New Shanghai Bullet Train Is The Fastest Train in the World

China, already outpacing the U.S., Japan and many European countries in the expansion of their railway system, has now broken the world train speed record, clocking in at 258.86 miles per hour during the trial run of a new high-speed train on Tuesday.

The new train will operate between Shanghai and Hangzhou, the capital of East China’s Zhejiang province, and is expected to start regular service next month October.

Although China has the most high-speed railway lines in the world, covering over 4,300 miles, the response to the high-speed train, particularly on the Shanghai to Hangzhou route, has been lukewarm, owing in part to fares almost twice the cost of traditional trains and the complaint that frequent stops negate the benefit of moving quickly between them.

Hopefully cranking the speed will make it more agreeable to Chinese commuters, though the outlook might be more grim for China's fauna.

How to Sell Cars Online

When you wish to sell car or cars, it is best to find your own buyers than selling it directly to dealers since you can earn more money in doing private transactions. Here are the things that you must do to be able to sell cars and generate more money out of it.

Clean the cars

If you are selling cars, you must see to it that you present it well. What you need to do is wash it then vacuum and wax it in order for it to look better. If there are some minor problems, you can have it fix by a mechanic.

Appraise its value

Before posting your car or cars for sale, you have to hire a mechanic to check the cars for you, with this, you can identify if there are any problems and you can easily appraise the value of the cars.

Do your search

You have to come up with asking prices for the cars. You can go online and look into the similar cars like yours in order for you to have idea on the prices. In doing this, you can have the basis on coming up with reasonable asking prices.

Post an ad

Of course, in order for your cars to be sold, you have to post ad about it. You can use the internet in posting ad on your cars for sale. You can create website or blog site to advertise your cars for sale. See to it that you post photos and descriptions of the cars for potential buyers to see what you have to offer them.

Auto Transport

Since you are selling cars online, you also have to take into account the auto transport that you will need to deliver the car to your buyer. You can ask the buyer to shoulder the shipping or you can let them take care of the auto transport after buying a car from you, this depends on what you have agreed.

Enel's Endesa to sell gas transport network

Italian energy company Enel SpA says its Spanish subsidiary Endesa is selling its gas transport and distribution network to investment funds.

Enel said in a release Monday that the Spanish subsidiary is selling an 80 percent stake in Endesa Gas SA to two funds operated by Goldman Sachs.

The sale will shave euro800 million ($1.07 billion) off of Endesa's debt and contribute euro450 million to its pre-tax profit.

Enel says Endesa may exercise a call option to repurchase the stake between five and seven years after closing.

Enel, Italy's largest utility, owns more than 90 percent of Endesa.

French Union Strikes Hit Transport

Empty train tracks at a Paris station as the city wakes up to the second round of strikes this month.

This is the latest move by unions protesting government efforts to raise the minimum retirement age.

Nearly one half of high-speed speed trains and city metro services were expected to be cancelled on Thursday.

Nevertheless, some commuters did show solidarity with the striking workers.

[Commuter]:
"I think this is the last hurdle before the law gets passed. So it's important that everybody mobilizes."

[Commuter]:
"I think that there are things that are inevitable and have to be reformed. But I think they could have consulted more and agree on fundamental things ahead of time."

Elsewhere at local airports, some 50 percent of short haul flights were also expected to be cancelled.

Union leaders hope more than two million people will turn out for the roughly 230 demonstrations planned around the country.

Under the government plan, the minimum retirement age will be raised to 62 by 2018.

President Nicolas Sarkozy says the mandate is crucial to maintain the current pension system.

As much of the public transport comes to a stand still, some Parisians have found other ways to go about their day.

One popular option are these use-and-leave bicycles, positioned around the city.

Others decided to strap on skates and hit the road one leg at a time.

Travel group gains support for airline fee rule

A group of travel executives said it has stirred up plenty of support for a government rule that would require airlines to display extra fees prominently on their websites and in travel reservation systems.

The Consumer Travel Alliance, Business Travel Coalition and American Society of Travel Agents on Thursday delivered a petition to the Transportation Department with 50,000 signatures from consumers who want airlines to spell out fees more clearly.

Thursday is the last day for public comment on proposed government rules to enhance passenger rights and make airline fares and fees more transparent.

In addition to requiring airlines to fully disclose baggage and other fees, the new rules call for refunds of fees and reimbursement for expenses when bags are lost or not delivered on time. Airlines would also have to give notice when baggage fees are increased, and notify passengers buying tickets whether they must pay to check up to two bags.

