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

Thursday, 24 September 2009

BBC News

• Bus CCTV could predict assaults CCTV security systems could soon spot an assault on a bus before it happens, according to a major research project.
• Japan Airlines requests bail-out Loss-making carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) has asked for a government bail-out to help it survive.
• Bid for new £25m railway station Plans for a £25m railway station in Cambridge have been put forward as part of a £500m bid to the government to overhaul the city's transport system.
• Road tax axed......But road tolls in. Liberal Democrat policies at-a-glance

Financial Times

• Britain questions viability of Opel planLord Mandelson, Britain™s business secretary, said Magna™s restructuring blueprint for Opel was too expensive and too punitive of productive plants
• Maersk appoints non-Dane as CFOThe appointment of Trond Westlie, a Norwegian, is the latest sign of how radically Denmark's biggest company is changing under Nils Andersen, its first externally appointed chief executive
• Shipping groups back trading schemeA group of shipping companies unveiled their first serious plan for a global trading carbon trading system for the industry yesterday but failed to set a long-term...
• Ryanair chief an unlikely ally for Brussels' causeMichael O'Leary's comments about the European Commission are normally peppered with expletives, writes John Murray Brown in Dublin . But the chief executive of...
• Call for airport security to be relaxedQueues at security desks could be halved immediately if European governments stopped dragging their heels over the use of new scanning technology, Smiths' chief claims
• SNCF outlines freight division rescueThe French state-owned rail group is to invest €1bn to 2015 in redesigning its freight business as the company unveiled its sixth rescue plan for its heavily loss-making goods transport arm
• NatExpress offer deadline extended againSpanish-led consortium has been given another two weeks to assess the financial health of the UK bus and rail operator before it makes a formal bid for the transport group
• Asian ship lines face threat of seizureContainer lines are not expected to make a full recovery until 2012 in the face of surplus vessels and shrinking cargo demand
• Tube talks reach an impasse on costs Long-running talks between London Underground and Tube Lines over a dispute on future costs have broken down

The Guardian

• Boris Johnson: his transport adviser insists the WEZ will go in 2010 Those whispers I was getting that TfL were discussing delaying the abolition of the WEZ have been grown into a roar by the Standard:
• London Underground contractor will not meet target for Jubilee line upgrade The troubled public-private partnership (PPP) programme to revamp the London Underground network has been dealt a blow after Tube Lines, its last remaining contractor, admitted that it will miss the deadline for upgrading one of the system's busiest routes.

The Scotsman

• City faces backlash from public over trams THE number of Edinburgh residents who think the council is doing a good job has plunged as city chiefs face a backlash over the embattled tram project.

The Telegraph

• BA/AA tie-up hits regulator turbulence The top two US transport chiefs have been forced to rule themselves out of the decision on whether to grant British Airways anti-trust immunity for a tie-up with American Airlines because of fears over impartiality.

Times Online

• National Express bidder set to win new deadline The deadline for Spain's Cosmen family to make a formal offer for National Express, the coach operator, is expected to be extended as a potential £765 million deal draws closer.

Press Association

• Call to reinstate planned rail link First Minister Alex Salmond is facing a demand from Glasgow council leader Steve Purcell to reinstate a planned rail link between the airport and city centre.

The Mirror

• Why road tax is just a licence to steal our moneyLicence to steal all our money

Network Rail

• BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR PADDINGTON COMMUTERS AS WORK TO RESTORE HIDDEN ROOF BEGINS

Transport Briefing

• Official launch for Swansea Ftrmetro bus system First Group chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead has joined senior figures from City and County of Swansea and the Welsh Assembly Government to officially launch the Ftrmetro project.
• Weymouth 2012 bus package procurement restarted Dorset County Council is facing a scramble to complete transport improvements promised for the 2012 Olympics in time for sailing events to be held in Weymouth.
• Humped station tunnels to keep Crossrail cool Crossrail stations in central London are to be built to a 'humped' design in an effort to cut operating costs and keep passengers cool.

Bristol Live

• 'Congestion threatens Bristol's recovery from recession' Bristol's long-term recovery from the recession will be hampered by the city's clogged streets and poor public transport system, business leaders claim.

