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

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

BBC News

• VIDEO: Biker's eye view of forest trailBikers face some diversions at Cwmcarn Forest during a major tree felling exercise but there are still enough trails to follow.
• Crime on the railways falls by 11%Crime on the railways fell by 11% in Wales last year, while the number of sexual offences reported rose, new figures show.
• Record number of sex crimes on trainsThe number of recorded sexual offences on trains and at stations has risen 25% to a record level, British Transport Police figures suggest.
• VIDEO: Local bid to buy Portpatrick harbourA new community ownership scheme is being launched in Portpatrick to raise funds to modernise the local harbour.
• UK and France to sign Calais dealUK and French ministers are to meet in Calais on Thursday to sign a new deal to try to alleviate the migrant crisis in the port town.
• Work starts to fill huge hole in roadFour-hundred tonnes of rubble are being used to fill in a huge hole that appeared in a flood-damaged Manchester road.
• No agreement in rail strike talksTalks being held to avoid walkouts by rail workers at First Great Western (FGW) have ended without agreement.
• Crash leaves bus on garden wallA bus crashes into the front of a row of houses in south-east London, leaving the single-decker perched on a wall.
• Rail fares to rise by 1% in JanuaryRegulated rail fares such as season tickets are to rise by 1% in January, the Department of Transport says.
• Battle of Britain flypast picturedMore than a dozen Spitfires and handful of Hurricanes carry out a flypast to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain's
• 'Hasty' bin lorry decision deniedA safety inspector denies that a decision to treat the Glasgow bin lorry crash as a road traffic accident was
• VIDEO: 'Supercar season' hits central LondonIt's known as the 'supercar season', when some of the world's richest descend on central London with their extraordinary cars in tow - but not everyone is happy. The Victoria Derbyshire programme went to see what is happening.

Financial Times

• Rail fares will rise 1% in JanuaryCapped increase applies to ‘regulated’ tickets only and will add about £24 to average season ticket
• Rail privatisation has workedDespite backing for renationalisation, the sell-off has delivered much of what was hoped

The Guardian

• UK and France to sign Calais security dealDeal contains measures to tackle human smugglers and commitments to boost humanitarian support for vulnerable migrantsBritish and French ministers are to meet in Calais on Thursday to sign an agreement aimed at alleviating the disturbances involving migrants at the French port.The French interior ministry said the UK home secretary, Theresa May, would travel to Calais to sign the agreement with her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve. The pair will tour the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles before Cazeneuve travels to Berlin to meet the German interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, for...
• Security flaw affecting more than 100 car models exposed by scientistsAcademics found cars were vulnerable to ‘keyless theft’, including models from Audi, Honda and Volkswagen – which suppressed the research for two yearsA major security flaw in more than 100 car models has been exposed in an academic paper that was suppressed by a major manufacturer for two years.Flavio Garcia, a computer scientist at the University of Birmingham, and two colleagues from a Dutch university were unable to release the paper after Volkswagen won a case in the high court to ban its publication. Continue reading...
• Germans to run Greek regional airports in first wave of bailout privatisationsFraport AG taking over 14 airports in deal worth €1.23bn that is among requirements as Greece receives billions in loans to keep it afloat Related: Greece is up for sale to big European corporations | Letters Greece has agreed to sell to a German company the rights to operate 14 regional airports. The deal is the first in a wave of privatisations the government had until recently opposed but must make to qualify for bailout loans. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Off-peak rail fares to be frozen for a third year - but other rates to riseOff-peak rail fares are to be frozen for a third consecutive year but peak and cross-border rates are set to rise, ministers have confirmed.
• Volkswagen kept car security flaw secret for two yearsA major security flaw in more than 100 car models has been exposed after a car manufacturer kept the details suppressed for two years.
• Calais migrants crisis deal to be agreed between Britain and FranceBritain and France are set to sign an agreement aimed at alleviating the Calais migrants crisis which will include measures to strengthen security at the port.
• Crime rises on Scotland's railwaysTHE number of crimes committed on Scotland's railways has risen for the first time in more than a decade.

The Independent

• Bus service 'decimation' leaves millions across England isolated due to council budgets cuts, warns report Millions of people, including young adults, older people and the unemployed, have been left isolated because bus services across England have been “decimatedâ€� in recent years, a report has warned.

