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

Friday, 09 December 2011

BBC News

• Thousands evacuated from stationThousands of people had to be evacuated from Birmingham New Street after a fire alarm was
• £51m road safety upgrade openingA £51m project to improve road safety and journey times on a main route between north and south Wales in Powys is being officially opened.
• 'New checks' on Eurostar loopholeThe UK Border Agency says
• Improve Tunnel services say peersA committee of peers is calling for Channel Tunnel rail travel to be made easier, cheaper, and more comfortable.
• Parking fines '£200 in Olympics'A plan to raise parking fines by about 50% in some parts of London during the Olympics has been broadly agreed, the BBC learns.
• Cycle death father attacks ToriesThe father of a London cyclist who was killed last week says politicians should be
• Police evacuate busy Tube stationA group of more than 200 DR Congo demonstrators cause an emergency evacuation of Oxford Circus Tube station in central London.
• Final trip for London's bendy busThe last of London's bendy buses will be taken off the roads later but campaigners say their replacements are not as suitable for some passengers.

Department for Transport

• £90 Million boost for Buses across EnglandBus services across England are set to receive £90 million to make them greener, more efficient and easier to use, Transport Minister Norman Baker announced today.

Financial Times

• Delays hit Deutsche Bahn™s London timetableGerman state-owned rail operator puts back plans for UK services by two years, with the first journeys now expected in December 2015

The Guardian

• Hurricane-force winds hit Scotland as UK storms cause chaos¢ 'Weather bomb' leads to unprecedented Met Office red warning ¢ Roads, trains, ferries and airports affected across Britain¢ Schools and public buildings closed down in parts of Scotland and thousands left without powerHurricane-force winds have battered parts of the UK with millions of people in central Scotland warned to stay at home and avoid travelling after 165mph gusts left thousands of homes without power, closing bridges, rail lines and roads.One of the most powerful storms to hit inland areas led to the closure of thousands of schools across western, central and southern Scotland, an...

The Herald

• Souter: Buses will be driver of growthSTAGECOACH chief executive Sir Brian Souter said the Perth-based company's future fortunes will be made in long-distance bus operations in the UK and US as subdued passenger numbers at its East Midlands rail franchise led to a worse than expected profit fall.

The Independent

• Stormy winds disrupt schools and transport Stormy winds battered parts of the UK today, causing widespread disruption to schools and transport, but respite from the severe conditions is expected tomorrow.

Daily Express

• Airlines fear fallout from euro crisisAIRLINES are heading into turbulence caused by the eurozone crisis and could face global losses of £5billion if politicians fail to find a solution, the industry's trade body warned yesterday.

Daily Record

• The big storm: Chaos on roads & terror on runways but Scotland survives worst battering in 25 yearsSCOTLAND was battered and beaten yesterday as hurricane-force winds caused chaos and left a trail of destruction.

Mail Online

• Car insurance bills to rise for women but fall for boy racers under EU diktatThe Treasury fears that forcing British insurance companies to charge men and women the same premiums will lead to young men using the extra cash to buy faster cars.
• Eurostar immigration loophole: Border agency staff threatened by Belgian policeThe loophole works when passengers miss key border checks by buying a train ticket from Brussels to Lille but then stay on until London.

ATOC

• Greater role for operators over rolling stock would benefit passengers and taxpayers - ATOCThe Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has set out proposals for train companies to be given a bigger role in ordering and managing their rolling stock. In a discussion paper,...

Network Rail

• FINISHED ON THE FORTH “ BRIDGE REPAINTING NOW COMPLETEIconic structure scaffold-free for the first time in over a decade as repair and repainting programme draws to a close£130m refurbishment project will mean no full-scale repainting for at least two decades

Birmingham Mail

• Petition launched to make scene of Essington cycle death safeAN ONLINE petition has been set up calling for safety measures on a Midland road where a 45-year-old cyclist was killed.

Birmingham Post

• Ministers are losing nerve over HS2, warns Lord AdonisThe architect of plans for a new high speed rail line has urged Birmingham and the West Midlands to demand the project goes ahead as he warned that Ministers were “losing their nerve”.
• City council hits back at 'ridiculous' Centro suggestions for faresPublic transport chiefs have fired the first shot in the annual West Midlands debate about perks for pensioners, by suggesting that a special charge might have to be imposed on anyone who wants to continue enjoying free train and metro travel.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• No frills North Wales transport plan concentrates on priorities, says Carl SargeantTRANSPORT minister Carl Sargeant last night announced a no frills plan for road and rail in North Wales amid 40% spending cuts.

London Evening Standard

• A million Londoners need permits to park at home during GamesA million motorists will need new permits to park outside their homes or businesses during the Olympics - or face fines of £200
• Councils fear legal challenges as transport plans are delayedOlympic transport plans are 'significantly' behind schedule and London residents and businesses will not learn of the details until four months before the Games, a government report warns

Manchester Evening News

• Thomas Cook holiday flight in 'serious' incident at Manchester Airport after pilot underestimated take-off weight by 17 tonnes A Thomas Cook holiday flight with 223 passengers on board was involved in a 'serious' incident at Manchester Airport when it took off using insufficient thrust and speed after a mistake by the captain meant cockpit crew miscalculated the weight of the plane by 17 tonnes, a report revealed today.

