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

Wednesday, 28 January 2009

BBC News

• New rail line to London proposedChiltern Railways has announced it wants to start a new service between Oxford and London Marylebone.
• Job losses 'would damage UK rail'Rail unions are urging the government to stop train companies from cutting jobs to save money in the downturn.
• Car firms get £2.3bn loan packageMeasures to help the UK car industry including loan guarantees and re-training for workers are unveiled by Lord Mandelson.

Financial Times

• UK pressured to extend car lifelineMinisters were under intensifying pressure to increase the £2.5bn lifeline for Britain's car industry, as business and unions warned tens of thousands of jobs were at risk

The Guardian

• National Express may abandon rail businessNational Express, once Britain's biggest rail operator, could quit the train business altogether if its £1.4bn east coast franchise places too great a strain on group profits, according to a city commentator.

The Herald

• Campaign to recruit 1000 new shipbuildersA marketing drive described as the largest apprenticeship campaign in Scotland was launched yesterday to attract 1000 new workers to the shipbuilding industry.
• £2bn in loan support for struggling carmakersPledges of over £2bn in loan guarantees to the ailing British car industry by Business Secretary Peter Mandelson have been dismissed as “being behind the curve” by his new nemesis, Ken Clarke.
• Bridge at centre of inquiry as train derailsA COLLAPSED bridge is at the centre of an investigation into what caused a freight train laden with fuel to derail and burst into flames.

The Independent

• Major blaze after freight train derails Firefighters tackled an "intensive" blaze today after a freight train carrying fuel derailed and caught fire.
• Ailing car firms must go green to get help Lord Mandelson faced charges of producing too little and acting too late as he set out a £2.4bn rescue package for Britain's beleaguered car industry. The Business Secretary linked the cash – which was far less than the £13bn demanded by the unions – to manufacturers developing green technology.

The Telegraph

• Passengers should get refund if rail services are cut Passengers should get a refund if services are cut because of the recession a consumer group has said.
• British car industry - victim of its own success The UK motor industry upon which more than 840000 jobs depend is very different from the shambles of 30 years ago.

Times Online

• President Obama announces push to wean US off the gas-guzzler Obama's first 100 hours in office I Obama vs Bush on the environment in their own words
• Lord Mandelson hands out £2.3bn to carmakers Video: is it the right thing to do?
• Third Heathrow runway would scupper Stansted and Glasgow expansionA new runway at Heathrow would result in every other British airport having to abandon expansion plans to meet the Government’s climate change target, a study has suggested.
• Thank you – but we still need more, car chiefs tell Mandelson Car chiefs will press Lord Mandelson today for extra help on top of yesterday’s initiatives, amid warnings that the announcement fell well short of what is needed to get consumers buying again.
• A thimbleful of help for Britain's ailing car industry It's not a bailout, said Lord Mandelson of his promises to the car industry — and compared with the £600 billion package of loan guarantees made available to the banks, it looks more like a thimbleful.
• Lord Mandelson hands out £2.3bn to carmakers Video: is it the right thing to do?

Mail Online

• Now Government delivers £2.3billion package to try to rescue Britain's car industry Now Government delivers £2.3billion package to try to rescue Britain's car industry

The Sun

• Mandelson's £2.3bn green light for 'eco motors'BUSINESS Sec unveils £2.3bn lifeline for car industry — to boost eco motor production

Network Rail

• NETWORK RAIL ANNOUNCES SHORT-LISTED ARCHITECTS FOR NEW SQUARE AT KING'S CROSS
• FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILMENT, STEWARTON

Belfast Telegraph

• Virgin Atlantic pay freeze Virgin Atlantic is introducing a pay freeze for its staff.

Derby Telegraph

• £1m road work in countyOver one million is being invested in road repairs and improvements across the county by Derbyshire County Council in February.

Journal Live

• An alternative to cars to be studiedA MAJOR study is to look at transport systems in an area where almost half of all households do not own a car.

Liverpool Echo

• Government unveils car industry supportTHE Government today unveiled a long awaited package of support for the car industry worth £2 billion amid warnings of a "catastrophe" for the sector with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.

London Evening Standard

• New centre to develop biofuels project launchedPLANS for a £27million government research centre to develop an alternative fuel from plants have been unveiled.
• Hoon is warned rail cutbacks will result in second HatfieldCUTBACKS in rail maintenance could lead to another Hatfield, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon was told today.
• Oyster cards to be rolled out to every London rail lineLONDON'S rail and Tube services are to be fully integrated for the first time with commuters able to use Oyster cards across the network, the Evening Standard can reveal.
• New centre to develop biofuels project launchedPlans for a £27million government research centre to develop an alternative fuel from plants have been unveiled
• Finance firms given tax money to fund car loansCar manufacturers were thrown a recession lifeline when Lord Mandelson announced a multi-billion-pound plan to prop up the industry
• Mandelson's £2.3bn loan package for car industryCar manufacturers were thrown a recession lifeline when Lord Mandelson announced a multi-billion-pound plan to prop up the industry

The News (Portsmouth)

• Almost 4,000 train services axed A rail operator in Hampshire has been criticised for raising its fares at the same time as it cancelled thousands of services.

