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

Wednesday, 08 December 2010

BBC News

• Temperatures drop again overnightTemperatures dropped far below freezing overnight to bring further disruption on the roads and the threat of prolonged school closures.
• Scottish Transport Minister apologisesScotland's Transport Minister has blamed
• Minister 'sorry' over snow problemsScotland's transport minister apologises after hundreds of motorists are stranded overnight after heavy snow hits motorways.
• Safety plea issued over icy roadsDrivers are urged to only to take extra care on icy routes in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
• Statement due on roads chaosScotland's transport minister will make an emergency statement to parliament later on the snow chaos which brought gridlock to major roads.
• Public warned to stay off roadsDrivers in Scotland's central belt are advised to make only
• Flybe staff 'may take pay action'Up to 700 pilots at the airline Flybe are threatening to take industrial action over pay, pensions and working patterns.
• Stagecoach enjoys higher profitsStagecoach's half-year profits rise 43%, driven by higher passenger numbers on both its rail and bus operations.

Financial Times

• Rail costs 'could be cut by £1bn'The rail industry's costs could be cut by up to £1bn a year without affecting services, says the latest version of a government-sponsored study into why the business is so expensive

The Guardian

• Travel chaos blamed on forecastMet Office insists it gave adequate warnings of snow that brought central Scotland to a standstillPressure was growing on the Scottish government tonight after the country's transport minister appeared to blame the wrong kind of weather forecast for the travel chaos that brought much of the central belt to a standstill in heavy snow.Police were today still working to clear hundreds of vehicles stuck or abandoned on key routes. Some travellers endured 15 hours trapped in their vehicles on Monday night as snow, ice and freezing fog left many major routes, such as the M8 and M9, impassable.There ...

The Independent

• Big freeze traps hundreds as temperatures plunge Hundreds of cars were stranded on snowbound roads for a second night as temperatures plunged towards minus 20C.
• Tram crash driver to be sentenced The driver of tram which struck and killed a pensioner will be sentenced today.

Daily Record

• Nation's fury as minister hails 'first class' response to snow chaos FAMILIES told yesterday how they were trapped on Scotland's frozen roads for up to 20 hours as the country ground to a halt.

Birmingham Mail

• Tilting trains are left to rot in row between Virgin Trains and goverment A NEW train intended to cut overcrowding on rail journeys between Birmingham and London is sitting gathering dust following a row between Virgin Trains and the Government.

Birmingham Post

• High Speed rail campaigners celebrate after changes made to route in Staffordshire Campaigners battling to thwart the proposed route of Britain’s second high speed railway through Staffordshire are celebrating after it emerged planners had rejected part of the route that threatened to blight their homes.
• Virgin refusing to use new trains following row with Government 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.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Ice causes more problems on North Wales' roads BLACK ice caused traffic chaos on the A55 for the third day running.

Journal Live

• Ancestors of shipbuilders are wanted A RUSSIAN maritime museum is appealing to people of the North East to help uncover details of one of the most powerful icebreaker ships built on Tyneside.
• Newer trains could be heading North TRANSPORT chiefs are to be pressed by campaigners to ensure more modern trains are brought to the region.

London Evening Standard

• Hundreds stranded by heavy snowHundreds of cars have been stranded on snowbound roads for a second night as temperatures plunged towards minus 20C.
• Big freeze traps hundreds on roads as snow moves southHundreds of cars were stranded on snowbound roads for a second night as temperatures plunged towards minus 20C

Metro

• ˜50-year storm™ traps hundreds in cars overnight in ScotlandDrivers have told how they were left ˜freezing and starving™ overnight in their cars as the cold snap maintained its grip.
• Air passengers pay over odds on ˜shared™ flightsMany airline passengers pay hundreds of pounds more for their tickets than other people in the same cabin, a study has revealed.
• Rail passengers a low priority for train bosses, says reportRail passengers suffer ˜unfair™ variations in fare levels, warring factions within the industry and lack of clear leadership, a report has concluded.

The News (Portsmouth)

• Ship heads home after Caribbean deploymentHMS Manchester will arrive home from the Caribbean tomorrow after a seven-month deployment in which she scored two major drug busts.

Wales Online

• £22m railway station fails to impress passengers IT was billed as the £22m jewel that would welcome the world to Wales for the Ryder Cup.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds-London rail line 'won't be privatised until 2012'The Leeds to London East Coast Mainline will not be privatised for another two years, it has been revealed.

Blackpool Gazette

• Cabbies' fury over icy roadsFURIOUS taxi drivers claim they lost thousands of pounds in "treacherous" conditions which made the roads dangerous to negotiate at the weekend.
• Airport beaten in High CourtBLACKPOOL Airport has suffered a stinging High Court defeat at the hands of budget airline, Jet2.com, after it tried to ban early morning and night flights.

