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

Friday, 18 June 2010

BBC News

• Trams project 'may borrow £55m'Edinburgh City Council draws up plans to borrow more than £50m to help fund the crisis-hit tram project, BBC Scotland learns.
• Newport's 'bubble wrap' railway station roof laid It is a futuristic look made famous by the Eden Project in Cornwall and the Water Cube in the Beijing Olympics.
• Dover port privatisation talks 'a waste of time' Three ferry companies have described their consultations with Dover Harbour Board over plans for privatisation as "a meaningless waste of time".
• Government puts Thames Gateway transport spend on hold The government has suspended funding on a project aimed at improving transport links in the Thames Gateway.
• Metrolink gets extension go-aheadThe cuts-threatened extension to Manchester's Metrolink has been given the go-ahead by the Department of Transport.
• Tram scooter ban reversal urgedA motion is signed in the House of Commons urging the lifting of a disability scooter ban on Manchester's Metrolink trams.
• Threat of 7% Tube fare increaseTube and bus passengers could be hit by fare rises of more than 7% in 2011, the London Assembly is told.
• Rethink call for Tube office cutsEight Labour MPs table motions urging London Underground to rethink its plans to reduce the opening times of ticket offices.
• Network Rail boss Iain Coucher to step down The chief executive of Network Rail, Iain Coucher, is to resign after eight years with the firm. Network Rail said Mr Coucher's decision was for "purely personal reasons" and that he would stay on until a replacement could be found.

Financial Times

• Coucher to step down as Network Rail chief Network Rail reveals that chief executive Iain Coucher is to step down after nearly eight years at the top of the company that runs Britain's rail network following criticism of management weakness
• Shippers facing container shortageSeveral container shipping lines warn that there might be too few containers available for Asia's exporters during the coming busy season in spite of surprise rebound
• Rail review follows bill for higher subsidiesThe government signals a radical shake-up of the rail industry at the same time as an arbitrator ruled that it must pay Stagecoach between £70m and £100m in subsidies

The Guardian

• Full-speed ahead with the London to Birmingham rail link The proposed high-speed rail link must go ahead despite its unpopularity – and should be extended to Scotland
• Network Rail boss Iain Coucher resigns as pressure mounts over funding Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher quit today with a warning that his successor will have to "work hard" to stave off a funding crunch.

The Herald

• Network Rail chief quits postThe head of the company that runs Britain™s rail network has resigned ahead of a row over bonus payments and looming Government spending cuts.
• Stagecoach wins battle for £100m subsidiesShares in Perth-based transport group Stagecoach soared 3.4% after it won a £100m victory over subsidies for its London commuter route following a bitter battle with civil servants.

The Independent

• Network Rail chief executive Coucher quits unexpectedly The chief executive of Network Rail resigned unexpectedly yesterday, saying he could not commit to the Government-owned company during its next round of financing talks.
• Key rail line to stay longer in public sector A key London to Scotland rail line taken over by the Government after transport giant National Express pulled out is to stay in the public sector for longer than planned, it was announced today.

The Scotsman

• Martin Flanagan: Old animosities refuse to die as rail union cheers Coucher's exit IAIN Coucher resigned as chief executive of Network Rail yesterday saying his work was done and it was time for him to move on. So did Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, who said that as far as the union was concerned it was good riddance.

The Telegraph

• Stagecoach settles dispute over Government subsidies Transport group Stagecoach has said it expects its rail division to be profitable this year after it gained a partial victory in its subsidy dispute with the Government.
• Transport and health projects halted as Government backs down on £10bn commitments Projects totalling £10 billion agreed during the last months of Labour's tenure have been suspended or cancelled to rein in the budget deficit, the Government has announced.
• Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher to step down The chief executive of Network Rail is to step down after three years in the role, saying that now is a "good time" to move on.

Press Association

• Rail line to stay in public sector A key London to Scotland rail line taken over by the Government after transport giant National Express pulled out is to stay in the public sector for longer than planned, it has been announced.

Reuters News

• EU conditionally clears SNCF, LCR New Eurostar JV The European Commission conditionally approved the creation of a "New Eurostar" rail joint venture by French railway operator SNCF and British railway company London & Continental Railways Ltd. (LCR

Daily Express

• Stagecoach subs Government row STAGECOACH has scored a partial victory in a fight with the Government about subsidies for its South West Trains operation.

Network Rail

• IAIN COUCHER TO STEP DOWN AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF NETWORK RAIL

Birmingham Mail

• Airport pensions blow for hundreds of workers BIRMINGHAM Airport is set to axe its final salary pension scheme – devastating the retirement plans of hundreds of workers.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Transport bosses deny bus sell-off plan to save tramsTRAM bosses have denied that parts of Lothian Buses could be sold off to help bail out the city's troubled tram project.

