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

Saturday, 04 February 2017

BBC News

• Jaguar Land Rover Solihull site has engines 'worth �3m' stolenThe car manufacturer has put up a reward after a stolen truck was used to hook up to trailers.
• Powys A479 Pengenfford road shuts for landslip repair workA main road in Powys will shut from Saturday for 11 days for repair work to be carried out following a landslip.
• Birmingham experiences wave of lorries getting into literal scrapesTram lines and tight squeezes under bridges are the hazards for lorry drivers navigating Birmingham.
• Labour vows to close 'north-south divide' in public spendingLabour vows to reduce disparities in transport spending, with the north getting more of a
• Tube delays due to overcrowding triple in last five yearsThe Jubilee line is worst affected, recording 147,451 hours lost - double the waiting time of other lines.
• RMT suspends strikes on London UndergroundThe two strikes on London's Tube network had been due to start on Sunday.
• Motor insurance premiums hit record high, as cars go hi techComplex technology making repairs more expensive is contributing to the rise, insurers say.

Financial Times

• London Underground strikes suspendedRMT union calls off action after station staff cuts are reduced

The Guardian

• Former Norway PM held at Washington airport over 2014 visit to IranKjell Magne Bondevik describes shock after being held and questioned at Dulles hub under new US entry controlsA former prime minister of Norway has spoken of his shock after he was held and questioned at Washington Dulles airport because of a visit to Iran three years ago.Kjell Magne Bondevik, who served as prime minister of Norway from 1997-2000 and 2001-05, flew into the US from Europe on Tuesday afternoon to attend this week’s National Prayer Breakfast. Continue reading...
• London tube strikes called offRMT union says industrial action over staff safety and job cuts on London Underground has been suspendedPlanned strikes by London Underground workers that were expected to cause widespread disruption on Monday and Tuesday next week have been suspended.Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union were due to walk out for 16 hours from 6pm on Sunday and again for 15 hours from 10am on Tuesday in a dispute over job losses. Continue reading...
• Private ambulances increasingly used to respond to 999 callsFigures for ambulance trusts in England showing sharp rise in spending on private operators add to concerns over NHS crisisAmbulance services are increasingly calling in private firms to respond to 999 calls in the latest sign that NHS care providers are struggling to cope with the sharply rising number of patients who need urgent medical attention.The London ambulance service (LAS) has had the biggest increase among England’s 10 regional ambulance trusts. The amount it spent on private ambulance providers soared from £700,000 in 2011 to £10.1m last year, a thirteen-fold increase. Continue rea...
• Airlines told to allow previously banned travelers to US, after judge's order – reportsSeattle judge temporarily halts Trump’s travel ban after hearing arguments it unlawfully discriminated against Muslims and caused unreasonable harmAfter a federal judge in Seattle ordered a temporary halt on Donald Trump’s travel ban for refugees and people from seven predominantly-Muslim nations, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reportedly told US airlines that they could board travelers who had been barred. Related: Trump administration offers conflicting numbers of revoked visas after travel ban Continue reading...

The Herald

• Dev Patel: Flying into US 'felt like nightmare' after Trump travel banOscar nominee Dev Patel has said flying into America felt like
• Diesel cars may be target of scrappage scheme amid air quality pushA scrappage scheme for diesel cars is being considered to improve air quality, it has been reported.
• Motorists warned as M8 roadworks planned for 10 weeksDrivers face more delays on Scotland's busiest motorway with a further round of roadworks.

The Huffington Post

• Tube Strikes Called Off: London Underground February Strikes CancelledPlanned strikes by London Underground workers over job cuts have been suspended, said the RMT union. More than 3,000 members of the transport union had been set to walk out in a proposed 16-hour strike beginning at 6pm on Sunday, 5 February.   A second strike, for 15 hours, was due to take place on Tuesday, 7 February from 10am.  On Friday, the RMT said almost 60 per cent of the job cuts had been reinstated “after three years of solid campaigning”.  Under former Mayor Boris Johnson, London Underground had slashed station staff numbers by 953. The RMT says its indust...

The Telegraph

• Last section of new bridge across the Forth lifted into place
• US judge blocks Donald Trump's travel ban granting 'nationwide restraining order'
• Passenger films from carriage as train is lashed by huge waves travelling along notorious Dawlish line
• Rail unions remain at loggerheads as RMT agrees to meet Southern for talks�
• Tube strike suspended after 60% of job cuts reversed, union says
• Virgin Trains acting like Gestapo, says businessman detained after exploiting ticket loophole
• Targeted by vandals, the bright yellow car blamed on ruining view�in Cotswolds village�(but owner vows to buy lime green replacement)

Times Online

• Passengers pay premium for a parking space [Subscription]Rail bosses have been accused of milking commuters after an expansion of “first class” parking, where travellers pay a premium for a guaranteed space.
• Commuters face threat of more rail strikes [Subscription]Britain’s biggest rail union raised the prospect of further strikes yesterday amid a rift over the “scandalous” deal aimed at resolving a long-running dispute on Southern Rail.

