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

Friday, 01 April 2016

BBC News

• VIDEO: New pilot boats to take on stormy seasThe Port of Milford Haven has taken delivery of its new pilot boat, which will be capable of taking on rough seas and 5m waves.
• M4 'dead in water' on Labour-Plaid dealPlans to build an M4 relief road would be
• Cruises to set sail from south WalesCruise-lovers will be able to set sail directly from Cardiff and Newport from next year.
• Tesla launches 'affordable' Model 3Tesla unveils its much-anticipated Model 3 electric car saying it will cost $35,000 and have a range of at least 215 miles (346km) per charge.

The Guardian

• How can people be encouraged to cycle in London?Chris Boardman and others joined a Guardian Live event to discuss why many people are put off riding a bike in the cityIs cycling in central London the preserve of young people in Lycra? Why do so many people think urban cycling is too risky? Despite a substantial increase in the number of people cycling on main roads (300% in the last 15 years and rising by 10% a year, according to Andrew Gilligan, cycling commissioner for London) many would-be cyclists are still too scared to cycle in the capital.So what’s the answer? This spring the government will roll out the cycle superhighways scheme, w...

The Herald

• The Nat Mobile: Parking slot axed as councillor's car falls foul of purdah rulesA COUNCILLOR has been ordered to remove his car from the parking spot he has used for several years after being told it was in breach of electoral rules.
• Lecturer who shone laser pen at Clutha helicopter pilot days before tragedy is jailed for 14 monthsColin Lochrie, 31, targeted the chopper as it flew over his west end home heading back to the heliport on November 28, 2013.

The Huffington Post

• Hijack 'Selfie' Twist: Co-Pilot Reveals Picture Was Taken To Identify Musafa To PoliceThere is a new-twist in the flight hijack 'selfie' story with the co-pilot of the EgyptAir plane revealing that an air stewardess posed for a picture with Seif al-Din Mustafa as a way of assisting authorities. Flight MS181 was forced to divert to Cyprus after Mustafa threatened to detonate a suicide belt, which later turned out to be a fake. News stories about the hostage drama later focussed on the actions of Brit Ben Innes, who posed for a picture alongside Mustafa before he surrendered to authorities.  Pictures also later emerged of air stewardess, Naira Atef, posing with the 58-year-...

The Telegraph

• Revealed: the top 10 worst drivers on the road by professionClaims figures suggest fears about boy racers, white van men or yummy mummies just be a cover for the worst drivers of all

Daily Record

• Jet tae! Scots holidaymakers fuming after drunk stag do revellers hold up their plane and leave them stranded in airport DOZENS were stuck at Malta International Airport when the flight they were supposed to take was kept on the tarmac by an investigation into a rowdy stag party.

Mail Online

• ISIS supporters working as baggage handlers, cleaners and catering staff at Brussels airport Officers at Brussels Airport said they have warned about the terrorist sympathisers whose security badges give them access to planes, but they remain employed.

This is Money

• More than half of new cars sold today already have autonomous features The SMMT said 1.5 million cars registered in 2015 were fitted with safety-enhancing collision warning systems either as standard or optional extras. And others come with more.

Bolton News

• Campaigners to ride the bus all night in protest at service cuts PROTESTORS are set to ride a bus throughout the night to demonstrate against planned cuts to services.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Motorists warned of roadworks on M606 and M62 MOTORISTS using the M606 and M62 motorways in and out of Bradford are set to be affected by roadworks over the weekend.
• Bingley bypass to close for essential bridge maintenance - See five aerial pictures of the route ESSENTIAL road bridge maintenance is forcing closure of the Bingley bypass from the Bankfield Mercure Hotel roundabout to the Crossflatts roundabout for four nights starting on Monday, April 4.
• Discovery of aeroplane-sized mine cavity delays opening of Bradford's new railway station THE discovery of a huge underground mine shaft, big enough to fit an aeroplane's body into, has pushed back the opening of a new railway station by at least three months.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Calls for changes to 'disastrous' parking charges in Buckley to help struggling businesses Take our poll and tell us which parking solution being suggested you would prefer to be see put forward to Flintshire council
• A55 motorists face 12 months of roadworks The Welsh Government has today announced 37 routine maintenance projects stretching from Flintshire right through to Gwynedd

