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

Saturday, 04 September 2010

BBC News

• Pope visit road closures revealedRoad closures and security restrictions for people living near Cofton Park during the Pope's visit are unveiled.
• Speed ticket refund for driversNearly 200 motorists who were fined a total of more than £11,000 could all be refunded after a 30mph speed limit was wrongly imposed on a road in Gwynedd.
• Nine die in New Zealand air crashNine people, including one Briton, are killed when a light aircraft crashes after taking off from Fox Glacier in New Zealand, say reports.
• City centre plan for 20mph zoneEdinburgh's transport leader admits speeding but said he still believes a 20mph zone would be a good idea.
• Fox rules out French 'ship share'Defence Secretary Liam Fox rules out the UK sharing aircraft carriers with France as part of closer defence co-operation.
• Plan to combat Tube strike chaosExtra buses, escorted bike rides and more river boat journeys will be laid on during next week's Tube strike.

Financial Times

• BA eyes Indian connection British Airways chief Willie Walsh flew to Mumbai for his second trip to India in four weeks as his airline faces mounting competition in one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets

The Guardian

• Boris Johnson pledges extras buses and bike escorts as London Tube strike loomsTransport bosses and the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said yesterday they would "pull out all the stops" to help commuters during the planned strike by London Underground workers on Monday. Johnson said contingency plans would include an extra 100 buses, escorted bike rides, marshalled taxi ranks and capacity for 10,000 extra journeys on the river Thames boats

The Independent

• Britain may share military aircraftBritain and France will consider sharing Europe's new A400M military transport aircraft as part of closer military ties, but have ruled out common use of aircraft carriers, the countries' defence ministers said.

Daily Express

• First-class fliers abandoning BABRITISH Airways blamed a drop in first class and business travel and a weaker summer season for lower traffic last month.

Mail Online

• Sixteen British cruise ship passengers sue luxury liner firm after iceberg crashA doctor, a bank director and the chairman of a law firm are spearheading a seven-figure court battle with a British cruise operator after their luxury liner hit a glacier.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Charity bike ride from Caernarfon to Bryncir for Hope House Ty Gobaith A MAJOR sponsored bike ride is the latest charity fund raiser for a hospice which looks after critically ill children.

London Evening Standard

• No charges for airport body pairTwo women arrested when trying to take a dead relative on a plane will not face charges, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Manchester Evening News

• Police could face charges over sports car crash Two police officers could face prosecution after crashing a high-powered sports car confiscated from a suspected drink driver. The officers climbed into the 156mph Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII on Hale Road, in Hale, Trafford, while waiting for a recovery truck.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Anger as tourists crowd out busesRegular users of the bus service between Invergordon and Inverness have been frustrated recently by well-heeled passengers off the cruise ships using the service to visit the city
• Crisis talks on isles™ ferry faresThe conveners of Shetland and Orkney islands councils are to meet the Scottish transport minister after both authorities rejected proposals to save £1million on the northern isles ferry budget.

Wales Online

• Undercover cars slice crime figures THIEVES are now so worried the next vehicle they break into will be a capture car they are put off committing an offence, a top city police officers claims.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds couple's 48 years of care for 18th century roadside landmarkFor well over four decades a Leeds couple have been helping preserve a small piece of the city's heritage and make their neighbourhood more attractive.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Death toll on Northamptonshire's roads will rise warn expertsThe death toll on Northamptonshire's roads will rise if funding for road safety campaigns is cut, according to experts.

Other Regional Press

• M40 Oxford Tube crash driver is double a hero THE driver hailed a hero for saving passengers when his Oxford Tube coach tipped over on the M40 had previously saved a former Oxford United manager in another crash.
• Company steps in to fill Devizes bus gap A bus company has stepped in to continue operating a service between Melksham, Devizes and Easterton but will be using smaller buses.
• Leys buses urged to cut speed HOUSEHOLDERS on Oxford™s largest estate say speeding bus drivers are putting people™s lives in danger.
• Wallingford traders fears over roadworks TRADERS fear a month-long road closure in Wantage town centre could kill-off their businesses.

New Scientist

• Edible crystals could store hydrogen fuelMolecular cages for storing hydrogen fuel have been made from cheap, natural ingredients – and they taste like crackers

Railway Gazette

• Urban rail news in brief September 2010The EIB has signed its first loan agreement with Armenia, under which Yerevan metro will receive €5m towards the renovation of rolling stock, track and power supply components, a maintenance train and water pumps. The project will be co-financed by the EBRD and a grant from the European Commission's Neighbourhood Investment Facility. More than $500m has been allocated to public transport infrastructure improvements as part of the 'Illinois Jobs Now!' capital construction programme. Over $442m will be spent in the Chicago area, with $253m going to Chicago Transit Authority and $157m to t...

