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

Saturday, 01 September 2012

BBC News

• Traffic updates for Highland roadDrivers using one of Scotland busiest roads are to get up-to-the-minute traffic information via electronic road side signs
• Train-to-trail bike link studiedA direct cycle path linking a train station to one of Scotland's top mountain biking venues is being considered.
• Port customs seize laundered fuelCustoms officers seize over 20,000 litres of laundered fuel, a truck and 40 foot unit at Dublin Port.
• Games mobility vehicle hits threeThree people are struck by a mobility vehicle used by Paralympics organisers at the Olympic Park in east London.
• Lufthansa cabin crew action endsThe union representing cabin staff at the German airline Lufthansa have held a day of strike action at Frankfurt airport.

Financial Times

• Coalition to set up Heathrow inquiryInquiry could provide the Conservative prime minister with the political cover to perform a U-turn and authorise expansion
• Strike forces Lufthansa to cancel flightsAlmost 200 flights at Frankfurt airport were affected by the eight-hour action of cabin staff, which followed the breakdown of pay talks
• American and US Airways step closer to dealTwo airlines sign a confidentiality agreement as part of talks about a ™potential combination™
• Q&A: Third runway dispute will not go awayThe return to the headlines of the expansion row shows how it has become a totem for those who believe not enough is being done to get Britain out of recession
• Branson denies contract loss led to concernsSir Richard says the team at Virgin Rail has been ˜in dialogue with the Department for Transport for more than two years™ on franchises

The Herald

• Transport Secretary may have to explain rail moveTransport Secretary Justine Greening could be hauled before MPs on Monday to explain the UK Government's controversial decision to hand the £5.5 billion contract to run the West Coast Mainline to Scottish-based FirstGroup rather than keep it in the hands of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Rail.
• Repair failure blamed for Waverley train derailmentTRACK maintenance failures have been blamed for a train derailment near Edinburgh's Waverley Station last summer, which caused widespread disruption on Scotland's busiest rail route.

The Independent

• King™s Cross staff threaten walk out in protest at EDL using station as demonstration rallying pointPassengers travelling to the Paralympics face major disruption today after staff at King™s Cross in London vowed to walk out in protest at supporters of the far-right English Defence League using the station as a rallying point for a demonstration in the north of the capital.Related StoriesOut-of-control St Leonards-on-Sea dog owner jailedCouple jailed over £10m Ponzi scheme fraudDetectives question 34-year-old man over fires at hospitals, hotels and other public buildings in southern EnglandJail for owner of rampaging dogsEight police hurt in drugs raid
• James Moore: My wheelchair Tube marathon The journey from hell? Not quite but, as a wheelchair user, getting from The Independent's offices in west London to the Olympic Park certainly fits into the

The Telegraph

• More than half of Heathrow flights forced to circle before landingMore than half of planes flying into Heathrow are forced to circle the airport waiting for a landing slot, for as long as three quarters of an hour.

Daily Record

• Police probe death of man killed by train in Thurso BRITISH Transport Police have launched an investigation into the death of the man but there appears to be no suspicious circumtances.

Mail Online

• World¿s most expensive Aston Martin once raced by Sir Stirling Moss goes on sale for £20MILLIONDriven by the legendary Sir Stirling Moss and winner of Le Mans, the DBR1/2 has been given the huge price tag, which if made will make it the most expensive British car ever.

This is Money

• Sir Richard Branson has a point: we're off the railsHowever self-interested the motivation, if Branson’s day in court over Virgin's loss of the West Coast franchise helps to shine a light on the wider issues around our railways, he will have performed a public service.

Journal Live

• Zapcat racing takes over River Tyne for a weekendWITH high-speed thrills and an edge of danger – Zapcat racing has arrived in the North East. The lightweight, highly-powerful boats will this weekend be zipping along the River Tyne between Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge and the Millennium Bridge as part of the UK Zapcat National Racing Championships.
• Morpeth residents see red on traffic lights marchA LION led the way yesterday as a market town continued to roar its anger over the controversial installation of traffic lights at a key road junction.

London Evening Standard

• Virgin 'raised concerns earlier'Sir Richard Branson has denied claims made by the Transport Secretary that he only raised concerns over the rail franchising system after Virgin lost the bid to continue running the West Coast Main Line.

