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

Saturday, 24 December 2016

Cogitamus

• Merry Christmas to all our readers from the Transportinfo team at Cogitamus🎄🎄 We will be taking a little break over the holidays. TransportInfo will not be updated on 25, 26, and 27 December 2016 and also on 1 and 2 January 2017. 🎄🎄

BBC News

• Carjackers' attack on man in Kings Heath caught on cameraPolice release footage of the moment a group of carjackers attack a man outside his home, raining down blows until he hands over the keys.
• False teeth among lost Cardiff Airport luggage in 2016False teeth, a microwave and a satellite dish were among the hundreds of items left at Cardiff Airport in the past year.
• GBBO's Ian Cumming in Shippea Hill station mince pie questA former Great British Bake Off finalist is serving mince pies at England's quietest railway station to boost passenger numbers.
• Flybe suspends Dundee-Amsterdam flightsLow-cost airline Flybe is to suspend its Dundee to Amsterdam flights from next month.
• Christmas getaway traffic remains steady on UK roadsUK roads remain 'fairly steady' on Friday while motorists make their Christmas getaway, the AA says.
• Only three passengers on BA flight enjoy champagne and selfiesThree British Airways passengers enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime flight when they are the only ones on board.
• BA crew Christmas strikes suspendedPlanned strikes by British Airways cabin crew on Christmas Day and Boxing Day have been suspended, Unite union says.

Financial Times

• Libyans held after Airbus hijack ends in MaltaPassengers released unharmed from internal flight and police seize grenade and pistols

The Guardian

• Holiday offers: airlines and tour operators reveal New Year discountsCheap flights to New York, Milan, Montreal and Dubai are on offer from airlines, while tour operators have seasonal deals on holidays to Italy and Australia EmiratesEmirates’ Hello 2017 fare sale will run until Tuesday 31 January, with big discounts on fares throughout most of 2017, including return flights from Gatwick to Dubai from £299 and to Phuket from £409. • emirates.com/uk Continue reading...
• Libyan hijackers surrender after release of hostages from plane diverted to MaltaHostages freed without violence after hijackers using a replica hand grenade and pistols took control of Afriqiyah Airways flightTwo men loyal to the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi hijacked a domestic flight with a replica hand grenade and pistols and forced the pilot to fly to Malta, reportedly claiming they wanted publicity for a new political party before letting passengers and crew leave the plane unharmed.The four-hour standoff with negotiators from Malta and Libya ended on Friday when the two men came out of the Afriqiyah Airways plane with a crewmember who was their final hostage,...
• Cruise liner abandons search for British woman who fell overboardThe 74-year-old woman was reported missing on Friday morning, 100 nautical miles off the US coastThe search for a British woman thought to have fallen overboard from a cruise liner into the Atlantic ocean has been called off.The Queen Mary 2, along with the US Coast Guard, had been searching for the 74-year-old woman, who was reported missing in the early hours of Friday, when the ship was about 100 nautical miles (115 miles) south of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Continue reading...
• Carrie Fisher in 'intensive care' after reported heart attack on flight to LAActor who played Princess Leia receiving excellent care, says brotherMark Hamill and Peter Mayhew express support for Star Wars co-starThe actor Carrie Fisher has reportedly suffered a heart attack on a flight to Los Angeles from London. Her brother, Todd Fisher, said the 60-year-old Star Wars legend was receiving treatment in an intensive care unit of a Los Angeles hospital after suffering a medical emergency on the United Airlines flight from London on Friday. Continue reading...
• Berlin attacker manhunt ends in shootout but questions remainAuthorities face questions after Anis Amri manages to travel over 1,000 miles around Europe in spite of arrest warrantThe hunt for Europe’s most wanted man ended in a gun battle outside a Milan train station in the early hours of Friday but left authorities facing tough questions about how an armed suspected terrorist had been able to travel hundreds of miles on public transport before being caught.Italy’s interior minister, Marco Minniti, said on Friday that the man shot in Milan was “without a shadow of a doubt” Anis Amri, who is suspected of carrying out Monday’s terrorist attack on a Berli...

The Herald

• Berlin truck terrorist Anis Amri shot dead in MilanBerlin truck terrorist Anis Amri has been shot dead in Milan after attacking a police officer who asked him for ID.
• Scottish Labour's trains campaign A FORMER UK transport minister has condemned party colleagues' campaign on Scotland's railways as

The Huffington Post

• Southern Strike Dates And Times: New Year Disruption Confirmed Commuters on the beleaguered Southern Railway are to face horrific delays and disruption over New Year as Britain’s biggest rail union confirms fresh strikes will go ahead. Passengers travelling on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and 2 January will be affected as a bitter dispute over the role of conductors remains deadlocked. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out for three days from New Year’s Eve in the latest wave of industrial action which has led to disruption and cancellations. Strikes were held earlier this week. The drivers’ unio...

