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

Monday, 14 September 2009

BBC News

• Work starts on M6 hard shoulders Roadworks have begun on two long stretches of the M6 to prepare the motorway to take traffic on its hard shoulder at busy times.
• Disruption as bus drivers strike Bus services in Greater Manchester have been disrupted as drivers stage a second 24-hour strike. Services in Wigan, Bolton and Bury are worst affected by the action by 833 First Group workers in a pay row.
• Speed humps go in road makeover Work on a number of road improvements, including the removal of speed humps, has been started in a Berkshire town in a bid to improve safety.
• 70% 'back rail renationalisation' Most people are in favour of returning the railways to public ownership, with just 23% supporting privatisation, according to a poll.

Financial Times

• Bullet train operator eyes foreign destinationsIf JR Central succeeds in exporting its technology worldwide, Shinkansen bullet trains may become just as much a symbol of California or Abu Dhabi as they are of Japan
• Japanese bullet train group ready to exportJR Central. says it has formed a consulting division to sell the technology, in a move that will increase competition for the TGV system of France's Alstom and Siemens's Velaro
• American Airlines considers stake in JALAmerican Airlines told Japan Airlines it would consider making an equity investment in its Asian ally as part of a sweeping transpacific joint venture agreement between the two carriers.

The Guardian

• Heathrow high flyer to take charge at London Underground The boss of Heathrow Airport is to tackle one of Britain's most demanding transport jobs by taking charge of the London Underground network amid a multibillion pound funding row.

The Scotsman

• Ditch flash £10m road signs, urge Lib Dems THE Scottish Government has faced calls to halt work on a raft of "unnecessary" road signs costing more than £10 million. The multi-variable signs (MVS) flash up a range of messages to drivers – but cost £135,000 each to install.
• 70% want railway back in public sector SEVEN out of ten people are in favour of returning the railways to public ownership, according to a survey of more than 1,000 members of the public for the Rail Maritime and Transport union.

Times Online

• Cargo ships navigate Northeast Passage for the first time It is both a symbol of global warming and a potentially lucrative new trade route between Europe and Asia.
• Staff in carbon footprint trial face £100 fines for high emissionsPeople who emit more than their fair share of carbon emissions are having their pay docked in a trial that could lead to rationing being reintroduced via the workplace after an absence of half a century.

Press Association

• West Midlanders most car dependent People in the West Midlands are most dependent on the car while those in north west England have the best public transport alternatives, a report by the Campaign for Better Transport has revealed.
• Renationalising push for railways Most people are in favour of returning the railways to public ownership, with just 23% supporting continued privatisation, according to a new study.

Network Rail

• TIPTON STATION CLOSES FOR £2.5M UPGRADE

Liverpool Post

• Harry Potter weaves his magic for Mersey hospice Claire House THOUSANDS of pounds paid to Merseytravel to film the latest Harry Potter movie, in the Queensway Tunnel, will be donated to Wirral children’s hospice Claire House.

London Evening Standard

• M4 bus lane 'hardly enforced'

Nottingham Evening Post

• East Midlands scores D- for car dependencyTHE East Midlands has been given a D- on a national scorecard for car dependency. It ranked sixth out of the eight English regions with a score of 53%, with higher percentages meaning people are less dependant.
• Gamston park and ride plans "shelved" PLANS to develop a £2.5m park and ride site at Gamston have been shelved. Newly-elected Tories at Notts County Council will instead look to develop "pocket" park and ride schemes from rural village pubs and community centres.

Yorkshire Post

• Duncan MacKenzie: Put your best foot forward to end tyranny of car transport WOULDN'T it be good to have a proper choice about how we get around? Very few of us want to end up like the US, where people sometimes think there's something wrong with you if you don't drive.
• Poll shows most back railway nationisation Most people are in favour of returning the railways to public ownership, with less than a quarter supporting continued privatisation, according to a new study .

International Herald Tribune

• To Hopeful Makers, the Electric Car’s Time Is HereAfter years of talk and prototypes, some manufacturers believe that the electric vehicle is poised to become more than just a science experiment.

