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

Monday, 21 September 2009

BBC News

• Rail link 'not critical' to Games The decision to scrap the planned rail link to Glasgow Airport will not spoil the 2014 Commonwealth Games, organisers have said.
• Plan to boost fast rail in North Plans to double the number of fast train journeys in northern England have been unveiled by Network Rail. The rail infrastructure company sets out its plan for the next 20 years in a manifesto entitled "a bright future for rail in the North".
• Cyclists ride in car-free London Tens of thousands of cyclists rode in central London, which was closed to traffic for the day, as part of an annual cycling event.

Financial Times

• Nat Express ex-chairman hits at DfTNational Express could have survived as an independent company if it had better managed its relationship with the Department for Transport, its former chairman said
• Taxi proves a tough vehicle to sell overseasIf there is a lucrative export market for London taxis, Manganese Bronze boss John Russell may be the man to finally crack it, writes Michael Kavanagh. He...

The Guardian

• London's transport budget hit by City job losses The loss of thousands of City jobs has gouged a hole in London's transport budget, forcing the mayor, Boris Johnson, to consider inflation-busting fare rises as he grapples with a multibillion-pound funding gap in a tube upgrade programme.

Times Online

• Cycling plan to blame drivers for all crashes Ministers are considering a far-reaching change in the law in a bid to promote greener transport

Daily Record

• Andy Kerr vows to force through Glasgow airport rail link Labour finance spokesman Andy Kerr said yesterday: "Labour has made its position on the Glasgow airport rail link clear. We have condemned the outrageous action of the SNP in cancelling this vital project, which would do so much for Glasgow and the west of Scotland.

Mail Online

• Drivers 'should always be blamed for cycle crashes' Motorists should be made legally responsible for all accidents involving cyclists, even if they are not at fault, say Government advisers. Cycling England, an agency funded by the Transport Department, wants the civil law to be changed so drivers or their insurers would automatically be liable for compensation claims.

Transport Briefing

• Manchester Hub rail options scheduled for 2010 Network Rail has published a vision for upgrading rail services in the north of England which sets out how it intends to develop a business case for the Manchester Hub project.
• Bus firms call for further action to cut CO2 Britain's biggest bus and coach operators have warned the government that it risks missing key carbon reduction targets by failing to maximise the potential of buses and coaches to help tackle climate change.

Birmingham Post

• Loan boost for Walsall community transport schemeA community transport scheme has been given a £40,000 finance boost after struggling with off-season cashflow problems.

Manchester Evening News

• Council admits bus lane camera 'error' MANCHESTER council is set to cancel nearly 20,000 fines wrongly issued to motorists caught in bus lanes.

Metro

• City jobs misery will force Tube fares up Tube passengers face inflation-busting price increases as a result of a decline in the network's use. They will continue to suffer after the loss of thousands of City jobs led to 190,000 fewer journeys a day on the Underground in August compared with the same time last year.

Nottingham Evening Post

• 'Tories broke manifesto pledge' TORIES have been accused of breaking a pledge after funds for a new roundabout on one of Notts' major roads were pulled. The newly-elected ruling group have shelved plans for a £2.5m roundabout on the A614, which links greater Nottingham with the A1 and north of the county.

The York Press

• Network Rail has published an ambitious manifesto, dubbed A Bright Future For Rail In The North, setting out its vision for the next 20 years PLANS have been unveiled for a massive boost to the railways across York, North and East Yorkshire. Network Rail has published an ambitious manifesto, dubbed A Bright Future For Rail In The North, setting out its vision for the next 20 years

Yorkshire Post

• Losses rise for bus maker Optare but it stays confident BUS manufacturer Optare saw its losses widen but said it was in a good position to recover once demand for its vehicles rises again.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Top business award for portA Suffolk port has won a top accolade at the annual Rail Freight Group awards.

Other News Sources

• Free transport comes under threat Pensioners who use free transport to access day care services across Wolverhampton face being hit with a charge for the first time ever, it has emerged.
• Blackburn MP: End 'pass the parcel of blame' over bus cuts BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw has demanded a showdown meeting to end the ’pass the parcel’ squabbling over bus cutbacks.
• £16,000 bus stop scrapped after six months A NEW £16,000 bus stop was made redundant only months after it was built after bus company First scrapped its service.
• Too many orders send Optare costs soaring Bus-maker Optare saw pre-tax losses widen in the first half of 2009 after costs soared as it addressed an over-commitment to orders. Pre-tax losses in the first six months of 2009 totalled £3.9m, compared with £3.2m over the same period the previous year, even as revenues soared to £52.1m from £7.8m.
• St Neots railway station plans still on track A NEW footbridge and lifts to the platforms at St Neots railway station could be three or four years away. At present, it is to all intents and purposes impossible for wheelchair-users to use the station.
• Lord Andrew Adonis: motorway tour diary Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis today embarks on a tour of the motorway network to get the commuter experience and to witness first hand the range of improvements and innovative projects being implemented by the Government to increase capacity and improve journeys for motorists.

News from Europe

• Rail Europe continues to shrink travel timesRail Europe, the world leader of rail distribution, continues to go from strength to strength in Europe despite the global financial crisis. Pierre-Stephane Austi, CEO of Rail Europe said train travel times are shrinking as Rail Europe continues to introduce a number of high speed trains to new routes.
• Netherlands: Daimler wins record bus order Daimler Buses has announced the receipt of two new contracts, under which it will deliver a total of 425 buses to the Netherlands by December.