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

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Cogitamus

• Merry Christmas To All Our ReadersWe will be taking a little break over the holidays. TransportInfo will not be updated on 25 and 26 December 2014 and also on 1 January 2015. Well, that's unless something extraordinary happens and we can't stop ourselves…

BBC News

• VIDEO: US port dispute delays Asia suppliesWhat do Christmas trees and French fries have in common? Both have been in short supply across Asia because of a three month backlog at US ports on the west coast.
• VIDEO: Airbus to deliver first A350 XWBsMonday marks a big day for Airbus at its main factory headquarters in Toulouse, as Qatar Airways takes the first delivery of the plane makers newest twin-aisle A350 XWB.
• Air China buys 60 Boeing aircraftChina's national carrier, Air China, is set to buy 60 Boeing 737 aircraft in a deal worth more than $6bn (£3.8bn).
• Passenger hurt as train hits floodA passenger was hurt when a train came to a halt after striking flood water on a rail line in East Ayrshire.
• Council pothole repair cash listedThe money allocated to local authorities in England to tackle potholes and improve local roads is announced by the Department for Transport.
• Planned airport strike suspendedPlanned two-day strike by ground handling staff at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports is suspended after a new pay offer.
• Testing cycle journey stress levelsDavid Miller tests cycling stress levels on Edinburgh's roads
• VIDEO: Stressing how cycling can be improvedTransport correspondent David Miller takes part in research designed to find ways of increasing confidence among reluctant cyclists.
• VIDEO: Strong wind causes plane to divertA British Airways plane has had to abort a landing at Leeds Bradford Airport due to strong winds.
• Airport set for passenger milestoneEdinburgh Airport says it expects to welcome its 10 millionth passenger of the year on Tuesday.
• Fatal bin lorry crash investigatedPolice investigate what caused a bin lorry to veer out of control in Glasgow's busy city centre, killing six and injuring eight others.
• Fare rises on First Cymru busesBus fares are to increase on First Cymru services in south and west Wales from 5 January, say bosses.

Financial Times

• China railway strategy goes off trackBeijing eyes remerging top two locomotive groups as they undercut each other abroad

The Guardian

• Met Office warns of further threats to Christmas travelFlooding causes problems throughout Scotland and signal failure disrupts train services through Gatwick stationFlood warnings have been put in place across the north and west of Britain as Scotland suffered a day of travel chaos and a significant rail signalling problem stopped trains running through Gatwick railway station in West Sussex.The Met Office issued alerts for parts of northern England and Scotland, with up to 80mm of rain expected in Yorkshire, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and parts of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire over the next 24 hours, although temperatures are expected to remain mild...
• Potholes targeted in £6bn funding injection to English local councilsFunding spread between 2015 and 2021 will improve road network after erosion from severe winters and devastating floodsEnglish local authorities are to get almost £6bn to repair potholes over the next six years.Awarded by the government, the fund will help them improve roads between 2015 and 2021. A succession of severe winters and the devastating floods earlier this year have left councils struggling with road maintenance. Continue reading...
• Stansted airport hit by power failureAs efforts continued to restore power, airport reports that flights are operating but with some delaysA power failure has affected a major holiday airport as travellers head off for the Christmas holidays.The failure at Stansted airport in Essex affected a satellite building and the track transit which takes passengers to the satellite for boarding. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Southern Railway tells commuters they need a ticket to buy a ticketSouthern Railway insists the new system at Brighton station was working 'very well' although one commuter compared it to playing bingo
• Councils which cause potholes will be named and shamedRobert Goodwill, the roads minister, says that for too long the worst-performing councils have been 'rewarded for failure' despite the 'terrible' state of their roads
• Is this the future of flying? Planes go hybrid-electricAn aircraft with a parallel hybrid engine - the first ever to be able to recharge its batteries in flight - has been successfully tested in the UK, an important early step towards cleaner, low-carbon air travel

Daily Express

• Relief for passengers as airport strike axed... and roads quietBRITONS travelling to see loved ones over Christmas were given a break yesterday when strikes were called off at three of the UK’s busiest airports.
• £6 billion to fill potholes on ˜decayingMILLIONS of potholes will be repaired during a £6billion blitz on England’s crumbling roads.

