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

Thursday, 25 February 2010

BBC News

• Cars 'misusing' Wem railway crossing Motorists are still illegally jumping red lights at a railway level crossing in Shropshire, despite previous warnings by transport police.
• Winchester garage wants to stop the clampers [video]A garage in Winchester has said it wants to stop motorists being clamped on its land, but has been told it cannot get out of a contract it has with a clamping company.
• 'Progress' in talks on Northern Rail overcrowding Transport leaders in Greater Manchester are "confident" of getting extra train carriages to ease overcrowding - but not until later in the year.
• Blueprint for Ely backed by council A blueprint for the future growth of the City of Ely in Cambridgeshire has been approved by district councillors.
• Toyota boss Akio Toyoda apologises for faults Toyota's president has apologised to the US Congress and American Toyota owners for safety problems that led to deaths and worldwide recalls.
• Fear over hundreds of Tube jobsHundreds of jobs could go at London Underground, according to the Rail, Maritime and Transport union.

Department for Transport

• Yorkshire receives more than £3.6m for beating congestion targets West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire will receive more than £3.6m through the Government's Urban Congestion Performance Fund after exceeding targets to tackle congestion, Transport Minister Sadiq Khan announced today.
• Motorists get up to £5,000 towards cost of an ultra-low carbon car Pioneering motorists will receive up to £5,000 to buy an ultra-low carbon car, and the roll-out of supporting infrastructure will begin in selected regions, the Government announced today. 

Financial Times

• Electric car buyers to receive subsidy Anyone who buys an electric car will be able to take advantage of a subsidy of up to £5,000 ($7,684) under plans to be set out by the government on Thursday. Lord Adonis, transport secretary, will announce that up to £230m will be made available for this “plug-in car grant” – although the initiative will not begin until January next year, reflecting the fact that most models are not yet available to the public.
• SNCF chooses Bombardier over Alstom France’s state train company has awarded one of its biggest-ever orders to a non-French train builder, in a move that is likely to fuel controversy about the company’s train-ordering practices.
• Toyota chief seeks to assure lawmakersAkio Toyoda, Toyota™s chief executive, assured US lawmakers that the crisis engulfing the carmaker had taught him to put more emphasis on feedback from customers and share information more quickly among its global operations
• Indian rail to cut freight chargesIndia's state-owned railways, one of the largest and most profitable networks in the world, will cut freight charges for the transport of food grains as part of an effort to cool rising food prices

The Guardian

• Sutton's smart transport example A scheme in this borough has seen a significant rise in people using buses and bicycles, and could be a model for all of London
• HSBC higher on rail sale talk as FTSE rallies following Bernanke Banks were in focus ahead of a spate of annual results, but HSBC - which reports figures next Monday - moved higher for a different reason
• Toyota boss offers 'sincere regrets'Akio Toyoda tells US Congress committee his company will make a 'double commitment' to safety and its customersApologetic and stony faced, the boss of the Japanese carmaker Toyota repeatedly expressed

The Herald

• Unions™ fears over Tory plans for shipbuildingShipbuilding trade union leaders fear a Conservative government will jeopardise the future of the entire industry, including at least 14,000 jobs, after they received no clear assurance that the Tories would maintain the £4 billion contract to build two aircraft carriers.

The Scotsman

• Road congestion 'could rise by 37%'Traffic congestion will rise by 37% if the current "minimal levels of investment" in roads continues for the next 15 years, a report has said.

The Telegraph

• SNCF warns passengers about Romanians France's national railway provoked a race row after producing a poster warning passengers to be on the look out for Romanians.
• The Queen find the Tube more reliable than her Bentley Car trouble causes the Queen to seek an alternative way of getting home.
• Unions deny split over BA crew payments British Airways' attempt to overhaul the "allowance" system that forms a large chunk of cabin crew pay has become a key stumbling block in talks aimed at averting a strike.

Times Online

• Bidders line up as HSBC puts its £2bn train set up for sale HSBC has put its train leasing company up for sale with a £2 billion price tag. The bank’s decision to auction off its rail division now — after shelving a sale in 2008 — signals a significant improvement in the buyout market, which has been bolstered by new bank lending recently.
• Electric car prices will be reduced by grants worth thousands Drivers who switch to an electric car will receive a government grant of up to £5,000 but may struggle to find somewhere to charge the battery.
• Toyota chief was unaware of acceleration problems despite years of complaintAkio Toyoda, the president of Toyota, did not know of the problems of sudden acceleration in his company™s cars that have been linked to more than 30 deaths in the US until the end of 2009, even though thousands of complaints had been pouring into the company and regulators for years.

