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

Monday, 21 January 2013

BBC News

• Snow causes more flight delaysAbout 300 flights are cancelled by Heathrow Airport and London City Airport suspends all flights until Monday because of snow.
• US widens Dreamliner safety probeUS safety officials widen their probe into a Japan Airlines-operated Boeing 787 Dreamliner after ruling out overcharging as a cause of a battery fire.

Financial Times

• Skirmish over grounded Kingfisher jetsLeasing companies are struggling to retrieve the aircraft and executives warn the situation will make it harder for Indian carriers to obtain aircraft
• Heathrow passengers brace for more delaysSnow and ice have caused a jump in the number of vehicles requiring roadside assistance, with one motoring organisation reporting 10% more breakdowns

The Guardian

• HS2 could help spread high-speed broadband, minister saysControversial high-speed rail route from London to Birmingham may also carry fibre optic cables and improve other utilitiesHigh-speed rail could also help spread high-speed broadband across Britain, according to the government, which is developing plans for cables to be run along the new track as it seeks to push the benefits of the controversial £33bn project.Ministers say the new high-speed rail network, HS2, will be designed to allow fibre optic cabling for a broadband superhighway to be accommodated without any additional land use or visual intrusion.The government is keen to reposition HS...

The Herald

• Radical plan for revamp of city stationAN office block that houses hundreds of workers could be demolished to make way for an expansion of Glasgow's Queen Street rail station.

The Telegraph

• Schools, airports and railways hit by week of snow chaosBritain is braced for up to a week of school closures, traffic chaos, train cancellations and disrupted flights as ice and freezing conditions continue to spread across the country.
• HS2 will bring fast broadband to rural areas, says ministerThe controversial high-speed rail link could improve access to ultra-fast broadband for rural communities, the transport minister has said.

Mail Online

• Dreamliner battery fault the result of a 'chain of events' and not overcharging as the entire fleet of passenger aircraft remains groundedThe National Transportation Safety Board has said that the lithium battery which caught fire in a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 was not overcharged but was because of a 'chain of events' on-board the troubled passenger airliner.
• Big freeze will last at least 4 more days: Chaos on roads, rail and runways to get worse as snow returnsLarge parts of the country are covered in a blanket of snow and ice meaning conditions are already potentially lethal on roads and motorways.
• The chaos is set to continue: Heathrow announces plans to cancel 10% of flights tomorrow because of low visibilityThe airport, which typically handles 1,300 flights a day, said it was planning the cancellations because of low visibility, so more space has to be left between aircraft.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport wins race to buy Stansted Airport for £1.5bnManchester Airports Group has won the race to buy Stansted Airport in London, signing a deal worth £1.5bn. The group, which is owned by Greater Manchester's 10 councils, said the cost 'compares favourably' with other airport transactions and reflects Stansted™s 'significant growth potential'.
• Manchester Airport buys Stansted - but what does it mean for you? We find outManchester Airports Group has struck a £1.5bn deal to buy Stansted Airport.  Supporters of the deal, reported in Saturday's MEN, claim it could bring more money to Greater Manchester's ten councils, which currently own MAG.

Wales Online

• Why is Wales spending £800m on a dual carriageway, but not £1bn on the M4?The total £800m cost of an 20-year project to turn a key route through the South Wales Valleys into a dual carriageway been questioned by business experts and campaigners.

Yorkshire Post

• Historic city tram put back on rails after restorationTHe sole-remaining horse-drawn tram in a Yorkshire city is almost restored to its former glory.

Sleaford Standard

• MP urges council to rethink speed limits Sleaford and North Hykeham MP Stephen Phillips has been lobbying the roads minister in Parliament to help get speed limits in rural villages in Lincolnshire lowered.

Other Regional Press

• Suffolk youngsters could benefit from modern public transport payment idea Young people in Suffolk could be set to benefit from discounted travel across Suffolk with the introduction of a new travelcard.
• Girls™ call for safer cycle paths actionSAFER cycle lanes across Bedford Borough could become a reality after a council confirmed it would continue to look into what improvements could be made.

Bus and Coach.com

• Bristol bus fares petitionA Bristol bus user has set up an online petition on the government™s website complaining about the fares charged by First Bus.
• Milton Keynes youth fare protestA petition against increases in bus fares for young people in Milton Keynes has been launched at change.
• Bristol integration possible?The creation of a regional transport board is being discussed by Bristol city council this week.
• Stagecoach adds wi-fi to Barnsley busesStagecoach Yorkshire is now offering free wi-fi on one of its services in Barnsley, with the introduction of eight new Scania single-deckers to the X19 which connects the town with Doncaster and Robin Hood Airport.
• Norse joint venture for Suffolk schoolsNorse Commercial Services has formed a joint venture, Suffolk Norse, to take over the management of Suffolk county council™s school bus fleet.
• Ditch the car, plant a treeFirst Manchester is targeting car users with the offer of a week™s free travel using a FirstWeek Oldham or FirstWeek M60 ticket.
• Unified branding for Lucketts fleetsLucketts of Fareham is adopting a new look with unified branding for the Lucketts Travel, Worthing Coaches and Coliseum Coaches fleets.
• Bus Eireann at Labour Court over strike A strike planned by workers at Bus Eireann has been called off as the company and the trade unions meet this week at the Labour Court.
• Disc loan leads to revocationTwo Scottish operators, Munro™s of Jedburgh and Jenkins Travel of Dalkeith, have had their O licences revoked by deputy traffic commissioner Richard McFarlane after Jenkins was found operating vehicles using Munro™s discs.