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

Friday, 19 February 2010

BBC News

• Union loses legal battle with BA The union Unite has failed in a High Court action against British Airways to try to overturn changes brought in by the airline last year.
• Tories deny playing politics over high-speed rail plan Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers has denied "playing politics" over the construction of a high-speed rail link from London to the Midlands.
• Network Rail chief's doubts over airport rail link The head of Network Rail has said the business case for building the Glasgow Airport Rail Link no longer stacks up.
• Welsh air route firm 'optimistic'The firm operating the Anglesey-Cardiff air route, Highland Airways, says it has signed an agreement that will help push forward talks with an investor.
• Bid for 'safe' track for cyclistsA cycling club which lost four members in a road crash hopes to secure funding for a track to provide a safe place to practise.
• Strike 'will not affect trains'Rail bosses claim they will be able to operate at least
• BA flight in 'near miss with UFO'A "near miss" between a UFO and an aircraft approaching Manchester Airport was investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority, newly released files claim.
• Business doubt over airport linkThe head of Network Rail says the business case for building the Glasgow Airport Rail Link no longer stacks up.
• Third SPT expense row resignationScotland's largest transport authority is hit by a third resignation amid an ongoing row over expenses.
• Qantas to shed first class seatsQantas Airways says it is cutting first class accommodation from all but a few of its routes after profits drop by 72%.
• Hangar onRyanair takes on Irish government over airport jobs
• Toyota boss to go before CongressToyota president says he will testify to US politicians next week about the carmaker's giant global recall programme.

Financial Times

• EasyJet adopts new pay policy despite anger from investorsEasyjJet joined the growing ranks of companies to have angered investors over pay when it pushed through its executive remuneration policy yesterday despite...
• Iata study shows fall in air crashes Last year there was one accident for every 1.4m flights, the second-lowest level in history
• Qantas to cut more first-class cabinsQantas will axe more first class cabins and reconfigure its fleet to meet the challenge of sharply reduced demand for premium seats, as it reported a 72 per cent plunge in first half profits
• Adonis rebukes London mayor over TubeIn a sharply worded reply to the mayor's request for more funds to improve three lines, the transport secretary said it was

The Guardian

• A surreal argument for biofuelsA leaked paper has set out the idea that palm oil plantations can be considered 'forests' “ and the EU seems to be buying itCould destroying the rainforests make good environmental sense? This barmy idea is set out, albeit less explicitly, in a paper on biofuels under discussion by senior Brussels officials.Even though palm oil plantations are a major source of tropical deforestation “ and hence a major contributor to climate change “ the leaked paper suggests that such plantations can often be deemed as ecologically sustainable. And if that isn't puzzling enough, it also indicates that forest...
• Tories put high-speed rail in doubtRefusal to back London-Midlands plan shatters consensus on 200mph trainsThe Conservatives have refused to back a proposed 200mph London-to-Birmingham rail route in a move that shatters the political consensus over a high-speed train network.The transport secretary, Lord Adonis, has warned that the multibillion-pound infrastructure project must be

The Herald

• Rail strike in ˜disarray™ after union targets non-existent sleeper trainsPlans for a Scotland-wide rail strike were said to be in œdisarray last night after a rail union had to hastily reschedule its original dates because none of the sleeper trains it intended to target were due to run on those days.
• Troubled waters as rivals row over ferry servicesRelations between two of Scotland™s leading ferry operators have plunged to a new low over accounting on a major route on the Clyde.
• Scotland ˜leading the way™ on climate change, says ministerA Scottish minister has called on world leaders to increase their ambitions on climate change to help cut emissions affecting the planet.

The Scotsman

• Train tragedy highlights EU need to make rail signals systems safer RAILWAY workers yesterday found the second black box from this week's Belgian train collision, a crash that European Union officials said showed the need to install quickly a failsafe signalling system across Eurpope's patchwork of rail networks.
• 'Millions' of dodgy cars on roadsMore than five million motorists are driving unsafe vehicles, research by breakdown service Britannia Rescue has shown.

The Telegraph

• High-speed rail route 'under threat' as Tories refuse to support Labour's proposals A high-speed train link from London to Birmingham is to become a political battleground after the Conservatives refused to support Labour’s proposals.

Times Online

• Tory grandee Nicholas Winterton rails at prospect of second-class travelPassengers with cheap train tickets are
• Tories put high-speed rail line in doubtThe Conservatives have refused to back plans for a high-speed rail line for fear of a backlash from voters in the Home Counties.
• Akio Toyoda agrees to face US congress over Toyota problemsAkio Toyoda has caved in to mounting political pressure from the United States and agreed to face a congressional hearing into problems that have triggered worldwide recalls of nearly nine million Toyota cars.

Daily Record

• Rail chiefs ready to launch legal bid against Six Nations strikes RAIL chiefs are poised to take last-ditch legal action in a bid to stop three one-day train strikes.
• Two more chiefs quit Strathclyde Passenger Transport in row over expenses TWO more senior figures have resigned from Strathclyde Passenger Transport amid an ongoing row over expenses.

