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

Friday, 27 August 2010

BBC News

• Kent pensioner's rail fares petition goes to No 10 A pensioner from Kent has handed in a 10,000-signature petition to No 10 Downing Street calling for free rail travel for the over-60s.
• Study starts on A96 improvements Early stage design work has started on upgrading the A96 between Inverness and Nairn to dual carriageway and building a bypass for Nairn.
• Whitstable bridges planning application submitted Plans for two new bridges which will form part of a newly-created route for walkers and cyclists has been submitted to a Kent council.
• Drivers want road use charges changed, survey suggests The current system of paying for road use should change, according to more than half the people surveyed by the Department for Transport.
• Airport to hold residents meetingPeople living near Belfast City Airport will have the chance to raise any issues they have with the airport's management on Thursday.
• Airlines' profits signal recoveryAir New Zealand has reported a fourfold increase in profits, leading signs of recovery in the airline industry.
• Toyota recalls one million carsToyota announces another recall involving more than one million cars in the US and Canada with potentially faulty engine control systems.

Financial Times

• FAA seeks record $24.2m penalty for AmericanThe Federal Aviation Administration said that it would seek a record $24.2m penalty from American Airlines for a series of maintenance lapses in 2008 that left thousands of passengers stranded and grounded hundreds of its planes
• Holocaust bill poses hurdle for SNCF rail bidSNCF, the French rail operator, faces a political hurdle in its efforts to take part in a multibillion-dollar rail project in California, after legislation was passed that would force the company to make disclosures about its role in the Holocaust
• Toyota recalls 1.1m cars in US and CanadaToyota has recalled another 1.1m vehicles in the US and Canada, bringing the total to about 11m worldwide over the past year

The Guardian

• Conflict erupts at Network Rail after inquiry clears boss of abusing position Senior figures reportedly angered by chairman's criticisms while Iain Coucher faces further claims from union

The Herald

• Work starts on upgrade to reduce congestion on vital Highland roadPreparatory design work has begun on the long-awaited upgrade of the congested western section of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.
• Promised Glasgow to London train deal cannot be deliveredA deal to ensure that rail passengers in the west of Scotland do not lose cross-border train services cannot be delivered, the UK Transport Secretary has said.
• Forth Ports casts its nets wide as takeover talk refuses to go awayForth Ports is on the hunt for acquisitions to help deliver growth and see off the threat of a renewed takeover bid from its major shareholders.

The Telegraph

• Retirement beckons for 'fat controller' Network Rail As rail regulator, Tom Winsor had one big problem with Network Rail: its flawed corporate structure. Six years after he stepped down from the signal box, the problem remains. He reckons it is time it was fixed – especially now there’s a red light on public spending. He’s right.
• Break up Network Rail, says former regulator Tom Winsor Former rail regulator Tom Winsor has called for the break up of Network Rail, arguing that the state-backed owner of Britain's tracks, signals and stations is a "beast ripe for slaughter".

Press Association

• Rail firm accused of 'profit-driven vandalism' South West Trains, which runs trains into and out of London, has been accused of "profit-driven vandalism" after gaining approval for cuts to station ticket office opening hours.

Reuters News

• Alstom London tube staff to strike over pay - unionAbout 200 Alstom-Metro maintenance workers on London's underground rail network will strike over pay, the Rail Maritime and Transport union said on Thursday, the second action announced this week by Tube workers.

The Mirror

• Speed cameras save lives, yet ConDem ministers pander to motorists’ demands Speed cameras save lives. Traffic police say so, not just road safety campaigners. But instead of facing up to the facts, ConDem ministers pander to motorists’ demands for freedom to break the law.

Network Rail

• IT™S ALL IN THE STARSRail bridges get celestial makeover

Birmingham Post

• High Speed Rail link could create more miles of road than track, say protesters Hundreds of acres of countryside could be ripped up and replaced by roads needed to build the 250mph Birmingham to London high speed rail line, protesters have claimed.

Metro

• Five alternative ways to get to work during the tube strikeWith London set to be hit by a number of tube strikes during September, October and November we round up five alternative ways to get to work during the transport chaos.
• More Tube strike dates announcedFresh travel chaos is looming for London commuters as further Tube strikes were announced today.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield's low-cost car club expandsSHEFFIELD City Car Club is giving new members a chance to sign up for a limited period - and save £50.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Bus route appeals have cost taxpayer at least £120,000Legal challenges to a controversial bus scheme have cost council taxpayers more than £120,000 - with costs still rising.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• ˜Do not end direct trains to London™ Transport chiefs in the north-east have warned that plans to scrap direct trains to London would damage the country™s economic recovery.

