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

Sunday, 19 August 2018

BBC News

• West Midlands Police blames car theft surge on write-off gangsPolice say criminals selling insurance write-offs are making a hefty profit by stealing cars for parts.
• Car falls in sinkhole at Brecon Beacons castleThe car sank bonnet-first into the hole and had to be towed out.
• Westminster car crash: Man charged with attempted murderSalih Khater will appear in court charged with the attempted murder of pedestrians and police.
• First upgraded InterCity train arrives in ScotlandScotRail says the first of 26 upgraded high-speed trains will enter service
• Drink-driving 'prevalent' on NI roadsAlmost 10,000 drivers convicted of drink or drugs offences were disqualified in a five-year period.
• South Western Railway workers hold fifth guard strikeSouth Western Railway and the RMT union are in dispute over the future role of guards.
• London Euston station closes for first of three weekendsNetwork Rail is urging people not to travel on a major line into or out of London.

Times Online

• Money Made Easy: Train fare price hike [Subscription]Train fares in England and Wales are to increase by up to 3.2% in January, it was announced last week.
• SNP justice minister Humza Yousaf ready to pull plug on merger between Police Scotland and British Transport Police [Subscription]Justice minister ready to drop plans to merge railway officers into Scottish force in the face of staff opposition
• BMW tries to drive Uber and Lyft out of town [Subscription]Munich has taken on Silicon Valley with its own urban mobility scheme
• Cyclist who lost leg at roundabout pleads for curbs on giant lorries in cities [Subscription]As Sarah Doone lay trapped under the huge cement lorry that had knocked her off her bicycle, she asked for a glass of water and accepted that she might die.

Mail Online

• Ryanair 'force' autistic girl off UK flight leaving her stranded and 'hysterical' in Portugal Daisy Maddock, who has autism, took a Ryanair flight to Portugal with family to attend 60th birthday celebrations. Her mother, Michelle, could not go as she had suffered a bleed on the brain.
• Warplanes thunder over stunned motorists after Russian Air Force turns motorway into runway  Vehicles were halted on the Khabarovsk to Komsomolsk-on-Amur motorway in Russia so pilots could practice their take-off and landing skills. Halted motorists filmed the amazing scenes.
• Royal Navy's new £3m aircraft carrier Big Lizzie prepares to set sail for the US The landmark moment will come eight years since a fast jet last flew from a British aircraft carrier. The 65,000-tonne carrier is expected to leave Portsmouth Naval Base at about 6pm on Saturday
• Motorists could be fined £100 for going just 1MPH over the speed limit in new police plan National roads policing chief is strongly in favour of the tougher approach, as he believes the existing leeway gives out the wrong signal and could be contributing to increasing injuries on UK roads .

This is Money

• Six ways to halt the pain of rail price rises Writing to your MP or joining a passenger campaign group are ways to vent frustration – though being canny with how you buy your tickets is the best way to beat the financial pain of the impending rise.
• Windsor is on track to be linked up by Britain's first privately funded railway  A former submarine scientist, George Bathurst, wants to connect the train lines running through Windsor by building a new stretch of tunnel under the Royal Berkshire town.
• Stop accusing car firms of fuelling Project Fear - it's for real: McLaren boss warns on Brexit Despite his international ambitions beyond Europe, Mike Flewitt, chief executive of McLaren Automotive, shares the industry's deep concerns over Brexit.
• Ford's Brexit warning as profits slide by £760m: Car giant may scale back in the UK The firm, which employs 9,000 people in this country, is also expecting to make a loss in Europe, including the UK, this year.

London Evening Standard

• Woman with chronic pain takes the Tube to reveal plight of 'hidden illness' sufferers... as she calls for commuters to 'look up'A woman with chronic pain who wears a blue 'Please offer me a seat' badge today calls on her fellow Londoners to 'look up' and be aware of those who struggle on the Tube with hidden illnesses.
• Incredible images show how £14.8bn Crossrail project is transforming the capital's transport networkIncredible images show the way Crossrail is transforming the capital as workers put the final touches on the £14.8 billion project.
• HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy's new £3bn aircraft carrier departs on maiden voyage to USBritain's largest warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has departed Portsmouth and set off for the US on its maiden voyage.

Northern Echo

• Genoa bridge collapse a 'rare failure' say expertsTHE bridge that collapsed in the Italian port city of Genoa was considered a feat of engineering innovation when it was built five decades ago, but it came to require constant maintenance over the years. The Morandi Bridge’s design is now being investigated as a possible contributor to its horrific collapse.

The York Press

• Spending bus money on road improvements is 'abuse of funds', say Green councillors HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds from York's Better Bus Fund should be spent on public transport instead of improvements to Wigginton Road according to Green Party councillors.

Wales Online

• Car falls into sinkhole in Welsh castle's car parkIt took two vehicles to pull the car out of the sinkhole, which a witness says was 20 feet deep

Other Regional Press

• Driving 'less stressful' abroad thanks to better roads, cheaper fuel, fewer jamsFour in 10 UK motorists (43%) say driving is less stressful on the Continent than in their own country, a new survey suggests.
• Airline passenger satisfaction is going downAirline passenger satisfaction has declined over the past two years amid disappointment with in-flight experiences, new figures show.
• Night Tube generated £200 million last year The Night Tube generated nearly £200 million for London’s economy last year.
• More than 2,000 people caught speeding on county roads in just one week MORE than 2,000 people were caught speeding across Hampshire last week.
• Services hit again as rail staff strike for 24 hours RAIL passengers face fresh travel disruption on today (August 18) because of another strike in the bitter dispute over the role of guards on trains.