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

Tuesday, 09 February 2010

BBC News

• New railway station for Belford About £1.5m is to be spent on the rail infrastructure in Northumberland which will include the construction of a new station.
• Unused flights cost taxpayer £70k Seven government departments have lost almost £70,000 in five years after booking flights which were never used.
• Protest against school bus cutsParents from a secondary school in Renfrewshire stage a protest march over plans to cut school buses.
• Toyota makes mass recall of PriusToyota recalls thousands of Prius cars in Japan because of braking problems, in the latest blow to the world's largest carmaker.

Financial Times

• JAL to stay with American AirlinesJapan Airlines has decided to maintain its business partnership with American Airlines, spurning an offer by American rival Delta to defect to the latter's SkyTeam alliance

The Herald

• Plans for Flying Scotsman rail service in doubtDoubts have emerged over the viability of introducing a Flying Scotsman express train service between Edinburgh and London due to likely clashes with other operators.
• Amfibus breaks down during Renfrew Ferry crossing trialThe floating bus which could replace the axed Renfrew Ferry broke down less than an hour after testing on the River Clyde began.
• Forth road bridge objections raisedGovernment plans for a new Forth road bridge will swamp neighbouring villages with traffic, drive up accident rates and create œunacceptable rises in greenhouse gas emissions, objectors have claimed.
• Revealed: Garl rescue offer turned down by SwinneyFinance Secretary John Swinney rejected an offer by Network Rail to salvage the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (Garl) immediately after the prestige project was cancelled last September, The Herald has learned.

The Telegraph

• Toyota offers UK Prius owners brake software upgrade Up to 7,000 Toyota Prius drivers in Britain are to be offered a software upgrade to their cars following complaints over the braking system.
• Dame Vera Lynn aghast at Dover sale plans It is the song with which Dame Vera Lynn will always be associated, but the Forces' sweetheart tells Mandrake that she will have little appetite for singing The White Cliffs of Dover if the port is sold off to foreign investors.
• Air accident investigators demand repairs to aircraft televisions Seat back television sets on Boeing 777s should be fixed more securely to prevent them injuring passengers following a crash landing, investigators have found.

Times Online

• Glasgow's amphibious bus breaks down on first voyageAn amphibious bus that can travel on water and roads was grounded yesterday, less than an hour after it took to the water.
• Japanese company admits faking safety reports on seats it made for 32 airlinesA Japanese company admitted last night that it had falsified data after its seats, used by dozens of international airlines, failed safety tests. It is understood that about 150,000 suspect seats made by Koito Industries have been installed in 1,000 Boeing and Airbus aircraft owned by 32 carriers in 24 countries.
• Lexus hybrid steered into Toyota™s suspect-brake recallThe recall crisis at Toyota has spread to the Lexus, the carmaker™s luxury marque, as its hybrid model is set to join the third-generation Prius on recall because of brake-system faults.
• Glasgow's amphibious bus breaks down on first voyageAn amphibious bus that can travel on water and roads was grounded yesterday, less than an hour after it took to the water.

Daily Express

• Varsity nears maiden flightA NEW airline set up by an entrepreneur dubbed

Daily Record

• Amphibious bus intended to replace Renfrew Ferry abandons River Clyde trials after just an hourAN AMPHIBIOUS bus that can travel on water and roads has been grounded - less than an hour after taking to the water.

Network Rail

• TRANSFORMATION OF SWANSEA STATION UNVEILED

Birmingham Post

• Severe delays on Birmingham New Street to London train routeCommuters have been warned to expect severe delays on trains travelling between Birmingham New Street and London Euston.

Bolton News

• VOTE: Chronic overcrowding on Bolton’s trains 'may never be tackled' CHRONIC overcrowding on Bolton’s trains may never be tackled, transport chiefs admitted last night.

Journal Live

• Tories prepared to put National Express back on trackFAILED East Coast rail operator National Express could be allowed to run more trains under a Conservative government.

London Evening Standard

• We won’t build second runway, say owners of Gatwick airportGatwick’s new owners have ruled out at a second runway for at least another decade, it was revealed
• Snow and big freeze leaves London with a £100m repair billLondon taxpayers face a £100million bill to repair and maintain roads following extensive damage caused by one of the coldest winters on record
• Prius models to be recalled in new Toyota alert over brakesToyota dealers in Britain are braced for a second consumer alert in less than a week with thousands of cars of the latest Prius model expected to be recalled tomorrow
• Fast rail link would ’cancel need for Heathrow extension’Landmark report on high-speed rail includes modelling for a revolutionary network without a third runway at Heathrow

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Speed limits to be cut on residential streetsLIFE’S about to slow down on scores of streets as lower speed limits are slapped on residential roads.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Tories won't oppose workplace parking levy NOTTINGHAM'S workplace parking levy will go ahead regardless of whether the Tories or Labour win power at the General Election.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• 757 Pool in Wharfedale to Leeds bus service axed People living in a Leeds village fear they could be cut off from the city centre when their bus service is axed in April.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Overhead wire damage causes delaysPassengers on one of Britain's busiest rail routes were enduring travel misery after damage to overhead wires between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire caused lengthy delays.

Transport for London

• London Buses seeks your views on proposed changes to route S3 in Cheam Park FarmLondon Buses is seeking the views of the local community on a proposed change to route S3 to better serve Kimpton Industrial Park in North Cheam.

Aviation Industry

• Plans to tackle airport noise a sham, say campaignersPRESS RELEASE 08.02.10 Airport ˜noise action plans™ will fail to tackle impacts on local communities, a study by environmental campaigners has found. European laws designed to help protect communities from noise impacts now demand large airports “ as well as roads, railways and built-up areas “ to draw up ˜action plans™ for tackling their noise pollution. [...]
• 2009 loss predicted for Finnair Finnair has warned it expects to report an overall loss for 2009, after the group's turnover fell by 18.5% to €1.838m. read more

Other News Sources

• Hendon MP calls for greater powers to look at problems on Thameslink lineTHE MP for Hendon has called for a new Bill set to give greater scrutiny powers to local councils to let them look at the activities of companies like First Capital Connect.
• Capital gain for rail passengers Passengers are set to benefit from hourly train services between Lincoln and London, the new timetable shows.
• London Gatwick™s construction partners praised for site safetyLondon Gatwick Airport™s two main construction partners, Taylor Woodrow and Costain, have been highly praised by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, following a recent audit...
• Wi-fi access on Norwich to London trainsRail passengers travelling between Norwich and London will at last have access to Wi-Fi connections on their trains after a £546,000 deal was struck to provide it.