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

Friday, 25 March 2016

Cogitamus

• Cogitamus Easter MessageTransportinfo will be taking a short break over the Easter weekend and will not be updated on 26th, 27th or 28th March. We will return to normal service on Tuesday 29th March.

BBC News

• VIDEO: First look inside the Airbus A380VIPs have been invited onboard the new Emirates Airbus A380 at Birmingham Airport.
• VIDEO: 'Taxis avoid wheelchair users'Disabled people are only an
• Piccadilly Line strike action endsTube drivers on the Piccadilly Line end the first of three 24-hour strikes.

Financial Times

• Walsh swoops for airline sharesIAG chief spends �270,000 following upbeat results

The Guardian

• Volkswagen recalls Touaregs and Porsches in latest hit to reputationGerman car manufacturer’s reputation takes yet more battering as 800,000 VW vehicles and Cayenne SUV units feared to have defects in pedalsVolkswagen is recalling 800,000 vehicles due to a suspected problem with the pedals, dealing another blow to the beleaguered German carmaker.VW has issued the alert after internal checks found a fastener in the pedal system could become loose. The company is recalling 391,000 of its Volkswagen Touareg sports utility vehicles (SUV) and 409,477 Porsche Cayennes, which is also an SUV. This includes 14,600 Porsches in the UK, although the number of Cayennes has...
• 34,000 flight tickets for UK deportations are cancelledRemoval of criminals and immigrants fails to take place in 40% of cases, at cost of �1.4m over 18 months, says inspectorPlans to remove foreign criminals and immigrants living in Britain illegally were cancelled in 40% of cases, an independent report has found.Close to 34,000 plane tickets had to be cancelled in 18 months, costing at least �1.4m, according to a report from the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration. Continue reading...
• UK's winter floods land councils with nearly £250m bill, survey showsThe cost of damage to roads, bridges, drains and other infrastructure could rise further, local government analysis reveals This winter’s floods caused almost £250m in damage to roads, bridges, public rights of way and drainage systems, a survey by town hall chiefs has revealed.The snapshot analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) warns councils have been hit with a huge bill following storms Desmond and Eva and the flooding they brought. Continue reading...
• France minibus crash: all 12 passengers killed in truck collisionTwelve Portuguese travellers on way from Switzerland to Portugal killed in Allier, central France, after late-night collision, authorities sayTwelve people have been killed when the minibus they were travelling in collided with a heavy truck late on Thursday in central France, local authorities said.The minibus was travelling from Switzerland to Portugal when the accident happened on a major route passing through Montbeugny in the department of Allier just before midnight. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Police release footage of 110mph motorcyclist on Aberdeen motorwayPolice have released video footage of a motorcyclist travelling at more than 100mph through roadworks near Aberdeen, describing it as

The Scotsman

• Driver jumps to safety after lorry bursts into flames on A74A DRIVER of a lorry which went up in flames on a motorway managed to jump to safety after spotting the blaze.
• Buy car insurance - an hour at a timeA SCOTTISH businessman is on a mission to change the way people think about driving cars – booking insurance by the hour, on demand.

The Telegraph

• Horse riders increasingly killed and hit by cars because bridleways lost to developersNew study finds nearly 200 horses and riders have died in road tragedies in the past five years after bridleways lost their official status
• US blacklists two British businessmen for 'helping Iranian airline beat sanctions'Mahan Air is accused of providing lifeline to Syria's Bashar al-Assad and ferrying elite Quds force to Damascus

Daily Express

• EASTER GETAWAY CHAOS: Tight security to trigger delays following Brussels attacksTRAVELLERS heading for the Easter getaway have been warned to expect delays because of the increase in security at transport hubs following the attacks in Brussels.

Mail Online

• Stowaway migrants have cost fruit importer £350,000 after breaking its lorries 15 times in a year  Vehicles carrying produce for fruit and vegetable firm Gomez have been broken into 15 times over the past 12 months – leaving the Canterbury-based family-run firm to pick up the bill.
• Did Brussels Airport bombers Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui work there as cleaners? The uncle of two bomber brothers claimed they worked at the Brussels airport they targeted. Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui would have gained intimate knowledge of the terminal.