Derby Telegraph

• Train station's passenger lounge really is first class RAIL passengers got a taste of the high life after being invited into Derby station's new first class lounge for its official opening. Commuters joined Derby County chief executive Tom Glick and East Midlands Trains staff for

Journal Live

• Air passengers set for triple hit with aviation duty hikeAIR passengers will be hit with a triple whammy if the Government presses ahead with plans to hike aviation taxes.

Liverpool Echo

• Vauxhal Ellesmere Port union officers travel to Europe for talks UNION leaders from Ellesmere Port’s Vauxhall plant have held talks with prospective new owner Magna.
• Mersey tidal power a step closer with £22m boostTHE prospect of a tidal power scheme on the Mersey Estuary has moved a step closer with the launch of a feasibility study into plans – and a new £22m fund to support marine renewable energy.

London Evening Standard

• Flight-on-the-wall writer reveals secret stories of HeathrowIt is more than just a shopping and eating opportunity. Up to 90 million passengers pass through its gates each year and almost 70,000 people are employed there, making Heathrow Airport a place of diverse and contrasting human experiences.
• This C-charge mess is getting London nowhere [Ken Livingstone]Like everything else, public transport is affected by recession. That is why I planned ahead and ensured London's transport system had large financial reserves to cope with such a situation.
• Hundreds flee in Eurostar panic as live cable collapsesPassengers disembarking a Eurostar train were forced to flee in terror as a live overhead cable fell inches from them.
• Boris Johnson shelves plan to scrap C-charge Plans to scrap the western extension of the congestion charge zone have been delayed by up to a year Boris Johnson admitted today.

Manchester Evening News

• Transport authority 'could be scrapped' THE transport authority for Greater Manchester could be scrapped under plans to streamline decision-making. The 33-member body has wide-ranging powers over public transport, including the Metrolink tram system and bus network.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Tories looking ditch tram line one contract NOTTS County Council was today set to try to sever all its links with the local tram network. The council's ruling Tory group promised to pull out of the authority's commitment to build lines two and three of the tram system to Clifton and Chilwell before it took power at county hall earlier this year.

Sheffield Telegraph

• 'Sort the jams or we'll find someone who can' TRANSPORT and highways officers in Sheffield are being warned to step up a gear - or risk seeing a private company being brought in to do the job.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Three-point action plan for upgrading A82Two of Scotland™s most influential transport organisations have lodged a three-point action plan for upgrading the west coast™s main artery.

The York Press

• York transport bosses insist Car Free Day was a success TRANSPORT bosses in York insist the city™s first Car Free Day was a success, claiming queues were shorter than usual and Park&Ride usage was up.

Blackpool Gazette

• Shut station and we lose our livelihoodsTRADERS say closing Blackpool South station could sound the death knell for local businesses.

Carlisle News & Star

• High speed trains must stop in Cumbria, says Carlisle MPCarlisle MP Eric Martlew is leading a campaign to get a high-speed rail-link to stop in Cumbria.

The Shields Gazette

• Campaigners' gag protest at Metro meetingCAMPAIGNERS for Keep Metro Public are to wear gags outside a key transport meeting.

Transport for London

• TfL calls on PPP Arbiter to set a fair price for Tube Lines contractProgress made to agree Tube Lines future work programme, however Tube Lines' costs remain 'unacceptably high' in some areas.
• London's rail chief receives major awardIan Brown, the Managing Director of Transport for London's (TfL) London Rail directorate and Chairman of Docklands Light Railway received an award for making 'an outstanding personal contribution to the rail industry' at London's National Rail Awards.

Aviation Industry

• Jet2.com Launches Two New Routes Direct from EdinburghLeading low fare airline, Jet2.com, has today (23rd September) announced the launch of two brand new routes direct from Edinburgh Airport for summer 2010 to the stunning holiday hot spots of Dubrovnik and Faro...
• Officials say money for smaller airports warrantedLocal officials are taking exception to growing criticism of federal funding for general aviation airports like Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
• Southwest Airlines to cut out lemons to reduce costsSouthwest Airlines plans to cut out lemons in an effort to hold down costs, according to WLS-TV in Chicago.

