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

Saturday, 26 September 2015

BBC News

• Bid to improve Cambrian rail lineRail passengers are being asked how the Cambrian line through mid Wales can be improved.
• Taxi pledge after city attacksStudents in Cardiff will not be turned away if they want short-distance taxi trips in the city insist cab drivers, after three sex attacks in five days.
• New Stirling to London train serviceA new rail service creating a daily direct link between Stirling and London is announced by Virgin Trains.
• Is India's airline sector set to take off?Is India’s aviation sector about to see its fortunes soar?
• VIDEO: VW row 'shows no sign of slowing down'Matthias Mueller is announced as the new CEO of Volkswagen, following the diesel engine emission tests scandal that has engulfed the company.
• Concern over hidden diesel pollutantAtmospheric levels of a little known by-product from diesel engines are up 70 times higher than expected according to a study.
• VW models sale halted in SwitzerlandSwitzerland temporarily bans the sale of some Volkswagen diesel-engine models in the wake of the emissions-rigging scandal in the US.

The Guardian

• Spider on a plane: escaped tarantula grounds Delta Air Lines flightErrant arachnid forces passengers on to another flight to AtlantaBaboon tarantula escaped from container in cargo holdA tarantula that escaped in the cargo hold of a passenger flight from Maryland’s BWI airport to Atlanta grounded the plane and sent passengers on to another flight.Brian Kruse, spokesman for Delta Air Lines, told the Baltimore Sun that baggage handlers noticed a baboon tarantula had escaped from its container on flight 1525 on Wednesday night. Continue reading...
• The Guardian view on the VW scandal: punish the guilty | EditorialThe code that runs modern cars is powerful and dangerous. It must be much more tightly controlledWe won’t ever know how many people have died as a result of Volkswagen cheating on the emission controls of its diesel engines. But the pollutants emitted by diesel engines do kill just as surely as other poisons and their victims are predominantly people who are not themselves drivers: pedestrians, or those whose families have to live near the kind of heavy traffic that anyone with money tries to avoid. On a global scale, the filthiest engines are found in the poorest countries, so here, too, it i...

The Herald

• As ministers urge us to cycle, just one MSP takes generous Holyrood incentive to ride to workONE in 10 local journeys should be made by bike, according to the Scottish Government. So how many MSPs took advantage of a generous Holyrood perk encouraging them to cycle to work?

The Independent

• British Airways: Fury as airline regains monopoly on flights between Heathrow and Scotland British Airways this weekend regains its monopoly on flights connecting Scotland with Heathrow for the first time since 1982. The final Virgin Atlantic flights from Aberdeen and Edinburgh to Europe’s busiest airport depart on 26 September, following heavy losses by Sir Richard Branson’s airline.

The Telegraph

• Tube strike set to go ahead as last ditch talks failMembers of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union based in the Waterloo and City line control room will walk out on Monday
• Schools hand out parking tickets to parents parking dangerouslyAn Essex council is trialling a scheme that allows volunteers to don a uniform and dole out tickets to fellow parent motorists
• Volkswagen scandal: Europe warned four years ago that car makers were rigging emissionsEvidence of 'defeat devices' found in 2011, as research seen by The Telegraph predicts that 97.5 per cent of new diesel engines would fall foul of retests in Britain
• End of Shipping Forecast on long wave radio could leave sailors high and dryAfter more than 90 years the days of the Shipping Forecast may be numbered due to the demise of long wave technology

Times Online

• Diesel drivers face £100 clean-up bill (Subscription)Drivers of diesel cars face paying up to £100 extra for fuel each year because their engines may have to be adjusted to produce less poisonous gas. More than 200,000 Volkswagen and Audi cars could be recalled in Britain to remove so-called defeat devices which…

City AM

• To rebuild trust, Muller should turn to his employeesFaced with a growing global backlash, Volkswagen's new chief executive Matthias Muller will need all the friends he can find. He should start by cultivating the people who work for him.Consumers are individualists, enabled by technology and empowered by social media. They expect a lot more for their cash and are quick to shift their loyalties.As companies come to terms with this post capitalist, digital generation, they depend on accurate, consistent, and increasingly predictive customer insight to help guide their thinking.But customers and employees are two sides of the same coin. How ca...
• Volkswagen confirms Matthias Muller in top jobPorsche boss and Volkswagen board member Matthias Müller has been confirmed as the new chief executive of the embattled German car maker.Müller had been widely expected to take on the reins after Martin Winterkorn reluctantly fell on his sword earlier this week, as the emissions-cheating scandal gathered pace. This week Volkswagen has admitted as many as 11 million cars could have been fitted with a "detect device" that enabled it to cheat emissions tests in the US and Germany, where 2.8 million vehicles are thought to be affected. Müller will remain in his role as chairman...

