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

Tuesday, 07 December 2010

BBC News

• Snow and ice alerts as cars stuckSnow and ice continues to cause chaos across much of the UK, with hundreds of drivers stranded overnight in parts of Scotland.
• Police urge drivers not to travelThree Scottish police forces warn motorists not to travel in the central belt after hundreds of drivers spend the night stranded in their cars.
• Poots lifts airport flights capEnvironment Minister Edwin Poots announces he will lift the cap on passenger numbers at George Best Belfast City Airport.
• Snow and ice causing travel chaosHundreds of drivers are snowbound in gridlock across central Scotland as parts of the country's transport network grinds to a halt.
• MOTs show 600,000 'clocked' cars5 live Investigates reporter Samantha Fenwick on the discovery that more than 600,000 cars on Britain's roads have been
• Continental blamed over ConcordeA Paris court blames US carrier Continental for the 2000 Concorde crash which killed 113, but the airline vows to appeal, describing the ruling as 'absurd'.
• UK car sales slowdown continuesSales of new cars in the UK fall for the fifth month running in November, despite the looming VAT rise in January.

Department for Transport

• New Permanent Secretary for Department for TransportThe Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Sir Gus O'Donnell is pleased to announce the appointment of Lin Homer as the new Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport.

Financial Times

• Minister seeks rail investment incentivesTrain operators and the network owner need fresh incentives to invest in new rail capacity, the transport secretary is expected to announce as part of moves towards reforming the system
• Continental guilty in Concorde crashUS airline could face millions in damages after a French court found it guilty of manslaughter over the July 2000 Concorde crash that killed 113 people

The Guardian

• Hundreds stuck in cars in ScotlandM8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh blanketed in snow trapping motorists, while major airports are forced to closeFresh blizzards closed Scottish airports and disrupted rail travel as the army was called in to help ambulance crews reach patients trapped in remote areas.Hundreds of drivers were stuck on the main route between Glasgow and Edinburgh as the snowy conditions blanketed the central belt of the country. Others opted to bed down in their offices rather than face the long commute home.Breakdowns and drifting snow blocked major roads. Lothian and Borders police forces said there ha...

The Herald

• Chaos on Scotland™s roads as blizzards batter countryThousands of people were stranded yesterday after the heavier-than-expected snowfall brought much of the country™s transport network to a complete standstill.
• Cost of big freeze could prove the final straw for some, warn business groupsBusinesses in Scotland are facing a fresh week of financial misery as snow forces shoppers to desert the high street, and distribution networks grind to a halt.
• Future brightens at Glasgow with surge in long-haul flightsGlasgow Airport is expecting a growth in passenger numbers as it emerges from its worst 12-month period on record, its managing director said.
• Scotland strandedMotorways and major roads were brought to a gridlocked standstill yesterday following a œperfect storm of snow during the morning rush hour.

The Telegraph

• Big freeze causes havoc in Scotland Hundreds stranded in cars overnight and children forced to sleep in schools as death toll from freezing weather rises to nine.

Belfast Telegraph

• UK car sales slide continues New car sales in the United Kingdom have slumped for the fifth successive month, it was announced today. Related StoriesNew round of quantitative easing 'unlikely'UK growth forecast is cut back as austerity hits homeTele's Business Month magazine - out todayHSBC accused of 'taking kickbacks to keep Madoff in business'No happy Christmas for shops as sales struggle

Birmingham Post

• Virgin Trains in row over extra trains for West Coast Main Line A new train intended to cut overcrowding on the West Coast Main Line is to sit gathering dust, following a row between Virgin Trains and the Government.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Renewed hope for cross city rail link Proposals to link the rail lines from Bradford Interchange to Forster Square could be considered after the country™s deficit is tackled, the Government has said.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Grit stocks in parts of North Wales running low GRIT stocks in parts of North Wales are already running low, as highways bosses battle to keep roads open in the freezing weather.

Liverpool Post

• West Coast Line Liverpool to London extra trains mothballed until 2012 A ROW over rail overcrowding descended into farce yesterday – when a new train was mothballed, instead of running on the Liverpool to London line.
• Liverpool airport and port security to be cut by 34% under UK Border Agency plans SECURITY at Liverpool’s borders is to be slashed by almost half, sparking fears it will lead to a huge rise in criminality, the Daily Post can reveal.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Notts temperatures reported to have dropped to -17c overnightTEMPERATURES plummeted to as low as -12c in Notts overnight. The Met Office recorded the temperature in Watnall. Nottingham's temperature fell to -10c. Some reports of temperatures as low as -17c in Calverton and Blidworth and -16c in Annesley have not been validated by the Met Office. Many pavements are still covered in ice, though most main roads are clear. A Met Office spokesman said no snow was forecast for Notts today, with Nottingham set to see temperatures of -2c during the day and -7c overnight. Some parts of Notts are expected to see temperatures a

Sheffield Star

• Four speed cameras switched off in cost-cutting driveFOUR speed cameras on South Yorkshire roads have been switched off on an experimental basis and more might follow, police have revealed.
• Free bus for shoppersA FREE park-and-ride bus service is being offered in a South Yorkshire town every Saturday in the run-up to Christmas.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Hundreds of drivers stuck in snowHundreds of drivers were stuck last night on the main route between Glasgow and Edinburgh as the snowy weather continued to bring disruption to Scotland™s roads.
• Travel chaos in Highlands, and there™s worse to come A severe weather warning was issued for the Highlands last night after a day of horrendous conditions hit road, rail and air travellers.