The travel industry effort to support government rule changes, called "Mad as Hell about Hidden Fees," began two weeks ago. It claims that fees can boost ticket price by 26 percent when one bag is checked and by 54 percent when a passenger checks two bags and chooses a seat with extra legroom.

The group wants all ticket outlets to have the same information on fares and fees for travelers. More than half of all airline tickets are sold by third parties, such as travel agents and websites like Expedia or Orbitz.

"Airlines should be able make a fair profit and set fares and fees that allow them to do so, as long as travelers can see and compare all of those fees in advance," said Paul Ruden of the American Society of Travel Agents.

The Transportation Department said Monday that U.S. airlines in the second quarter made $893 million on baggage fees, $594 million from reservation change fees and $618 million from charges for things like frequent-flier sales and transporting pets.

India Plans To Buy 10 US-Made Heavy Transport Planes

India plans to sign a deal with the United States to acquire ten heavy transport planes worth US$3.5 billion, China's Xinhua news agency quoted local media as reporting on Wednesday.

The negotiations to procure ten U.S.-made C-17s for the Indian Air Force (IAF) have reached the final stage, and an agreement is likely to be signed during U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to India in November, the Indian newspaper Economic Times reported.

It will be the largest defense deal between India and the United Stated, and each C-17 will be priced at about US$300 million except its spares and maintenance costs.

In 2009, India signed a US$2 billion deal for acquiring eight U.S. newly-designed P-8 long range maritime reconnaissance planes.

If the agreement is signed, India will become the country with the largest C-17 fleet outside the United States, said an official of C-17 maker Boeing.

The IAF wants those C-17s to replace its aging Russian-made transport planes. At present, the IAF's transport fleet comprises 24 IL-76s and more than 100 AN-32s. IL-76 is the IAF's primary transport plane, and has a maximum range of 3,600 km with a maximum payload of 45 tonnes.

Ten C-17s will provide the IAF with much stronger capabilities of the strategic airlift. C-17 is the U.S. Air Force's most advanced long-range heavy transport aircraft.

It could carry a maximum payload of more than 70 tonnes for a range of over 4,000 km without refueling. If carrying 45 tonnes, it could reach 7,400 km without refueling.

Major two-vehicle crash just north of Kingston

It's believed two people are dead in a devastating two-vehicle collision in Kingston.

The wreckage of the car and transport truck is being removed this morning near the intersection of Battersea Road and Kingston Mills Road.

The vehicles collided around 6:15 p.m. Monday, but Kingston Police have still not released any information about the crash.

It's believed the victims are two teenage sisters.

They were in a car going west on Kingston Mills Road that was struck by a transport that was southbound on Battersea Road.

The force of the crash sent the car hurtling into a nearby cornfield where it came to rest upside down, about 15 metres from the road on the west side. The truck, separated into two pieces, ended up on the east side of the road.

The truck driver was apparently not injured.

Battersea Road remains closed but is expected to be reopened by noon.

France on full alert for suicide bomb threat on Paris transport

French intelligence services are searching for a female would-be suicide bomber who they believe is planning to attack the Paris transport system.

The country is on full alert against a specific terrorist threat that has been confirmed by two separate sources, according to French radio.

The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, considered a moderate Muslim, has also been given three armed guards after a spokesman said he was under a "real threat".

France's interior minister, Brice Hortefeux, refused to give details of the threat but said "our vigilance is reinforced today".

The anti-terrorist court in Paris has opened a preliminary inquiry to "establish the credibility" of the reports of an imminent terrorist attack. According to a ministry of interior spokesman, the alleged woman bomber was "not necessarily the most worrying" intelligence information. He did not give further details.

"All the lights are flashing red," said another intelligence source.

Last week, Hortefeux admitted the threat was at a "high level" when he visited the Eiffel tower after it was evacuated following a bomb alert. The Saint-Michel metro station near Notre Dame cathedral was also briefly evacuated over a similar threat.

France's terrorism level has been on what is described as "reinforced red" since 5am last Thursday. This followed intelligence from a North African country, said to be either Morocco or Algeria, that an Algerian was planning to carry out an attack on a Paris train, bus or metro that day. French intelligence had been given similar information from another source.

U.S. Freight Transport Service Index up in July

The U.S. Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) rose 0.4 percent in July from June, rising for the second consecutive month, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

BTS reported that the Freight TSI has risen 5.0 percent over the last 14 months, starting in June 2009, after declining 15.3 percent in the previous 10 months beginning in August 2008.

