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

Saturday, 02 January 2010

BBC News

• Woman killed in hit-and-run crashFive men are arrested over the death of a woman who was hit by a car in north London in the early hours of New Year's Day.
• Work to continue on road craterEngineers are to continue investigating the cause of a large crater in a car park which forced evacuations from flats.
• Motorists face new 'victims levy'Motorists in England and Wales fined for minor offences may have to pay an extra £15 under a scheme to support crime victims.
• PM orders airport security reviewGordon Brown has ordered an airport security review in the UK after the

Department for Transport

• New Year heralds lower fares for many rail passengersThe majority of commuters will benefit from cheaper tickets from Saturday as most regulated rail fares drop in price.

The Guardian

• I used to steal double-deckers'One minute I was staring at a red bus, the next I just jumped aboard'It first happened five years ago when I was walking past my local bus depot. As a child, I'd watched bus drivers in awe, wondering what it felt like to be behind the wheel. Now I was about to find out. One minute I was staring at a red double-decker bus, the next I just jumped aboard. It was as easy as that. I started pressing all the buttons until I found the master switch and got the engine started....
• Airport checks could focus on race¢ Whitehall says passenger profiling 'in the mix'¢ New body scanners would pose space problemThe government could allow hi-tech security searches at British airports that focus on people who fit a particular profile, prompting fears that particular racial and religious groups will face increased scrutiny, it emergedtoday .A Whitehall source told the Guardian passenger profiling was

The Herald

• Weather warning issued to New Year travellersNew Year travellers were urged today to be cautious while making their way home during the longest unbroken cold snap for decades.
• Brown orders urgent airline security review The UK will move œquickly to enhance airport security after the œwake-up call of the failed Christmas Day airliner attack, Gordon Brown has promised.
• Voyage into renewable sector way forward for shipbuilderFerguson Marine, the last independent shipbuilder on the Clyde, is hoping the fast-growing renewable energy sector will prove a valuable source of work as it battles to return to profit after many years of losses.

The Independent

• Adonis in all-party talks on high-speed rail link The new high-speed rail line will guarantee shorter journey times to Scotland from day one of the service, the Transport Secretary has promised.
• Rail fares to increase Some main line rail fares will rise today, with Tube and London bus ticket prices also increasing.

The Scotsman

• Travellers to pay more for ticketsSome main line rail fares have risen, with Tube and London bus ticket prices also increasing.
• Brown calls meeting after bomb plotGordon Brown has called a high-level international meeting in London to discuss methods of countering radicalisation in Yemen, in the wake of the Christmas Day airline bomb at
• More freezing conditions expectedThe Arctic start to the new year is set to continue for the first half of the month with fresh snowfall, severe frosts and ice on the roads, forecasters have said.

Times Online

• Warnings for motorists after eight die in the freezing conditionsMotorists face hazardous driving conditions this weekend as the end of the Christmas break is hit by a big freeze. With parts of northern England and Scotland struggling to get above 0C, forecasters warned that ice on the roads would be a problem well into next week.
• Silvio Berlusconi drives hard bargain in Russian car deal with Putin Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, has bagged himself a bargain with 10 per cent off a new Russian-built 4x4 vehicle.
• £15 extra on car fines to help victims of domestic violence and sex attacks Drivers who are found guilty of minor motoring offences face a £15 surcharge to help victims of domestic violence and other violent crime.

Reuters News

• Dublin airport suspends flights in cold weatherDUBLIN (Reuters) - All flights to and from Dublin were suspended on Friday after heavy snowfall on New Year's Eve which also disrupted bus and rail services in the Irish capital.
• Government reviews security after Detroit attackLONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it was reviewing airport security and passenger screening procedures after a Nigerian who had studied in Britain was charged over last week's failed plot to bomb a U.S. passenger jet.

Daily Express

• Owen hopes to drive 2010 salesLUXURY car dealer HR Owen expects to return to profit in 2010 thanks to cost cuts and improved trading conditions.

Daily Record

• Fury over £26m spent by police forces on hire carsCASH-STRAPPED cops have been spending more than £26million a year on hire cars.

Mail Online

• £15 extra tax on car fines: Now drivers face hefty surcharge to compensate victims of violent crime

The Mirror

• Snow alert as chill set to drag onThe freeze will carry on for another week with more snow on the way, the Met Office said last night.
• Your shout: BA cabin crewBefore Christmas I wrote in support of BA cabin crews’ battle with their blinkered management. The response was overwhelming – thank you, cabin crew. Good luck!
• South West Trains Christmas timetable an argument for re-nationalisationSouth West Trains, hang your head (or your front carriage) in shame. Why did you shut down the whole south-west of England over Christmas?
• Travellers to pay more for ticketsSome main line rail fares have risen, with Tube and London bus ticket prices also increasing.
• More freezing conditions expectedThe Arctic start to the new year is set to continue for the first half of the month with fresh snowfall, severe frosts and ice on the roads, forecasters have said.

