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

Thursday, 31 December 2015

Cogitamus

• 🎉 Transportinfo will be taking a short break 🎉🎈🎉Transportinfo is taking a short break and will not be updated on the 1, 2 or 3 of January 2016. The team at Cogitamus would like to wish all our readers a very happy and prosperous new year 🎉🎈

BBC News

• U-turn M1 drivers avoid prosecutionA road safety group says drivers
• Plane turns back after rat spottedA plane travelling from Mumbai to London was forced to turn back mid-flight after a rat was spotted on board, local media report.
• SNP plans 'hitting poor' and Forth Bridge fly tippersThe Scottish papers report on claims that SNP plans are hitting the poor and the scandal of Forth Bridge fly tippers
• Road closures in Northern IrelandDozens of roads are closed across Northern Ireland due to severe winds and heavy rain.
• Hercules deal helps secure 1,200 jobsA �369m contract to maintain the RAF's Hercules fleet is awarded to Cambridge-based Marshall Aerospace helping to secure 1,200 jobs.
• Easyjet boss Carolyn McCall made a DameThe boss of the Easyjet airline, Carolyn McCall, engineering entrepreneur James Dyson and Ann Summers' chief Jacqueline Gold all receive New Year Honours.
• Airport shops to face VAT inquiryAirport shops could be forced to give VAT discounts to passengers travelling outside the European Union, following the launch of a government inquiry.

The Guardian

• Review launched after airport shops found to not pass on VAT savingsChancellor blasts ‘unacceptable’ practice that sees some stores keep 50p in every £1 of VAT discounts, without passing them on The government is launching a review into airport retail taxes after revealing that shops are ripping off travellers by failing to pass on up to 50% of their VAT savings to customers.George Osborne described the practice as unacceptable, as he highlighted research by HMRC showing that some stores are keeping as much as 50p in every £1 of their VAT discounts without passing them on. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Chancellor launches review to ensure airport VAT savings go to passengers not retailers GEORGE Osborne has today launched a review into airport sales to make sure that as much as �2.5 billion a year in VAT savings are being passed on to UK shoppers as they should be.

The Scotsman

• Passengers airlifted from Ayrshire bus stranded by floodsTEN passengers had to be airlifted from a bus which became stuck in floodwater near Dailly cemetery in South Ayrshire.

The Telegraph

• End of the paper train ticket as railways 'go paperless'Exclusive: Passengers will be able

Daily Record

• Storm Frank: Section of A93 road collapses as 94 flood warnings and 12 flood alerts are in place across Scotland ABERDEENSHIRE has faced the brunt of Storm Frank causing a road collapse on the A93 Braemar to Ballater road.
• Storm Frank: Twelve passengers including children airlifted to safety after being trapped in Stagecoach stuck in flood water AN urgent rescue operation has been ongoing for hours after the Stagecoach became stuck in flash flooding in South Ayrshire.

Mail Online

• South Ayrshire bus passengers trapped in floods after Storm Frank hits UK Streets were turned into rivers in parts of the Irish republic overnight as Storm Frank began battering the UK with heavy rain and 80mph gales before sweeping towards flood-hit areas.
• New Year's Eve travel to see delays on the trains and engineering works Britain's railway network is currently undergoing one of its largest overhauls ever, with multiple train lines affected by engineering works and some stations closed.
• Skegness Police trapped in traffic jam after runaway PIG escapes from a farm A runaway pig caused an hour-long traffic jam on a main road as five passers-by and police tried to catch the porker. Dozens of motorists got caught up in the midday chaos in Lincolnshire.
• Rail bosses developing tech to allow passengers to use bank cards instead of tickets Rail bosses are developing technology that could spell the end of the paper train ticket. Passengers would be able to travel with just their debit or credit card from as early as next year.
• George Osborne has announced a shake-up of the tax regime over airport stores Airport shops across Britain could be forced to stop ripping off customers by refusing to pass on VAT savings under a government crackdown.

The Mirror

• Government to end VAT rip-offs at British airport shops George Osborne said VAT relief at airports is intended to cut prices for those travellers - not be a windfall gain for shops

This is Money

• Marshall wins MoD contract to maintain RAF's fleet of giant Hercules transport aircraft The six-year deal will help secure 1,100 jobs at Marshall's Cambridge Airport base, while other parts of the �369million contract will be undertaken by Lockheed Martin and its sub-contractors.

Birmingham Post

• Vauxhall Maloo is now the fastest pickup in the UK A pick-up with over 500bhp costing over £50k
• McLaren 675LT Spider orders sell out in days Every single car in the production run is already allocated

Bolton News

• No trains between Bolton and Manchester on 2 weekends as Farnworth tunnel work is completed NO trains will run between Bolton and Manchester on the last two weekends in January.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford group urges you to recycle your bicycle AN ORGANISATION dedicated to cycling in Bradford district has launched a post-Christmas appeal for unwanted bicycles.
• Bradford bus passengers offered special January ticket deal FIRST Bus in Bradford is hoping to get new customers onboard by announcing a special ticket offer for January.
• Drivers warned of roadworks on M606 and M62 MOTORISTS on the M606 and the M62 near Bradford face disruption due to closures and roadworks scheduled for next week.
• Fresh call for traffic calming measures after car crashes into three parked vehicles A WOMAN driver, who failed to stop for police, was seriously injured when she crashed into three parked cars.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Look at damage to Conwy Valley railway line caused by Boxing Day floods Sections of the track were washed away in Saturday's deluge and the line is likely to remain shut for several weeks

