year.
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Other Subscription Services

• Turkish navy captures suspected piratesTURKISH naval forces captured five suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden today, after intervening during an attack.
• Idle LNG ships costing owners $50,000 per daySOME of the world’s most expensive vessels remain unemployed off the coast of Khor Fakkan.