London Evening Standard

• 'Tube tickets are pricier than business class flight to New York'Tube tickets in London have become more expensive than a luxury flight to New York, Sadiq Khan revealed today.
• Campaigners urge mayoral candidates to triple London's cycle routesThe next Mayor must commit to tripling London's bike routes to accommodate demand, the capital's biggest cycling pressure group said today.
• North London among worst places in UK for 'crash for cash' scamsNorth London is one of the UK's top black spots for "crash for cash" road traffic accident scams.
• Take a flight back in time at the Flywheel FestivalThe Flywheel Festival will see motoring and aviation history brought back to life at a former RAF bomber base
• First-look at newly refurbished Bakerloo line trainThis is the first-look inside a newly refurbished Bakerloo line train that has been upgraded as part of a Transport for London refit.
• Revealed: London's most crime-ridden Tube linesTube passengers are most at risk of becoming a victim of crime when travelling on the Central Line, it can be revealed.

Manchester Evening News

• High-flying Hurst launches fleet of stocktaking drones The initiative is the brainchild of partner Simon Brownbill, and HURST will begin test flights today.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Newcastle rail commuters to benefit from �500m investment in services Trains from Newcastle to Manchester Airport will come online in December as part of the franchise

Northern Echo

• Appeal to find £200,000 to get train back on track AN AMBITIOUS plan to revive Britain’s most powerful express passenger steam locomotive needs financial help to stay on track.
• Millions more to fix Durham's roads - but is it all smoke and mirrors? A CASH-strapped council has announced a major increase in roads investment – but the move was instantly dismissed as

Wales Online

• This awesome video shows the view from INSIDE a Red Arrows' cockpit The clip shows Newport pilot Mike Bowden - alias Red 4 - doing astonishing things in the skies over Greece
• Flights to and from Cardiff Airport delayed as air traffic workers in France strike Find out if your flight has been affected
• These are the road accident hotspots in WalesFigures published by the Welsh Government revealed 42 road accident hotspots based on collision statistics between 2012 and 2014
• This �1.2M pilot boat could face storms and swells of up to five metresThe Port of Milford Haven has taken delivery of the first of three pilot boats designed to be used extensively in heavy weather

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Delays this weekend during Leeds Inner Ring Road closuresMotorists in Leeds could face delays while one of the city centre’s busiest roads is closed this weekend.
• West Yorkshire Police ‘turning a blind eye to illegal cycling’West Yorkshire Police handed out only 17 fines for illegal cycling last year, new figures have revealed, prompting accusations that officers are turning a blind eye to bicycle users breaking the law.

Bucks Free Press

• Taxi drivers could be turned away from rail station over EDL violence fears Taxi drivers could be turned away from Wycombe Railway Station next weekend as police prepare for hundreds of EDL protesters to arrive in the town.
• Car park system to be reviewed by council after ticket dodging investigation A controversial car park camera system will be reviewed by the council after a BFP investigation asked if ticket dodgers could be getting away without paying.

Doncaster Free Press

• South Yorkshire rail stations awarded for passenger and staff safetyRail stations in South Yorkshire have been recognised with a national award for providing a safe environment for both passengers and staff.
• Final journey for the king of the railwaysHe was the man whose engineering skills put Doncaster on the global railway map forever - and 75 years ago next week, the world waved goodbye to Sir Nigel Gresley on his final departure.
• Airline announces new destination from Doncaster’s airportSkiers wanting to hit the slopes can now fly to the Rhone-Alps region of south east France from Doncaster.

West Sussex Gazette

• The little railway on track for a big extension in 1988There’s something special about the Bluebell Railway.