The index has increased in 11 of the last 14 months. Through the first seven months of 2010, the index declined 1.3 percent.

The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments in ton-miles, which are then combined into one index. It measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.

The July Freight TSI of 98.2 is a 5.0 percent increase from the recent low of 93.5 reached in May 2009. In May 2009, the index was at its lowest level since June 1997. The July Freight TSI is down 13.0 percent from its historic peak of 112.9 reached in May 2006.

Although the index rose 2.5 percent from July 2009 to July 2010, it remains below the level of every other July since 1997 when it was 94.8.

January 2010 was the first month since July 2008 in which the Freight TSI exceeded the level of the same month of the previous year. The index has exceeded the previous year's level every month since then but still remains below the level of recent earlier years.

Analysis: Brazil transport woes pose challenge for next leader

The narrow two-lane highway that winds hundreds of miles through Brazil's farm belt has long unpaved stretches that turn to mud during the rainy season. Trucks carrying soy, cotton and corn sometimes have to wait weeks to load at congested ports.

Jaime Binsfeld, head of grain sales for an agricultural trading firm in the farming city of Lucas do Rio Verde, says the cost of transporting corn to port often eats up 60 percent of the revenues his company gets for selling it.

"Brazilian farmers have major advantages, but we've got a huge bottleneck: logistics," Binsfeld said.

Brazil's next president, who will be elected in October, must address the country's woeful infrastructure for the economy to keep growing at or near its strong pace of recent years. But heavy bureaucracy, slow environmental licensing and fiscal constraints mean that the ambitious investment plans put forth by leading candidates may well fall short.

The clear front-runner, ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff, has vowed to invest more than $550 billion between 2011 and 2014 not only to improve Brazil's agricultural export capabilities but also prepare the country to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

But it's unclear how Rousseff will overcome the same legal and financial obstacles faced by her former boss and Workers' Party colleague, outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Even with 75 percent popularity ratings and a fragmented opposition, Lula has been unable to overhaul cumbersome regulations and significantly improve Brazil's infrastructure.

His government has set aside hundreds of billions of dollars on a flagship investment program to boost the country's infrastructure but critics say it has been too slow in carrying out the projects, which are often been insufficient to meet Brazil's rapidly growing needs.

Transport key concern for businesses ahead of Olympics

The London 2012 Games could be a spur to business growth in the region but transport issues will be a key concern, businesses have said.

Companies along east London's Thames Gateway belt have already noticed renewed commercial interest in the run-up to 2012 based on unrivalled levels of global media exposure, sponsorship and investment, plus support for redevelopment and infrastructure improvements.

The findings come from the Invest Thames Gateway (ITG) Home to Big Ideas report, which looked at the impact on investment of hosting the Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Beijing summer Games, the Winter Olympics in Turin and Vancouver, plus the 1998 and 2010 World Cups in France and South Africa respectively.

Major transport infrastructure improvements were key advantages of locating a business in a city or region hosting a major global event, according to 65% of the 769 global businesses questioned by YouGov for the report.

In addition, 52% felt the distance and time to central London would be the most important factor in considering whether to invest in the area around the Olympic site in Stratford, east London.

Some 68% believed that the visitor economy would benefit the most

New sites, space, amenities and more competitive supply chains are starting to be exploited by new wide-ranging businesses in the region - dubbed "first movers", according to ITG, the lead international inward investment agency for the region,

Commission changes position on inmate transport to R.C.

Citing a need to look into the costs of transporting inmates to Pennington County and in the light of new information, the Fall River County Commission voted 3-2 not to begin transporting prisoners at the first of the year. The action took place at the commission’s Sept. 7 meeting.

At its Aug. 17 meeting, the commission had voted unanimously to begin the transport of prisoners – for one year – to the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City.

Foremost in the commission’s decision was that there had been no contact made with the City of Hot Springs about the Aug. 17 vote. Part of the procedure for housing inmates in Rapid City would involve an arresting officer taking his or her prisoner to Rapid City. Hot Springs Mayor Don De Vries noted that additional costs to the city could be in excess of $40,000.

“We haven’t budgeted for it and we don’t have the money to do it,” De Vries told the commission.

Clerk of Courts Carol Foster spoke to the commission about video conferencing with prisoners and said that such things are done within the building in Rapid City, but other counties don’t do it.

