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

Tuesday, 29 December 2009

BBC News

• Metro prosecutes 486 fare dodgers The Tyne and Wear Metro has prosecuted 486 fare dodgers caught by ticket inspectors during December.
• High-speed rail report expectedA new station in central London will be part of plans for a future high-speed rail line linking the capital and West Midlands.
• Eurostar 'ignored safety rules'Eurotunnel accuses Eurostar of ignoring safety rules when evacuating passengers from trains last weekend.
• Glasgow airport plans expansionGlasgow airport announces a £25m expansion plan to improve facilities for passengers over the next two years.
• China rail firm hits stock marketChinese rail firm CNR makes a muted start to stock market trading, rising just 4% on its first day of trade in Shanghai.
• Security fears hit airline sharesShares in major US airlines fall following the alleged bomb plot on board a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas day.

Financial Times

• Chinese high-speed train sets new recordChina streaked ahead of its western and Asian rivals by unveiling the world's fastest long-distance passenger train service
• On track to bridge railway shortageJordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia see the business case for developing neglected transport networks, and are investing in extensive construction programmes
• Review ordered into rail franchising The government is to change the way it hands out rail contracts in the new year, as it fights to restore the system's credibility following the renationalisation of the East Coast mainline

The Guardian

• High-speed rail link could have new central London terminus A new rail terminus could be built in central London under plans submitted to ministers as part of the proposed high-speed rail connection to replace short-haul flights in the UK.

The Herald

• £25 million upgrade planned for Glasgow airportGlasgow Airport has announced plans to spend £25 million on a comprehensive upgrade.
• Delays for passengers as enhanced security checks commence Security upgrades have spelled massive delays for people travelling across the Atlantic in the wake of the failed airline bombing.

The Independent

• Warning over rise in car clamping numbers The number of people holding wheelclamping licences has increased since the Government consulted on ways to control the industry earlier this year, according to the RAC Foundation.

The Telegraph

• Motorists back ’etiquette’ section for driving test [Boxing Day]The driving test should be overhauled to include a new "etiquette" section to nip road rage, middle lane hogging and selfish parking in the bud, a poll has found.
• Bus passengers could carry electronic tags [Boxing Day]Passengers could carry electronic tags to use buses and trains under plans being examined by the Government.
• High-speed rail link faces objection from countryside campaigners Countryside campaigners are preparing to oppose plans for a new 250 MPH high-speed rail link connecting London to Scotland to be unveiled in the New Year.
• Sir Richard Branson: the airline owner on his new war "Carbon is the enemy," says Sir Richard Branson. "Let's attack it in any possible way we can, or many people will die just like in any war."
• Adonis's East Coast snub cost taxpayer almost £80m [Boxing Day]Lord Adonis cost the taxpayer almost £80m by spurning a compromise deal with National Express over the East Coast rail franchise, official documents show.

Times Online

• Airport delays as security is tightened following failed bombing bidThousands of travellers flying to America for the new year face delays, body searches and being confined to their seats for the last hour of their flight under security restrictions imposed after the failed bombing of Northwest flight 253.
• High-speed rail link to rip up finest countrysideA high-speed rail line from London to Scotland will cut through swathes of protected countryside under plans to be handed to ministers this week.
• BA ready to jettison a global first-class serviceBritish Airways is on the verge of abandoning a first-class service on a number of its routes in the face of ever-rising standards of luxury offered by rivals.

Daily Record

• Glasgow Airport to get £25million revamp over next two yearsGLASGOW Airport is to spend £25 million on upgrades and improving access to the site, it was announced today.

The Sun

• Body scans at all Brit airports FULL body scanners are to be installed at all UK airports in the wake of the Detroit bomb plot

Metro

• Airline chaos after plane bomb bidThousands of British air passengers are facing lengthy delays amid security tensions in the wake of the botched Detroit airliner bomb plot.

Blackpool Gazette

• Disruption to Blackpool trainsBLACKPOOL rail users can expect to face disruption on the trains tomorrow “ because of a shortage of conductors.

Washington Post

• Better airport scanners delayed by privacy fears WASHINGTON -- High-tech security scanners that might have prevented the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a jetliner have been installed in only a small number of airports around the world, in large part because of privacy concerns over the way the machines see through clothing.
• District car inspections might have ended, but grief has not The District government is no longer checking to make sure your car's brakes, headlights and turn signals are in safe working order, but that does not mean the biannual rite of trudging down to the inspection station is a thing of the past. Your vehicle still must go through a federally mandated emissions test.
• Republican senator DeMint holds up nomination for TSA chief An alleged attempt to blow up a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas would be all-consuming for the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration -- if there were one.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• 200th taxi sold under scrappage schemeThe government and industry-backed scrappage scheme has led to the sale of the 200th taxi under the initiative.Providing discounts of up to £5,000 off the cost of a new vehicle, the 200th model was purchased by Ian Goulden at dealership Mann & Overton London.Head of the Double K Knowledge School, he traded his old Fairway in for a brand new TX4 London Taxi for the operation in Erith, south London.He praised the retro appearance of the TX4 and its "greener engine", adding: "People always prefer to travel in the instantly recognisable London Taxi; they...

Railnews

• News: War of words breaks out between Eurostar and Eurotunnel Although Eurostar services have returned to normal after the three-day shutdown caused by train failures, a war of words has broken out between Eurotunnel and Eurostar. Eurotunnel is accusing the operator of breaking safety rules, and also says police in Kent made matters worse by imposing ’incomprehensible and interminable checks and controls’.
• News: HS2 proposals to be sent to Government this week The Government is due to receive the first detailed report on future High Speed rail lines in Britain this week, although the full proposals are not expected to be published straight away, to avoid unnecessary planning blight along the possible routes. A new station in London and a route through the Chilterns and along the edge of the Lake District as part of a network linking London with Scotland are expected to be at the heart of the proposals being lodged on Wednesday.

Other News Sources

• Somali pirates seize Yemeni cargo shipSanaa, Dec 29 (IANS) Somali pirates are holding a Yemeni cargo ship with 16 crewmembers on board in the Indian Ocean, officials said Monday.
• High-speed rail plans submittedA huge new station in the heart of London will be proposed in north-south, high-speed rail line plans which will be submitted this week to the Government.
• £107m bill for police rail travelTaxpayers have paid £107 million to give London's police officers free rail travel for the next five years.
• Diana continues bulker huntDIANA Shipping, seen as a likely ˜consolidator™ in the down-cycle, today announced the purchase of a 2004-built Panamax for $35.1M.