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

Monday, 30 June 2014

BBC News

• Staff shortage causes Gatwick Airport baggage delayPassengers at Gatwick Airport have faced delays of up to 90 minutes to reclaim their baggage.
• Cambridge Waitrose 'undersells' Tour de France cycle raceWaitrose has described the Tour de France as a "local sporting event" and warned customers it could disrupt their shopping plans.
• Northampton motorists held in town centre gridlockHundreds of motorists were held in town centre gridlock for more than an hour after a set of traffic lights failed in Northampton.
• Skegness station reopens after £720,000 revampSkegness railway station has been officially reopened following a £720,000 revamp - three-and-a-half years after work began.
• Plea for investment in "slow and old" Cumbria railwaysSpending on Cumbria's railways has been defended by the government after criticism of local services and the decision not to bring the proposed high speed rail line to the area.

The Herald

• Families avoiding higher petrol prices at motorway filling stationsFamilies are buying fuel cheaply before they set off for holidays rather than paying more at motorway filling stations, a new survey has found.

The Independent

• Stansted Ryanair ‘crash victim’ passenger describes terror of collision as pictures emerge of damage to two planes involved Pictures have emerged on Twitter showing the dramatic moment when two Ryanair Boeing 737s crashed into each other on the ground at Stansted Airport.
• David Higgins interview: HS2 is not just a fast train line, its about spreading London wealth When the Olympics were awarded to London, I was extremely sceptical. They would prove to be a colossal embarrassment, a massive waste of public money. They would over-run their budget and might not even be ready in time. The capital would grind to a halt amid security checks. Those in the rest of the country would lose out and the regeneration of Stratford would be a fairy tale.

The Telegraph

• Essex Thameside train franchise re-awarded to c2cNational Express-owned company will run service from commuter hubs in county to central London until 2029
• Train companies making lower profits than 20 years agoFigures show that in real terms, train operators' profits are lower now than two decades ago, when the railways were first privatised
• US could tighten airport security over fears of extremist attackAmerica 'to ask allies' to increase rate of random screenings over deepening concerns extremists in Syria could be planning attack

Mail Online

• Two Ryanair jets collide at Stansted Airport causing delays and passenger evacuations A collision between two Ryanair planes on the runway at Stansted Airport caused passengers to be evacuated and flights to be delayed for three hours.

The Mirror

• Scotland drink drive limit could be slashed to less than one pint or glass of wine Proposals are expected to be forced through soon after tests were carried out by the UK government to ensure that breathalysers are sensitive enough

This is Money

• BAE claims its 'smart' cabin will be first classBAE has invented a new ‘smart’ cabin system for airlines offering LED lighting, entertainment via tablet computers and dimmable windows.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Road safety charity condemns 'mockery' of penalty system as 104 drivers in Bradford are still on the roads with 12 points or more A total of 104 drivers motorists in Bradford district are still on the road despite having 12 or more points on their driving licence.

Lincolnshire Echo

• LUCY RIGBY: Lincoln's appalling deal on rail that must change so we can grow This week, to much media attention, Chancellor George Osborne reheated the last Labour Government's plans for an 'HS3' rail line to link the 'great cities of the north'.

Manchester Evening News

• Great Manchester Cycle sees 8,000 take part as motorists banned from the roadsOrganisers say the event, which started and finished at the Etihad stadium, was one of their most-successful ever.

Northern Echo

• Airport objects to being included in a neighbourhood plan that could stop its housing development plansBOSSES at Durham Tees Valley Airport have flexed their muscles at a parish council and demanded the facility be removed from a local planning document that could affect its proposals to build 400 homes in its grounds.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Transport Delight for City UniversityTHE University of Nottingham has been selected as one of the winners of a new national partnership aiming to make transport more connected.

Sheffield Star

• Sheffield bus changes ‘must be right’A Sheffield businessman has backed plans to cut bus frequency on several major routes – if First Bus can promise reliability.

Wales Online

• Could electric, rechargeable trams be the answer to public transport problems in Wales?Welsh transport experts are keeping a keen eye on technology being trialled in the Chinese city of Guangzhou

Other Regional Press

• Housing levy cash falls short as railway payment day looms for SBC THE bill for the Borders Railway is, according to last year’s estimate from Transport Scotland, due to top £353million when trains finally start running next September
• Department of Transport urged to investigate Port's role in Mustang Marine collapseTHE Department for Transport has been urged to investigate the Port of Milford Haven’s role in the collapse of boatbuilding company Mustang Marine.
• Essex Chronicle published Burns' backing for 20mph speed limit in Swiss Avenue and Park...CHELMSFORD MP Simon Burns is backing a 20mph speed limit campaign along a popular but "dangerous" residential cut-through.The Admirals Park Residents' Association believes impatient motorists are driving along Park Avenue and Swiss Avenue, to bypass the Rainsford Road junction, at speeds of up to 50mph.The MP, who has written directly to the highways authority Essex County Council, said: "The roads in question are busy, used as a shortcut and are used by children, families,...
• Free school bus for Roxton kids needed ‘more than ever’ while work carried out on the Black Cat roundaboutA COUNCIL has refused to reinstate a free school bus to a rural village despite major roadworks nearby making it even more dangerous for children to walk.

Other News Sources

• Further bus cuts delayed by a yearMORE bus cuts coming on top of reductions which have left many elderly and vulnerable people stranded across North Yorkshire have been put back a year.