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

Monday, 20 December 2010

BBC News

• Thames cable car goes down to the wire for 2012 [blog]Remember the cable car project in East London that's meant to link the Royal Docks and the Greenwich peninsula?
• Government seeks severe winter advice [video]The Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, is seeking the opinion of the chief scientific adviser about whether the government should be planning for more severe winters in future.
• Heathrow passengers on their travel woesWould-be passengers, who have had their air travel plans disrupted by the cold spell in the UK, have been speaking to the BBC about their experiences.
• Hammond defends London-to-Birmingham high speed trainThe preferred route for a controversial high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham is set to be revealed later.
• Snow to cause further travel woeSevere disruption caused by the UK's freezing weather is set to continue, as anger grows over a virtual shutdown at Heathrow airport.
• Travellers hit by flight freezeSnow and ice continue to cause disruption to flights in Scotland and on the roads across the country.
• More snow disruption for LondonSnow and ice continue to cause problems with transport services in and around London.

Financial Times

• Angry passengers clash with policeBritish air and train passengers were not alone in suffering weather-related misery this weekend. Would-be travellers across continental Europe also had to endure hundreds of cancelled flights and rail delays amid heavy snowfalls.
• High-speed rail protesters win concessionsPhilip Hammond, transport secretary, will offer some concessions over the route of the planned London to Birmingham high speed rail link
• Gatwick wins battle of the snowploughsGatwick airport claimed a small victory in UK airports' battle with wintry weather, as it reopened its runways more than a day ahead of BAA-owned London rival Heathrow
• Brussels quizzes Italy over rail banCountry must explain its ban on German-operated trains from stopping on their journeys through Italy, as EU gets tough on anti-competitive behaviour

The Guardian

• Backlash from Conservative heartlands expected over high speed rail Government decision to back Chilterns route for London-Birmingham railway angers residents. The government is braced for a backlash in the Conservative heartlands as it prepares to unveil a £17bn high-speed railway that will route 250mph trains through prime countryside.The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, will announce tomorrow that the preferred London-to-Birmingham route outlined by the Labour government, which goes through Tory constituencies in Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire remains the best option.Hammond said today that the route has been altered to mitigate its im...
• Snow hits Christmas travel plansMet Office warns of more heavy snow over the next few days as government rejects charges of complacencyChristmas travel plans for thousands of families were in disarray last night as snow virtually shut Heathrow airport, with officials warning of further disruption

The Herald

• High-speed rail too expensive, says RACBuilding a high-speed rail network in Britain will cost twice as much as on the continent and require more Government subsidy, a new report has found.

The Independent

• Eurostar narrows losses ahead of Deutsche Bahn competition Rail operator boosts passengers but sees German rivalry from 2013 as a 'significant risk' The UK arm of cross-Channel train operator Eurostar has beaten expectations by boosting passenger volumes and narrowing losses in 2009 despite its services being slashed due to a fire and heavy snow.
• Air travel halted by big freeze Widespread travel chaos caused by some of the severest winter weather for a century left Christmas commuter plans in tatters and swathes of the country paralysed today.
• High-speed rail route to be announced The preferred route for the costly and controversial HS2 high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham is expected to be announced tomorrow by the Government.
• Roads, rail and airports “ nowhere is spared ordeal by ice and snow Widespread transport disruption caused by some of the most severe winter weather for a century left many people's Christmas travel plans in tatters and large parts of the country paralysed yesterday.

The Telegraph

• High-speed line noise will affect 50,000 people More than 50,000 people will suffer a “noticeable noise increase” from the Government’s controversial high-speed rail line, according to official figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.
• High-speed line noise will affect 50,000 people More than 50,000 people will suffer a “noticeable noise increase” from the Government’s controversial high-speed rail line, according to official figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.
• High-speed rail: most of the worst victims will be in London Everyone thinks of the Government’s whizzy new high-speed rail route, due to be confirmed tomorrow, as mainly affecting relatively affluent people in the Tory shires. But in fact, as I explain in this morning’s paper, the vast majority of the worst victims will be poor and middle-income Londoners.
• BAA fluffs its snow test Telegraph View: The response to the heavy snowfall been disappointing, nowhere more so than at Heathrow.
• Is this another high-speed train crash? The London-Birmingham supertrain will be costly, damaging – and make your journey slower, not faster, argues Andrew Gilligan.
• High-speed rail line will be 'diverted and hidden' Much of the controversial new high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham will be hidden by tunnels, sidings and trees, ministers will announce.
• Christmas travel plans ruined for half a million air passengers The boss of Britain's busiest airport was facing mounting anger after the Christmas travel plans of half a million air passengers were ruined.
• Snow travel information: keep up-to-date on road, rail and air disruption Follow the latest travel news as heavy snow causes mayhem for commuters across Britain keep up-to-date with the following websites.