This is Money

• How much does it cost to get a car that parks itself? We reveal top model costs Half of us admit to driving further to avoid having to pull off parallel parking - so how much does the increasingly popular parking option cost on top models?

Birmingham Mail

• Clampers seize 75 untaxed cars across Birmingham - including one with no wheels! Three-day swoop on vehicles across the city leaves owners facing hefty bill to get them back

London Evening Standard

• Boris Johnson: My successor as Mayor will have to raise congestion chargeBoris Johnson today warned that the congestion charge must be raised or changed to combat growing traffic gridlock.
• Darcey Bussell urges young Londoners to design a dancing Oyster Card walletFormer ballet star Darcey Bussell is encouraging young Londoners to come up with a new design for Oyster Card holders.
• Easter weekend travel: Everything you need to knowEaster weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, with thousands of Londoners taking advantage of the long weekend and spending time away from the capital.
• Piccadilly line Tube strike: Heathrow travellers hit out at walkout after 'breaking the bank' to reach airportTravellers bound for Heathrow Airport told today how the Piccadilly line strike has hit them in the pocket as they fork out for expensive alternatives to reach the terminals.
• Evening Standard comment: Increasing congestion calls for hard choicesIt will probably not come as much consolation to motorists moving at glacier speed through central London but worsening traffic congestion in the capital is partly for a good reason — because London is growing. As TfL says, congestion is "a result of a booming population and rising construction activity". Some construction is because of the Mayor's new cycle highways but there are, as we report today, at least 10 major projects under way which aggravate delays. Of course the disruption caused by the cycle highway network will not last for ever but meanwhile it is taking a toll on tra...
• Firefighters called after bin lorry hits kerb and overturns spilling rubbish on busy London roadA refuse lorry carrying three bin men overturned on a busy road in west London after crashing into a kerb today during rush hour traffic.
• Piccadilly line Tube strike: Train breakdown adds to rush hour chaos by taking out Circle lineA broken-down train added to the woes of commuters during the Piccadilly line strike by taking out the Circle line as well.
• Easter getaway 'hell' at Euston and Paddington: Passengers 'act like savages' to win seats on crowded trains London's major transport hubs struggled to cope under the strain of the great Easter getaway this evening.
• Commuters delighted as vintage Routemaster buses return to London's roads during Tube strikeVintage Routemaster buses drafted in to help carry passengers across London today offered some light relief to commuters caught up in the Tube strike.

Manchester Evening News

• Underground trains, orbital trams and canal boats - plans to give Greater Manchester a public transport system to rival London'sNew orbital 'rapid' tram links, canal boats and a vastly improved cycle routes are all on the cards for council bosses vision of the network by 2040

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Good news for motorists as 12 sets of roadworks lifted ahead of Easter weekendTravelling over Easter bank holiday weekend should be easier now that Highways England has completed the majority of roadworks in the North East
• Warmer climes await Newcastle Airport passengers preparing for Easter bank holiday getawayThe Great Geordie Getaway starts on Good Friday with 190 flights departing from Newcastle over the bank holiday weekend, along with 35,000 passengers

Northern Echo

• More communities in North Yorkshire to be given powers to tackle speeding PLANS have been announced to roll out a Community Speed Watch programme across North Yorkshire.
• Police intercept lorry carrying suspected illegal immigrants through Darlington A LORRY carrying suspected illegal immigrants through Darlington has been intercepted by police.

The York Press

• World's two oldest Vauxhall cars united in York THE two oldest Vauxhall cars in existence have been brought together in York.

Wales Online

• There's something very wrong with the parking spaces at this new car park Drivers have noticed a pretty big problem with parking in these spaces

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Wakefield masterplan is on trackAN AMBITIOUS £6m plan to transform roads and walkways around a Wakefield railway station and bring them into the 21st Century has been unveiled.

