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

Saturday, 22 August 2015

BBC News

• Increase in young road casualtiesThe number of young people killed or seriously injured on the roads in Wales increases by 8% in the past year, new figures show.
• 'Conflict' over battlefield car parkMore than 100 objections are lodged against a planning application for a car park at a golf club on the site of the Battle of Northampton.
• Migrant on board halts Channel trainA Eurotunnel freight train stops in the Channel Tunnel after a migrant was seen on wagons bound for the UK.
• Offshore supply ship firm goes bustPlatform supply firm Fletcher Shipping forced into administration as falling prices trigger cash flow problems
• Government 'wanted' shipyard closureNI 1987 state papers show British government recommended closure of Harland and Wolff
• VIDEO: Plans for new cycle lanes revealedPlans for new cycle lanes in the centre of Belfast are released by the Department of Regional Development.
• Suspect bag sparks rail delaysA suspect bag caused major delays at a railway station in Manchester.
• More than 50 bus services axedMore than 50 bus services have been reduced or axed in Greater Manchester over the past year because of a lack of funding.
• Rail strike to go ahead as talks failFirst Great Western rail services will be disrupted this weekend as union members push ahead with a 24-hour strike.
• Tube strike decision due on MondayUnion leaders are set to decide on Monday if next week's double London Underground strike will go ahead.
• Thousands of cars damaged in blastAlmost six thousand Jaguar Land Rover cars, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, may have been destroyed in the Chinese port city, says the carmaker.

Financial Times

• Surge in car claims hits UK insurersMotor sector is forecast to post underwriting losses in 2015
• Ryanair to appeal compensation rulingBudget airline to continue battle to impose two-year restriction on customers claiming for delays
• London river boats join transport strikeCity Cruises’ Greenwich-Westminster route hit next Thursday

The Guardian

• Uber bookings more than treble in a year to nearly $11bn, says reportControversial taxi app’s revenues double every six months according to unverified investor report but profit figures still remain shrouded in secrecy Uber’s global bookings are projected to more than treble to $10.8bn (£6.9bn) this year and reach $26.1bn the next, according to an investors’ presentation that indicates a flotation for the ride-hailing business by 2017. The taxi app, which operates in more than 50 countries, keeps 20% of booking revenue, according to the confidential slideshow, obtained by Reuters. Based on those figures, 2015 revenue would be around $2bn. Continue rea...
• UK supermarkets cut petrol prices as crude oil cost slidesRAC predicts petrol could soon be sold for £1 a litre after Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco slash price of unleaded fuel by 2pSupermarkets in Britain have slashed their petrol prices as the cost of crude oil continued to slide.Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all announced on Friday a cut in the price of unleaded fuel by 2p, leading to predictions that motorists could soon be buying petrol on the forecourt for £1 a litre. Continue reading...
• Cycling rank and file’s salad days with Sky soon to be over | Richard WilliamsBritish Cycling will soon be looking for a new sponsor to provide annual funding of £2.5m for its less glamorous mass-participation eventsWhen Chris Froome sets off from Puerto Banús on Saturday on his attempt to win a second Grand Tour in a row, he will do so wearing the colours of Sky, the satellite TV network which has backed Britain’s flagship professional team since their launch in 2009. But now the broadcaster has announced its decision to reduce its cycling activity, in terms that place a question mark against the nature of its involvement.Even Rupert Murdoch’s fiercest enemi...
• Driving lessons with a family member: your best and worst experiencesWe asked readers to send in their memories of being taught to drive by a family member. Here is a selection from our postbagRoad to divorceMy ex-husband was deeply attached to his car, so much so that when I got my provisional licence, in my early 30s, he wouldn’t let me have a go. It was nothing exotic, only a Seat, but the car was his sovereign territory to the extent that he always insisted on driving home when we were out, sometimes after a bottle or more of red wine. He claimed he never got drunk and his skills were unaffected. Older and wiser, I see that this is the opposite of a man wh...
• Americans overpower gunman who opened fire on Paris expressPolice investigating incident near Arras, France, in which three Americans – two of them soldiers – prevented an attack by a suspect reportedly armed with KalashnikovA heavily armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday before being overpowered by three Americans, two of whom were soldiers. Two people were injured in the attack, including one of the Americans who was hospitalised with “serious injuriesâ€�, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Ryanair loses court compensation fightMILLIONS of Ryanair passengers across the UK could be in line for a payout after a landmark court judgment ruled the airline cannot limit the time allowed to claim compensation for flight delays.
• Migrants discovery on Channel Tunnel freight train sparks new fearsMigrants have been found hiding on a freight train in an attempt to reach Britain, heightening concerns that new entry points are being targeted.
• How the Borders Railway creates a new future for Scotland's Madge Elliot became reliant on the Waverley Line from the Borders to Edinburgh in the early 1960s, when she was visiting her then three-year-old son in hospital.

