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

Saturday, 14 March 2009

BBC News

• 'High risk' of plane fault repeatExperts have warned there is a "high probability" that a fault which caused a British Airways jet to crash-land at Heathrow could hit other Boeing 777s.
• War of words over tram work delayA row breaks out over the reasons behind delays to the £500m Edinburgh trams project.
• One dead as buses and lorry collideA bus driver is killed and at least 14 others injured in a collision between two buses and a lorry in South Yorkshire.

Financial Times

• Opec expects demand for its oil to shrinkOpec should err on the side of further reducing its output, the oil cartel’s monthly oil market report hinted on Friday ahead of a meeting to decide whether to make further production cuts.
• Supply problems delay rail fleet deliveryCommuters on London's Thameslink route could face delays and cancellations as First Capital Connect, the operator of the revised service, has so far received only one of 23 expected trains
• Move to block Stansted expansion dismissedBAA is free to raise capacity at the London airport by 40% to 35m passengers a year after the High Court rejected an appeal protesting the plan

The Guardian

• Gore upbeat on climate deal prospectAl Gore, the former US vice-president, delivers an upbeat assessment of the global response to climate change today, saying he believes a "political tipping point" has been reached which will enable leaders to avert environmental catastrophe.

The Independent

• Stansted expansion challenge defeated Protestors objecting to the expansion of London's Stansted airport lost a legal challenge today against a government decision to allow flight capacity to rise by 10 per cent.

The Scotsman

• Warning over fault on several jetsAir accident investigators in the US have warned there is a "high probability" that a fault leading to the crash landing of a BA jet at Heathrow will strike other Boeing 777s.
• Campaigners lose Stansted battleCampaigners have lost their High Court battle to block the decision to expand Stansted Airport.

The Telegraph

• All travel plans to be tracked by Government Government to track travel plans and personal details of every holidaymaker and business traveller who leaves Britain.
• Ed Miliband's livein girlfriend is nuclear lawyerThe Energy Secretary is in a relationship with a leading lawyer who is the "preferred counsel" for a company seeking a £20 billion nuclear power deal from his department.
• Drivers 'could be given £2000 to trade in old car' Drivers trading in their used cars would be given £2000 towards a new one under Government plans to stimulate the motor industry.
• Red Arrows narrowly avoided disaster with passenger planeA Red Arrows display team narrowly avoided a midair collision with a passenger plane during a show a report has disclosed.

Times Online

• Boeing 777 safety measures 'insufficient' to prevent risk of disaster Interim safety measures put in place on 220 airliners with an engine flaw are “insufficient” to prevent the risk of a fatal crash, according to the US air safety body.
• £2,000 deal to trade in used cars Lord Mandelson is preparing to put a £2,000 bounty on used cars in an attempt to stimulate the motor industry.
• £2,000 deal to trade in used cars Lord Mandelson is preparing to put a £2,000 bounty on used cars in an attempt to stimulate the motor industry.

Reuters News

• Stansted airport expansion challenge failsLONDON (Reuters) - Protestors objecting to the expansion of Stansted Airport lost a legal challenge on Friday against a government decision to allow flight capacity to rise by 10 percent.
• UK eyes paying for old cars to spur salesLONDON (Reuters) - The government is considering giving credits of 2,000 pounds to new-car buyers who turn in their old cars, The Times reported on Saturday.

The Mirror

• Top Stories: Microwave for cars goes on sale for £130Drivers can enjoy meals on the move with a microwave for cars.

Journal Live

• Chav-free holiday offer is a huge hitATRAVEL firm offering ’chav-free’ holidays was so inundated with inquiries it’s website crashed. Activities Abroad hit the headlines after sending an email to its database of 24,000 potential customers, offering them travel packages free from people with so-called ’chav’ names, like Britney and Kylie-Lianne.

London Evening Standard

• High Court gives go-ahead to StanstedThe Government’s plans to expand Stansted Airport have been given the go-ahead by a High Court judge

Manchester Evening News

• Bus driver's booze tourA BUS driver has been jailed after going on a drunken joyride in his single-decker after a bust-up with his wife. Paul Devenney, 51, abandoned his route and drove the No 54 to a supermarket to stock up on booze. He was arrested after he was found slumped in the bus with two crates of beer and empty bottles on the floor.

Metro

• Airport campaigners may appealCampaigners are considering whether to appeal after losing their High Court battle to block the decision to expand Stansted Airport.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Caravan flips over on M27A FAMILY on their way to the New Forest for a camping trip had a narrow escape when their caravan flipped over on the motorway.

Carlisle News & Star

• People power keeps Workington bus station openWorkington's Murray Road bus station will not close, after public opposition to plans to move it to the railway station.

Peterborough Telegraph

• 'Solid support' for rail strikeUnion leaders have reported "solid support" for a strike which disrupted rail services in Bedford, with a further walkout due next week.
• Campaigners ponder Stansted appealCampaigners are considering whether to appeal after losing their High Court battle to block the decision to expand Stansted Airport.

Wall Street Journal

• GM, Chrysler Lobbying in FocusLobbying activity by GM and Chrysler, recipients of federal loans, will likely draw attention when lobbyists report their first-quarter expenditures next month.

