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

Thursday, 28 July 2011

BBC News

• Motorists cheer as Hindhead Tunnel opens in Surrey [video]The £371m Hindhead Tunnel under the Devil's Punch Bowl in Surrey has been officially opened after a four-and-a-half year construction project.
• Thameslink contract faces National Audit Office probe An inquiry into a government contract for railway carriages has been given a cautious welcome by an MP.
• Service stations add car chargingElectric car drivers in the UK are being offered the chance to break free of the city with motorway charging points.
• Disruption after train derailmentScotrail warns of disruption to train travel in and out of Edinburgh, caused by a derailment on Wednesday evening.
• Ports at war over cruise trafficNorth East MEP Martin Callanan has accused Liverpool of underhand tactics to poach cruise business from the Port of Tyne.
• Councils set for bus lane powersNew laws granting councils powers to enforce bus lane restrictions could be in place by the end of the year, it has emerged.
• One-engined plane lands safelyA full-scale emergency takes place at Stornoway Airport after a plane reports that one of its engines had stopped.
• Daimler reveals stronger profitsLuxury car maker Daimler reports record quarterly profits of 1.7bn euros, and says it expects annual sales to exceed 100bn euros.
• ConocoPhillips sees profits fallConocoPhillips, the third-largest US oil producer, reports a fall in second-quarter profit after falling output hit figures.
• BAA losses fall as traffic growsBAA reports smaller half-year losses and reiterates it is considering seeking a review of the decision to force it to sell two airports.
• Boeing soars to higher profitUS planemaker Boeing reports a 20% rise in second-quarter profit and raises its earnings forecast for 2011.

Financial Times

• Siemens extend CEO’s contract until 2017 Siemens has extended Peter Löscher’s contract for another five years from 2012 after the Austrian-born chief executive successfully revived the industrial conglomerate after a corruption scandal.
• Delta profits hit by high fuel pricesThe US airline is to cut capacity in the fourth quarter by up to 5% in effort to raise prices and cut costs
• China's rail disasterThe railway project was not an isolated endeavour but part of a boom unleashed by the state following the financial crisis. The accident raises questions about how well this money was invested
• Ryanair files complaints with regulators against BAARyanair said it had instructed lawyers to file a complaint against BAA with the Civil Aviation Authority and Competition Commission

The Guardian

• American ruling should revive body scanner debate in UK The TSA technology has been declared lawful in US airports, but human rights groups are awaiting a response to objections raised in UK

The Herald

• Accident rate falls at speed camera sitesFATAL and serious road crashes have fallen by almost two-thirds in areas monitored by speed cameras.

The Independent

• The sky's the limit: How Gate Gourmet is trying to raise its game According to my friend Nick, airline food is like Christmas dinner. He has come to accept that when it arrives, it is almost certainly going to be dry, limp and devastatingly overcooked. But he looks forward to it all the same, because that familiar dubious taste is all part of the ceremony of flying and that special occasion – going on holiday.

The Observer

• China train crash caused by 'signal design flaw', says reportPremier Wen Jiabao has called for a sweeping and transparent probe into the crash between two bullet trains, which killed at least 39 peopleDesign flaws in signal equipment and human error caused the high-speed train crash in China last weekend that killed at least 39 people, a railway official said.The preliminary finding comes in the face of public anger about the government's handling of the accident near Wenzhou in Zhejiang province.Premier Wen Jiabao, who arrived in Wenzhou on Thursday to check on the investigation and the conditions of the survivors, has called for a sweeping and transpa...

The Telegraph

• Why preserve these London Underground hell holes? The Tube needs modernising – not Grade II architectural listing.
• European cars still less reliable than Japanese counterparts Land Rover has come bottom of an authoritative car reliability survey, which showed that Japanese manufacturers are still performing better than their European counterparts.
• Ryanair demands £175m from BAA over Stansted charges Ryanair is claiming a £175m rebate from BAA in an escalating row over airline charges at Stansted airport.

Daily Express

• PROBE INTO TRAIN DEAL MORE than a thousand workers set to lose their jobs were given fresh hope yesterday when an inquiry was launched into why a Government contract went to a German ­company.

Mail Online

• Toyota Prius Project Parlee: Bike with gears you can change by using your mindThe Toyota Prius Project Parlee PXP bike has a thought-controlled gearbox that works by responding to cues from the brain.

The Mirror

• Transport Secretary Philip Hammond hits the skids at gridlocked 'jam-busting' tunnel TORY Transport Secretary Philip Hammond proudly opened a £370million “jam-busting” tunnel yesterday – but just an hour later the traffic was at a bumper-to-bumper standstill.

