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

Saturday, 21 May 2011

BBC News

• In pictures: Railway restaurantsDining on the railways has been a treat for more than 100 years but now it is all ending
• Obama 'may get congestion bill'London Mayor Boris Johnson plans to confront President Barack Obama over millions owed in congestion charges by US embassy staff.
• Heathrow Express strike supportedWorkers on the Heathrow Express rail service vote to take industrial action in a row over pay, a union says.
• Vince Cable warns of economic woeBusiness Secretary Vince Cable says it has been a challenge for the government to explain to the public how bad a state the economy is in.

Department for Transport

• Your chance to cut motoring red tapeLife is about to get easier for road users, businesses, and local authorities as Roads Minister Mike Penning today pledged to slash unnecessary red tape.

Financial Times

• US transport: rivers show their worthWaterborne transport may have been overtaken by railways and then roads but the tragedy on the Mississippi is a reminder that it is still a vital mode of carriage

The Guardian

• Vince Cable: People do not understand how bad the economy isBusiness secretary says politicians have not made clear the time and pain needed to restructure Britain's broken economic modelVince Cable has warned that the political class has not yet prepared the public for the scale of the underlying problems facing the UK economy and the coming squeeze on living standards.In a frank interview with the Guardian the business secretary repeatedly referred to the time and pain that will be needed to restructure what he regards as a broken economic model.

The Scotsman

• Man presumed dead after ship plungeA man is missing presumed dead after falling overboard on a cruise ship into the English Channel, officials said.

The Telegraph

• Ban on washing cars this summer as new hosepipe bans come inHouseholders could be banned from washing their cars or irrigating their lawns this summer, the Environment Agency has warned, as part of new laws to restrict water use.

Reuters News

• Transport Police to be armed - reportLONDON (Reuters) - Armed police are to be allowed on trains, stations and the London underground to deter the threat of a terrorist attack, according to The Daily Telegraph on Friday.

Birmingham Mail

• Signs look good for new MG6 CAR dealers have reported a “hugely positive” reaction to the historic MG6 a month after the first model rolled off the Longbridge production line.
• Man dies after collision with train in Birmingham A man has died following a collision with a train at a Birmingham railway station.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Two dead, two hurt in crash on A470 in North Wales TWO people were killed and two others badly injured after two cars were involved in a serious crash yesterday.

Derby Telegraph

• Motorist who sued council for not gritting road handed £3,000 payoutA FORMER Miss Derby contestant who took Derbyshire County Council to court after she skidded off a road that had not been gritted has settled out of court. Sales executive Amanda Brown said receiving £3,000 from the county council was not about the money but about raising the issue that some dangerous stretches of road were not being treated correctly. The 25-year-old said that where the accident happened, in Broughton Heath Lane, Church Broughton, was a stretch of road her family used a lot and she had decided to take a stand for that reason. Miss Brown, from Hilton, said:

Journal Live

• Railway campaigners welcome extra trains to North East RAILWAY campaigners have enthusiastically welcomed new timetables that bring 22 more trains to the North East each week.

London Evening Standard

• Cable car link may not be up for the 2012 Olympic GamesCable car link across the Thames may not be ready in time for next year's Olympics, Transport for London admits
• Cyclists mount 'flashride' in speed limit protestCyclists take to their bikes to protest against a proposed rise in the speed limit on Blackfriars Bridge
• Transport police 'to be armed'Plans for more armed police to patrol trains and the London Underground are expected to be announced next week by the Government.
• Man presumed dead after ship plungeA man is missing presumed dead after falling overboard on a cruise ship into the English Channel, officials said.

Manchester Evening News

• Drivers give a steer on city centre car parking fees shake-upCouncil chiefs have launched a public consultation on controversial plans to introduce Sunday parking charges and extend paid-for parking hours in Manchester city centre. Meanwhile, plans to hike fees for on street bays “ another blow to motorists “ are to be considered by a council scrutiny committee next week.

Yorkshire Post

• ˜Excessive™ mileage rates cost councils thousandsCash-squeezed Yorkshire councils are paying their staff thousands of pounds in excessive car mileage rates, a Yorkshire Post investigation has revealed.