Mail Online

• Kenya will BLOW UP £15m Norwegian cargo ship after white powder was found on board A raid carried out at the port of Mombasa by elite Kenya police officers discovered weapons and suspected drugs on board the Høegh Transporter, which recently left Mumbai in India.
• Video of an A380 lurching as it battles high winds during landing in Germany Dramatic footage has emerged of an A380 making a hair-raising landing at Dusseldorf Airport in Germany.
• David Bysooa with cerebral palsy and autism kicked off Air Mauritius flight David Bysooa, 16, from Surbiton, south-west London, was escorted from an Air Mauritius flight at Heathrow airport when he became upset after being moved at the last minute.
• 1.5million cars in Britain face recall over Volkswagen scandal Diesel cars sold in this country by the German carmaker are believed to have been fitted with illegal software that allows them to cheat emissions tests.

The Mirror

• Escaped tarantula grounds flight from Baltimore to Atlanta after spider spotted by baggage handlers The Delta Airlines aircraft had transported a cargo of baboon tarantulas the night before and one had escaped from its carrier

Birmingham Mail

• Is Grand Central Birmingham child-friendly? And can you get a pushchair around New Street Station?Blogger Emma Conway delivers her child-friendly verdict for Grand Central and New Street Station Birmingham

Bolton News

• VIDEO: Bus driver caught on camera trying to load e-cig for more than a minute while driving down busy Farnworth road A BUS driver has been caught on camera trying to load an e-cigarette while driving down a busy road.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Man lay down in front of train at Derby railway stationA MAN has appeared in court after he lay on the track in front of a train at Derby station.Martin Houghton, 58, now of London Road but formerly of Flint Street, Allenton, had days earlier been arrested for having a lock-knife in his pocket when he was taken to Royal Derby Hospital following an overdose.Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard that Houghton went to the train station in the early hours of the morning and made his way to platform six.He got down on to the tracks and lay in...
• Derby Telegraph published Supersonic Bloodhound car prepares for speed record attempt with...A CAR containing parts made in Derbyshire which will attempt to break the land speed record next year has been officially launched.Billed as the world's fastest and most advanced racing car, the Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC), has gone on display at London's Canary Wharf.The launch is the culmination of eight years of hard work by the project team – and more than 350 companies and universities, including firms in Derbyshire.The 13.5 metre-long car, which uses a Rolls-Royce fighter jet...

London Evening Standard

• Four students die after coach collides with amphibious bus in SeattleFour students were killed after an amphibious bus collided with their coach on a bridge in Seattle.
• Fury of residents over Caledonian road rejig which has caused 'unbearable' traffic'Our health is at risk,' say residents after redesign of layout less than a year ago
• James Moore: The humble speech that the next VW boss will never makeTaking on the toughest job in motoring, Matthias Müller stood at a podium at the car maker’s headquarters and, adjusting his company tie, issued a statement. 
• Londoners want new runways at Heathrow AND Gatwick, poll showsLondoners want to see new runways built at both Heathrow and Gatwick in a huge boost to big businesses pressing for airport expansion in the South-East, according to a new poll. 
• Tube chiefs vow to keep Waterloo and City line running despite strikeTube chiefs today defied a union strike threat to halt the Waterloo & City Line service next week and pledged to run a full service.
• Transport for London unveils energy saving plan for wasted brake energy from Tube trains to power entire stationTransport bosses hope to save £6 million a year by capturing brake energy from Tube trains before using it to power an entire station
• Holborn evacuated: Passengers speak of terror as armed police storm Tube train after ‘threats’ madePassengers today told of their terror after armed police stormed their Tube as it waited at Holborn.

Northern Echo

• Railway joins up with local micro-breweries for Steam Gala weekend STEAM enthusiasts who appreciate real ale should head to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for its annual Steam Gala.
• Cornmill car park to remain open during bridge repair works SHOPPING centre managers have reassured shoppers that its car park will remain open during urgent repair works to a historic bridge on a main route into a town centre.
• East Coast Mainline cable thief jailed for nine months A THIEF who brought parts of the East Coast Mainline to a standstill by stealing railway cable has been jailed for nine months.
• Yorkshire Dales communities to miss out on cheap fuel after error by blundering tax officials RURAL communities in the Yorkshire Dales will no longer benefit from cheaper fuel after blundering tax officials withdrew a discount given to two garages in error.
• Racehorse trainers issue plea over 'lethal' road surface LEADING racehorse trainers are pressing a cash-strapped council to urgently resurface a key road after revealing that numerous thoroughbreds had slipped over while attempting to reach their gallops.
• £750,000 of unsold Tour de France merchandise contributed to £1m Welcome to Yorkshire losses STAGING the Tour de France left Welcome to Yorkshire (WTY) with losses of more than £1m - including £750,000 worth of unsold merchandise, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Wales Online

• Could Cardiff follow in Paris' footsteps and ban cars entering the city for a day? Paris will go car-free on Sunday, but according to one Cardiff councillor and locals it's entirely possible for Cardiff to do, too.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• M6 Toll could be made FREE to use, reveals leaked reportThe M6 Toll would be made cheaper or even free to use under confidential plans by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Burnley Express

• Latest North West roadworks newsIf you’re planning to get out and about on the region’s roads between Monday, September 28th, and Sunday, October 4th, here’s a list of planned and on-going roadworks you’ll need to know about.

