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

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

BBC News

• New high-speed rail plan unveiled Network Rail has proposed a new £34bn ($55bn) high-speed railway line linking Scotland and London. The line will go via Birmingham and Manchester, getting passengers from Glasgow to London in just two hours and 16 minutes, the rail firm said.
• Free bus passes for forces plan Members of the armed forces injured in the line of duty could be entitled to a free bus pass under plans to extend the scheme in Wales.
• Bus firm in major Asian contract A County Antrim company has won two multi-million pound contracts to supply buses to Singapore and Hong Kong.
• GM 'still intends to sell Opel'General Motors has told the German government it is still interested in selling European car firm Opel, according to reports.
• High speed railway decision dueNetwork Rail is due to announce its preferred route for a new high speed railway line linking London with the north.

Financial Times

• Network Rail study outlines high-speed rail link findings The 12-month study from Network Rail, the company that runs Britain’s mainline rail network, concluded that extending the link to Heathrow Airport did “not make financial sense” as it reduced the value and benefits of the new line by some £3bn.
• Mayor to voice 'grave doubts' on Tube upgradeBoris Johnson, London's mayor, will today speak out about his

The Herald

• Plan for £34bn high-speed rail link Plans for a £34 billion high-speed London to Scotland rail line have been outlined by Network Rail (NR). With trains travelling at 200mph, journey times to Scotland would be cut to a little over two hours.

The Scotsman

• Unveiling of high-speed rail plansPlans for a possible new high-speed rail line are due to be published by Network Rail (NR).

Times Online

• Network Rail to build £34bn line on West Coast Network Rail outlined plans today for a new high-speed rail line, linking London to Scotland via central Manchester at a cost of £34 billion.
• Brian Souter takes chip fat recipe a step further in Argent Energy dealBrian Souter, the Scottish bus tycoon who founded and runs Stagecoach, has long been a supporter of fuelling buses from chip fat. Now he is putting his money where his mouth is and has bought a stake in a producer of biodiesel from recycled cooking oil.

Press Association

• £34bn line would 'pay for itself' Plans for a £34 billion high-speed London to Scotland rail line have been outlined by Network Rail.
• Unveiling of high-speed rail plans Plans for a possible new high-speed rail line are due to be published by Network Rail (NR). The rail infrastructure company announced last year it would be conducting a strategic review into how to ease capacity problems on the UK's main inter-city routes.

Mail Online

• 'Worst road in Britain' with 100 potholes finally repaired after protest by determined motorists
• Fuel duty hike to add £1.16 to tank of petrol with warnings of further rises by Christmas

The Mirror

• Unveiling of high-speed rail plansPlans for a possible new high-speed rail line are due to be published by Network Rail (NR).

Network Rail

• LONDON TO SCOTLAND BY TRAIN IN JUST TWO HOURS: Network Rail today revealed the results of a detailed investigation into the need for new capacity on Britain's railway network. It concluded that a new 200mph high-speed line to the Midlands, the North West and Scotland, halving travel time to Scotland to just over two hours, was the best option generating almost £55bn of value with a capital construction cost of £34bn.
• NETWORK RAIL TO DELIVER £47m BANK HOLIDAY RAIL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

Transport Briefing

• Network Rail proposes £34bn high speed line Publishing the results of a year-long study looking at the case for investing in new rail capacity, the infraco said a London to Scotland line would have a stronger business case than building a shorter route linking just London, Birmingham and Manchester.
• Rail contractors join forces to win Crossrail work Four of London's leading rail project contractors have teamed up to bid for the major tunnelling contracts to be let as part of the £16 billion Crossrail project.