The Independent

• London Tube Strikes August 2015: TfL advice for getting to work during next week's action With another week of Tube strike havoc set to hit London, TfL has released some advice on how to get through the week with as little disturbance as possible.
• Kinneir and Calvert: Graphic designers behind Britain's road signs to be celebrated 50 years after revolutionising our highways Britain was going places 50 years ago – just not necessarily in the right direction or towards the right places.
• Road signs: Why Britain's designs rule The typeface
• Blue Badge thefts soar as 'callous fraudsters' target disabled drivers and passengers The number of disabled parking badges being stolen has more than doubled with thieves breaking into cars and retirement homes for the vouchers worth up to £6,000 a year, councils have warned.

The Scotsman

• ‘Millions’ in line for Ryanair payoutsMILLIONS of Ryanair passengers could receive compensation after a landmark court judgment ruled the airline cannot limit the time allowed to claim compensation for flight delays.
• Clyde shipyard in running for £80m CalMac orderTHE last commercial shipyard on the Clyde is competing for the largest CalMac ferry contract for decades, The Scotsman has learned.

The Telegraph

• Tube strikes August 2015: Will I be able to get to work next week?When will TfL Tube strikes start and end? And how can I get around without London Underground - on buses, trains, river boats and in cars?
• More relaxed nature of rail travel leaves it vulnerableThere were four times as many malicious deaths on trains as on aircraft from 2002 to 2011, study found

Reuters News

• Migrants seeking new routes to Britain, Eurotunnel saysLONDON (Reuters) - Migrants are looking for new routes to Britain after security at the French end of the Channel Tunnel was stepped up, Eurotunnel said on Friday after migrants were found on a freight train heading for the tunnel from the French railway network.

City AM

• Unions to decide on Tube strike on MondayCommuter happiness hangs in the balance. Union representatives are to meet on Monday to determine whether next week's Tube strikes will go ahead, following a week of gruelling talks with transport bosses.  As things stand RMT, TSSA and Unite are expected to go ahead with the two sets of walkouts, the first of which will begin at 6.30pm on Tuesday and run throughout Wednesday, with the second starting at 6.30pm on Thursday and throughout Friday.  Aslef is not currently taking part in the strike, which means a large proportion of Tube drivers will work; however severe dis...
• Ryanair to appeal court ruling on delay compensationRyanair will appeal against a court ruling that would allow passengers six years to claim money back from the airline if their flight is delayed.The Manchester County Court earlier today ruled that the low-cost airline could not impose a two year limit on passengers making a claim for flight delay compensation.Read more: Ryanair may close second Danish airport after row with unionsThe legal challenge was brought by two passengers, known as Goel and Trivedi, who had both missed the two year window imposed by Ryanair.The ruling sets a precedent for delayed European Union passengers on all airlin...

Daily Express

• Armed gangs smuggling migrants to UK for £2,000ARMED people-traffickers using UK-registered cars are charging migrants £2,000 to be smuggled into Britain, it was revealed last night.
• Train passengers 'FOUR TIMES more likely to be hit by terror attack than fliers'FEARS over terrorist attacks on public transport have grown after a shooting on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris.
• Hero soldier 'shot in neck while tackling terrorist with AK47 in France train horror'A HERO soldier who foiled a terror attack on a French train was shot while tackling the crazed gunman, according to reports.

Daily Record

• Cost of fuel could drop to as low as ONE POUND as oil prices fall ASDA, Tesco and Morrisons have already dropped prices by 2p a litre and further cuts are expected.

Mail Online

• Traffic warden slaps £70 parking ticket on a funeral car Chauffeur Peter Norris parked his limousine, which is 26ft long and very highly polished, outside a funeral director's premises in Lincoln to help his colleagues with the preparations.
• Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's slash 2p off the cost of unleaded petrol No sooner had Asda announced it would cut the price of unleaded by 2p a litre, than Morrisons and Sainsbury's struck back with a pledge to do the same.
• 12-hour delays at Folkestone after 'several' migrants were found on Eurotunnel train Eurotunnel confirmed 'several migrants' were discovered on the freight train destined for the UK after departing from Calais this morning. The train was stopped and considerable traffic queues formed.
• Britain set for rail chaos as unions plan to strike this weekend Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out for 24 hours this Sunday after talks broke down today - which is likely to hit thousands of commuters.
• WH Smith rakes in £10m from airport VAT 'rip-off' Details of the alleged windfall come amid a passenger revolt against stores using boarding passes to claim 20 per cent VAT exemptions from those flying from the UK to outside the EU.

