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

Friday, 08 October 2010

BBC News

• Bike hire hits a million journeysOne million journeys are made on cycles in London's bike hire scheme since its launch 10 weeks ago.
• Bus company faces cut in vehiclesA Jedburgh bus firm is fined and has its vehicle numbers cut following
• Rail overcrowding 'getting worse'Overcrowding on a busy commuter route in and out of London is getting worse, according to new figures.
• Tube is to axe another 400 jobsLondon Underground says it will cut 400 office and management jobs and leave more vacancies unfilled.
• Renault sells most of Volvo stakeFrench carmaker Renault raises 3.1bn euros by selling most of its stake in Swedish truckmaker Volvo.
• Eurostar unveils £700m train dealChannel Tunnel rail firm Eurostar unveils an order worth more than £700m for new trains from German firm Siemens.

Financial Times

• Alstom attacks Eurostar's move on trains orderThe French government and Alstom have critised the operator's decision to buy new trains from Siemens, saying that the €600m deal raises concerns over Channel tunnel safety
• Virgin bid to extend rail franchise rejectedVirgin Trains' request for a two-year extension to its West Coast rail contract is rejected, raising the prospect of a bidding war for one of Britain's most lucrative and prestigious passenger services

The Herald

• Troubled £35m rail interchange faces further planning delays A major rail interchange planned on the western outskirts of Edinburgh is facing further delays and cost increases due to last-minute design changes ordered by tram developers.

The Independent

• London Underground to lose 800 jobs London Underground is to axe 400 office and management jobs and leave a similar number of vacancies unfilled, it was announced today.

The Scotsman

• French fury as Eurostar opts to buy German trains for tunnel service EUROSTAR'S decision to dump its long-standing French supplier of trains in favour of a German rival threatened to spill over into a political row yesterday.

The Telegraph

• Smart travel card to ease global travel Travellers will be able to ride the London Underground, the Paris Metro and New York's subway without ever having to stop and buy a ticket using new technology that could be ready within two years.
• Commuter overcrowding worsens key lines Overcrowding on a line where passengers staged a fare protest three years ago has got worse.
• Eurostar to offer direct services to Amsterdam and Geneva Rail passengers will be able to travel directly to Amsterdam and Geneva as part of the expansion of the European high speed rail network.

Mail Online

• David Cameron's ministers take Tube but their papers are chauffeur-drivenThe prime minister launched the crackdown on the use of chauffeur-driven ministerial cars, which cost more than £10million a year under Labour, within weeks of taking office.
• Cruise ship boss demands segregation in terminal so five-star passengers can avoid 'smelly' lorry driversLife peer Lord Sterling said customers on his five-star cruises should not have to mix with lorry drivers with body odour.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Roadworks due to start on stretch of new £21m Pwllheli bypass MOTORISTS face months more misery as a £21m bypass faces lengthy roadworks – less than two years after it opened.

Edinburgh Evening News

• City leaders split on move to sack tram contractorEDINBURGH's councillors are split over whether to sack the firm at the centre of the city's tram dispute, it has emerged.

Journal Live

• Park and ride on Metro costs raised at six stations CHARGES at six Metro station car parks have risen despite transport bosses promising to try and help more people use public transport.

London Evening Standard

• Fury as TfL announce plan to cut 800 more Tube jobsUnions react with fury as plans to axe 800 more jobs at Transport for London - threatening to scupper peace talks taking place next week aimed at averting further strike action

Manchester Evening News

• ’We’re on board with high-speed rail link plans’ A pledge by the government to build a high-speed rail link to Manchester has been welcomed by local transport chiefs. Transport secretary Philip Hammond said he will outline proposals for the line when plans for super-fast trains are put out to consultation next year.

Metro

• All change at Pontefract Pontefract Bus Station Travel Centre re-opens today after a week-long closure.

Sheffield Star

• All change on the city tramsTRAMS are as much a part of Sheffield as the hills, the steel, the faltering football teams and Henderson's Relish - and they always have been.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Easyjet to operate from Leeds Bradford AirportEasyJet today announced that it will begin operating its first flight from Leeds Bradford International Airport from December.

Yorkshire Post

• Underground to lose 800 jobs London Underground is to axe 400 office and management jobs and leave a similar number of vacancies unfilled, it was announced yesterday.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 campaigner wants your stories AN anti-high speed rail campaigner is writing a feature on historic buildings set to be affected by a new line “ and wants the help of Bucks Free Press readers.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Did human waste fall from the skyThe Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation after human waste was dumped across 25 acres of land near Kettering.

Other Regional Press

• Residents fume over bus route changesFurious residents in Garston say changes to a popular bus route have left them stranded.
• Train giant's £700m investmentEurostar is injecting £700 million in new 200mph trains and a facelift for its existing fleet.
• People urged to sign up to Kirklees Car Share Scheme
• It™s time to scrap transport agency, says council chiefThe executive agency charged with providing transport across Strathclyde should be scrapped, a council leader says.