The Telegraph

• Electric bikes hit streets to take the sweat out of cycling to workBrompton chief executive says company working on folding model of electric bike that will 'get rid of sweat and lycra' involved in commuting to work
• Why rail fares are going up and why the system is flawedRail fares still rise or fall in line with the
• Brockley bus crash: Single-decker wedged on garden wallNumber 484 bus from Camberwell Green to Lewisham left stuck on top of garden wall in south-east London after coming down steep Vicars Hill
• A state-owned railway would be a costly mistakePrivate operators should be allowed to get on with running trains free from government interference

Daily Express

• WATCH: Is this the 'ghost' of 1943 RAF plane crash pilot caught on camera?THIS

Daily Record

• Glasgow bin lorry FAI: Health and safety inspector defends treating tragedy as a 'road traffic accident' BARRY BAKER denied Mark Stewart QC's accusation that the decision to treat the crash as an RTA was 'hasty and ill-advised'.
• Glasgow bin lorry FAI: Annual medical tests for council drivers set to be introduced in wake of tragedyTHE hearing was today told North Lanarkshire Council plans to impose a stricter assessment regime on its drivers while the layout of trucks is also under scrutiny.

Mail Online

• Jaguar worker crushed by F-type sports car on Castle Bromwich production line The injured man, who has not been named, was working at the plant on the Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, when he was pinned down under the front of the car.
• Harold Beeforth waited FOUR HOURS for ambulance on VJ Day anniversary War veteran Harold Beeforth, 102, was forced to lie on the floor of Middlesbrough’s Windermere Grange care home with a head injury for four hours after a delay in getting paramedics to him.
• Where ARE those £15 rail fares, minister? 'Cheap tickets' impossible to find A Mail investigation has revealed there is not one of the £15 tickets available between London and Manchester which Ms Perry mentioned on Radio 4 available in the next three months.

The Mirror

• Bus services hit by triple blow as more journeys made in London than rest of UK combined Ministers should help councils join forces to boost routes and frequency, the IPPR think-tank says

This is Money

• Rail fares have risen THREE TIMES faster than wages - and the only way to stop the squeeze on commuters is nationalisation, campaign group warns A study by the Action for Rail campaign showed that season tickets and other regulated fares had increased by 25 per cent since 2010, while average pay went up by 9 per cent.
• Airlines forced to pay up on flight delays thanks to pressure from the CAA regulator  Jet2 and Wizz Air are paying out when passengers are stranded due to ordinary technical faults. Jet2 has agreed to look at claims as far back as six years.

Birmingham Post

• 1.8 million drivers hide expensive clothes in their cars We ask a shoe designer and fashionista how to match your wardrobe with your motor.

Bolton News

• MP blasts 'scandalous rail fares' BOLTON commuters have been left ‘seriously out of pocket’ after rail fares rise three times faster than wages.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail groups in Bradford demand service improvements to offset looming fare increases RAIL groups in Bradford want to see services in the district improve to offset another increase in fares.

Bristol Live

• L_Churchill published Nearly 10 times the amount of people sign petition to scrap...Nearly 10 times the amount of people have signed a petition calling for Bristol's 20mph zone to be scrapped than have expressed support for it.As the £2.3 million scheme is rolled out in Bristol, the city council has insisted the public supported the speed limit reducing.But online petitions suggest opinion is in fact against the measures put in place by Mayor George Ferguson.A petition stating the red-trousered mayor had wasted tax-payers' money on the "completely ludicrous"...
• Michael_Yong published I had to "injected them with drugs while at the traffic...A lack of ambulances, staff and an "obsession" with one-man crewed response cars are "forcing" paramedics into unsafe practices which could cost lives.That is according a whistleblower, who works as a paramedic for the South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT).In the worst instance, he says he has been forced to give a patient an injection in a car while waiting for the traffic lights to change.He approached the Bristol Post after the inquest last week into...

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Calls for Chirk railway footbridge to open - two months after it was built Network Rail says 'technical issues' with the CCTV has delayed the opening of the new bridge, which is part of a £2m project to improve access at the station

Liverpool Echo

• Order boost for aircraft maker Airbus from Indian airline IndiGo Carrier signs deal for 250 new A320 planes to coincide with India independence celebrations

London Evening Standard

• Commuter fares will rise one per cent - the lowest increase for five yearsCommuter rail fares will rise by exactly one per cent in January, the lowest increase since 2010.
• Late judicial review launched into Embankment cycle superhighwayA legal challenge against the Embankment cycle superhighway has been launched - despite construction already being under way.
• Passengers forced to sit next to pool of vomit on Ryanair flight from London to DublinRyanair has been forced to apologise after passengers on a flight from Gatwick to Ireland were made to sit next to a putrid pool of vomit for the entirety of their 90-minute journey.

