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

Tuesday, 02 March 2010

BBC News

• Rail use in Bristol 'to rise by 41%' A rail industry review says train use in the Bristol area is likely to increase by 41% in the next decade.
• Amtrak Offers Wi-Fi on Trains Along Northeast CorridoUS train service, Amtrak has launched a Wi-Fi service aboard all 20 high-speed Acela Express trains, in six major stations along the Northeast Corridor, and in all four ClubAcela lounges. Initially offered as a complimentary service, AmtrakConnect is available to every passenger on board Acela Express both in Business and First class seating.
• '£8.5bn needed for road resurfacing' [Today Programme - Audio]arlier in the winter we heard from a civil engineer about how the freezing conditions were causing more potholes in our roads. But how much has been done to repair them? David Sparks, a Dudley councillor who chairs the Local Government Association Transport Board, explains how they have asked the Department of Transport for extra £100m but the money hasn't been forthcoming as yet.
• Bontnewydd traffic problems survey is launched Public consultations have begun on plans to ease traffic congestion at Bontnewydd near Caernarfon in Gwynedd.
• Haymarket Station upgrade to start early A £1.5m project to improve passenger access at Haymarket Station is to get underway next month.
• Concern over rural driving skills A district council in East Sussex has called for a change to the way drivers are tested and taught to ensure they are fully equipped to deal with rural roads.
• M6 Toll price rises take effectHigher charges come into force for motorists using the M6 Toll motorway in the West Midlands region.
• Films on buses tackle behaviourMovies and TV shows are being shown on some school buses to entertain pupils and reduce bad behaviour on the way home.
• Aber-London route rejectedPlans for a direct train service between Aberystwyth and London is rejected by the rail regulator.
• 'Poor management' failed Metronet"Poor and inadequate" management by the Department for Transport (DfT) of the failed Tube maintenance firm Metronet cost taxpayers up to £410m, MPs said.
• Rail strike 'business as usual'Train operator First ScotRail claims it is running nine out 10 trains during a walkout by about 560 RMT union members.
• Small cars dominate Geneva show Small and electric cars are set to dominate the Geneva motor show where more than 30 world premieres will be on display.

Financial Times

• Shipowners warn of equal pay risks More than 40 per cent of British-flagged shipping capacity could move elsewhere unless the government's equality bill is amended, a shipowners' trade body has warned
• MPs hit out at lack of Metronet oversightNo public body had the information or influence necessary to oversee the performance of Metronet Rail in fulfilling its London Underground contract, says an MPs' report

The Guardian

• Tube funding gap of £400m could see upgrades hit the buffersBoris Johnson faces delaying improvements to London Underground, raising fares or cutting transport services

The Herald

• Minister to meet with union after second rail strike heldTransport Minister Stewart Stevenson is preparing to meet union leaders after talks aimed at resolving a series of Scotland-wide rail strikes failed to make progress.
• Passengers down at Prestwick AirportThere was another sharp fall in the number of passengers flying through Prestwick airport in January as the economic downturn continued to weigh on demand for flights.

The Independent

• Cable fire causes commuter chaos Tens of thousands of commuters who endured a weekend of pouring rain suffered disruption to rail services today - because of a cable fire.
• Cabin crew member sues BA over email A senior British Airways cabin crew member sued the airline for libel damages today over a

The Telegraph

• Whitehall tube blunders cost taxpayer up to £410 million The taxpayer has been left with a £410 million bill because of the naïvety of the Department for Transport, an influential all-party group of MPs has found.

Times Online

• Green fuels cause more harm than fossil fuels, according to reportUsing fossil fuel in vehicles is better for the environment than so-called green fuels made from crops, according to a government study seen by The Times.

Reuters News

• PFI - UK ROSCOs on track for bond financeLONDON (Project Finance International) - The three UK train rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) are seeking to put in place long term bond finance to replace shorter term acquisition style bank loans. Given the ROSCOs have around £6bn in debt, a race is on for each to place longer term bonds in the market this year (nLDE5BF21A).

