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

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

BBC News

• HS2: Transport Secretary Justine Greening's full statement A new high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham has been approved by Transport Secretary Justine Greening. Here is her statement in full:
• SeaFrance sheds 127 UK jobs as it goes into liquidation [video]Ferry firm SeaFrance is to shed 127 jobs in Dover after it was liquidated by a French court and told to cease activity.
• Airport tower gets Olympic ringsThe air traffic control tower at Birmingham Airport is to be decorated with the Olympic Rings.
• Skye boat for road-blocked pupilsA small ferry and a tourist boat are expected to join efforts to ease travel for schoolchildren and commuters in an area of the Highlands.
• Minister in Stranraer rail pledgeTransport Minister Keith Brown gives an
• Road damage 'worse than feared'The damage to the cables in the Hammersmith flyover was worse than previously thought, London Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy says.
• Fast rail line set for go-aheadThe first phase of a new high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham is expected to be given the go-ahead by the government later.
• US carmakers see boost from ChinaUS carmarkers General Motors and Ford report record sales in China for 2011, despite a slowdown in the market in that country.

Financial Times

• HS2 rail link nears green lightFirst stage of £32bn infrastructure project set to be approved by coalition, paving way for work on the high-speed line to begin in 2016
• CAA calls for new south-east runwaysConsumers will face higher air fares and reduced choice on international routes, says regulator
• Regulator adds thrust to airport capacity debateFor first time since coalition government in 2010 ruled out new London runways, CAA is making the case for more space
• Row over Eurotunnel plan to buy SeaFrance shipsLargest ferry operator on Dover Strait route threatens to report Eurotunnel to European Commission over plan to buy ships of insolvent SeaFrance

The Guardian

• SeaFrance ferry firm sunk by legal ruling on French bailout French ferry firm SeaFrance went into official liquidation on Monday after the European commission ruled a bailout by the French government was illegal.
• High-speed rail link HS2 set for go ahead from minister Transport secretary Justine Greening to emphasise benefits to other UK cities from 200mph London-to-Birmingham link

The Herald

• Charging hubs plan for city car parks HUNDREDS of company car parks in Scotland's biggest cities could be converted into electric vehicle charging "hubs" in order to accelerate uptake of the new technology and provide extra residential parking spaces.
• MP's bid to allay Scots fears on high-speed rail link TRANSPORT Secretary Justine Greening will today attempt to assuage fears that a £32 billion high-speed rail link will be of little benefit to Scotland as she delivers a decision on the first phase of the project.

The Independent

• To Birmingham and beyond: Glasgow high speed 'by 2026' Trains travelling at more than 200mph will connect London to Manchester and Glasgow by 2026, the Transport Secretary will promise today as she gives the green light to first phase of the controversial HS2 rail scheme.
• Ministers 'dithering' over HS2 rail projectMinisters have been œdithering over the the HS2 high-speed rail project, the former transport secretary who first announced the scheme said today.Related Stories'Project Ed' to be relaunched “with a dose of economic realityCameron aide broke rules by joining lobbying firmCouncil workers' union rejects final pension offerSports bodies offered funds to attract youthClegg risks new rift with call for EU to bypass Cameron's veto

The Telegraph

• Sydney monorail set to be torn down Sydney's controversial monorail – more popular with tourists than locals – is set to be torn down under plans to redevelop one of the city's main visitor precincts.
• Black cab maker Manganese Bronze warns on profit Manganese Bronze, the maker of London’s black cabs, has warned it will report a loss for 2011 because of the weak UK and global economy.

Mail Online

• high-speed rail link would shave 1 hour off journey time from London to ScotlandMinisters have been accused of 'dithering' over the £32billion HS2 high-speed London to Birmingham rail project by the former transport secretary who first announced the scheme two years ago.
• Supermini that drove into a PC storm: Volkswagen's latest car in controversy over 'Black up!' modelUK bosses blocked the name fearing that if it was used in Britain, it could give offence to ethnic minorities – because of the connotation of white actors and singers ‘blacking up’ to perform as minstrels.
• 'Don't fall asleep on the job': Boston transport authority issues memo to all drivers stating the obvious In a perhaps over-cautious move, transport chiefs in Boston issued a memo warning drivers not to fall asleep at the wheel.

The Mirror

• North should share in HS2 rail jobs bonanza, say LabourWork on Britain’s new high-speed rail line should start in the North as well as the South to boost jobs, says Labour.

ATOC

• Train companies respond to expected decision on High Speed 2In response to the expected decision on High Speed 2, Michael Roberts,...

Birmingham Mail

• Brum roads driving motorists around the bendBIRMINGHAM’S Spaghetti Junction, choc-a-bloc carriageways and less-than-polite road-users drive city motorists around the bend, according to a new survey.
• Ministers ditch Japanese cars for Birmingham-built JaguarsMINISTERS have turned their backs on Japanese cars and demanded Birmingham-built Jaguars instead.
• Railway revamp leads to business boom for Moor Street Station and Chiltern RailwaysBIRMINGHAM’S historic Moor Street Station has become a business magnet – with around 50,000 extra travellers climbing on board its London route since a £250 million line upgrade.

Birmingham Post

• Opponents vow to carry on fight as HS2 looks set for approvalOpponents to a £32 billion high speed rail network between London and the north - the first phase of which would come to Birmingham - have vowed to carry on their fight as the Government looks increasingly likely to give plans the green light.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Llandudno Junction to Colwyn Bay train trip second highest cost in WalesRAIL passengers taking the train from Llandudno Junction to Colwyn Bay face the second highest fares in Wales.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented 'Rail hub will have a terrible impact on environment and local...Article

Manchester Evening News

• MPs and town hall bosses call for government to get high speed rail plans on track Town hall leaders and MPs have called for the government to put Manchester at the heart of its high-speed rail plans – amid hopes Whitehall is poised to green-light the project.
• Only two Greater Manchester council's enforce bus lanes rules Only two of Greater Manchester™s 10 councils are enforcing rules banning motorists from bus lanes, the M.E.N. can reveal today. Manchester uses a mobile CCTVˆcar to patrol the lanes, as well as fixed cameras, while Bury town hall chiefs also use a car.

