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

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

BBC News

• Cycle guides 'idle' during London Tube strike Guides who conducted escorted bike rides were "largely idle" during the Tube strike, a union has claimed.
• North Lincolnshire road safety projects put on hold Road safety and maintenance schemes totalling £1.2m have been put on hold because of a sharp cut in funding by North Lincolnshire.
• £22m station opens to passengersThe rebuilt £22m railway station in Newport opens for the first time to passengers ahead of the Ryder Cup next month.
• Farquhar calls for roads changesRyan Farquhar calls for changes to safety procedures and a reduction in the maximum cylinder capacity of motorcycles raced on public roads.
• Car rental bidding war escalatesCar hire company Hertz ups the ante against rival Avis in the billion-dollar bidding war for Dollar Thrifty.

Financial Times

• Business class: Rail industry on track for gains in market share The crowded ground floor of London’s St Pancras International train station in mid-April was a stark contrast to the clean, neogothic lines of the station’s famous roof. Queues of passengers waited outside the ticket office looking for the few seats available on cross-channel Eurostar trains, while a crush of relatives and friends waited around the exit doors from the platforms to meet the 700 or more passengers being disgorged from each service.
• Ryanair makes rapid ascentIrish airline has grown from a tiny outfit in 1985 to an operation with more than 200 aircraft flying about 70m passengers a year to roughly 160 destinations
• Get cabin crew to replace Ryanair CEOFrom Captain Morgan Fischer. I would like to share with you a cost-saving suggestion I have proposed to the Ryanair board
• Ryanair plan to axe co-pilots raises safety issueFrom Captain Evan Cullen. I refer to 'Ryanair's talk of spree on aircraft casts cloud over dividend hopes' where Michael O'Leary is quoted as saying that the risk of pilot incapacitation does not merit the presence or cost of a qualified co-pilot
• Ryanair crews' no-frills idea: Drop the bossRyanair pilot has taken the rare step of publicly challenging his boss after the outspoken chief executive said he was trying to convince authorities to let his aircraft fly with only one pilot

The Guardian

• Public Transport needs a hero cityIn 1960, a planner named Colin Buchanan was commissioned to write a report on the problem of traffic, then creating havoc and carnage from the winding medieval streets of Norwich to the A-roads crisscrossing the countryside. The resulting report, "Traffic in towns", was so popular that it was published as an abbreviated Penguin paperback.
• DfT plans national travel smartcard The Department for Transport is working with transport operators to introduce a national Oyster-style public transport card
• Metro chief steps up campaign to save Leeds trolleybus funding Calls on Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to take long-term approach over Leeds' economy
• Nottingham named England's least car-dependent city Nottingham's investment in cycle tracks, a tram network and buses made it the top ranking city for green transportNottingham has been named as England's least car-dependent city in a survey that exposes inconsistent planning across the country with one of the nation's newest conurbations, Milton Keynes, labelled the worst for cyclists and bus users.Award-winning bus services, a European-style embrace of the tram and a bias against out-of-town shopping centres were cited as powerful incentives for residents of Nottingham to leave their cars at home, according to a report by the Campaign for Bet...

The Herald

• Report calls for help in car club growthCar clubs could expand rapidly to contain more than 100,000 members across Scotland over the next 12 years with Government backing, a report has found.
• Commitment to £2bn river crossingTransport Minister Stewart Stevenson has restated the Government™s commitment to building a £2 billion crossing over the Forth, as details of the construction companies bidding to upgrade the M9 approach road south of the bridge were announced.

The Scotsman

• Conservative Germany goes off railsGERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel is not used to seeing her conservative constituents on the streets, occupying buildings and scuffling with policemen. But that is her reality now as a controversial rail-modernisation project in Stuttgart threatens to derail government in Berlin.

The Telegraph

• SkyRider: new 'saddle' seat allows airlines to 'cram' more passengers A new aircraft “standing seat” model aimed at cramming more airline passengers onto budget flights has been unveiled.

Reuters News

• National Express gets reprieve on East Anglia railLONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The new coalition government has given National Express (NEX.L) a reprieve on the East Anglia rail franchise by granting an initial extension, the British transport company said on Tuesday.
• BA ground staff accept settlement - unionMANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British Airways ground staff at London's Heathrow airport have voted overwhelmingly to accept a settlement in a long-running dispute over pay and staffing levels, the GMB union said on Monday.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL DIRECTORS SEE PROGRESS AT MK NATIONAL CENTRE

Birmingham Mail

• Warning over high speed rail line between Birmingham and London THE Green Party could oppose plans for a high speed rail line between London and Birmingham after delegates meeting in Birmingham heard claims it would cause global warming.

Birmingham Post

• Greens may oppose 'unsustainable' High Speed rail plans The Green Party could oppose plans for a high speed rail line between London and Birmingham after delegates meeting in Birmingham heard claims it would cause global warming.

Derby Telegraph

• More speed cameras in line for chop as county probe follows city trial A REVIEW of the future of speed cameras on Derbyshire County Council roads, which could see their numbers reduced, has been launched.
• Delays to inner ring road scheme will not mean it goes above £36m budget A MULTI-MILLION-POUND scheme to complete Derby's inner ring road is set to come in on budget despite being delayed by three months. The £36.2m Connecting Derby project, to create a link from Uttoxeter New Road to Bradshaw Way and a separate section of road in King Street, started in April last year

Liverpool Echo

• PREVIEW: Dream Machine at Edge Hill Station TOMORROW marks the 180th anniversary of the opening of the world’s first passenger railway between Liverpool and Manchester.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds Bradford Airport car park with no planning permissionA car park near Leeds-Bradford International Airport used by thousands of passengers every year has been operating without planning approval.