The York Press

• Train conductors may strike over Christmas wages Conductors on York-based train operator Northern Rail today started balloting for strikes in a row over Christmas pay.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds cyclists in toy appeal trekThey openly admit to being "two big units" who have never cycled before “ and in the current weather, it would be understandable if they didn't want to.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Travel update: Icy roads and delays on the trainsICY roads remain the threat for motorists this morning as temperatures plummeted again overnight.

Other Regional Press

• Heavy lorries a nuisance in HardwickeLorries weighing four times the road limit have been thundering through the area.
• Transport Plan consultationTwo weeks left to influence county™s 15-year transport plan.
• Airline starting extra flights from AberdeenAN AIRLINE was today set to launch a new service for passengers in Aberdeen.

International Herald Tribune

• On the Road: Business Travelers Adapt to Airline Fees and PerksA survey finds companies and business travelers are seeking a balance in airline fees to help employees be more comfortable and productive.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Fare hikes + overcrowding = fair fares??6 December: Evidence that punitive fare hikes will force commuters to drive to work has dealt yet another blow to the Government™s promise of fair pricing in rail travel. read more

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Weather causes temporary change to drivers' rulesThe freezing UK weather has caused the authorities to relax rules governing drivers' hours in order to prevent further supply chain disruption.Restrictions were temporarily lifted by transport secretary Philip Hammond for four days from December 4th in order to permit heavy goods vehicle operators to brave the winter conditions.The minister revealed the decision to extend the nine hour daily driving limit to ten hours was made to ensure vital supplies could be moved around the country such as petrol, groceries and salt.Mr Hammond told the BBC the lifting of restrictions was "a...

Other News Sources

• RMT fights threatened closure of Babcock Rail depot in NewcastleRAIL UNION RMT today pledged to step up the fight to save the Babcock Rail depot in Newcastle which is facing the threat of closure early in the New Year. RMT is calling on MP's to back Early Day Motion 1119 tabled in the name of Gateshead MP Ian Mearns:
• Police forces urge drivers not to travelMotorists are told to avoid ice-hit roads across the central belt after weather forced hundreds to spend the night in their cars.
• "First class response" to winter traffic chaosTransport Minister Stewart Stevenson has blamed unexpectedly heavy snow for the major road problems that forced drivers to sleep in their cars on major routes.
• Continental Airlines to appeal Concorde crash judgementContinental Airlines is to appeal today™s court judgement that blames the carrier for the crash of an Air France Concorde in Paris in 2000.
• Bids invited for concessionary travel technology Transport Minister announces tendering to start for future ready system Three organisations have been invited to tender for provision of a new concessionary travel asset management system announced Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, today. The new system, which is to replace the current back office technology, can be used across different modes of transport and will be supported across the whole of the UK. read more
• Winter staff facing more challenges with latest heavy snowfall Scotland™s army of winter maintenance staff and all its equipment  is working harder than ever to battle the elements following yet another onslaught of adverse weather conditions. Despite the significant challenge today™s recent spate of wintery blizzards has delivered, more than 160 vehicles and almost 400 staff continue to work round the clock to keep the national road network moving. Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson said: read more
• The Business Case for the Bombardier CSeriesAirInsight, an aviation consultancy, today issued a study, œThe Business Case for the Bombardier CSeries, that provides an in-depth analysis of the Canadian company™s leap into mainline jet... Click for the rest of the story
• Summary of current unplanned road closures on the HA network The A1(M) (Hertfordshire) northbound is closed between junctions J9 and J10, due to a multi-vehicle incident. A signed symbol diversion is in place, traffic to follow the solid triangle symbol.The A1 (Cmabridgeshire) northbound is closed between the junctions with the A47 and the A43, due to a jack-knifed lorry. A local diversion is in place.Further updates will be posted as available. For live traffic information, please select www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or phone the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated telephone service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to ...
• New dual carriageway between M1 and Bedford opensA new dual carriageway to reduce congestion, improve journey times and safety on the A421 between the M1 and Bedford was opened today. Although environmental work started on site in October 2008, major construction of the new eight-mile route – between junction 13 of the M1 and the Bedford Southern Bypass – started in April [...]
• Resurfacing scheme on M42The Highways Agency will begin a resurfacing and central reservation replacement scheme on the M42 near Tamworth on Monday 13 December to improve safety for road users. The Agency will resurface two miles of the M42 southbound carriageway between junction 10 (Tamworth) and 9 (Sutton Coldfield) as the existing surface has reached the end of [...]
• South London bottleneck eased with major improvements 6 December 2010 A notorious traffic bottleneck where six roads meet at Herne Hill junction has been transformed from a congestion nightmare into a pedestrian-friendly oasis. The infamous south London junction is no longer a daily battleground between pedestrians and motorists and, in part thanks to  £1.8 million Transport for London (TfL) funding, has become  a vastly improved public place for residents, businesses and visitors. outdoors.jpg ...
• Continental Airlines found guilty over Concorde crashA French court finds US airline Continental

Other Subscription Services

• TfL rethinks strategies for Tube upgrade workTransport for London is considering replicating a three-week shutdown at Paddington earlier this year as it seeks to minimise costs and the inconvenience to passengers caused by Tube upgrade work....
• Homer to finish transport department restructureUK Border Agency chief executive Lin Homer is to join the Department for Transport as permanent secretary in the New Year.Homer will succeed Robert Devereux, who has been appointed permanent...
• Alstom delivers first 11-car Pendolino to Edge HillThe first of four new 11-car Pendolino Class 390 trains ordered from Alstom arrived in Liverpool today (6 December). In line with the £1.5bn agreement signed between train lessor Angel Trains, the...