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

Thursday, 27 December 2012

Cogitamus

• The TransportInfo team would like to wish all of you the very best for the season! We will be taking a little break over the holidays. TransportInfo will not be updated on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and also on 1 January 2013. Well, that's unless something epoch making happens and we can't stop ourselves... Thank you for your continued interest and support.

BBC News

• VIDEO: Road blocked in landslip villageEngineers have been assessing the damage to homes in Ystalyfera in the upper Swansea valley after two landslips brought thousands of tonnes of soil down onto a road. Residents spent the night in a leisure centre after 11 homes were evacuated.
• Threat of widespread floods remainsFlood warnings remain in place across England and Wales, amid continuing weather warnings and icy roads in northern Scotland.
• Tube cleaners to strike over payLondon Underground station cleaners are to strike from New Year's Eve in a dispute over pay, after drivers strike severely disrupted Boxing Day travel.
• Co-op airlifts food to ShetlandThe Co-op is the latest retailer to airlift supplies of food to Shetland after severe weather disrupted ferry and freight services.
• Landslide closes Highland A-roadA West Highland road closed by a landslip for several months last December is closed again after a landslide on Christmas Day.
• Tube cleaners to strike over payLondon Underground station cleaners are to strike from New Year's Eve in a dispute over pay, after drivers strike severely disrupted Boxing Day travel.
• Toyota agrees $1bn US recall dealJapanese carmaker Toyota agrees to pay more than $1bn in a settlement of US lawsuits dating back to the recall of millions of cars in 2009 and 2010.

Financial Times

• Airlines push for personalised ticketingUnder a new standard, travellers would submit information about themselves and their planned journeys, and airlines would present customised offers
• Northern support for HS2 jumps the railsCities in northern England are at odds over plans for high speed rail links as they each fight to be on a spur line or face the consequences of being sidelined

The Herald

• Passengers to lose out on faster services to LondonPASSENGERS looking forward to a cut in rail journey times between Glasgow and London have had their hopes dashed.

The Independent

• Boxing Day Tube strike fails to stop shoppers London's Boxing Day shoppers and tourists carried on regardless today despite a œcompletely unnecessary Tube strike disrupting large parts of the service.Related StoriesPolice describe Christmas Day M6 motorway crash as 'unimaginably tragic'Atlantic storms could bring more heavy rain at the weekendDrivers cursing, shoppers queuing, tills ringing... it must be Boxing DayInquiry into 'excessive' pay-offs for BBC chiefsSouthern comfort as house prices rise beside the seaside
• Police describe Christmas Day M6 motorway crash as 'unimaginably tragic' Two young brothers killed in a motorway crash on Christmas Day were today named by police.Related StoriesBargain hunters smash Boxing Day sales recordsAtlantic storms could bring more heavy rain at the weekendDrivers cursing, shoppers queuing, tills ringing... it must be Boxing DayInquiry into 'excessive' pay-offs for BBC chiefsSouthern comfort as house prices rise beside the seaside

The Telegraph

• Transport chief Peter Strachan quits after rail bid blunderThe West Coast rail bid fiasco has claimed its biggest civil service casualty with the departure from the Department for Transport of Peter Strachan, its head of major projects
• Motor racing could return to Britain's streetsGrand Prix, historic and even environmentally friendly motor races could take place on British roads under plans being considered by ministers.
• Private parking companies suspended for misleading motoristsMore than a fifth of private parking enforcement companies have been suspended as fears grow over powers to allow them to dish out fines of up to £100.
• Drivers may be able to opt out of 13 number platesSome buildings don't have a 13th floor, some footballers will shy away from the number 13 shirt and now unlucky 13 has created a frisson of anxiety in the motor industry.
• Despair of boxer Amir Khan as it emerges road crash family were on their way to his cousin's weddingBoxer Amir Khan has told of his

Mail Online

• Karl Wade and Rebecca Harbourne slapped with £70 parking ticket as they carried disabled son Devon to car outside their homeKarl Wade, 37, and Rebecca Harbourne, 28, have slammed Birmingham council after they refused to repeal the fine.
• Funny photos of vehicles whose owners appear to like hoarding litter on the back seatThe cars - which look more like skips than vehicles - are filled with items from tissues to newspapers and McDonald's takeaway food to empty cups of coffee.
• Two boys killed in Christmas Day horror smash on M6 were travelling to same family wedding as boxer Amir KhanMohammed Arsalaan, four, and his brother Adnan, ten, were killed along with Bushra Tazarib as their car hit a tree in Staffordshire. Mr Khan said their deaths were 'utterly heartbreaking'.

The Mirror

• The full Monte: Monaco-style motor races could come to UK's roads Under the proposals, laws requiring race organisers to get special permission from Parliament to hold an event will be scrapped

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Record numbers take to two wheels with cycling training scheme The number of the district™s youngsters learning how to ride their bikes safely has shot up to 1,000 a year under the Bikeability scheme.
• Roadworks set to cause disruptions A Yeadon councillor has welcomed road improvements for the town in the new year but is warning residents it could cause disruptions to their journeys.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph commented Villagers disappointed after plea for bus service rejectedRESIDENTS of a Derbyshire village say they are "very disappointed" after being told that bus routes will not be...

Edinburgh Evening News

• Trams on the right road as final carriage is deliveredA FURTHER milestone in Edinburgh’s delayed tram project has been reached – with the city taking delivery of its final £2 million carriage.

Sheffield Star

• New school bus pass scrutiny gives ˜hope™A CONTROVERSIAL decision to scrap free bus travel for Catholic school pupils in Sheffield will be reconsidered.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Axe looms over bus lane at tourist spots in the West MidlandsA bus lane near two of the biggest tourist attractions in the West Midlands could be permanently axed.

Sunderland Echo

• Sunderland MP™s dismay at hold ups over Washington Metro planTALKS to discuss reopening the mothballed Leamside railway line have been labelled “disappointing.”
• Emergency £800,000 repair fund for Sunderland™s battered roadsSUNDERLAND’S roads are in line for some emergency surgery after the city was handed more than £800,000 in Central Government cash.

Other Regional Press

• UK & World News: China unveils world's longest bullet train service (VIDEO)CHINA has officially opened the world’s longest high-speed rail line.
• Roadworks warning to driversMOTORISTS are being warned to plan ahead to account for forthcoming roadworks.

Railway Gazette

• HS2 awards Phase II framework contracts UK: A further step towards the development of the planned High Speed 2 north “ south high speed rail network came on December 24, when the government™s development company HS2 Ltd announced the award of framework contracts covering engineering and environmental services for the second phase of the project, connecting Birmingham with Leeds and Manchester. Planning is already well advanced on the initial section of the 540 km Y-shaped route between London and the West Midlands. HS2 Ltd submitted its recommendations for the preferred routes onwards to Leeds and Manchester to the government earlie...

Other News Sources

• DHL expands road freight network in Kazakhstan to Europe DHL Freight, a provider of road freight services in Europe, has opened a new office in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to offer direct transport routes to Europe, Russia and China.
• New Year price hike for rail commutersLONG suffering rail users face another price hike to begin the New Year with fares rising from next Wednesday by an average of 4.2%.
• FTA says Ferries Plan shows importance of freightThe Final Ferries Plan, published on 19 December 2012 by Scottish government, shows the importance of freight and HGVs in delivering economic ...
• UK holidaymakers urged to pack peace of mind when bookingMillions of UK holidaymakers can book their 2013 breaks with the peace of mind that their money is safe, thanks to the ATOL holiday protection scheme.The scheme is there to protect people...