The Mirror

• Watch reckless lorry driver speeding the WRONG WAY around 'Britain's most dangerous roundabout' while overtaking carStephen Weller, 52, narrowly avoided a head-on collision when he overtook another motorist before driving into oncoming traffic
• French train shooting: Hero US marines foiled terrorist after hearing AK-47 being loadedAs the would-be killer made his way out of the bathroom the two marines ambushed the gunman bringing him to the ground

This is Money

• Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's slash 2p off the cost of unleaded petrol No sooner had Asda announced it would cut the price of unleaded by 2p a litre, than Morrisons and Sainsbury's struck back with a pledge to do the same.
• Top tips for staying out of trouble when driving abroad in France, Spain and Finland  Nearly a quarter of Brits heading off on a driving holiday do no research on the rules of the road for the country they are visiting, new findings from Aviva suggest.

Birmingham Post

• Confirmed: Kia will build a sports car for the UK GT and GT4 Stinger concept-based model to go on sale within five years

Bolton News

• Police carry out spot checks on motorists to check they are not using smartphones while driving POLICE took to the streets to try to catch motorists putting themselves and others in danger.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2 forced to change policy over flight delays payouts LEISURE airline Jet2 is among three carriers which have changed their policies on how they support passengers hit by flight disruption following a threat of legal action, according to the aviation regulator.
• PCSOs in West Yorkshire may have issued around 16,000 parking tickets in error WEST Yorkshire Police has admitted that its PCSOs may have issued around 16,000 parking tickets in error over the past decade.

London Evening Standard

• When is the Tube strike? Dates, line closures, and how to get aroundEverything you need to know about your transport options during the four days of planned disruptions on the London Underground
• Jaguar Land Rover faces a loss of 5800 vehicles after deadly Tianjin explosionsAlmost 6000 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles were among those stored in the Chinese port of
• Tube strike August 2015: Commuters will only know if it is going ahead 24 hours before walkout is due to startMillions of Tube commuters and London’s business sector will be left not knowing if they have a train service next week until Monday afternoon – just 24 hours before strike action spread over the r
• Airline passenger 'lashed out at stewardess who did not let him lie across three seats'An airline passenger allegedly punched a female flight attendant after she refused to let him lie across several seats.
• Top 10 tube stations for home buyers to watchOf London’s 280 tube stops, 10 now share something new in common: they’re the city’s rising property hotspots for first-time buyers.

Northern Echo

• Woman sexually assaulted on bus on busy high street A YOUNG woman was sexually assaulted on a bus in the middle of a busy high street.
• More delays ahead: Double blow for Durham drivers MOTORISTS who have endured weeks of traffic troubles due to a £1 million bridge repair project are facing further roadworks woe, it has emerged.
• Villagers by Sutton Bank continue campaign to ban non-local HGVs from route RESIDENTS living near England's steepest A-road have vowed to battle on after their bid to stop traffic causing misery outside their homes was rejected.

Wales Online

• More train disruption this weekend as rail strike set to affect First Great Western services in South WalesServices will run at 70% of the normal Sunday service so trains will be busier than usual
• The number of young adults seriously injured in car crashes rises by nearly 10% in Wales There were 301 young people aged between 16 and 25 killed or seriously injured in 2014
• No compensation to be paid to businesses or residents inconvenienced by Velothon road closuresIt is hoped Velothon will become an annual event and more than 20,000 have expressed an interest in taking part
• Two men in £33,000 Royal Mail fuel cards scam escape jail A postman and a garage attendant have been given suspended jail terms for defrauding Royal Mail using illegal fuel card transactions

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• PICTURED: £300,000 Lamborghini and Rolls Royce destroyed in arson attackSupercars and a luxury Rolls Royce worth hundreds of thousands of pounds have been destroyed in a suspected arson attack today.

Yorkshire Post

• Drivers hoping for £1 per litre of petrol as supermarkets slash price of unleadedThe cost of fuel has been tipped to drop to £1 per litre after falling oil prices led to supermarkets slashing the cost of unleaded petrol by 2p a litre.

Blackpool Gazette

• Delays due to signalling and security issuesA security alert and signal problems caused mayhem for commuters on the rail network.

