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

Saturday, 09 April 2016

BBC News

• RAF jets escort plane to airportTwo RAF jets escort an
• VIDEO: Boy sealed in lorry rescued by textingA seven-year-old boy from Afghanistan was rescued from a sealed lorry on a British motorway after texting someone in the US for help.
• VIDEO: Luxury boat builders target Asia's richLuxury boat-makers are hoping for new customers in Asia. Leisha Chi reports from the Singapore Yacht show.
• VIDEO: The yacht with its own bar and liftThe BBC's Leisha Chi reports from the Singapore Yacht Show and tours a mega yacht so plush, it even has its own lift.

The Guardian

• Flight diverted due to potential 'timebomb' of unpredictable passengerUnited Airlines pilot thought air-rage incident could have been to distract from something more sinister, court hearsThe decision to divert a transatlantic flight over an alleged air-rage incident was recommended because there was a potential “timebomb” on board, a court has heard.Joseph Oka, a United Airlines relief pilot, said he feared the actions of an unpredictable passenger could have been a distraction for something more sinister. He told Antrim crown court: “I was thinking, can this just be a minor incident? Our training is to treat every incident as not minor. This could really be a d...
• SpaceX rocket successfully lands on ocean drone platform for first timeFalcon 9 rocket takes off with a cargo capsule bound for International Space Station before successfully landing on drone barge in fifth attemptSpaceX landed a reusable rocket on a robotic drone on Friday, its fifth attempt and part of a budding space race between billionaires to revolutionize spaceflight. Related: Space mission to test billionaire's plan for astronauts to live in a bubble Continue reading...
• Ryanair accuses Google of profiting from misleading adsAirline launches broadside over fact that eDreams, a travel booking firm, is displayed first on Google searches for RyanairRyanair has launched a new broadside against Google in its battle with other websites selling its flights, accusing the internet firm of profiting at the expense of consumers through misleading adverts and paid-for search results.The airline called on businesses in the UK and Europe to stand up to Google over practices that it claims breach trust, confuse customers and make firms lose out. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Nicola Sturgeon confirms plans to scrap air passenger duty in ScotlandCharging UK travellers one of the highest aviation taxes in the world

Times Online

• Sturgeon ‘misled country over investment deal with China’ [Subscription]Nicola Sturgeon was accused of misleading Scotland yesterday after fresh details emerged of a controversial deal she signed with two Chinese conglomerates.

Daily Record

• Firefighters rescue 'critically injured' casualties after level-crossing 'collision' involving train, bus and cars CREWS scrambled to the scene found dozens of casualties fleeing vehicles and many others still trapped inside – in a major emergency exercise.

Mail Online

• We need �12billion to repair all the potholes in Britain Yesterday the Government pledged �50m for fixing 1m potholes this year. But one survey found it will cost �11.8billion to fully fix all roads and the AA president said the funding was inadequate.
• St James's Park Tube station evacuated and bomb squad called over 'suspect package' St James's Park tube station (pictured) in London was closed for a short while this morning while officers investigated and cordoned off an area near the Metropolitan Police's headquarters.

The Mirror

• Personal drone that could chop your commute in half is flown for the first time The Volocopter has been cleared for take-off and is said to be as easy to control as a car    

This is Money

• How many potholes are being filled in your area? Map reveals where roads will be fixed The government today launched a map of where the funding has been allocated, and a tool so that you can search for planned repairs by postcode.
• As number of new cars bought with cash borrowed at dealerships surges above 1m, figures fuel fears that families are taking on too much debt Financing agreements – where consumers borrow money as they buy a vehicle and pay it back in instalments – account for 81.9 per cent of the private new car market.

Birmingham Mail

• Jaguar say electric cars are a 'new start'Ian Callum, head of design at Jaguar, talks electric.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Meet the Denbigh grandmother whose dream cruise turned into a 'nightmare' because of paperwork Helen Jones, 69, a grandmother-of-seven, and her husband Ifor’s paid around £8,000 for the trip to the Caribbean 

London Evening Standard

• Motorists 'become more aggressive' once they get behind the wheelMore than half of motorists act more aggressively behind the wheel than they do elsewhere, research has found.
• Sales of electric cars soar 85% amid fear over pollutionHundreds more Londoners are buying electric cars as the scale of the capital's air pollution problem is laid bare, official figures reveal today.
• Muslim woman who claims she suffered racist abuse on Tube: 'I'm angry no-one bothered to help'A Muslim woman has told of her anger at passers-by who failed to help her after she was allegedly racially abused on the Tube.
• This Tube map shows where you can afford to rent in LondonJust 15 of London's 270 Tube stations are in affordable areas for renters, according to a housing charity.
• Stratford International evacuated: Major train station closed at rush hour after bus bomb hoaxA busy train station was evacuated during rush hour after a suspected bomb hoax this evening.
• Judge issues lorry warning as tipper truck driver jailed for killing cyclist in east LondonA judge has issued a stern warning to the capital's lorry drivers after a man was jailed today for killing cyclist Akis Kollaros by hitting him with a tipper truck.