Liverpool Post

• Ellesmere Port to welcome Vauxhall’s Ampera electric car A PROTOTYPE Vauxhall electric car that could be built in Cheshire is set to make the longest-ever journey by an electric car on British roads.

Manchester Evening News

• Airport staff will not see 'naked' scanner images Passengers going through a full-body scanner with nothing to hide will no longer have their 'naked' image seen by airport staff. New 'automatic threat recognition' software is being developed to address privacy concerns over the controversial device.
• Brakes put on airport drivers as car park closes A car park used by around 14,000 holidaymakers a month has closed “ just days before the start of the busy summer season.

Northern Echo

• Bus depot at centre of row NEIGHBOURS of a transport depot say their lives are being blighted by buses queuing outside their homes late into the night.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Stop favouring cyclists please [letter]COUNCILLORS must think again before prosecuting motorists who cross lines intended for cyclists. They must realise cyclists are penalised over other road users, this favouritism must stop.

Sheffield Star

• What do you think of campaign for public control of our buses?TRANSPORT chiefs are launching a public consultation on plans to bring buses in Sheffield and south Rotherham back under public control, which would cut fares and bring new bu

Sheffield Telegraph

• Cuts fuel row over future of buses in citySHEFFIELD'S biggest bus operator ran into opposition this week as it announced a shake-up of services across the city.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Travel chaos forecast as A90 stretch hit with 10mph limitMotorists using one of the north-east™s busiest commuter routes are expected to face travel chaos next week when a stretch of road is upgraded as part of a major project.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Minister's pledge on dual carriageway A1Plans to make the entire length of the A1 a dual carriageway will be brought forward "when resources allow", Transport Secretary Philip Hammond pledged today.

Bucks Free Press

• High Speed 2 consultation ends today THE deadline for county residents to have their say on compensation plans for a high speed rail link is today.
• Bid to stop Swan Rider transport service axe A CONTROVERSIAL decision to close a council transport service could be stopped in its tracks after it was ˜called in™.

Carlisle News & Star

• Carlisle-based Stobart Rail deal secures jobs Scores of Cumbrian railway engineering jobs have been secured after a firm landed three lucrative contracts.

Other Regional Press

• 'Chaos' as chippings put down to improve roads A DRIVING expert last night said resurfacing roads with chippings was the œmost cost-effective way of improving surfaces, despite criticism from motorists.
• Nurse's concern over airline loo plans A GWENT continence specialist and recent UK Nurse of the Year is among health experts voicing concern over budget airline Ryanair's proposals to reduce the number of toilets on its aircraft.
• British Waterways makes sure safety is locked in on Huddersfield Narrow Canal LOCKS along Huddersfield Narrow Canal will be improved to prevent boats sinking.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Government agrees to consult on franchises17 June: After our objections to proposals on rail franchising policy, which would offer train companies a financial incentive to cut services, the Department of Transport has finally agreed to a consultation. read more
• Eric Pickles won't stop Brent Cross congestion17 June: We've been asking people to tell Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to call a halt to the expansion of Brent Cross and prevent the congestion caused by the way the scheme is planned. But we've just heard he's not going to act. read more

Railnews

• News: Coucher resigns from Network Rail Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher has announced that he is leaving the company.

Aviation Industry

• Air pollution from airports revealed by volcanic ash cloudAs well as the direct benefits to residents, who had days of unaccustomed peace from aircraft noise, there was an indirect environmental benefit from volcanic ash cloud. The cessation of flights at major airports allowed scientists to confirm that airports are significant causes of air pollution.   Because the pollutants produced by aircraft and airport operations are [...]

Green Miscellany

• A bicycle sidecar is the stylish solution to carrying kids There is a bewildering array of child seats, ˜tag-alongs™ and trailers aimed at helping famillies cycle together, but none is as stylish looking as the bicycle sidecar designed by Steve Bodiley.read more

