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

Saturday, 06 June 2015

BBC News

• VIDEO: Should the UK be proud of Crossrail?Newsnight's David Grossman asks if Britain can still boast of engineering prowess as Crossrail's 26 mile tunnel is completed.
• Immigrants found in four port lorriesArrests are made after 68 suspected illegal immigrants, including two pregnant women and 15 children, are found inside four lorries at a port in Essex.
• VIDEO: Borders railway campaigner honouredA woman who campaigned against the closure of the Borders railway has a train named after her.
• Scotrail operator hit by scandalScotrail will not be affected by a scandal that has hit the Dutch company that runs the franchise , the Scottish government has said.
• Broken train 'stuck for two hours'A broken down train that blocked the Belfast to Londonderry railway line for about two hours has caused major disruption to several rail services.
• Detection trial for London cyclistsLondon is to trial new traffic light technology to detect cyclists at road junctions.
• Gatwick oil reserves '70% higher'The amount of oil in the Gatwick airport area could be about 70% more than previously estimated, an exploration company says.
• End of the line for rail vouchersMillions of rail passengers who suffer travel delays will soon be able to claim refunds in cash, after a major policy change, the BBC learns.

Financial Times

• Mircea Tudor aims to make flying saferRomanian entrepreneur is a finalist at WEOY 2015

The Guardian

• Student changes name by deed poll to avoid £220 Ryanair admin feeAdam Armstrong says changing his name and getting a new passport for £103 was cheaper than changing his ticketA student has changed his name by deed poll because it was cheaper than paying a “ridiculous” Ryanair charge for a booking error.Adam Armstrong, 19, was presented with a £220 administration fee after his girlfriend’s stepfather mistakenly reserved a seat to Ibiza for him with the budget airline under the surname of West. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Boss of ScotRail operator Abellio axed over Dutch franchise scandal TWO senior executives at the Dutch company in charge of Scotland's railways have been dismissed amid a scandal over how a 15-year train and bus franchise was awarded.
• 24 hour a day working on Edinburgh to Glasgow tunnelTHE closure of a tunnel on the Glasgow to Edinburgh railway line will result in staff working round the clock to get it re-opened in time.
• Islanders facing weekend of ferry disruptionISLANDERS on Bute are facing a weekend of ferry disruption days after a technical fault caused smoke to engulf an engine room.

The Independent

• The number of rail journeys have risen by 70 per cent in a decade Trains in Britain are filling faster than anywhere else in Europe and have reached a record level of overcrowding, according to new statistics.
• 68 'illegal immigrants' found locked in lorries Sixty eight suspected illegal immigrants, including two pregnant women and 15 children, have been found locked inside four lorries after a routine port search.

The Scotsman

• Head of ScotRail’s Dutch owners dismissedSCOTRAIL parent firm Abellio chief executive Jeff Hoogesteger has been dismissed over “irregularities” in a public transport contract in the Netherlands, the Dutch firm announced today.
• ScotRail among worst in Britain for delaysSCOTRAIL had one of the worst records in Britain for causing delays during train company Abellio’s first month in charge, figures show.

The Telegraph

• Woman dies after being hit by passing lorry's protruding metal armPolice say the pedestrian, aged in her late 20s, was struck from behind by a protruding metal arm on the lorry
• M4 traffic chaos: 45 miles of traffic on M4 ahead of music gigsPeople are heading for the One Direction concert at the Millennium Stadium and the Manic Street Preachers gig at Cardiff Castle

Mail Online

• EasyJet flies pensioner who speaks no English from Manchester to Malta instead of Athens Argyro Aretaki, who does not speak English, was left distraught when she arrived at Malta Airport from Manchester after a series of errors by airport and flight staff.
• Google will make monthly reports on self-driving cars Google will release monthly reports on the performance of its self-driving cars, and it disclosed summaries of the 12 accidents that involved the vehicles.

