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

Friday, 10 December 2010

BBC News

• Burst pipe causes traffic chaosA busy road reopens after water from a burst pipe froze over the highway causing traffic chaos and affecting supplies to thousands.
• Wheelie biker given driving banA biker who was filmed by police doing a wheelie as he overtook a car is banned from driving, a court hears.
• Copper thieves target car plantScrap metal thieves break into a car plant near Swansea that closed last month and take a large amount of copper cable.
• Crash closes A483 Wrexham bypassA crash involving four heavy goods vehicles leads to the temporary closure of A483 Chester to Wrexham road during the rush hour.
• Salmond backs transport ministerFirst Minister Alex Salmond said he has "full confidence" in his transport minister, as the row over the SNP's winter weather response continued.
• Black ice warning for motoristsPolice warn of widespread black ice across central Scotland's roads, despite conditions gradually improving.
• Ferry port police cut talks callTalks are sought over the withdrawal of funding for three police officers at ferry ports in south west Scotland.
• Freezing conditions hit suppliesSnow and ice on much of Scotland's road network has caused disruption to fuel, food and some medical supplies.
• Cars blocking roads to be finedCars blocking main routes in Edinburgh after drivers abandoned them in the snow will be given a parking ticket or towed, police warn.
• Confidential tram file revealedA confidential document obtained by BBC Scotland shows the economic case for the Edinburgh tram project remains strong.
• Concern over impact of road saltScotland needs to look at alternative ways of coping with severe winter conditions, environmental charities say.
• 7/7 paramedic describes carnageOne of the first paramedics to arrive at King's Cross Tube station after the 7 July bomb attack describes the carnage at the scene.
• Helpline for abandoned carsStrathclyde Police offers to help drivers recover cars which were abandoned on motorways on Monday.

Financial Times

• Skanska launches housebuilding armThe Swedish construction and infrastructure group sets up a UK residential property business to cash in on the buoyant demand for new homes around London
• Rolls-Royce costs over engine fire put at $500mAviation experts estimate the UK aircraft engine maker could face costs of $500m to deal with the consequences of a recent explosion in one of its Trent 900 engines
• Boeing rules out jet engine upgradesThe US company says it cannot see any 'compelling reason' to follow the move of Airbus and offer an engine upgrade for its best-selling single-aisle passenger jets
• Eurostar directors quit ahead of train dealTwo directors appointed by France's state railway have resigned before the cross-Channel operator signed a deal with Siemens amid a growing row over the new services

The Guardian

• The snow is clear. Time for take offGatwick chief executive, Stewart Wingate, admits he could do with some more snowploughs; but he is also in the process of spending £1bn to improve the UK's second busiest airportChristmas came early and with an unfestive vengeance for Stewart Wingate last week “ when Gatwick airport shut for two days after 150,000 tonnes of snow were dumped on its runway.Wingate is chief executive of Gatwick, Britain's second biggest airport, and says he likes snow:

The Herald

• Stagecoach joint venture may join race for East Coast routeTwo Scottish transport groups are poised to compete to run the East Coast Main Line rail route after Perth-based Stagecoach said its Virgin Rail joint venture is interested in the London to Scotland route.

The Independent

• Tube crews to walk out in 'victimisation row' Services on some Tube lines are set to be disrupted by a 24-hour walk-out by train crew at two Underground depots.

The Telegraph

• Expensive light bicycles do not get you to work faster: doctor Super-light expensive bikes may not help you get to work faster, a doctor has found, in a blow to midlife crisis sufferers who spend thousands on latest models.

