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

Thursday, 17 December 2015

BBC News

• Facebook enters transport business with UberIn Facebook's first foray into the transportation business, the firm has agreed to work with Uber to allow users to hail Uber cabs directly from the Messenger app.
• Forth Road Bridge inquiry to be heldA Holyrood committee agrees to hold an inquiry into the structural defect which caused the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

Financial Times

• Uber in deal with Facebook MessengerTie-up gives disruptive ride-hailing company access to millions of potential new users

The Guardian

• Shippea Hill: the railway station that saw just 22 journeys in a year
• Man stabs himself in head at Heathrow airportPassenger disarmed by cabin crew and taken to hospital after attacking himself with knife
• Rural hospital journeys by public transport almost twice as long as citiesReport finds average journey to hospital is 57 minutes for English people in the country, compared with 33 minutes in cities

The Herald

• Scottish Budget: road projects benefit from �1 billion for infrastructureWORK on a delayed Ayrshire bypass will begin next year as part of a �1 billion package of funding for roads and transport projects, John Swinney has announced.
• Forth Road Bridge inquiry to begin within weeksThe inquiry into the closure of the Forth Road Bridge is to begin in a matter of weeks after the move was agreed by Holyrood.

The Scotsman

• Rail debt on track to hit £4.9bn within four years Investments in Scotland’s rail network such as the new line in the Borders are being funded by record levels of borrowing by the Scottish Government.

The Telegraph

• Tam Dalyell: Alex Salmond warned eight years ago about Forth road bridgeThe Labour grandee says Scottish ministers should be ashamed for failing to look after the bridge and recalls a 2007 meeting with the former First Minister.
• Christmas getaway chaos predicted this weekend with three-hour delays on motorwaysFriday is expected to be the busiest day over the festive period, as experts warn of gridlock on Britain's major roads

Mail Online

• Michael Spencer among signatures of letter for David Cameron over Heathrow airport delay Michael Spencer, who is now chief executive of a brokerage firm has put his name to a letter lambasting David Cameron for delaying a decision on a new runway for the South East.

Network Rail

• Network Rail agrees deal to support revival of City House in Leeds NETWORK Rail has agreed a deal to support the revival of one of Yorkshire’s best known office buildings.

Birmingham Post

• Birmingham suffers the most train delays of an UK city Nearly half of morning services late according to researchers, with delays costing commuters 11 hours a year
• Airbus A380 to fly from Birmingham Airport for first time The giant Airbus A380 will be used from Birmingham Airport from March 27 next year, Emirates has announced

Bolton News

• New bus station hailed as 'high quality gateway' to Radcliffe TRANSPORT bosses have praised a

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published Arriva could tweak Derby services to tackle complaints by end of...TIMETABLE changes aimed at improving Derby services run by bus company Arriva could be made as early as the end of February, following more complaints. The company has said it was always planning to review the impact of previous service changes which were introduced earlier this year in response to complaints about punctuality. Issues people had with the revised timetable included the use of Babington Lane, instead of the bus station, as the start and finish point for the former 36, 36A...

London Evening Standard

• 'Satnavs to blame' as lorries get stuck under bridge in WimbledonThis van became the latest vehicle to get stuck underneath a notorious railway bridge that has seen at least nine accidents in 18 months.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post published Brian George: How to tackle noise pollutionWhat can be done about noise pollution? Brian George from Hempshill Vale has some possible solutions. ON Sunday morning I was woken at 3am by the screaming noise of an off-road bike in a nearby lane, which went on for over half an hour. As the built environment grows – houses, industrial estates, ever-increasing lorry traffic and car traffic on our roads around Nottingham and elsewhere – our ears and brains are assaulted with every kind of noise. It's called modern living, but...

Sheffield Star

• ‘Dying’ Sheffield city centre needs HS2 station - entrepreneur saysA leading Sheffield businessman has backed The Star’s campaign to secure a HS2 rail station for the ‘dying’ city centre.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds MP: Airport rail link option betterMP Greg Mulholland is calling on Leeds City Council to listen to residents who want a rail link to Leeds-Bradford Airport.

Yorkshire Post

• Think YOUR rail journey’s bad? It’s even worse in York and Sheffield RAIL COMMUTERS in York and Sheffield are among those most likely to be hit by delays on their morning trip to work.

Bucks Free Press

• HS2 slammed for treating Chiltern residents 'with contempt' The company behind the controversial HS2 railway line are continuing to treat the Chilterns' public with contempt according to a district councillor.

Doncaster Free Press

• Doncaster's new High Speed Rail college steams ahead as plans are given green lightPlans for the new National College for High Speed Rail College are set to go full steam ahead after the council granted the college planning permission.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Next train operator needs to sign up to much more ambitious contract, say MPsEast Anglia’s new train franchise is a “once in a generation opportunity” and it must be more ambitious than the current blueprint, the rail minister has been told.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Campaigners demand service improvements as Fen Line passenger numbers soarA report showing the continuing growth in passengers using the rail line between Cambridge and King’s Lynn shows the urgent need for service improvements, campaigners say.

Other Regional Press

• City Car Club to launch in Halifax town centreMotorists can ditch their own cars and borrow one instead

Rail Magazine

• ANIMATION: Crossrail concreting trainVideo of how concreting train is used to fit-out the Crossrail tunnels
• ANIMATION: Crossrail track constructionVideo shows how Crossrail's multi-purpose gantries lay sleepers and rail track in their tunnels

Railnews

• National Express wins German franchise challenge National Express has been confirmed as the next operator of local train services in the German city of Nuremburg, after overcoming a challenge from the German state operator Deutsche Bahn. The British group had been awarded the contract to run S-Bahn services in the Nuremburg area in February this year, but the present operator DB Regio then challenged the validity of the award on the grounds that some of the financial documentation provided by the local transport authority had been flawed. A court has since considered the case and although it ordered a review, it did not cancel the competiti...

Other News Sources

• Remit agreed for inquiry in to Forth Road Bridge defectsA Committee inquiry to consider issues around the structural defects that have led to the current closure of the Forth Road Bridge will get underway early next year.
• Star Wars The Force Awakens cast land at Gatwick Airport in unique R2-D2 plane The ANA R2D2 Dreamliner 787-9 brought members of the cast to attend the UK premiere of the film
• Dog cancels journey and Elmbridge commuters packed like 'sardines' after train capacity reduced"Shambles - worse than expected", how one commuter described impact of reducing carriages from 12 to 10 on busy morning service from Woking to Waterloo