Other News Sources

• Cyclist manifesto on track for London super cycle highways CYCLING enthusiasts have drawn up a 'wish list' of things they want when London Mayor Boris Johnson launches his 'cycle superhighways' for London.
• Number of bus passengers continues to rise The number of people using buses around Norwich has risen by 4pc following the signing of a pioneering agreement between bus company First and local councils. The bus firm signed an agreement with Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council just under two years ago, agreeing to invest £28m in measures to improve reliability, bus frequency and vehicle quality.
• Hilson Moran to design M&E for £174m Wolverhampton Interchange Scheme The news comes after the Department for Transport earmarked a further £13 million of the £24 million required for phase one of the major regeneration scheme.
• Humped station tunnels to keep Crossrail cool Crossrail stations in central London are to be built to a 'humped' design in an effort to cut operating costs and keep passengers cool.
• Formby station to have new cycle storage facilities for passengers FORMBY station is one of many Northern Line stations to offer secure bicycle storage facilities as part of a £1m initiative. The money was awarded by Cycling England following a successful bid by Merseyrail and Merseytravel.
• Merseytravel launches investigation after Birkenhead and Wallasey tunnels are hit by £86,000 fake coin scam THE Mersey tunnels have been hit by a £86,000 fake coin scam. Tunnels operator Merseytravel has launched an investigation after a mountain of bogus £1 pieces were found in the cash collection system
• Help me ban first class rail Fuming university lecturer Kerry Renshaw has launched a petition calling for First Great Western to abolish first class tickets on journeys to London.
• Lafarge rail project wins awardLafarge Cement has won an award for its £20m rail infrastructure programme at its Hope Works in Derbyshire.
• Plans for £10m railway station revamp AMBITIOUS PLANS have been drawn up for a £10 million-plus redevelopment project which would transform Dundee’s railway station.
• Calls for rail upgrade HEREFORDSHIRE Council is backing calls for the railway line between Ledbury and Hereford to be upgraded by making it twin-track.
• Calls for rail upgrade HEREFORDSHIRE Council is backing calls for the railway line between Ledbury and Hereford to be upgraded by making it twin-track.
• Bus link is the only option on the rails PEOPLE should put the idea of a rail link connecting Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport and Portsmouth out of their heads, according to a Hampshire County Council boss.
• Awards chance for EYMS bus bosses EAST Yorkshire Motor Services, the transport company which runs Bridlington's bus services, is up for three national awards.
• Comfortable rail travelFuture high-speed trains in the UK could offer passengers more space and comfort with a new design from Alstom.
• Low-carbon vehicle trialsMore than 100 ultra-low-carbon vehicles will begin year trials across the West Midlands in December 2009 after receiving a £2.5m regional development agency grant.
• 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.
• London Underground seeks closure on Tube LinesLondon Underground has appealed to the PPP Arbiter, Chirs Bolt, to find a final figure for the work Tube Lines will undertake to upgrade the Northern, Jubilee and Victoria lines up to 2017, saying costs are: œUnacceptably high.
• Glasgow Airport Rail Link scrapped amid spiralling costsThe £210M Glasgow Airport Rail Link was this week scrapped by the Scottish Government amid soaring project costs and increasing pressure on the government to rein in public spending.
• Failed Forth bidders can reclaim costsContractors this week welcomed Transport Scotland™s proposal to reimburse bidding costs for firms competing for the contract to build the £2.3bn Forth Replacement Crossing.
• DfT steps into Network Rail supplier rowA senior Department for Transport (DfT) official this week stepped into the row between Network Rail and piling specialist Screwfast over the track operator™s procurement policies.
• Manchester named airport of the yearManchester Airport has been named and#8220;airport of the yearand#8221; at the Travel Trade Gazette Awards, which is voted for by travel agents and independent industry observers.

News from Europe

• Europeans Went Car-FreeAhhh Brussels, known for its chocolate, beer, action-hero Jean-Claude Van Damme and now car-free days. Brussels is one of 2,000-plus European cities that went carless at least one day this week to celebrate European Mobility Week.