Daventry Express

• Speeding patrols to be increased in six locations in NorthamptonshireExtra speeding patrols are to be set up in six Northamptonshire villages as part of a new project between the county council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

Doncaster Free Press

• VIDEO: Vulcan soars to new heights as star of Masquerade Ball at Robin Hood AirportSouth Yorkshire’s world famous Vulcan bomber is soaring to new heights - as the star of a charity fundraising ball.
• First Paris Flybe flights take off from Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport as further destinations are revealedSouth Yorkshire holidaymakers are enjoying a taste of Paris in the springtime after the first Flybe flights to the French capital took off from Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport this morning.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Network Rail to press for faster journeys in East AngliaMost train journeys between Ipswich and London should take less than an hour by 2024.

Northamptonshire Telegraph

• East Midlands Trains considers increasing number of tracks between Kettering and Market HarboroughRail users travelling from Kettering, Wellingborough, Corby and Market Harborough could see an increased service if a new plan by East Midlands Trains is given the go-ahead.

Reading Evening Post

• Cow Lane Bridges final phase work delayed again The Network Rail scheme has to be redesigned and costed again because of the delay caused by one objector
• Reading's biggest cycle parking hub is coming soon Commuters and cyclists can see work progressing on Reading's biggest cycle parking hub at the station

West Sussex Gazette

• Three in five of UK drivers ‘not roadworthy’Around three in five of the UK’s drivers are not ‘roadworthy’, according to a new survey.

Other Regional Press

• The buildings which will be demolished to make way for the M4 relief road FULL details of buildings which will be demolished and land which will be lost in order for the long-awaited M4 relief road plans to go ahead have been published today.
• Claims M4 relief road will "cut through the heart" of Newport docks THE proposed M4 relief road will “cut through the heart” of Newport’s docks, the boss of the firm running the port has claimed.
• "Penetrating" plane noise angers Abingdon residents PLANES which hurtle over houses and drown out birdsong are angering residents, who have demanded that pilots fly elsewhere.
• BMW Mini workers welcome new three-year pay deal WORKERS at BMW Mini have been rewarded with a bumper pay deal for the car plant's best year since the new model launched.
• Breaking: Setback for Luton station redevelopment as government rejects �2.5m bid for fundsThe Department for Transport has turned down a £2.5m bid for funds to redevelop Luton railway station, we can exclusively reveal.
• Date set for road reopening after 30 tonne landslip A DATE has been set for the reopening of a road closed by a 30 tonne landslip.
• Survey reveals what games children love to play in the car – and it’s not on their iPads!As thousands of families hit the road for Easter getaways, a new survey has found the nation’s top 10 games to play in the car, as voted for by children.
• Trowbridge minibus service thanks public after 'overwhelming' support to volunteer appeal A MINIBUS service that feared it would have to disband due to a lack of volunteers has thanked the public after an appeal in the Wiltshire Times has seen people come forward to fill the positions available.
• Signs showing fuel prices on M5 southbound in Somerset going live next week DRIVERS on a stretch of the M5 between Bristol and Exeter will be able to decide where it's best to fill up from next week.
• Brace yourself: Residents face travel misery over Easter weekend AS the great Easter getaway begins today travellers in the South are bracing themselves for travel misery as a the rail network grinds to a halt over the Bank Holiday weekend.
• Motorists warned after theft of car parts in BedfordPolice have put out an alert following an increase in the theft of car parts over the past three months in Bedford.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• HS2 phase one bill passes in House of CommonsCreation of HS2 has taken a huge step forward as the hybrid Bill for Phase One for the scheme between London and Birmingham successfully passed its third reading in the House of Commons. Members of Parliament voted 399 to 42 in favour of the Bill on Wednesday 23rd March, which will now pass to the House of Lords. Once it has completed this parliamentary passage without further problems, construction will begin for HS2 in 2017. Speaking on behalf of Britain's anticipation for the project, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

Rail Magazine

• Ordsall Chord legal challenge dismissedCourt of Appeal dismisses Ordsall Chord legal challenge.