Daily Record

• Salmond backs bungling transport minister Stewart Stevenson over winter weather chaos SCOTTISH First Minister Alex Salmond has backed his under-fire transport minister and insists he has

Belfast Telegraph

• Aldergroveairport's a winner for Aer LingusIrish airline Aer Lingus has said it has sold two million seats in the three years since it began operating at Belfast International Airport.Related StoriesBan boss from the office party, say workersDiscount retailer Lidl in new store openingVodafone agrees Unilever allianceTrade deficit widens as imports to UK increaseDefence giant to slash 1,300 jobs

Birmingham Mail

• New fast rail route to London for Birmingham travellers MIDLAND rail travellers will have a new alternative fast route to London from next May thanks to a multi-million investment, it has been disclosed.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Car-share lane is planned for Tong route in Bradford Bradford Council is proposing a new high-occupancy vehicle and bus lane on one of the city™s busiest commuter routes.
• Arts centre given 'road chaos' cash An infrastructure company has made a gesture of goodwill by donating £5,000 to a community plagued by the œnightmare of long-term roadworks.

Bristol Live

• Parking fees upped in bid to raise cashPARKING charges are to be increased across North Somerset in an attempt to raise extra cash. North Somerset Council is proposing to increase fees at its five short-stay and three long-stay car parks in Weston-super-Mare and at both its car parks – The Hawthorns and Salthouse Fields – in Clevedon. The council had expected to bring in about £1.8 million in revenue from its parking fees, but this year it has fallen by £345,000. The drop has been blamed on the economic downturn, poor weather and the works to improve Weston-super-Mare's sea defences. The changes will see the cos...

Derby Telegraph

• Mum 'panicked' before fatal road crash which claimed life of her young sonA SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy died in a collision after his mother failed to stop at a give-way sign while talking to him about a forthcoming holiday. Emma Elson was too distressed to give evidence at the inquest of her son, Luke Elson-Handley, in Derby yesterday. But in a statement read out in court she said she

Edinburgh Evening News

• Bus firm to pull trams out of holeLOTHIAN Buses could be handed control of the Capital's tram line in a radical new move being considered by transport bosses.

London Evening Standard

• Commuters to suffer as Tube staff walk-out in 'victimisation' rowServices on some Tube lines are set to be disrupted by a 24-hour walk-out by train crew at two Underground depots

Metro

• Traffic warden issues fine to dead driverA traffic warden placed a parking ticket on a car without realising the driver lay dead inside, it emerged yesterday.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Roads plans aimed at ending congestion at ElginA MAJOR new plan could put an end to the congestion that has caused misery to thousands of Moray motorists.

The York Press

• North Yorkshire school bus cuts anger THINK again “ that was the message to North Yorkshire county councillors as a consultation over plans to scrap free school transport for special needs pupils draws to a close.

This Is Local London Network

• REDBRIDGE: 'No regrets' for Lee Scott MP A TORY MP has said he has no regrets after abstaining from the tuition fees vote, despite it costing him his place on the Governemnt frontbench.

Doncaster Free Press

• BREAKING NEWS: Robin Hood Airport closed after plane overshoots runwayAN executive jet with two people on board has come off the runway at Doncaster Airport.

Other Regional Press

• Harrier will make spectacular exit with 16-jet flypastThousands of people, including aviation enthusiasts from across the country, are expected to watch the last flight of RAF Harriers from a Rutland air base next week. Some 16 jump jets will fly in formation from RAF Cottesmore and nearby RAF Wittering on Wednesday, weather permitting, and fly over Oakham and the Rutland base, which now faces closure. The diamond formation will also fly over seven RAF bases across the country in a farewell for the aircraft, which fell victim to defence cuts. Yesterday, defence firm BAE Systems announced it was planning to shed 127 of its 153 civilian workers ...
• Train firm bosses double profits THE company that owns Hampshire's major train operator has reported soaring profits just weeks after announcing fare hikes for passengers.
• Region's MPs putting pressure on transport minister over A160 upgrade delays TRANSPORT Minister Norman Baker has asked for more information about the Able UK development after meeting with the area's politicians about delays to the A160 upgrade. Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers, Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell and Councillor Andrew De Freitas, the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, were among a delegation who met with the minister at Westminster to persuade the Government to reschedule the upgrade if the South Humber Gateway project takes off faster than expected. They also lobbied Mr Baker over the Immingham bypass scheme – after North East L...
• Big hitters in frame for slice of city tram dreamA major transport group is interested in running trams on a planned line going into Preston city centre.
• Station listing battle aheadCampaigners have reignited their attempts to de-rail Preston’s £700m transformation.