London Evening Standard

• New Year's Eve party-goers in London face disruption and delays as rail engineering works continueParty-goers will face significant disruption and delays travelling to and from London as engineering works continue to affect the capital's key train lines.
• Police issue warning after concrete blocks deliberately left in Essex roadsPolice have issued a warning to drivers after concrete blocks, wood and barbed wire were deliberately placed on roads.
• Slow cyclists 'more likely to be involved in accidents on the roads'Cycling slowly increases the risk of being involved in an accident by three-fold, research has found.
• Seven people taken to hospital after bus and van crash in east LondonSeven people were taken to hospital after a bus and van collided in east London.
• London-bound passenger plane returns to India after 'rat is seen on board'A passenger plane bound for London from India was reportedly forced to return to Mumbai when a rat was spotted on board.
• Holland Park Tube station to close for 8 months to upgrade 30-year-old liftsHolland Park Tube station will close for eight months in the New Year to replace ageing lifts installed three decades ago.

Northern Echo

• Overnight closures on region's busiest road OVERNIGHT closures are planned on the region’s busiest road next month as work continues to widen the carriageway.
• Could new A1(M) junction solve Durham's traffic problems? A MULTI-million pound vision to cut congestion by creating a new junction on the A1(M) has been unveiled.

Wales Online

• Introducing a bus lane onto a busy Cardiff road could take six months The bus lane is being created on Caerphilly Road in the north of the city but residents say it is a 'ludicrous waste of money'

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Tadcaster ‘split in half’ by bridge collapseEnvironment Secretary Liz Truss said rebuilding Tadcaster’s partially-collapsed bridge was a “national priority” as she visited the town.
• Motorists face delays while contractors repair Leeds motorway bridge columnsMotorists could face months of disruption while work takes place to repair columns on a motorway bridge near Leeds.
• Major road improvement scheme in Yorkshire could cause disruptionA new scheme to improve a 50-mile stretch of a major road in Yorkshire could cause delays for motorists.

North Wales Live

• Port of Liverpool hails arrival of freight train and says it offers 'huge potential'Port owner Peel says GB Railfreight link could handle the increase in cargo expected as a result of Liverpool2

Sleaford Standard

• Petition calls for road safetyA petition calling for urgent road safety improvements in Dunston has been handed to Lincolnshire County Council.

West Sussex Gazette

• List of top Haywards Heath road improvement priorities revealedA list of top priorities for road improvements in Haywards Heath has been published by West Sussex County Council.

Other Regional Press

• Party-goers could be hit by New Year rail delays Party-goers travelling by train over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day face delays and disruptions as engineering works across the country continue into 2016.
• Network Rail and Southeastern bosses meet to discuss railway line damage between Dover Priory and Folkestone CentralA section of rail track badly damaged by a high tide will be shut indefinitely and could take millions to repair, it's been revealed.
• Drivers on the Medway City Estate can now check traffic jams with view from spycam People facing the daily frustration of traffic jams on a trading estate can now use a spy-cam to check how busy the roads are.
• Video: Pilots battle to land planes at Manchester Airport during Storm Frank Strong winds test pilots' skills to the limits
• Weymouth's ferry port and harbourside staff could be cut if no new ferry service runs in 2016 CUTTING the number of Weymouth harbourside staff and closing the ferry port are to be considered if there is no income from a service next year.
• Rail journeys double at Melksham station PASSENGER journeys to and from Melksham, served by TransWilts trains, have doubled for the second successive year, making it one of the fastest growing stations in the country.
• King Square in Bridgwater to close to cars so trees can get the chop King Square in Bridgwater is set to close to traffic for two weeks so work can be carried out on trees in the square.
• Friends of Bridgwater Rail Station set out plans for improvements including ending 'the death gap' Bridgwater Station needs a radical overhaul with safer platforms, better access and improved connections to the town centre.
• Community bus service would be 'devastated' by cuts, charity warns A NUMBER of community transport organisations will be affected by the proposed cut by Somerset County Council, including West Somerset charity Atwest
• Dave_Comeau published Crawley MP plans talks with rail minister over "unacceptable...CRAWLEY MP Henry Smith will meet with rail minister Claire Perry in the new year to quiz her over "unacceptable" disruption to train services in the run-up to Christmas. Mr Smith said that unplanned disruption in the lead-up to Christmas, due to a series of issues including signal faults and staff shortages across the network, needs to be addressed.He said: "When I get back to Westminster in the new year I have a meeting with Claire Perry, the rail minister, because I have serious...
• Traffic chaos due to burst water main A BURST water main is causing six-mile tailbacks on a major Hampshire road.
• If you got a new bike for Christmas, mark this date in your diary and take advantage of Stevenage security sessionCyclists can help to safeguard their machines from thieves at a session being set up in Stevenage next month, and anyone who got a new bike for Christmas is urged to take advantage of the free offer.
• Frightened of flying? Luton Airport course could help you keep calm and take to the skiesIf you find flying a white-knuckle experience and you want to tackle your fears, help is at hand just around the corner.

Other News Sources

• Train passenger numbers up at three Herefordshire railway stations MORE than 1.7 million passenger journeys have either begun or ended at Herefordshire railway stations in the past year.
• Crossrail 2: Council casts doubts on new rail scheme's benefits to borough Consultation on Crossrail 2 will continue until January 8 - but Spelthorne isn't convinced of its worth
• 100m road closure along Brighton seafront set to cause more than two years of travel misery A 100-METRE lane closure is expected to cause two and a half years of travel misery from Monday.