Belfast Telegraph

• easyJet toasts 25 million passengers for Belfast The 25 millionth passenger carried by easyJet since it opened up in Belfast will today get a present from the airline. Related StoriesSwine flu to hit hardNew era for public transport in NewryEconomy showing signs of recoveryNew green energy dealSecurity staff count cost of SIA licences
• New era for public transport in Newry Newry's long-awaited new railway station will open to the public on September 7 after a £14.6m investment by Translink. Related StoriesBlue-chip firm to join Science ParkSwine flu to hit hardEconomy showing signs of recoveryNew green energy dealSecurity staff count cost of SIA licences

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Blaenau Ffestiniog to Trawsfynydd railway could be reopenedAN abandoned railway in North Wales could be reopened.

Journal Live

• Metro awarded £13m upgrade for Smart ticket machines METRO operators Nexus will today be awarded more than £13m to upgrade ticket machines, paving the way for a smart card system on the network. The £13.4m grant from the Department for Transport will upgrade 225 old ticket machines at all 60 stations so that machines can accept notes and card payments.
• North East public urged to support new Jet2 routesTHE North East public was last night urged to support a string of new routes being launched at the region’s biggest airport.

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool will join planned high-speed railway lineCity MP Louise Ellman – who also chairs the influential Transport Select Committee – told the ECHO: “There’s a spur to Liverpool in the plan – they’ve told me verbally.
• Rail passenger champion hails Merseyrail improvementsA RAIL passenger lobby group has held up Merseyrail as the envy of commuters across the country. It follows the latest punctuality and reliability figures for the network which revealed record performances last month.

Liverpool Post

• Merseyrail sets new record on train punctuality MERSEYRAIL has forged a new record for punctuality. The train operator, which was once dubbed “Miseryrail”, ran 97.3% of services on time in the four weeks up to August 22 – its highest performance level so far.

London Evening Standard

• London to Manchester in an hour in high-speed rail planRail campaigners were today hoping to win support for an 180mph line able to cut journeys between London and Manchester to just over an hour.
• Boris rages at Tube firm as upgrade to Jubilee line causes chaosBoris Johnson reads riot act to private firm causing Tube chaos after 'grave doubts' whether £500 million upgrade will be completed by Christmas

Manchester Evening News

• Network Rail unveils £34bn high speed trains plan A POSSIBLE new high-speed rail line between London and Scotland, would run up the west coast via Manchester and Warrington, under plans outlined by Network Rail. If the £34bn scheme comes to fruition, it could cut Manchester to London journey times down to just an hour and six minutes.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle Airport in focus after flights boostThe region’s biggest airport was yesterday boosted by the news that low-cost carrier Jet2.com is to offer services to five new locations, generating 450 jobs ADAM JUPP reports

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Call for average speed cameras to be tested on ˜notorious™ roadCommunity leaders are calling for average speed cameras to be tested on a œnotorious north-east road.

The York Press

• Boost for Copmanthorpe bus services AN AXED bus service linking residents on the outskirts of York with the city centre could be on the verge of being revived.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds: D-day for 200mph rail link A NEW high-speed rail line from London to Scotland should NOT pass through Leeds, transport chiefs said today.
• Leeds: Fears grow on D-day for 200mph rail linkLeeds was today anxiously awaiting an announcement which could deal a blow to its hopes of joining the UK's high-speed rail revolution.

Yorkshire Post

• Greg Mulholland: Rail franchise system hits the buffers AS one of the many regular travellers on the East Coast main line, over recent months I have witnessed the increasingly despondent mood of the beleaguered staff.

Sunderland Echo

• Road row victory after 30-year fightIt has taken four deaths and a campaign spanning three decades, but Sunderland's longest running road row has finally ended.

International Herald Tribune

• Airlines Are Sweetening Frequent-Flier ProgramsAirlines are again turning more attention to customers who travel most often, increasingly offering them incentives like double-mile awards.

Transport for London

• Mayor and TfL challenge Tube Lines to deliverMayor brands delays to upgrade 'unacceptable' but LU PPP Report shows improvements on former Metronet lines.