Northern Echo

• 102-year-old WWII veteran waits four hours for ambulance on VJ Day anniversary A 102-YEAR-OLD Second World War veteran waited four hours for an ambulance on the 70th anniversary of VJ Day.
• Busy bridge to be closed on three successive nights as roadworks continue A MAJOR road will be completely closed to traffic for three successive nights as a seven-week bridge repair project nears completion.
• Scarecrows set to deter speeders in Newton Aycliffe POLICE have employed the creative talents of youngsters to help tackle the problem of speeding cars in an eye-catching way.
• Rising number of shoppers flout Northallerton Market parking ban SHOPPERS visiting Northallerton on market days have been warned they face £35 fines if they park in bays restricted for the market.
• Passenger has half his ear bitten off on flight from Newcastle to Ibiza A PASSENGER has allegedly had half his ear bitten off in an attack on a plane bound for Ibiza.

The York Press

• TRANSPORT: Still have your doubts that the future's electric? Then read on... Ever taken an electric car for a spin? The York City Car Club's two new Nissan Leafs give you the chance to do just that. STEPHEN LEWIS was mightily impressed
• Council faces £150k legal bill over car park saga RYEDALE District Council is facing a bill of more than £150,000 after losing a judicial review over plans for a supermarket on Wentworth Street car park in Malton.

Wales Online

• Crime on Welsh railways drops 11% - despite rise in sexual offencesOfficials are 'delighted' by the overall drop in crime, which they say has reduced for an 11th consecutive year

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• RAF Cosford Jaguars hit the roadIt was once the cutting edge of Britain's fighter defence, but today it was reduced to queuing on the roads just like any other traffic.

Yorkshire Post

• Jet2.com among airlines forced to change policyThree major airlines who faced legal action over how they support passengers hit by flight disruption have changed their policies, the aviation regulator has said.

Bucks Free Press

• Road closure this weekend Town Lane in Wooburn Green will face full closure at the weekend due to road works.

Burnley Express

• No seat belt? Then smile for the camera...Drivers who use a mobile phone at the wheel or do not wear a seat belt now risk
being caught on camera.

Crewe Chronicle

• 1.8 million drivers hide expensive clothes in their cars We ask a shoe designer and fashionista how to match your wardrobe with your motor.

Daventry Express

• Seven men charged with graffiting 22 London Midland trainsSeven men are due to appear in court accused of vandalising 22 London Midland trains, including some in Northampton, causing over £6,000 worth of damage.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Rail season ticket costs set to rise by 1% in JanuaryRail commuters are set to see the cost of their season tickets rise by 1% next January following the publication of today’s inflation figures – the lowest increase for many years.
• More ambulances to be based at Essex fire stationsParamedics will base themselves at five more fire stations across Essex to improve response times after a successful pilot scheme.
• Three millionth square metre of Essex road repairs completedEngineers have celebrated laying the three millionth square metre of road surface in Essex.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Stansted Airport baggage security workers to strike in pay rowWorkers who operate the security scanners for luggage at Stansted airport are to stage two strikes in a row over pay.

Sunderland Echo

• Durham City road closures as bridge work nears completionA major route through Durham City will be closed at the weekend as work is carried out on a bridge.

West Sussex Gazette

• Sussex rail fares set to rise by one per cent in 2016Sussex rail commuters will see their fares rise by one per cent in 2016 - in line with inflation.

