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

Wednesday, 09 June 2010

BBC News

• Repairs to Middlesbrough Transport Bridge finish early Work to make Middlesbrough's historic Transporter Bridge ready for its centenary celebrations have been completed ahead of schedule.
• M40 junction plans go on show in Oxfordshire Transport bosses are putting forward plans to reduce congestion on a busy road junction near Bicester in Oxfordshire.
• Rise in West Midlands bus faresBus fares rise across Birmingham, the Black Country and Coventry as bosses ask drivers to volunteer for a pay cut.
• BA crew enter final day of strikeMembers of British Airways cabin crew enter the final day in the last of a series of five-day walkouts.
• Tube work delays 'risking safety'A union claims safety is at risk after leaked documents show some maintenance jobs are three years overdue.

Department for Transport

• Motorcycle test and training review ordered by Transport MinisterA review of the motorcycle testing and training regime was today announced by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

Financial Times

• Emirates in record order for A380 jetsThe Dubai-based airline has placed one of the largest civil aircraft orders in history as it will buy 32 A380 superjumbo passenger jets from Airbus in a deal worth $11.5bn
• Fredriksen poised to swoop on ailing groupsShipowner is holding billions of dollars of assets in liquid form with a view to swooping on listed shipping groups that become vulnerable in any future downturn

The Guardian

• Crossrail at WoolwichIf, like me, you missed last week's short Commons debate on the subject of Crossrail, look no further than London Reconnections, which sets the scene thus:
• Questions for BA [Letters]The European Transport Workers' Federation civil aviation section meeting in Brussels has deep concerns at the nature and cost of the BA cabin crew strike
• Edinburgh today - Tram construction firm given 3 week ultimatumWith the help of the city's best websites and blogs, here's a guide to what's happening in Edinburgh today

The Independent

• Easyjet founder takes airline to court in row over branding rights A simmering row between flamboyant entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the company he founded, easyJet, is to be taken to court in a battle which could limit the operation of the no-frills airline, and even lead to it losing its name.

The Scotsman

• Highland construction firm fails A CONSTRUCTION and engineering company that has worked on major transport projects including the M80 and A9 upgrades has gone into administration with a loss of 77 jobs.

Times Online

• Bigger, cheaper Emirates sets out to win battle for the skies Emirates ratcheted up the pressure on Europe’s airlines yesterday, spending $11.5 billion on 32 new superjumbos that will enable it to grab market share and cut long-haul fares by up to half.
• Bigger, cheaper Emirates sets out to win battle for the skies Emirates ratcheted up the pressure on Europe’s airlines yesterday, spending $11.5 billion on 32 new superjumbos that will enable it to grab market share and cut long-haul fares by up to half.
• Bigger, cheaper Emirates sets out to win battle for the skies Emirates ratcheted up the pressure on Europe’s airlines yesterday, spending $11.5 billion on 32 new superjumbos that will enable it to grab market share and cut long-haul fares by up to half.
• Airlines attack ˜cash-grab™ German taxAirlines reacted furiously to plans announced by Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, to raise €1 billion from a new œeco tax on aviation.

Network Rail

• TRIPLE BUSINESS AWARD SUCCESS FOR NETWORK RAIL

Belfast Telegraph

• Airlines eye profit surge in business forecast u-turn The global airline industry is set to make a profit of $2.5bn (£1.7bn) in 2010, according to forecasts from a key industry body. Related StoriesMachinery firm wins contract valued at £400,000Double dip fear hits euroNI Science Park: 10 years of innovation and visionRecruitment in good health as US firm Navinet invests in local talentJohn Lewis Ulster store bid in planning quagmire

Bolton News

• Crowded trains ” the fight goes onTHE Department of Transport has been accused of “regional bias” after plans to buy extra rail carriages were “reappraised”. Rail campaigners were furious when, after years of petitioning the government to solve overcrowding on Bolton trains, transport secretary Phil Hammond said there was no need to buy new carriages.

Manchester Evening News

• M-way speed cameras hit suburban streets They are the scourge of the motorway motorist “ and now average-speed cameras have arrived on suburban streets. Road safety chiefs have installed one of the devices at Victoria Avenue in Blackley, north Manchester.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Crane will be used to move carriageA huge crane will be brought in to move the carriage dangling from an embankment above a main road.

The York Press

• York bus operators link-up to improve race day traffic RACING fans are set to enjoy smoother journeys to watch the sport™s showcase events in York.

Carlisle News & Star

• Residents raise cash to get Carlisle street potholes fixed Funding to repair two potholed streets in Carlisle is almost in place after local residents dug deep to find the necessary cash.