Other News Sources

• Railway hub plans 'could attract big business and hundreds of jobs' PLANS for a massive rail freight terminal that will create up to 2,000 jobs have been revealed. Work will start in January on creating a train connection to the Castle Donington site after property firm Clowes Developments signed a multi-million pound deal with Network Rail.
• £470k boost for the A83 Rest & Be Thankful The next phase of improvements at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful gets underway on 21 June with the start of a £470k drainage project funded by Transport Scotland.read more
• Stelios warns he may reclaim easyJet nameSir Stelios Haji-Ioannou warned the board of the airline he founded that he could reclaim the easyJet brand and licence it to another major airline
• Railway operator backtracks on 14-train direct-to-London commuter service HIGHLY anticipated direct train services between Lincoln and London are to be dramatically cut before they have even begun. Train operator East Coast is to save £9 million a year by running just one daily return service to and from King's Cross from May next year, instead of the seven originally planned.
• RMT slams 'lethal and unworkable' Tory plan to axe all tube drivers and operators in a dash for cutsTUBE UNION RMT tonight condemned 'lethal and unworkable' plans leaked to the BBC from within the GLA Tory Group to axe all train drivers and operators on London Underground and to move the entire tube system to a driverless operation.
• Dales railway tie-in testedJMP has been commissioned to establish the costs and benefits of reconnecting the Embsay and Bolton Abbey heritage railway to the main line network at Skipton.
• Steer Davies Gleave creates new travel information websiteA new travel information website has been created for the Tayside and central Scotland region by transport planning consultancy Steer Davies Gleave.
• Motorists warned for driving in Blackburn bus lane MOTORISTS were stopped and spoken to by police for driving in a controversial Blackburn bus lane during rush hour.
• Transport unions in Australia stand up for pay equalityTransport trade unionists in Australia were among the thousands who rallied across the country to send home the message that the pay gap between men and women must end.
• RHA slams Road Transport DirectiveThe Road Transport Directive is European legislation at its most ill-considered – and the vote in the European Parliament Wednesday to include self-employed drivers, underscores that fact, according to the Road Haulage Association. “The RTD has been a mess since its inception. It is a confused mixture of road safety and social legislation which creates a [...]
• Co-operative systems could cut fuel use'Green' transport technologies that could potentially cut CO2 emissions by 20 per cent are being developed in a European-funded research project.
• Assembly opposes any increase in flights at BAA™s London airports. 16 June, 2010 - 15:30 The London Assembly has unanimously called for a ban on any increase in the number of flights operating from BAA™s London airports. In a motion agreed today, the Assembly expressed concern that following the Government™s decision to reject a third runway at Heathrow, BAA may try increase the number of flights from its airports by the back door.  Members said BAA might seek to do this by operational and regulatory changes like allowing mixed mode operations and increasing the number of night flights. [1].&am...
• Fares could rise above inflation again next year, Assembly hears 17 June, 2010 - 16:00 High inflation could mean Londoners are hit by a big rise in public transport fares next year, the London Assembly heard today. Transport for London told the Assembly™s Budget and Performance Committee that high inflation is affecting its costs and some of that may need to be passed onto passengers next year. TfL is therefore likely to recommend to the Mayor that fares from January will need to rise by two percent on top of the rate of inflation, which would be seven percent based on current figures. [1] ...
• Glasgow Airport 'will not charge for drop-offs'Glasgow Airport has said that it will not be charging passengers to use its new purpose-built drop-off facilities.Earlier this week, the Scotsman reported that the Scottish travel hub could charge passengers £1 to use the facilities. A spokesperson for Glasgow Airport has denied the suggestions, stating that no one from the newspaper asked anyone from the airport before printing the story."There are no plans to introduce that for any vehicles that are dropping off," he added.A new purpose-built drop-off facility has recently been opened a short walk from the terminal and the air...
• New £6m business aviation centre from Norwich airportA £6m new business aviation centre is being planned for Norwich airport, with bosses behind the plans saying it could eventually lead to new jobs. A Norwich-based charter aircraft company is building the centre to provide better facilities for its business travellers as well as more administration space.
• Dozens of transport projects shelvedContractors are bracing themselves for cancellations, delays and cutbacks to transport projects after the Government suspended dozens of schemes worth up to £1.6 billion.
• Balfour Beatty wins slice of Denver metro projectBalfour Beatty has been selected, as part of the Denver Transit Partners consortium, to build the Eagle P3 commuter rail projectin Denver, USA.
• Iain Coucher to quit as Network Rail chief execNetwork chief executive Iain Coucher is to step down after three years in the post and eight years with the company.
• Government cancels £450m hospital job and suspends £1.1bn A14The Government has cancelled 12 projects and suspended several more after its review of spending passed by the previous regime since the start of 2010.

News from Europe

• German company trains children as driversThey are even issued licences after being given proper driving training.The Autostadt, a small automobile city, set up by car company Wolfsburg in Germany, has special driving tracks for kids as one o...
• 17/06/2010 - Weekly newsletter on Mobility and Transport in Europe
• Look, Listen, Learn! New Report Shows How Swiss and UK Cities Can Help Each Other Cities in the United Kingdom and Switzerland have a lot to learn from each other to achieve urban sustainability, according to experts in a new report “Urban Sustainability: a Contradiction in Terms” published today by the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK.
• Parliament votes to limit truckers’ working hours A slim majority of MEPs yesterday (16 June) rejected the European Commission's recommendation that self-employed truckers be exempted from rules governing working time, concluding what had become a lengthy political battle between the forces of left and right.
• Puffing along: Steam train keeps remote Romania alive. - Feature Viseau de Sus, Romania - Steam power is alive and puffing along winding tracks in the mountains of Romania's remote Maramures district.
• NIB loan to boost capacity of Latvian railway A new EUR 21 million loan has been provided by the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) to the Latvian state-owned railway company VAS Latvijas Dzelzcels (Latvian Railway).