Other Regional Press

• Newport Bus to launch changes to network and routes from next month NEWPORT Bus is set to launch a number changes to its network from next month.
• Full throttle at Portsmouth bike showPortsmouth’s Motorcycle Action Group will invite bike enthusiasts to its annual end-of-summer show.
• Bus firms back transport plan despite residents’ objections BUS companies have backed proposals for a £12.5m package of transport improvements in Headington despite objections from residents.
• Mr Pothole arrives to take on the holes in Cameron’s patch POTHOLES in Witney have a new nemesis after a former roads engineer brought his one-man campaign to the town.
• Motorists could face delays in Croxley Green Affinity will be repairing drains under Watford Road on Saturday, August 22 and the work is scheduled to finish on Monday.
• 7 top tips from Which? to cut cost of rail travel ON the day it was revealed that rail fares have risen nearly three times faster than wages over the past five years, consumer site Which? has offered its top tips for fighting back against rising costs.
• First Great Western defends increases in train fares SWINDON’S railway franchise has reiterated its belief it offers value for money for customers in light of news fares have increased three times as much as wages in five years.
• Diversion as cycle path shuts for cabling work CYCLISTS are being warned of a major route being closed to allow for work to be carried out.
• Roadworks are ‘mayhem’ and disrupting businesses THE county council has been accused of causing ‘mayhem’ for businesses as roadworks on the A38 near North Petherton cause traffic congestion.
• Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue issues summer road safety warning DEVON and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is urging all road users to take care when driving during the busy summer months.
• Western Daily Press published PHOTOS: The West Somerset Railway in 16 picturesGallery created by Western Daily Press
• Road speedsters face police blitz POLICE across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are backing an international campaign to reinforce respect for speed limits.
• DaveCDM commented Cheeky campaign launched to slow down drivers around horse riders...A cheeky campaign aimed at getting drivers to slow down for horse riders on the road has been launched on Facebook. Using the hashtag #willyouslowdownformenow?, riders have been uploading eyecatching naked selfies of themselves alongside their horses. It was started by 19-year-old Lauren De Grucy from Jersey, who has been stunned by how quickly the campaign has taken off. She told the Daily Mirror: "I've seen so many riders and horses in the news being hit by cars and unfortunately...
• Virgin rubbishes claims hot air balloon hit power lines and ‘crash landed’ in LutonVirgin has hit out at claims that one of its hot air balloons hit power lines before ‘crash landing’ in Luton.
• Rail fares to increase by one per centRail fares are set to rise by 1 per cent in January, it has emerged today.
• Rail fares to increase by one per centRail fares are set to rise by 1 per cent in January, it has emerged today.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Diesel prices hit five-year lowThe average price of diesel has fallen below 113p per litre for the first time since January 2010, according to the information group Experian Catalist. In the last week, supermarkets have cut prices by between 2p and 4p per litre. Last month, diesel became, on average, cheaper than petrol for the first time since July 2001. Petrol has also fallen in price this week, hitting 115.24p per litre on average, its lowest level for three months. Lower fuel prices have followed the falls in the price of oil. This month, the price of a barrel of Brent Crude oil fell below $50 (£32) for the f...
• US architect wins race to design new-look Preston bus stationA New York architect has won the competition to give Preston’s iconic bus station a £13m facelift. John Puttick Associates, based in Manhattan, produced the winning design in a competition to revamp the Grade II Listed building and provide a home for the city’s new Youth Zone. The Puttick vision, entry No 5 on the shortlist selected by a panel of judges, came out on top in a public vote. The judges also considered it to be the best of almost 100 designs submitted from around the world. Coun Jennifer Mein, leader of owners Lancashire County Council, said: 'We always knew t...
• £2.7m Port of Newport redevelopment work startsWork has started on a £2.7m project to redevelop part of the Port of Newport to increase cargo volumes. Once complete, Atlantic Shed will provide an extra 7,200 sq m (668,000 sq ft) metres of storage for the port, mainly for the steel industry. Associated British Ports said the investment meant the site would be able to meet the increasing demands of its customers. It said the development would support the future growth of the port. Source: BBC
• Derby train-maker Bombardier appoints new bossDerby train-maker Bombardier has appointed a new managing director. Richard Hunter will take over the role from Noel Travers who has been in post for a year as interim managing director. Mr Hunter, who will also assume the role of head of projects for Bombardier Transportation UK, is currently the firm's president for the Asia Pacific region, where he is responsible for the company's rolling stock and services businesses across Asia and Australia. Based at Bombardier's Litchurch Lane factory in Derby, he will take up his new role from October 1. Mr Travers, who took over from Frances Paone...
• Icelandair to launch Aberdeen routeAberdeen International Airport has received a welcome boost after Icelandair announced a new year-round service between the city and Reykjavik. Flights will begin in March next year and operate four times a week. Tickets are due to go on sale on 24 August. The new route, which will be operated on behalf of Icelandair by Air Iceland, will become the Icelandic carrier's second in Scotland and sixth in the UK. Icelandair operates UK flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, all of which connect into the airline's network to North America. Aberdeen Airport ...
• Parcel firm DPD signs deal for new distribution hubParcel delivery firm DPD has signed a deal for a new distribution hub for the north east of Scotland. The facility will be designed and built by construction firm Dandara at its Badentoy North business park on the outskirts of Aberdeen. DPD secured the 43,000 sq ft office and workshop facility and yard in a 25-year rental deal. It is expected to create 20 new jobs, after it relocates from its current base in the Altens area of Aberdeen. Dandara is expected to invest more than £6m to deliver the distribution hub to DPD, with completion slated for March 2017. Dandara commercial develop...
• Earnings outstrip rail fare increases for first time in a decadeHardworking families will see an end to inflation-busting hikes in regulated rail fares thanks to a 5 year fares deal that will give passengers more value for money and help households with the cost of living. The move by the government to keep regulated rail fare increases at Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation and no more for the life of this Parliament will save season-ticket holders around £425 each - enough for a new iPad or a weekend break - by 2020. Most journeys in 2014 were made using a regulated fare. Figures released today (18 August 2015) by the Office of National Statistic...
• DHL to establish parcel network in Austria by 2016 To better exploit e-commerce’s potential to drive growth in Europe, DHL Parcel plans to expand its service portfolio in Europe by establishing its own parcel network in Austria by 2016. DHL will be the first service provider to precisely tailor both its infrastructure and its services to the requirements of e-commerce. After the Benelux countries, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Austria will be the latest market with great e-commerce potential to be tapped by the European parcel division launched last year by Deutsche Post DHL Group. 'DHL Parcel is setting the standard for high...

