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

Thursday, 11 February 2010

BBC News

• Costing the Earth - Keep on Trucking [bbci Player]While aviation is often seen as the climate change villain, the transport of freight by road and ship is often ignored. Shipping is a far bigger polluter and seems unlikely to benefit from the investment in technology which airlines have planned.
• Scotland to Northern Ireland gateway on the move Stena Line's intention to leave Stranraer was first signalled in February 2003.
• Oil crunch 'just five years away' Business leaders, including Sir Richard Branson, have criticised ministers for not doing enough to avoid a potential oil crunch and are calling on the next government to take action.
• 'Alcolocks' connected to coachesA breathalyser-style system testing alcohol levels in drivers is introduced by coach firm National Express to its fleet.
• New flights for Edinburgh airportEdinburgh airport is to get its first direct flight to Morocco as well as new services to Portugal and Paris, it has been announced.
• Tour company given Globespan cashA credit card company blamed for FlyGlobespan's collapse used money it withheld to prop up another firm, the BBC discovers.
• School bus firm banned from roadAn Inverurie bus firm is banned from the road after inspectors said its vehicles were among the worst ever seen.
• £200m investment in ferry switchStena Line announces a £200m investment in plans to move its ferry port operations from Stranraer to a new base.
• Airport acts after two collisionsProcedures have been tightened at Manchester Airport after two separate taxiing collisions, a report says.
• Ryanair hangar to create 200 jobsBudget airline Ryanair is to build a second maintenance hangar at Prestwick Airport creating up to 200 new jobs.

Financial Times

• European freight groups chargedSome of Europe's largest freight groups including Panalpina, Kuehne & Nagel and Deutsche Post, which owns express operator DHL, have been charged with price-fixing by...
• BAA tax victory likely to cost £100mThe airport operator's court victory over the tax treatment of takeover costs is likely to end up costing the Exchequer £100m as a swathe of other acquisition targets mount similar claims
• Call to tackle Channel tunnel failuresExtra rescue locomotives should be posted near the Channel tunnel to haul out failed trains to prevent passengers being stranded, a report is set to recommend

The Herald

• Scottish first as hovercraft service is lined up for loch The first hovercraft service across a Scottish loch could be launched before the end of the year.
• Scottish airports worst hit by big freezeThe heavy snow at the beginning of the year caused a dip in passenger numbers at major UK airports with Scotland worst hit.
• Ryanair to build new hanger at Pertwick airportBudget airline Ryanair has announced it is to build a new hangar at Pretwick airport, bringing 200 engineering jobs to the area.

Times Online

• New rail link could be just the ticket at £27.5bnA high-speed rail line from London to Manchester could be delivered at a net cost to the public purse of £27.5 billion, according to a report to be published today by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Reuters News

• High-speed rail could cost £27.5 billion A high-speed rail line between London and Manchester could cost the government 27.5 billion pounds, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Times reported on Thursday.

Daily Record

• Budget airline Ryanair to build new hangar at Prestwick Airport creating 200 jobsBUDGET airline Ryanair today announced it is to build a new hangar at a Scottish airport, bringing 200 engineering jobs to the area.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL AND DERBY COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB TEAM UP TO PROMOTE RAIL SAFETY Derby County Football Club and Network Rail pitched up at Derby station today to launch a joint community safety initiative to tackle antisocial behaviour and railway crime in Derbyshire.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Commuter's one-man battle to ease jam Bradford Council is considering modifications to a busy roundabout proposed by a frustrated motorist.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Plan to bring back trams to North WalesTRAMS could be re-introduced in parts of North Wales to alleviate road congestion and make better use of energy.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram staff return to plug new cracks and potholes in Princes StreetA SECOND patch-up job is set to be carried out on Princes Street after cracks and potholes began appearing in the road surface less than three months after tram works ended.

Manchester Evening News

• Traffic jams dropped since congestion charge rejected Journey times across Greater Manchester have fallen in the year since voters overwhelmingly rejected plans for a congestion charge, new figures have revealed. Figures published by the Department for Transport show people travelled across the region 13 seconds per mile quicker on average in 2008-09 than the previous year. It means journey times have reduced by 5.8 per cent on four years ago.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Moray folk say faulty ticket machines cost them dearFaulty ticket machines on Stagecoach buses have been forcing passengers to fork out extra for their journeys, it emerged yesterday.
• Bus services should get ˜fair crack of the whip™ when new Forth Bridge is createdBUS services should get œa fair crack of the whip when the new Forth Bridge is created, MSPs have been told.
• Amphibious bus regains water wings after breakdownAN AMPHIBIOUS bus that can travel on water and roads completed its trials on a Scottish river yesterday despite suffering a technical problem on Monday.

Peterborough Telegraph

• £45m funding boost for aero engine researchThe Government has announced a £45 million support package to research and develop more fuel-efficient, lower-carbon aero engines at universities including Cambridge.

Railnews

• High Speed rail ’should be funded with public money’ A REPORT which is expected to appear today will say that a domestic High Speed line should be funded by the public purse, and that even a public-private partnership is not suitable. The recommendation come a few weeks ahead of the publication of the Government's own White Paper, which is expected to set out High Speed plans.

Transport for London

• Preliminary work on the Elephant & Castle southern roundabout begins- Works start today ahead of main construction beginning this summer - Roundabout to be converted to a signalled junction by early 2011
• Passengers advised to avoid changing trains at Bank station from MarchTransport for London (TfL) is advising passengers to avoid changing between Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Northern and Central line services at Bank station when the next stage of escalator work starts in March and when it intensifies in May.

Aviation Industry

• BAA traffic commentary, January 2010Poor weather in January adversely affected passenger numbers at BAA airports. The figures also reveal an encouraging improvement in the overall trend, once the disruption has been taken into account...
• 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. [...]
• New jobs pledge as Ryanair expands operations at Prestwick and Edinburgh airportsBUDGET airline Ryanair today announced it is to build a new hangar at a Scottish airport, bringing 200 engineering jobs to the area.
• Flybe to introduce mobile technologyFlybe plans to introduce mobile phone check-in later this year and warned that the tactic of growing revenue through ancillary sales may attract the attention of legislators. read more
• BA launches new First Class cabinBritish Airways today (February 10) unveiled its new First Class cabin on a Boeing 777 flight from Heathrow to Chicago. read more
• London City to resolve queue chaos London City Airport will open two temporary security lanes on February 27. read more

Other News Sources

• Wirral bid for new train stations WIRRAL’S cabinet member for transport is aiming to increase the pressure on Merseytravel to build two new railway stations in the borough.
• £200 million Loch Ryan Port ProjectStena Line investment creates and safeguards 1,400 jobs and strengthens ferry routes.