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

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

BBC News

• Rail station hope for the town cut in two Devastating floods in Cumbria have caused chaos and destruction across the county - and literally divided one town in two.
• Rail recycling plant planned in Westbury A recycling centre which will reprocess 30,000 tonnes of old railway track is to be built in Wiltshire.
• Public asked how safe they feel at level crossings The public are being asked for their views on how safe they feel when using gate-free railway level crossings.
• Bridge revamp needs lottery cash Lottery cash is being sought to help fund a revamp of Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge.
• Jubilee Line faces more closures Contractors upgrading the Tube's Jubilee Line have asked for six further weekend closures to finish the work.
• City ferry port to be demolished A 24-year-old Hampshire ferry port is to be demolished next year to make way for a new £16m passenger terminal.
• Council seeks hovercraft tenders for Firth of Forth Plans to run a ferry service between Edinburgh and Fife across the Firth of Forth have moved closer to fruition.

Financial Times

• Cosmens pump up pressure on Nat ExpressThe Cosmen family, the bus and rail group's largest shareholder, has increased its holding for the third time in a week ahead of a crucial vote on Friday

The Guardian

• Why Berlin's U-bahn beats the London tube;Why is the Berlin underground/light railway system so much more efficient than London's? There are a number of reasons.

The Independent

• Cosmens pile on more pressure ahead of National Express vote Spain's Cosmen family bought yet another tranche of National Express shares yesterday, upping the pressure on the company's board ahead of Friday's vote on the proposed £360m rights issue.
• East Coast to be back in private hands by 2011 The East Coast Main Line at the centre of the National Express debacle will return to private sector ownership in November 2011, the Government confirmed yesterday.

Times Online

• Saab could be near end of road as sale plan failsThe future of Saab was in doubt last night after General Motors (GM), its American parent, said that a deal to sell the troubled Swedish carmaker had fallen through.

Press Association

• Government-run rail route to go private again The East Coast Main Line, which runs services out of London, will pass back into private hands in November 2011.

Daily Record

• Business leaders blast John Swinney over decision to axe Glasgow Airport Rail LinkBUSINESS leaders yesterday piled more pressure on John Swinney to spare the Glasgow airport rail link from the axe.

ATOC

• Train comapnies respond to East Coast announcementATOC responds to the news that the East Coast line will be back in private ownership in November 2011.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL TO BUILD NEW TEMPORARY STATION TO HELP WORKINGTON FLOOD VICTIMSCumbria rail structures safeExpertise and assistance offered to County Council
• £8M WESTBURY RAIL RECYCLING CENTRE GETS THE GREEN LIGHTNetwork Rail is now gearing up to transform a railway yard in Westbury into one of the biggest track materials recycling hub in the country, as the company receives planning permission from the council.
• WINCHESTER BRIDGES REBUILT IN £71M FREIGHT UPGRADE

Belfast Telegraph

• Growth in passengers keeps bmi soaring against trend BMI is bucking the trend in the aviation industry with 6% growth on its route from Belfast to London. Related StoriesPandemic planning for swine flu crucial, businesses warnedYouth jobless holding back housing marketAirport to open doors on new £6m expansionCalls for probe into music body’s collapseNorthern companies in race for €100,000 award

Edinburgh Evening News

• Railway to go private in 2011 THE east coast main line railway, now effectively under state control, will pass back into private hands in November 2011 under new Government plans.

Journal Live

• High-speed rail link will start in the North says Gordon BrownA NEW high-speed rail link will start in the North and link the country to Europe, the Prime Minister yesterday declared.

London Evening Standard

• New 'intelligent' train which tells passengers where to sitA train which tells passengers where to stand on the platform in order to get a seat could be operating on south London commuter services by 2013.
• Heathrow protesters to barricade homesAnti-aviation activists will help residents around Heathrow airport barricade their homes and resist compulsory purchase orders to block construction of a third runway.
• Fears for Boris's £71m bike hire scheme as Paris taxpayers bail out VelibNew fears about the cost of Boris Johnson's bike-hire plan emerged after Paris was forced to bail out its scheme

Metro

• Ryanair is named worst for familiesRyanair was named the worst 'family' brand yesterday in a list dominated by airlines.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Rail line private again in a year THE East Coast Main Line will pass back into private hands in November 2011. A public sector company – East Coast – took over the key rail route, which runs through Newark, from cash-strapped franchisee National Express earlier this month.
• Cameron's bid to block tram tax CONSERVATIVE party leader David Cameron has called for the workplace parking levy to be scrapped. Mr Cameron has gone further than the Conservatives' previous position, which was to "take a second look" at the levy should the party win the next election.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds's economic 'village' fear over high speed rail route Transport watchdogs in West Yorkshire fear they may be left behind in the race for a high speed rail network.