Crewe Chronicle

• Inside the greatest car adverts: Honda's The Cog Of course there were months of rigorous testing and experimentation before the final shoot - all the time assisted by engineers, sculptors and artists.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Petrol ‘could fall to £1 per litre’ as supermarkets begin new price warThe price of fuel could drop to £1 per litre amid falling oil prices, as supermarkets head towards a potential petrol price war following Asda’s announcement to cut the price of unleaded by 2p per litre.

Reading Evening Post

• Reading Buses celebrate the "fare" sex The Reading bus company marks 100 Years of Women in Transport

The Shields Gazette

• Fuel prices set to drop below £1 per litre as supermarkets head towards petrol price warFuel prices could drop to £1 per litre amid falling oil prices, as supermarkets head towards a potential petrol price war.

Other Regional Press

• Letter of the Day: Rail privatisation has hit the buffersYour report on the railways quite rightly highlights the fact that the cost of using our railways is increasingly making them unaffordable for working people (Commuters ‘out of pocket’ says trade union report, Aug 18).
• Victorious visitors urged to hop on park-and-ride buses to music spectacleVISITORS are being advised to ditch their cars and use public transport, ride a bike or walk to Victorious Festival.
• Rail worker academy will boost Northampton’s economy when it opens next month, says ministerAn academy for train engineers in Northampton will attract highly-skilled people from across the country, the secretary of state for transport has said.
• Kirklees College students help devise road safety appPupils from Headfield Junior School and Paradise Primary School have helped create a road safety mobile app
• Hartlepool’s Simon is best bus driver in the North EastA bus driver has been named the best in the region to win a top accolade.
• ALL ABOARD: Swanage Railway celebrates 20 years and four million passengers journeys CELEBRATIONS were in order as heritage line volunteers marked the twentieth anniversary of the first passenger trains from Swanage Railway.
• Donkeys slapped with parking fineTHE owner of a herd of Wigan donkeys slapped with a £75 fine in a bust-up over water today told parking bosses: “You can stick your ticket.”
• Noise complaints after residents' sleep disrupted by Vicarage Road works Residents near Vicarage Road say they've endured two months of night time drilling, hammering and loud machinery while stadium improvement works continue
• Youngsters head back in time at railway museum THE summer holidays may well be approaching the end of the tunnel, but visitors to STEAM are still pouring onto the platforms to make tracks into Swindon’s past.
• Rail passengers will get full cash refunds for delayed journeys RAIL passengers travelling with First Great Western will now be able to get full compensation for delayed journeys if they request to be refunded in cash.
• MP calls for passengers to be put first as RMT members stage weekend strike RAIL workers who are set to go on strike tomorrow should be putting passengers first says South Swindon MP Robert Buckland.
• Free parking plan as radical change needed to boost Chard trade A CAMPAIGN has been launched to try and get unlimited free parking for up to 72 hours in all council-owned and managed car parks in Chard.
• Weekend removal of temporary traffic lights at North Petherton IN response to recent feedback from commuters and local businesses, important changes have been made to the way the traffic is being managed at the roadworks on the A38/North Petherton at weekends.
• Crawley News published Residents desperate for pedestrian crossing in Pound Hill after...CAMPAIGNERS fighting to get a pedestrian crossing to improve safety on a busy road say last week's car crash – in which a telegraph pole was destroyed – is the "final straw".A public consultation is under way to finalise £60,000 safety improvements in Pound Hill – but a group of residents believe the existing plans are not sufficient.West Sussex County Council is planning to improve crossings and slow traffic on Turners Hill Road, and households near the...
• Major road delays amid continuing road works MOTORISTS on a busy Southampton route are facing lengthy delays due to roadworks.
• The Citizen published Stagecoach to the rescue for Barnwood passengerBUS firm Stagecoach has been praised by a senior citizen for sending a bus to her neighbourhood so she could practice getting on and off in her brand new mobility scooter.Gwyneth Jeffries, 72, from Hucclecote, would struggle to use the services if it was not for the kind-hearted help from a driver in the city.She said: "I can't speak of them highly enough."Gwyneth has suffered from ill-health and poor mobility for a number of years and to help her get about Gloucester and its suburbs,...
• CitizenNews published Gloucestershire trains cancelled as Transport Secretary Patrick...Gloucestershire trains are expected to be cancelled this weekend as rail workers prepare to strike.Train operator First Great Western said they expected to cancel almost a third of rail services this weekend as RMT members go on strike.In a message sent out to email subscribers, they admitted some of their services on Sunday August 23 and over the weekend could be affected."Trains may be busier than usual, and there will be limited food and drink services on board."Last trains of the...
• WBHuw published Talks fail to avoid strike action on First Great Western servicesTalks have broken down to avert a 24-hour strike on First Great Western services on Sunday.Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out at 00.01 on Sunday which will cause disruption to services.The strike is being held over threats to jobs, services and the introduction of the new Hitachi Inter City trains.The first of the Hitachi Inter City trains are expected to run on the Great Western main line from 2017 and the East Coast main line from 2018.RMT workers are also...
• WBHuw published Conservation group anger at Tregoniggie Woodland cycle path planA CONSERVATION group says local people are "up in arms" over plans to put a cycle path through a Falmouth woodland.The Friends of Tregoniggie Woodland have launched a campaign to prevent a new cycling route being created through the heart of the woods.They argue that a path through this area, being used by a mix of pedestrians, dog walkers, children and cyclists, would lead to potentially dangerous incidents.It is proposed to construct an unsegregated, shared cycleway through the...
• Shoppers lift car off trapped cyclist victim in rescue drama A MAN who helped lift a car to rescue a trapped female cyclist said he was not a hero for his quick-thinking actions.
• Mum hits out at parking fine as baby is rushed to hospital A MUM has criticised health centre staff after she was told to pay £25 for accidentally parking in the wrong car park after her baby broke her leg.

