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

Saturday, 11 April 2015

BBC News

• Bid to beat Barry Island gridlockVale of Glamorgan Council is putting additional traffic measures in place ahead of what is expected to be another busy weekend at the resort.
• Safety barriers set for The KingswaySafety barriers are being installed along The Kingsway in Swansea after an off-duty police officer was killed when she was hit by a bus.
• Man driving ambulance dies in crashA man driving an ambulance - who police say was not an ambulance staff member - dies in a crash with a bus and a car near York.
• Pensioner held after diverted flightA pensioner is arrested after the flight she was travelling on was forced to divert to Shannon Airport.
• VIDEO: Railway consultation angers unionA union is considering industrial action over a Translink consultation on railway changes.
• Airport breaks passenger recordManchester Airport breaks its all-time yearly passenger record, with more than 22m people flying from the site over the last 12 months.
• Lawyer 'dodged £23k in rail fares'A barrister who avoided paying train tickets could have cost Chiltern Railways £23,000 in unpaid fares, a court hears.
• Tories in rail fare inflation pledgeThe Conservatives say regulated rail fares in England would rise by no more than inflation if they win the election - a pledge which Labour dismiss as
• 'Bending down' man hit by Tube trainA man who is believed to have been hit by a rush hour Tube train while bending down to pick up a bag sustains life-threatening head injuries.
• Crash driver sent staying awake textA man sent a text about hoping to stay awake on his drive home two hours before colliding with a motorbike and seriously injuring its two riders.
• Electric car buyers 'need to hurry'Why electric car buyers may need to hurry
• Extra flights tackle strike backlogEasyjet will run

The Guardian

• Man dies as ambulance crashes near YorkDriver, who was not believed to be an ambulance driver, dies in collision which injured five peopleA man has died after a crash between the ambulance he was driving and a bus. Five other people, who were on the bus, were injured in the collision, which happened near York.Police are investigating how the man, who was not believed to have been an ambulance driver or a paramedic, came to be at the wheel. Continue reading...
• Haiti shipwreck: 40 migrants could be dead, US Coast Guard says21 bodies have been recovered so far, Haitian government reportedAbout 50 passengers were headed to Turks and Caicos IslandsAs many as 40 Haitian migrants were feared dead after their ship bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands capsized in the Caribbean off Haiti’s north coast, the US Coast Guard said on Friday. At least 21 dead bodies have been recovered since the ship went down early on Thursday morning, according to the Haitian government. Continue reading...
• Koh Samui car bomb: seven people hurt on Thai tourist islandPick-up truck explodes in carpark of shopping mall, leaving an Italian girl and six Thais with injuries, say police A car bomb wounded seven people, including an Italian girl, when it exploded in the parking area of a shopping mall on the Thai tourist island of Koh Samui, police said.The bomb was packed inside a Mazda pick-up truck and exploded late on Friday in the car park of the Central Festival mall on the island while late-night shoppers were inside the building. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Traveline journey planner launches new webpage dedicated to Glasgow's new Southern hospitalPUBLIC transport website Traveline has launched an information page dedicated to the new Southern hospital in Glasgow as the city gears up for the largest exodus of staff and patients in its history.
• Gatwick announces £20m fund to boost regions if second runway gets go aheadGATWICK Airport will establish a £20 million fund to boost regional connections to and from London in the ten years after opening a second runway, bosses have said, as the battle with Heathrow over expansion intensifies.
• Miliband accuses Tories of desperation and panic as Cameron unveils policies on rail fares and volunteeringTHE Conservatives' election campaign has descended into

The Independent

• General Election 2015: Tories pledge to freeze commuter rail fares for five years - saving season ticket holders an average of £400 by 2020 Commuter rail fares would be frozen in real terms for five years by a Conservative government, David Cameron will promise.

The Telegraph

• easyJet repatriates schoolchildren stranded by French air traffic control strikeBurget airline is laying on five special flights and looking to operate larger planes to ease the problems caused by the strike
• Barrister 'could be Britain's biggest fare-dodger'Peter Barnett, 43, is accused of causing a loss of £23,000 to Chiltern Railways over a two-and-a-half year period travelling from Buckinghamshire to London
• Dozens of warships join British war games off ScotlandFourteen countries begin exercises off Scotland designed to reassure Putin's Nato neighbours, as Nordic countries announce new defence alliance against Russia
• Pilot averted disaster with seconds to spare after plane hit by lightningStruggle with autopilot system meant plane dipped to 1,100ft

Daily Express

• Man driving stolen ambulance dies after crashing into double-decker bus injuring fiveTHE driver of a stolen ambulance and five people have been injured after it crashed into a double-decker bus and car.

Daily Record

• Hero airline captain saves Scots passengers with just SEVEN SECONDS to spare after autopilot tries to crash plane into the sea THE drama occurred on December 14 as the Loganair flight from Aberdeen approached its destination at Sumburgh airport, Shetland, at night.

Mail Online

• Commuter at Stockwell fighting for life after being hit in the head by Tube train Commuters watched in horror as the man, believed to be in his 20s, was struck by a Northern line train at Stockwell station in south London. File photo
• Tories pledge to freeze rail fares for five years David Cameron has pledged to freeze rail fares for five years under a Conservative government and claims it will save British commuters an average of £400 by 2020.
• EE rolls out ability to connect calls through Wi-Fi so Underground commuters can text on Tube Commuters are now able to make phone calls and send texts on the Tube following the launch of new technology enabling phone calls via an internet connection.