The York Press

• New crossing plan for River Ouse in York RAIL operators and politicians have held talks about creating a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Ouse in York.

Blackpool Gazette

• £4.78m motorway improvement scheme announcedA £4.78m scheme to relieve congestion for drivers around junction 32 of the M6 will begin later this week, the Highways Agency announced today.

Carlisle News & Star

• Email alerts to help drivers avoid Carlisle roadworks problemsDrivers in Carlisle can now get email alerts of areas of the city they should avoid as engineers continue a major sewer works upgrade.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Train punctuality improvesEast Anglia's largest train operator has reported its best annual punctuality figures since the franchise began five years ago.

Sunderland Echo

• Clipper fighting fund nears target figureCampaigners fighting to save Sunderland's most historic ship have raised nearly £75,000 in pledges to help fund its journey home.
• £2bn package to support car industryThe Government has unveiled a package of support for the struggling car industry, which has seen Sunderland-based Nissan become one of many firms to be forced to shed jobs.

The Economist

• American car emissions: Stepping on the gasBarack Obama revs up on the environment by letting states set car-emissions standardsCALIFORNIA is known for doing things its own way. This is certainly true of environmental policy. In 2005, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s governor, asked for yet another waiver from federal rules, so that California could impose higher standards on carbon-dioxide emission by cars. Two years later, the federal government said no. Environmentalists loudly complained at the Bush administration’s lack of respect for the environment. On Monday January 26th Barack Obama announced that he would rever...

Washington Post

• Britain Offers Automakers $3.2 Billion Support Package LONDON, Jan. 27 -- The British government on Tuesday announced a $3.2 billion financial support package intended to make Britain's struggling automakers

Railnews

• News: Freight train carrying aviation fuel derails and bursts into flames A SIX-wagon freight train carrying aviation fuel from Mossend, Glasgow to Prestwick in Ayrshire derailed and caught fire near Stewarton early this morning.

Aviation Industry

• The OFT's jolly to Eastbourneollowing Stagecoach's recent acquisition of the world's oldest municipal bus operator on 26 November 2008, just over a week ago they snapped-up its main competitor, Cavendish. Ten days after this latest acquisition, Stagecoach announced that in order to restore order to the bus operation in Eastbourne, it plans to close the Cavendish operation completely, with the loss of all 65 jobs.
• Just How Toxic Is London City Airport?About 50% more toxic than it should be according to EU limits. In 2006 the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy published a report entitled: "Dangerous levels of toxic gas detected at most major airports" .The contents of the article are truly shocking, and yet it doesn't seem to have been addressed, to our knowledge, at all.
• BA chief seen casting doubt on Iberia mergerLONDON : The proposed merger between British Airways and Iberia appeared threatened on Saturday when the UK airline's Chief Executive Willie Walsh was quoted as saying the current market valuations were ...
• British Air to ground "Openskies"?Looks like we're seeing the beginnings of yet another failed attempt at using the EU-US open skies agreement to open new business opportunities.

Other News Sources

• Passengers’ fury at bus price risesThousands of passengers in the West Midlands have signed an on-line petition calling on a bus company to lower its prices.
• MPs fight Heathrow expansionThe furore over a new runway at Heathrow refuses to die down, with parliamentarians continuing to rebel against the proposal.
• London assembly members slam Boris' 'vanity' transport plansLabour's London Assembly members have slammed Mayor Boris Johnson for cancelling infrastructure projects such as the Thames Gateway Bridge, instead concentrating on'vanity' projects such as developing a replacement for the iconic Routemaster bus.
• Probe into freight train crash An investigation has been launched after a freight train laden with fuel derailed and burst into flames as it crossed a bridge.
• MSP leads fight to save jobs at Stobart depotA member of the Scottish Parliament is leading the fight to rescue the Stobart Chilled site in South Lanarkshire.
• Shipping firm blames road transport for collapseWater freight specialist Coastal Bulk Shipping has gone into administration, blaming the road transport sector for its demise.
• Government must drive car industry to greener futureGovernment must drive car industry to greener future
• Scrapping is rising, HSBC saysBULK CARRIER tonnage scrapped amounted to 2M dwt tonnes in November, 2.5M in December and a similar figure for January, according to data from HSBC Shipping.
• Ship captain reported 'executed'PIRATES executed a ship™s captain after he resisted capture off the coast of West Africa, Fairplay can confirm today.
• The world’s fastest (charging) electric carUS-based Shelby Super Cars has unveiled the blueprint for an eco-friendly sports car with a top speed of 208mph. The SSC Ultimate Aero EV will accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 2.5 seconds - and needs just 10 minutes charging to travel up to 200 miles. It will be the fastest electric car in production, adding to [...]

Other Subscription Services

• Suez Canal hit as CMA CGM considers bypass plansFRENCH carrier is to divert all appropriate sailings round Cape of Good Hope because of huge cost savings.