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

Saturday, 13 September 2014

BBC News

• Malaysia MH17 tragedy 'avoidable'The boss of Emirates tells the BBC the airline would have avoided flying over Ukraine if it had been told high-altitude missiles were in the area.

The Guardian

• It may be too fanciful an idea, but how about banning car ownership?The UK is approaching a national traffic jam, but we’ll keep driving until public transport is seen as a viable alternative
• Night trains around the world: what's the best trip you've ever been on?Some night train services are being phased out across Europe, to the dismay of those who like to travel in style. Share your images and stories of your favourite night train journeys
• Government's £50m travel-planning website, Transport Direct, to closeThe site was the brainchild of John Prescott, who said the DfT's decision to close it down was a sign of 'Google-it government'
• Some questions Uxbridge Tories should ask Boris JohnsonConservatives in the west London constituency should not make it easy for the city’s mayor to become their candidate
• End of the line for Europe's iconic night trains?The sleeper service is being phased out across the continent as operators are hit by hefty taxes and rise of budget airlines Cinema's enduring love affair with the sleeper train Love the night train? Share your stories with us To their fans, night trains sum up the best of the European project. They are time efficient, environmentally sustainable, and irresistibly romantic: you go to sleep in one country and wake up in another, possibly having made friends along the way.In public at least, Europe's politicians and railway companies agree: in December 2009, many of them ceremonially boarded a ...

The Telegraph

• Luxury car sales boom as recovery continuesSupercars and luxury models see faster sales growth than standard models

Mail Online

• Labour MP: Beat gridlock with a ban on owning a car and force motorists to share vehicles Alan Whitehead, a Labour MP for Southampton Test, said owning a car should be 'outlawed' to force people to use public transport.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham MPs unite to demand HS2 college in the city The MPs, eight Labour, one Conservative and one Lib Dem have all signed the letter in which they argue Birmingham is the only logical place for the college

Lincolnshire Echo

• Lincoln's High Street level-crossing bridge could be delayed Fears are growing that Lincoln's long-awaited bridge over the level crossing at Brayford Wharf East may yet face more delays. The bridge design was approved by the City of Lincoln council in March last year but priority has now shifted to completing the one planned for the High Street level crossing.

London Evening Standard

• 'Crackdown on London's rickshaws will not be taken seriously until someone dies in one' The need to control the operation of rickshaws in London will not be taken seriously by the authorities until a passenger dies in one, critics warned today.
• 'The blind will lose out' if Waterloo ditches Tannoy Waterloo is planning to become the first major London rail terminus to switch off its Tannoy, following complaints from passengers and locals that it is making the station too noisy.

Sheffield Star

• ‘50/50 chance’ of Sheffield city centre HS2 rail stationThe chances of Sheffield’s proposed high-speed rail station being built in the city centre are now ‘50/50’, a key city councillor has said.
• Trams back to normal across Sheffield todayTram services across Sheffield return to normal today after the completion of rail replacement works – and repairs to a mysterious hole.

Yorkshire Post

• Britain's largest rail signals hub is completed in YorkA project to build the largest new rail operating centre in the country has been completed in York.

Blackpool Gazette

• Rail users kick up a stink over ageing trainsDirt-plagued rail lines and timetable changes are getting up the noses of fed-up Fylde rail users.

Burnley Express

• Campaigners angry over Burnley train station delay CAMPAIGNERS have banded together to demand answers over why Burnley’s flagship new railway station has apparently been standing idle for nearly three months.

Doncaster Free Press

• Wizz Air flying high at Doncaster AirportWizz Air has announced further flights to Poland from Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, with growth on routes to Katowice and Poznan.

Sleaford Standard

• VIDEO - Minister for Transport reopens Sleaford’s upgraded avoiding lineMinister of State for Transport, Baroness Kramer, visited Sleaford yesterday (Thursday) to view and officially open the completed upgrade to the town’s avoiding line.

Other Regional Press

• Boris Johnson sure to face tough questioning over Heathrow at Tory candidate battleWhat will his opinion on Heathrow Airport be as a borough MP now his estuary plan has been dropped?
• Motorists being warned of delays on Monday morning as Northampton roadworks beginCongestion is expected during Monday morning’s rush hour in Northampton town centre as multi-million pound roadwork projects begin.
• Revealed: The ten most dangerous road junctions on TeessideEach of the roads have been the scene of four road accidents since 2005 where those involved were either killed or seriously injured
• Ex-Manston airport boss Charles Buchanan hired as chief executive of Lydd airport five months after Thanet airfield's closureThe former chief executive of the recently-closed Manston airport has been hired to take over the running of rival Lydd.
• Up, up and away with Kirklees College after contract to provide cabin crew trainingCollege signs contract to provide airline training

Aviation Industry

• Air France-KLM CEO warns unions over strike threatsChief threatens to ‘stop all new projects’ with its budget carrier if pilots do not back down
• Heathrow deploys extra staff as ground handlers strikeStrike action taking place in terminals one, two and three

Green Miscellany

• Smart car headlights on full beam in traffic do not dazzleA new type of smart headlight will allow motorists to stay on high beam without blinding oncoming drivers. Breakdown Recovery from less than £30 Get your quote Your car’s in safe hands: 5,000+ qualified mechanics nationwide on call 24/7, 365 days a year Car headlights have been improving for 130 years; an acetylene lantern with a naked flame and a…
• Zipcar: A new car for £60 a yearOver 800,000 drivers have discovered a way to get their hands on a new car for less than £60 per year. Zipcar is an international car sharing scheme that allows motorists to use a new car for as little as £6 per hour, a cost that includes insurance and fuel. A cheaper, greener way to drive The way we use…

Other News Sources

• Rail firm praised for handling of Horley station deathA man was hit and killed by a London-bound fast service through the station