The Scotsman

• Berlin market attack: �100k pledged for family of Polish truckerA crowd-funding appeal set up by a British trucker to help the family of the Polish driver who died in the Berlin terror attack has now passed £100,000.

The Telegraph

• Toilet paper for smartphones now on offer at Japanese airport
• Striking Uber drivers blockade Paris airport
• Did the Berlin truck terrorist try to get into Britain?
• Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher in 'intensive care' after heart attack on flight between London and LA�
• Seven million native trees to be planted along the HS2 route�

Times Online

• Airports prepare for a special arrival [Subscription]Santa Claus and his reindeer have been cleared to fly over Ireland tonight.
• Commuters jeer while pupils cheer for Barbara [Subscription]High winds caused power cuts, school closures and travel misery as Storm Barbara swept across Scotland, with further disruption expected over the Christmas period.

Mail Online

• Network Rail accused of rewarding failure after paying officials more than the PM Half earn over �200,000, according to records published for the first time. Chief executive Mark Carne (left) is on �685,000; chairman Peter Hendy receives �505,000 for a four-day week.
• Great Christmas getaway begins with 12million taking to Britain's roads Today is expected to be the busiest day for traffic over the festive period, with queues already seen from early this morning at London St Pancras as passengers waited to board the Eurostar.
• Pilot reveals reason flight attendants dim lights before takeoff and landing Patrick Smith, an airline pilot from the US said the real reason lights are turned down is to allow your eyes to adjust to darkness so you're not suddenly blinded in the event of an emergency.
• Carrie Fisher suffers heart attack on transatlantic flight Carrie Fisher suffered a massive heart attack on board a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles, and reportedly was not breathing for 10 minutes, it has been claimed.

The Mirror

• Search called off for British woman presumed overboard after going missing from Queen Mary 2 ocean liner The ship was about 12 hours out of New York when it turned back after the 74-year-old woman was reported missing
• Horrific moment train crashes into cars on level crossing after barriers 'failed to lower' The enormous impact threw the van away from the train, and dragged the SUV for about 100 metres before coming to a stop

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Getting a drone for Christmas? Here's what you need to know ONE of the most popular toys likely to be unwrapped this Christmas will be the drone.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Discussions on changing A5 and A483 into dual carriageway A meeting was held on Wednesday between MPs and the Welsh minister in charge of transport, Ken Skates
• Calls to cut speed limit on killer A494 Bala to Corwen road before more lives are lostCouncillors want the speed limit reduced from 60mph to 50mph on the A494 from Bala to Corwen following serious crashes in recent months

London Evening Standard

• Lorry drivers trained on bikes in bid to cut cycling deaths in LondonMore than 1,500 lorry and van drivers working in the capital have been given cycling training as part of a new initiative to help combat deaths on London roads.
• Heathrow Airport expansion: Chris Grayling 'may back third runway even if it worsens London's toxic air'Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has refused to rule out allowing a third runway to open at Heathrow even if it worsened toxic air in London.
• Christmas travel: All you need to know about Southern strikes and London station closures over the festive periodFollowing a year of travel misery for thousands of London commuters, many face more disruption as they prepare to leave the city for the festive season.
• Train stations packed as Londoners go home for Christmas during annual festive getawayMillions of people have today began travelling home for the annual Christmas getaway.
• Passenger kicked off New York flight for 'accosting' Ivanka TrumpA man was kicked off an airline flight from New York after allegedly accosting Ivanka Trump.
• Southern Rail chaos 'could drive international firms from City'A warning that Southern rail chaos risks driving away international firms was sounded by the City of London Corporation today.
• Malta plane hijack: Hijackers arrested after 'taking over passenger plane'The hijackers of a passenger plane carrying 118 people have been arrested following a stand-off at an airport in Malta.
• Afriqiyah Airways flight diverted to Malta after 'hijackers threaten to blow up plane'A passenger plane with 118 people on board has landed in Malta after apparently being hijacked by two people threatening to blow up the aircraft.
• Peace talks to be held in bid to avert Tube staff strike on January 8Last ditch talks are to be held in a bid to call off a Tube strike which could cause travel chaos just weeks into the new year.
• Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher suffers cardiac arrest on flight from LondonStar Wars actress Carrie Fisher has been taken to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest on a London to Los Angeles flight, according to reports.

Northern Echo

• Road work nearly finished A MAJOR scheme to improve the flow of traffic in Ingleby Barwick is close to completion.

