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

Monday, 09 August 2010

BBC News

• Village station reopening plannedPlans are under way to try to reopen a the Bow Street railway station near Aberystywth which was last in service during the 1960s.
• Two tram lines close on SundaysTwo Greater Manchester tram routes are closing for the next three Sunday evenings for engineering works.
• Rail theft crackdown after delaysRail authorities step up their efforts to stop thefts after thousands of passengers were delayed on Friday.
• Oyster top-up users over-chargedSome passengers have been double charged when topping up their Oyster Cards, BBC London learns.

The Herald

• Businesses make real progress in rebuilding profitabilityCompanies across Europe and the US are making œreal progress in rebuilding profits but consumers are still fragile, professional services firm Deloitte has warned.
• Bank of England to report slowing growth and increased cost of livingThe Bank of England™s updated assessment of growth and inflation prospects in the UK will be the key event for investors next week, alongside trading updates from major players in the insurance and travel sectors.
• Companies taking taxpayer for a ride over free bus tripsBus companies are facing renewed accusations of profiteering from a Scottish Government-backed concessionary bus travel scheme after new figures showed they were paid a record £187 million from it last year despite a drop in passenger numbers.
• RMT leaders face revolt as members say they were abandoned in ScotRail disputeBritain™s biggest rail union is involved in a furious internal row with Scottish train conductors attacking the famously militant leadership of the RMT following the collapse of a long-running dispute with ScotRail this week, the Sunday Herald has learned.

The Telegraph

• Crossrail gets down to detail to survive cuts With the Treasury axe about to fall, many are predicting that his £15.9bn Crossrail project is primed to be one of the first victims. The Crossrail chairman would have been within his rights to feel rather nervous, given the rather half-hearted support the project received from Philip Hammond, the Coalition's Transport Secretary last month.

Bolton News

• Bus link service is given reprieve A VITAL community transport service which gives thousands of people cheap transport to health services in Bolton has been given a stay of execution.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Road safety bidCommunity leaders have backed a campaign to make sure families stay safe on the roads this summer.

Manchester Evening News

• £40,000 worth of cars torched by fire thug An arsonist caused £40,000 worth of damaged after five cars were torched at a used car business. The vehicles were destroyed in the blaze at the showroom in Ashton-under-Lyne. The manager of a pub across the road chased a suspect, but he escaped before the alarm was raised.
• Action stations as Metrolink ’Big Bang’ plan blasts ahead Manchester™s tram expansion is back on track “ with contractors appointed for the last stage of the ˜Big Bang™ extensions.Parts of the extension appeared under threat when the government announced it was slashing public spending.

Wales Online

• Plans all set to get Swansea’s rail station on track WORKS to revamp Swansea’s railway station into a modern facility could be under way within weeks, according to officials.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Call for commitment to green drivingBusiness motorists and fleet managers have been called on to commit to green driver training in order to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment.This is according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which has urged companies and individuals to invest in eco-driving schemes as the economy recovers from the recession.The organisation's Drive & Survive head of training, Simon Elstow, explained that many firms are investing in purchasing green vehicles but are failing to look at the way in which their drivers operate.

Rail-News.com

• Rail cuts 'would threaten economy' CUTS in rail investment could damage the British economy, the government is being warned. Business leaders are increasingly concerned about the threats to such projects as electrification and the building of more rolling stock.

Railway Gazette

• Composite cab concept EUROPE: A prototype train cab has been developed under a joint industry and academic project which aims to adapt composite technologies used by Formula 1 cars for rail applications. Racing cars make extensive use of extremely strong and lightweight carbon composites, but these highly specialised materials are uneconomic for rolling stock. Instead the prototype cab uses a sandwich of glass-reinforced plastic around a polymer foam core and aluminium honeycomb. This eliminates the need for steel elements, reducing the part count. The cab was developed to match the requirements of Bombardier's Sp...

Other News Sources

• MP leads railways cash bid PENISTONE and Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith has been selected by fellow MPs to chair a new all party parliamentary group looking at rail travel in the north. The group will focus on pressing for new commuter trains and faster and more frequent commuter services. It is supported by transport authorities, the North West Rail Campaign, the Northern Way and Network Rail. Ms Smith said: "Now more than ever the north needs its MPs to take a lead in ensuring that our rail networks get a fair deal.
• Greener buses a winner for travelling public THEY are Auld but no longer Reekie. Edinburgh's biggest bus firm is transforming its most polluting vehicles into the cleanest after a poll showed more people would hop aboard if its fleet were greener. Nearly 40 per cent of non-bus users surveyed by Lothian Buses said they would be attracted by more environmentally-friendly vehicles.
• Travel plan lays out the route to a greener futureA BLUEPRINT has been drawn up to encourage thousands of Town Hall staff to leave the car at home before travelling to work. East Staffordshire Borough Council’s Travel Plan 2010 is designed to reduce unnecessary journeys, promote sustainable transport and tackle climate change.
• Eurostar Reports Increase in H1 Sales and Passenger Numbers
• How to measure your greenhouse gas emissionsWhere do you begin if you need to report, manage and reduce your company's carbon footprint? The government has launched a consultation for producing what we hope with be useful guidelines to help you do your part.
• White Van Man goes GreenThere are some great deals on offer these days for cars and vans of all sizes, but don't let the initial cost of the vehicle detract from running costs and the environment.
• UK on track to double Kyoto targetThe UK government has published its Kyoto Progress Report in which it claims to be able to surpass, even double, its 2010 target of 12.5% below 1990 levels.
• Human waste powers VW BeetleA Volkswagen Beetle that runs on methane produced from human waste in sewage sludge has been unveiled in Bristol.
• Police Introduce New Drug Testing DeviceA 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...
• Attracting women to the driving professionIt is well known that the lack of drivers has been a major problem for the European transport industry, but, of late, the financial crisis and global recession have made the issue somewhat less urgent. However, when the economy turns around the subject will once again be high on the agenda, so in order to [...]
• Haulage operators advised of M6 closureHaulage operators have been warned that the northbound carriageway of the M6 will be closed from 10.00pm to 8.00am from Friday 13 August 2010 to Saturday 14 August 2010. The southbound carriageway will be closed from 8.00pm to 10.00am from Saturday 14 August 2010 to Sunday 15 August 2010. Both closures are for erection of [...]
• Brake welcomes drugalyser developmentBrake has welcomed the Government’s announcement that drug testing kits in police stations could be in place within months, but warns that this doesn’t go far enough to stamp out the menace of drug-driving. The road safety minister Mike Penning has announced that drugalysers could be installed at every police station by 2012, but that [...]
• 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 ...
• 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 [...]
• Hmmm... It's my 70th birthday. I think I'll cycle from Scotland to BedfordFormer Bedfordshire man returns to his old home county