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

Monday, 23 December 2013

Cogitamus

• Merry Christmas From The TransportInfo TeamWe will be taking a little break over the holidays. TransportInfo will not be updated on 25 and 26 December 2013 and also on 1 January 2014. Well, that's unless something extraordinary happens and we can't stop ourselves… Thank you for your continued interest and support.

BBC News

• British Airways plane clips buildingA British Airways plane carrying more than 200 people hits an office building while preparing to take off from Johannesburg in South Africa.
• Wind and rain warning for MondayAn amber warning is issued for rain in London as strong winds could disrupt road and rail travel ahead of the Christmas break.
• Councils 'make £594m from parking'A report finds councils in London make the biggest surpluses from parking, with seven of the 10 highest amounts from authorities in the capital.
• Airport's Christmas rush takes offCardiff Airport is expecting a big boost in passenger numbers through its departure gates over the holiday period.
• Three killed as car and lorry crashThree people are killed when a car collides with a lorry on a major road in north London and bursts into flames.
• Wind and rain warning for MondayHeavy rain and strong winds could disrupt road and rail travel ahead of the Christmas break in some parts of the UK.

Financial Times

• Manchester tram system comes of ageDecades-long expansion project has regenerated city’s former industrial heartland, boosting its ambition to be the economic powerhouse of the north

The Guardian

• Heathrow climate report scuppers Tory plans to delay expansion debateBlow to Conservatives as watchdog announces summer report, saying flight prices would need to rise to meet climate targetsDavid Cameron's attempt to neutralise the toxic political issue of airport expansion until after the next election has been thwarted by the climate change watchdog, which has announced it will report this summer on the impact of the plans on the UK's climate commitments.The news is a blow to politicians who hoped they could avoid taking a view on a politically fraught decision until after the 2015 election, when the Davies commission will report on Britain's airport needs.T...
• UK rail travellers brace for season-ticket rises, though pain is modifiedChanges in government's formula for calculating increases means fares may rise by no more than 5.1%

The Independent

• Councils make £600m profit from parking tickets Councils across England have been accused of implementing “an unacceptable mass ticketing culture” after the release of figures showing that car parking charges have generated £600m of surplus profit in the past year.    

The Scotsman

• Christmas travel chaos fears after weather warningMILLIONS of people on the move for the great Christmas getaway have been warned to prepare for major disruption, as the UK braces for severe gales and heavy rainfall, which could bring the transport network to its knees.

Mail Online

• Judge halts Icelandic road project until court can decide whether it will have a detrimental impact on local 'elves'Elf advocates are urging the Icelandic Road and Coastal Commission to abandon a highway project from the tip of the Alftanes peninsula, where the president has a home, to the Reykjavik suburb of Gardabaer.
• Rail fares set to rise by 5 per cent in the New Year despite government rulings to keep them downDespite government rulings aimed at bringing down rail fare increases, some passengers could still see the price of a ticket go up by 5 per cent in the New Year.
• The parking profiteers: Councils make £600m in a year from drivers but spending on roads FALLSDespite a barrage of criticism from motoring groups the margin between what councils take in fees and what they spend on roads has risen by a quarter in four years.
• Did pilot deliberately crash Africa airliner that killed 33? Black box recordings show rapid descent while co-pilot was in the toilet and repeated banging on the cockpit doorHerminio dos Santos Fernandes sent the Mozambican Airlines plane in a rapid descent from 38,000 feet while his co-pilot was in the toilet. The aircraft plunged into a Namibian National Park killing all those on board.

The Mirror

• Motorists hit with record-breaking bill for council parkingUK motorists have been hit with a record bill to park their cars in 2012-13, with one London council making a profit of nearly £40m
• Rail season tickets could soar by more than 5 per cent - hitting passengers in the pocket The Campaign for Better Transport warned the move would mean some commuters' tickets would rise three times faster than their wages

Network Rail

• Rail passengers advised to check before travelling on Monday as severe weather approachesPassengers planning to travel by rail on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 December are being advised to check with their train operator before travelling, as gale-force winds and heavy rain will mean changes to some scheduled services.

London Evening Standard

• Commuters to learn new rail pricesCash-strapped commuters are learning today just how much more they will have to fork out for their rail season tickets in the new year, with some travellers facing possible 5.1% rises.

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink will start work on second Manchester city crossing in JanuaryThe three-year £165m Second City Crossing project will allow more trams to cross the heart of of the city.

Northern Echo

• East Coast warn of delays to services due to bad weather TRAVELLERS are being warned of delays on the East Coast Mainline tomorrow as heavy rain and high winds are forecast.
• Deaths on North Yorkshire's roads rise to highest level for five years DEATHS on roads across North Yorkshire have risen to their highest level for five years, with 50 people killed in 2013.

The York Press

• UPDATED: Flood warnings and bad weather forecast FLOOD warnings have been issued for York rail companies are warning of disruptions for tomorrow.

Wales Online

• School transport cuts could hit Welsh medium school pupil numbers, campaigners warnConcerns raised over law's definition of nearest 'suitable' school as local authorities look to make savings
• Bus service changes could find Mid Wales passengers on the road to a better dealDespite initial fears over Arriva's withdrawal from Mid Wales bus services, a transport watchdog says passengers may end up getting a 'good deal'

Yorkshire Post

• Christmas travel hits buffers as storms to hit railway timetablesSEVERE storms are set to cause major disruption to Christmas travel plans with one of the main train operators running services in Yorkshire warning that it is being forced to cancel trains both today and tomorrow.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Suffolk: Christmas getaway plans for thousands could be ruined with incoming storm set to bring gusts of up to 60mphThe Christmas getaway plans of thousands of people could be ruined by storm-force winds which are set to hit Suffolk tomorrow, causing major disruption to the county’s road and rail networks.
• Suffolk/Essex: Tomorrow’s weather could bring wind speeds similar to those during St Jude’s storm - forecastersThere have been warnings tomorrow’s gales could be similar to those which caused traffic chaos, major rail problems and schools to shut when they struck Suffolk and Essex in October.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Peterborough Railway Station to close on December 27Friday 2.45pm: Peterborough Railway Station will be closed on Friday, December 27 as station regeneration works are due to be completed.
• Rail delays warning as severe weather forecastSevere weather forecast for much of the country will cause delays to rail services and disruptions through to Christmas Eve.

Other Regional Press

• Parking permit hike branded 'a joke' YOU could soon have to pay twice as much to park your car on the street outside your home.
• Cornish Guardian published Vital transport scheme given £2m grant boostA MAJOR transport scheme to create growth and jobs at Newquay's Aerohub and airport has received a £2 million boost this week.Newquay's Enterprise Zone is currently unable to develop more than 40 per cent of the business park due to congestion constraints at Rialton junction.In order to support growth at the Aerohub and in Newquay, a vital transport scheme is planned to remove the current pinch point at the junction – notoriously congested in the summer months – and create a...
• Kent roads on alert as weather warnings are issued for Monday and Christmas EveMotorists are being warned to be careful after a severe weather warning was issued for today and Christmas Eve.
• Lurke Street car park’s ‘cash black hole’ANGRY motorists have hit out at the council after a new car parking system that does not give change was brought in.