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

Saturday, 19 September 2009

BBC News

• VW to sponsor Sochi 2014 OlympicsThe Russian arm of Europe's largest carmaker, Volkswagen, signs as a partner for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• Recession RoadThe downturn in images and sounds from along the A1

Financial Times

• Macquarie in showdown over airports pay-outInstitutional investors are gearing up for a confrontation over a $300m cash payment to the Australian investment bank from its airports satellite fund

The Guardian

• Has electric killed the hydrogen car?Have manufacturers looking for a green option decided that hydrogen is just too niche and that electricity is a better bet?It might not be dead, but it's definitely on the sickbed. At the Frankfurt motor show this week, hydrogen cars were notable for their absence and electric vehicles (EVs) conspicuous by their presence. Similarly, at the Low Carbon Vehicle show in the UK last week, it was EVs all the way “ I didn't see a hydrogen car in sight. So what's going on? Have manufacturers looking for a green option decided that hydrogen is just too long-haul and that electricity is a better bet? N...

The Telegraph

• Tortoise crosses M25A tortoise nicknamed Freeway crossed five lanes of London's M25 motorway and survived

Times Online

• James Bowthorpe becomes the fastest cyclist to circle the globeHe has survived an ambush in Iran, a collision with a wombat in Australia, food poisoning in India and tendonitis in both ankles. But the fastest man to pedal around the globe believes it was all worth it.
• The Aptera, a three wheel car, could be the future of US motoring By this time next year, they could be millionaires — or so say the makers of the Aptera 2e, the space-age American successor to the three-wheeled Reliant Regal driven by Derek “Del Boy” Trotter in Only Fools and Horses.
• BA joins consortium in Japan Airlines rescueBritish Airways is understood to have joined Qantas and American Airlines in a three-strong investment consortium bidding to drag Japan Airlines (JAL) back from the brink of financial collapse.

Reuters News

• Electric car plan to get £10 million from UKLONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to lend India's Tata Motors 10 million pounds to develop and make electric vehicles in the UK, the government said on Friday.

Daily Express

• Airlines' backlog clears Rolls-Royce for take off HOPES for a strong recovery in air traffic and aftermarket sales next year as airlines make up for delays in maintenance helped aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce take off yesterday.
• BA battle to keep JAL in flyer allianceBRITISH AIRWAYS is fighting to keep Japan Airlines (JAL) part of its strategically important Oneworld Alliance in the face of attempts to woo it to a rival -global airline partnership.

Daily Record

• Andy Kerr vows to force through Glasgow airport rail linkLABOUR yesterday vowed to get the Glasgow airport rail link back on track.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Bus companies face inquiry over timetablesSIX bus companies which  serve thousands of passengers across North Wales face a public inquiry after an investigation into the running of their routes.
• Customs bust fuel smugglers at HolyheadCUSTOMS officers busted fuel smugglers attempting to bring 27,000 litres of illegal diesel through Holyhead port – the second major haul in a week.

London Evening Standard

• Boris's busk-off 23-year-old wins licence to play on undergroundBusk-off in front of Boris Johnson has given young musician Jamie West a shot at stardom

Manchester Evening News

• Council admits bus lane camera 'error'MANCHESTER council is set to cancel nearly 20,000 fines wrongly issued to motorists caught in bus lanes. Town hall bosses have admitted they did not have the necessary certification from when the cameras were first introduced in October 2006 until they were given approval in May 2007.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Green energy to bring work back to shipyardTHIS former shipyard could soon be alive again as the centre of a global green energy hub.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Congested junction is to be changedPortsmouth's worst traffic light junction is set to undergo major changes in a bid to ease congestion.
• Highland welcome for cycling car teamTHREE car dealership directors cycled into Portsmouth yesterday after swapping horsepower for pedal power on an epic charity cycle ride from Scotland.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Bypass will go ahead “ ministerTransport Minister Stewart Stevenson gave strong assurances last night that the Aberdeen bypass will go ahead, in a bid to allay fears it could be shelved because of budget cuts.