Aviation Industry

• Huge emissions from Manchester/Dubai Airbus A380Each flight of the Airbus 380 on the new Manchester/Dubai service will use kerosene at 10.04 gallons per mile and will pump 401 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. On-board water load doubled so 14 first class passengers can have 5 minutes each in the shower at 35,000 feet! See press release from Manchester Airport Environment [...]
• Continental Airlines recalling last of furloughed pilots from 2008Continental Airlines Inc. is recalling 132 pilots who were furloughed in 2008, saying it needs them to offset retirements and handle an increase in international flying.

Other News Sources

• VOSA pushes ahead with ATFs despite calls for policy to be abandonedWhile the leading trade associations have called for an abandonment of VOSA's Authorised Testing facility (ATF) strategy, four additional sites have gone live over the summer, taking the total number of ATFs that can test HGVs to eight.
• Six US states seek funding for rail corridor Six US states have submitted an application to seek federal funds in support of Norfolk Southern Railway's $2.5bn Crescent Corridor programme, Railway-Technology reports. Pennsylvania, Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and North Carolina have sought $109.2m from the US Department of Transportation. The funds will be used to expand independent intermodal facilities in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and North Carolina, along with track and signal improvements in Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Crescent Corridor programme is an improvement project which aims to create a 2,500-mile i...
• China Railway wins $5.74bn in contracts China Railway Construction has won bids for 11 rail construction contracts to build various sections of the Shanghai-Kunming passenger railway. The contract, worth CNY39.1bn ($5.74bn), will involve the construction of five projects in Hunan province and six in Guizhou province. A rail line between Kunming and Changsha in Hunan province, and a new section of the Shanghai-Kunming railway, will also be built under the contract, according to Railway-Technology.
• CMA CGM sales soar 41pc Marseilles shipping giant CMA CGM has posted 266.7 per cent first half net profit increase of US$864 million, reversing a $518 million loss in the same period last year, according to the Shipping Gazette. Profit was drawn on first half revenues of $6.7 billion, up 41 per cent on last year's sales of $4.7 billion. Ebita was up 285 per cent to 1.05 billion, reversing a loss of $568 million in the same period. Container throughput in the first six months of the year increased 22.2 per cent to 4.4 million TEU from 3.6 million TEU in the same period last year. The announcement was made at a b...
• Fraud pushing car insurance to record levels Rising levels of fraud are contributing to record increases in car insurance premiums, an insurer has said.Related StoriesCricketers to be punished if guilty - ICCStudents among Britons held in Ibiza drugs raidResearch: Britain drinks too much alcoholICC suspends Pakistan cricket trioFugitive Asil Nadir appears at Old Bailey
• Ukraine secures billion-dollar China railway loanUkraine has secured a $950 million loan from China to build a high-speed railway link between Kiev and the capital's main airport and has selected a Chinese company for the project.
• City Link says 'spy-in-the-van' technology will improve deliveries City Link has invested heavily to fit a number of its vans with security cameras, to aim for a 100% faultless delivery...
• Sheldon & Clayton acquires AE Costin HaulageSheldon & Clayton (S&C) Group has made its eighth acquisition since 2008 with the purchase of AE Costin Haulage, which trades as Costin Logistics.
• Atkins and HOK chosen to modernise Gatwick AirportA selection of companies have been chosen to modernise Gatwick Airport.HOK, Atkins and Pascal & Watson are among firms that have made it on to a £1 billion framework to update the airport, BDonline.co.uk reported.The companies were selected for a three to four-year framework to carry out projects that will include developing security features at the North Terminal and new baggage areas in the South Terminal.Engineering, construction, management, and development company Bechtel, will be overseeing the work."The worrying thing is that [the framework] suggests an owner who is worri...
• Belfast Ryanair base to closeRyanair has revealed that it will close its base at Belfast Airport next month.Following the airport's confirmation that the inquiry into the promised runway extension will be delayed, the airline has decided to cut all its flights between mainland Britain and Belfast from October 31st.The carrier scrapped its flights from Stansted Airport, Bristol Airport, East Midlands Airport, Glasgow Airport and Liverpool Airport as the short runways currently limit the type of aircraft that can land there.Ryanair will switch its one Belfast City-based aircraft to another European airport from early No...
• Tipping tankers over bulkersINVESTORS have been urged to stress newbuilding box ships over second-hands, and tankers over bulkers.
• Deputy Lib Dem leader Simon Hughes supports A11 dualling campaignA leading Liberal Democrat pledged his support for the campaign to dual the A11 during a visit to Norwich yesterday. Simon Hughes, deputy leader of the Lib Dems, said the plan was vital not only to improve access to Norfolk from the rest of the country but also to cut down on accidents and make travel to the county safer.
• Downham Market roadworks will cause Villagers, commuters and tourists driving to a West Norfolk town will be hit with a huge 30-mile diversion when roadworks start on a main road next month.
• BA will win, say expertsBritish Airways (BA) will prevail in its fight with cabin crew, say leading business travel experts.read more