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

Friday, 08 January 2010

BBC News

• More passengers agree to full-body scan in UK airport trial The full-body scanner on trial at Manchester airport consists of two Tardis-like blue boxes that passengers stand between and produces a ghostly naked image with curves and genitals eerily visible.
• Scilly Isles ferry link scheme 'could founder' A Cornwall MP has said he fears stalled plans to improve ferry links between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland could fail altogether.
• Airport 'faxed about explosives'Dublin Airport authorities were told a man was due to arrive carrying explosives planted on him, Slovakian officials claim.
• Thames airport 'wrong'Plans by London's Mayor to build an airport on an artificial island in the Thames estuary are branded a
• Boeing reports 61% fall in ordersAircraft maker Boeing reports a 61% drop in commercial aircraft orders for 2009 after the recession hit demand.
• Annual car sales near two millionSales of new cars in the UK reached almost two million last year, boosted by the scrappage scheme, official figures show.

Financial Times

• Third Ryanair bid for Aer Lingus 'unlikely'Ryanair says it is 'highly unlikely' to make another offer for Ireland's flag carrier and confirms it is on track to boost its €2.5bn cash pile over the next three years

The Guardian

• Transport delays as UK suffers coldest weather so far Temperature in Altnaharra in Scottish Highlands dips to -21C, almost on par with south pole, as snow causes more disruption
• Eurostar train breaks down in Channel tunnel Passengers stranded in freezing weather after Brussels to London St Pancras train gets stuck
• Bus inquiry going nowhere To change uncompetitive bus practices, the rest of the UK would need to introduce London's expensive model of control

The Herald

• Train door operation row deepens Scotrail was last night on a collision course with union chiefs in an increasingly bitter row over who opens and shuts train doors on a new Glasgow to Edinburgh service.

The Observer

• F1 supremo linked to Saab rescue bidFormula One boss teams up with Luxembourg investment firm to save Swedish carmakerThe billionaire Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has teamed up with a Luxembourg investment firm to launch an eleventh-hour rescue attempt for Saab, the troubled 62-year-old Swedish carmaker which is being wound down by its American owner, General Motors, after eight successive years of losses.Just minutes before a GM deadline of 10pm yesterday for offers, Luxembourg-based Genii Capital announced it was interested in making an offer with Ecclestone for a majority stake in Saab. Other possible bidders include a ...

Daily Express

• ’Aggressive' bus firms to face inquiryBUS companies are braced for a Competition Commission inquiry after a report yesterday found passengers on local routes were suffering from -limited competition.

The Mirror

• Dutch carmaker Spyker bids for SaabDutch exotic carmaker Spyker Cars has made another bid to rescue Swedish car company Saab and buy the troubled brand from General Motors.

Network Rail

• CANNON PLACE DEVELOPMENT IGNITES REDEVELOPMENT AT STATION

Belfast Telegraph

• Travellers provide BA with happy ChristmasBritish Airways enjoyed an encouraging last month of 2009, according to its most recent passenger figures.Related StoriesAirports hit with £400,000 billLocal firms count the cost as the big chill continuesEconomist warns of ‘twilight zone’Car sales buoyed by scrappage offerProperty prices up 1% in the last month
• Airports hit with £400,000 bill Belfast's two airports have forked out more than £400,000 to keep their vital facilities open during the cold snap. Related StoriesFarmers bearing the bruntLocal firms count the cost as the big chill continuesEconomist warns of ‘twilight zone’Car sales buoyed by scrappage offerProperty prices up 1% in the last month

Birmingham Mail

• Grit shortage anger as big freeze continuesMidlanders battled to get into work on treacherously icy roads this week amid rising fears over grit stocks.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• ˜We™ve won fight to get roads fixed™ Campaigners have won a four-year battle to get Bradford Council to adopt roads in Baildon which had become pot-holed and an eyesore.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Plans lodged for Forth hovercraftA HOVERCRAFT service across the Forth has moved a step closer to reality, after plans were lodged for a terminal at Portobello.

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyside transport network hamstrung as big freeze enters day threeMERSEYSIDE was today gripped by a third day of travel chaos as the region’s deep freeze continued.

London Evening Standard

• Gatwick travellers camp out for Night TwoThousands of passengers at Gatwick Airport faced a second day of misery as 134 flights were cancelled

Metro

• Eurostar train breaks down in tunnel againA London-bound Eurostar train broke down in the Channel Tunnel today, just weeks after thousands of passengers were stranded on the high-speed link.

Sheffield Star

• Council leader's fury: 'The buses should have stayed out'SHEFFIELD Council leader Paul Scriven today slammed bus bosses for axing services during the snow - but managers said they did not want to put drivers and passengers at risk.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• It™s Heathrow hell for Scottish passengers as BA reschedules British Airways was under fire last night after cancelling all its flights to and from Aberdeen to concentrate on long-haul services to and from Heathrow instead.

The York Press

• Police hope bike owners in York will register for new cycle database THE police™s latest weapon in the war against cycle crime in York could see thousands of bikes and their owners registered on a police online database.

Doncaster Free Press

• Green light for full body scansDONCASTER'S Robin Hood Airport would welcome the introduction of full body scanners, bosses have said.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Anger as delayed air passengers face parking chargesSome plane passengers have had to pay extra for outstaying their time in short-term airport car parks, including at Luton, even though the airport was shut.

