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

Friday, 06 January 2012

BBC News

• Campaign backs HS2 fast rail linkA group of business leaders, economists and MPs unites in a newspaper campaign to support the proposal to link Birmingham and London with a new high speed rail line.
• Summit to tackle sat-nav problemsThe problems caused when lorry and car drivers are misdirected by out-of-date directions from their sat-navs are to be tackled at a government summit.
• Motor industry adjusts to 'car usership'Why own a car when all you want is transport?
• Boss admits Tata Nano 'mistakes'The head of India's Tata Group admits mistakes were made with the launch of the world's cheapest car but insists the Tata Nano is no flop.
• Japan Airlines plans share saleJapan Airlines plans to relist its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as the next step in its recovery from bankruptcy.

Department for Transport

• Norman Baker calls Satnav Summit to help motorists find wayNorman Baker, Local Transport Minister, will host the Government's first 'Satnav Summit' to thrash out solutions to end the misery caused when lorry and car drivers follow out of date directions from their satnavs.

Financial Times

• Threat to ground India™s KingfisherIndian airline risks losing its licence after an audit highlights ˜serious shortcomings™ in maintenance standards and crew availability
• High-speed rail link must be built, economists insistLord Skidelsky and 24 others urged the government to give the green light to the £17bn first stage of the HS2, in a letter published in the FT

The Guardian

• Britain needs £32bn High Speed Two go-ahead now, say rail union leadersJobs hopes pinned on 250mph railway from London to Birmingham, and later north to Leeds and ManchesterTrade union leaders have given rare backing to the government by urging the approval of plans for a £32bn high speed rail network.In a letter to the Guardian, leaders of Britain's biggest transport unions argue that with rising unemployment the country urgently needs to invest in infrastructure and must not give in to

The Independent

• Report warns 80mph speed limit is bad for... everythingProposals to increase the maximum speed limit will cost lives, harm the environment and produce few of the economic benefits claimed by the Government, a report warns.

The Telegraph

• Minister calls satnav summit Satnav manufacturers are to be told to update their maps more regularly to prevent the chaos caused by drivers being misdirected by their navigation systems.
• Business leaders back high speed rail Britain's high speed rail network is lagging behind Morocco and Saudi Arabia more than 100 business leaders have said in a letter in The Daily Telegraph today.
• Travel chaos as 112mph winds batter BritainWoman and ten-year-old in hospital after tree hits car in 100mph winds

The Mirror

• Tory liars don't want to secure British industry jobs THE Tories talked their way into power on a dishonest promise to be different. Unlike New Labour, they wouldn’t spin the facts or manipulate the truth. What liars!
• Britain warns Iran over threat to block key shipping laneDefence Secretary Philip Hammond yesterday warned that Britain was ready for military action if Iran blockaded a vital shipping lane.
• Thameslink deal: Siemens contract could cost taxpayers an extra £140millionThe controversial decision to award the Thameslink train making contract to German firm Siemens may cost Britain an extra £140million because of the euro crisis.

Network Rail

• OVERHEAD LINE UPGRADE IN ANGLIA ENTERS NEXT PHASE

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham Chamber warns of higher wage demands after hike in rail faresBusiness leaders in the West Midlands have called on the Government to ease the pressure on the region caused by high travel costs facing business.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rhyl company gets Porthmadog station contractTHE contract for major alterations at the Ffestiniog Railway station in Porthmadog has been awarded to Rhyl-based Jones Bros Civil Engineering.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Expert believes rail firm should reveal bid detailsA RAIL expert has said that German firm Siemens should not bid for UK rail contracts if it is reluctant to make details of its bids public.

London Evening Standard

• Crash fear over higher speed limitSafety concerns outweigh any economic benefits of raising the speed limit on motorways, according to a new report.
• Business backs high-speed rail linkBusiness leaders, union bosses and economists are urging the Government to press ahead with plans for a high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham.

Metro

• Honda sued over 50mpg Civic Hybrid 'lie'A driver has taken car giant Honda to court claiming her hybrid vehicle did not deliver the advertised 50-miles-per-gallon.
• Defence secretary Philip Hammond warns Iran over shipping lane threatIran faces the threat of military action if it tries to block a strategic shipping lane, defence secretary Philip Hammond has warned.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Transport bosses bid for Government cashTRANSPORT bosses are bidding for £16m of Government funding to improve travel routes around the region.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Commuter journeys double in decade as more workers turn to two wheelsCOMMUTERS are turning increasingly to their bikes to get to work in Sheffield city centre.