International Herald Tribune

• Tata’s Nano, the Car That Few Want to BuyThe car intended for millions in India has been hurt by delays and safety concerns, and questions about how to cater to people of modest means.

Railway Gazette

• Urban rail network to underpin Qatar World Cup QATAR: The successful bid to host the football World Cup in 2022 includes plans to invest US$24bn in transport infrastructure, including high speed rail lines to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and construction of a 340 km public transport network serving Doha and its environs. The proposals are based on the Transport Master Plan adopted in 2006 to support Qatar™s unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.The 12 World Cup tournament venues are concentrated within a 60 km radius of Doha and will all be served by the rail network, 70% of which should be operational in 2020. The bid emphasised the p...

Transport for London

• London Underground awards track renewal contractLondon Underground (LU) has awarded a £220m, five-year contract to carry out track renewal work to Balfour Beatty.

Aviation Industry

• Delta names new vice president for Latin America, CaribbeanDelta Air Lines has named Nicolas Ferri as its vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Finnair strike endsFinnish cabin crew union SLSY has accepted a deal from Finnair, ending a 10-day strike thought to have cost the airline at least €20 million

Other News Sources

• Deutsche Bahn to sell Arriva unit German national rail carrier Deutsche Bahn is set to sell its subsidiary Arriva Deutschland to Italian train operator Trenitalia for €170m ($225.4m). European Union competition authorities ordered the rail operator to dispose of the German activities of British transport operator Arriva, which it recently acquired for €2.8bn ($3.3bn.).French rail operator Veolia was another reported bidder for Arriva Deutschland, which operates regional rail and bus networks in Germany, according to Railway-Technology.com. 
• Hitachi buys assets of bust NewtownLeasing firm Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions has bought the majority of the business and assets of collapsed rival Newtown Vehicle Rentals, including about 7,000 vehicles.
• Work begins on Bristol terminalMarine site investigation works have begun on the £600 million container terminal in Avonmouth, UK
• JMP wins four-year contract with Watford Borough CouncilTransport planner JMP has won a four-year contract to provide Watford Borough Council with traffic engineering and parking-related services.
• Fund secures runway startWork on a 124m runway extension at Aberdeen Airport will get under way in March, four years after the project was granted approval.
• Closing the gender gap among drivers˜Who’s in the driving seat?’, a new study of gender differences from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has found that women and men aren’t so different when it comes to driving behaviours and attitudes. Most of the men and women surveyed enjoy driving, and rate themselves to be confident, considerate and safe behind the [...]
• Etihad launches premier lounge at Manchester AirportAirline Etihad has created a premium lounge for its passengers at Manchester Airport's Terminal 1.Etihad Pearl Business Class guests will be able to experience a business centre, five star dining, a prayer room and a family room. Passengers will also be offered an impressive view of the airport's runway and taxiway.The lounge will contain a mural dedicated to Manchester City UFC, whom the company agreed to sponsor for three years in 2009.Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer of the airline, said: "Manchester has always been an important market for Etihad and the ties between...
• Auto industry 'biggest obstacle' to electric cars It's a bold call, maybe even outlandish – the end of new gasoline cars by 2020. But if you listen to Shai Agassi, founder and chief executive of Better Place, an Israeli company providing infrastructure for electric cars, you might want to believe it. 
• Private rocket blasts off into space A rocket developed by internet entrepreneur Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies has lifted off and reached orbit.Related StoriesSpaceX cargo flight postponed
• Bus driver shows motorists how to climb icy hill Where other motorists fear to tread, a bus driver has become a local hero for showing them how to tackle an icy hill.