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

Thursday, 03 January 2013

BBC News

• Bridge ends 14-year weight limitThe weight restriction on a Swansea Valley bridge is lifted after 14 years in a £725,000 cross-border partnership by two councils.
• Pumps used to clear flooded roadTankers and pumps are used to clear the A51 in Staffordshire which has been shut for more than a week because of flooding.
• VIDEO: Rail passengers hit by fare risesAbove-inflation rail fare increases have come into force in England, Wales and Scotland amid claims that fares are going up three times faster than average earnings.
• Man dies in car at level crossingA man dies after a car is struck by a freight train at a level crossing in Oxfordshire.
• Oyster-style card rollout delaysPlans to allow passengers to use a Welsh version of the Oyster card across public transport face severe delays.
• Police and taxi crash hurts fourFour people are injured when a police car answering an emergency call crashes into a taxi in Greater Manchester.
• Fare increase to fund new tramsFares for Metrolink passengers increase by an average of
• Why are rail fares going up again?Why fares rise despite the service you get

The Guardian

• Fury as rail minister says fares are not as high as people claimNorman Baker tells commuters they are paying for 'premium product', but Bob Crow says passengers being bled dry by spivsCommuters have expressed fury after the railways minister said train fares “ some of which have soared by almost 90% over the past decade “ were

The Herald

• £3m puts Great Glen bike route on track for 2015ONE of the most picturesque journeys in Scotland is to be created as part of a £4 million boost for pedal power.

The Scotsman

• Former racing driver funds advanced tests for young Scots motoristsA PIONEERING scheme launched by a racing driver turned car dealer to refund young drivers the cost of passing their advanced test is to be extended across Scotland.

The Telegraph

• Rail fare rises show Government is out of touch, says LabourShadow transport secretary, Maria Eagle, says this year's rail fare hike amounts to a
• Fare rises needed to fund rail improvements', says transport minister Norman BakerAs rail fare prices go up yet again, Transport Minister Norman Baker admits he
• Rail fare rises near the end of the lineTelegraph View: If we want a rail network that is modern, quick and efficient then someone has to pay for it
• Motorists face increases in insurance premiumsYoung drivers are facing increases of up to £100 in their annual car insurance premiums following a dramatic rise in court payouts to road accident victims.
• Wealthy London residents clash with millionaire Arab boy racersResidents in one of London's most exclusive neighbourhoods have accused the police of double standards for allegedly failing to clamp down on millionaire Arab playboys who race their supercars around the streets.
• Why do our rail fares keep rising?With train companies, Network Rail and the Government involved, the answer is far from simple, says Christian Wolmar

Mail Online

• One man dead and another taken to hospital after car struck by freight train at level crossing in YarntonA man has died and another has been taken to hospital after a car was hit by a freight train at a level crossing in Yarnton, Oxfordshire, this afternoon.
• Drivers baffled by new road layout which leads motorists into traffic islandPaul Wood, 50, of Harlow, Essex, spotted the bizarre new markings in Stamford Hill, north London, which also appear to give drivers the option of turning into oncoming traffic.
• What a day to insult squeezed commutersThis was the day rail fares soared above inflation for the 10th year running. It was the day passengers were hit by further cancellations and delays after more than a week of economy-crippling disruption.
• Rail fares: Britain's got a premium service! Rail minister boast enrages passengers on day record train fare rises kick inRail minister Norman Baker said despite overcrowding, disruption and inflationary fare rises, passengers are getting a 'premium service'. Fares have gone up average of 3.9 per cent.
• Teenagers face £3,000 bill for car insurance because of changes to how compensation is paid o crash victimsInsurers are set to increase prices by up to 15 per cent a year with those under the age of 22 being the hardest hit. Their average cost of insurance could rise to £3,300.

The Mirror

• Train fares 'not that expensive': Fury as transport minister defends inflation-busting price rises He insisted the Coalition was œtrying to make the railways very attractive on the day average ticket prices rocketed 4.2%

ATOC

• "We understand commuters don't like to pay more to travel to work but it is the government that decides how much season tickets should rise on average each year."On the day when many commuters are heading back to work after the holidays, Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC),...

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post published Passengers speak out against the rising cost of commuting by...FED-UP commuters at Temple Meads station took part in a nationwide campaign against increases in rail fares yesterday.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Rail users in North Wales face inflation busting train fare hikeRAIL travellers in North Wales face inflation busting fare rises without a major commitment to the upgrading of the main routes, it was claimed yesterday.

Edinburgh Evening News

• 500 accidents on Lothian Buses in space of one yearBUS passengers injured after being trapped in the vehicle doors were among almost 500 accidents reported on Lothian Buses over the past year.

Journal Live

• Landslip-hit road near Rothbury to be closed for weeksA LANDSLIP which has forced the closure of a main road into a Northumberland village is likely to see it shut for a number of weeks, council bosses have warned.

Liverpool Post

• After two years of Mersey Tunnel toll freezes, can a 10p rise be averted?TUNNEL tolls could rise by 10p for cars or cash-strapped transport authority Merseytravel will miss out on generating an additional £2.6m.