Metro

• High-speed rail line gets the go-ahead but won't be ready until 2026 Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/886891-high-speed-rail-line-gets-the-go-ahead-but-wont-be-ready-until-2026#ixzz1j2LgceLNA high-speed rail route for 225mph trains will be given the go-ahead today – but it won't be finished for at least 14 years.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Traffic lights to be removedUNPOPULAR bus priority traffic lights installed as part of a £4 million traffic management scheme are to be removed over two weekends.

Daventry Express

• Blue disabled parking badge price increasePRICES for a blue parking badge look set to increase.

Other Regional Press

• Cabbies loo-sing out on rail dealWIGAN’S taxi drivers are being seriously inconvenienced - by a lack of conveniences.
• passenger numbers up at under threat stations RAIL REGULATOR™S OWN FIGURES PROVE BUSINESS IS BOOMING AT THE NINE CLOSURE-THREATENED HALTS IN CITYEVERY single one of nine under threat Glasgow train stations has seen an increase in passenger numbers over the last two years.
• Watchdog to review £10million bus deal MP and operator in war of words over potential outcome of takeoverA £10MILLION deal which will see bus operator McGill™s take over West of Scotland routes currently run by Arriva West is being œreviewed by the Office of Fair Trading.

Campaign for Better Transport

• The campaign for fair rail fares enters 2012 with a bang9 January: A week of protest has captured popular imagination with thousands of people taking part.   read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• December Tube passenger figures at highest level everLast month was the busiest ever December on London's Tube network, as passengers chose to let the underground train take the strain. New figures from Transport for London (TfL) show some 4.17 million journeys were made on December 9th, making it the busiest single day. The week leading up to December 10th was also named as a new record breaker, as 24.9 million Londoners and visitors ventured on to the transport system. Significant advancements were also made in terms of reliability, with the latest number of delays now 40 per cent lower than when TfL initially took over the running ...

Global Rail News

• Rail Forum members give ˜cautious welcome™ to High Speed 2 plansMembers of the Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum have given a ‘cautious welcome’ to the Government™s plans for a new High Speed route from London to Birmingham and beyond. The survey which took place at the end of 2011 saw over 90% of DDRF member organisations respond, with three quarters of those polled, supporting the [...]
• Rural campaigners ˜anticipate HS2 announcement™Ahead of the announcement on High Speed 2 (HS2) expected soon the Campaign to Protect Rural England is ‘urging the Government to demonstrate they have really listened to consultation responses, including from communities that would be directly affected by the scheme’. The consultation on whether or not to proceed with HS2 closed in late July [...]
• Ministers ˜dithering™ over HS2 decisionThe former transport secretary Lord Adonis has accused ministers of ‘dithering’ over the HS2 high speed rail project. Lord Adonis, who first announced the scheme, said in The Times: “The only thing high speed about the development of HS2 in Britain is the treading of water. “The valid criticism of the government is not that [...]
• New trial launched to help combat metal theftMinister for Crime Prevention and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction, Lord Henley, recently joined senior officers from British Transport Police and Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria forces to launch Operation Tornado, a new trial being run at scrap metal recyclers throughout the North East to help combat the increasing problem of metal theft. Operation Tornado, spearheaded by the [...]
• Translink introduces mobile ticketingRail passengers in Northern Ireland can now take advantage of ‘on the go’ ticketing with the launch of mLink, Translink™s innovative new mobile ticket. mLink enables passengers to buy, receive and display an electronic ticket on their mobile phone doing away with the need for a paper ticket and Catherine Mason, Translink Group Chief Executive, [...]

Aviation Industry

• Europe Isolated The EU has been further isolated from the world by last month’s ruling to include aviation in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) according to Airlines for America (A4A). “This further isolates the EU from the rest of the world and will keep in place a unilateral scheme that is counterproductive to concerted global action on aviation and climate change,” A4A said in an initial reaction.
• China Rethinks ETS Strategy The China Air Transport Assn. (CATA) is reworking its lawsuit strategy against the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in the wake of the Dec. 21 Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) ruling.  “We won’t change our clear-cut stance of opposing the EU ETS, although we have to adjust our lawsuit strategy owing to CJEU dismissal of the Airlines for America’s argument,” CATA deputy DG Chai Haibo said.
• Iberia passengers hit by third day of strikesTravellers set to be affected by two more days of industrial action this week

Green Miscellany

• Bus Madness? When I was at school my town gave me a free pass to get there by bus and train. This was my right, apparently, because I lived over three miles from my school. I thought that such a gift was overindulgence “ it was not as if I lived in a rural area and that I was travelling to my nearest school. I choose to go to the school and I passed many other schools along the way.read more

Other News Sources

• World’s best truck driver 2012The Scania Driver Competition, launched in partnership with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) is now open for registrations from young truck drivers. To date, more than 100,000 drivers of heavy trucks have participated in Scania Driver Competitions, making it the world™s largest truck driver competition and training event. This year over 45.000 young drivers from 27 countries on five continents are expected to compete to become the world’s best truck driver. National rounds and the final competition will include theoretical tests on road safety regulations, and practical tests...
• Deutsche Bahn delays launch of London rail servicesEurostar competitor forced to postpone Channel Tunnel trains to 2015