The York Press

• York bus chief in talks anger THE boss of York™s main bus network has slammed the city™s transport leader for revealing œprivate discussions about plans to get rid of the controversial ftr buses, which could affect 60 jobs.

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire urges power handover on key transport project decisionsPOLITICIANS from the three major parties have joined forces to urge the Government to start building its high-speed rail network as soon as possible.

Blackpool Gazette

• Stations tee off with upgradesDILAPIDATED station platforms are set to have thousands spent on them as the Fylde gears itself up for this summer’s Open Golf.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Travel survey: Catch a coach to save on fuelIN the wake of an AA survey revealing that 40 per cent of motorists are vowing to use less fuel in the new year, the locally-based vice-chairman of a national tourism group says many people are choosing to holiday by coach.

Other Regional Press

• £10.8m boost for Torfaen railway stations PLANS for a £10.8 million investment in Torfaen™s railways were formally approved for wider consultation this week.
• New year message of defiance from anti-HS2 campaigners ANTI-HS2 campaigners have joined together to issue a new year message of defiance in their fight against the £33billion project.
• Homeowners hope for end of HS2 blight ESTATE agents in Ruislip are desperate to know the government’s verdict on the High Speed Two (HS2) rail line after nearly two years of blight for homeowners.
• Protesters campaign against transport fare rises Protesters were out at stations across the borough this week to hand out leaflets against transport fare rises.
• Transport chief launches stinging attack on First BusBath's transport chief has slammed First Bus's decision to put up fares, saying the increases could undo work to encourage people to use public transport.
• Transport minister promises end to lengthy North Boat drydocking periods Shetland will not have to put up with a second-class shipping link during future drydocking seasons, the Scottish transport minister Keith Brown pledged on his first visit today.
• Buses stand in for late-night trains LATE-NIGHT trains on the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester will be affected by overnight track maintenance work next week.
• UK & World News: Business backs high-speed rail linkBusiness leaders, union bosses and economists are urging the Government to press ahead with plans for a high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham.
• More than 11,000 speeding drivers snapped by M62 cameras in our area in 2011 - an 1100% rise on 2010!SPEED cameras put up to protect road workers on the M62 snared more than 11,000 motorists last year – thousands more than expected.
• TRAINS... REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICES LAID ONTRAVEL misery for commuters continued today with rail services affected for a third day after 100mph winds hit Scotland.

The Economist

• China™s railways: Less express But don™t try to buy a ticket online CHINA™S love affair with fast trains is gathering steam again. Undaunted by horrendous accidents and massive cost overruns, officials are planning further expansion of the country™s high-speed rail network. A new service has begun between the southern cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, nearly halving the travel time to 35 minutes. With trains capable of travelling up to 380kph (236mph), the service will eventually be extended to nearby Hong Kong. For those craving even faster speeds, CSR Corp, China™s biggest trainmaker, has unveiled a sup...

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• European proposals 'could see mega-trucks on UK roads'Campaigners have warned that new legislation proposed by the European Commission could lead to lorries of up to 60 tonnes from overseas operating on UK roads.As a result, Freight on Rail has called on government ministers to oppose the plans as the impact of trucks of up to 25-metres on the road network has not been assessed.The organisation's manager Philippa Edmunds said: "Allowing mega-trucks will lead to more road fatalities, more congestion and more pollution and will be disastrous for the rail freight industry."Under the European proposals, so-called mega trucks...