Northern Echo

• A66 resurfacing work, near Smallways, starts on Monday RESURFACING work on almost two miles of the A66 in County Durham will start on Monday.
• Road closures planned for main routes through Darlington DRIVERS and public transport users will face delays and diversions in Darlington as new access roads and junctions are created in the town.
• Anger at Darlington Borough Council garage "undercutting" local businesses GARAGE owners have criticised a local authority for
• Britain's best cyclists to compete in annual reservoir race DOZENS of Britain’s best cyclists will take to the winding roads around one of the region’s reservoirs as an annual elite race returns later this month.

The York Press

• Selby rail disaster books of condolence are painstakingly restored, after being damaged by York floods The books will now be stored at the National Railway Museum

Wales Online

• �1,000 reward offered for information about cable thefts on Valley railway lines More than 15 hours of disruptions have been caused following three separate attacks
• This is the moment a private jet touched down in Cardiff Airport after being escorted by two RAF Typhoons The RAF said quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby to identify an unresponsive civilian aircraft

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Deal to allow M6 Toll to be open for free in times of crisis extendedThe deal allowing the M6 Toll to be opened for free in times of crisis has been renewed for another six months, bosses have revealed.

Blackpool Gazette

• Full steam ahead for Titanic exhibitionA major exhibition on the doomed liner Titanic is coming to the Fylde coast.

Crewe Chronicle

• Amphibious Lamborghini that starred on Top Gear listed for sale on auction website The amphibious car starred on Top Gear but is now being sold by its owner on eBay.

Daventry Express

• Drivers warned over road closure in Northamptonshire village that could impact on A508 trafficMotorists are being warned of a road closure in Spratton next week.
• BREAKING NEWS: Loud noise heard across Northamptonshire was two jets creating sonic boomThe Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a sonic boom heard in Northamptonshire was caused by two Typhoon aircraft launched to identify an “unresponsive” private jet.

Doncaster Free Press

• Busy Doncaster road to be closed this weekend for bridge demolitionA busy Doncaster road is set to be closed this weekend to allow for the demolition of a pedestrian footbridge.
• Jail term for Doncaster woman who caused rail delays costing thousandsA woman who caused disruption for thousands of commuters and motorists in South Yorkshire and cost the authorities more than £30, 000 has been given a jail term.

Northamptonshire Telegraph

• Drivers warned of new parking rules at Corby car parkDozens of drivers who have been using a car park in Corby for free for two months have been shocked to suddenly start receving parking tickets

West Sussex Gazette

• Roadworks for Sussex next weekPlanned roadworks Sussex from Monday (11 April) to Sunday 17 April.

Other Regional Press

• Safety fears over plans for a new road layout near FarehamCONCERNS have been raised over plans to create a continuous dual carriageway on a busy main road.
• Drivers warned over road closure in Northamptonshire village that could impact on A508 trafficMotorists are being warned of a road closure in Spratton next week.
• Bullet train firm in running to operate rail services through NorthamptonThe firm that runs Japan’s bullet train could be part of a consortium running rail services through Northampton if it wins the tender for the line next year.
• M65 extension scheme ‘dead in the water’Two leading Pendle politicians have described a proposal for a new trans-Pennine motorway linking Lancashire and Yorkshire as “pure froth” and a “red herring”.
• Medway Cruise car show held at Dockside Outlet Centre, Chatham, stopped due to health and safety issuesA popular monthly car show has been stopped due to health and safety issues, after it started attracting too many enthusiasts.
• Iberia Express launches new Madrid service from Birmingham Airport The service will operate four times a week and offer connections to a host of onward destinations
• Relief at cash to fix potholesPoliticians and residents have both welcomed a funding pot given to Wigan Council to fix thousands of potholes on the borough’s roads.
• Stop here ... for three monthsWhitby is set for three months of traffic chaos according to residents and councillors as works get under way to overhaul the key Mayfield Road junction.
• Calls for plans to close station ticket offices to be scrapped MP for Hertsmere Oliver Dowden has called for Govia Thameslink to scrap plans for the partial or complete closure of station ticket offices at Borehamwood, Radlett and Potters Bar.
• Parish steward vehicles to repair local highway issues with new contract A SEA of green and yellow vehicles driven by parish stewards to tackle minor highways work have hit Wiltshire's roads.
• Traffic chaos in Trowbridge as transporter lorry gets stuck A CAR transporter has caused traffic mayhem in Trowbridge this afternoon after getting stuck on a roundabout.�
• World's newest cruise ship to visit SHE’S on her way.
• Up to £250m to help solve traffic problems in Southampton A MAJOR transport plan worth up to £250m could ease commuters’ congestion woes in and around Southampton, the Daily Echo can reveal.
• Uber launches controversial service in Southampton IT IS the controversial transport service which has sparked protests in cities around the world – and now it has arrived in Southampton.