Sheffield Star

• Changes to bus services in January to help Doncaster schoolchildrenFirst South Yorkshire has today announced that it is making minor changes to its services in Doncaster from January 3, 2017, and is reminding customers to check timetables before travelling in the New Year

Sheffield Telegraph

• Goldthorpe Railway Project receives �40,000Goldthorpe Railway Environmental Improvement Project is to benefit from £40,000 of Section 106 money, secured by Barnsley Council from the development of the Goldthorpe Colliery Site, adjacent to the Goldthorpe railway line.

The York Press

• Road closure warnings for Whitby MOTORISTS are being warned of street closures and parking suspensions in the New Year in Whitby as Northern Gas Networks invests �213,000 in upgrading the ageing metal gas distribution network.
• Free bus trial in York is extended A FREE Sunday bus service is being trialled in York.
• Man charged after train staff are abused at York Station A MAN has been arrested and charged over alleged abusive and homophobic comments towards train staff at York Railway Station.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• VIDEO: Planes struggle to land at Leeds Bradford Airport due to extreme Storm Barbara windsAeroplanes have been struggling to land at Leeds Bradford Airport today due to the extreme high winds from Storm Barbara, according to reports.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Planned engineering on rail line this Christmas Eve to and from LondonChristmas Eve rail passengers to and from London are being reminded that planned engineering work takes place on the line today.

Peterborough Telegraph

• Peterborough has one of the UK’s highest road casualty rates 2016 data showsThe road casualty rate for residents of Peterborough are the fifth highest of any UK parliamentary constituency

Sunderland Echo

• Thousands make festive getaway from Newcastle AirportNewcastle International Airport is flying high for the festive season with its annual Christmas Getaway now in full swing.

Other Regional Press

• New London Marylebone link will spare passengers 'nightmare journeys' this Christmas PEOPLE in Oxford will be spared nightmare train journeys to London this Christmas thanks to a new rail link.
• Chaos in the car parks as Northampton is gridlocked...and Saints have a home game tonightDrivers were stuck in gridlock across Northampton on Friday with shoppers being reportedly stuck in town centre car parks for up to two hours.
• Road to be closed for gas mains worksHigh Town Road in Luton is to be closed in the new year for essential gas mains work.
• New train design is right on trackNorthern Trains has teamed up with Porterbrook Leasing to develop a new rolling stock concept.
• 'Artery' road connecting Holme and Colne valleys needs urgent actionPiecemeal repairs fail to fix road used by commuters
• Drivers warned to be 'very savvy' as Storm Barbara hits busiest day of festive getawayPeople driving home for Christmas are urged to be
• Trains cancelled after London to Weymouth service struck child's scooter TRAINS were�unable to run between Poole and Wareham on Thursday after the railway line was 'severely damaged' by a child's scooter.
• Travelling by train over Christmas? You'll need to read this RAIL passengers are being warned to plan their journeys this Christmas as a major programme of upgrade work gets underway.
• M6, M42 and M60 among six sets of Christmas Day roadworks encircling CoventrySix sets of roadworks have been planned for over the weekend
• Driver given �500 in parking charges welcomes new council strategy A DRIVER who amassed �500 in parking fines for leaving his car outside his home has welcomed the introduction of a new parking strategy.
• Bus company boss branded as Scrooge in bank holiday pay dispute BUS drivers and staff face festive misery after they were told they would not get extra pay for working two Yuletide bank holidays.

Buying Business Travel

• Gatwick announces terminal changes for three major airlinesBA, Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic all switching terminals early 2017
• British Airways Christmas strike action suspendedUnion to put a revised pay offer to members

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• �300k to be spent restoring key North East Wales bus servicesKen Skates, Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, has announced that £300,000 will be spent to help local authorities to restore key local bus services lost following the recent demise of GHA Coaches. The grant, made available to Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham Councils with immediate effect, will allow services lost to be re-introduced and to build resilience in the services already provided. He said: “I’m delighted to announce this funding for the local authorities most affected by the liquidation of GHA Coaches. I expect to see it used to improve services and choice ...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Network Rail prepares for biggest ever Christmas upgradeThe largest Christmas upgrade in Network Rail history is about to begin with over 20,000 members of staff due to work across the network over the festive period. From Christmas Eve to 2 January Network Rail staff will be working on vital projects like the £85m investment programme across...

Other News Sources

• M25-A3 Wisley Interchange plans: What are the pros and cons of Highways England's two preferred schemes?Residents will have the opportunity to comment on the options at a series of public exhibitions in the area
• Gatwick Airport terminal reshuffle: Everything you need to knowBritish Airways, Virgin and some easyJet flights are changing terminals in January - here's what you need to know
• Southern Railway's performance is revealed as country’s worst for years COMMUTERS on Southern rail have been experiencing the worst performance by any operator in more than a decade, figures confirm.
• Santa Bus on course for another record-breaking year THE ever-popular Santa Bus is en route to another record-breaking year.