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Thursday, 12 January 2012

BBC News

• Nottinghamshire Council renews calls for improved Midland Main Line Nottinghamshire County Council has renewed its plea for more investment in the Midland Main Line route after the go-ahead was given to the HS2 line.
• Rail parking in London is 'rip off' - TSSA union A rail company has been accused of "ripping off" passengers by increasing car parking fees - just a week after fares rose.
• Sheffield taxi drivers concerned at new traffic cameras Taxi drivers in Sheffield are concerned about plans to introduce mobile cameras to catch illegally parked vehicles.
• High-speed rail 'key to West Midlands' economy' [video interview with Justine Greening]Speaking at Birmingham's former Curzon Street station, Transport Secretary Justine Greening said a high-speed rail network would bring 8,000 jobs to two West Midlands sites.
• Nottingham's workplace parking levy increases by 3.2% The cost of Nottingham's workplace parking levy has increased for the second time because of higher-than-expected inflation figures.
• Transport industry 'will feel pain in 2012' [video]The transportation industry has been suffering as a result of Europe's debt problems. According to the German bank DVB, which provides financing for shipping and aviation companies, world trade may shrink by a third.
• London 2012: Transport workers to get £2.5m tour of Olympic Park London Transport workers will receive tours of the Olympic Park at a cost of £2.5m, Transport for London has said.
• HS2 'brings 8,000 jobs' to sitesA £33bn high-speed rail network will create 8,000 jobs at two West Midlands sites, Transport Secretary Justine Greening says.
• VIDEO: Alexander and Green review PMQsLabour's Douglas Alexander and Conservative Damian Green debated the PMQs exchanges on Scottish independence and rising rail fares between David Cameron and Ed Miliband.
• HS2 opposed by PM's father-in-lawThe government's high-speed rail plans will ruin thousands of lives, according to Lord Astor - David Cameron's father-in-law.
• Changes for cyclist death routeTransport for London (TfL) is proposing two options to improve safety for cyclists on the controversial Bow Roundabout.
• Scots air passenger numbers soarPassengers numbers at Scotland's main airports increase at a faster rate than those in the rest of the UK.

Financial Times

• Investment hope for Indian airlinesGovernment panel recommends reform to allow foreign carriers to invest
• Asia to Europe container traffic down 5%Latest figures for volumes on the most important route showed a sharp fall, in a sign that worsening economic conditions are depressing world trade
• Dry bulk rates tumble on ship delivery surgeFall brings average Capesize charter rates down from $32,889 in December to $13,386, below many owners™ total operating and financing costs
• Heathrow passenger numbers riseNumbers travelling through Heathrow crept up in 2011 as UK™s biggest airport comes lose to 480,000 limit on annual flights

The Guardian

• Green Jenny Jones stands out in opposing High Speed 2 I have two problems with High Speed 2, the project to build a super-fast rail link between Euston and Birmingham given approval by the government on Tuesday.
• David Cameron gets a rail dressing down, from his father in lawLord Astor brands the £32.7bn HS2 high-speed rail link through the Chilterns a 'Pooh trap'David Cameron was warned to expect a Tory rebellion over high-speed rail. But while the government has been busy buying off cabinet ministers and local politicians with extra tunnels in Buckinghamshire, the prime minister has been blindsided by a new opponent: his own father-in-law.Lord Astor has spoken out against the case for the HS2 rail network “ a plan, he says, that is largely supported by

The Herald

• Country's spending on sustainable transport needs to be maintained [letter]AS we approach the final stages of the Scottish Government's budget, we are concerned that John Swinney appears determined to slash by a third the already modest spending on walking and cycling.

The Independent

• Cameron runs into a new critic of high-speed rail: his father-in-lawDavid Cameron is facing opposition to the Government's contentious high-speed rail plans from within his own family, with his father-in-law attacking the scheme in print.Related StoriesGeorge Osborne tells banks to cut bonusesExclusive: Parties unite to fight Scots independenceLords throw out plans for welfare reformBritain wins key concession over euro stability pactClegg recruits big business to fight culture of unpaid interns

The Scotsman

• ’Concessions’ on HS2 Scottish link SCOTTISH transport minister Keith Brown claimed he had won “concessions” at a meeting yesterday with his UK counterpart to speed up work on extending the planned high-speed rail line HS2 to Scotland.
• Cyclists seek low-carbon investment Cyclists have gathered outside a Scottish Government building to call on MSPs to invest in low-carbon transport as a way of meeting the country's climate change targets.
• Councillors blame bypass messages for scaring shoppers away Transport chiefs have been accused of scaring shoppers away from Edinburgh’s city centre with “unhelpful” and “ambiguous” signs warning of tram work disruption.

The Telegraph

• Tory MPs face high speed rail backlash Opponents of plans for a high speed rail line are drawing up plans to oppose Tories in some of the party’s safest seats at the next election.
• Commuters face sharp rise in car parking chargesCommuters, already reeling from above inflation fare rises, are facing increases in station parking charges of up to a third.
• Cameron father-in-law in HS2 attackViscount Astor, stepfather of Samantha Cameron, claims high-speed rail could

Press Association

• SNP accused on active travel pledge Climate campaigners have accused the SNP of breaking its manifesto promises to cyclists and other "active" travellers. The SNP pledged "to increase the proportion of transport spending that goes on low-carbon, active and sustainable travel".

Mail Online

• TfL spends £2.5m on taking 30,000 staff on tour of the Olympic ParkStaff employed by Transport for London will be given a guided tour of the park (pictured) in East London as part of a training programme that will last six months.

The Mirror

• David Cameron's own father-in-law slams £32billion high speed rail line decisionDavid Cameron’s decision to plough ahead with a £32billion high-speed rail line has been blasted by his own father-in-law.