Derby Telegraph

• No possible excuse remains for not doing the right thing THERE is now simply no excuse for any more helpless wringing of hands by Government ministers on the Thameslink contract farce.
• Proof rail deal should have been scrapped A DERBY Telegraph investigation has revealed the Government DOES have grounds to scrap its decision to hand Siemens a £1.4bn rail contract because the German firm was involved in worldwide corruption.
• Make Coalition think again by resigning whip [letter]I REALLY must applaud the local councillors and MPs for the effort and support they have put into the campaign to save the jobs of Bombardier workers.
• Government clearly does not understand business [letter]THE Government has turned its back on British engineering, wealth creating talent and industry. It failed to give a major engineering and manufacturing contract to Bombardier.
• We must hold even more events for Bombardier - [letter, Councillor Frank Harwood]FIRSTLY, I would like to express my congratulations to the organisers of the march in Derby in support of Bombardier. Being an ex-railway employee, along with my father and brother, I had no hesitation in joining the thousands that came together in such a worthy cause.
• Soapbox TV star Maggie Philbin says City can ensure better future by engaging with young peopleSPEAKING at an Innovation Partnerships Networking Breakfast meeting at Pride Park, I made the point that businesses in Derby are running the risk of being overtaken – unless they innovate. This is a situation the city can ill afford, especially with the news of job losses at Bombardier allied to the backwash from a recession that has hit industry hard.

Journal Live

• Arriva buses more wheelchair friendly after Paralympian Stephen Miller highlights problem DISABLED bus users in the North East will find their journeys easier after a Journal columnist highlighted the problems he has with wheelchair access.
• Northumberland County Council to review ban on roadside signs COUNCIL bosses in Northumberland have started a review of planning rules after growing anger over a clampdown on rural businesses and voluntary groups.

London Evening Standard

• Delays on three lines and planned closures hit tubeTube commuters suffered disruption on three lines today - the Jubilee, Bakerloo and Northern - in addition to the month long closure of parts of the Circle and District lines.
• No guarantee Heathrow will be ready for Olympics The boss of Heathrow today admitted he "couldn't guarantee" that Britain's biggest airport would be ready for the Olympics, which start a year today, but said: "You won't find me looking relaxed."
• Rail firm simplifies fares so even passengers can understand themA London commuter rail company has become the first in Britain to scrap its complex fares to make them easier for passengers to understand

Northern Echo

• Town to get seven new buses SEVEN new buses are due to come into service in Darlington next month.

The York Press

• Train firm goes green TRAIN operator First TransPennine Express says a green scheme to cut fuel use and lower carbon emissions is proving so successful that has saved ten million litres of diesel since its introduction four years ago.
• York to Beverley branch line action group formed CAMPAIGNERS working for the return of a lost rail link between York and Beverley have founded an action group in York.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Plan for major bus and train budget savings TRANSPORT bosses have announced plans for belt-tightening measures they say are being forced on them by Government spending cuts.

Other Regional Press

• MPs and Rail User Federation meet to discuss the future of the Greater Anglain contract WITH the franchise in charge of the rail network in East Anglia set to change, the Essex Rail Users Federation (ERUF) and local MPs came together to discuss the future.
• Line welcomes its millionth traveller since improvement THE MARITIME LINE has welcomed its one millionth customer since the train service's frequency was doubled with the introduction of a passing loop at Penryn in May 2009.
• Bombardier staff back on track with engineering firm A SOUTH Derbyshire firm has offered a glimmer of hope to staff of beleaguered train manufacturer Bombardier.
• Show of support for re-opening Saltford railway station More than 130 people have attended a public meeting to find out more about the feasibility of reopening a railway station in Saltford.
• Escalators out of action for three weeks at Northampton bus stationBUS users face three weeks of disruption after it was revealed the escalators in Greyfriars would be out of service for three weeks while they undergo a period of essential repair work.
• Shocking figures reveal 100 ˜near misses™ on Northamptonshire rail tracks in 12 monthsNEARLY 100 people narrowly missed being hit by a train in Northamptonshire last year, new figures into rail safety have revealed.
• Mid Yorkshire chamber welcomes pledge on high-speed rail pledge for Yorkshire A PLEDGE that high-speed rail links to Leeds and Manchester will be built at the same time has been welcomed by a Huddersfield business group.
• Train drivers turning off engines on downhill stretches in Colne Valley to save fuel FREEWHEELING trains in the Colne Valley are proving recession-busters.

