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

Thursday, 17 September 2009

BBC News

• Bus causes 'chaos' on narrow lane A new bus service using a narrow lane in Shropshire is causing "chaos" for villagers, a parish council has said.
• New speed limits to beat M4 jams A high-tech system that changes speed limits in response to road conditions is to be introduced on a stretch of the M4 in south Wales hit by congestion.
• Rail line 'should remain public' Unions are being urged to back a motion to keep in public hands a rail franchise taken over by the government after the operator made big losses.
• Bus smartcard scheme rolled out A new smartcard to speed up using public transport in Wales has been launched with concessionary bus pass holders being the first to benefit.
• New zoneless Tube map 'confusing' Removing zones from a new map of the London Underground network has made it "confusing", a passenger watchdog said.
• Calls for scrappage renewalCar firms including Ford and Toyota urge governments to continue their popular car scrappage schemes.

Financial Times

• Fast rail line plans differ on airport access Planning processes for a new, north-south high-speed rail route are too narrowly focused on traditional railway priorities, according to the man largely responsible for devising the route of the UK’s only dedicated high-speed line.
• Northgate looks to recoveryThe van rental company reports that the reduction of its fleets in the UK and Spain has boosted utilisation rates and that residual values for used vehicles have improved since May
• Macquarie Airports reshuffles portfolioAustralian fund agrees to sell stake in Bristol Airport and lift its Copenhagen stake

The Guardian

• Where has my beloved Thames gone?The new map of the London underground hasn't got the river Thames on it. How wrong is that?'What new tube map?
• Greengauge 21 unveils rail plansInfluential campaign group urges planners to be 'bold' as it calls for full high-speed network rather than single lineAn influential campaign group has published the most ambitious “ and expensive “ proposals for a British high-speed rail network that will cost £69bn.The Greengauge 21 organisation, whose members include experienced rail industry engineers and planners, unveiled a 1,500km (900 mile) project today that would run lines up the east and west coasts of Britain, linking London to Glasgow and Edinburgh via Manchester and Leeds.Jim Steer, director of Greengauge 21, said:

The Scotsman

• 'French firm to be axed' in major Edinburgh tram savings drive THE world's biggest tram operator is set to be axed from Edinburgh's troubled project as part of a major cost-cutting drive, The Scotsman can reveal. Transdev, the French company hired to operate the capital's trams more than five years ago, is thought to be on the verge of being ditched as part of a major shake-up of the £500 million project.
• State of roads tops UK's pet hatesBritish people are increasingly dissatisfied with public services, with the state of the nation's roads topping the list of frustrations, a survey has revealed.

The Telegraph

• River Thames cut from London Tube map The London Underground map, considered a classic of British design, has been redrawn to remove the River Thames.

Times Online

• Motorists and air travellers could fit £69bn bill for 200mph rail network The 200mph rail network being considered by the Government would cost the equivalent of £1,000 for every person in Britain, a study has found.The 930 miles of new and upgraded lines would cost £69billion but eventually deliver £3.50 of economic benefits for every £1 invested.
• British Airways' cabin crew urged to ˜hold firm™Union leaders have told British Airways cabin crew to œhold firm against the airline™s attempts to cut their pay and change their contracts. In a message to BA™s 14,000 cabin crew, the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association (BASSA), the union, said that this was was not the time to cut a deal.

Reuters News

• Alstom says consortium wins 5.63 bln rupees contractMUMBAI, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Alstom Projects India Ltd (ABBP.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday the firm, along with consortium partners, won a contract to supply signalling equipment and services to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation.
• Russian Railways to borrow $1.3 bln more in 2009 Russian Railways will borrow an extra $1.3 billion in 2009, most likely via credits rather than bonds, and needs to boost investments in the long-term from the current modest volumes, the railway's chief said on Wednesday.
• BA confirms interest in bmi - reportLONDON (Reuters) - British Airways is interested in rival UK airline bmi and has spoken with bmi's German owner Lufthansa , the UK flag carrier's chief executive told the Evening Standard.

Mail Online

• Down the tube? London Underground dumps river Thames from its 'cluttered' maps

Network Rail

• CITY RUNNING PROPOSED FOR TRAM-TRAIN IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Transport Briefing

• Alstom train launch reveals Crossrail contender Rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has taken the wraps off the UK version of its X'Trapolis train design with which it is bidding to provide new fleets for the expanded Thameslink network and Crossrail.
• High speed rail network unveiled by Greengauge High Speed rail lobby group Greengauge 21 has published a high speed rail strategy for Britain, developed through a work programme funded by its Public Interest Group - a coalition of local authorities, transport agencies and train operators.