Press Association

• High-speed rail route to avoid sensitive spots The planned route of a new high-speed rail line has been altered to deal with serious concerns about its impact of local communities and countryside, the Transport Secretary said today.

Daily Express

• NOW GRIT IS RUNNING OUT MILLIONS of motorists face chaos over the Christmas getaway because councils have been forced to ration grit.

Mail Online

• Tory rebels re-route 250mph high-speed London-Birmingham rail linkTransport Secretary Philip Hammond will today unveil a ‘refined’ version of the £17billion 109-mile high-speed route that he inherited from Labour.
• Mayhem on our grit-free roads... councils keener to ration supplies than keep the highways safe, says AADespite similar mistakes in previous years, it appears many routes ground to a halt because of a combination of budget cuts and councils eking out their salt supplies.

The Mirror

• AS Britain froze to a standstill yesterday, the Transport Secretary faced mounting calls to resign. Labour revealed that Tory Philip Hammond failed to act on an official report he got in July, outlining how to avoid winter chaos, including the need to stockpile salt.
• Drunk passengers 'can be dangerous' Drunk car passengers can be as dangerous as drivers who drink, according to a new survey.
• High-speed rail path to be revealed The Government is to reveal its preferred route for the HS2 high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham.

Belfast Telegraph

• Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson in tirade over Government’s response to ‘crisis’ Alan Johnson was yesterday scathing about the Government's response to the transport chaos caused by the snow, claiming people felt they had been told to “get a shovel or stay at home”.

Birmingham Mail

• High-speed rail route changed - HammondTHE planned route of a high-speed rail line has been altered to deal with serious concerns about its impact on communities and countryside, the Transport Secretary said.
• HS2: High speed rail opponents say business case for trains doesn't add up The business case for the HS2 London to Birmingham high-speed rail line is

London Evening Standard

• Airports warn of more snow chaosBritons face a third day stranded in airports amid warnings of further flight cancellations and yet more heavy snow.
• High-speed rail path to be revealedThe Government is to reveal its preferred route for the HS2 high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham.

Metro

• Heathrow and Gatwick snow and ice delays 'will affect Monday travellers'The operators of Heathrow, Britain's largest airport, and Gatwick have warned delays and a backlog of flights from the chaos caused by snow and ice this weekend will continue to affect flights in and out of London on Monday.
• Travel chaos fuels attack on transport secretary Philip HammondPeople caught up in the snow chaos have been offered little advice in how to cope other than ˜get a shovel or stay at home™, said shadow chancellor Alan Johnson, in a chilling attack on transport secretary Philip Hammond.

Wales Online

• Worst conditions for a century paralyses UK transport Widespread travel chaos caused by some of the severest winter weather for a century left Christmas commuter plans in tatters and swathes of the country paralysed today.

Other Regional Press

• Rail stations set for £2m overhaul MORE than £2million is to be spent on revamping Shoebury and Southend East railway stations.
• Companies to bid over railway station upgrade THE search will begin next month to find a contractor to complete £700,000 worth of renovations at Burton Railway Station.
• Councillors protest Maghull North railway station being axed In a double whammy last week, two major capital projects for Maghull were axed in the wake of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.
• New railway station plans PLANS for a new railway station could boost tourism and job prospects. Durham County Council's cabinet will be asked to approve further consultation and investigation into proposals for the new station at Sea View South, in Horden.
• Bikeability goes from strength to strength DEVON County Council™s Bikeability cycle training has had its most successful year to date.

Transport for London

• TfL - Keeping London Moving Through the Cold Weather Transport for London (TfL) is working to keep the Capital moving through the current cold spell and will be working closely with our partners in the London boroughs to ensure that its Tube, bus and rail services continue to run.

Other News Sources

• Crossrail opening may be delayed a year CROSSRAIL may not become fully operational before 2019, the Government has warned.