Network Rail

• NINE OUT OF TEN TRAINS ARRIVE ON TIME DURING JANUARY

Birmingham Post

• Taxi access could be limited at Birmingham New Street Station Taxi access to Birmingham’s New Street Station could be rationed in an attempt to relieve traffic chaos.

Bolton News

• Passengers test bus ticket plan BUS users in Bolton are being offered the chance to become ticket testers for a new mobile ticketing scheme.

Liverpool Post

• Guest blog: Liberal Democrat Stuart Monkcom on the Merseytram 'myths' Now that hundreds of Notices to Treat (the prelude to Compulsory Purchase Orders) have just been issued by Merseytravel in respect of Merseytram Line 1 (referred to hereafter as Merseytram) and the construction of a Park & Ride facility at Gillmoss has commenced in order to avoid losing the Planning Permission granted in 2005, the real impact of this ludicrous project is starting to make its presence felt. I am therefore outlining once again my opposition to this scheme which, from its outset, has proved to be one of the most controversial and unnecessary preoccupations this city has ever experienced.
• Secret Conservative plan ’would halt regional projects’ in Liverpool and Merseyside KEY Merseyside projects – to build bridges, roads, rail links and expand the port – would “grind to a halt” under leaked Conservative plans, it was claimed last night.

London Evening Standard

• Veteran Tory MP: Why should I have to mix with ordinary passengers? A Tory MP today caused fury by claiming commuters who travel standard class on the trains are “a totally different type of people”.
• Hard shoulders opened in drive to cut congestion on motorways Motorists will be allowed to drive on the hard shoulder as part of a scheme to widen six stretches of motorway.
• London is grinding to a halt. Does Boris Johnson care? This morning on my way to work — a journey of just over eight miles — I encountered nine separate sets of road-works.
• 'Millions' of dodgy cars on roadsMore than five million motorists are driving unsafe vehicles, research by breakdown service Britannia Rescue has shown.
• Travel chaos as snow shuts airportPassengers at one of the UK's main airports face disruption after its runway was shut due to heavy snow.

Manchester Evening News

• Hard shoulder to ease motorway queues Drivers will be able to use the hard shoulder on two busy stretches of motorway by 2015 in plans to ease congestion. Under the scheme, drivers stuck in jams would be able to use the emergency lane between J8 and J12 of the M60, near Carrington and Worsley and J18 and J20 of the M62, near Simister and Rochdale.
• Winterton's fury at MP first class travel ban Macclesfield MP Sir Nicholas Winterton has defended his controversial attack against the new MP expenses culture banning claims for first class rail travel. Speaking on a heated radio phone-in this morning, he told furious callers 'a totally different type of people travel standard class'.

Metro

• 'Millions' of dodgy cars on roadsMore than five million motorists are driving unsafe vehicles, research by breakdown service Britannia Rescue has shown.

Northern Echo

• ˜Support your local airport, urges HagueWILLIAM HAGUE yesterday offered a personal plea to local people to support their local airport, but said that building a new runway at Heathrow would not guarantee the region access to the capital.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Buses set go head-to-head between city and Chilwell CAMPAIGNERS fear a new bus service set to go head-to-head with Nottingham City Transport will cause congestion and make passengers worse off.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Sheffield firmly on track for double rail boostHOPES rose this week of a major improvement in rail services for Sheffield “ on the lines with Leeds and Manchester and with London. Forty per cent more trains are planned ac

The York Press

• York transport chief's attack on congestion charges YORK™S transport chief has launched a blistering attack on congestion charges “ saying they would leave the city™s tourism economy at the mercy of its rivals.

West Sussex Gazette

• Pollution concerns on county's congested roadsWEST Sussex roads have become so congested that six areas in the county are suffering from such excessive air pollution from traffic that they exceed government guidelines for

Other Regional Press

• Second SPT boss quits as ˜clean-up™ beginsThe under-fire chief executive of a public transport quango ­resigned last night as a new chairman was appointed to œclean up the body following an expenses row.

International Herald Tribune

• Toyota Chief Agrees to Testify Before House PanelAkio Toyoda accepted an invitation to testify at a hearing next week in the aftermath of the recall of millions of cars.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Gordon Brown: bus cuts are no joke18 February: At Prime Minister's Questions recently, a Birmingham MP mentioned a local bus cut and Gordon Brown sarcastically said he would 'call an emergency cabinet' to look at the issue. We're telling the Prime Minister he needs to realise buses and the people who use them are important. read more

Aviation Industry

• Alaska Airlines adds electronic boarding passesAlaska Airlines will begin offering electronic boarding passes to passengers in several of the cities it serves.
• Qantas pulls first class after fall in profitsAustralian carrier Qantas has announced it is to scrap its first class cabin on two A380s and nine B747 aircraft, replacing it with extra premium economy and business class seats.read more