Other Regional Press

• Model maker hopes to steam to victoryA railway enthusiast is hoping to steam to victory in a national Flying Scotsman model making competition.
• Nuneaton lorry driving expert wins national award NUNEATON lorry driving expert Katie Bratton has carried off a top national prize.
• Video: Aberdeen artist™s handy designs for top car makerAN ART graduate™s skills landed her work on a unique drawing project.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government pledges to review transport industry red tapeThe government has outlined a series of transport regulations that could be scrapped as part of the Red Tape Challenge initiative aimed at reducing bureaucracy.According to transport minister Mike Penning, current rules requiring bus companies to keep perishable items left on their vehicles for 48 hours before disposing of them are among those that could be scrapped.In excess of 400 rules are currently up for consultation on the Red Tape Challenge website, including instructions regarding the installation of speed humps - such as the minimum and maximum heights of the traffic calming items - a...

Global Rail News

• Virgin Rail confirms ˜discussions with DfT™ to extend West Coast franchiseVirgin Rail Group has confirmed that it is in discussions with the Department for Transport (DfT) regarding an extension to the current West Coast rail franchise ...
• Plans announced for second rail freight upgrade in SouthamptonNetwork Rail has announced plans to upgrade a second route out of Southampton docks to take larger, 9™6 high-cube freight containers efficiently when the main line ...
• ˜Passengers will expect to benefit from rail industry cost-savings™Passenger Focus has welcomed a drive to make the rail industry more efficient and cut costs for both passengers and the tax payer. Commenting on the ...
• TfL award contract for new London Overground linkTransport for London has awarded a contract to Birse Metro to build the final part of the London Overground rail network that, when complete at the ...
• Union says privatisation to blame for ˜inefficiencies™ of UK rail systemThe RMT union has responded to the McNulty report, published yesterday. RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: œThe inefficiencies of the UK rail system are entirely ...
• McNulty report ˜provides a strong future for national rail freight growth™DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd has welcomed the publication of the McNulty Value for Money Study into the railway for the Department for Transport and the ...
• New East Midlands Trains™ timetable starts on Sunday 22 MayEast Midlands Trains will be making some minor changes to its train timetables from Sunday 22 May, and passengers are advised to check the timetable for ...
• East Midlands Trains announces cheaper First Class faresEast Midlands Trains, the UK™s ‘most punctual long distance train operator’, has announced that passengers in Sheffield and Chesterfield are set to benefit from cheaper First ...

Railway Gazette

• East London Line to Clapham Junction underwayUK: TfL announced on May 19 that its contractor Birse Metro had begun work to build the 1∙3 km of new track, using a disused alignment, that will enable East London Line services to reach Clapham Junction. The new corridor will run from south of Surrey Quays station to join Network Rail™s South London Line between South Bermondsey and Queen™s Road Peckham. The section of the orbital line between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction will have six stations. ˜Birse Metro is happy to continue working with Transport for London following the recent successful delivery of the extension to Highbury &am...

Aviation Industry

• Airlines compete for customers, good reviewsAnother day, another industry laurel for Southwest Airlines. The company, which was rated as the best airline by Consumer Reports last week, was the highest-ranked carrier in a customer experience survey conducted by Nunwood, a global marketing research company.

Other News Sources

• RMT members at Heathrow Express to strike over payMORE THAN 300 members of Britain's biggest rail union working at Heathrow Express are set to strike after voting overwhelming for action in a dispute over pay.
• Communities called on to combat noise “ Noise Action Week 2011 “ 23rd to 27th MayEPUK is calling on communities to get together to reduce noise for Noise Action Week 2011 “ 23rd to 27th May.
• SeaFrance accused of getting state aid 'in disguise'P&O Ferries lodges complaint of unfair competition on the Channel
• UKBA slammed over port controlsTHE UK Border Agency is doing little to prevent the smuggling of illicit good on ships at ports in Scotland and Northern Ireland, an independent report found today.
• ˜Hybrid' tug developedEUROPE™S first ˜hybrid™ tug should be ready to take to the water before the end of this year, according to Dutch towage operator Kotug.
• MP backs phase two of FairFuelUK campaignConservative MP Robert Halfon has agreed to question the government on behalf of the FairFuelUK campaign about why the price of fuel has not dropped despite falls in the price of oil.
• Simarco to open a West Midlands hubSimarco is near completing the signing of a new multi-million-pound West Midlands hub.
• Views on road transport red tape wantedHauliers and logistics firms have been invited by the government to visit the Red Tape Challenge website and highlight their most hated road transport regulations, as part of efforts to reduce bureauarcy.