Other Regional Press

• UK & World News: Hundreds stranded by heavy snow Hundreds of cars have been stranded on snowbound roads for a second night as temperatures plunged towards minus 20C.
• Breaking news: Drivers warned over icy conditions Drivers have been warned to take extra care in a fresh severe weather alert issued for Teesside
• Rethink on bus stationPlans for a new multi-million pound bus station in Preston are being torn up and sent back to the drawing board.
• Rail station congratulated for crime preventionAlistair Burt, the Member of Parliament for North East Bedfordshire has offered his congratulations to Biggleswade rail station after it was accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme. The Scheme has

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Drivers advised to turn engines over in chillAs sub zero temperatures continue across the UK, motorists have been urged to ensure they turn their engines over in order to avoid non-starts.This is according to the RAC, which has revealed many of its calls at the start of the week were as a result of problems getting cars to go, in addition to issues with frozen cooling systems and ice sticking wiper blades to windows.If vehicles have not been in use for a few days, the motoring group recommends that drivers take time to run their engine to prevent difficulties when they are in a morning rush."Many motorists have heeded the advice...

Railnews

• News: McNulty identifies rail savings of 'up to £1bn a year' A new report has suggested that the railway industry could be saving as much as £1 billion a year by working more effectively. The transport secretary has welcomed the interim findings of Sir Roy McNulty, who is carrying out a detailed investigation of the industry's costs.

Railway Gazette

• Opening of Shin-Aomori extension completes Tohoku Shinkansen JAPAN: JR East launched revenue services on the final phase of the Tohoku Shinkansen on December 4. The 81·8 km extension runs from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori in mountainous northern Honshu, and includes the 26·5 km Hakkoda tunnel, the longest land bore on the Japanese rail network. The line features extensive snow mitigation measures, including a hot water spray system to melt snow. Completion of the full 675 km route from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori comes 28 years after the opening of the initial Omiya - Morioka section in June 1982. Services are being operated using Series E2 Hayate trainsets, wi...
• BTS to operate SkyTrain extensionTHAILAND: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration subsidiary Krungthep Thanakom has awarded SkyTrain operator BTS a 674m baht contract to operate and maintain the 5·3 km Sukhumvit Line extension from On Nut to Bearing which is due to open on August 12 2011. The contract is initially valid for one year from the start of commercial operations but may be extended to 19 years or until BTSC™s 30-year SkyTrain concession expires. BTSC also entered into an agreement with Krungthep Thanakom on November 23 to provide assistance with commissioning and trial running in preparation for the opening. The new se...