ATOC

• Statement on Prime Minister's Questions and rail fares In response to the exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions on rail fares,...

Network Rail

• LONDON RAIL INDUSTRY UNITES TO LAUNCH 18-MONTH WORK PLACEMENT SCHEME
• RAIL WORK PLACEMENT SCHEME OPENS TO GRADUATES IN WALES
• RAIL WORK PLACEMENT SCHEME OPENS TO GRADUATES IN BIRMINGHAM
• KING™S CROSS PASSENGERS OFFERED A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE
• RAIL INDUSTRY UNITES TO LAUNCH 18-MONTH WORK PLACEMENT SCHEMENetwork Rail-funded scheme to create 10 new graduate training opportunities in Scotland

Birmingham Post

• Midland Conservative MPs continue to oppose HS2 high speed rail plans West Midlands MPs have vowed to continue fighting against plans for a new high speed rail network with Birmingham at its heart as it emerged a public consultation came out two to one against the £32 billion line.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• £33bn for high speed rail... nothing for North WalesMULTI-BILLION plans for a high-speed rail scheme in England will not benefit travellers in North Wales who again miss out on vital investment, MPs warned last night.
• Airbus dismisses call to ground A380s over cracked wingsAIRBUS has dismissed claims planes should be grounded because of minor cracks found on wings of the A380.

Journal Live

• Hopes raised that new high-speed rail link will benefit North East economyHOPES were yesterday raised that the North East can reap huge benefits from a new high-speed rail link.

Manchester Evening News

• Commuter delays as Metrolink system grinds to a halt - 24 hours after the last breakdownMetrolink commuters were hit by widespead distruption to their journey home after a broken-down tram brought the system grinding to a halt for the second successive evening rush hour.

Yorkshire Post

• Manchester to get HSR trains years before LeedsYORKSHIRE will be left seven years behind Manchester when the high speed rail network is built because large parts of the region do not have electrified lines to carry the trains.

Other Regional Press

• Transport Minister visits Stranraer TRANSPORT minister Keith Brown was left in no doubt as to the concerns felt by the people of Stranraer regarding the future of the railway in the town during his visit on Monday.
• Transport Minister makes concession on discount for smaller hauliers THE Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown has told Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor that the Scottish Government will look again at a hauliers’ ferry discount “to ensure we can offer discounts to small hauliers too.”

Global Rail News

• Rail industry unites to launch 18-month work placement schemeOne in four (26%) people who graduated from university in the last two years have turned down a job offer because they felt they were overqualified or the role wasn™t appropriate for them. This startling figure is revealed as more than 25 companies across the rail sector have joined together for the first time to [...]
• HS2 is ˜best solution for West Coast capacity crunch™Following yesterday’s announcement that HS2 has been officially approved by the government, Paul Plummer, Network Rail group strategy director, said: œThe capacity case for a new high-speed line is clear. In just over a decade, Britain™s busiest and most economically vital rail artery will be full with no more space to accommodate the predicted growth [...]
• High Speed 2 approval ˜secures rail freight growth™The Government™s decision to approve the High Speed 2 rail route ‘will guarantee additional capacity on the West Coast Main Line for rail freight services’, DB Schenker Rail UK said yesterday. Alain Thauvette, Chief Executive of DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd: “We welcome the Government’s decision to approve the construction of the High Speed 2 [...]
• ScotRail™s Club 55 returnsScotRail™s most popular ticket offer is back “ from 16 January 2012 “ with prices held at autumn 2011 rates. Customers aged 55 and over can travel anywhere in Scotland “ plus Berwick-upon-Tweed and Carlisle – for £19 return. The train operator has again teamed up with Hotel Connexions to give Club 55 customers the chance to create [...]
• Freightliner Ltd and MSC renew contractMSC, one of the world™s leading container shipping companies, has renewed their contract with Freightliner Ltd, increasing railed container volumes to the North West. The renewed contract is an expansion of the existing Freightliner/ MSC service, moving 30,000 container moves per annum. The increase in volumes will remove over 6,000 additional lorry journeys per year [...]
• Strategic Aspects of Rail WeldingThe Institute of Rail Welding™s seminar at the BOC site in Wolverhampton on 15 November 2011 had a slightly less technical flavour than usual and, as the title suggested, focussed on strategic matters instead. However, there was a special session in the afternoon on developments in ultrasonic testing of rails and rail welds. The day, [...]
• Decision to build HS2 is ˜tremendous boost for West Midlands™The Transport Secretary™s decision to build HS2 from London to Birmingham has been hailed as a ‘tremendous boost’ for the West Midlands by regional leaders. Key figures from pro-high speed rail consortium Go-HS2, which include Birmingham City Council, transport authority Centro, Birmingham Chamber, NEC Group, Birmingham Airport and Marketing Birmingham, said the go-ahead for the [...]
• New Olympics Project Manager at c2cNational Express train operator c2c has appointed Andrew Williams as the company™s new Olympics Project Manager. Andrew is the central contact point for all Olympic-related issues involving the company, including liaison with the key stakeholders “ Network Rail, Transport for London, ODA, LOCOG and the British Transport Police among others. His role also includes responsibility [...]
• King™s Cross passengers offered a glimpse into the futureNetwork Rail is giving passengers, businesses and members of the community a chance to look three months into the future with an interactive exhibition about the new station concourse at King™s Cross. From Monday 16 January an exhibition stand featuring new CGI images, a map and iPads giving people the chance to play a quiz [...]

Aviation Industry

• Airline bosses fear fuel, taxes and security will hit salesSabre survey reveals carriers' key concerns for next 18 months