The Sun

• £15 extra on car fines for 'victims' DRIVERS breaking motoring laws will be given an extra charge to help crime victims

Bolton News

• £3m police bill for hire cars ˜a waste of money™ POLICE in Greater Manchester have spent more than £3 million on hire cars over the last five years.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Hoaxers put Anglesey RNLI crew in dangerAN RNLI crew wasted hours searching in arctic conditions yesterday after hoaxers reported distress flares off Anglesey.
• North Wales Police investigator tells of crash processesA SMALL scuff mark on a kerb was the vital clue that helped skilled accident investigators explain one of North Wales’ most horrific car smashes.
• Fresh snow brings spate of accidents in North WalesCARS crashed and roads were closed as snow and sub-zero temperatures combined to create treacherous conditions yesterday.

Liverpool Echo

• New custody suite at Lime Street StationA NEW custody suite has been installed at Liverpool’s Lime Street Station by British Transport Police.
• Fury over Merseyside Police hire car billPOLICE forces across the country are spending half a million pounds a week hiring cars – with Merseyside Police alone racking up a £10,000 weekly bill.

London Evening Standard

• PM orders airport security reviewThe UK will move
• Brown to discuss airport scannersThe UK will move
• £70,000 'a day on police hire cars'Police forces are spending half a million pounds a week hiring cars, new figures reveal.
• Brown calls meeting after bomb plotGordon Brown has called a high-level international meeting in London to discuss methods of countering radicalisation in Yemen, in the wake of the Christmas Day airline bomb attack.
• Travellers to pay more for ticketsSome main line rail fares have risen, with Tube and London bus ticket prices also increasing.
• More freezing conditions expectedThe Arctic start to the new year is set to continue for the first half of the month with fresh snowfall, severe frosts and ice on the roads, forecasters have said.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Tributes after coach driver Keith Fox dies at the wheelA COACH driver today relived the moment he managed to steer a bus full of children to safety after his best mate died at the wheel.

The News (Portsmouth)

• A3 milestone for tunnel project as new road opensRoad-builders have taken another major step towards completing one of the south's biggest projects.
• Driver who parked in mayor's slot wins ticket appealA driver has won a year- long battle with a council after he left his car in the mayor's parking space.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Parents lodge plans for car park at schoolA group of parents has lodged plans for a new car park at their local primary school, to prevent cars parking on the road.
• Model railway buffs invite youngsters on boardA LONG-RUNNING model railway club in Moray has announced an ambitious plan to bring younger members on board.
• Job offers flood in for cycling stunt superstar Skye cycling stunt superstar Danny MacAskill is preparing for a busy new year as offers continue to flood in for his remarkable skills.
• Junction safety options consideredA dangerous road junction which was the scene of a serious bus crash looks set to be made safer.
• Rental cars cost police £5.7m over five yearsScotland™s eight police forces have paid out more than £5million on rental cars in the last five years, with three forces spending more than £1million each, figures have revealed.
• Forecasters warn weather is not going to change any time soonForecasters were reporting no end in sight to the cold snap as thick snow continued to cover Inverness and the Highlands last night.
• A Hogmanay to remember for stranded passengersMore than a dozen passengers spent Hogmanay at Inverness Airport after freezing conditions grounded flights.

Wales Online

• Lack of international promotion ’denying Wales lucrative air links’A FAILURE to promote Wales to international tourists is costing the country lucrative air links, a leading aviation expert has warned.
• Hired cop cars cost Welsh taxpayer £2,000 per dayPOLICE forces in Wales have spent more than £2,000 every day for the last five years on hiring cars, it emerged yesterday.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Rail passengers face up to 15pc fare risesSome rail passengers will face increased fares of up to 15 per cent when new ticket prices are introduced tomorrow.
• Ferrets can fly from Leeds Bradford AirportIt's the news that travelling Tykes everywhere have been waiting for “ they can now take their FERRETS on flights from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Blackpool Gazette

• Boss: My shame over drink-drive banA FYLDE coast businessman has spoken of his shame after being prosecuted for drink-driving.
• Tip-off led to road ban for van driverA HORSE breeder was stopped driving a box van after police received a tip-off someone had smelled alcohol on his breath.