Other Regional Press

• Leicester homeowners renting out driveways to get cash from commutersCould your empty driveway be paved with gold? Homeowners across Leicestershire are undercutting some council car parks and earning thousands...
• Chapelford bus lanes will be limited to 12 hours COUNCIL officers have agreed to limit the operation hours for a new bus lane following complaints from residents.

The Economist

• Travel-payment woes: E-Clear as mudCompany failures raise questions about an unregulated paying agentAIRLINES and package-holiday firms have had a tough time since the credit crunch hit the travel industry in late 2008. Volatile fuel costs and scarce credit have compounded their woes. No wonder a series of companies that relied on high volume and low margins have been forced into administration. The latest victims, in mid-December, were Globespan, in Edinburgh, and Allbury Travel Group in north London. In 2008 XL Leisure Group and Zoom Airlines (which operated between Britain and Canada) went bust. SkyEurope, in Slovakia, faile...

Railnews

• News: New Eurostar crisis as another train fails in Tunnel Eurostar has started an urgent investigation after another train failed in the Channel Tunnel. 236 passengers on a morning service from Brussels were stranded for two hours on Thursday before their train was towed to Ashford. Eurostar is running an emergency service and urging passengers not to travel unless they must.

Railway Gazette

• British high speed rail report delivered UK: The report on options for providing additional rail capacity between London and the West Midlands and proposals for a high-speed rail network was delivered to the Department for Transport on December 31. It has been developed by High Speed Two Ltd, the company set up in January last year to advise the government on options for high speed lines. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis had in fact announced receipt of the HS2 Ltd report on December 30, predicting that 2010 will be 'the year of high-speed rail in the UK'. 'This is an important report which will shape the future of high speed rail ...

Aviation Industry

• Airport provides local kids with essential fire safety skillsGlasgow Airport has agreed to fund a fire safety programme that will teach primary school children about the importance of fire safety awareness.

Green Miscellany

• The Segway: Coming to cycle path near you? The government is considering a change to the law that would allow Electric Personal Vehicles (EPV), such as the Segway, to be used on the roads and cycle paths.read more

Other News Sources

• First Capital Connect Compensation Package Fails To Impress St Albans Commuters A COMPENSATION package for First Capital Connect (FCC) customers who have suffered severe disruption to train services over the last two months has failed to impress commuters. The firm is offering five days' free travel on FCC trains to customers with monthly or longer season tickets.
• Passenger rail traffic opens across Europe, theoreticallyAs of 1 January, rail operators are in theory allowed to open international passenger rail routes in all EU countries, challenging powerful state-run companies such as France's SNCF and Germany's Deutsche Bahn. But few new service offers have been put on the table so far.
• Leeds hopes for green transport system by 2020 Leeds hopes to establish a green transport system by 2020, one newspaper has said.
• Green transport becomes more accessible thanks to new vehicle launches A number of green cars will come on to the market in 2010 as green transport options become more accessible.
• Emergency timetable in place at St Albans City Station AN emergency timetable to cope with the severe weather conditions has been put in place today by First Capital Connect (FCC).
• Rail groups demand better facilities in Sussex Commuters want to see train arrival times, toilets and waiting rooms improved at stations across Sussex.
• White Van Man goes GreenThere are some great deals on offer these days for cars and vans of all sizes, but don't let the initial cost of the vehicle detract from running costs and the environment.
• Cannon place development ignites redevelopment at stationNetwork Rail, the owner and operator of Britains railway infrastructure and Hines, the international property developer today release new images of their Cannon Place development at Londons Cannon Street station.
• Report on Highway Agency™s record on road maintenanceAgency does not know enough about what it is getting for the taxpayers' money, says report
• Tube cost dispute loomsLondon Underground upgrade contractor Tube Lines has vowed to fight PPP Arbiter Chris Bolt™s decision to cap upgrade work on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly Lines between 2010 and 2017 at £4.4bn.
• Icy runways pose problems for airportsUK airports continued to face the threat of closures and suspended flights this week as staff struggled to free runways of ice.
• Car sales buoyed by scrappage offerGood December figures mean the number of new cars sold in 2009 dipped only 6.4% compared with 2008.
• Rail passengers rescued after train breakdownSeventeen rail passengers had to be rescued by on-call firefighters after their train lost power in last night’s heavy snowfall. Retained firefighters were called to the stranded train near to Paddock Wood station, in Beltring Road, just after 8.30pm yesterday (Wednesday). Among the trapped passengers was a 35 year old diabetic man who was suffering from a hypoglycaemic attack. The crews, from Marden and Paddock Wood, liaised with Network Rail operators in an attempt to move the....
• Local buses referred by OFTThe Office of Fair Trading refers UK local bus services, excluding London and Northern Ireland, to the Competition Commission.
• No more concessions over port rates, says ministerPort companies, including Trafford-based Peel Group, have suffered a setback in their efforts to fight a claim for up to £75m in back-dated business rates.
• Eurostar train to be towed from Channel TunnelBosses blame "traction problems" read more

Other Subscription Services

• Network Rail ratchets up property ambitionsNetwork Rail is to shrug off the recession and press ahead with an ambitious programme of property developments designed to release cash to upgrade stations and rail infrastructure.The infraco this...
• Chiltern applies for Evergreen 3 rail works orderChiltern Railways has submitted an application for a Transport and Works Act order that would allow it to spend around £185m as part of the Evergreen 3 project.Following a public inquiry, expected...