The Mirror

• Mysterious 'phantom framer' decorates road signs with ornamental picture framesGolden frames have been placed over less than glamorous road signs and dog fouling warnings in south London
• A64 crash: Driver of stolen ambulance killed and 10 injured after vehicle crashed into double decker busThe vehicle - which was being hunted by police - crashed into the bus on the A64 near York
• Woman, 87, arrested after attacking cabin crew and causing transatlantic flight to divert to IrelandThe woman had to be restrained by cabin crew and the plane was forced to divert to Shannon Airport in Ireland

Bolton News

• Taxi strike over Uber 'could bring Bolton to a standstill' HUNDREDS of taxi drivers could bring Bolton to a standstill — after plans for a strike were voted through.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Moves made to acquire last of land needed for Low Moor railway station MOVES have been made to compulsory purchase a key piece of land for a new railway station at Low Moor in Bradford.
• 'Missing link' in cyclepath between Bradford and Shipley now completed A SECTION of cyclepath between Bradford and Shipley dubbed

London Evening Standard

• David Cameron: I'll freeze rail fares if we win election Commuters could save hundreds of pounds thanks to a price freeze on train fares if the Tories win the general election, the Prime Minister will say today.
• French air strike: easyJet lays on special flights to 'rescue' children from abroad Schoolchildren are being "rescued" from abroad on special flights after they were left stranded by the French air traffic control strike.
• Commuter critically ill after being hit in the head by Tube at Stockwell station A commuter is fighting for his life after being hit by an oncoming train in an horrific accident at Stockwell station during the morning rush hour.
• Virgin Atlantic passengers suffer 'nightmare' 33 HOUR delay coming back from Las Vegas More than a hundred passengers whose Virgin Atlantic flight from Las Vegas to London was delayed for 33 hours are demanding compensation for their “nightmareâ€� experience.
• Jim Armitage: Why David Cameron’s rail fares pledge did not derail train firms Now there’s a funny thing. David Cameron announces he will intervene to cap commuter rail fares until 2020, yet share prices in train operators remain completely unmoved.
• Road signs decorated with picture frames by mysterious 'phantom framer' in south London Road signs have been decorated with picture frames in a south London borough by a mysterious ‘phantom framer’.
• Young Moroccan athletes killed after bus crashes into gas tanker At least 33 people were killed when a bus carrying young athletes burst into flames after crashing into a gas tanker in Morocco, officials have said.

Northern Echo

• Rail death train driver is 'killing himself with drink' after not getting help, says brother THE BROTHER of a tragic train driver who watched helplessly as his engine killed a teenager has called on rail companies to provide more help for traumatised staff.

Sheffield Star

• Plan your travel: Buses diverted and extra trams for Sheffield half marathonTransport chiefs are urging runners and spectators to plan their travel in advance of the Yorkshire Half Marathon in Sheffield tomorrow.

Wales Online

• Swansea's Kingsway gets temporary safety barriers as council mulls plans to stop deaths on the city centre roadSwansea council workers are to install safety barriers on Swansea's Kingsway this weekend

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• HS2 bosses to spend £450m on specialistsUp to £450 million will be spent by HS2 bosses on advisers and management firms in the coming years - sparking a bidding war for the lucrative contracts.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Setting sail for South America, the Canaries and now ... Southwold!A luxury cruise ship that has toured exotic destinations across the globe will visit Suffolk’s coast next summer in a move welcomed as a sign of the county’s ever growing tourism industry.
• Transport Secretary visits Suffolk and Colchester to promote fare freeze proposalsTransport secretary Patrick McLoughlin made a flying visit to the region on the day his party announced it would freeze rail fares in real terms for the course of the next parliament if re-elected on May 7.

Other Regional Press

• Holiday boom boosts airportLondon Luton Airport (LLA) is celebratiing an 18.6% increase in passenger numbers during March 2015 compared to the same month last year.
• Motorists 'shunning A420 diversions' blamed for traffic chaos MOTORISTS not following diversions for the A420 Cumnor Bypass roadworks have caused chaos at Botley, transport officials said last night.
• Monday's Oxford Bus Company strike called off A PLANNED strike by Oxford Bus Company staff for Monday has been called off.
• THINK! Bike campaignMotorists are being urged to keep bikers in mind as part of a month-long safety campaign.

Rail Magazine

• Network Rail WCR ban reveals ongoing safety concernsRepercussions are piling up as ORR begins
• New electric shunters for DB SchenkerDB Schenker introduces electric shunters at Toton and Crewe
• Virgin Pendolino upgrade under wayFirst Pendolino with converted coach now in service.

Railnews

• Driver took charge of wrong train First Great Western is investigating after an intercity driver took charge of the the wrong train and drove it some distance. The driver and his pilotman joined a train at Banbury, believing it was bound for London, when it was in fact due to travel to Swansea.

Aviation Industry

• Gatwick promises to back regional flights Airport says it will set up £20 million fund to support UK routes
• Manchester airport sets passenger recordAirport wants to become the UK’s “global gateway from the northâ€�
• Norwegian counts the cost of pilots strikeAirline had to cancel around 2,000 flights in March

Other News Sources

• Airbus takes charge of system to protect military against cyber-attack A system designed to verify and mitigate cyber attacks on military assets is being developed by Airbus Group Innovations.
• UK “airshipâ€� firm receives €2.5m funding boostUK firm Hybrid Air Vehicles has been awarded €2.5m of European funding to refine the development of it’s “lighter-than-airâ€� hybrid aircraft technology. 
• Hampshire police pull over nearly 200 motorcyclists as part of national road safety campaign HAMPSHIRE police have been campaigning to improve the safety of the county’s motorcyclists.