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Sunday, 11 December 2022

BBC News

• Wales weather: Snowfall as warning extended and roads shutRoad closures in place and people asked to avoid certain areas as wintry conditions impact roads.
• Rail strikes: RMT boss calls for meeting with SunakThe RMT's general secretary says a meeting between the two was the best hope of making progress.

Financial Times

• Strike action to shut most of UK rail network next weekFour-day walkout signals start of month of disruption as dispute drags on
• The punctured global bike boom could yet receive a boostWhile post-pandemic demand for two wheels has slowed, decarbonisation might create a new generation of cyclists

The Guardian

• Rail strikes set to turn joy at extra UK train services to woeFour days of action are planned just as a new rail timetable, with hundreds more trains, is set to come into effectRail passengers have been asked to check schedules carefully this week, as new timetables, with extra services, are to be introduced on Sunday and Monday – almost coinciding with four days of strikes that from Tuesday will stop 80% of trains across Britain.Only the most optimistic gambler, or a train operator forced to promise rapid improvements, would have staked much on things suddenly coming right for the railways on a freezing winter weekend. Yet the advent of a new timetable,...
• Ice and snow warnings across UK as Manchester airport closes one runwayFlights cancelled or diverted after Met Office says temperatures below 0C may cause travel disruptionManchester airport was forced to close both its runways because of heavy snow on Saturday morning, and large parts of the UK have been warned to expect severe weather over the weekend.Passengers were told the runways had been temporarily closed and to contact their airlines for the latest information. However, airport managers reopened one runway at 11.30am, allowing a limited number of services to resume, with work continuing to reopen the other. Continue reading...

The Herald

• RMT strikes: Mick Lynch urges UK Government to follow Scotland's leadRMT general secretary Mick Lynch has urged the UK Government to follow Scotland’s lead and settle a long-lasting dispute over rail workers’ pay and conditions.
• RMT strikes: Mick Lynch urges UK Government to follow Scotland's leadRMT general secretary Mick Lynch has urged the UK Government to follow Scotland’s lead and settle a long-lasting dispute over rail workers’ pay and conditions.

The Telegraph

• Hundreds face travel delays as snow and ice hit Britain

Times Online

• How Uber and its rivals plan to get you home this Christmas [Subscription]Christmas partygoers are being left stranded by the cab app, giving rivals a chance to pounce, says Jon Yeomans
• No driver, no conductor, no timetable, no plan [Subscription]It is hard, when one ponders the mess that constitutes Britain’s railway system, to know where to start. Does one begin with the impending strikes, set to ruin Christmas plans for families and (even worse as far as the economy is concerned) Christmas shopping for retailers? Or perhaps with the fact that we have lived through so many cancellations and delays, especially in intercity services, that you might easily think we had been in a state of permastrike for months?
• How long can the unions afford to go on strike? [Subscription]The RMT is leading the way,” croons the lead singer of the 1980s band Dexys, “they’re not asking much, only fair pay.” That, plus an extra £1 from RMT backers in exchange for a download of Enough is Enough!, their specially recorded strike song with the indie band Primal Scream.

Daily Record

• easyJet launches two new summer routes from Scotland as 2023 operations to increaseThere will be two new twice-weekly routes departing from Scotland as well as a ninth aircraft based at Edinburgh Airport.

Mail Online

• Scotland's fleet of hilariously-named gritters hit the roads as fans watch them work live onlineScotland's gritters have risen to prominence in recent years due to their fun names and a website called Gritty Tracker that allows you to follow their movements.
• Qantas Christmas airfares to stay high, CEO Alan Joyce saysThere's little Christmas cheer in store for Qantas passengers with airline boss Alan Joyce saying that airfares will continue to stay at sky-high prices due to a shortage of planes and high fuel costs.

This is Money

• Eco campaigners call for Network Rail to BAN car advertsClimate charity Possible, thinktank New Weather Institute, and activist network Adfree Cities wrote the letter to executives at Network Rail this week, just days ahead of union strike action.
• UK's best-selling car set to be British-built for first time in 24 YEARSThe Nissan Qashqai has moved 4,500 units clear of the Vauxhall Corsa at the top of the sales charts with one month remaining. The last time an indigenous car was the best seller was back in 1998.

Sky News

• 'Wintry hazards' of freezing fog, sleet and snow could disrupt travel for 'at least a week'Freezing fog, ice, sleet and snow are set to cause travel disruption for at least a week, with flights affected in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and more bitter weather to come.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• £5,000 fine for driving in gloves, coats, scarves warning to driversWearing gloves, coats and scarves could impact your driving, and put you at risk of receiving a fine

Bristol Live

• Gritters are out in Bristol and Somerset as icy conditions grip roadsRoad users urged to take care

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Manchester Airport snow disruption as runways are shut and flights haltedTravel has been disrupted as a cold snap hits the UK
• LIVE: Police warn of 'extremely icy' conditions and snow on Welsh roadsDrivers have been urged to take care on the roads amid winter conditions

Wales Online

• Cardiff Council reveals the huge task it has of reaching net zero targetCardiff Council has a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030

Other Regional Press

• End of an era as railway gates go automaticTwo of Kent's last remaining railway level crossings will become fully automatic this month as their gatekeepers sign off for the last time.
• Yorkshire's deserted train station where just 62 people caught trains last yearIt is a very eerie place to be stood alone on the platform after usage dropped by almost 100 per cent
• Yorkshire roads make up one-and-a-half of UK top five best road tripsThere are two of the most searched routes in Britain
• Drivers warned over winter mistakes that could cost them £30,000UK drivers have been warned over winter road mistakes that could see motorists fined up to £30,000.

EIN News Subscription

• 'Sky is no longer a limit': EU to scrap airplane mode for 5G, but US may not follow The European Union will scrap airplane mode next year and replace … with updated 5G services, giving passengers full use of their mobile … no signs of following the EU's footsteps. The FAA has … world ¦ because we rely on data to mitigate risk, and never …