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

Saturday, 02 November 2019

BBC News

• Orpington crash: Bus driver dies and 15 hurt in collisionA man is arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous and drug driving.
• Trains return to flood-damaged Abergavenny to Hereford railwayDirect services between north and south Wales resume after repairs to the line finished early.
• Bombardier: Spirit Aerosystems may renegotiate government loanSpirit Aerosystems' chief executive says he is hoping to make repayments more efficient.
• Electric cars: Best and worst places to charge your carLondon and Scotland are the best places to find charging points, while Yorkshire is the worst.

The Guardian

• Some councils' school transport costs nearly as high as child social careCouncils in England warn provision of home-to-school transport is under threat due to unsustainable costsCouncils in England have warned that home-to-school transport, on which many children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) depend, is under threat because of “unsustainableâ€� costs and insufficient funding.A report commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) and County Councils Network has revealed that councils are spending more on home-to-school transport than they spend on children’s centres, family support or youth services. Continue reading...

The Independent

• How can passengers board planes quickly and efficiently?Plane Talk: will Gatwick's plans for 'self-loading freight' succeed?
• UK weather forecast: 'Danger to life' warnings issued as flooding and travel disruption expected70mm rain expected as UK braces for heavy showers and gale-force winds

The Telegraph

• Motorist fines from private parking companies rise by 2 million, RAC finds
• Places in UK with no electric charging points revealed for first time

Times Online

• Scotland leads the way for car charging [Subscription]Scotland is streets ahead of many parts of the UK for charging an electric car.
• Carlyle in the driving seat for Arriva buyout [Subscription]An American private equity firm is the leading contender to buy one of Britain’s biggest public transport operators in a deal worth £2.2 billion.
• Pilot passed out? Just press this red button and plane lands itself [Subscription]The captain is unconscious, there is nobody to fly the plane, disaster is certain.
• Rail strikes threaten misery for Christmas shoppers [Subscription]Train passengers face travel chaos in the run-up to Christmas as rail workers stage a series of strikes in a long-running dispute over the role of guards.
• London bus driver killed when he swerved to save passengers [Subscription]A bus driver was killed and 15 people injured, three seriously, after he crashed trying to avoid hitting another bus and a car that had collided.
• Gatwick uses military tracker made by Chess Dynamics to beat drone menace [Subscription]Radar, radio frequency and optical detection systems have been installed at Gatwick to thwart malicious drone attacks.

City AM

• UK now has more electric car charging points than petrol stationsThere are now more public electric car charging points in Britain than petrol stations, according to newly released figures. The [...] The post UK now has more electric car charging points than petrol stations appeared first on CityAM.

Daily Record

• Edinburgh-bound Ryanair flight found flying 'near North Pole' in computer blunderThe malfunction pinned the flight from Portugal down thousands of miles away from its location over the Bay of Biscay.

Mail Online

• HD traffic cameras: UK drivers face fines for TOUCHING phonesA ban on holding a phone while driving is coming to Britain's roads. A loophole in the current law means reckless drivers can be prosecuted only if they are caught using phones to call or text.
• Armed police remove to passengers from an easyJet flight in ManchesterThe easyJet flight was delayed for two-and-a-half hours when it eventually took off for Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. The airline said their cabin crew acted quickly to contain the situation.

The Mirror

• NHS car parking scandal worsens as 'tax on the sick' rakes in extra £46millionAlarming figures show the rip-off fees raked in a record £272million last year as NHS staff are forking out much more in total and rising numbers of disabled people are having to pay up
• Police forced to remove 'abusive' passengers from easyJet plane at Manchester airportTwo passengers were escorted off the plane at Manchester airport, causing two hours of delays
• British Airways pilots' 10-day walkout over Christmas likely to be called offThe plan was cancelled after the union bosses said they are 'unlikely to get a better deal'

Belfast Telegraph

• South Belfast residents seek action on parking nightmare: 'It's a dangerous free-for-all and getting worse'Residents in south Belfast are calling for parking controls to be implemented before someone is seriously injured or killed.