Press Association

• National Express £83.5m in the redNational Express has plunged £83.5 million into the red after counting the cost of its failure to keep hold of its East Coast rail franchise.
• Big freeze boosts Go-Ahead revenues A "Dunkirk spirit" saw snowed-in Britons ditch their cars and turn to buses to ensure they made it into work last month, transport group Go-Ahead said.
• Electric car charging hubs coming soon A network of electric vehicle charging hubs will be installed in London, the Government has announced. Plugged-In Places will appear in car parks, supermarkets, leisure and retail centres and on the street.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham drivers urged to report danger potholes THE massive number of potholes on Birmingham roads caused by the severe winter is taking a heavy toll of vehicles.

Journal Live

• Council cuts may put end to Blyth disabled transport service A CHERISHED transport service which is described as a lifeline for disabled and elderly people is set to be forced off the road by council spending cuts.

Liverpool Post

• High speed railways will link Liverpool and Manchester to other big cities WORKERS will be £815-a-year richer if high-speed rail lines connect Liverpool and Manchester to other big cities, a study finds today.

London Evening Standard

• National Express profits slump for year of East Coast debacleNational Express today ended a bad year, in which it lost the East Coast main line rail franchise, by reporting a 43 per cent slump in profits.
• Go-Ahead hit hard by rail cuts as profits fall 16Go-Ahead today blamed a first half profits fall of 16 per cent on lower government subsidies for its rail franchises.
• London council set to raise parking permit charge for diesel carsKensington and Chelsea is considering raising its £5.50 surcharge on parking permits for diesel vehicles
• The Queen shows signs of enjoying Underground tripQueen given her own personalised Tube sign during a visit to a London Underground station

Newcastle Journal

• Income and profits dip at Newcastle firm Go-AheadBUS users are keeping Go-Ahead's profits on the road but the Newcastle public transport giant's income has fallen in what it said was still a "difficult" economic environment.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham receives £831,000 reward for exceeding congestion targets A GRANT of £831,000 will be given to Nottingham City Council and Notts County Council after exceeding targets to tackle congestion.
• Midland Main Line electrification given committee backing THE campaign to electrify the Midland Main Line has received a significant boost from the influential House of Commons Transport Select Committee.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Roads report points to more congestionTRAFFIC congestion will rise by 37% if the current “minimal levels of investment” in roads continues for the next 15 years, a report from the Road Users’ Alliance claims.
• Mountain train campaigners determined to go to the top Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1621823?UserKey=#ixzz0gXWtOb3xPublic clamour is growing for the Cairn Gorm mountain railway firm to allow passengers to exit the train at the summit. Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1621823?UserKey=#ixzz0gXWurxRJ
• Campaigners hit out at new Forth road bridge plans A new Forth road bridge would not be a œjustifiable or credible use of £2billion in public spending, campaigners warned yesterday.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• One in five of Leeds - London trains lateALMOST one in five trains on the Leeds to London rail route arrives late, figures have revealed. The East Coast line was the second worst performing in the country in 2008/09, according to Department for Transport statistics.

Yorkshire Post

• Minister considers salt rules after big freeze chaos Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis is considering the move amid concern "a good number" of local authorities failed to heed recommendations they should keep six days of supplies this winter. It left the Government to take control of the nation's supplies through a "salt cell" group.
• Tories give fast-track pledge on high-speed Yorkshire rail routePLANNING permission for a high-speed rail line through Yorkshire could be fast-tracked through Parliament in less than a year if the Tories win the General Election.
• High-speed rail link 'could bring 50,000 new jobs' A HIGH-speed rail network would create 50,000 jobs in Yorkshire and give a multi-billion pound boost to the national economy, a new study says.

Sunderland Echo

• Nissan's 15,000-car scrappage sales surgeNissan bosses are bracing themselves for the end of a Government scheme that has seen them shift almost 15,000 new cars.

Other Regional Press

• Penalty points plan for Kirklees taxi drivers COUNCILLORS will consider a new penalty points system for taxi drivers which puts filling in a form wrongly on a par with carrying a weapon in a cab.

Aviation Industry

• Ryanair 'made airport jobs offer months before Aer Lingus deal'Ryanair has published correspondence showing it offered to create 500 jobs at Dublin Airport 10 months before a deal was struck with Aer Lingus.
• Virgin Blue celebrates half-year profit with commitment for 50 737sVirgin Blue Airlines Group, which comprises Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and V Australia, signed an in-principle agreement to buy 50 737s after recording a net profit of A$62.5 million ($56.1 million) in the fiscal first half ended Dec. 31, 2009, reversed from a A$101.4 million loss in the year-ago period.