Mail Online

• Car insurance at a record high due to Osborne’s tax hike The average price paid in the final three months of last year for comprehensive cover was £462, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said – a jump of £22 on the previous quarter.
• Planned Tube strikes are suspended Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union were due to stage two walkouts from Sunday evening in a dispute over jobs and ticket office closures.
• Criminals steal Land Rover engines worth �3million A suspected stolen HGV lorry was used to steal the car parts in just a few minutes on Tuesday night. Insiders say the stolen 40 tonne lorry arrived at the depot in Birmingham at 10.30pm on Tuesday.

This is Money

• Drivers are being fleeced by opportunistic fuel suppliers Motoring groups have hit out at the government, fuel suppliers and supermarket retailers for failing to pass on wholesale savings to the nation's drivers as pump prices escalated to a two-year high last month.
• Carmakers in a discount war to stave off sales slowdown Vehicle sales site BuyaCar.co.uk says you�can save almost �4,400 on the price of a just-released, brand-new �19,700 model at the moment.
• Scrappage scheme for diesel cars to improve air quality Diesel car owners could be offered cash to replace their gas guzzling vehicle for a low-emission alternative, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Birmingham Post

• Jaguar Land Rover heist: How gang stole �3m of engines in SIX MINUTESSources reveal how gang returned to Lode Lane factory to steal more parts

Bolton News

• �9 million Audi dealership asks permission to conduct early-morning car deliveries CAR deliveries and servicing could take place earlier in the morning if the developers of a forthcoming �9m car dealership and workshop get their way.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• U-turn over Wrexham A483 roadworks as Welsh Government bow to pressure Economy Secretary Ken Skates confirms resurfacing will now only be carried out overnight because of  'traffic chaos' fears

London Evening Standard

• Tube passengers 'wasted 44 years' in the last 12 months because of overcrowdingTube passengers wasted a staggering 44 years because of delays to their journeys in the last 12 months because of overcrowding, new official figures reveal today.
• Tube strike February 2017 latest: Crisis meeting as millions of commuters prepare for days of walkoutsThe Tube's four million users were left not knowing until the last moment today whether days of strike action will begin from Sunday evening.
• Heathrow third runway 'could be one of least used in Europe'Heathrow's new runway could be "one of the least used in Europe" if it opens in 2025, campaigners warned today.
• On board the notorious late Friday night 'drunk' train from London to NorthamptonPassengers on a late-night train service from which scores of revellers were barred for being "unfit to travel" have said that they regularly see drunken fights and women being harassed.
• Tube strike latest: Three-day walkout called off after TfL talks, RMT confirmsA planned three-day Tube strike which was set to cripple London's transport network has been suspended.
• Fresh talks planned between RMT Union and Southern bosses over conductor rowFresh talks are to be held in a bid to resolve a long-running row over the role of conductors on Southern Railway.
• Tube strike February 2017: London Mayor Sadiq Khan 'delighted' as walkouts suspendedSadiq Khan said Tube bosses and union chiefs had agreed an 'excellent deal'
• A bicycle made for two: Valentine's Day cycling date ideas See a different side to London this Valentine's Day

Northern Echo

• Metro passengers reminded of timetable coming into place from Sunday METRO passengers are being reminded to check journey times as a new timetable comes into place from this Sunday.
• Haulier hits out at lorry ban in North Yorkshire town A HAULIER has defended the need for lorries in a North Yorkshire town - saying banning HGVs will not reduce congestion or pollution.
• New Wear Crossing will mean partial closure of road in Sunderland next weekend PART of a primary road into Sunderland will be closed next weekend for work connected to the construction of the New Wear Crossing.
• Bridge opening brings town back together A NORTH Yorkshire bridge has reopened more than a year after it collapsed during the 2015 Christmas floods, cutting a town in two.

The York Press

• 'Accident blackspot' prompts petition plea for a roundabout MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for a roundabout at an “accident blackspot” on a major road east of York.
• Station ambassador boost GRAND Central says rail passengers in Thirsk and Northallerton are set to experience a safer travel experience, following the launch of its Station Ambassador programme.