Other Regional Press

• M4 relief road "absolutely essential", Monmouthshire haulage firm boss says WORK must begin on the long-awaited M4 relief road as soon as possible, the owner of a Monmouthshire haulage firm has said.
• "Cyclists this way... no cycling allowed" - how Oxford railway station has been baffling bikers IT'S frustrating enough being told you can't use your bike somewhere – it's twice as bad when you get told you can and can't at the same time.
• Department for Transport figures show Teesside road conditions are among best in the country An extensive road resurfacing programme has been carried out for scores of roads in Middlesbrough in the past year
• Council plans overhaul of Bury Park road safety measuresA raft of road safety improvements in Bury Park have been drawn up, 18 months after the tragic death of a three-year-old girl.
• M20 to become UK's largest double decker motorway to solve Operation StackThe misery of Operation Stack will soon be a thing of the past with plans to add an extra four lanes to the M20 - above the existing road.
• Divers reminded of first Rodbourne Road closure this weekend LATE night drivers will get a taste of what’s to come with the closure of Rodbourne Road this weekend ahead of a month-long closure of the road looming on the horizon.
• Your chance to snap up a 1986 Capri or 1975 Escort at Somerset auction BILLED�as 'the car you always promised yourself'�was the marketing campaign Ford put out when it released the legendary Capri in 1969.

Rail Magazine

• Ordsall Chord Alliance formedAn alliance has been formed for the construction of the Ordsall Chord in Manchester.
• Hitachi scoops 95-car TPE train dealHitachi will build 19 five-car bi-mode trains for First TransPennine Express (FTPE). The trains will enter traffic from 2019.

Rail Technology Magazine

• New report on HS2 benefits for SMEs launches as Bill passes House of CommonsThe benefits of HS2 for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been set out in a new report from High Speed Rail Industry Leaders (HSRIL.) The report, ‘High Speed Rail – Grasping the Opportunity’ was launched at an event at Parliament on 22 March, attended by industry leaders...

Aviation Industry

• Mayor of London report: expanding Heathrow would create health costs up to �25 billionEmbed from Getty Images   The health-related costs from aircraft noise of an expanded Heathrow could reach �25 billion, while a third runway would risk EU legal air quality limits, according to a new Mayor of London report which sets …
• Emirates adds 10th daily flight to LondonGulf carrier to operate fourth daily flight to Gatwick

Other News Sources

• Arriva wins London Overground contractDeutsche Bahn-owned group sees off competition from Go-Ahead/Keolis, MTR and Metroline Rail to capture �1.5bn Transport for London contract   A London Overground train at Haggerston station   Arriva has won the new contract to operate London Overground services, seeing off competition from its current joint venture partner MTR as well as Go-Ahead/Keolis and new entrant Metroline Rail. Transport for London said the contract value is �1.5bn over 7.5 years, with an option to extend it for up to two years. Improvements planned during the concession include more frequent services, initial...
• 'They are buffoons' - council bosses branded ‘short-sighted’ and ‘stupid’ for scrapping free parking in Blackburn town centre COUNCIL bosses have been branded ‘short-sighted’ and ‘stupid’ for scrapping the ‘Free after 3pm’ concession on their car parks in Blackburn town centre.
• Heathrow Airport rail link could see tunnels run under Egham and Magna Carta site The National Trust said "the best environmental mitigation measures" would be expected if plans for the £800 million to £950 million route were to go ahead
• Bus fares to increase to get people to buy in advance PASSENGERS who pay for their fares on the bus and those travelling outside of Brighton and Hove will be hit the hardest in the latest price hike.
• Cross Country Trains extends advance tickets to Evolvi usersAdvance on the day tickets available to purchase through Evolvi booking platform
• Minister submits case for electrification of the North Wales main lineTransport Minister Edwina Hart has set out the case for electrification of the North Wales coast main line by 2024, which is vital to realising the economic potential of the region.
• Low-boom supersonic jet in developmentBoston-based Spike Aerospace says it will start building a prototype low-boom supersonic jet this summer, designed to travel at Mach 1.6 over land as well as sea. The sonic boom created by previous supersonic passenger aircraft such as Concorde led to them being restricted to trans-oceanic journeys. However, Spike claims its S-512 Supersonic Jet will […]

News from Europe

• Commission wants driverless cars to fix growing number of road deathsEU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc is turning to driverless cars as a way to�improve�the bloc's floundering record on road deaths.