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

Monday, 26 January 2009

BBC News

• Transport chief marks M1 wideningA £300m widening project on the M1 between Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire will be opened by Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon.
• Huge transport spending plannedMajor investment in transport announced by Suffolk County Council for 2009/2010 includes a £25m development scheme.
• Delays common for passengers [video]Commuters in the Midlands have complained over regular delays and cancellations to rail services despite increasing ticket prices.
• Plan for extra rail line on trackA plan to put an extra railway line between Swindon and Kemble, which was rejected by the rail regulator last year, could now be developed.

Department for Transport

• Transport statistics The Department for Transport has published the following Transport Statistics: * Public experiences of home working and internet shopping

Financial Times

• Mandelson in talks over car industry helpLord Mandelson, business secretary, is holding detailed talks with the Treasury on a package to salvage the beleaguered car industry ahead of a summit with sector representatives on Wednesday.
• Car parts sector looks for $10bn US bail-outThe US automotive parts supply sector is to request at least $10bn of federal bail-out funds from America's troubled asset relief programme

The Guardian

• Drivers wary of M-way hard shoulder planMost motorists say they do not feel confident driving on motorways where the hard shoulder is being used as an additional lane, according to a survey on new proposals to ease congestion.

The Herald

• Plan to launch waterbus service on ClydeWaterbuses similar to those plying the waters dividing New York could succeed if introduced to the River Clyde, with demand growing as the number of destinations increase, a year-long study has found.

The Scotsman

• 62,000 rail services cancelledMore than 62,000 rail services were cancelled in Britain last year, according to new figures.

The Telegraph

• Motorway lights to be switched off at night despite safety warnings Motorway lighting is to be switched off in parts of Britain to reduce carbon emissions despite warnings from police and scientists that the move would affect safety.
• Train cancellations affect one in 100 services More than 62000 rail services were cancelled in Britain last year according to new figures.

Times Online

• BA risks angering cabin crew with 1% pay riseBritish Airways may be on course for renewed conflict once more with its 14,000-strong cabin crew after the chief executive of the airline hinted that pay increases for this year would be less than 1 per cent.
• All aboard world's longest busway that will replace the train Drinking hot coffee on a bus is normally a bad idea, but passengers will be encouraged to try it on a new service that promises to be as smooth as the most modern train.

Reuters News

• Mandelson to meet with carmakersLONDON (Reuters) - Business Secretary Peter Mandelson is due to meet carmaker representatives this week to discuss possible measures to help the stricken industry survive the recession, his office said on Sunday.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby train-maker Bombardier will take on more apprenticesDERBY train-maker Bombardier says it will take on more apprentices this year as it looks to develop the next generation of rail engineers.

International Herald Tribune

• Oil cartel keeps cuts on trackMembers of OPEC have slashed their output by more than three million barrels a day in recent months, temporarily stopping the slide in oil prices.

Washington Post

• Obama to Take Steps On Car Fuel Efficiency President Obama plans to instruct key federal agencies today to reexamine two policies that could force automakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars that yield fewer greenhouse gas emissions, according to sources who have been briefed on the announcement.

Aviation Industry

• Bus prices go up - Transport for London runs posters saying they’ve gone downA quiz question for you: back in September last year, Transport for London increased the price of a single bus ticket using an Oyster from 90p to £1. So what would you expect to see on posters on London buses during the last week?
• Arriva plc - multi-lingual corporate websiteArriva wanted to create an engaging corporate website that conveyed their focus to be the leading transport services company across Europe - much more than ’just a bus company’. They also wanted to create a version of the site in each country that Arriva has a presence - 10 in all!
• PrestonBus soldAppearing on Stagecoach's website was a report of its acquisition of Preston Bus. The two companies have been in competition since the autumn of 2007, with North West Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell having to intervene to ensure a fair battle, as it were.
• Air Canada cuts 375 jobs Air Canada has announced plans to cut another 345 jobs as it copes with a decrease in demand.
• How Is Southwest Airlines Performing?Southwest Airlines' Q3 & Q4 losses are attributed to fuel hedging/derivative

Other News Sources

• 500 per cent hike for freight to use fast trainsConcerns have been raised that soaring charges for freight on the new high-speed line running from the Continent through Kent could add to the millions of lorries already using the county’s road network.
• Internet bus route mapBUS travellers can now go on-line to see where services run to and at what time.
• Don't scrap our free bus passesIt may be costing council's hundreds of thousands of pounds but city pensioners and a charity for the elderly today praised the free bus pass scheme for the over 60s and said it would be “disastrous” if the service was scrapped.
• Cycle shop owners hope for boomA government Cycle to Work initiative, where employers sign up with bike shops to allow staff to purchase a tax free bicycle direct from their wages for the commute in has also helped record a rise in business.
• Off the tracksBritain's largest transport union, the RMT, has learned that Network Rail has ordered the deferral of 28 per cent of its track-renewals programme.
• Mayor tests water for airport plan
• 62,000 rail services cancelled
• British Airways to allow mobile messaging on London City-JFK A318s British Airways' new all-business transatlantic service from London City will allow passengers to communicate with mobile phones, although...

Other Subscription Services

• REG-Stagecoach Group PLC Bus OrdersSTAGECOACH TO INVEST £70m IN NEW GREENER BUSES FOR UK * Passengers to benefit from initial order of 420 new buses and coaches * Business profits to be reinvested to deliver greener, smarter bus travel * Consumers also offered discounted bus travel to beat credit crunch