London Evening Standard

• River levels trigger flood warningsResidents whose homes and businesses were damaged by floodwaters just weeks ago have faced further clean-ups after more flooding across Yorkshire.
• Road blocked amid new flags protestUp to 300 loyalists have blocked roads in Carrickfergus as part of a protest over flags, police have said.
• Fury over fresh rail fare increasesRail passengers have reacted with fury as they endured familiar problems of delays and cancellations while facing higher fares - which rail minister Norman Baker described as "not nearly as expensive as has been presented".

Manchester Evening News

• Passengers' fury as Metrolink tram fares rise an average of 4.2pc to help pay for ’big bang’ workTram and train passengers in Manchester hit out today over inflation-busting fare rises. Metrolink fares will increase by an average of 4.2 per cent as passengers help pay towards the cost of new trams and the ˜big bang™ expansion of the network.
• Metrolink tram bosses and signalling firm in court battle that could cost Greater Manchester taxpayers £42mThe firm installing Metrolink™s trouble-hit signalling system is trying to claim an extra £42.3m taxpayers™ cash “ after a string of embarrassing delays. Thales Transport and Security was contracted in 2008 to fit the new Tram Management System.  But problems installing the system have already caused chaos at MediaCity as well as delaying the opening of new lines to Chorlton and Oldham. Extensions to Rochdale and Droylsden are also months behind schedule.

The York Press

• Hundreds of motorists driving with 12 or more penalty points on their licence A ROAD safety charity has branded the number of motorists in the region still driving despite having 12 or more penalty points on their licence as œoutrageous.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• West Midlands bus fares now £2 as prices on trains riseBus fares in the West Midlands today went up to £2 for a one-way journey as the region™s biggest operator imposed a 10p hike “ exactly 12 months after the last 10p price rise.
• Midlands drivers warned over uncertain fuel pricesDrivers can expect more fluctuating fuel prices this year, despite a recent dip in the cost of filling up at the pumps.

Carlisle News & Star

• Cumbria police push better bike security With cycling increasing in popularity thanks to last year™s Tour de France and Olympic successes, cyclists in Carlisle are being urged to take better security measures to protect their wheels.

Northants Evening Telegraph

• Corby MP criticises train fare risesCorby and East Northants MP Andy Sawford has criticised today’s (January 2) increase in train fares.
• Police and Crime Commissioner criticised over rise in road deathsThe leader of the official Liberal Democrat opposition at County Hall, Cllr Brendan Glynane, has attacked comments made by the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Adam Simmonds, on road deaths in Northamptonshire.

Other Regional Press

• Leicester Mercury published Train fares price rise a 'raw deal' for Leicestershire passengersRail commuters were greeted by a fare hike on their return to work after the festive holiday.
• Increase in potholes across West Sussex is due to floodingMOTORISTS have been warned to drive carefully because the bad weather has caused potholes.
• Network Rail says barrier at crash scene had been fixed NETWORK Rail has insisted that the barriers at a level crossing where a man died were working properly despite an earlier fault.
• Drivers ˜dicing with death™ on South Deeside Road near AberdeenDRIVERS could be dicing with death after barriers blocking a collapsed culvert were removed.
• Pilots forced to take action to land safelyTwo dramatic landings were made at Luton Airport in the space of three days.
• Season ticket price hike hits rail usersCommuters travelling from Bedford into London now have to pay £168 more for their annual season ticket.

New Scientist

• Simulators prepare newbie pilots for flying car eraFlying cars of the future will need safe software at the helm and a simulator is showing what that code needs to do

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Railway network could be developed in Cardiff Building a number of new suburban railway stations could help deal with the traffic congestion problem in Cardiff and improve the area's transport infrastructure, it has been claimed.Cardiff South and Penarth's local assembly member Vaughan Gething and transport consultant Mark Barry have published a new paper putting this scheme forward.They told Wales Online that the growing population of the Welsh capital makes dealing with its transport issues even more urgent.Some 40,000 new homes and 60,000 new residents are to come to Cardiff by 2026."One project that could begi...

Global Rail News

• TfL boss receives knighthood in New Year HonoursLondon’s Transport Commissioner has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours. Peter Hendy CBE has been bestowed the title for his services to transport and the community. London Underground™s (LU) chief operating officer, Howard Collins, was also recognised, receiving the OBE for services to the London 2012 Games and London Underground. Mayor [...]
• Crossrail carries out Christmas bridge demolition worksThree rail bridges were demolished in Slough and Hillingdon over Christmas in preparation for Crossrail’s new electric trains. Network Rail has torn down the Middlegreen Road and Trenches bridges in Slough and the Old Stockley Road bridge in Hillingdon. The new bridges will be installed at Easter. A number of rail bridges are having to [...]

Aviation Industry

• Rudest airlines? United's naughty, Frontier's niceTwo of Denver International Airport's biggest carriers rank at the opposite ends of a new survey on rude airline employees by Airfarewatchdog.com. The travel website asked just over 1,000 domestic air travelers to share their thoughts on which airlines have the rudest workers.

Other News Sources

• HS2 awards engineering and environment dealsHS2 Ltd has named six firms for engineering and environmental services for the second phase of the £33bn high speed rail link.
• Hefty rate hikes for reefer cargoShippers of chilled and frozen produce are facing hefty rate increases as container lines target refrigerated cargo.Following Maersk Line's announcement a few months ...