“The equipment in the courtroom to do that belongs to the state,” Foster said. “I believe when we have done things like that before it costs about $200 per hour.”

Putting the brakes delivers energy savings for US rail transport

A US smart grid company and a state transportation authority are joining forces on a pilot project to capture and store energy from regenerative braking on one of the country’s oldest rail lines.

The joint project between Philadelphia-based Viridity Energy and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) received a $900,000 grant from the State of Pennsylvania at the beginning of the month.

The two organisations plan to install a large-scale battery to capture energy from the regenerative braking of trains along a portion of the Market-Frankford Line.

Viridity Energy’s smart grid software will allow the energy to be recycled, saving SEPTA energy costs, improving power quality and generating revenue through sale of excess power to the grid.

SEPTA estimates that using the recovered energy that would otherwise be wasted will reduce its carbon emissions by over 1250 tons a year.

“The storage system will serve as a foundation for measurable gains in both energy efficiency and voltage stability, providing a replicable and scalable model for broader system-wide implementation,” says SEPTA’s general manager Joseph M. Casey.

If the pilot is successful, the partners say the technology could be deployed across all SEPTA’s operations.

“This project is a perfect example of how smart grid innovations and advances in technology can effectively be paired… to yield substantial economic, operational and environmental benefits to all the parties involved,” says Viridity Energy’s president and CEO, Audrey Zibelman.

US knocks back Virgin Blue, Delta Air Lines deal

In a surprise move, the US Department of Transportation issued a preliminary ruling rejecting an alliance between loss-making V Australia and Delta to co-ordinate fares, schedules and marketing across the Pacific.

The agency said the two carriers had failed to show that there would be "sufficient public benefits" such as lower prices or increased service to justify an exemption from US anti-trust laws.

Virgin Blue announced yesterday that both airlines would work with the department and respond to concerns over a 14-day appeal period.

The Brisbane-based carrier said that it "strongly believes the proposed alliance with Delta will be good for consumers".

Shares in Virgin Blue, which had rallied after last month's full-year results, lost more than 3 per cent, or 1.5, to close at 43.

The US decision is at odds with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which had approved a revenue-sharing deal between V Australia and Delta last December.

Chairman Graeme Samuel said the arrangement would benefit consumers and deliver "more sustainable competition" on the route, which is now dominated by Qantas and also serviced by United Airlines.

The problem throws a spanner into plans by Virgin Blue chief executive John Borghetti to recalibrate international operations, which include a new partnership with Middle East carrier Etihad Airways.

Virgin Blue is also awaiting approval for a tie-up with Air New Zealand across the Tasman. Delta, the world's biggest airline, already has joint ventures with at least two European airlines flying the Atlantic.

US transport regulator junks proposed Virgin Blue-Delta partnership

The US Department of Transport (DOT) has disapproved on Wednesday the proposed Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd and Delta Air Lines partnership on trans-Pacific service routes, stating that the riding public would be disadvantaged by the carriers' immunity from US anti-trust regulations.

The DOT said that it found no trace of evidence that the proposed alliance would result to sufficient passengers' benefits that would warrant immunity from anti-trust suits, which prompted the regulator's decision to tentatively deny the proposal while giving both companies to respond within the next 14 days.

Despite the emerging hurdle, Virgin Blue informed the Australian Securities Exchange that it remains committed to the proposed alliance, which already got the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), citing its benefit to consumers by creating an environment for sustainable form of competition.

Obama's big transport plan and what it means for travelers

United States president Barack Obama called on the US Congress earlier this week to approve a $50 billion (€39.4 billion) infrastructure improvement program which could dramatically improve the lives of travelers in and to the US.

Obama laid out a plan to rebuild some 150,000 miles (241,400 km) of roads, construct 4,000 miles (6,440 km) of rail and reconstruct or repair 150 miles (241 km) of runway, along with a new air traffic control system.

If approved, the six-year plan will see large-scale repair and expansion of roads and bridges, modernizing the highway system, which the White House described as the "backbone of our transportation system."

It will also make major investments in bus and rail transit, supporting local communities to create their own transit projects, topping up current investment in high-speed rail and overhauling the Amtrak fleet.

Most tangibly for travelers, Obama endorsed the NextGen system of air traffic control, which would see a movement from ground-based radar to satellite-based surveillance of aircraft.

The updated system would allow more accurate routing of aircraft, placing them closer together to reduce delays and creating more precise routings to airports that can reduce noise for residents and decrease fuel used, making flights greener.