Mail Online

• The sign that Britain's lost its way: The mind-boggling saga of why after two years a fallen road sign that needs just four clips has STILL not been put back up A Somerset road sign, which has remained hidden in the undergrowth alongside the A38 for two years thanks to mad council bureaucracy.
• Record £6billion blitz to fill Britain's 18million potholes The £1billion a year share-out to town halls will help English local authorities tackle potholes and improve local roads between 2015 and 2021 while giving them time to plan ahead.

This is Money

• Regional airline Flybe lands eight-year contract to maintain RAF fleet The Exeter-based firm, which is in the middle of a turnaround plan to boost its fortunes after a slump in passenger numbers, called the deal a ‘landmark agreement’.

Birmingham Mail

• £512 MILLION drive to fill potholes across West MidlandsRing-fenced funding set aside by Government to tackle menace of holes in our roads over next six years

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• VIDEO: See 'six-minute' train journey from London to Bradford A SPEEDED-UP film showing the 221-mile rail journey from London to Bradford in a little more than six minutes is continuing to attract interest on the internet.
• High winds cause chaos as city centre buildings damaged, buses diverted and Leeds Bradford Airport flights suspended HIGH winds have brought chaos to Bradford city centre with damage to two large buildings which caused a road closure and public transport diversions.

Bristol Live

• The Bristol Post commented Roadworks on M5 next month for £1.2 million improvement...WORK to try and alleviate regular queues on the motorway exit for Cribbs Causeway will start next month.The Highways agency is spending £1.2 million on improvements to signs and lines at Junction 17 of the southbound M5, which has been identified as a "pinch point", where work on small-scale improvements could have a big effect on congestion.Highways Agency spokesman Dave Stock said: "At Junction 17 we will be upgrading the signs and lining on the...

London Evening Standard

• Support for new Gatwick runway fading, says Boris Johnson Boris Johnson believes the chance of a political deal for a second runway at Gatwick is fading, leaving attempts to solve the South-East aviation capacity crisis in potential deadlock.
• Simon Calder says: Grinding out the truth on airlines’ coffee-carrying regulations Can I take coffee on a plane in carry-on luggage? — Nadia Dahabiyeh
• The Christmas effect: London transport eerily quiet during morning rush ahead of holiday Parts of London's transport network were eerily deserted during the normal morning rush hour today in the days before Christmas.
• Power failure at Stansted Airport as travellers make Christmas getaway A major London airport has been hit by a power failure as travellers try to leave the capital for Christmas.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Pothole misery will continue in Tyne & Wear despite announcement of £268m roads cash Kevan Jones MP says cash announced by Transport Secretary is 'trifling sum' which does nothing to plug huge shortfall in North East authority budgets

The York Press

• More than £30 million pledged to improve North Yorkshire's roads MORE THAN £30 million will be spent on North Yorkshire's roads next year.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds bus firm facing flak for fare rise decisionThe biggest bus firm in Leeds has been hit by an angry backlash after it announced a round of New Year fare rises.
• Leeds City Council to get £6.6million boost from streetlighting contract disputeA £6.6million cash injection is heading to Leeds City Council following a long-running dispute over a failing streetlighting contract.

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire councils given road repairs cash pledgeYorkshire councils have been told they will receive almost £500 million over the next six years to repair potholes and improve local roads.

Bucks Free Press

• People who shout loudest could help make motorway quieter Motorway noise could become a thing of the past with the views of people in the district being sought after it was announced a sound barrier trial could focus on the M40.