Washington Post

• Car dealers fight slow sales after end of Clunkers YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- As Gene Butman Ford opened its doors Saturday, salesmen outnumbered the shoppers looking at a depleted stock of cars and trucks, and it didn't appear that many customers were ready to buy.

Campaign for Better Transport

• David Thornhill, Nottinghamshire Campaign for Better TransportBut what is David’s motivation to keep campaigning? David believes that transport is an extremely important issue: "A good transport system is key to a socially equitable society, whilst the wrong transport policy is environmentally destructive and adds to climate change.
• Julie Boston and Cat Hobbs - Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways Through focused campaigning, dogged persistence and a good song or two, the members of Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) succeeded in bringing a new train service to the Severn Beach line which has resulted in 40% more people using the line.
• Jenny Lloyd, 20’s PlentyFed up with cars “whizzing” up and down her street, Jenny Lloyd decided to take action and started a campaign for a 20mph speed limit.
• Neil Stapleton, Friends of Walkden Station Neil Stapleton was fed up. Fed up with boarding the train at an unloved, run-down station, and fed up with seeing how that station put many people off using the train altogether. "I'm a great believer in the ecological and social benefits of public transport," Neil says. "It grieved me to see our local station - with such potential to be a brilliant asset to the community - in a sorry state of neglect.
• Dennis Fancett, South East Northumberland Rail User Group Dennis's vision: passengers on the Ashington Blyth & Tyne line The lovely, shiny, well-maintained railway line from Ashington into Newcastle would be the envy of many a town, were it not for one thing: it doesn't carry any passenger trains. Despite its great potential to carry commuters, ease congested roads and regenerate the area, the line carries just a few freight trains a day.
• Victoria Harvey, Bedfordshire campaigner In 2005 the small town of Linslade, Bedfordshire, was the scene of a bitter struggle. Protesters raised banners, blocked trucks and climbed trees in an attempt to stop the building of the Linslade Western Bypass, and two women were arrested for chaining themselves to a digger. One of them was Victoria Harvey.
• Ray Wilkes, West Yorkshire Campaign for Better Transport Ray Wilkes, secretary of West Yorkshire Campaign for Better Transport, became involved in transport campaigning in 1969 when he and fellow campaigners opposed the proposal to build a motorway in the beautiful Airedale Valley. They are still campaigning against similar proposals today. Ray was present at the inaugural meeting of Campaign for Better Transport, then called Transport 2000, in the mid 1970s.
• Who has the best travel options? [PDF Summary Report - Campaign for Better Transport]New research shows car dependency can be cut

Aviation Industry

• United Airlines adds bag fee on some trans-Atlantic routesPassengers flying trans-Atlantic routes will pay $50 for a second bag at the airport or $45 if purchased on the carrier's website.
• American Airlines in talks to invest in Japanese carrierTOKYO: American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines and form a joint venture with the struggling airline, a source said, pitting it against a rival bid from Delta Airlines.

Other News Sources

• West Midlands residents are most dependent on carsThe West Midlands is the area of England most dependent on cars, while the North West is the least, according to a report published today.
• Call to reopen Bideford railway CALLS are being made to get trains back on the track and reopen the old railway line from Bideford to Barnstaple. A recent report from the Association of Train Operators said the line could be re-opened alongside the Tarka Trail at a cost of £80 million.
• KiwiFail - Anyone want to buy a train set?If someone came up with the cash, Transport Minister Steve Joyce is open for discussion on a future sale of KiwiRail.
• Britons Want Return To Public-Owned Railways There is overwhelming support among the public for Britain's railways to be renationalised, a survey has revealed.
• Routes 09: Dubai opens door as foreign anchor baseDubai's airport authorities are open to having a non-home airline as the anchor carrier in the city's new Al-Maktoum International airport.
• Hong Kong Airport August traffic up 2.8%Hong Kong airport's August passenger traffic grew 2.8% year-on-year to 4.3 million. Cargo volume continued to decline, however, dropping 5.2% to 295,000...

News from Europe

• TGV link could prove to be election deciderPortugal’s proposed high-speed TGV rail link with the rest of Europe has emerged as the crucial issue which could decide which party wins the general election later this month.