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

Thursday, 12 December 2013

BBC News

• New tech helps drivers avoid bikesNew tech to help buses avoid collisions
• £10m government loan for airportCardiff Airport is to receive a £10m loan from the Welsh government to make improvements to the site.
• A55 tunnel to close for a weekWales' second longest tunnel on a major commuter route will close for up to a week as a £42m road revamp is carried out.
• Train franchise 'opportunity' callWelsh ministers should decide who runs most of Wales' railways, a cross-party committee of assembly members says.
• Stagecoach looks to US for expansionTransport firm Stagecoach reports a small rise in half year profits and sees
• Safety pledge on winter rail worksNetwork Rail says safety is its
• East coast rail study submittedThe final study into a rail service between Edinburgh and Berwick-Upon-Tweed is submitted to the minister for transport.
• VIDEO: UK air tax 'highest in the world'The percentage taken in taxes for airline flights has steadily increased - some hailing it as a useful environmental measure to deter unnecessary travel, others claiming it stifles the economy and prevents businesses from growing.
• NI households 'spend more on petrol'The average Northern Ireland household spends more each week on petrol than households in any other region of the UK, a new report suggests.
• The forgotten London 'battle bus'Wartime workhorse celebrated with restoration
• Barclays cycle hire deal to endBarclays will not renew its sponsorship of the cycle hire scheme in London after the deal ends in 2015.
• Axe-airport plan 'risks 70,000 jobs'Replacing Heathrow with a new hub airport would put up to 70,000 jobs at risk, warn Slough, Ealing and Hounslow councils.
• Heathrow flights resume as fog liftsDense fog forces at least 280 flight cancellations at London's Heathrow Airport, causing disruption for thousands of air travellers.

Financial Times

• Gatwick warns over Heathrow expansionChairman says building a second runway costing up to £9bn at Gatwick would only secure an acceptable return if Heathrow was not allowed to expand

The Guardian

• China tells pilots: learn to land in smogLatest official missive on air pollution is part of effort to cut chronic flight delays that have led to passenger revoltsChinese authorities have told pilots who fly to Beijing they must be qualified to land their aircraft in the low visibility bought about by smog – the latest missive related to the capital's heavy air pollution, which the government this week lauded as a beneficial shield against missile attacks. From 1 January pilots flying from the country's 10 busiest airports into the Chinese capital must be qualified to use an instrument landing system on days when smog reduces visibil...
• Labour dismisses claim of Heathrow third-runway U-turnInterim report from airports commission set to announce a shortlist of options for expansion in the south-eastLabour played down reports last night that Ed Miliband is set to abandon his opposition to a third runway at Heathrow, but he is under pressure from the shadow chancellor Ed Balls to be more supportive when the airports commission reports next week.The prospect of political assent for a third or fourth runway at Heathrow however appeared to increase further, ahead of an interim report from commission chair Howard Davies which is set to announce a shortlist of options for expansion in t...

The Herald

• Flight tax removal plan following Yes voteThe levy travellers pay on flights has been branded
• Subway prices to rise for paper ticket usersTHE cost of Glasgow Subway travel for passengers who buy paper tickets is to increase from next month, but rises will be pegged for commuters who have one of the new plastic smartcards.

City AM

• We need to stop playing politics with aviation and go for growthIT is time for our political establishment to get its act together and take the tough decisions this country needs. The case in favour of airport expansion is overwhelming. Britain has failed to build a single new full-length airport runway...
• Heavy fog shrouds Canary WharfCANARY Wharf was shrouded in heavy fog yesterday morning causing disruption for thousands of air travellers. Around 280 flights at London’s Heathrow Airport were cancelled, with a spokesman warning there could be further cancellations today due...

Mail Online

• Boris Johnson dealt blow after Barclays decides to stop 'Boris bike' sponsorship in 2015The scheme allows people to hire so-called ’Boris bikes’ from ranks dotted across London and then deposit them at their destination.
• Is new clean diesel putting drivers at risk?Fuel suppliers have been implementing European Union regulations to mix conventional diesel with environmentally-friendly biofuels, made from crops including corn, sugarcane and rapeseed.
• Thick fog brings disruption to Britain's roads and airportsThousands of air passengers have had their flights cancelled this morning as thick fog brought disruption to Heathrow and London City airports.

Birmingham Mail

• War breaks out in streets over Edgbaston parking feudCars targeted as tempers flare over vehicles choking up quiet streets

Birmingham Post

• Thick fog causes flight delays and cancellationsMost of London and parts of south east England affected as at least 172 flights axed at Heathrow with many others experiencing heavy delays
• Birmingham plans to triple number of city cyclists by using canal towpath network £6.3 million plan goes before the council’s cabinet next Monday to make Birmingham’s canal network accessible to cyclists

Other Regional Press

• Somerset Guardian published Steam engines return to long lost stationThe Somerset & Dorset Railway at Midsomer Norton will be running steam locomotive-hauled trains this Saturday and Sunday, and on Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22.The events mark a gap of more than seven years since steam last ran there.This weekend is also "Santa at the Station" event which will spells festive fun for the whole family.The railway trust's home is at the restored station on the old Somerset & Dorset line. This holiday route to the seaside at...
• City condemned over refusal to back rail link A MOTION condemning Oxford City Council’s decision not to financially support a rail link between Oxford and Cambridge has been passed.
• £300k cycle scheme gets go ahead UP to £300,000 of taxpayers’ money will be spent on the latest cycle path to be installed in a Hampshire town.
• Western Morning News published Pensioners could have bus 'perks' cutArticle
• Western Morning News published Steam classics 'spruced up' for Christmas dutyA vintage locomotive got a festive tune-up in the run-up to the busy holiday period.The workhorses of the South Devon Railway are considered a joy to behold and attract crowds of enthusiasts but with many well past pensionable age they also take a fair bit of looking after.Summer is the peak season for the heritage railway, based in Buckfastleigh, and winter provides the chance to give some of the engines a lick of paint and a service.Dick Wood, a stalwart of the line for 40 years and general...
• City condemned over refusal to back rail link A MOTION condemning Oxford City Council’s decision not to financially support a rail link between Oxford and Cambridge has been passed.
• Key statement over new Thames crossing options to be made in House of Commons by transport minister Robert GoodwellA major announcement on plans for a new Thames crossing in north Kent is due to be made today after years of debate and anticipation.

Global Rail News

• First Great Western to extend free Wi-Fi across HST fleetFirst Great Western (FGW) is to roll out free Wi-Fi across its fleet of HST trains by the end of 2014, the operator has announced. FGW has said that it[...]

Other News Sources

• Minister announces £10m funding to improve Cardiff AirportEconomy and Transport Minister, Edwina Hart, has announced £10m repayable funding to improve facilities and meet business plan objectives at Cardiff Airport.
• Tunnels investment to improve A55 resilienceMajor improvements in the resilience and safety of the A55 will be carried out over the next three years as a result of capital investment by the Welsh Government.

Other Subscription Services

• TfL tees up next major Tube station schemes Transport for London has outlined plans for its next tranche of major Underground station expansion schemes.TfL's newly published draft Business Plan confirms that improvements and capacity...