Rail Magazine

• ORR approves Blackpool open access trainsThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved Great North Western Railway’s (GNWR’s) bid to operate open access services between Blackpool and London

Railnews

• July RPI means 1% rise for regulated fares A rise of 1 per cent in the Retail Price Index last month means that regulated rail fares will be increased by the same amount in January. Rail minister Claire Perry said:
• Rail crime falls, but more sexual offences are recorded British Transport Police has reported that the general level of offences reported on the rail network has fallen, but that the proportion of sex-related incidents has risen by 25 per cent. The sharp rise in reports of sex-related incidents is probably due to a campaign launched two years ago which was intended to encourage such reports, the force said. Incidents of criminal damage also rose slightly, but there were fewer frauds, robberies and thefts.

Aviation Industry

• Liverpool airport secures investment for expansionFive-year funding programme announced at John Lennon airport
• Gatwick blasts ‘flawed’ Heathrow runway decisionAirport gives first detailed response since Commission’s final report
• Icelandair to launch Aberdeen routeService from Reykjavik starts in March

Other News Sources

• Railways see sex crime, theft and fraud rise - but travel is safer... SEXUAL crime, robberies and instances of fraud on trains in the north of England are on the rise.
• McLaren F1 car becomes most expensive British car EVER after selling for £8.8m The car, built by the Woking-based firm, was sold for nearly £9m at a specialist auction in California last week
• Delayed rail passengers to get instant refunds - here's how to claim if your train is lateNew smart ticketing will make it easier for rail users to claim refunds - but fares are still set to rise next year
• Worrying rise in the number of children hurt in road accidentsThe government figures include pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle occupants under 16 years of age
• Jeremy Corbyn calls for 'people's railway'Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn has published plans to renationalise the UK’s railway.
• Hundreds set to ride in support of oldest velodrome in the country HUNDREDS of cyclists are expected to ride through Brighton and Hove next month in support of the oldest velodrome in the country.
• Spitfires and Hurricanes take to the skies to mark the anniversary of the Hardest Day SPITFIRES and Hurricanes roared overhead yesterday to mark the 75 anniversary of what has become known as the Hardest Day.
• Tianjin Port Stops Handling Hazardous CargoesMost tanker operations in the Tianjin Port have stopped as a result of a notice to the port from Tianjin Municipal Transport Commission to cease handling tankers and container ships carrying hazardous substances, Inchape Shipping Services informed. In addition, container ships with hazardous goods on board are currently unable to berth and discharge. Tianjin Municipal […]
• Norwegian Shipowners Say NO to BeachingNorwegian Shipowners Association has said NO to hazardous beaching of ships, thus becoming the first country to discourage its shipowners from such practices. “As an industry, we cannot defend scrapping of ships in a way that endangers people’s health and puts the environment at risk. Therefore we say, as the first shipping associations in the world, no to […]
• Greek privatisation agency sets deadlines on port, railway bids The Greek privatisation agency opened bids on tenders for the country's two largest ports and state railways TRAINOSE, assets Athens has agreed to sell as part of a new bailout deal with lenders.Privatisation proceeds, excluding bank shares, are expected to total EUR6.4 billion (US$7.1 billion) between 2015 and 2017, under terms of the bailout, Reuters reports.The privatisation agency set an October deadline for binding bids for Piraeus Port, a December deadline for bids for TRAINOSE and a February 2016 deadline for Thessaloniki Port. Source: Transportweekly