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

Monday, 17 August 2009

BBC News

• Two extra rail services to London Rail company Grand Central has introduced two extra services from the north east of England to London.
• Call to limit taxi drivers' hours Road safety charity Brake is calling on the government to limit the number of hours taxi drivers are allowed to work before they take a proper break.
• Village bus service to continue An isolated West Yorkshire village is to retain its three-days-a-week bus service thanks to funding from Metro.
• Drug-driving campaign is launched An advertising campaign warning of the risks of driving after taking drugs is being launched in England and Wales. A TV ad will warn motorists that police can spot signs someone is under the influence of drugs if they are stopped.

Financial Times

• AP Moller-Maersk faces core concernAP Moller-Maersk's recent management changes will grab the attention on Friday , but investors will also want to hear about the Danish shipping conglomerate's...

The Guardian

• Airport expansion will not help Bristol [letter]We work in non-governmental organisations and business, both in the south-west and nationally, and we are deeply concerned about Bristol International Airport's (BIA) plans to grow by 60% by 2019.
• High-speed rail strategy not so green, report says Study argues that building and operating London-Manchester rail network will generate more CO2 than air route A government-commissioned report has raised doubts over the green credentials of high-speed rail by warning that a new 300kph (185mph) London to Manchester line could be less environmentally friendly than the same air route.
• A transport tax would get us moving We should take a leaf out of France's book and ask employers to help rehabilitate our ailing transport system

The Herald

• Greener, faster – rail’s £1bn vision for the future Scotland's railways will undergo a "step change" under a £1bn package of enhancements agreed by ministers which will usher in greener, faster and more attractive services in the Central Belt, rail analysts claim.

Times Online

• Network Rail in talks over major revampProposals for a radical shake-up of Network Rail are to be thrashed out at meetings between Rick Haythornthwaite, the chairman, and its members over two days of meetings next month.

Birmingham Post

• Race is on for Birmingham's high-speed rail line Eurostar and Virgin Trains both want to run direct trains from Birmingham to Europe on the Government’s proposed high-speed rail line.
• Eurostar and Virgin on Britain's high speed rail future As Sir David Rowland’s team of railway researchers devise a plan for Britain’s high speed rail future, reporter Paul Bradley spoke to two of the big players bidding to run services on the line. Here’s what Eurostar and Virgin Trains had to say for themselves.

Derby Telegraph

• Transport head gets new role THE head of transportation at Derby City Council has been appointed to a role in Stoke.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Escalating tram costs put the squeeze on Lothian Buses LOTHIAN Buses faces an uncertain future after council bosses confirmed plans to borrow against the firm's profits and plug a £90 million tram funding gap.
• Tram firm to bid for new Forth crossing contract Bilfinger Berger, the firm at the centre of Edinburgh's tram row, is said to be lining up a bid to build the new £2 billion Forth crossing.

Metro

• Bank holiday rail mayhem looms Hundreds of miles of rail routes will be closed over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, forcing thousands of passengers on to replacement bus services.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Tram extension will damage lives [letter]Most disconcerting about the Tram Phase 2 go-ahead is the lack of any apparent thought at this time of rejoicing by the City Council, the Evening Post and others of the pro-tram brigade, to the imminent effects on the ordinary citizens living throughout the areas of the two extensions and to the business people whose livelihoods are to be totally disrupted or even destroyed.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Rail link could help return of air services A proposed multibillion-pound high-speed rail link between London and Scotland’s central belt could benefit the campaign for the return of air services between Inverness and Heathrow, according to a Highland Council transport chief.

This Is Local London Network

• Mitcham's Eastfields station declared a success Mitcham’s Eastfields station has been heralded as a success on the anniversary of its opening. An unprecedented number of users and more than £500,000 worth of ticket sales has been recorded by rail operators Southern and First Capital Connect. In its first 12 months, more than 125,000 journeys were made to and from the station.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Stobart unveils new Spain-UK intermodal rail serviceStobart Rail has launched new intermodal services between Valencia in Spain and the UK in conjunction with DB Schenker Rail.The company, a unit of Stobart Group, said that shared multi-client trains would travel via the Channel Tunnel offering customers temperature controlled transportation.The service utilises road and rail assets to deliver cargo "from the pack-house to the store", potentially improving shelf life and reducing waste.Intended to provide clients with a "commercially sustainable door-to-door solution" for the export of fresh product, Stobart ...

Other News Sources

• Japanese engineering firms target mega-rail projects in U.S., BrazilJapanese engineering firms are throwing down a challenge to their foreign rivals, as environmental issues force governments to reassess the importance of their rail networks and major contracts go up for grabs.
• New York orders flywheel energy storageUSA: Long Island Rail Road is to use carbon fibre flywheels to store energy regenerated during braking for reuse when trains accelerate, helping to lower energy consumption and reduce the peak power demand which can impose high power supply costs on rail operators.
• Final Class 395 docks in Southampton The ship carrying the last of 29 Hitachi Class 395 electric multiple-units for High Speed 1 domestic services arrived in the Port of Southampton on August 16.
• High-speed train trials expanded to more of county More passengers in Kent are set to experience the new high-speed rail service to London St Pancras ahead of its launch in December.
• Bus cuts announced for Accrington and Oswaldtwisle A SERIES of new bus cuts have been announced in a move that will hit Saturday services across Hyndburn.
• Manchester bids for flagship cycle centres and cycle hire Manchester has bid for £29 million cash from the UK government's Sustainable Travel City fund. The proposals include building five 'flagship cycle centres' as well as increased cycle parking and a cycle hire scheme.
• Grand Central starts fourth train to King's Cross Sunderland's rail operator Grand Central started its fourth service to King's Cross today. Managing director Tom Clift said: "We are very excited about the extra trains." The company has leased two 10-year-old Class 180 trains for the fourth service and has spent the last few months preparing and testing the new rolling stock and training crews
• Politics Update: FTA makes toll call The Freight Transport Association has called on Government ministers to cut tolls on the Severn bridge, following the freezing of tolls on the Humber bridge. Using the Severn bridge costs significantly more than any other UK toll bridge for all types of vehicle except the largest HGVs.
• Outrage at airport rebranding Heritage campaigners have branded a move to rename the city’s airport London Oxford as “insulting”. Bosses at the airport have decided on the change in a bid to attract more business flights and private jets.
• Put tax brakes on bikes for kids, says HalfordsHalfords has appointed parliamentary lobbying firm Grayling to ask MPs to support its proposed VAT reduction to five per cent on children's bikes
• Hong Kong Airport July traffic down 9.5%Hong Kong airport's traffic fell further in July and it warns that it will take some time before traffic returns to the level it was before the global economic...

News from Europe

• NS paid too much for high-speed rail track Dutch Rail (NS) paid much too much to operate the high-speed train line between Amsterdam and Paris when it bid for the contract nine years ago, the Telegraaf reports on Monday.
• State to fund cycle parking facilities (ROI)MINISTER FOR Transport Noel Dempsey is to provide almost €500,000 for cycle parking facilities in schools and businesses including €120,000 to 30 private companies.