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

Thursday, 07 July 2011

BBC News

• Green transport brings 100 jobs to Lake District Plans to turn parts of the Lake District into a 'hub for sustainable transport' will bring 100 new jobs to the area, Cumbria County Council said.
• Air Southwest moving Plymouth flights for month Air Southwest flights at Plymouth Airport are to be transferred to Cornwall for a month, the airline says.
• London 'easiest for travel', survey says London is the easiest European city to get around but the most overpriced, according to a survey of travellers.
• Bombardier jobs task force queried by Derby council Supporting train making in Derby should take priority over a task force to help redundant Bombardier workers, the city council's leader has said.
• Olympic lanes 'road deaths risk'Former London mayor Ken Livingstone said has removing pedestrian crossings in 'Games Lanes' during the Olympics may lead to fatalities.
• NI car insurance 'more expensive'A consumer group calls for an investigation into the prices of car insurance for young drivers in Northern Ireland.
• MPs say fuel duty should cut public transport prices The government should use money from fuel duty to cut the price of public transport, according to a group of MPs. The Environmental Audit Committee said that ring-fencing the money would help build trust in green taxation.

The Guardian

• Council 'smart' travel plans get government grant Plymouth is among local authorities to win government backing for smart ticketing schemes
• French train maker refuses to admit defeat over £537m Eurostar deal Alstom battles on over Eurostar's award of contract for 10 high-speed trains to German rival Siemens
• Critics insist UK government to blame over Bombardier job losses, not the EU French or Germans would not have allowed a foreign bidder to beat them to a major engineering contract

The Scotsman

• Terry Murden: Nation which invented trains signals end of the line ON ONE jobs website, the transport multinational Bombardier is boasting that it is "growing and hiring all over the world". Well, not quite.

The Telegraph

• Bombardier 'had little chance' on Thameslink because of contract terms Bombardier had virtually no chance of winning the controversial £1.5bn contract for Thameslink trains because of its relatively higher financing costs, senior Government sources have disclosed.
• David Cameron says he will shut down loophole at airports that lets extremists avoid passport controlDavid Cameron has said that he will look at shutting down a loophole at airports which border officials say could allow terrorists to enter the UK at the Olympics.

Daily Express

• WE WANT BRITISH JOBS FOR BRITISH WORKERSA RALLYING cry to back British workers was issued last night after the UK’s last train-maker announced it was cutting over 1,400 jobs because it was losing a key contract to a German rival.
• Heathrow charge rowHEATHROW airport is to face a probe into its charges following complaints from domestic airline BMI that changes made earlier this year were unfair.

Mail Online

• The ’green tax’ ruse that punishes us allLast year the Government raised an astonishing £40billion from so-called ’green taxes’ — with motorists alone paying a record £27billion in fuel duty.
• Fury as ministers hand Germans our £3bn train deal costing 1,400 British jobs One in two staff at the Derby plant set to lose their jobs Government say Bombardier told them job cuts inevitable irrespective of contract disappointment Lucrative contract going abroad raises questions about EU rules as France and Germany always employ home manufacturers

The Mirror

• Unions set for talks with Transport Secretary in bid to save Bombardier jobs SECRET talks to save 1,429 jobs at Britain’s last train builder will take place next week between unions and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond.
• Chris Williamson, MP for Derby North on BombardierTHE British train-building industry is in mortal danger following the Government decision to buy trains from Germany.
• While we play fair, other countries build their own trains I GET confused about the true meaning of English patriotism. Take the Germans. I like the taste of their beer, the look of their women and the sound of their swear words. Which probably qualifies as treason as it’s compulsory for an Englishman to spew forth anti-Teutonic bile whenever they beat us at football or to the sunbeds.
• Green taxes 'should reduce fares' The Treasury should ring-fence money from fuel duty to cut rising public transport fares in a bid to rebuild trust in green taxes, MPs have urged.
• Disability group targets cabbies The treatment of the disabled by some bus drivers and private taxi firms will be highlighted at Westminster by a campaign group.

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL APPOINTS NEW SAFETY DIRECTOR
• NATIONAL RAIL RECYCLING CENTRE HELPS CUT COST OF BRITAIN™S RAILWAYS
• NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCES LONDON BRIDGE RESIGNALLING CONTRACT

Belfast Telegraph

• Train firm axes 1,400 jobs after order blowBritish manufacturing suffered a major blow yesterday when the last UK train-making company Bombardier announced more than 1,400 job losses.Related StoriesMore residents are staying putVAT man unveils initiative in crackdown on tax dodgersBurberry faces shareholder revolt over 'excessive' pay40-acre housing development site for sale at knockdown price of £3m£80m flagship data centre to give Titanic jobs boost

Birmingham Mail

• China's state car maker in talks with Birmingham CHINA’S state-owned car manufacturer FAW is in exploratory talks to bring a major vehicle assembly plant to Birmingham, the city council leader has revealed.