Yorkshire Post

• East Coast line back in private hands in 2011 THE East Coast main line, now effectively under state control, will pass back into private hands in November 2011 under Government plans announced yesterday.
• MP attacks second-hand train plan MINISTERS have been accused of leaving Yorkshire commuters to travel on overcrowded trains for years before they fob the region off with "hand-me-down" extra carriages.
• £23m bid to fund new rail stations A BID for more than £23m has been submitted to the Government to fund a major programme of work on rail services in West Yorkshire.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Driver shortage causes fresh rail disruptionPassengers on some of the busiest rail routes in the region are suffering fresh disruption because of a shortage of drivers.
• Government-run rail route to go private againThe East Coast Main Line, which runs services in the region, will pass back into private hands in November 2011.

Washington Post

• US Airways defers delivery of 54 aircraft -- US Airways will delay delivery of 54 new Airbus jets until at least 2013 and take other steps to boost its cash reserves until travel demand rebounds.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• UK drivers 'support uninsured vehicle plans'Government proposals to introduce a new charge of keeping a vehicle without insurance are supported by more than two out of three UK drivers (69 per cent).This is according to a new poll by Populus, which revealed that 43 per cent of almost 14,000 respondents felt strongly in favour of the plans.The study, released by the AA during the Association of British Insurers motor conference, also showed that women and older motorists are most likely to back a tougher approach by the government to driving without cover.If approved, the proposal would extend police powers to combat the problem of unins...

Railnews

• News: A new station in a week: Network Rail helps flooded town Network Rail is to build a temporary station which will provide an emergency transport link for the flood-hit Cumbrian Coast. Work is to begin tonight on a new halt with two platforms on the north side of the River Derwent at Workington. It will reconnect the halves of the town which have been cut off by flood damage to foot and road bridges.

Transport for London

• South Croydon station goes green South Croydon station is set to cut electricity use by using solar energy to power new CCTV cameras and lighting - making them 100 per cent national grid free, resulting in 136 per cent of carbon emissions off-set.

Other News Sources

• Rail users demands better services A RAIL route already dogged with overcrowding needs a major improvement in services if it is to meet future demand, a hard-hitting report has said.
• South Essex rail franchise could be sold to new operator RAIL passengers could see major changes if a south Essex rail service is sold to a new company. The Government has announced that the Essex Thameside rail franchise, run as c2c by National Express, will expire in May 2011 and firms will be able to bid for the new contract from summer 2010.
• Anger as London Midland rules out Boxing Day rail service CAMPAIGNERS are calling on a Birmingham-based train company to provide more services for passengers over the Christmas period.
• Letting train take the strain turned out to be too good to be true... HAS First Great Western pulled itself together at last? The signs were hopeful when we boarded the 08.14 from Totnes to Paddington for the annual pre-Christmas expedition to the capital.
• DLR toasts 10 years of the Lewisham extensionDocklands Light Railway (DLR), part of Transport for London (TfL), was recently celebrating the tenth anniversary of its Lewisham extension. The £200m line officially opened on 22 November 1999 and has carried around 80m passengers during its first decade.
• Cash-flow double whammy hits hauliers, says RHAThe fuel duty hike has had a severe impact on smaller hauliers' cash flow during the credit crunch, claims a report put together by the Road Haulage Association for the government.
• Smaller firms to get slice of Stobart workStobart Group has begun trials of a system that will allow regional haulage firms to bid for work from the logistics group's jobs.
• MAN-Scania merger back on the cards?MAN SE has parted company with the chairman of its executive board, HÃ¥kan Samuelsson, in a move that has left industry watchers predicting the alliance with Scania is back on the table.
• Green light for plans to keep passengers moving at West Ham StationThe Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has received planning permission to carry out temporary work at West Ham Station to get it ready for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.