Aviation Industry

• Stansted shirts recycled for Help for HeroesOld BAA uniform shirts are being recycled into cosy quilts for injured British servicemen and women.
• Southampton Airport supports Monkey World in lemur rehomingA female ring-tailed lemur was welcomed at Southampton Airport on her way to be rehomed at Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset.
• Local swimming club makes a big splash after airport donationA swimming club has received a much-needed cash boost from Edinburgh Airport.
• Why Should My Airport Baggage Handling System Use Emulation?This article describes the difference in implementing a baggage handling system without and with using emulation.

Other News Sources

• Warrington on board for high speed train line LONDON could be just one hour away from Warrington thanks to a new high speed rail line. Network Rail has announced its preferred route for the new train line and Warrington is just one of eight locations where stations will be located from London to Scotland.
• Warrington on board for high speed train line LONDON could be just one hour away from Warrington thanks to a new high speed rail line. Network Rail has announced its preferred route for the new train line and Warrington is just one of eight locations where stations will be located from London to Scotland.
• Manchester chosen as preferred route for high-speed rail link Network Rail has chosen Manchester and the West Coast Mail line as its preferred route for the new high speed rail link between London and Scotland. The owner and operator of Britain's railway infrastructure has this morning unveiled the results of a study into the new 200mph high speed line, which it said would halve the time that it takes to travel between London and Scotland to just two hours. It will also link Manchester to the capital in just over an hour (1 hr 6 mins).
• High-speed rail blow to East Yorkshire Businesses and passengers in Hull and the East Riding are reeling from the news a high-speed rail link will run on the west coast.
• Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce calls for more spending on regional transport A BUSINESS group in Huddersfield has renewed calls for more spending on Yorkshire’s transport systems. The call from the Lockwood-based Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce follows a recommendation from an influential committee of MPs for the Government to close the transport funding gap between London and the regions.
• Eurostar’s 100 Millionth traveller will depart London - 09H00 to Paris 28 Aug Eurostar, the high-speed provider of carbon neutral journeys between the UK and the continent, will be carrying over 140,000 travellers this August Bank Holiday weekend. One of the passengers will be the lucky 100 millionth Eurostar traveller who will journey on the 09h00 service from St Pancras International to Paris (via Lille) on Friday 28 August.
• Plan for Lancashire to London by rail in just over an hour A HIGH speed rail link which would cut journey times between Lancashire and London to just over an an hour has been proposed by transport chiefs. Network Rail's study has found that a new 200mph high speed line to the Midlands, North West and Scotland was the best way of meeting future demand.
• Plan for Lancashire to London by rail in just over an hour A HIGH speed rail link which would cut journey times between Lancashire and London to just over an an hour has been proposed by transport chiefs. Network Rail's study has found that a new 200mph high speed line to the Midlands, North West and Scotland was the best way of meeting future demand.
• St Pancras launches magazine as part of campaign to promote station as a retail destination The company said the free magazine, St. P, takes the forms of a glossy lifestyle title, which will provide information about the station, its retailers, fashion and health and beauty. It will be published twice a year and will be distributed in the station, local retailers and in tourist offices. It will be accompanied by a Christmas gift edition.
• Plan for high-speed rail line Plans for a £34 billion high-speed rail line through the North West have been outlined by Network Rail.
• Network Rail reveals strategy for more train seats Network Rail has revealed a new far-reaching strategy to provide more train seats and services to boost capacity and shorten journey times for Luton commuters. The East Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) draft for consultation sets out how Network Rail will deliver a railway capable of meeting growing demand for rail services over the next 10 years.
• Manchester high speed rail link route revealed by Network Rail Plans for a £34 billion high-speed London to Scotland rail line were outlined today by Network Rail With trains travelling at 200mph, journey times to Scotland would be cut to a little over two hours. The line would run from central London, via Birmingham, Manchester, Warrington, Liverpool and Preston to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
