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

Friday, 06 August 2010

BBC News

• Dung Beetle: No flies on poo-power car [video]A VW Beetle car that runs on methane, generated from human excrement, has been developed in an attempt to encourage sustainable motoring.
• Row over alarms during Tube alertThe RMT union and Transport for London disagree over whether alarms failed during a fire alert at a Tube station.
• Rail union to take legal action RMT says it is to take legal action against First ScotRail in a dispute over the use of train conductors.
• Plane noisy?Why business passengers want solution to children on aeroplanes
• First dip in car sales for a yearNew car sales fell in July, marking the first drop in a year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Department for Transport

• Transport StatisticsThe Department for Transport has today published the following Transport Statistics:

Financial Times

• Tilting trains a considerable success [letter ]Sir, Anyone who has travelled from London Euston by Virgin Trains might be surprised to read in your newspaper that the Pendolino trains, which provide such a comfortable and reliable service, are “flops” (“Fight for funding disturbs cosy world”, July 29). Not only are these trains a considerable success, but this success is founded on the scientific knowledge that was generated within Britain as part of the Advanced Passenger Train programme in the 1970s.

The Guardian

• Safe cycling – without a helmet Will Gosling (Response, 5 August) asks why none of the cyclists in your article of 31 July concerning the roll-out of the London cycle hire scheme is wearing a helmet, and calls for cycle helmets to be made compulsory, stating that he would no more cycle without one than drive a car without wearing a seatbelt.
• Globalisation is destroying historic shipping industry A thousand years of seafaring culture is being eradicated, severing another skilled British industry from global trade
• Crossrail value [Letter - Peter Hendy Commissioner, Transport for London]The majority of Crossrail's £15.9bn funding is met by Londoners with London businesses contributing a third of the costs alone

The Independent

• Union demand over Tube 'fire' incident Union leaders today called for an investigation into an incident at a London Tube station which it claimed had parallels to the Kings Cross fire disaster more than 20 years ago.

The Scotsman

• Road chiefs warn of 'iPod oblivion'Motorists could be driving themselves towards "iPod oblivion", according to the AA.

The Telegraph

• Diesel car sales outstrip petrol for the first time Diesel cars outsold petrol models for the first time ever in Britain last month.
• Motorway lights to be turned off to save cash and carbon The move, which will see stretches of road plunged into darkness between midnight and 5am, is also intended to cut Britain’s carbon footprint.
• Police to get new device to trap drug drivers A simple testing device to catch motorists driving under the influence of drugs is to be installed at every police station within two years, the Government will announce on Friday.
• Network Rail to investigate 'lavish pay and perks' claims against chief executive Rick Haythornthwaite, the Network Rail chairman, has vowed to investigate claims that the company's outgoing chief executive Iain Coucher enjoyed "lavish pay and perks" at the taxpayer's expense.

Daily Record

• Union chiefs launch legal bid over Scotrail conductor row UNION leaders are to take legal action against ScotRail in a dispute over the use of train conductors, it has emerged.

Mail Online

• Rail chief 'enjoyed James Bond lifestyle at taxpayers' expense'Iain Coucher has been dogged by claims that the firm has picked up the bill for perks, including £20,000-a-year in rent for a central London apartment and £13,000-a-year towards the costs of his Aston Martin.

The Mirror

• Road chiefs warn of 'iPod oblivion' Motorists could be driving themselves towards

Birmingham Mail

• Details of £2.7 billion revamp of city roads given out. DETAILS of Birmingham’s new £2.7 billion million road repair programme have been outlined.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Boost as Airbus strikes deal with Cathay Pacific Airways AIRBUS’ latest aircraft is to become the backbone of Cathay Pacific Airways’ fleet.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Pope visit 'will derail' tram D-dayA CRUNCH meeting on Edinburgh's tram project scheduled to happen on the same day as the Pope's visit will not be moved to an alternative day, despite fears that a late

Journal Live

• EasyJet cuts flights out of Newcastle A BUDGET airline is scrapping routes and reducing the number of aircraft it operates from the region's biggest airport.

London Evening Standard

• Now Mayor plans £81m second wave of bicycles for hireBoris Johnson is on the verge of almost doubling the size of his central London bike hire scheme, the Standard can reveal
• Road chiefs warn of 'iPod oblivion'Motorists could be driving themselves towards

Sheffield Star

• Petition over 'killer' road CALLS have been made for safety measures at a moorland crossroads in South Yorkshire which has been the scene of several fatal collisions.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Sheffield urged to follow London's lead on cyclingCITIES such as Sheffield were encouraged this week tox consider more investment in schemes that will encourage people to cycle to work and school.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Labour™s Iain Gray in ring-road pledge Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray has pledged to finally deliver Aberdeen's long-awaited bypass if he becomes first minister after the Scottish elections next year.