Wall Street Journal

• NTSB: Rail Track Was to Be Replaced Day After Virginia CrashA piece of railroad track owned by CSX Corp. in Lynchburg, Va., was scheduled for replacement the day after a crude-oil train derailed and erupted in flames along the same stretch, according to federal investigators.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Industry urged to act on driver shortageThe logistics sector could be set to face a serious driver shortage by 2020 if action is not taken to rethink approaches to recruitment.  This is according to finance house Lombard, which published a study that shows demand for drivers is likely increase by 40 per cent over the next five years, Logistics Manager reports.  A shortage of around 600,000 drivers is already being experienced by the industry, so the situation could be exacerbated if new recruits are not taken on.  Head of commercial transport at Lombard Derek Pridmore said that the country's return to economic growth means logistics...
• First welcomes new managing director for South YorkshireKevin Belfield has taken the helm as managing director for First's bus business in South Yorkshire. He has joined the business having held regional commercial director roles in both Scotland, Wales and the South of England since 2012. In 2013, Kevin led the introduction of the simpliCITY network in Glasgow, which saw an immediate improvement in customer satisfaction scores. He also played an instrumental part in the successful delivery of First’s involvement in last year’s Commonwealth Games working closely with organisers Glasgow2014 and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Ke...

Rail Technology Magazine

• TENMAT to Supply to the Crossrail Project Crossrail is Europe's largest construction project and from 2018 will have a predicted 200 million annual passengers.

Aviation Industry

• 737 Classic era comes to an end at British Airways More than three decades of Boeing 737 service at British Airways (BA) is due to come to an end in the next few weeks as the carrier retires its last examples of the twinjet. read more
• Ankara will become third Turkish Airlines hubRapidly growing Turkish Airlines is developing the nation’s capital airport Ankara EsenboÄŸa International Airport (ESB) into its third hub. read more

Green Miscellany

• The world’s smallest electric carThe smallest electric car in the world is the Walk Car - a vehicle so diminutive in size that you can carry it in a handbag. The post The world’s smallest electric car appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Ever been delayed on a Ryanair flight? You could be owed a pay-out... MILLIONS of Ryanair passengers could be in line for a payout after a landmark court judgment ruled the airline cannot limit the time allowed to claim compensation for flight delays.
• More roadworks set to affect Blackburn town centre drivers ANOTHER key street in Blackburn centre will close for a week from Monday.
• Four New Fires Hit Tianjin PortFour new fires have erupted at the Tianjin port blast site in China, according to Xinhua news agency. The fires have been reported within the 3-kilometer area that has been evacuated amid extremely high contamination level of cyanide, estimated to be around 356 times higher from the level safe for human health. Fire fighters have been […]
• Maersk's nine new 14,000-TEUers too fat for Panama's new locks Shipping industry experts have raised questions over whether Maersk Line's new US$1.1 billion order for nine 14,000-TEU ships are as versatile as claimed, according to Shipping Gazette.This comes after the world's largest ocean carrier began strengthening its fleet with hull designs that can be deployed on east-west or north-south trades without impacting on fuel consumption.The reason being is that while China remains the world's manufacturing hub, cheaper competitors such as Mexico, Turkey and other emerging nations in Asia are growing in importance.But Maersk is preparing for new trade pat...
• Audi previews all-electric SUVAudi is set to launch an all-electric SUV in 2018 with a potential range of more than 310 miles.