• Passengers surf to work on i-Commute bus AUSTRALIA'S first commuter bus that allows passengers to surf the internet has been launched in Adelaide.
• Public to get answers over £20m high-speed Gosport - Fareham bus route Concerned residents are being given the chance to meet the contractor that will build a £20m high-speed bus route between Gosport and Fareham.
• Holiday weekend of delays on the trains Passengers travelling to London Euston from Wolverhampton or Birmingham New Street this weekend will be diverted on to buses between Coventry and Northampton on Saturday and Sunday as Network Rail carries out routine maintenance work. And most Virgin Trains services will also start and end at Birmingham International.
• Balfour to build Texas tollwayBalfour Beatty Infrastructure has been selected by the North Texas Tollway Authority to work on a £252m design-build road project in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
• Chemical catalyst boosts fuel cellsA fuel-cell technology that relies mostly on a chemical instead of platinum as a catalyst has demonstrated a continuous power output of over 600W.
• RHA says industry mustn't blame hauliers for passing on fuel riseThe Road Haulage Association (RHA) has urged hauliers to raise their rates in the face of the third increase in fuel duty in nine months - and received backing from the industry as a result.
• Wincanton buys £1m worth of new tractorsWincanton has bought more than £1m worth of new tractor units to use on its HJ Heinz and Adidas contracts.
• Fleet cut after three public inquiries in three yearsA third public inquiry in three years, which focused on vehicle maintenance, has resulted in the O-licence held by Morpeth-based T Henderson Transport being cut from 12 vehicles and 20 trailers to eight vehicles and 14 trailers.
• Colas Rail / Morgan Est joint venture selected for Network Rail™s £1bn frameworkJoint venture partners Colas Rail and Morgan Est have been appointed to Network Rail™s £1bn Multi-Asset Enhancement five-year framework.
• Mayor slams 'unacceptable' Tube Lines progressLondon Mayor Boris Johnson has slammed tube upgrade contractor Tube Lines for: œunacceptable progress on its upgrade of the Jubilee Line, and expressed doubt that the upgrade will be completed by the end of December.
• Government to appoint Chief Adviser on ConstructionThe Government has announced it plans to appoint a three-day per week Chief Adviser to Government on Construction.
• Four join to pounce on Crossrail tunnelling workBalfour Beatty, Beton- und Monierbau, Morgan Est and VINCI Construction have formed a joint venture company specifically to bid for the prestigious Crossrail tunnelling contracts.
• Maersk Line Promotes HarrissMaersk Line, Limited (MLL) announced that Dave Harriss has been promoted to Director, Ship Management and Chartering. Harriss officially assumed the position on August 11. He will be responsible for all trade and chartering of MLL’s tanker and multi-purpose ships. Harriss will work with commercial...
• Network Rail unveil high speed plans Network Rail are set to unveil their vision for high speed rail use in the UK, as well as what it will cost.Related StoriesSchools called on to help lower uniform costs'Cash for bangers' benefits industryPlease enter your Huckleberry FinnRBS to cap staff pension risesAverage family £9 better off a week
• Bombardier looks to avoid Boeing mistakes through early CSeries testsHoping to avoid repeating the mistakes of other manufacturers of new-design aircraft Bombardier is putting its first CSeries fuselage test barrel through...
• EU publishes list of airlines for emissions tradingThe European Commission last week (22 August) published a list of nearly 4,000 commercial carriers which will have to participate in the EU's emissions trading scheme from 2012.
• Electric cars: On the road to greener transport?Significant progress has been made in developing electric cars, but critics complain that the distance these vehicles can cover is still too short and much work is needed to prepare electricity infrastructure for radical change.
• Europe's air quality improving, data showsAlthough levels of major air pollutants continued to decline in the EU in 2007, the residential and road transport sectors are becoming increasingly significant sources of pollution, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said on Friday (21 August).
• Unveiling of high-speed rail plansUnveiling of high-speed rail plans
• 95% favour face-to-face meetingsNew BA survey backs travel  read more
• BA hopeful of ATI go ahead this year$8bn enterprise planned read more
• US airfares sink to lowest since 2005Premium travel slumps in past year read more

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