Global Rail News

• Northern rail services ˜may be devolved™The Department of Transport is in talks with the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive regarding devolving the Northern and TransPennine rail franchises to local control. One of the options under discussion includes the government subsidising a Northern Rail Executive for a period of 15 years, with the executive paying a train operator to provide the [...]
• 100th corporate member joins Rail ForumSwadlincote based Dellner Couplers Limited has become the 100th business to join local trade and lobby group the Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum. Dellner specialises in providing and maintaining train connection systems, including couplers, dampers and gangways to railways worldwide. The company’s UK headquarters is in the Derbyshire town of Swadlincote, but Dellner is no [...]
• Train companies ˜cancel free assistance to the disabled™‘Most private train companies have banned their booking office staff providing free assistance to disabled people who need help planning their journey’, the TSSA union has said. Disabled people ‘can no longer get direct help at stations but have been told to ring 0845 numbers instead and book by phone’, said union leader Manuel Cortes. [...]
• Transport for London & CBS Outdoor renew advertising contractTransport for London (TfL) and CBS Outdoor have confirmed CBS Outdoor will retain responsibility for all adverts on the London Underground network through TfL’s commercial advertising concession. CBS Outdoor has held the commercial advertising concession since 2006 and is responsible for advertising sites across the London Underground network. As well as the traditional advertising sites [...]
• TfL launches flower campaign to raise awarenessTransport for London is hoping a new campaign, featuring flowers painted on the ground at 15 spots around Croydon where trams share the streets with cars and pedestrians, will help make people more aware of their surroundings and avoid them colliding with trams. The message accompanying the flowers is ‘Don’t be remembered like this – [...]
• Leicestershire school considers subsidising pupils™ rail travelHumphrey Perkins School in Leicestershire is considering subsidising train travel for its 51 pupils living in Sileby following council cuts that have decimated bus subsidies resulting in the axing of the free school bus. The school, located in Barrow-upon-Soar is currently in talks with East Midlands Trains and ‘would expect parents to contribute £1.05 a [...]
• Merseyrail proposes alcohol ban on all servicesFollowing its successful pioneering campaign that has seen antisocial passengers prosecuted for putting their feet on seats, Merseyrail is proposing making all their trains and stations ‘dry’ to deter alcohol related crimes on the network. Should the ban on drinking alcohol go ahead, Merseyrail would become the first train operator outside of London to introduce [...]
• Whitecraigs named top station in ScotlandWhitecraigs station in East Renfrewshire was today named as the top station in the country by Keep Scotland Beautiful, the environmental charity. The organisation has spent six months assessing all 346 stations in Scotland on issues ranging from clearing litter to recycling, waste management, and community links. Assessments to Bronze, Silver or Gold status were available in Keep Scotland [...]
• Freightliner Heavy Haul signs new deal with EDF EnergyFreightliner Heavy Haul Ltd and EDF Energy today confirmed that they have entered into a new rail haulage agreement for coal deliveries into EDF Energy™s power stations at Cottam and West Burton. The revised, long term deal gives EDF Energy increased capacity to meet its future requirements and builds upon the excellent service performance record [...]
• Gatwick express launches online saleGatwick Express, the UK™s non-stop rail service from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, has launched its biggest ever online sale. As ‘more and more people are choosing to travel with Gatwick Express with passenger journeys increasing by almost a fifth last year, customers will now be able to buy even cheaper tickets for this popular, [...]
• Direct Rail Services invests in new diesel locomotivesDirect Rail Services (DRS), the UK™s leading rail freight operator, has recently ordered a fleet to of newly designed mixed traffic diesel locomotives for use in its key intermodal and passenger train operations. The Vossloh Espana Eurolight UK locomotives are a derivative of the Eurolight locomotive (already running in Germany) and have been developed for [...]

Aviation Industry

• Fears of trade war after Chinese airlines 'refuse' to pay ETSRow over non-EU airlines being forced to pay for emissions trading set to intensify

Other News Sources

• Radar could detect objects that have fallen on railway tracks Radar devices could soon be fitted in railway stations to prevent accidents by detecting luggage or people that fall onto the tracks.
• Crash fear over higher speed limitSafety concerns outweigh any economic benefits of raising the speed limit on motorways, according to a new report.
• Business backs high-speed rail linkBusiness leaders, union bosses and economists are urging the Government to press ahead with plans for a high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham.
• Bombardier wins fourth order from Frankfurt/Main Bombardier Transportation has won an order to supply an additional 78 BOMBARDIER FLEXITY Swift high-floor light rail vehicles (LRVs) and 10 FLEXITY Classic trams to the Frankfurt Transport Authority, VGF in Germany.
• Minor cracks found on A380 superjumbosEngineers have discovered minor cracks in the wings of a ’limited number’ of A380 superjumbos but their safe operation is not affected, plane-maker Airbus says.
• ’Birmingham Bolt’ concept car designed to woo Indian investorsDesigns for a concept car based almost entirely on technical expertise and componentry from Birmingham will be unveiled to investors in India this week,
• Emissions row could get dirtyUS authorities strongly object to ETS changes. Passengers to lose out as airlines plan to spread the cost