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

Sunday, 19 December 2010

BBC News

• Airport reopens after snow delaysBirmingham Airport's runway has reopened after dozens of flights were cancelled and delayed because of the snowy conditions.
• Air and road travel hit by snowSnowfalls across the UK disrupt air travel into and out of Scotland and bring warnings for drivers in parts of the country.
• Bus services hit by bad weatherThe Arctic weather conditions cause disruption to bus services in Londonderry.

The Guardian

• Big freeze brings travel misery to UK¢ Passengers angry as BA cancels all short-haul flights¢ December set to be coldest on record, says Met OfficeMillions of people faced a struggle to get home in time for Christmas as travel plans were thrown into chaos when planes were grounded, trains cancelled and roads made impassable by heavy snow.British Airways cancelled all short-haul flights, shopping centres were forced to close and many motorways were blocked by heavy drifts of snow across much of the UK yesterday with freezing temperatures expected to remain for most of the week.At Heathrow, scuffles broke out as staff tried to deal...

The Independent

• Winter blast brings Britain to a standstill Millions of Britons faced travel misery today with planes grounded, rail services cancelled and roads rendered impassable on what is traditionally the busiest weekend before Christmas.

The Telegraph

• National Express predicts profits will beat market expectationsNational Express shares jumped 7pc after the company said it was likely to beat market expectations for full-year profits thanks to its business recovery plan.
• Britain gridlocked after heavy snow brings travel chaos Blizzards leave airports closed and train services cancelled on what should have been the busiest weekend before Christmas.

Press Association

• Transport paralysed by big freezeWidespread travel chaos caused by some of the severest winter weather for a century has left Christmas commuter plans in tatters and swathes of the country paralysed.

Daily Record

• Road chaos returns as Scotland falls victim to heavy snow yet again FRESH snowfall hampered drivers on the roads in Scotland, as the winter weather continued to maintain an icy grip on the country.

Mail Online

• British Airways gives into the snow as 500,000 Christmas holidays wreckedFamilies heading for the sun queued for hours at check-ins in a desperate bid to re-book flights as Gatwick and Heathrow were closed for much of the day.

Derby Telegraph

• Bombardier's first-class work as Electrostar trains arrive on timeDERBY train-maker Bombardier is celebrating after completing a multi-million-pound order for South Africa on time.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Tram peace talks derailed by failure to agree mediatorATTEMPTS to begin peace talks between the two sides at the centre of Edinburgh's tram row have so far floundered due to a failure to find a suitable mediator, it has been

Journal Live

• MP demands probe of secret £377m airport deal AN airport re-financing deal which could leave North East taxpayers with a debt worth hundreds of millions of pounds has been raised in Parliament.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro bosses fail to see funny side of artwork GERMAN Metro bosses failed to see the funny side of some festive artwork. Andy Morley was commissioned by Nexus to produce a light-hearted graffiti board to be displayed at Chillingham Road Metro station, in Heaton, Newcastle, over Christmas.

The York Press

• Cabinet urged to support Get York Moving campaign EVERY member of the Cabinet is being urged to back The Press™s campaign to Get York Moving.
• 12 jobs to be lost at bus company A DOZEN jobs are to be lost at Selby bus depot following £600,000 of subsidy cuts by North Yorkshire County Council.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds bus users' New Year fares warningBus users were today told to brace themselves for inflation-busting New Year fare rises.

Blackpool Gazette

• Cycle cash a waste say cabbiesBLACKPOOL cabbies have slammed the council for creating a road nightmare in the town.

Reading Evening Post

• £9.6 million boost to improve station access A £13 million scheme to improve access to Reading railway station has had the go-ahead from the Government.

Other Regional Press

• New lines 'may be needed to beat train overcrowding'The creation of "entirely new rail lines" may be necessary to cope with train overcrowding on some routes between London and East Anglia over the next 20 years, Network Rail (NR) has said.
• Bus firm in line to get £5.5million pay off from borough councilBUS company Stagecoach is in line to get more than £5 million in compensation because of Northampton Borough Council’s long-standing plan to demolish the Greyfriars bus station.
• Kirklees Council orders 6,000 tonnes of grit as snow returns ANOTHER 6,000 tonnes of grit are on the way to Kirklees to keep the roads open.
• Fourth Coventry and Warwickshire Council vows to fight HS2 rail plan A FOURTH council in Coventry and Warwickshire has vowed to fight the HS2 rail plan.

Green Miscellany

• Big plans for Manchester but are they big enough Hats of to all those involved in the new transport set up for Manchester. We only have to look at how London has benefited through running its own transport affairs to believe that Manchester can follow suit. In April the Greater Manchester Combined Authority will take over a range of responsibilities: housing, economic development, employment as well as transport.read more

Other News Sources

• A long-term world transition to hydrail now seems inevitableMOORESVILLE – Last month, the English online edition of The People’s Daily announced the introduction of China’s first hydrail locomotive. Back in September of 2007, Bombardier and the Province of Ontario were already in talks about building hydrail trains in Canada.
• Marks & Spencer in move to railMarks & Spencer is making its first major move into rail distribution following a trial earlier this year.
• Snow causes hazardous driving conditions in LancashireUPDATE: Police were tonight urging motorists to drive carefully as snow and ice caused hazardous driving conditions across Lancashire.

News from Europe

• Problems prevail along Gotthard railway axisHopes were high when Cisalpino, a subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia, was dissolved a year ago; yet problems remain.
• Spain becomes Europe's high-speed rail leaderMADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and King Juan Carlos opened Saturday the country's fourth high-speed rail line, making the country the European leader in the technology.
• Snow grounds thousands of European flights, stranding passengers European air travel is still frost-bitten as the holiday season approaches. Officials at Germany's largest airport in Frankfurt have confirmed that at least 302 flights will be cancelled on Sunday due to bad weather