Bucks Free Press

• Anger over council magazine's "True Grit" claimsRESIDENTS have slammed a taxpayer-funded magazine which said road chiefs were ready for snow “ days before the weather brought Buckinghamshire to a standstill.
• Driver's anger over "inhumane" clamping A FURIOUS driver who abandoned her car in last week™s snow returned to find it had been clamped.
• Council: "very little" wrong with gritting A ROADS boss says œvery little went wrong with gritters™ efforts when south Buckinghamshire was paralysed by snow last week.

Carlisle News & Star

• Six rescued from snow drifts on rural Cumbria roadSix people had to be airlifted to safety after drifting snow left them stranded on a rural road into Cumbria.
• ˜Build bypass before extending Kingmoor™HIGHWAYS chiefs have told Carlisle planners that they would not like a proposed 90-acre extension to Kingmoor Park built until after the city™s £176m new bypass is completed.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Motorway closure saves pigs' bacon after crashA busy motorway near Bishop's Stortford had to be closed after a herd of pigs escaped and ran on a carriageway.

Sunderland Echo

• Have your say on the buses Passengers are being given a chance to have their say on changes to be made to their bus services.
• £1,000 reward after rail threat A reward of up to £1,000 is being offered after the theft of cable from the Newcastle to Sunderland rail line.
• Months of roadworks misery ahead for driversThousands of drivers face 16 weeks' of rush-hour misery as roadworks begin on a major route into Wearside.

The Shields Gazette

• Blunder denies town extra parkingA COUNCIL blunder saw a prominent town centre car park closed to shoppers at Christmas.

C.N.N.

• FAA watching American Airlines closely after botched landingsThe FAA said Friday it is heightening scrutiny of American Airlines after the carrier had three landings go wrong in December.
• At least 2 killed in India train crashesAt least two passengers died in two separate train collisions blamed on fog and power failure in northern India on Saturday, rail officials said.

International Herald Tribune

• What to Expect as T.S.A. Tightens Airport SecurityTravelers are advised to brush up on the security agency’s rules before heading to the airport.
• In Cuba’s Time Capsule, an Automotive LegacyIn the heart of Havana’s historic district, a museum displays cars, trucks and motorcycles that represent the last century of Cuba’s automotive history.

Washington Post

• Ford Transit Connect finally comes to US -- The new Ford Transit Connect has a strange name, a compact European delivery van appearance and a ceiling that's so tall, someone sitting in the driver's seat might only reach it with fingertips.
• U.S. auto sales may end bleak 2009 on minor uptick DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales are expected to end 2009 on a slight upswing in December, capping a year that saw General Motors and Chrysler collapse into bankruptcy and China overtake the United States as the biggest car market.
• Ex-Homeland Security chief head said to abuse public trust by touting body scanners Since the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day, former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff has given dozens of media interviews touting the need for the federal government to buy more full-body scanners for airports.
• In hiring new lobbyists, GM shows that it's playing the Beltway game In naming new leaders to General Motors' lobbying office in Washington on Wednesday, company chairman and chief executive Edward E. Whitacre Jr. tacitly underscored the importance of government policies to the recovery of the nation's largest automaker, according to those who follow the industry.

Railnews

• News: New Year honours for railway achievers Several well known railway people have been included in the Queen's New Year Honours list. The former chairman of the ORR Chris Bolt, who is also the PPP Arbiter, becomes a Companion of the Order of the Bath, while Chiltern Railways chairman Adrian Shooter has received a CBE.

Railway Gazette

• Siemens signs Russian Olympic train orderRUSSIA: Russian Railways has awarded Siemens Mobility the contract to supply regional multiple-units for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The order announced on December 30 follows several months of negotiations. The initial firm order is worth €410m and covers 38 of the 1520 mm gauge Desiro units with a top speed of 160 km/h. These will be manufactured at Krefeld in Germany. A preliminary agreement has also been signed for a further 16 units, which would be partly built in Russia and bring the total value of the order to €580m. The trains will enter service from autumn 2013 o...
• Knorr-Bremse buys simulator firm AUSTRALIA: Knorr-Bremse acquired rail driving simulator manufacturer Sydac on December 16, saying the purchase forms part of a strategy of targeted acquisitions to strengthen its position in a number of markets. It is the fourth acquisition by Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems in 2009, following from precision machining firm De Zan and circuit breaker manufacturer EMC Traction, both based in Italy, and US brake hose specialist Premtec. The acquisitions have been financed from current cash flow.