Sunderland Echo

• Station's new look gets the VIP treatmentPassengers will benefit from a £7million train station revamp from today as transport chiefs cut the ribbon on the project.

Other Regional Press

• Sustrans offer advice on Croxley Green doorstepsA sustainable transport charity will be visiting houses in Croxley Green from next Monday, to give out information about about cycling, walking and public transport.
• Bus drivers pass their 20mph test POLICE and parish councillors have carried out their first speed monitoring event on Oxford™s largest estate to ensure that drivers obey new 20mph speed limits.
• Salendine Nook neighbours campaign for better bus service from Metro A PENSIONER and her neighbours are fighting to improve a bus service which is leaving them “isolated”.

Rail-News.com

• £400,000 investment in Midland MetroPeople travelling on the West Midlands’ most reliable mode of transport – the Midland Metro – will soon get an even better service thanks to a £400,000 package of improvements.

Railnews

• 'Lasting benefits' from £22m Newport station upgrade A MODERNISED station has opened for business in Newport, and the investment of £22 million will bring ’lasting benefits’ in South Wales, say local leaders.
• OPINION: Innovation in the rail industry is overdue Rail Champions may be a new name to you. But its founder Chris Williams-Lilley argues here that although there are some groups who inspire progress and innovation in the rail industry, there are still many neglected areas which deserve attention too, particularly in uncertain times like the present.
• Deputy PM may intervene in Sheffield barriers row CAMPAIGNERS who oppose the installation of automatic ticket gates at Sheffield say that the deputy prime minister may now be asked to take action over their long running dispute with East Midlands Trains.
• News: OPINION: Innovation in the rail industry is overdue Rail Champions may be a new name to you. But its founder Chris Williams-Lilley argues here that although there are some groups who inspire progress and innovation in the rail industry, there are still many neglected areas which deserve attention too, particularly in uncertain times like the present.

Aviation Industry

• BA reaches agreement with Heathrow ground staffBritish Airways finally concluded an agreement on new working practices for its London Heathrow-based ground staff.
• Branson: Virgin Blue transtasman flights may cease following ACCC rulingVirgin Group Chairman Richard Branson hinted on Australian radio Sunday that Virgin Blue might terminate all flights to New Zealand following the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission™s draft ruling rejecting the planned Virgin Blue-Air New Zealand alliance.
• Boeing: Australia/New Zealand aircraft demand valued at $120 billion through 2029Boeing forecasts that airlines in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands will take delivery of 920 new aircraft valued at $120 billion over the next 20 years.

Green Miscellany

• Transform your bicycle into a horse A bicycle accessory that gives a bike the outline of a horse has been shortlisted in the Seoul Cycle Design Competition 2010.read more

Other News Sources

• Stena Line unveils new Annabel Karmel-inspired menu Food and nutrition writer Annabel Karmel has devised a new children's menu for Stena Line's Irish Sea crossings.
• HOPES SUNK OVER CHUNNEL PAYOUT Residents whose Hackney homes were tunnelled under for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link have had their hopes of substanial compensation dashed.
• SWT ticket office hours London TravelWatch has welcomed the Secretary of State for Transport’s decision not to allow ticket offices to close at South West Trains (SWT) stations, but expressed disappointment that some of its objections were disregarded.
• National Express awarded rail extension BIRMINGHAM based transport group National Express has won Department of Transport approval for an extension to its East Anglia rail franchise – despite the group’s bitter experiences in the sector.
• Transport Secretary backs working from home, but not giving up the car Transport Secretary Philip Hammond wants to see more working from home so as to decrease unnecessary travel, but will not "coerce" drivers out of their cars.
• Train station petition delivered to House of Commons BROMSGROVE MP Sajid Javid has delivered a petition to the House of Commons supporting plans for the town’s long-awaited train station.
• Sustainable Transport: Speech By Philip HammondI congratulate His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, START and IBM for arranging this landmark summit, and in particular for dedicating this third day to the vitally important debate on sustainable transport.
• Siemens Velaro High-Speed Train Coming to Florida TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens today announced plans to present its vision of U.S. high-speed rail to the people of Florida with its "Future of Florida High-Speed Rail Tour," a traveling exhibit featuring a full-sized model of the Siemens Velaro high-speed train. The tour kicks off Oct. 7, 2010 with a special VIP event at Tampa's MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry).
• Japan Offers California Loan for $40 Billion High-Speed Train California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rode one of Japan’s fastest trains today after the nation’s transport minister offered loans to support the state’s more than $40 billion high-speed rail project.
• Cash fears for new bus station Plans to build a new £25m bus station in Preston have been dealt a major blow by the axing of the region’s funding body, it was revealed today. The North West Development Agency, which is due to be abolished in 2012, was to contribute around £10m to the new terminal in Manchester Road.
• Qantas opposes Virgin Blue-Etihad allianceQantas Airways has protested against plans by Australia's Virgin Blue and Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways to form an alliance, and has urged Australian...
• Air Cargo Germany expands fleet ACG Air Cargo Germany has added a fourth Boeing jumbo freighter B747-400BCF to its fleet, deploying the aircraft on the Frankfurt - Mumbai - Hong Kong route. read more
• Van Dieren launches new Germany “ Sweden rail service Dutch intermodal transport specialist, Van Dieren Maritime, has launched a new rail service linking Herne in Germany with Nässjö in Sweden. read more
• ITM calls for register of interestsA register of interests, detailing any money paid by suppliers to intermediaries, was today (September 13) called for by the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM).read more