Washington Post

• U.S. autos task force hires bankruptcy lawyer NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's task force on the auto industry has hired a bankruptcy lawyer to advise it on its options.
• Could the Volt Jump-Start GM? General Motors frequently holds up the Chevrolet Volt as a symbol of its future and a testimony to its ingenuity when it asks Washington officials for billions of dollars in federal aid.
• Downturn Puts Air Travelers on Cloud Nine An airfare war has broken out in recent weeks -- a boon for anyone with money to travel.

Aviation Industry

• Alaska Airlines Again Calls on U.S. Department of Transportation to...Alaska Airlines again called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to address questions about Virgin America's compliance with U.S. foreign ownership and control restrictions on domestic carriers.
• Ryanair boss 'joking' about toilet chargeA BUDGET airline boss was

Other News Sources

• Maersk Tankers ready to enter market for CO2 transportation Maersk Tankers, owned by the Danish conglomerate A.P....
• Campaigners lose Stansted appealThe Stop Stansted Expansion Group has lost its battle to block the decision to expand the airport.
• Greasing the wheelsUrban rail network Merseyrail is testing Intelligent Wheel Flange Lubrication (iWFL), a train-mounted lubrication system that claims to release exactly the right amount of lubrication for track conditions.
• Cleaner carsCarbon dioxide emissions from new cars dropped at their fastest-ever rate in 2008, according to the latest figures by the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
• Flight riskThe US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued revised safety recommendations for Boeing 777 aircraft equipped with Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent 800 engines.
• Hijackers threaten truck driver with TaserLancashire Police is seeking information on the hijacking of a lorry driver who was threatened with a Taser gun by men posing as VOSA staff.
• Seaway Corp Infrastructure Renewal FundingThe U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) will initiate its planned 10-year program this year to modernize the infrastructure of the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, following President Obama’s signing on March 11 of the omnibus...
• Panama Canal Receives Proposals to Build LocksThe Panama Canal Authority (ACP) received proposals from three world-class consortia to design and build the new set of Canal locks – the largest contract under the $5.25b Expansion Program. The proposals have been separated into two categories – technical and price – with the technical proposals to be assessed first...
• Campaigners lose Stansted battle Environmental campaigners have lost their High Court battle to block the decision to expand Stansted Airport.
• Shippers should payShippers should pay increased rates to sustain the current levels of service, according to a poll of IFW readers.
• Air benefits from cash-flow crunchPlummeting air freight rates, smaller orders and the need to speed cash flow are prompting some manufacturers of high-value finished products to switch from sea to air on AsiaEurope routes.
• DHL Exel Supply Chain makes 150 redundanciesTesco's decision to move some of its logistics operations in-house has led to 150 DHL Exel Supply Chain employees being made redundant.
• Virgin Atlantic closes on interim aircraft selectionVirgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway is hoping to finalise an interim capacity solution over the coming weeks to bridge the gap until the airline's...
• US plans $31.8M in seaway workTHE TWO US locks in the St Lawrence Seaway will get a major facelift in the coming decade, beginning with $31.8M worth of work this year.
• Two seafarers shot by piratesSOMALI pirates have shot and wounded two seafarers in two recent attacks, Fairplay was told today, in what could indicate a step-up in violence.
• Shipping in N Korea firing lineNORTH Korea today issued a warning to shipping operating in two designated 'danger zones' ahead of a planned satellite launch.
• Transport: Better use of existing infrastructure essentialBuilding new road and rail infrastructure will not solve transport congestion, while better use of existing capacity is needed to ensure smooth mobility of citizens, business and goods, stakeholders argued at a conference.
• Major investment to develop transport for WalesThe Minister for Economy and Transport has yesterday (Thursday, 12 March 2008) announced grants of more than £95million to improve roads, develop sustainable transport and encourage walking and cycling across Wales.
• Greening buses and trucks! Commission's research centre opens new CO2 emissions testing laboratory.Today European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potočnik, opens a new facility for testing fuel consumption and emissions of trucks and buses. The new installation, "VELA 7" at the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra (Northern Italy), realistically simulates wind drag, tyre/road friction and full drive cycles for real-life articulated lorries of up to 40 tonnes or 12m long buses. It comes at a crucial time since implementation guidelines for new emission standards, notably the Euro VI regarding heavy duty vehicles, must be defined by 1st April ...
• Gatwick bidders get extra timeBidders vying for Gatwick Airport have been granted more time to submit bids by owners BAA.
• Fleet keeps flying despite flawThe US air safety watchdog calls for a key component of the Boeing 777 to be redesigned, Rolls-Royce says it should be ready within the year. Julian Rush reports.
• New model to save Nissan plant?Nissan's Wearside workers are hoping for a boost from the launch of a new model, dubbed the Qazana.Nissan has taken the wraps off its top secret new model – a smaller brother to the Qashqai – which is due to go into UK production next year. Dubbed the Qazana, it is a cross between a 4x4 and a small hatchback and is due to replace the Micra on the Sunderland production line.

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