Birmingham Post

• Second high-speed rail report favours city centre stationHigh-speed trains from London must run directly into Birmingham city centre, a second influential report on the future transport plan has suggested.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Tories to formally pull tram funding next week Coun Richard Jackson, Notts County Council cabinet member for Transport and Highways, has spoken out before the authority is set to formally withdraw from Net Phase Two next week.
• Nottingham to build 'triangleabout' Nottingham City Council's highway engineers have designed the "triangleabout" – thought to be the first of its kind in the East Midlands – as a cost effective response to overcome the problems caused by two manholes.
• £1.9m pavements boost as Ollerton roundabout shelved PAVEMENTS are set for £1.9m-worth of improvements after a Tory reshuffle of county council transport budgets.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Walk to celebrate car-free day in HampshireA walk is being held to celebrate international Car Free Day.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• MSP calls for early funding to reopen station A north-east MSP has called on the Scottish Government to bring forward funding to reopen Kintore railway station.

The York Press

• Safety drive for over-50 motorists ROAD safety chiefs are stepping up a campaign to help older drivers stay safely on the road in North Yorkshire.

Wales Online

• Why Wales can and must be linked by rail to Heathrow With concerns over global warming and car use high on the political agenda it is time for a direct rail link to be built between Wales and Heathrow, argues Tony Lodge of centre-right think-tank Bow Group

Yorkshire Post

• Unveiled: The £69 billion scheme to bring fast trains to Yorkshire A HIGH-speed train service between Yorkshire and London could be built as part of a multi-billion pound rail network to the north of England.
• Region's economy in line for 250mph rail boost Plans for a "revolutionary" high-speed rail network to the North would bring a 200mph train service to Yorkshire and major benefits for the region's economy. The Northern Way proposal for two high-speed lines, serving both the North West and the North East, would cost nearly £70bn.

The Shields Gazette

• Tory win could scupper £75m yard workFEARS have been raised that a South Tyneside shipyard could lose a £75m defence contract if the Conservatives are elected at the next general election.

Aviation Industry

• Airlines still struggling to fill business, first-class seatsMINNEAPOLIS: Global airline losses are headed for a worse-than-expected US$11 billion this year and it's not clear when lucrative business travel will rebound to pre-recession levels, a trade group said on Tuesday.

Other News Sources

• Distances key to HS2 city choice Representatives from 11 UK cities launched a new lobby group at last week’s High Speed Rail Summit in London, with the hope of influencing government to link their cities to a national high speed network as well as to the wider European system.
• High Speed Rail coalition welcome "Greenguage21 report" HSR UK team in Cardiff welcomes Greengauge21 report into High Speed Rail - HSR UK, the campaign coalition made up of 11 UK cities to support the case for a high speed rail network in the UK, today welcomed the latest report from Greengauge21, Fast Forward: A High-Speed Rail Strategy for Britain.
• Regional support for High Speed Rail Network to drive economic growth In response to the launch of two reports on high speed rail in the UK today the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) are calling on the Government to implement a comprehensive High Speed Rail network to drive economic growth in the Northwest.
• Big Train off to a flying startThe new driver training directive got off to a strong start last weekend with the first of the Big Train Driver CPC events attracting 70 drivers at Warwick University on Saturday for a full day of training.
• Distances key to HS2 city choiceMajor cities have this week been told that they could be excluded from any north-south high speed rail line because they are too close together.
• Government underlines its commitment to CrossrailCrossrail this week received renewed government and political support as international delegates at the 2009 FIDIC conference in London heard how the project was central to the UK™s sustainable public transport strategy.
• Private funds crucial to projectFuture high speed rail funding is likely to be reliant on substantial private investment, politicians said last week.
• Adonis rues West Coast Main LineTransport secretary Lord Adonis last week admitted that the £9bn spent on the West Coast Main Line would have been far better spent on developing a truly high speed line.
• Supply chain hits out at Network Rail™s attitudeMembers of Network Rail™s supply chain have this week slammed the rail infrastructure manager™s claims that it fosters innovation, instead describing the client as inefficient and bureaucratic.
• High Speed Rail: New £69bn network proposedHigh speed rail pressure group Greengauge 21 has unveiled its proposals for high speed rail network - twin routes north from London to Scotland and slightly slower routes west to Cardiff, across the Pennines and from Edinburgh to Newcastle.
• Eurostar expands web contentEurostar is positioning itself as a leading travel portal by increasing online marketing activity and content, including the launch of a European trip planner to help travellers create and share holiday information and itineraries.
• Face-to-face philosophy at centre of Flybe campaignAIRLINESRegional carrier sets sights on gaining larger slice of business travel market. By Branwell Johnson

Other Subscription Services

• European and US shippers agree to disagreeSIDES maintain diplomatic vow of silence on their previously vocal disagreement over the Rotterdam Rules.
• Germany confident Hapag-Lloyd aid will pass EU testGOVERNMENT sources optimistic that carrier™s bid for support will not be derailed following preliminary talks with Brussels.