The York Press

• North Yorkshire family to appear in nationwide road safety campaign A NORTH YORKSHIRE family is to star in a nationwide road safety campaign to warn of the dangers of drivers being distracted by young passengers.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds bike thief targeted costly ridesA PROFESSIONAL bicycle thief stole valuable cycles to order, a court was told.

Blackpool Gazette

• Student beaten up for a bicycleA COLLEGE student needed hospital treatment after suffering a savage beating by a gang who stole his mountain bike.
• Shock as 4x4 hits school railingsPRIMARY school children witnessed a road crash as they arrived at school yesterday.
• Ferry crew come to rescue of speedboatTWO men were saved from the River Wyre by the crew of the Fleetwood to Knott End ferry.

Carlisle News & Star

• Princess Alexandra enjoys day with the La™al RattyPrincess Alexandra told Cumbrian youngsters to enjoy themselves on their new £15,000 play area at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway™s Dalegarth Station yesterday.
• Prison term for man who stole valuable bubble car from Cumbrian barnA man who stole a collector™s bubble car from a Cumbrian barn has been sent to prison for a year.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Move to halt speedsters in their tracks Community police have made motorcycle nuisance their Public Enemy No 1 after a resident tackled a biker head-on in the street.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Road-dualling inquiry details to be publishedDetails of a public inquiry into dualling a busy stretch of road in East Anglia are to be published later this month.

Reading Evening Post

• Station car park price hike Rail commuters have reacted angrily after First Great Western announced a 30 per cent hike in parking charges at Reading station.

Sunderland Echo

• Free travel planUnder 19s could be given free bus passes under plans being considered by transport chiefs.

C.N.N.

• Cleaning fluid causes scare at London train stationBritish Transport Police said Saturday they are investigating after a man left a bag containing a corrosive substance at a train station outside London.

International Herald Tribune

• American Seeks Support From Partner Airlines in Talks With JALAmerican Airlines, which is in talks with Japan Airlines, is seeking support from its Oneworld alliance partners, hoping they will help sweeten its offer of fresh capital and closer commercial ties.

Washington Post

• More space business beckons for private transporters CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Sometime in the next six years, astronauts bound for the International Space Station may find themselves strapped inside a private commercial spacecraft known as Dragon.
• American, BA, Qantas in drive to bolster JAL TOKYO (Reuters) - American Airlines will team up with British Airways and Qantas Airways to bolster cash-strapped Japan Airlines, two sources said, aiming to fight off a rival offer from Delta Air Lines.
• Unpaid bills mount for top Chrysler executive DETROIT (Reuters) - One of the best-known auto industry executives in the world has fallen on hard times.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Plans unveiled for A "continental-style" tram-train could be introduced to South Yorkshire under new plans unveiled by the government and rail organisations.According to the proposals, services could operate between Sheffield and Rotherham, utilising an existing freight route and connecting with the Sheffield Supertram network, making them the first of their kind in the UK.Tram-trains use less power than traditional alternatives, accelerate faster, are lighter and produce lower levels of greenhouse gases, making them a more sustainable choice for urban areas.The Department for Transport announc...

