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

Monday, 04 May 2015

BBC News

• Study held to reopen longest tunnelThe Welsh government is to commission a study to look at reopening Wales' longest railway tunnel as a tourist attraction.
• Three Cunard liners mark 175 yearsCunard's three liners gather in Southampton to mark the start of the shipping company's 175th anniversary celebrations.

Financial Times

• Ford scraps ‘heart attack’ car seat planCarmaker blames move on cheaper wearable technology and tries to head off threat from tech rivals
• European airlines plan new trade allianceGroup could include defectors from Association of European Airlines after rift over Gulf carriers

The Guardian

• Bikes vs Cars: why it’s war between cyclists and drivers on city streetsIn Toronto, they’ve painted over the bike lanes. And in São Paulo, a cyclist got his arm torn off by a car that didn’t even stop … We knew it was bad on the world’s crowded roads, but a new film reveals it’s a fight to the death
• Ecotricity boss writes plan to make four fifths of UK power renewable by 2030Britain’s wealthiest green energy businessman, Dale Vince, calls for ban on coal-fired power generation, scrapping VAT on electric vehicles, a ‘cow tax’ and moreDale Vince, the chairman of the renewable energy firm Ecotricity and a major Labour donor, has published a plan for four fifths of British power generation to be derived from renewable energy within 15 years, calling for the introduction of “a cow tax” to reduce UK beef consumption. Vince, Britain’s wealthiest green energy businessman, told the Guardian he had discussed his ideas with the shadow energy secretary, Caroline Flint, and th...

The Herald

• Huge surge in fines from bus gate helps council net £4m from Glasgow motoristsTHE launch of a controversial bus gate in Glasgow helped the council boost its bus lane revenue by more than £700,000 last year.
• Highlands and Islands airports industrial action to go aheadA STRIKE involving security staff at Highlands and Islands airports is to go ahead during Easter holidays after late talks to avert the industrial action broke down.
• Roadshow exhibitions arranged for A96 dualling updateTRANSPORT chiefs are to hold a series of public exhibitions this month to provide an update on the ongoing A96 dualling programme.

The Telegraph

• 'Double taxing' of cars 'giving Government £38 million windfall'Under the new regime, a car tax is automatically cancelled when a vehicle changes hands

Times Online

• Arriva keen to steam into the northern powerhouseThe owner of Cross Country Trains and Chiltern Railways has had a year of strong growth ahead of its bid for the Northern rail franchise.

Mail Online

• Bus and train operator Arriva sees profit accelerate as annual sales hit £3.3bn German-owned bus and train operator Arriva saw a 7.4 per cent rise in annual sales for the year to £3.3billion while posting a 6.6 per cent rise in operating profit to £368million.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Actors recreate magic of The Railway Children for Keighley and Worth Valley Railway celebrations FAMILIES and rail lovers braved the rain over the Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate the 45th anniversary of a classic movie filmed in the district.
• International cyclists take to district's streets for first Tour de Yorkshire INTERNATIONAL cyclists returned to the gruelling climbs, twisting lanes and cobbled streets of Bradford district as the final day of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire brought out the crowds and beat the weather.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Luxury travel pledged in bid for east coast trainsTRANSATLANTIC airline-quality comfort will be promised to passengers as part of ambitious plans for a new train service between Edinburgh and London.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Nissan could face 'battle for investment' due to French politics, it is claimedSunderland plant is competing with other factories to build a new model - a decision reportedly delayed by French pressure to safeguard jobs

Northern Echo

• Tour de Yorkshire proves another cycling coup for county THE wheels have barely stopped spinning after this year's Tour de Yorkshire - but with more than one million spectators turning out to watch the event it has already been hailed a coup for the county’s tourism industry.

The York Press

• 16 weeks of roadworks loom for A19 motorists MOTORISTS face months of disruption on one of York’s busiest routes as £4.7 million works are carried out to tackle long term congestion.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Repairs to Wolverhampton bus shelters triples in six monthsThe number of repairs made to glass and plastic panels in Wolverhampton’s bus shelters has more tripled in the last six months.

Other Regional Press

• Borders Rail chief prepared for delay flakRAIL passengers could face lengthy delays if a train breaks down on the new Borders Railway.

Railway Gazette

• Hybrid drive demonstrates 15% fuel savingENGINE: A 15% reduction in fuel consumption compared to a conventional diesel multiple-unit was achieved by Deutsche Bahn’s VT642 test DMU when MTU undertook trials with a hybrid version of its PowerPack.

Aviation Industry

• Top spy agency and union share terror fears over airport securityAustralia's top spy agency believes that airlines will remain a high value terrorist target for the
• A Hawaiian Airlines flight was diverted due to an odor.A nasty smell turned around a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Maui to Oakland, California on Friday. The plane was in the air for about 10 minutes when the flight crew noticed fumes and declared an emergency.
• This guy cashed in his frequent flyer miles for a $18,000 suite on a...This guy cashed in his frequent flyer miles for a $18,000 suite on a Singapore Airlines flight - here's what it was like Travel blogger Derek Low recently cashed in his frequent flyer miles to purchase an $18,125.30 round-trip ticket in Suites Class, and thankfully he took lots of gorgeous photos of his journey. From your own personal cabin and full-size bed to private rooms and classy meals, you've never seen a classier way to fly in style.
• Federal judge bars Allegiant Air pilots from going on strikeHundreds of people, including many in period costume, have crowded into a train station in the Illinois capital to watch a replica of Abraham Lincoln's coffin be carried off a funeral car.

Other News Sources

• More standard seats as first class is convertedThe first Virgin Trains Pendolino to have one of its First Class carriages converted to Standard is now in service.
• Night flights at Heathrow COULD be scrapped with third runwayAirport chief John Holland-Kaye says it would consider ending night flights were it a requirement for getting a new runway
• Rail ‘farce’ was ‘unacceptable’ Rail bosses admitted services have not been up to scratch as investigations continued into a fault which caused hours of delays.