Other Regional Press

• Which street signs would you like to get rid of?This week the Government told all local councils to tidy up roads and streets.

The Economist

• Trouble ahead The train giants of France and Germany are at war over European high-speed rail

Transport for London

• Hundreds of unclaimed bikes pile up in the Capital's police stations London's recovered stolen bikes can't be reunited with their owners because cyclists aren't security marking their bicycles.

Aviation Industry

• Southampton Airport is nominated for prestigious British Travel AwardSouthampton Airport has been nominated for the ˜Best Regional UK Airport Award™ at the annual Business Travel Awards...
• Banning noisy aircraft – a world first?Australia is set to ban the noisiest aircraft from landing at its airports. Simply banning the nosiest aicraft is one of the most effective ways of reducing noise nuisance. Yet the UK government refuses to adopt this obvious and effective measure, despite saying it is concerned about aircraft noise. Here is article reproduced from Cargo World. Australia is set [...]

Other News Sources

• Study to explore extra Crossrail station at KensalThe Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will fund a feasibility study into the impact of building an extra station on London's planned east-west rail line.
• Bids in for US high speed rail cashUS transportation secretary Ray LaHood has announced that the US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has received 77 applications from 25 states for the most recent round of high speed rail grant funding.
• Eurostar introduces crowdsourced travel guide Eurostar has launched a crowdsourced travel guide as part of its wider 'Exploring is beautiful' campaign to inspire customers to travel beyond its core destinations of Paris, Lille and Brussels.
• Peugeot unveils world's first diesel full hybrid vehicle
• Essential business travel 'increasing'ore people are taking "essential" trips for business, it has been stated. This is according to PKF partner for hotel consultancy services Robert Barnard, who explained: "There's no doubt that corporate budgets have been reduced, but essential business travel is still taking place and that's increasing."
• Bust up on the busesChanges described as 'fiasco'
• ’Help us spot safe sites to leave cycles’ Cyclists are being urged to suggest places for secure parking areas to help beat bike theft.
• NEW WEST CUMBRIAN SCHOOL BUS SERVICE TO TACKLE OVERCROWDING A NEW school bus service between Maryport and Cockermouth School will be launched next term to ease overcrowding problems on the number 58 service.
• Philip Hammond MP: Transport is at the heart of the country' growth IT WAS not the brief that I expected to do, or prepared for in Opposition, but since being appointed Secretary of State for Transport, it has become increasingly clear to me that transport plays a key role in delivering the government's priorities.
• Metro chairman asks Transport Secretary to witness rush-hour crowding Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has been asked to see for himself the extent of rush-hour overcrowding on trains in the district.
• Exclusive: Use public transport during London 2012 Tories tell IOCThe Conservatives have launched a bitter attack on transport arrangements for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, claiming that many of the potential problems could be alleviated if more use was made of public transport during the Games.
• Rail chiefs announce service profitBOSSES at a rail firm today praised passengers in Hartlepool for helping them to record healthy North-East returns.
• Delays at an end as main road set to reopen WEEKS of longer journeys for motorists are set to come to an end with the completion of gas works on Seven Hills Road between Cobham and Walton.
• Delays on Norwich to London train lineThere were severe disruptions on the London to Norwich train line last night with some passengers facing a seven hour journey to get home. A Network Rail spokesman said the problems were caused by an overhead line failure at Ingatestone and signalling problems between Shenfield and Chelmsford.
• University staff begin electric bike trial Staff at a university are trialling a brand new power-assisted bike this week, in a bid to reduce car use and carbon emissions on campus.
• Heathrow Airport food waste to be turned into fertiliser Food waste from Heathrow is to be transformed into fertiliser following a deal between BAA and recycling firm Vertal.
• Crossrail plans 2011 award of main tunneling contractsCrossrail has said that its two main tunnelling packages will not be awarded until early 2011 but this will not affect start dates for construction of the tunnels on the £15.9 billion project.

News from Europe

• German demonstrators halt giant railway project Police say demonstrators have halted work on one of Europe's largest infrastructure projects, the subterranean rail station Stuttgart 21 in southwest Germany, a day after about 6,000 people opposed to the project blocked roads and threw eggs and bottles.