Aviation Industry

• New MD appointed at Stansted AirportBAA today announces that David Johnston has been appointed managing director of Stansted Airport, succeeding Stewart Wingate, who has chosen to leave the company to join Connaught plc.
• Bombardier lands plane order for $770-millionRoss Marowits Montreal - Last updated on Thursday, Sep. 17, 2009 05:31PM EDT B ombardier Inc.
• Continental Says Consolidated Revenue Fell in JulyContinental Airlines Inc. said Thursday its consolidated revenue fell 31.2 percent in July.
• BA bids to team up with Japan Air LinesBritish Airways has intervened in the battle between American Airlines and its US rival Delta over the future direction of cash-strapped Japan Air Lines.
• American Seeks Support From Partner Airlines in Talks With JALAmerican Airlines, which is in talks about closer ties with Japan Airlines, is seeking support from its Oneworld alliance partners, including British Airways and Qantas, hoping they will help sweeten its offer of fresh capital and closer commercial ties, people with knowledge of the discussions said Friday.
• Southwest CEO More Hopeful On Securing 2009 ProfitThe head of Southwest Airlines Co. said Friday that he's become more hopeful that the discount carrier can keep its 37-year unbroken profit record, though it still hinges on fuel prices over the next few months.
• Aviation emissions can not grow unchecked - Adonis Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* 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:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow...

Other News Sources

• Agents optimistic despite hard times, reveals Advantage surveyIndependent agents are still optimistic about future business prospects despite the tough trading climate, research from Advantage Travel Centres and Travel...
• Mystery over exact cargo of hijacked Russian ship deepensTHE mystery surrounding the allegedly hijacked cargo ship Arctic Sea has taken a new twist after Spain yesterday refused to allow the vessel into the Canary Island port of Las Palmas, raising fresh co...
• Storm brewing over port expansionIt was the shipping magnate Samuel Cunard who turned Liverpool into the powerhouse of the ocean liner age, when his RMS Britannia first paddled up the Mersey bound for Boston in 1840. Within 100 yea...
• Olympic transportation plan nears completion9/19/2009 It won't be until October before the public has a chance to see fully updated transportation plans for the 2010 Olympics. VANOC's Renee Smith-Valade says the blueprint released in Marc...
• 17 killed, 55 hurt in Pak Punjab bus collisionAttock/Fateh Jhang (Punjab, Pakistan), Sep.18 : At least 17 people were killed while 55 others were wounded in a head-on collision between two passengers buses at the Pindi-Kohat road on Friday.
• Scrappage boosts engine productionFord has boosted its UK engine production to meet the increased demand for new cars as a result of European scrappage programmes.
• Airbus forecasts $3.1tn deliveryAround 25,000 passenger and freighter aircraft worth $3.1tn will be delivered between 2009 and 2028, according to Airbus' Global Market Forecast.
• Weststar still in the race for LDVThe LDV saga took another twist this week as Malaysian company Weststar announced, through its UK-based solicitors, that it is still in the frame to take over the failed van-maker.
• Scottish Government to underwrite Forth crossing bidsCompanies are unlikely to tender for the £1.1bn second Forth road crossing unless the cost of putting their bids together is underwritten by the taxpayer, Scottish Government officials were told in a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
• German ship sinks off AfricaA GERMAN general cargo ship sunk off West Africa today, but all 13 crew were rescued by a Danish bulker.
• International business travel slump eases, airlines sayAirlines are beginning to fill vacant business-class seats in a sign that a slump in cross-border trade is easing. But the European picture is varied and carriers are expected to post their largest losses in 2009, an industry body said on Thursday (17 September).
• Research Shows Support for Used Car Fuel Efficiency Labelling SchemeNew DfT research shows support for developing a used car labelling scheme.
• Investing in British transport Infrastructure to Support Economic Growth - Speech by Sadiq Khan MPWhether we work in local, regional or central government, in rail, roads, buses, freight, or aviation¦. we all share some fundamental challenges over the coming months and years.  We need to be efficient; cut out waste; and make sure that every penny of investment is spent as wisely as possible.
• BIofuels Sustainability: New Version of Scorecard With Six New Social Categories Launched By IDBThe Inter-American Development Bank has released a new version of its Biofuels Sustainability Scorecard, which will enable users to better anticipate the impacts of potential biofuel projects on sensitive issues such as indigenous rights, carbon emissions from land use change, and food security.

Other Subscription Services

• Arctic ice shrinking but transit unlikelySHIPPING experts are dampening enthusiasm for sending vessels through the northeast passage.