Campaign for Better Transport

• 63% of locals oppose the Kingskerswell Bypass26 July: Consultations have shown 63% of local people oppose the Kingskerswell Bypass, yet Devon County Council claim 72% support it. How have the council performed this conjuring trick? read more

Global Rail News

• Skanska and Costain to build Crossrail station in LondonSkanska and Costain have been awarded the Crossrail Paddington station project to be undertaken in a 50/50 joint venture. The contract value is around £150m with Skanska™s ...
• DB Schenker Rail operates first European sized freight train over High Speed 1The project to introduce regular European sized freight trains on High Speed 1 has achieved a major breakthrough following the successful operation by DB Schenker Rail ...
• Abseilers tackle Stockport viaduct to remove vegetationEveryone has to weed their garden from time to time “ but what do you do when it™s 111 feet up in the air and made ...
• Major improvement works at Slough station set to beginMajor improvements to turn Slough railway station into a brighter, more spacious and easily accessible transport hub will start in early August, with work complete in ...
• Rail freight improvements set to boost economyRail freight network upgrades continue to boost the economy as Network Rail awards the contract to build a new rail link north of Nuneaton station to ...
• North West Rail Link awards cost planning contractWork to fast track the North West Rail Link continues, with the O™Farrell Government awarding a cost planning services contract. Work on quantifying the cost to build ...
• Railway industry employees ˜must have correct PPE™Employees working in the rail industry are presented daily with a variety of hazards, including risks such as live tracks, slips and falls, asbestos, dirt and ...
• Customer improvements unveiled at Diss stationNew, integrated customer information screens (CIS) and help-points have been unveiled at Diss station today as part of a series of customer improvements introduced at the ...
• Siemens awarded ECTS contract in HungaryThe ‘strategically important’ railway line from Budapest-Kelenföld to Székesfehérvar is to be equipped with train protection systems from Siemens. Nemezeti Infrastruktúra FejlesztÅ’ Zrt (NIF), the Hungarian ...
• Nottinghamshire rail passengers benefitting from improved informationThousands of passengers in Nottinghamshire are benefitting from significantly improved real-time information about their East Midlands Trains™ service, following the installation of new Customer Information Screens ...
• ˜Last day of steam™ locomotive returns to Keighley & Worth Valley RailwayA locomotive which operated British Rail™s last regular steam train on 4th August 1968 will be back at work on Haworth™s famous Keighley & Worth Valley ...

Railnews

• National Audit Office to probe Thameslink contract THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE is to scrutinise the government's claim that awarding the £1.4 billion Thameslink rolling stock contract to Siemens meant better value for money for taxpayers than the competing bid from Bombardier, which would have built the trains in Derby

The Business Desk

• National Express on right road with profit increase BIRMINGHAM-based transport group National Express has seen a 23% rise in operating profit as the company looks to grow its five divisions.

Aviation Industry

• Shipping shows aviation the way on climateShipping has become the first industry to agree a global carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction strategy. It puts the aviation industry and ICAO to shame – they have been obstructing efforts to control CO2 emissions for decades. This month™s vote at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) approved the establishment of an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for [...]
• Airlines spoil fliers' unplanned tax holidayAirlines have complained for years that taxes added to ticket prices drive up the cost of travel.
• BA marks Olympic milestone Official airline partner for the games celebrates 365-day countdown by painting One Year to Go across the belly of one of its aircraft
• BAA snips lossesColin Matthews, BAA™s CEO, the improved results reflect œrecord passenger numbers, increased revenue per passenger and good cost control
• Ryanair™s outcry over Stansted chargesLow cost carrier Ryanair has accused Stansted Airport of œmonopoly abuses and claims it has been overcharging airlines for the past five years

Green Miscellany

• Toyota™s ˜augmented reality™ for kids in cars In the Western countries where children increasingly travel by car rather than walk or cycle, Toyota is offering drivers a glimpse of the ˜augmented reality™ they envisage for kids travelling in the back seats of cars.read more

Other News Sources

• TfL - Stratford Bus Station Prepares for a New and Improved Look Work to transform Stratford bus station in time for the London 2012 Games begins on 1 August.
• National Express restores dividend as profit surges British transport group National Express resumed dividend payments and said it was eyeing acquisitions after its underlying pre-tax profit rose by 26 per cent in the first half and margins improved.
• MORE SUPPORT BML2 AS CONGESTION WORSENS Following last winter’s cold snap and problems with snow and ice on the railways, some politicians on the Transport Committee have questioned the viability of the electric third-rail network in the south
• Rail union declares no choice plea 'bogus' Rail union RMT lambasted government claims today that its hands were tied when it tendered the Thameslink rail carriage contract and could do nothing to stop the loss of thousands of jobs as a result.
• Touch down at Liverpool Airport and enjoy the new museumTravellers arriving at Liverpool Airport will now be able to peruse the exhibits at the new Liverpool Museum, which opened to the public on July 19th.Situated on the city's waterfront, a spokeswoman for VisitLiverpool pointed out that the establishment is the largest newly-constructed national museum in Britain for more than 100 years, while it is also the world's first such institution dedicated to the heritage of a regional city."The museum will focus on four main themes of port, creative and sporting history, people and global significance," the representative explained.Sh...