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

Saturday, 17 August 2013

BBC News

• VIDEO: Fines to punish careless driversDrivers across Britain who hog lanes or tailgate can now be punished with on-the-spot police fines of up to £100, and be issued with three points.
• Sleeper train improvements outlinedRail companies competing for the Caledonian sleeper franchise are told the service must be
• Bank holiday strike for OvergroundLondon Overground guards will stage a 48-hour strike during the bank holiday weekend and the Notting Hill Carnival, over plans to introduce driver-only trains.

Financial Times

• Maersk uses slower ships to speed profitsWorld’s largest container shipping line raises profit outlook for the year as its parent company moves to reduce reliance on volatile sector
• AP Møller-Maersk: smooth sailingAnalysts had predicted heavy storms for the world’s largest container shipping group by capacity, but it ended up beautifully sunny

The Guardian

• Search goes on for bodies after ferry sinks in PhillipinesDivers combed through a sunken ferry on Saturday to retrieve the bodies of more than 200 people missing from an overnight collision with a cargo vessel near the central Philippine port of Cebu that sent passengers jumping into the ocean and leaving many others trapped. At least 28 were confirmed dead and hundreds rescued.
• We love to moan. But with Ryanair, what do you expect?Since the passing of Michael Winner, there are only three remaining entities in British public life who genuinely do not care about being liked. They are Millwall fans, David Starkey, and Michael O'Leary. Even Dr Starkey's inclusion on the list is debatable: as someone who has hit his stride as a professional contrarian, the telly historian does rather need to be loathed, and increasingly feels just a little too grateful for the opportunity. As for the denizens of the Den, they at least have each other, leaving only the Ryanair boss to bear the burden of monumental universal distaste all alone.

The Herald

• Caledonian Sleeper is on track to be Scotland's Orient ExpressOPERATORS bidding for the new Caledonian Sleeper rail franchise will be encouraged to transform it into an international tourist attraction on a par with famous overnight trains such as the Orient Express.
• Litter crackdown in move to protect marine environmentA CRACKDOWN to tackle litter bugs who endanger wildlife by dropping rubbish on Scottish beaches has been launched.
• Five Scottish airports soaring high in customer popularity listFIVE airports in Scotland are among the most popular terminals in the UK, an air travellers' survey found.

The Scotsman

• Inverness top Scots airport for customer satisfactionINVERNESS has been ranked the best airport in Scotland in terms of customer satisfaction, a survey of passengers has revealed.

Mail Online

• Ryanair sacks pilot who spoke on TV documentary about safety fears for 'gross misconduct'Veteran pilot Captain John Goss was dismissed by Ryanair after criticising the airline on a Channel 4 Dispatches programme which investigated safety at the airline. Mr Goss was due to retire in October.
• 'Cash-for-cash gang filled bus with 26 fake victims then staged accident with car to make bogus compensation claims totalling £250,000'Sheffield Crown Court heard the fraudsters staged several crashes in Halifax, Sheffield and Rotherham between October 2010 and July 2011. Seven defendants deny conspiracy to defraud insurance companies. They are accused of filling a single-decker bus with their own passengers and the driver deliberately crashed the bus at low speed into a Vauxhall Safira

Network Rail

• Chairman of Birmingham New Street station’s original design panel sees progress of station transformation story so farSir Bernard Zissman, Chairman of the original judging panel responsible for selecting the winning design for Birmingham New Street station’s refurbishment has visited the completed first phase of the station transformation and had a sneak preview of what is still to come for this exciting project.

Bolton News

• Police crackdown on cyclists who break law in Bolton town centre CYCLISTS flouting the law will be targeted during a clampdown.

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published Rolls-Royce fined £60k after worker suffered permanent...ROLLS-ROYCE has been fined £60,000 after a Derby worker developed severe problems in his wrists after operating machinery.Derby Crown Court heard that Allan Thornewill needed operations – including having a metal plate fitted into his right arm – after developing bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome caused by vibrating equipment.The 55-year-old, from Derby, still suffers pain and said: "It has affected all parts of my life."The court was told how he spent nine hours a...