Obama Proposes $50 Billion ‘Infrastructure Bank’

President Obama has proposed a $50 billion “infrastructure bank” to bolster roads, bridges, rail lines and other innovative transportation projects, news services reported.

The plan calls for rebuilding 150,000 miles of road, lay and maintain 4,000 miles of rail track, restore 150 miles of airport runways and advance a next-generation air-traffic control system, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

The White House did not offer a price tag for the full measure or say how many jobs it would create, but if Congress just reauthorized the expired transportation bill, the new measure would cost about $350 billion over the next six years, the Times said.

But Obama wants to “frontload” the plan with an additional $50 billion in initial investment to generate jobs, the paper reported.

The plan also could involve private investors, who would expect a return on their investment, so many of the completed projects would have to charge fees, taxes or tolls, the Times said.

A House Appropriations Committee transportation panel subcommittee rejected Obama’s request for $4 billion to create an infrastructure bank to finance new projects in July, Bloomberg reported.

Last year’s economic stimulus package set $38.6 billion for the Department of Transportation, and so far $18.5 billion has been paid out, Bloomberg said.

London Braces for Tube Strike

On Sunday night, 200 maintenance staff on two major Underground lines—the Jubilee and Northern—walked out and at 5 p.m. local time Monday around 10,000 staff of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, or RMT, and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, or TSSA, are due to walk out for 24 hours as a sign of protest over the axing of 800 jobs at ticket offices. Separately, drivers, signalers and station staff are staging a 24-hour protest starting at 9 p.m. Monday night.

Transport for London, the transport authority, made a last-minute attempt to kick-start stalled talks over pay. "London Underground has called on the leaderships of the RMT and TSSA unions to call off their threatened strike action and return to talks to avert disruption to Londoners," a Transport for London statement said.

An RMT representative said the strikes were due to continue and warned of more strikes ahead. "We were categorically clear last week that we are prepared to talk but not with a gun in our head," he said. Two more 24-hour strikes are scheduled for October and November should both parties fail to reach an agreement.

TFL has vowed to "keep Londoners moving" by making available extra services to help commuters cope with the disruptions. Alternative modes of transport include 100 extra buses, escorted bike rides, marshaled taxi ranks, and an increased capacity of 10,000 more journeys on the river Thames.

Despite these alternatives, business leaders haven't hide their discontent over the industrial action. "Transport strikes are more than an irritation; they cost the economy millions of pounds in lost productivity," said Mark Heraghty, director of Virgin Media Business. His company, however, is exploring ways to get around the strike by encouraging employees to work from home. "Although some jobs clearly cannot be performed remotely, for most office workers it's a real possibility,"

Transport Minister set to discuss ferry routes

Stewart Stevenson has agreed council leaders to discuss the issue, which has sparked fury in the island communities.

Earlier, Shetland MSP Tavish Scott called for Mr Stevenson to resign after he announced a £6.5 m extension to the pilot road equivalent tariff scheme to the western isles.

The Lib Dems had accused the government of favouritism to the Western Isles. Mr Scott, a former transport minister himself, said the government was trying to rush through damaging cuts to create a "second rate service" without first assessing their impact or how much they would save.

Mr Stevenson told Mr Scott the information on the impact and potential saving flowing from each option was "currently being collated as part of the northern isles study process and will be made available in due course".

Mr Scott said: "This is further evidence that the government was so determined to cut support for NorthLink, very probably in order to help to pay for the cost of continuing their road equivalent tariff 'pilot' electoral bribe to the western isles, that they rushed ahead without even bothering to assess the impact of their proposals.

"NorthLink's traffic levels have grown since they took over the service. The income this produces helps to keep the overall support for the service down.

Knight Transportation, Inc. Announces Participation In Upcoming Conferences

Knight Transportation, Inc. is a truckload transportation provider offering dry van, refrigerated, intermodal and third-party services to customers through a network of service centers located throughout the United States serving North America. As "Your Hometown National Carrier," Knight strives to offer customers and drivers personal service and attention through each service center, while offering integrated freight transportation nationwide and beyond through the scale of one of North America's largest trucking companies. The principal types of freight we transport include consumer staples, retail, paper products, packaging/plastics, manufacturing, and import/export commodities.

The presentation or discussions at the conference may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Please refer to various disclosures made by the Company in its stockholder reports, press releases, and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any such forward-looking statement. The Company does not assume, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update forward-looking statements.