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

Thursday, 21 March 2013

BBC News

• Stretch of canal reopens after workA 470-metre stretch of canal in Powys has reopened after six months following a £1.2m maintenance project.
• Easyjet starts new capital routesEasyJet is to mark the launch of its Hamburg route later by flying a Scottish trade delegation to the German city.
• Lorry redesign 'may cut bike deaths'Campaigners urge construction firms to adopt a new lorry design which they say could cut the number of cycling deaths on London's roads.

Financial Times

• Airlines criticise air passenger duty riseThe increase from next month will be in line with the retail prices index measure of inflation and the levy will go up again in April 2014

The Herald

• More green buses due on the roads after £2m investmentFLEETS of new low-carbon buses will take to Scotland's roads following the latest round of investment from the Scottish Government's Green Bus Fund.
• Rail station's robot raptors to swoopRail chiefs at Edinburgh's Waverley Station have brought in a pair of robot falcons to frighten off problem pigeons.

The Independent

• Elderly woman drowns at ferry crossing as car rolls into Cornwall riverA diver has described how he tried to save an elderly woman from drowning when the car she was in rolled into a river.Related StoriesElderly woman drowns as car she was in rolls into Cornwall riverOne person killed after train hits car on level crossing in SomersetIt lasts two years, costs nearly £1m and takes in 1,000 tourists sites - is this the most expensive holiday in the world?A weekend whiteout: Britain braced for blizzard conditions as winter weather continues well into springFrom Thorntons shortcake to Nestel chocolate and even Pledge polish: It's the incredible shrinking groceries ri...
• One person killed after train hits car on level crossing in SomersetOne person has died after a train hit a car on a level crossing in Somerset, British Transport Police said.Related StoriesElderly woman drowns as car she was in rolls into Cornwall riverIt lasts two years, costs nearly £1m and takes in 1,000 tourists sites - is this the most expensive holiday in the world?A weekend whiteout: Britain braced for blizzard conditions as winter weather continues well into springFrom Thorntons shortcake to Nestel chocolate and even Pledge polish: It's the incredible shrinking groceries rip-offElderly woman drowns at ferry crossing as car rolls into Cornwall river

The Telegraph

• Drunk driver left fiancée to die in car wreckageA drunk driver has been jailed for four years after leaving his fiancée to die alone in the wreckage of a car crash as he went home to bed.

Daily Record

• Revealed: Hearts League Cup Final bus scammer Bill Tully is convicted fraudsterPOLICE investigate as furious Hearts fans demand money back following last-minute let-down over supporters' buses for St Mirren clash.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Police to increase patrols on Anglesey's A5025 following deathsPOLICE will step up road patrols and enforcement on Anglesey following the tragic death of two people last weekend.

Liverpool Echo

• Almost 100 new jobs at car parts supplier TTASALMOST 100 jobs are being created by a Japanese automotive supplier moving into Knowsley.
• Merseytravel facing huge claims for compensation over failed Merseytram projectMERSEYTRAVEL is braced for multi-million pound legal claims over land it secured along the 11-mile route of the failed Merseytram project.
• Aigburth station canopy demolition plan halted after passenger protestTHE demolition of a canopy at one of Merseyside’s oldest railway stations was halted after concerns from rail commuters and residents.

Liverpool Post

• Jamie Carragher banned from driving after Range Rover caught in Bootle speed trapLIVERPOOL FC legend Jamie Carragher was banned from driving after being caught speeding in his Range Rover.

London Evening Standard

• Two new cycle superhighways will cause more traffic misery, says TfLA new cycle superhighway and the extension to another  will increase the amount of time other road users spend locked in traffic jams, engineers have revealed.
• Easter delays on busy rail lines beckon for LondonServices at two of London’s busiest rail companies — First Capital Connect  and Southeastern — will be severely disrupted over the Easter holiday.
• Hundreds of European flights cancelled as Lufthansa staff strikeStaff at Lufthansa have walked out on strike in Frankfurt and Munich, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Sheffield Star

• Doncaster magistrates fine cattle transportersAnimal welfare officers who rescued a truckload of calves being transported in poor conditions have been praised by Doncaster’s deputy mayor.
• Parking action on busy streetPATROLS are being carried out by police and council officials to try to deal with nuisance parking in Bentley.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Drivers delight as price rise cancelledFuel price campaigners in the north were celebrating last night after George Osborne cancelled a rise in prices at the pumps.

Wales Online

• Boost for motorists as Chancellor George Osborne scraps fuel duty hikeHard-pressed motorists received some good news today when Chancellor George Osborne scrapped the fuel duty increase planned for autumn 2013.

Bucks Free Press

• Closure on M40 after two car crash A TWO car crash on the M40 this morning has left one lane closed.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Budget 2013: Young driver welcomes fuel duty freezeA MOTORIST who spends £400 a month to cover his transport costs has welcomed the freeze on fuel duty.

Reading Evening Post

• No U turn on Shinfield Road traffic lights There will be no u-turn from traffic bosses over pleas to get rid of the traffic lights in Shinfield Road.

Other Regional Press

• Millions to be spent on Warwickshire potholesMILLIONS of pounds will be pumped into maintaining Warwickshire roads in the next year.
• New road bridge plans for RibbleA new road bridge over the River Ribble is part of a controversial road-building project that has been fast-tracked.
• HMS Portland re-dedicated at ceremony SAILORS stood to attention as Portland’s namesake ship was re-dedicated at a special ceremony.
• Kart bosses to invest £300k in circuitA karting circuit which boosted the careers of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button has been given the green light for an investment in new cars.

Global Rail News

• Deutsche Bahn in talks to buy Veolia Transdev Central EuropeDeutsche Bahn (DB) is in talks to acquire Veolia Transdev Central Europe regional transport services. The acquisition is still subject to approval by DB’s supervisory board and the relevant merger control authorities. DB has said that details of the acquisition will be published if negotiations are concluded successfully. Veolia Transdev Central Europe operates regional bus [...]
• What do they do? ATOCThe Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is 20 years old this year. Writes Marc Johnson ATOC has been a common link for train operators since the early days of privatisation, but with more and more organisations finding their voice in the industry, will ATOC continue to frame the debate? It’s not an easy line [...]

Railway Gazette

• Operators to install DMU driver advisory systems UK: Knorr-Bremse has been awarded two contracts to fit its Leader Driver Advisory System to Bombardier diesel multiple-units operated by Govia's Southern and London Midland franchises. The operators are hoping to see improved timekeeping and a reduction in fuel consumption as a result of optimised driving techniques. Leader DAS uses real-time information about the train's dynamics, timetable, route profile and speed limits to continuously calculate the correct speed under the prevailing circumstances. Information from each train is sent to the operators' control centres and relayed to other tr...

Aviation Industry

• Qatar Airways to add routes to IraqDoha-based airline will increase Iraqi destinations from summer 2013

Other News Sources

• TfL starts bidding on £600M Northern Line extensionTransport for London (TfL) has started pre-tendering for the Northern Line extension to Battersea and Nine Elms in south London this week.
• Budget 2013: Chancellor claws £3bn savings to divert into infrastructure from 2015/16Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget has today revealed plans to claw back additional savings across government departments in the current spending period to divert £3bn per year into growth-stimulating infrastructure projects from 2015/16.
• Government accepts the need for Crossrail 2, says London mayorThe Treasury is in principle supportive of the proposed Crossrail 2 scheme, London mayor Boris Johnson said yesterday.
• MyFerryLink costs Eurotunnel £13MChannel tunnel operator Eurotunnel said today it tripled net profits to £34M ($43.88M) last year, but lost €13M on MyFerryLink operations.