The York Press

• A19 Doncaster Road at Selby to close for up to three months MOTORISTS in North Yorkshire face yet more misery as a section of the A19 is closed for potentially three months.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Road chiefs warn of 'iPod oblivion' dangersMotorists could be driving themselves towards "iPod oblivion", according to the AA.
• Minister invited to join Leeds 'rail crush'Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has been invited to Leeds to travel on an early morning commuter train and experience for himself the misery of rush hour.

Bucks Free Press

• Wildlife 'under threat' from High Speed rail plans RARE wildlife will be under threat if plans for a high speed rail route through the Chiltern district go ahead, a conservationist has warned.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbrian bus passengers satisfied with journeys - survey Bus passengers in Cumbria have given local services the thumbs up in a new independent survey.
• Bus 'lifeline' to ease Cumbrian residents' roadworks misery People living in Harrington, Workington, have been given another lifeline to help them cope with disruption caused by major roadworks in the village.

Other Regional Press

• Inventor offers boost to holiday road safetyA Scots entrepreneur has developed a new electronic safety device for people driving abroad.
• £2k fine for ˜early™ bus firmA bus operator has been fined for running early services.

Rail-News.com

• Bombardier to Supply 14 Additional Light Rail Vehicles to Manchester Metrolink in the UKBombardier Transportation, together with consortium partner, Vossloh Kiepe, have signed an option to supply an additional 14 Bombardier Flexity Swift light rail vehicles to Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive’s Metrolink system. This option forms part of the contract signed with GMPTE in April 2007 and is valued at £27 million (32 million euro, $ 43 million US) with Bombardier’s share amounting to approximately £20 million (24million euro, $ 32 milllion US).

Aviation Industry

• BA traffic dropsBritish Airways' (BA) traffic, measured in passenger seat kilometres, dropped by 2.6% last month.read more

Green Miscellany

• Police use decoy bicycles to snare thieves Police in London are catching thieves by fitting decoy bicycles with hidden tracking devices. read more

Other News Sources

• 'Blackmail' on train service cuts rapped Rail bosses have been accused of ’blackmailing’ the Chase District Council by planning to axe vital trains unless they put up almost £300,000.
• Cambrian Coast Line in need of urgent repair CONCERN has been raised over the level of maintenance over the Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth Railtrack.
• Cambrian Coast Line in need of urgent repair CONCERN has been raised over the level of maintenance over the Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth Railtrack.
• On-line petition and consultation for trolleybus & Leeds transport projectsTake part now. Sign the online petition and give your views on Leeds transport projects.
• £64 million for new streetlightingCoventry is to benefit from over £64 million to replace the majority of its street lighting, Regional and Local Transport Minister, Norman Baker announced today. Following contractual arrangements being finalised today this Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding is expected to deliver: - Installation of nearly 28,000 new lighting columns within the first five years; - [...]
• Free-to-use website for abnormal loadsThe free online service from the Highways Agency, which provides a quick and easy route planning and notification system for hauliers transporting abnormal loads has seen a steady increase in use since its recent upgrade. ESDAL (Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads) has been developed to help hauliers save time and to minimise administration costs [...]
• Industry bodies unite over vehicle testingAnnual truck testing ensures high standards of vehicle condition and road safety and the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association are in total agreement that these objectives should be achieved at all times. However, the four [...]
• Poll reveals ˜best™ and ˜worst™ UK airportsA new poll by the UK's leading airport transfer comparison website has revealed the UK's most loved and most hated airports, according to ...
• Electric and hybrid car-makers 'must address battery residual values'Automotive intelligence firm Glass's is predicting that hybrid cars will represent the dominant 'green' powertrain technology until 2019, after which they will be overtaken by electric vehicle sales.
• Millions to be spent on road repairs THE multi million pound programme to fix Hampshire™s roads after the harsh winter is being wheeled out across the Winchester district.
• Cycle Rail Survey - Evidence for Cycle Hire at Stations Over the summer ATOC, the Association of Train Operating Companies, has been doing some research into the potential for cycle hire at UK rail stations. This has involved gathering case study evidence and interviewing stakeholders. ATOC has produced a short web survey to get the views of as many cyclists and rail passengers as possible. The [...]
• Road chiefs warn of 'iPod oblivion'Road chiefs warn of 'iPod oblivion'
• Gatwick plans to cut carbon by 50% Gatwick Airport has outlined its 10-year green plan, including a bid to cut its carbon emissions by 50% by 2020, compared to 2009 levels.

News from Europe

• DART PPP attracts four consortiaIRELAND: Iarnród Éireann announced on August 3 that four consortia had submitted responses for the prequalification phase of the DART Underground public-private partnership project. The deadline was July 20.
• Trenitalia selectes bidder to supply 50 high speed trains TALY: The combined bid from Bombardier Transportation and AnsaldoBreda was awarded the best score when Trenitalia evaluated tenders to supply 50 high speed trains. The board met on August 5 to approve the placing of an order, which should see a prototype completed within 300 days and entry into service by 2013.