Other News Sources

• Mayor: We're doing our best on the roadsFIRST the snow and now the ice have been wreaking havoc across the country and criticism of the Government and local authorities has been scathing about their preparedness 
• Government gives strongest indication yet of Network Rail shake-upTransport secretary Philip Hammond today pledged to instigate a œradical shake-up of the railways to reduce running costs by up to £1bn per year.
• RMT welcomes rejection of moves to privatise the Royal Navy life line - the Royal Fleet Auxiliary - and steps up campaign to save jobsMARTIME UNION RMT today welcomed the decision by the Government to abandon plans to privatise the Royal Navy supplies life line - the Royal Fleet Auxiliary - and to retain the current, directly-delivered model for this vital service.
• RMT to ballot for action on Southeastern trainsRAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that is to ballot staff on Southeastern trains for strike action and action short of a strike over plans to cut jobs and reduce the role of team leaders at Charing Cross and Victoria stations.
• Bombardier and China's Ministry of Railways Sign a Multi-level Strategic Cooperation AgreementBombardier and China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening their strategic partnership in the development of various products and systems, including rolling stock and signaling solutions applied in mainline and regional railways for the market in China and internationally.
• Richard Branson: We would welcome a fair carbon tax Richard Branson spoke about carbon taxes at the UN climate change summit in Cancun.
• Traffic problems in the east continue to hit travellersThe M8 westbound remains closed and public transport is delayed in second week of big freeze.
• Transport disruption and school closures continue in the westLittle sign of improvement as services are cancelled and schools shut their doors.
• Chichester driver cheats death after car slides into train A driver escaped death by inches after her car skidded through a level crossing barrier and hit a train.
• GM to streamline production of fuel-cell systemsGeneral Motors hopes to slash the costs of its hydrogen fuel cells by 75 per cent as it targets a significant rise in alternative fuel vehicle sales by 2015.
• Summary of current closures on the Highways Agency Network West MidlandsOn the A38 between the junctions with the A513 and the A5127, there are currently delays of 15 minutes due to an incident closing the road  between the junctions with the A5192 and the A5148. Road expected to re-open from 11:15hrs.Further updates will be posted as available. For live traffic information, please select www.highways.gov.uk/traffic
• European urban freight conferenceThe Award winning Tyne and Wear Freight Partnership, managed by AECOM, on behalf of the Tyne and Wear Local Transport Plan Team, is running a free European Urban Freight Conference on 22 February 2011 at NewcastleCivic Centre. The conference, which includes organised site visits, is intended to provide a platform for transport operators, industry experts, [...]
• New dual carriageway opensA new dual carriageway to reduce congestion, improve journey times and safety on the A421 between the M1 and Bedford is now open to traffic. 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 [...]
• M1 southbound resurfacingThe Highways Agency is advising drivers that overnight resurfacing works will take place on the M1 southbound carriageway between Junction 35a (Stocksbridge Bypass) and Junction 36 (Barnsley), in South Yorkshire. Work will take place from 13 to 16 December, between 8pm and 6am to resurface sections of the southbound carriageway, lay new road markings and [...]
• 220 tonnes of salt used up this morning GRITTERS sprayed 220 tonnes of salt onto Herefordshire's roads this morning.
• Groundhog Day for drivers as arctic conditions continueFollowing the second busiest day of the current bad weather so far for RAC – with breakdowns 50% higher than normal – today is looking equally as busy with calls peaking at around 2,700 per hour this morning and RAC is expecting to have handled in the region of 15,000 by the end of the day. Updated on 07/12/2010 16:52:58. © RAC breakdown cover and car insurance.
• Travelling public have helped clear-up by avoiding non-urgent travel The Scottish Government and police forces have renewed their advice this afternoon (7 December) for drivers to make only essential journeys, despite progress made today in opening some parts of the roads network. The M8 Westbound J1-5 is expected to remain closed overnight, while drivers have also been urged particularly to avoid the A80 Stepps to Haggs and M74 Hamilton Services. read more
• Strikes halt transport in AthensStrikes have halted public transport in Athens for 24 hours, in the latest display of union opposition to austerity measures in crisis-hit Greece.Buses, the metro, trams and trolleys stopped in the ca...
• Setra provides forum for young bus operators The Setra Bus and Coach unit supports young bus operators from across Europe. On the initiative of the Ulm-based bus brand, 40 bus operators from Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland as well as the Netherlands and Turkey came together in Prague for the mutual exchange of information and thoughts. The overriding topic this year at the meeting of the Young Bus Operators, the eleventh to date, was the
• Glasgow Airport Possible Delays Due to Severe WeatherGlasgow Airport is open. However, the recent bad weather conditions continue to affect operations. We advise you to contact your airline and check your flight™s status before travelling to the airport. Arriva’s Glasgow Flyer 500 and First’s 747 bus services are both operating. You can also keep up-to-date by following Glasgow Airport on Twitter.
• Edinburgh Airport Possible Delays Due to Bad WeatherEdinburgh Airport is open. However, the recent bad weather is causing some disruption to flight schedules. We advise you to contact your airline and check your flight™s status before setting out for the airport. You can also keep up-to-date by following Edinburgh Airport on Twitter.
• Beware of novice cyclists! FTA warns truckers as Cycle Hire Scheme launches to casual usersLorry drivers in London should be extra vigilant as thousands of inexperienced cyclists are expected to take advantage of the Cycle Hire Scheme, ...
• Rail freight must not fall foul of passenger interests: FTA responds to McNulty studyChanges to the way the UK™s railways are run are necessary for the future of the rail industry. ...
• Bombardier to deliver first CRJ1000 on 14 DecemberBombardier is gearing up to deliver its first production CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet on 14 December.Launch customers for the 100-seat aircraft, Spain's...
• Ban on liquids to be relaxed at Gatwick AirportTravellers leaving UK travel hubs, such as Gatwick Airport, will gradually experience the ban on liquids being relaxed.By next year, restrictions on liquids such as drinks, perfume and shampoos in hand luggage could be gradually lifted.Despite this, transport secretary Philip Hammond revealed that passengers may not be able to tell the difference until 2013.At the moment all aerosols, gels and liquids have to be less than 100ml, a rule which could be phased out in the first stage of getting rid of the ban.During this stage, transfer travellers who are from non-European Union countries will be ...
• DB and China cooperate on rail freight transport and infrastructure projects Deutsche Bahn and the Chinese Ministry of Railways want to cooperate more closely on rail freight transport and on expanding China's rail infrastructure. read more
• £1.8 Million TFL Investment Helps Clear South London BottleneckA notorious traffic bottleneck where six roads meet at Herne Hill junction has been transformed from a congestion nightmare into a pedestrian-friendly oasis.

Other Subscription Services

• Rail refranchising programme schedule set outShorter rail franchises are to be let by the Department for Transport while plans for industry reform are drawn up and major engineering work gets underway.An open competition to run the East Anglia...
• Railway reforms to be published by next ChristmasTransport secretary Philip Hammond is to chair a high level rail panel that will discuss how best to overhaul the industry and allow final proposals for reforming Britain's railways to be published by...
• McNulty sets out rail supply chain reform measuresRailway suppliers will be required to transform business practices in order to meet the findings of Sir Roy McNulty's Value for Money review of the rail industry.