Aviation Industry

• Heads set to roll as Obama goes on attack over security failures that ...Heads set to roll as Obama goes on attack over security failures that allowed Christmas Day bomber on to plane By Mail Foreign Service Last updated at 5:49 PM on 31st December 2009 Heads are set to roll in the U.S. intelligence community as an angry Barack Obama fends off criticism over the attempted bombing of a passenger plane on Christmas Day.
• Airports getting 150 full-body scannersOne hundred and fifty new full-body scanning machines are set to be placed in airports across the United States as federal authorities work to close security loopholes exposed by the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner.
• Airline hero says failed bombing mirrors scriptThe Dutch traveler who has been hailed as a hero for stopping a suspected bomber on a U.S.-bound flight says the whole thing felt like a movie script _ his own.
• Brown to discuss airport scannersThe UK will move
• Flight diverted because of Christmas ornamentA spokesman says a Northwest Airlines flight from Detroit was briefly diverted to Tennessee after someone found a suspicious package that turned out to be a Christmas ornament.
• First A380 passenger flight to Antarctica (press release)Aviation history will be made this evening when a Qantas Airbus A380 "superjumbo" - designated as flight QF 2903 - departs Melbourne, bound for Antarctica.read more

Other News Sources

• China floats idea of first overseas naval base A senior Chinese naval officer has suggested that...
• Brown orders airport security reviewPrime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a review of security measures at UK airports following the failed bomb attack on a Delta flight to Detroit on Christmas day. Writing on the Number 10 website, Brown said the attack had provided a
• Probing pat-downs likely at airportsC HICAGO - With all the screening technology at U.S. airports, the last line of defense is the human hand: the pat-down. But aviation experts say the pat-down is often ineffective, in part because go...
• 4 die as trains collide in fog-bound northern IndiaLUCKNOW (AFP) - At least four people were killed when four express trains collided in separate incidents in the fog-bound northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, police and railway officia...
• Rail firms 'hiding' 15% fare increasesRail passengers are facing inflation-busting fare rises of up to 15% in the New Year, sparking accusations that 'rip-off' increases are being disguised
• Obama Administration Sends Strong Message Against Texting While DrivingThe federal government is taking decisive action to curb the danger of texting behind the wheel.
• Causes of Car AccidentsIt is no secret that automobile accidents can be stressful. There is typically damage to your car, and injuries can range from a few scratches to serious injury and even death.
• Distracted Drivers One of the Biggest Safety Risks on the RoadAccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted drivers are the number one cause of accidents on American roadways, accounting for 80percent of all accidents.
• New railway bridge for Diss after round-the-clock effortA team of Network Rail engineers has worked around the clock over the Christmas weekend to replace the main railway bridge in Diss in just 72 hours
• Brown beefs up anti-terror security Gordon Brown is promising the UK will move
• Britain's icy spell continues into 2010 The Arctic start to the new year is set to continue with fresh snowfall, severe frosts and ice on the roads.Related StoriesWeather creates miserable return to workThree killed in crash on snowy motorwayBig freeze continues after six deathsThousands toast New Year in icy conditionsShoppers hit as 2010 sees end of the VAT holiday
• Confusion as rail fares go both up and down Some main line rail fares and Tube tickets are rising but rail season ticket holders, will either pay less or have their prices frozen.Related StoriesHouse prices rise by 5.9 per cent during 2009
• Reply is a 'waste of government-headed paper'A driver who received a response from his MP nine months after he wrote asking for help with the rising cost of fuel has branded the reply a
• TSA issues whole-body scanner contract to L-3The US Transportation Security Administration yesterday issued a $165 million contract to purchase whole-body imagers for airport security checkpoints from...
• Heathrow Airport warns US passengers to limit baggagePassengers travelling to the US from Heathrow Airport have been advised to limit the amount of baggage that they are taking on board the aircraft.The advice was issued in an attempt to keep delays to a minimum after enhanced security procedures were introduced last week.It followed an alleged bomb attempt on a plane in the US by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.He has been accused of trying to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit and had explosive materials inside a condom that was strapped to his thigh.Since the attempted explosion, security has been stepped-up at airports around the world cau...
• China proposes anti-pirate baseA SENIOR Chinese naval officer has reportedly suggested that China set up a permanent base in the Gulf of Aden to help it fight pirates.
• Liverpool to welcome new green transport services Green transport boost for Liverpool.
• Consumers set for 2010 price riseExtra sales tax, an end to the stamp duty threshold holiday and increasing rail fares. Cathy Newman reports on what could be an expensive New Year.
• Airport security to be increasedThe Prime Minister has promised the UK will move swiftly to improve airport security in the wake of the Christmas day attempted bombing of a plane in Detroit. Andy Davies reports.
• Season ticket freeze but train companies turn up heat on off-peak tickets (press release)Passengers this New Year will welcome a slight fall in the cost of their season ticket. But some train companies are effectively forcing passengers to pay more for their travel by again fiddling with ticket restrictions. Some unregulated fares will also rise significantly more than inflation. read more