Birmingham Mail

• Severn Valley Railway is recruiting - how you can get a paid job on a steam trainThe Worcestershire and Shropshire rail company is largely run by volunteers so it is rare to be able to apply for a position with a 'competitive salary' at the historic railway

Birmingham Post

• New £3.6bn funding to boost jobs and transportWest Midlands towns and cities invited to apply for a share of the government capital which is aimed at 'rebalancing the national economy'

Bristol Live

• See an ambulance or police behind you? What the law says you should and shouldn't do to avoid £1k fineThis is what you should - and shouldn't - do when you see blue lights behind you
• Bristol's proposed diesel ban would only apply to privately-owned vehiclesThe council previously mistakenly said that all diesel vehicles would be banned

Daily Post (North Wales)

• School bus company licence revoked over 'unsatisfactory' maintenance recordTwo buses owned by Alan John Woolley had failed their annual test

London Evening Standard

• Croydon tram crash: Families fight on after driver escapes manslaughter chargeThe families of Croydon tram crash victims today vowed to continue their fight for answers after it was announced that neither the driver nor companies will face criminal charges.

The York Press

• York-based rail firm's £2.6m plan to upgrade stations YORK-BASED train operator Grand Central has announced details of a £2.6 million plan to upgrade stations along its routes, including Thirsk.
• First York bus boss says he's sorry for unreliable services YORK’S biggest bus operator has apologised for unreliable services on several key city routes - and pledged to tackle the problems.
• One of busiest months for rescue boat team in York YORK Rescue Boat says October was one of its volunteers’ busiest ever months, dealing with 12 incidents on the city’s rivers - ranging from a fatality and rescues to a sinking boat and a drifting pontoon.

Wales Online

• The ongoing problems with nextbikes in Cardiff that are leaving people frustratedA team has been flown over from Germany to fix the flaw

Burnley Express

• Roadworks to start on £3m Burnley junction widening schemeMAJOR works at Rose Grove in Burnley, close to junction nine of the M65 are set to start on Monday.

East Anglian Daily Times

• Greater Anglia trains go west as passengers wait for new rail servicesPassengers using Greater Anglia’s cross-country and rural services have been left facing crowded trains – or no services at all – after the company had to hand back some of its most modern units before their replacements were ready.

North Wales Live

• A525 lane closures for roadworksIt is one of the busiest stretches in North Wales

Other Regional Press

• City Red bus attacked as operators First Bus condemn 'mindless vandalism'A CITY councillor has warned that a bus company could be forced to pull its services from a Southampton estate after yet another attack on one of its vehicles.
• A40 dual carriageway plan reaction: 'Railway would be better'A £102m plan to turn the A40 into a dual carriageway between Witney and Eynsham can now be designed in detail after the cash was released – but some have warned the money could be better spent.
• Rail chiefs to begin projects at seven Huddersfield train stationsHonley station the first on the Penistone Line to get attention from Network Rail over the next five months
• Easyjet have launched a sale with flights starting from £14.99You can fly to lots of places in Europe

Rail Technology Magazine

• Modernised Govia Thameslink Railway fleet improve energy efficiency Govia Thameslink Railway are now recycling over 50% more energy back into the railway network, helping to power the fleet and making them more energy efficient than any previous generations of trains. The ‘smart’ braking system introduced on 115 Siemens Class 700’s on...

Railnews

• New trains and more services next year, say TOCs Train operators have published an updated investment report for next year, which predicts more than 1,000 additional services will be running each week and that 1,000 new vehicles will be added to the rolling stock fleet, although this will be offset in part by the withdrawal of Pacers, which should be completed by May. An estimated total of £20 billion will be invested in running and upgrading the railway, said the Rail Delivery Group. Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: ˜For passengers who have put up with much inconvenience in the expectation of a better, more reliable rail...

Other News Sources

• Train guards set to strike in run-up to ChristmasRAIL services in the run up to Christmas will be hit as West Midlands Railway workers are set to take strike action on seven Saturdays up to the Christmas period.
• Now drivers will face £200 fine for even TOUCHING their phone while driving A BLANKET ban on holding a mobile phone while driving is going to be introduced.
• Council supports petition to sort out 'abysmal' noise pollution from M25 bumpy road surface Debate over the Surrey stretch of motorway rumbles on