International Herald Tribune

• First Buyers of Nissan Leaf Get a Trunkful of PerksBuyers of the first all-electric car receive tax credits, rebates, a charging unit and, in some areas, free parking.
• Siemens Wins Battle of Fast TrainsEurostar said it had chosen Siemens over Alstom as the winner of a contract to upgrade its aging fleet of high-speed trains.

Rail-News.com

• Latest class 70 to arrive in UK on FridayFresh from its appearance at Innotrans, Freightliner’s 70007 is expected to arrive in the UK, via the Channel Tunnel, on Friday. It is due to arrive in Calais tomorrow and once in the UK it will make its way to Freightliner’s depot at Leeds Midland Road.
• Virgin has franchise extension request rejectedA bidding war is expected for the West Coast Main Line franchise following the rejection of Virgin’s request to extend the franchise for a further two years. The franchise will expire in 2012.

Railnews

• News: Anti-HS2 campaigners in Midlands appeal for funds Anti-HS2 campaigners in Warwickshire have launched an appeal for donations, to fund a judicial review of the scheme.
• News: New Eurostar train goes on display in London After months of secrecy, Eurostar has confirmed that it is to buy 10 Siemens trainsets for £700 million, which will be to a ’bespoke specification’. The new e320 fleet will allow the company to extend its operations to more European cities. An example of the new 320km/h, 900-seat train is being unveiled in Hyde Park today, at an event attended by transport secretary Philip Hammond.

Transport for London

• London Underground to review non-operational staff roles to further reduce costs and improve efficiencyLU consults Trades Unions on reductions in non-operational functions.
• Mayor's flagship cycle scheme hits one million journeys More than 90,000 people now signed up as members of Barclays Cycle Hire

Aviation Industry

• Giant suitcase checks in at HeathrowHeathrow has celebrated the 2010 Heathrow Travel Product Award winners with the installation of a giant suitcase at Terminal 5 Departures.

Other News Sources

• Wishlist brings new hope of Metrolink to Stockport The dream of bringing Metrolink to Stockport could be alive again after it appeared in a new wish list of transport improvements. Hopes that trams will one day come to the town have been dashed several times. But the long-awaited scheme now features in a consultation document for Greater Manchester™s draft Local Transport Plan, which sets out priorities for the coming years.
• Europcar Launches New Generation Electric CarsEuropcar has signed a partnership agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen to introduce two new electric vehicles into the car hire market in 2011.
• Virgin Atlantic aims higher over share of global markettravelAirline unveils TV ad it hopes will boost its share of recovering global market. By Russell Parsons
• MP's county council 'bribe' jibe over Airtrack TRANSPORT Secretary Philip Hammond has accused the county council of grabbing an £11m "bribe" from the Airtrack scheme's promoters.
• EU States Expect to Exceed Air Pollutant Limits11 EU countries expect to exceed their legal emissions ceilings for NOx in 2010.
• Cuts may derail hopes of easing overcrowded Wharfedale trains Tackling national spending could be a higher Government priority than providing extra carriages to alleviate crowding on packed commuter trains, a Minister has indicated. Wharfedale rail service campaigners have been left disheartened by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers’s response to their calls for improvements on local services.
• Train pledge to ease divideA minister has pledged to review funding rules that results in Lancashire missing out on millions of pounds each year in transport cash. Transport minister Theresa Villiers told a meeting at the Tory Party conference that it is “vitally important” that the coalition carries out a “fair assessment” of transport needs outside London.
• Hammond 's blunt words for aviation Following accusations it is part of “the most anti-aviation” government to date, the Conservative party used its conference to underline its tough stance towards the industry... Aviation needs to “come in from the cold” and make more effort to reduce its environmental impact, according to transport secretary Philip Hammond.
• It’s time to scrap transport agency, says council chief The executive agency charged with providing transport across Strathclyde should be scrapped, a council leader says.
• Manchester authorities develop transport plan The Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities are developing their next local transport plan.
• City’s rail station will be improved under new plansTrain chiefs today vowed to invest in Preston station if Government bosses extend the company’s franchise agreement.
• Hundreds of London Underground workers face axe HUNDREDS of Tube workers now face the axe under tough cost-cutting measures announced this week.
• French anger as Siemens wins new trains deal A ROW erupted over the choice of trains for the Channel Tunnel as France hit out a decision by Eurostar to switch to a German manufacturer for its next generation of high-speed trains.
• Gatwick security upgradeGatwick Airport has appointed Human Recognition Systems to investigate new innovations in airport security operations
• Mitsubishi begins production of three European-spec electric carsMitsubishi Motors has started to build the European version of the i-MiEV electric vehicle at its Mizushima plant in Japan, and also begun production of PSA Peugeot Citroën's Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-ZERO models.

News from Europe

• Siemens Wins Battle of Fast Trains PARIS — In an effort to prepare for competition on cross-Channel rail traffic, Eurostar said Thursday that it had awarded a hotly sought contract to upgrade its aging fleet of fast trains to a Germany company, Siemens.