Railnews

• Network Rail seeks funders for Welsh rail upgrades Network Rail has unveiled detailed proposals to meet future growth in demand for rail services in Wales and the borders. The Welsh Route Study, published today, envisages more services on many passenger routes, with improvements in the Valleys designed to complement existing proposals by the Welsh Government for a multi-modal South Wales Metro, which could include light rail and busways as well as conventional railways. But some hard choices about funding may also lie ahead, because Network Rail is unlikely to find much of the investment which will be needed from its own resources.
• West Coast returns to the rails after safety shake-up The Office of Rail and Road has lifted its Prohibition Notice on the West Coast Railway Company. The heritage operator's safety certificate was revoked with effect from 18 February after a series of hazardous incidents, and one of these had resulted in a prosecution which is still in progress. After the ORR had taken action, West Coast was then unable to operate trains on Network Rail infrastructure until the ORR was satisfied that 'its governance and operations meet industry practice and are fit for the scale of its operation'.
• �800m Waterloo investment is 'not before time' The former international platforms at London Waterloo will all be coming back into use, as part of an �800 million scheme to upgrade the terminus and also the South Western Main Line through Surbiton and Vauxhall. The number of people using Waterloo is about to top 100 million a year if present trends continue, and a combination of schemes formally announced by the transport secretary on 23 March is designed to cope with a 40 per cent increase in demand by 2043. Patrick McLoughlin said:
• House of Commons gives approval to HS2 MPs in the House of Commons have voted in favour of the first phase of HS2, which will run between London, Birmingham and Lichfield with an early extension to Crewe. The Hybrid Bill was approved at its third reading on 23 March by 399 votes to 44, and will now go to the House of Lords. Opponents of HS2 accused the Government of 'rushing' the Commons process, while a group proposing an alternative scheme has stepped up its efforts to achieve a rethink. The group, HSUK, wants an alternative route using motorway corridors to be considered instead.

Aviation Industry

• Australian government: Mozambique debris ‘almost certainly’ from MH370Australian minister for infrastructure and transport Darren Chester said Australia has concluded aircraft debris recently found off the coast of Mozambique “almost certainly” came from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. read more
• Closure of Brussels airport is extendedZaventem will remain closed until at least the end of Friday
• BA to add Cape Town flights from GatwickNew winter service will run alongside Heathrow route to South African city

Green Miscellany

• The pedal-powered coffee shops taking on the worldA global network of pedal-powered coffee shops aims to take on the caffeine-powered leviathan that is Starbucks. The post The pedal-powered coffee shops taking on the world appeared first on ETA.
• Lumineer: The world’s most discreet bicycle lightLumineer is the bicycle light for cyclists that don’t want accessories cluttering up their handlebars or attracting the attention of thieves. The post Lumineer: The world’s most discreet bicycle light appeared first on ETA.
• Velo Solex: An electric bicycle with added panacheIt’s as iconic an image of traditional France as the beret or baguette, but the ‘Velo Solex’ has had a dramatic makeover and transformed from a moped into an electric bicycle. The post Velo Solex: An electric bicycle with added panache appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Easter travel guide: Traffic and trains information for bank holiday weekendEssential information if you are taking a trip by car, bus, coach, train or plane
• London Waterloo archive images show century of evolution at famous railway stationHow has London Waterloo changed - and how have its services developed over the past century?
• MPs give final approval for HS2First phase of �55.7 billion high-speed rail project should begin in 2017
• �29m for transport schemes to boost the economy, road safety and active travelTransport Minister, Edwina Hart, has announced nearly �29m funding for transport schemes across Wales to improve safety, create economic growth and promote active travel.
• New standards to drive up quality of bus services in WalesTransport Minister, Edwina Hart, has published new standards for local bus services across Wales to improve quality, accessibility and information for passengers.
• FTA delivers Freight Manifesto with trucks to LondonFTA delivered its London Elections 2016 - Freight Manifesto to the Mayoral candidates in the city today, along with a box of trucks illustrating ...
• Don’t get in a jam this Easter – be prepared for hold-ups and congestion says FTAWith an unprecedented number of vehicles expected to take to the roads during the holiday weekend, the Freight Transport Association has welcomed ...