Network Rail

• NOMINATIONS FOR THE NETWORK RAIL PARTNERSHIP AWARDS 2010 ARE NOW OPENNetwork Rail is once again inviting the best in business to put forward nominations for the annual Partnership Awards 2010.
• RAIL VISION OUTLINES NEXT FRONTIER FOR GREAT WESTERN RAIL USERSMillions of rail passengers are set to benefit from a major transformation on the railway in Great Western, according to a high-level strategy launched today by the rail industry.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wrexham gets £7.6m for industrial estate link road A VITAL link road looks a step closer to being built after £7.6m was handed out by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram bosses silent over deal detailsTRAM bosses have refused to reveal details of the contract signed with the project's construction consortium, claiming the move would have a "severe impact" on neg

Journal Live

• How the North’s electric car plug points will work MONEY from both the Government and development agency One North East will be used to install 1,300 charging points for electric cars around the region over the next three years. But how will the network of sockets, on streets, in car parks, at homes, businesses, shopping centres and tourist attractions work?
• North East may miss out on high-speed trains THE North East is facing a “second best” solution to high speed rail, which will see the region handed “trains, not tracks”.

Manchester Evening News

• Closed railway station could fix public transport nightmare An east Manchester railway station, closed almost 50 years ago, should be reopened to fix a public transport nightmare, according to a residents group. Newton Heath – one of three obsolete stations located along Dean Lane in Newton Heath – has been earmarked for a park-and-ride service to link to the city centre.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Call to shelve new cycle routeVILLAGE councillors have been told œon your bike by transport bosses accused of wasting money and ignoring local views.

Blackpool Gazette

• Pensioner's death leads to bike safety callTHE DEATH of a pensioner “ killed while cycling in Cleveleys “ has prompted calls for cycle lanes in the town.

Other Regional Press

• Relief for motorists as Kidlington bus lane is axed A CONTROVERSIAL bus lane has been axed after just six months because it caused mile-long tailbacks for passengers.
• City airport plan to boost its businessThree of Scotland™s most successful entrepreneurs are to act as business ambassadors for Glasgow Airport in a campaign to position the city as the nation™s main business and leisure gateway.
• Rail strike sees routes disruptedRail passengers face disruption today as the second of a series of strikes takes place.
• Transport chief is ready to rollOne of Jon Findlay™s earliest memories is being in the cabin of the Renfrew Ferry as an eight-year-old boy.

Campaign for Better Transport

• South West Committee: too much focus on roads26 February: Our report on regional transport wish-lists found that south west England was obsessed with building roads instead of improving public transport. Now an influential committee of MPs has agreed. read more

Aviation Industry

• Bombardier $3 Billion Plane Order May Spur Boeing, Airbus Engine UpgradesBombardier Inc.a s $3.06 billion order for its new CSeries jetliner may add pressure on the only larger planemakers to offer more fuel-efficient engines for their competing models, the Boeing Co.
• New York JFK closes longest runway as four-month renovation beginsNew York JFK's longest commercial runway was closed yesterday for four months of construction and repair work that will force a reduction in overall arrivals and departures by nearly 20% and resulted in delays averaging 100 min. on the first day, according to FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center.
• Hungarian government reclaims struggling MalevThe Hungarian government reacquired control of its flag carrier, Malev Hungarian Airlines, spending HUF25.2 billion ($126.7 million) on a 95% stake that will see the airline return to state control after three years as a privately held company.