Green Miscellany

• Should Segways enjoy the same rights as bicycles? Have your say The government is currently 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 tracks. Consideration does not include use of pedestrianised areas or pedestrian footways, but does apply to their use on existing shared pedestrian / pedal cycle use areas.read more
• The bicycle-inspired scooter that delivers 214mpg It is perhaps because small capacity motorcycles regularly travel 100 miles on one gallon of petrol that so few are designed to maximise their aerodynamic efficiency, but a Dutch cycle designer has done just that and achieved an impressive 214mpg.read more

Other News Sources

• MPs say re-open track, but has scheme already hit the buffers? MPs want to see a former train line between Paignton and Brixham re-opened. But they have been told they haven't a 'hope in hell' of it happening.
• Road tax cut for owners of less-polluting vehicles ROAD tax is to go up by an inflation-busting 10 per cent from April 1. But to encourage ownership of less polluting vehicles, duty for cars and small vans with an engine size below 1000cc is to be cut from £50 to £40.
• Blue plaque bid for rail bridgeA town railway bridge could be singled out as an important part of the town’s heritage under a blue plaque scheme.
• This massively disproportionate rise is targeted at pensioners, says Bradford councillor Bradford’s elderly train passengers could soon have to pay almost double the present cost of a standard, single fare to travel in West Yorkshire.
• Manchester bids to improve body scanner experienceManchester airport has beefed up the security team that operates its body scanners following the government™s decision to make the safety procedure mandatory
• Maersk Line launches third Far East service from Hamburg On 12 February 2010, the container ship MAERSK SYDNEY called at the Port of Hamburg for the first time as part of the Maersk Line™s expanded AE-10 scheduled liner service. This liner service links the ports of Shenzhen (Dachan Bay), Ningbo, Shanghai, Kaohsiung, Shenzhen (Yantian), Hong Kong and Tanjung Pelepas with continental Europe. A recent addition is the inclusion of Hamburg as a port of call for the AE-10 service. The service also calls the Baltic Sea ports of Arhus, Gothenburg and Gdansk. Europe™s most important seaport for cargo from and to the Far East and China is al-ready included ...
• Car production rises most since 1976Car manufacturing in the UK accelerated sharply last month - rising 64.8% compared to the same period the previous year, industry figures revealed today
• Committee lists northern rail upgrades as funding priorityTransport campaigners have backed recommendations by MPs for wider electrification of the rail network and tackling capacity problems across the north of England.
• Future is bright for Liverpool Airport, despite tough 2009The Friends of Liverpool Airport (FoLA) group has expressed its optimism that 2010 will be a good year for the airport. This is in spite of the fact that one of the two major airlines flying out of Liverpool saw a marked decline in passenger numbers in 2009, reports the Liverpool Daily Post.The low-cost airline easyJet finished the last year on a strong note at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, newly-compiled figures show. According to the data brought together by FoLA, overall passenger numbers for 2009 stood at 4.95 million. This represents an 8.1 per cent decline on the previous year, though t...
• Durham Tees Valley gets support from top MPWilliam Hague has given his backing to Durham Tees Valley airport, arguing that it plays a key role for travel in and out of the north-east. The shadow foreign secretary noted that the loss of flights to London will not cause any major damage to the airport's prospects Durham Tees Valley Airport continues to provide excellent air links to and from the north-east of England, in spite of the recent ending of direct flights to London. That is according to shadow foreign secretary and Richmond MP William Hague, who lent his support to the airport on a recent meeting with its director Hugh Lang. Th...
• £370k lottery boost for rural cyclistsTHOUSANDS of people living in rural parts of Suffolk will be getting on their bikes as part of an innovative new project funded by the National Lottery.
• Victoria Station revamp moving closer, says Sir HowardPlans to redevelop Manchester Victoria railway station could be revealed within the next month, according to Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council.

News from Europe

• Greening air travel Amid steady growth in air traffic and related polluting emissions, the aerospace industry is rolling up its sleeves to ensure that the sector grows in a carbon-neutral manner as of 2020.
• Noise pollution to increasePlans by the Health Ministry to raise the legal noise-level limit "could prove fatal" to Prague residents. The proposed regulations, which are set to be introduced within months, shatter both European Union recommendations and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
• Amsterdam orders 23 metro trains NETHERLANDS: Alstom Transport is to supply Amsterdam with 23 metro trainsets under a €200m contract announced on February 19. There are options for further trainsets for the future North-South Line.
• Prague's public transit fourth best in EUBrussels, Feb 18 (CTK) - Prague has the fourth best system of public transport among 23 European cities, following Munich, Helsinki and Vienna, according to the assessment of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) available to CTK yesterday.
• RFF signs GSM-R concession FRANCE: Réseau Ferré de France signed its first public-private partnership concession agreement on February 18, covering the installation and operation over 15 years of GSM-R communications systems, which are to be rolled out on 14 000 route-km of the core network by 2015.