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

Sunday, 09 May 2010

BBC News

• Sea search for man after capsizeA search is being carried out for a man missing after a boat capsized in the sea near Larne in County Antrim.
• Iceberg crash family are rescuedA family of four whose yacht hit an iceberg in the south Atlantic are being taken to the Falkland Islands after being rescued by a warship.
• UK cyclists recover after crashFive British female cyclists are recovering following a collision with a car while training in Belgium.
• Ash cloud affects island airportsFlights to airports in Shetland and Orkney are cancelled as a result of ash from the Icelandic volcano
• Transatlantic flights hit by ashFlights from London's airports are hit as Spain closes 15 airports after a cloud of volcanic ash drifts towards the country's north.
• Tube maintenance work deal agreedThe end of the Public Private Partnership on the Tube is signalled with a deal to bring all maintenance work back in-house.
• 'Astronomical' rise in rail faresSome train operators are being accused of major fare rises, as a result of extending peak-time hours.

The Herald

• Volcanic ash still threat to flightsFlights to and from some Scottish and Irish airports could be about to face more disruption from Iceland™s volcanic ash cloud, weather forecasters said yesterday.
• ScotRail owner letting train subsidies take some of strainScotRail owner FirstGroup will demonstrate its heavy reliance on government subsidies when chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead checks in with a pedestrian set of annual results on Wednesday.

The Observer

• Volcano causes new flight disruptionRenewed activity in Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano causes cancellation of UK flights to Spain and PortugalThousands of air passengers face further flight disruption this weekend as a cloud of ash from the erupting volcano in Iceland drifts over western Europe.A number of flights from the UK and Ireland to Spain, Portugal and France were grounded by the ash cloud today, while 19 Spanish airports were closed this morning and are expected to remain shut until early tomorrow.Ryanair said airspace over southern France could also be restricted and the airline was expecting to have to cancel flig...

The Telegraph

• Train Companies accused of astronomical fare risesSome fares have effectively quadrupled overnight after the extension of what are classed as peak hours for travel. A survey found more than 180 services a week have been rescheduled by South West Trains and Virgin Trains alone. Changing a journey from off-peak to peak allows the operator to charge more without needing permission from the regulator. However, the train companies insisted the rises will affect only a "tiny" number of passengers.
• British couple rescued by warship after yacht hits iceberg British family rescued from sinking yacht after hitting iceberg in Atlantic.

Times Online

• Air travel hit as volcano hurls up new ash cloudHOLIDAYMAKERS faced disruption yesterday when more than two dozen flights from Britain were cancelled because of new plumes of ash from the Icelandic volcano, which forced the closure of airports in Spain and Portugal.
• British family rescued after yacht hits iceberg in South AtlanticA British family have been rescued by a warship in the South Atlantic after their yacht hit an iceberg and began to sink.
• Ford to offer drivers a talking Twitter service Hands-free tweeting is coming to Britain. New technology being fitted to some Ford cars will give drivers Twitter updates read out loud to them robotically while they’re driving. Future versions will enable drivers to dictate their own tweets via a voice recognition system without taking their hands off the wheel.
• Mercedes hit by power flaw In the wake of high-profile car recalls by Toyota and Honda, Mercedes-Benz is now also being hit by demands to issue a recall. Owners of some Mercedes C and E-class BlueEfficiency diesels have reported that their cars suddenly lose power, sometimes when driving at high speed.

Daily Express

• Volcano fallout stings easyJetASH from the Icelandic volcano eruption cast a cloud over passenger numbers at budget airline easyJet last month.

Mail Online

• Now ash cloud hits scores of flights to Spain...and it could be Italy nextThousands of British holidaymakers saw their flights to and from Portugal and Spain cancelled on Saturday.

The Mirror

• TOUR DE FORCE A police chief has ordered his officers to get on their bikes. Andy Bliss, Essex's Deputy Chief Constable, has launched Operation Velo, using two-wheel patrols instead of cars, after officers on bicycles made more than 100 arrests last year.

Birmingham Mail

• Fresh volcanic ash delays hit flights at Birmingham Airport MIDLANDS holidaymakers were today facing fresh volcanic ash disruption as 15 airports in Spain and Portgual were closed.

Liverpool Post

• Liverpool John Lennon airport passengers warned of further ash cloud disruption    LIVERPOOL John Lennon airport has warned travellers they may face further disruption because of the volcanic ash cloud.

London Evening Standard

• Flights 'face more ash disruption'Travel misery has returned for UK air passengers as volcanic ash from Iceland grounded flights to Spain, France and Portugal and the risk loomed of more disruption on Sunday.
• Family rescued after iceberg hitA family's round-the-world yacht voyage almost ended in disaster after they hit an iceberg in the South Atlantic and were rescued by a warship.
• Rail operators 'mugging passengers'Train operators have been accused of

Metro

• Rail operators 'mugging passengers'Train operators have been accused of
• Flights 'face more ash disruption'Travel misery has returned for UK air passengers as volcanic ash from Iceland grounded flights to Spain, France and Portugal and the risk loomed of more disruption on Sunday.
• Family rescued after iceberg hitA family's round-the-world yacht voyage almost ended in disaster after they hit an iceberg in the South Atlantic and were rescued by a warship.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Woman in fall from top floor of a car park A WOMAN is fighting for her life in hospital after falling from the top floor of the car park at Portsmouth's Continental Ferry Port.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• First electric car in the northTHE first electric car to be used in the Highlands has arrived in Inverness this week, giving motor vehicle students from Inverness College UHI the opportunity to service such a vehicle.
• Barrage of protest over Stagecoach changesBus giant Stagecoach launched its new timetables at the beginning of this week “ and passengers have already criticised the changes.

The York Press

• Dial & Ride buses in York may go private A TRANSPORT service which ferries elderly people around York could be œoutsourced to a private company.

Wales Online

• Ash cloud grounds flights to southern Europe Travel misery returned for UK air passengers today as volcanic ash from Iceland grounded flights to Spain, France and Portugal and the risk loomed of more disruption tomorrow.

The Shields Gazette

• Reprieve hope for car parts plantANXIOUS car parts workers will find out next week whether their jobs have been saved.

Other Regional Press

• Ruling on Super Pumas risk near Aberdeen AirportTWO Super Puma helicopters came within 500ft of each other near Aberdeen.

C.N.N.

• Volcanic ash shuts down Spanish airportsSixteen Spanish airports closed Saturday because of ash blowing from an Icelandic volcano and threatened to disrupt more flights on Sunday.

International Herald Tribune

• Ash Slows Air Travel Across the AtlanticPlanes had to be rerouted north over Greenland or south over Spain to avoid a spreading cloud of volcanic ash.

Washington Post

• Rep. Norm Dicks is about to go from Mr. Boeing to Mr. Spending Maybe this whole outsourcing thing has gone too far. This week, House Democrats indicated they have plans to contract out the federal government's spending to Boeing.

Other News Sources

• Volcanic ash disruption for southern Europe Volcanic ash from Iceland is causing yet more travel disruption as flights to Spain, Portugal and France are grounded.Related StoriesControllers hoping flight disruption will easeRelief for air passengers as ash cloud moves awayPassenger stopped in New York airport scareEasyjet reveals extent of ash cloud impactShares deal ends Tube privatisation scheme
• UK airports braced for further ash delaysFlights to Spain and Portugal are cancelled as experts warn the UK could face more disruption from Iceland's volcanic ash due to a high level plume blowing in from the Atlantic.