Wales Online

• Car park firm offers �10 to take 'do it yourself' pictures of badly parked cars CPM UK Car Park Management says it operates car parks for McDonalds, Tesco and the NHS
• A traffic warden ticketed an ambulance vehicle while paramedics treated a patient The first responders were called to an emergency when they were reportedly slapped with a fine

Bucks Free Press

• Transport bosses plan 'additional' bridge measures - as yet another lorry attempts to cross The county council’s transport chief has reassured residents that they are exploring measures to protect Marlow Bridge from “abuse” by overweight vehicles following news that a petition has been set up.

West Sussex Gazette

• Whyke Road crossing to be made saferCrossing the busy Whyke Road on foot will soon be made safer when the pedestrian crossing is moved further away from the A27 roundabout.

Other Regional Press

• Here's how you can save money on your train tickets - by splitting the fare for your journeyAn overhaul of rail fares will see the cheapest fares automatically offered as part of a trial - but here's how you you can save money now
• Upavon father and MP Claire Perry deliver road crime petition to Downing Street THE father of man killed in a hit-and-run has taken his campaign for tougher sentences on killer drivers to Downing Street with MP Claire Perry.
• New A34 junction in doubt again after funding snub LONG-awaited plans for a new ‘diamond junction’ on the A34 have been thrown into doubt again after a funding bid was snubbed.
• Boaters celebrate as council backs down over rivers PSPO BOATERS in Oxford are celebrating after council bosses backed down from introducing controversial new rules on the city’s waterways.
• Government considering diesel car scrappage scheme to improve air quality A scrappage scheme for diesel cars is being considered to improve air quality, it has been reported.
• Hampshire residents demand speed limit cut after deaths RESIDENTS campaigning for improved safety on a ‘dangerous’ road are calling for more action from highways chiefs.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• CILT advise Government on the opportunities of Brexit The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has identified opportunities and made recommendations to Government on the implications of exit from the EU. CILT represents the expertise and experience of professionals and leaders in the logistics and transport sector – a key element of our economy and UK trade around the globe.  After an approach by the ‘Freight Team’ at the Department for Transport (DfT), the Institute has delivered impartial advice to Government ahead of the imminent triggering of Article 50. Recommendations include:  • Encouraging...
• Bus firm unveils bold plan to make Harrogate a low emission bus townThe North Yorkshire town’s leading bus operator, The Harrogate Bus Company, has unveiled its five year vision for public transport, bringing the latest low emissions technology alongside a host of improvements to every aspect of bus travel. Innovations including fleet-wide free WiFi, USB power and next stop announcements are some of the items, successfully pioneered by the company’s flagship The 36: Riding Redefined service linking Harrogate with Leeds and Ripon, and will spread wider across the town’s buses. There will also be smoother integration with other bus and rail ser...

Rail Technology Magazine

• Go-ahead in sight for HS2 Bill as Lords reject bid to block projectHS2 has moved one step closer to becoming a reality after its dedicated Bill passed its third reading in the House of Lords this week, despite late attempts by Peers to block the long-awaited £55.7bn project. Peers opposed a backbench amendment by Conservative Peer Lord Framlingham to stop...
• Scottish rail infrastructure strategy launched ahead of government HLOSThe rail industry has come together to launch a major new infrastructure strategy for Scotland, which sets out how the sector can benefit the country’s economy. The report, published by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), was developed by experts across Scotland’s railway network...
• TOCs to improve disabled toilet access after Paralympian embarrassmentRail operators have been forced to improve disabled passengers’ access to toilets on trains and at stations following talks between senior rail industry figures and the rail minister Paul Maynard. The government has agreed with operators that clearer information should be made available to...
• TfN: Better rail links to Northern ports would boost global appealBetter rail and road links to airports and ports could have enormous benefits for trade and business growth in the north of England, an independent commission has said. The Independent International Connectivity Commission’s (IICC’s) report stated that improved links could see 75...
• Southern Rail passengers reminded to claim compensationSouthern’s annual season ticket holders have been reminded that they are entitled to claim compensation due to the franchise’s poor performance over the 2016-17 financial year. Last year, the DfT promised that Southern season ticket holders would be able to claim the equivalent of a...

Aviation Industry

• London City Airport’s refurbished Western Pier nears completionA major refurbishment and expansion of London City Airport’s Western Pier is approaching completion. read more

Other News Sources

• Tube Strike 2017: RMT union calls off February strikes following agreement with London Underground Tube workers had been due to walkout at 6pm on Sunday and again on Tuesday but an agreement was reached on Friday
• Preparing for Brexit tops the agenda at FTA Transport Manager Northern IrelandJohn McGrane, Director General of The British Irish Chamber of Commerce, will discuss practical ways in which both Irish and UK firms can prepare ...