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow night flights rouse MPA sleepless Conservative MP today took to the internet to complain about early-morning flights into Heathrow waking her up.

Manchester Evening News

• Police appeal to trace witnesses after cyclist found unconscious on Bolton main road Officers are trying to establish how the 40-year-old man, who is being treated in hospital and is in a critical condition, came by his injuries.

Northern Echo

• Jet skiers helped by Hartlepool lifeboat THREE jet skiers had to be helped out by the Hartlepool lifeboat after getting into trouble last night. (Friday) A spokesman for the Humber Coastguard said they received a call at 8.20pm.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published Police hit back at claims over motorist videosNOTTS Police have spoken out after being criticised for saying they would not accept video evidence of driving offences.Matt Stockdale, of Northampton, got in touch with the force after he captured a white van driving through a red light in Basford on a camera which he has mounted on his dashboard. One of the videos from policewitness.com He says he was shocked by the response he received from Chief Inspector Andy Charlton, head of roads policing, which said the police did not generally accept...
• Nottingham Post commented 'Tram works could stop buses and cut us off' fearArticle

Wales Online

• Cleanup underway in Pembrokeshire after crane and fuel tanker collideTraffic congestion around Haverfordwest throughout Friday after a crane and a fuel coll
• Cardiff Airport ranked bottom in Which? passenger satisfaction poll of small airportsDisappointing result in consumer poll 'no surprise' say Cardiff Airport bosses, as they review terminal's facilities

Burnley Express

• End of the road in sight for Burnley pothole problems A ROAD that is in a ‘very poor condition’ is set to be resurfaced at a cost of £60,000.

Other Regional Press

• Legendary sailor names yacht before round-the-world tripONE of Britain’s greatest sailors stopped off at a Gosport marina to name a yacht before she sets off on the world’s longest round-the-globe ocean race.
• Road collapse hitting business, say tradersBusinesses and motorists face further disruption after a dramatic sewer collapse on a busy road.

Global Rail News

• Final Crossrail TBMs named after gold medal winnersCrossrail’s final two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have been named after London 2012 gold medalists Jessica Ennis-Hill and Ellie Simmonds. The project’s seventh and eighth TBMs will join six others[...]
• DLR double tracking work set to beginTransport for London (TfL) is to start work on doubling a section of track on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) network in a bid to increase capacity on the route[...]

Aviation Industry

• Cathay Pacific Airways announces senior executive promotionsCathay Pacific Airways CEO John Slosar will succeed Christopher Pratt as chairman in March 2014, the Hong Kong carrier announced Friday. read more

Green Miscellany

• Say goodbye to earphones for cyclingMuch is said about the risks of cycling while listening to music, but a new type of ear phone, which forgoes speakers in favour of ‘surface sound technology’, promises a safer alternative. Sound Band fits behind the ear and uses a process referred to as surface-excitation to produce sound without the need for traditional in-ear speakers. According to the designers…
• Eccentric weather protection for cyclistsLike a bicycle, the umbrella is a design of such simplicity that it no longer needs to evolve, but that does not stop people trying to make improvements. Nubrella is a shoulder-mounted, folding canopy designed to shield people, including cyclists, from rain, wind and snow. The device has already found customers in 70 countries and a new-and improved version has…

Other News Sources

• Workmen find huge hole in Blackburn road ROUTINE repairs on a Blackburn street turned into two weeks of roads chaos when workmen discovered giant underground hole, initially mistaken for disused mineshaft.
• Blackburn student's bus travel dissertation A STUDENT is hoping to explore an area’s bus travel habits with a wide-ranging survey.
• APM's group profits fall 11%DENMARK’S AP Møller-Maersk conglomerate today reported a fall in 2Q13 net profits, on weakness in its oil & gas and logistics units and at Maersk Tankers.
• Tanker owners risking ‘buyer's remorse'McQUILLING Services has expressed caution and surprise at the rise of tanker ordering during the first seven months of this year.