Green Miscellany

• Biofuel ˜worse than regular petrol or diesel™ The environmental impact of clearing forests to make way for biofuel crops is such that using fossil fuel in cars is better for the environment than biofuels made from crops such as palm oil.read more
• Bespoke bicycle design from the comfort of your PC It™s the perfect web tool for aspiring bike fitters, but it™s just as well suited to daydreaming cyclists who want to design their perfect ride; BikeCAD is a parametric computer-aided design (CAD) tool for do-it-yourself bicycle frame design. read more

Other News Sources

• Why train companies should serve their customers, not their investors I travel into London each weekday morning from the South Coast of England. A journey that should take and hour and a half. I've been making the journey now for over eight years so I'm pretty used to the routine, but the recent levels of service of my train operator Southeastern has caused me to see red.
• Rail patronage to double in 8 years Melbourne rail operator Metro says it will need extra Government assistance over the long term, to cope with booming patronage.
• Go-ahead for Bristol Temple Meads redevelopmentBristol City Council has granted planning permission for the redevelopment of a site next to Temple Meads Railway Station.
• Railway station to be tidied up A project has been launched to tidy up walls at Shrewsbury’s railway station after the town’s MP branded them a disgrace. Daniel Kawczynski hit out at the state of the building last year and was flabbergasted after bosses were quoted a “staggering” £100,000 to clean up a dilapidated wall. The MP said the wall on Platform Seven had paint peeling off, was covered in buddleia and looked totally “neglected”.
• Arriva’s London rail bid refused A train company which put in a bid to run a direct service from Shropshire to London has had its application turned down by rail regulators.
• Great Western Trains upgrade blow ​Long-suffering rail passengers in Gloucestershire have been dealt a further blow after the Government put on hold plans for next-generation express trains.
• Passengers to help shape train timetable Passengers from Lincolnshire are invited to have their say on the possibility of extra train services. As reported in the Echo, the Government-owned train operator East Coast is to run direct services every two hours between Lincoln and Kings Cross from May next year – seven services each way throughout the day.
• Rail vision could benefit South West rail passengers Millions of rail passengers are set to benefit from a major transformation on the railway in Great Western, according to a high-level strategy launched by the rail industry.
• Committee publish report on failure of MetronetCommittee report examines roles of Department for Transport and Treasury in Metronet failure
• £45 million East Lancashire bus lane 'may not happen' THE deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council says he fears a major £45million transport scheme will œnever happen - after a snub by a Government minister.
• Tunnel vision is one of 15 months' roadworksAngry residents have blasted water bosses for keeping them in the dark over plans for road closures likely to cause major disruption.
• Preston locked in fight for Lancashire rail stopPreston will go head-to-head with Warrington to become a stop on a multi-billion pound high-speed rail network.
• Investment In Hi-Tech Satellite Navigation System To Reduce Accident CongestionHi-tech equipment is being introduced to reduce road closure times after major incidents...
• Hauliers Could Reduce Emissions Through ExchangeTruckers across the UK need to pool resources in order to cut emissions, says one company director....
• MPs lambast failed Tube PPP dealMPs on the Public Accounts Committee slam the disastrous public private partnership used to upgrade parts of London Underground

News from Europe

• Alstom inks deal to take stake in Russia's TMH PARIS, March 1 (Reuters) - French heavy engineering group Alstom (ALSO.PA) signed a long-awaited deal to buy 25 percent of Russian railway equipment maker TransmashHolding (TMH) on Monday to expand in Europe's largest rail market.
• Calatrava-designed TGV station in Belgium receives 2010 Travel + Leisure Design Award The Liege-Guillemins TGV Railway Station, the new high-speed rail station at Liege-Guillemins in Belgium, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is one of the recipients of the 2010 Travel + Leisure Design Awards.

Other Subscription Services

• SPT to fund Hamilton interchange enabling worksStrathclyde Partnership for Transport has approved the delivery of the first phase of a project to upgrade Hamilton bus station. When completed in 2012, the project will deliver new, modern...
• Forwarders see rise in sea freight market shareMore shippers turning to forwarders to help them fulfil supply chain needs
• French union warns over outsourcing port state checksFears that government could turn to class societies to carry out inspections
• Approval snag delays China’s new oil pollution regimeChina could be forced to delay a key part of its impending shake-up of shipping pollution rules