Derby Telegraph

• Bombardier in dark over real reasons behind the Government's decision THE Government is still refusing to say why Bombardier lost the Thameslink contract to Siemens. But some details of the tender battle between the Derby-based company and the German firm did start to emerge in Westminster.
• Damage to factory could be `critical' Shadow Business Secretary John Denham said the 1,400 redundancies could just be the start of things to come – claiming the loss of Thameslink could "critically damage Britain's last train manufacturing company".
• 'The people we are losing are highly skilled... it cuts into the heart of what we do here' SKILLED workers "at the heart" of Bombardier will be lost as the redundancy axe falls on nearly half of its Derby workforce.
• Future of factory called into doubt by ongoing review of UK operationsFEARS have been raised that yesterday's announcement could be only the first wave of job losses at Bombardier. The firm is currently carrying out a full review of its UK operations, which should be completed by the end of summer.
• Minister will have rail union meeting TALKS will take place next week between the Government and union bosses over the jobs crisis at Derby trainmaker Bombardier.
• 'This is the best company that I've ever worked for so I do hope the Government changes its mind' STAFF outside the Litchurch Lane factory gates spoke of their sadness after the job losses were announced. Graeme Steeples, 50, of Sandbed Lane, Belper, has worked as a permanent member of staff at Bombardier for 34 years.
• Tory MP breaks party ranks over deal - but county's other politicians toe line on calls for review A TORY MP has broken ranks with her party by saying she is "angry" with the Transport Secretary for not listening to pleas that Bombardier be given the Thameslink contract.

Liverpool Post

• Easyjet sees passenger and load factor levels improve through June PASSENGER figures for Easyjet rose by 9.1% last month, its latest statistics showed today.

London Evening Standard

• Raft of information to go publicPrime Minister David Cameron is ordering a raft of information to be made public about the way hospitals, schools, courts and transport services are run.
• Disability group targets cabbiesThe treatment of the disabled by some bus drivers and private taxi firms will be highlighted at Westminster by a campaign group.
• Green taxes 'should reduce fares'The Treasury should ring-fence money from fuel duty to cut rising public transport fares in a bid to rebuild trust in green taxes, MPs have urged.

Other Regional Press

• City transport links to benefit from Government cash A £4M bid to add 500 spaces to 850-space Thornhill Park & Ride was given a major funding boost yesterday.
• New railway station at Northampton could be built in two years if funding was approvedOFFICIALS from Northampton were today due to meet rail minister, Theresa Villiers, to lobby for cash to build a new railway station in the town.
• Hundreds of Marsden residents call for safer steps at railway station ONE in four adults in a village has signed a petition calling for improvements to their train station.

Washington Post

• Canada’s Bombardier to cut 1,400 UK jobs after losing to Siemens for rail carriage contract MONTREAL — Bombardier will cut more than 1,400 jobs in Britain after it failed to win a contract to build rail carriages, the Canadian manufacturer said Tuesday.

Campaign for Better Transport

• New Clean Air Act needed6 July: Last year the House of Commons Environment Audit Committee called on the Government to improve air quality and make a ˜dramatic change™ in transport policy. What™s happened since? read more

Global Rail News

• Hammond ˜offers Bombardier hope™ despite losing Thameslink contractWith no immediate prospect of new train orders, train maker Bombardier has begun a 90 day consultation with staff at its Derby plant regarding plans to reduce the 3,000 workforce ...
• Unions announce demonstration in Derby over Bombardier job cutsUnions representing the Bombardier workforce in Derby confirmed today that they will be mobilising a ‘mass demonstration’ on Saturday 23rd July in the city in protest ...
• Unite urges government to act now to ˜save UK™s last train manufacturer™The union Unite, has urged Vince Cable, business secretary, and Philip Hammond, transport secretary, to ‘take responsibility and act now to save the UK’s last train ...
• TramForward welcomes Edinburgh tram decisionTramForward, the campaigning arm of the Light Rail Transit Association welcomed the forward looking decision of Edinburgh Council on the 30th June 2011 to continue with ...
• South West Trains pioneers new ˜track-friendly™ technologySouth West Trains has worked with Siemens and Network Rail to pioneer new wheel technology to significantly reduce track damage and cut infrastructure maintenance costs whilst ...
• Network Rail employee sets his sights on 2012 OlympicsWhile Network Rail is gearing up to help the world reach 2012 Games venues across Britain, one employee has designs on taking home a medal. As ...
• £5m boost for Birmingham to Stratford rail travellersA £9 million scheme to build a new rail station and increase services on the Birmingham to Stratford line has taken a major step forward after ...
• Volume of cars moved by rail freight increases by 15%DB Schenker Rail UK has moved 15% more cars by rail for STVA, the specialist car logistics provider, during the first quarter of 2011 than it ...
• National rail recycling centre helps cut cost of Britain™s railwaysBritain™s biggest railway recycling centre opened its doors today “ a move that will save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of materials going to landfill, remove ...
• Network Rail appoints new safety directorNetwork Rail has today appointed a new safety director, Gareth Llewellyn who has held very senior safety roles with National Grid plc, Anglo American plc and ...
• Bees Knees flower bed unveiled at Stoke Mandeville stationA special flower bed for bees was unveiled on Tuesday, 5 July at Stoke Mandeville station through an initiative by local family run business, Bees Knees, ...
• Railway Vehicle Engineering Ltd to rebuild Class 73A class 73 electro-diesel locomotive is to be rebuilt by Railway Vehicle Engineering Ltd and have modern traction equipment installed. The rebuilt locomotive will be a prototype ...
• Invensys Rail awarded London Bridge resignalling contractInvensys Rail Ltd has been selected by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd to undertake the design and delivery of one of Britain™s biggest ever resignalling schemes at ...
• Virgin Trains to run additional London to Manchester trainVirgin Trains has responded to growing customer demand by introducing an additional London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly train on Thursday evenings. Off-peak ticket holders will be ...

Aviation Industry

• Air traffic up 6.8% in May “ IATAGiovanni Bisignani, IATA's CEO, said the rise would œhelp to alleviate some of the pressure on profits from continued high fuel prices