The Mirror

• Elderly couple could lose their limbs after being trapped under bus The 76-year-old man and his wife, 72, were seriously injured after being trapped under the bus in Glasgow city centre

This is Money

• Fourex machines turns foreign currency into pounds to launch in tube stations A machine which accepts old currency and turns it into pounds will be soon popping up in London tube stations and Westfield shopping centres.
• Airport transfers in the UK are the most expensive in Europe Journeys from Heathrow are the most expensive, with a train fare costing £21.50 to get into the city, which is between three and 14 times more expensive than other European cities.

Birmingham Post

• New images reveal Goodman plans to transform Birmingham's EastsideComputer-generated images of the Goodman development bordering the HS2 Curzon Street station show drastic changes to part of the city

Bolton News

• Driving licence changes: what you need to know before June 8 Next week, the DVLA is scrapping the paper driving licence - but the RAC estimates that 55% of people don't know the change is happening or what it means.

London Evening Standard

• Disabled and parents with buggies stranded as Tube lift closures soar Disability campaigners today condemned an “alarming” rise in the number of times lifts on the Underground have been out of action.
• Bin lorry driver fighting for life after HGV tips over on M25 during evening of double motorway misery A bin lorry driver was this evening fighting for his life in hospital after the vehicle tipped over on the M25.
• Letters to the editor: Cycling is still a danger in London It is heartening to learn that the number of people killed or seriously injured while cycling on London’s roads has fallen [June 3]. However, these figures are still unacceptably high.

Northern Echo

• Warning that axe on free school transport will hit rural areas MOVES to scrap free transport for over 200 children who live between two and three miles from primary schools in North Yorkshire have been branded another nail in the coffin for families in rural areas.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Compensation schemes for residents hit by HS2 ‘must be made clear’Compensation packages for residents hit by high-speed rail plans must be made clear to affected communities.

The York Press

• NRM quashes closure rumour - but says some trains WILL move to new museum in Leicester THE National Railway Museum in York is backing plans for a new railway museum in Leicester.

This Is Local London Network

• Drivers fed up with 'ridiculous' parking charges at North Greenwich Commuters and shoppers have reacted angrily to 'ridiculous' car parking charges in North Greenwich.
• VIDEO: BMW = bumped my wing. How would you react to street cleaner doing this to YOUR car? An outraged car owner has released CCTV footage he says shows a council street cleaner causing £1,000-worth of damage to his BMW.
• Safety improvements for Sandycombe Road The safety of a main road in Kew could be greatly improved with a host of improvements.
• Airports action groups campaign for a louder voice on flight paths Campaigners from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airport action groups joined forces to deliver a letter to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin demanding a voice for residents over changes to flight paths.

Wales Online

• 'Absolute disgrace' and 'disgusting' - your reaction about plans to increase parking costs in CardiffYou've reacted to the proposals to increase parking prices from £5.20 to £10

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• UKIP MEP brands Transport Secretary 'delusional' for saying Conservative election victory was endorsement of HS2Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin is ‘delusional’ if he thinks the General Election result was an endorsement of the HS2 rail link, a leading UKIP MEP has said.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• It was cheaper to change my name than pay Ryanair’s feeA STUDENT changed his name by deed poll because it was cheaper than paying a Ryanair fee to correct a booking error.

Crewe Chronicle

• Work to begin on car park for Stapeley primary schoolThe car park should bring an end to daily traffic chaos

East Anglian Daily Times

• Four lorry drivers arrested after 68 people found in lorries at Harwich International PortA group of Polish lorry drivers have been taken into custody after the discovery of suspected illegal immigrants at an Essex port.
• Cameras catch 15 drivers speeding through A12 roadworks every dayAn “unacceptable” average of 15 drivers have been caught speeding every day through the roadworks on the A12 between Stratford St Mary and East Bergholt.
• Lessons from A12 delayed roadworks will be learnt but blanket 40mph limit was necessary – Highways EnglandWork to repair the A12 between Ipswich and the Essex border, covered by a 40mph speed limit, began in December and was due to finish in March.