Carlisle News & Star

• Traffic delays ahead at busy Carlisle roundabout Drivers are being warned of delays when roadworks start at a busy roundabout.

Crewe Chronicle

• Can Renault's racer compete with the Porsche Cayman? There’ll be a higher-powered version of Renault’s forthcoming sportscar – with a classic name and a tough rival to beat

Peterborough Telegraph

• MPs and business chiefs call for early work on key Ely rail linkPolitical and business leaders in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire have joined forces to urge the government to approve a multi-million upgrade of a key rail junction.
• Crossing to improve safety outside Peterborough schoolPupils at a Peterborough primary school will have a safer journey to school after a crossing was installed on a busy road.

Other Regional Press

• New dual carriageway one of several plans to beat A40 jams THE cost of dualling the A40 from Witney to Oxford was put at £120m by transport bosses last night.
• Fuelling debate: The A40 dual carriageway option ASK any Oxfordshire resident about the A40 and you are likely to find they have their own idea of how to ‘fix’ the notorious route.
• Taxi drivers fear tinnitus from working alongside car park demolition TAXI drivers on the rank alongside the Carlton Street Car Park are worried they will develop tinnitus because of the excessive noise from the demolition work there.
• We're ready for icy winter, say councils LOCAL authorities in the region say they are ready to keep the roads running this winter during any cold snaps.
• Number 20 bus service will not return, council rules THE cancelled number 20 bus route will not return, despite a petition of 1,500 signatures being handed to Swindon Borough Council's full meeting last night.
• HSinclair commented Six arrests and a stolen vehicle recovered as 100 cars stopped by...Police made six arrests, recovered one stolen vehicle, and stopped 22 people for driving while using a mobile phone in an operation to detect driver committing crimes and motoring offences in south Essex.Operation Keats involved detectives and uniformed officers from both the Essex and Kent police forces yesterday sharing information and using automatic number plate recognition technology (ANPR) to identify and stop drivers of vehicles suspected of being involved in crime.During the day, 100...
• A39 roundabout set for improvements ROADWORKS are set for an accident blackspot on the A39 near Cannington this September, say Hinkley Point.
• North Petherton parents delighted after school bus pressure pays off PRESSURE from angered parents regarding a temporary bus service has led Somerset County Council into a U-turn.
• City MP backs bid to bring back vital bus service A SOUTHAMPTON MP is backing a community campaign to bring back a vital bus service.
• CitizenNews published Roadworks planned for Gloucestershire, Bristol, Somerset,...Travelling this weekend? Make sure you check this guide of roadworks which are running throughout the coming week in the south west.The works are subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.GloucestershireM5 junction 10: Bridge repairsNarrow lanes with 50mph speed restrictions will be in place on the southbound and northbound carriageway until October 2015.M5 junction 11A: CommunicationsA full southbound entry slip road closure will take place from 8pm on 28 September...

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Mayor and TfL Board confirm Mike Brown MVO as London’s Transport CommissionerThe Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and the Board of Transport for London (TfL) confirmed the appointment of Mike Brown MVO as London’s new Transport Commissioner, following an international recruitment and selection process. Brown, who has been Interim Commissioner since July following the appointment of Sir Peter Hendy CBE as Chairman of Network Rail, will take up the post with immediate effect. Brown has been TfL’s Managing Director of London Underground and Rail since 2010, where he has overseen record performance of the Tube, DLR and London Overground alongside the vital moder...

Rail Magazine

• Shawcross says lack of taxi ranks will “leave passengers strandedâ€�A lack of taxi ranks could leave passengers stranded when the proposed 24-hour operation of some London Underground routes begins

Other News Sources

• Wider roads, flyovers and ‘smart motorway’ solutions for the south's busiest roads FLYOVERS could be built along the A27 to help relieve traffic on a notoriously clogged-up section of the road.
• Silent running: Falken cut noise from car tyres by up to 10 decibelsTyre manufacturer Falken has released a new design that could cut cabin noise levels by as much as four decibels and drive-by noise levels by up to 10 decibels.