Metro

• Tube lines hit by rush-hour delaysSuspensions on the Bakerloo and Victoria Tube lines led to travel chaos for London commuters this morning.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle Airport set to offer flights to FloridaDISNEY WORLD and the sunshine state are coming a step closer to home for Tyneside holidaymakers.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published Rail firm's revolutionary idea wins design awardArticle

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Storm winds batter Scotland and cause major disruptionStormy winds battered parts of the UK yesterday, causing widespread disruption to schools and transport, but respite from the severe conditions is expected today.

Wales Online

• Daily flight between Cardiff and New York 'could add £1m to Welsh economy'A TRANSATLANTIC link between Cardiff and New York remains under discussion after previously unseen reports revealed the route could inject £1m a year into the Welsh economy.

Yorkshire Post

• North to team up for rail network takeoverYorkshire’s largest council will use the Government’s drive for decentralisation to wrest control of the North’s key rail network away from Whitehall and deliver new jobs and improved passenger services for the region.

Carlisle News & Star

• Ex-Carlisle man hoping protest song will stop high speed train line build A festive folk song written by a former Carlisle man has become the official anthem for a national campaign to stop the building of a controversial high speed rail link.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Suffolk: Minister gets a taste of life on the slow line!TRANSPORT minister Theresa Villiers got a taste of the frustration suffered daily by tens of thousands of East Anglia commuters when she made a fact-finding trip to the region yesterday.

Other Regional Press

• Leeds Bradford Airport embarks on £11m upgradeBOSSES at Leeds Bradford Airport have unveiled plans for an £11m investment in passenger facilities.
• Businesses could sponsor parking spaces in Aberdeen areaBUSINESSES could be asked to œsponsor parking spaces in the Aberdeen area.
• HS2 protesters launch Christmas single (video)PROTESTERS have gone musical in their fight against the controversial HS2 train line by releasing a Christmas single.
• Swinney vows to help airport win more new routesFINANCE Secretary John Swinney is to investigate how he can help Glasgow Airport attract more airlines and new routes.

Global Rail News

• New freight deal to move Devon timber by railHundreds of lorries will be kept from West Country roads, owing to a successful collaboration between Network Rail, Colas Rail Freight, Devon Council and Kronospan “ ...
• First Great Western launches new websiteThe new website for First Great Western launching on Friday 9th December will be the first UK train site to pioneer a cross digital platform that ...
• Sir Richard Branson™s vision for UK railSir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, set out his vision yesterday for continuing growth for rail travel in the UK and potentially overseas as ...

Railway Gazette

• More funding for Strategic Freight NetworkUK: The government announced the allocation of an extra £55m 'to further expand the Strategic Rail Freight Network' in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement on November 29. This will fund works including doubling of 7 km of single track between Soham and Ely, the most restrictive bottleneck on the route from the Port of Felixstowe to the West Coast Main Line at Nuneaton, which is now cleared to the W10 loading gauge for intermodal traffic. A related improvement is clearance to W10 gauge of the Midland Main Line from Syston to Long Eaton and Stoke-on-Trent, which will allow trains...

Transport for London

• Mayor hails successful bid to make more London Overground stations step free Passengers with restricted mobility, parents with buggies, the elderly and travellers with heavy luggage are all set to benefit from easier access to London Overground stations thanks to funding to make the stations step free.

Green Miscellany

• Easy protection from volcanic ash threat Budget airline Easyjet has developed a device that it claims will enable pilots to avoid dangerous ash clouds of the kind that grounded over 100,000 aircraft last year when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted.read more

Other News Sources

• Glasgow and the west recover from fierce stormSchools were shut and transport was widely disrupted after hurricane force winds.
• Wales invites tenders for A483-A489 Newtown Bypass The Welsh Government has invited tenders for a contractor to design and build the A483-A489 Newtown Bypass.
• RMT slams £90 million state benefits payment to train operatorRAIL UNION RMT today slammed news that private train operator Stagecoach is to receive £90 million a year in state aid to prop up its East Midlands franchise.
• Is Cycling to Work Unprofessional? Guardian Jobs InvestigatesGuardian Jobs investigate whether cycling to work is considered professional.
• Bus Safety Comes to the ForefrontBus travel has come under fire in 2011 because of the alarming number of accidents that have occurred on low fare and tour buses. According to a study released by the National Transportation Safety Board, these bus operators have fatal accident rates seven times higher than others
• Car-sharing club trials award-winning electric Peugeot A TRAILBLAZING eco-friendly car scheme has added an extra spark with the launch of a new electric vehicle and charging bays in Woking.