Doncaster Free Press

• New flights announced from Robin Hood AirportRobin Hood Airport has announced two new flights for its 2015-16 schedule.
• Safer Roads Humber win prestigious award for cycle projectSafer Roads Humber, along with neighbouring road safety partnerships, have won a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for their work on improving cycle safety in the region.
• A cleaner, greener way to travelThe latest new low-emission buses from First have been unveiled in Doncaster providing a greener, cleaner way to travel in Doncaster.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Government set to slash spending on road maintenance – Suffolk to lose £4.5 million and Essex to lose nearly £5 millionCouncils across the region are facing cuts of nearly 20% in the amount they get from central government for road maintenance over the next five years.
• Vandalism of railway equipment between Colchester and Ipswich causes disruption for passengersVandalism of railway equipment between Colchester and Ipswich caused disruption to services yesterday.

Reading Evening Post

• Roadworks lifted across England to help ease Christmas getawaySpeed restrictions will remain on M4 J8/9 and 10 but delays not expected

Other Regional Press

• I_Griffin published East Midlands Trains managing director to departEast Midlands Trains, which carries thousands of passengers through Leicestershire each day, has announced a change at the top of the company.Managing director David Horne has been appointed to play a leading role in the new InterCity East Coast franchise, which is to be operated by Stagecoach and Virgin from March 2015.He will take up the role from next month and, subject to the commencement of the franchise, will become managing director of Virgin Trains East Coast when the franchise...
• Millions to be spent on fixing Hertfordshire’s potholesAlmost £100 million will be invested in improving Hertfordshire’s roads between 2015 and 2021, the government has announced today.
• Roadworks restrictions on M1 ‘crash blackspot’ in Northamptonshire will continue throughout Christmas weekRoadworks on a stretch of the M1 in Northamptonshire where there has been a number of crashes in the past few weeks will not be lifted over the Christmas period because of safety reasons, the Highways Agency has said
• Praise for road safety scheme to keep cars on the roadsCentral Bedfordshire Council’s Highways team has been recognised for a road safety initiative which gives advice to motorists across the area about vehicle maintenance.
• Congestion-busting plans under-fire from motoristsRoadworks meant to solve congestion problems are only making them worse, according to annoyed motorists.
• Coventry and Warwickshire councils get £80 million from potholes fund to improve our roadsThe city and the council allocated government funding to fix roads over the next six years
• ‘We’re sorry for train delays caused by driver shortages’Train operator Thameslink has apologised to passengers after a shortage of drivers caused delays and cancellations.

Aviation Industry

• Air China commits to 60 Boeing 737NGs and MAXsAir China has committed to purchase 60 Boeing 737NGs and MAXs, valued at more than $6 billion at current list prices. read more
• Qatar Airways takes delivery of first Airbus A350 XWBOneworld member Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 XWB in Toulouse. read more

Other News Sources

• Driver licence counterpart removal date gives breathing spaceThe Government has announced today that the abolition of the driving licence counterpart is now to be delayed until 8 June 2015; FTA has ...
• More motorists charged with drink and drug-driving offences in police Christmas crackdown ANOTHER round of motorists have been charged with drink and drug-driving offences as part of a Christmas crack down by police.
• Raised cycle lane fixed after accident mayhem A new cycle lane at the centre of a series of accidents involving cyclists has been urgently repaired by council workers.
• Have street lighting cuts made roads more dangerous?Labour's Hilary Benn tells Channel 4 News that cuts in street lighting have made roads more dangerous and people feel unsafe walking home in the dark.

EIN News Subscription

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• London Bridge Thameslink trains banished until 2018 Thameslink Programme works at London Bridge will switch platforms as the station rebuild moves to the next phase over the Christmas break.Finishing touches are being made to the reconstructed...
• Network Rail gears up for 200m Christmas splurge More than 11,000 engineers will be on site at over 300 rail projects across Britain as Network Rail pushes through work costing 200m while trains are suspended during the traditional Christmas...