Other Regional Press

• Will spending cuts kill Cogges Link Road? FUTURE improvements to Witney schools and roads “ including the Cogges Link Road “ hang in the balance after fears of widespread Government cutbacks.
• Newport students protest at taxi fares hike MORE than 200 students signed a petition against proposals to increase Hackney Carriage fares in Newport.
• Trolleybus network will support new jobsScheme would help create favourable conditions for business and higher economic output.
• 'We need more carriages - now'Extra capacity to meet current, not future demand, says Chairman
• Mini hopes to expand plant BMW wants to launch a multimillion-pound expansion at the Cowley car plant, it emerged last night.
• Firm ends bus service after 80 years A BUS company has stopped running regular passenger services after 80 years of giving œrattling good rides to communities in west Oxfordshire.
• Drivers face road chaos in £2m upgrade to M8A £2 million package of improvement works on the M8 in Glasgow will begin later this month.
• Hero train driver helped prevent deaths in crashThe driver of a train which derailed and caught fire before it was left hanging over a 50ft embankment has been hailed a hero.

Washington Post

• More electric cars means finding new standards to measure fuel efficiency It used to be easy to know whether a car was a glutton for fuel. Federal standards defined miles per gallon and laid out precisely how the statistic should be measured.

Rail Technology Magazine

• The Future has Begun with MEN's First CompactPCI Serial SBC G20

Aviation Industry

• Amadeus looks at new deployments for Extreme Search News from Travel Technology Update:  Since last fall’s rollout of Affinity Shopper, the application that allows travelers to search airline websites for destinations based on their interests, budgets and other criteria, the Amadeus team has been working to put more speed into the searches.
• Airline industry blasts Germany's 'ecological air travel levy' Germany announced a new airline ticket departure tax that it believes will raise €1 billion ($1.19 billion) annually, but the airline industry led by IATA slammed the proposal and vowed to vigorously flight it vigorously.

Other News Sources

• Bombardier's high-speed World Cup delivery Canadian firm gives South Africans a train they can show off during the international soccer tournament
• Threats to North West transport projects £1 billion worth of local transport projects in the North West are under threat from spending cuts, research by the Campaign for Better Transport has revealed.
• Still time to have say on Kidderminster station plansRESIDENTS and railway users are being reminded they still have time to have their say on controversial £3.5 million plans for Kidderminster station
• Taking high-speed route to poverty [letters]VASTLY expensive railway projects such as High Speed Two (HS2) have costs that, universally, outstrip any possible income. The Department for Transport 'justifies' such proposals by comparing the net cost to the government with the cash values of time savings and so forth.
• Contract awarded for M8 bridge scheme A £10 million contract to strengthen the M8 White Cart Viaduct was announced today by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson.read more
• Derailment means road and train line could be closed until next weekEngineers say road may have to be strengthened to allow crane to lift wreckage.
• RMT reissues demand that Scotrail scrap plans to axe Guards as it emerges that another train derailed at Falls of Cruachan 13 years ago ¨C with same Guard ensuring passenger safety!RAIL UNION RMT today reissued its demand that Scotrail call an immediate halt to plans to extend Driver Only Operation on its services as it emerged that another train derailed on the Oban-Glasgow line at Falls of Cruachan 13 years ago due to a landslip ¨C incredibly, the same Guard, Angus MacColl, was on board both trains and was praised back in 1997 for his professional and calm response as he implemented emergency procedures.
• Hybrid train technology lab opens in BirminghamA 'world-leading' laboratory for testing hybrid train technology is now up and running in Birmingham.
• Anti-siphon device for Daily and EcoDailyIveco has launched the first custom-built anti-siphon device for its Daily and EcoDaily light commercials in conjunction with long-term partner TISS Security Systems. The new product, TankSafe Daily, is based on TISS’ popular TankSafe Standard product for trucks, which has already established itself as the most effective basic fuel protection system available. Independent tests conducted by Mi [...]
• More escape gates for Cumbria and LancashireThe Highways Agency has unveiled a £148,000 project to extend a scheme designed to help drivers escape long queues after serious incidents on the North West motorway network. The Highways Agency in north Lancashire and Cumbria is installing three more emergency crossover gates between key junctions along motorways in the area “ with a lengthy section [...]
• Environment Agency to stop staff flying The UK's environmental watchdog is to curb the amount of staff using air travel in a bid to cut both carbon and costs.
• BA strike a “failure” – Walsh Willie Walsh, BA's ceo, has reportedly called the current five day strike by cabin crew a "failure".
• Premium travel returning Despite fears of changes in the way we fly, the first quarter of 2010 saw a rebound in the popularity of premium economy, business and first class.
• Five more Secure Stations for Southern (press release)Train Operator Southern has added a further five stations to its complement of Secure Stations. read more
• Amadeus launches Cars Plus “ a next generation booking engine for car rentalAmadeus Cars Plus represents a breakthrough for travel agents, combining the power of a professional tool with the simplicity of a consumer website. read more

News from Europe

• Stadler opens double-deck train factory SWITZERLAND: President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard attended the formal opening of Stadler Rail's centre of competence for double-deck electric multiple-units in Altenrhein on June 4, the day after the manufacturer's first Dosto RV EMU for S-Bahn services had been unveiled at Zürich's main station.
• Alstom extends high speed train family ITALY: Alstom Transport revealed a further addition to its portfolio of high speed trains at the Expo Ferroviaria event in Torino on June 8. The design, which does not yet have a name, combines elements of all of the company’s existing products in the high speed sector, including the AGV and Pendolino.