Manchester Evening News

• £100m Manchester airport cargo centre ’will ruin our homes’ say opponents Residents living near the proposed site of a new £100m logistics hub at Manchester Airport have objected to it saying it could ruin their local area.
• What should we call Manchester's version of London's Oyster travel card?London has the Oyster and Hong Kong the Octopus, while Merseyside now has the Walrus. But with plans underway to also introduce a travel smart card in Greater Manchester, some are now trying to predict what our version could be called. An unofficial quest is now underway to find the one word that defines Greater Manchester, with transport chiefs yet to decide their chosen name. We™ve had a lighthearted look at some of the options.

Metro

• The great car debate: Should eCall emergency system come to Britain?The EU want every car to be fitted with a system alerting emergency services immediately if a motorist is in an accident. But there are fears the technology could lead to something more sinister. Metro investigates. The eCall system sends a 112 emergency call from your car automatically (Picture: ADAC Infogramm) It sounds like something out of a dystopian novel “ every car on the continent fitted with a tracking device that will call the emergency services in the event of an accident before you even get the chance to take your mobile out of your pocket. The system, aimed at helping crash vict...

Sheffield Star

• Bikers suggest closure alternativesOFF-ROAD motorcyclists and four-wheel drive enthusiasts who held a protest at plans to ban them from Peak District trails and green lanes have put forward alternative proposals.

Yorkshire Post

• Police launch drive to put brakes on motorcycle accident figuresPOLICE in South Yorkshire have launched a major operation to cut the number of accidents involving motorcyclists on the county’s roads.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Roadworks across Peterborough on track but more to comeA large-scale programme of roadworks across Peterborough scheduled for this summer is on course to be completed on time - but more traffic woe is to come.

Other Regional Press

• Aberdeen passengers affected by airline strikePASSENGERS in Aberdeen have had their flight cancelled due to a strike in Germany.

Forbes

• A Short But Unforgettable Ride In A BMW M1The BMW M1 that fulfilled my childhood dream. A racing version of the car is in the background. (Credit: Matthew de Paula) Childhood memories are powerful. They can turn a five-minute ride in a 30-year-old BMW M1 into something more thrilling than an entire day of track driving in a brand new [...]

Global Rail News

• East Coast and London Midland cleaners call strikeCleaners on the East Coast Main Line are planning to strike for 24 hours in a dispute over pay. ISS workers voted 98 per cent in favour of industrial action September 10 after arguing that bosses had refused to offer employees a pay rise for the last three years. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: [...]
• 10 years of rail weldingSo, it™s happy Birthday to the IoRW – the Institute of Rail Welding – which was formed ten years ago. This auspicious event was marked by a technical seminar at the rather grand headquarters of The Welding Institute (TWI) on the outskirts of Cambridge. Granta Park at Great Abington was probably the best place to [...]

Transport for London

• London 2012 Paralympic Games - Day 3: A busy day with 215,000 people expected at Olympic Park and four major football fixtures taking place across the capitalRoutes to the Olympic Park will be very busy today as we see the first day that all seven venues in the Park are being used - plan ahead at GetAheadoftheGames.com

Green Miscellany

• Electric cars charged by moonlight The electric car recharging posts springing up in cities around the world are as unremarkable in appearance as any other piece of street furniture, but German architect André Broessel has designed a beautifully-striking spherical glass solar energy generator that could revolutionise the appearance of these devices “ and even allow electric cars to recharge using moonlight.read more

Other News Sources

• A9 road signs go live A system to give drivers up-to-the-minute information to plan their journeys and drive safely has gone live on the A9. This follows work by the A9 Safety Group to look at more ways of improving the safety of the road, building on the wider programme to dual Scotland™s longest trunk road between Perth and Inverness. Chairman of the A9 Safety Group, and Head of Network Operations at Transport Scotland, Hugh Gillies said: read more
• Solidarity action for sacked Turkish aviation workersUnionists from maritime and aviation unions have staged actions in major cities around the world to demonstrate support for the 305 Turkish Airlines (THY) workers who were sacked following their involvement in a protest action.
• Bombardier starts final assembly of CSeries test vehicle Montreal-based airframer Bombardier has finished receiving the fuselage structures for its CSeries static test aircraft this week, says Robert Dewar, CSeries...
• Vinci reaches financial close on Hounslow highways PFIHounslow Highways Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Vinci Concessions and Barclays Infrastructure Fund, has finalised the financing for the contract to repair and maintain the highways network in the Hounslow Borough of London.
• Landslide derails Lancaster trainWork is underway to stabilise a landslide that derailed a Northern Rail train close to St Bees station and also stranded a relief train sent to rescue the 102 passengers trapped aboard the derailed train.