Forbes

• Has the Tesla Model 3 Really Made Electric Cars Mainstream?Since unveiling its most affordable vehicle yet last week, Tesla Motors has notched more than 325,000 reservations from excited fans of the all-electric carmaker, according to an announcement on Thursday. Ambitiously titled “The Week that Electric Vehicles Went Mainstream,” the note asserts that the Tesla Model 3 achieved this breakthrough in an unprecedented way.
• What Keeps Killing Electric Cars?Electric vehicle's shortcoming is the high cost and poor performance of the power pack, and developers have not addressed this.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• CILT and Geographical Association launch transport and logistics resources for schoolsThe Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK, in collaboration with the Geographical Association, has produced a suite of logistics and transport resources for use in schools and educational environments. In order to raise the profile of the profession and the opportunities available CILT and the Geographical Association have designed eight lesson plans, with accompanying material, to be used in schools and educational settings. The sessions will be launched later today at the Geographical Association’s Annual Conference in Manchester by Alan Parkinson, Head of Geograph...
• New National Express straight-to-the terminal Stansted servicesThousands of extra seats daily   National Express is making it easier than ever to travel to Stansted Airport with brand new routes adding almost 5,000 extra seats a day – an annual equivalent to more than ten times the population of Brighton.        The new services, which launch on Monday, April 11, will for the first time see the UK’s largest coach operator serve Stansted from new stops at Paddington, Waterloo and Southwark.   The news is likely to be particularly welcomed by travellers journeying to Stansted from areas south of the River Thames - w...
• Driverless cars to be trialled on motorwaysA trial of driverless cars is to be carried out on motorways, Highways England has confirmed. The organisation believes a connected corridor could see cars and infrastructure being linked wirelessly, so drivers would receive alerts of congestion and road closures in advance. This forms part of a wider �150 million drive to harness innovative new technology, which will also involve trialling radar technology on motorways and in tunnels so breakdowns can be detected more effectively. Andrew Jones, the roads minister, commented:

Rail Magazine

• Scotland reveals agenda to develop rail freight strategyScottish Government, says it will “consider the barriers to innovation and attracting new freight onto the railway network, and how these can be overcome”.
• Faster trains on Great Eastern, but renewals hold the key - Network RailJourney time improvements on the GEML have a “very significant” cost, and need be implanted alongside other enhancement and renewals works to reduce the cost.
• Network Rail pushes for vital Midlands area upgrade worth up to �1billionNetwork Rail is proposing a �600 million-�1 billion major upgrade of Leicester station and the surrounding railway.
• HS2 Ltd and TUC sign framework dealAgreement to maximise economic and labour benefits of new railway

Rail Technology Magazine

• TfL under attack from London mayoral candidatesTwo London mayoral candidates have criticised Transport for London (TfL), with Conservative Zac Goldsmith promising to cut free transport perks for staff to pay for more police officers and Labour’s Sadiq Khan promising efficiency savings to pay for a fare freeze. Goldsmith pledged to cut...

Aviation Industry

• Air France resolves headscarf row with female staffAir France will allow female staff to opt out of working on scheduled flights to Iran if they do not want to wear a head covering as the French flag carrier prepares resume flights to Tehran later this month. read more
• Dublin airport to build €320m runway by 2020Work to start on new development in 2017 as passenger numbers continue to grow

Other News Sources

• We're sorry: Boss on �100k says patient transport shambles isn't acceptable AN ambulance trust could be asked to help a private company with a patient transport service currently in crisis - despite having only handed it over a week earlier.
• Virgin Trains to offer delayed passengers compensation by chequeMove welcomed by consumer groups
• Future tracks: A tale of two technologiesAndrew Wade Senior reporter This week I had the pleasure of attending two very different media events, showcasing two very different technologies. One will help transform London and the South East, while the other has implications for the entire planet. Both of them are promising big things for the future. On Wednesday, I descended the […]