Other News Sources

• National Express hit by East Coast franchise loss National Express saw full-year profits plunge due to falling demand for travel and the loss of its East Coast rail franchise. The bus, coach and train operator's pre-tax profit from continuing operations dropped by 43% to £116.2m. Revenue fell slightly to £2.71bn compared with £2.77bn last time.
• Brammer helps keep maintenance on track for AlstomA bespoke managed inventory solution from Brammer, the UK’s leading supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services, has helped deliver improved maintenance efficiencies and working capital reductions at the Alstom’s West Coast Traincare Centre at Wembley in London.
• Brammer helps keep maintenance on track for AlstomA bespoke managed inventory solution from Brammer, the UK’s leading supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services, has helped deliver improved maintenance efficiencies and working capital reductions at the Alstom’s West Coast Traincare Centre at Wembley in London.
• Halton Council leader Tony McDermott claims Runcorn and Widnes to benefit from rail improvementsGOVERNMENT chiefs claims Halton stands to benefit from a £4bn boost to the North West economy which will speeded up rail network.
• £530m to be spent on rail links to Chester station THOUSANDS of rail passengers in Chester could benefit from plans calling for more than 700 new train services to be introduced across the region.
• Extra carriages are on track...Extra train carriages are on their way to ease the daily overcrowding nightmare of Rochdale’s commuters.
• GMITA to continue train carriage discussions with DfTGreater Manchester's transport leaders have reported some positive progress following today's discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis. A cross-party delegation from the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA), facilitated by Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, met Lord Adonis with the aim of securing the Department for Transport's commitment to provide sufficient carriages for Northern Rail to ease overcrowding on commuter services. Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of GMITA, said: "We have been working closely with the DfT on this issue over the past 15 months.
• Signpost Our Town - Highways Agency clarifies position ONLY certain types of tourist attractions are eligible for brown tourism signs on British motorways, the Wetherby News has learned this week
• Conservatives set out their plans for high speed railThe Tories this week hit back at suggestions that they were playing party politics with high speed rail by opting out of cross party discussions on building a line from London to the Midlands and the North.
• HSBC launches £2bn sale of train unitHSBC has this week launched the 2 billion pound ($3.1 billion) sale of its UK rolling stock leasing company as it builds its balance sheet by shedding non-core assets, people familiar with the matter said.
• Union leader Bob Crow to speak in Battersea Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), will speak about issues of rail safety RMT campaigns and the struggles for trade unionists after the next election at a meeting in Battersea next week.
• New rail link is on the right track THE TEES Valley would benefit from a £530m plan to improve rail services in the North, says a leading councillor.
• Leaked Tube staffing plan raises alarm over safetyTUBE UNION RMT today revealed leaked details of an internal London Underground management report titled 'Minimum Staffing Levels' which the union is warning would lead to the loss of hundreds of station jobs, hacking back to the absolute bare bones staffing levels agreed in the aftermath of the Kings Cross fire in 1987. Even Victoria, the busiest station on the underground with 76 million passengers, could see its current 12 staff cut to just 2 during 'degraded' operation.
• Boris urged to review City airport expansionThe London Assembly today called on mayor Boris Johnson to review the decision by Newham Council to boost flight numbers at London City Airport.
• Ships fitted with bubble-blowers in emissions experimentJapanese firms NYK and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are testing an air-lubrication system to reduce CO2 emissions during marine transport.
• Urgent review needed on decision to increase City airport flights 24 February, 2010 The London Assembly today called on the Mayor to conduct an urgent review of the decision by Newham Council to give permission for a fifty percent increase in flights at City Airport. In a unanimously agreed motion the Assembly points out the growing concern that increased flight numbers, and changing flight paths, will add to existing nuisance from overflights experienced by residents in Greenwich, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Hackney and Havering.  ...
• Malaysia Airports profit up 24% in 2009National airports operator Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) has posted a 24% growth in net profit in 2009.Its net profit attributable to ordinary...
• NEW ON-BOARD HEALTH MONITOR SYSTEM TO BE INTRODUCEDEtihad Airways will install new state-of-the-art technology on its long and ultra long haul aircraft which can monitor the condition of passengers who display signs of sickness that might...
• Blow to railway station plansHOPES for a new railway station at Chard Junction have hit the buffers after Somerset County Council revealed last week that it had decided against buying a piece of land.

News from Europe

• Spain™s electric car plan drives into oppositionSome member states concerned that Spain is placing too high a priority on electric cars.