The Shields Gazette

• Classic vehicles set to descend on South ShieldsThe world of classic motors is to be opened up to fans with the arrival of the 33rd historical commercial vehicle rally.
• Business booms at Port of Tyne as 572,000 make trip to AmsterdamBusiness is booming at the South Shields-based Port of Tyne – with record numbers of travellers setting sail last year.

Other Regional Press

• Video: Engineers unsure how long it will be to fix mystery Jericho road collapse ROAD experts do not know how long it will take to repair the hole that suddenly opened up in an Oxford street.
• Transport boost as bus route extended THE new Kingsmere village in Bicester has been put on the map – or at least the bus route.
• Company announces changes to bus serviceBUS company First has announced changes to some services due to repair work taking place on a bridge.

C.N.N.

• 331 bodies recovered from Chinese cruise ship

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• TfL seeks charging infrastructure partnerTransport for London (TfL) has announced the publication of a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to support the future of vehicle charging in the capital.  Views and information from a broad range of suppliers and partners are sought by the PIN - and its findings will be used to support the progress of work on a future charging infrastructure in London.  Plans are also in place to deliver a rapid charge network for taxis, private hire vehicles and other commercial fleets.  All of this work is intended to support plans for an Ultra Low Emission Zone, which have been introduced by May...
• New pioneering trials to detect cyclists at junctions begin in London New world first trials would allow TfL to better cater for cyclists at key junctions Further on-street trials will take place later this year TfL now given blanket approval from DfT to install low-level cycle signals at junctions The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Transport for London (TfL) today announced a world first trial of a new technology that will help give cyclists more time on green lights. The trials, which are taking place along Cable Street on Cycle Superhighway 3, detect the numbers of cyclists travelling along a route. This enables the traffic signal timings t...
• Work completed on 26-mile Crossrail tunnellingWork on the £14.8 billion Crossrail project to build a brand new railway across London has moved a step closer to completion with the finalisation of 26 miles' of tunnelling.  Prime minister David Cameron and transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin celebrated the completion of the work with a visit to the site.  Mr Cameron said the ambitious rail project represents an impressive feat of engineering that will improve the lives of people in the capital. 

Aviation Industry

• Monarch Airlines cuts losses in first half-year under new ownershipUK leisure carrier Monarch Airlines reported a loss of £69.9 million ($107.3 million) for the six months ended April 30, improved from a loss of £110.6 million for the same period last year. read more
• EasyJet seeks to help stranded passengers with new app UK-based low-cost carrier (LCC) easyJet plans to introduce a new service to assist passengers stranded by an evening flight cancellation that leaves them with no way to get to their destination that night. read more

Other News Sources

• TERMINATED: Main contractors on Blackburn’s much-delayed £4.7m bus station dramatically sacked THE main contractors on Blackburn’s much-delayed new £4.7 million bus station were dramatically sacked by the council yesterday.
• SINKING FEELING: Blackburn motorists' outrage as hole in the road causes traffic chaos TOWN Hall bosses are back under fire for failing to warn motorists travelling from the M65 to Whitebirk roundabout about road works causing traffic jams after a new hole appeared on the route.
• Crossrail tunnellers make final breakthroughAfter almost three years of continuous excavation Crossrail’s 26 miles of tunnels are now complete
• FTA leading the way in van driver qualificationsRecognising the need for van driver qualifications – the FTA has launched the Van Excellence Certificate of Driver Competence. ...
• FTA urges members to prepare for driving licence check switchThe paper counterpart to the driving licence will be replaced by an online checking service from Monday - and FTA is urging its members to make ...
• FTA welcomes completion of A8 Larne to Belfast roadFTA has welcomed the completion of a £130 million project to improve the A8 Larne to Belfast road – a vital route for freight travelling to and ...