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

Saturday, 03 December 2016

BBC News

• Salvage operation after ship fire off Anglesey coastA salvage operation is launched after a fire on a cargo ship off the coast of Anglesey.
• Minibus licence loophole puts people at risk - LGAA loophole allowing minibus drivers to operate without CRB checks puts people at risk, councils say.
• The tech enabling a man with quadriplegia to driveThe semi-autonomous Corvette has been modified to enable Sam Schmidt to drive on public roads.
• App helps drone pilots avoid no-fly zonesA new app lets drone pilots know if they are flying their craft in or near restricted airspace.
• ScotRail fares decision 'before year-end'The Scottish government promises a decision on rail fares before the end of the year.
• Icelandair to begin operating from Belfast City AirportAn airline new to Northern Ireland is to launch flights to Icelandic capital Reykjavik next June
• Tube ticket office closures caused 'significant issues'Tube ticket offices were closed before suitable alternatives were introduced, a review finds.
• Bus engulfed by fireball on Kingston High StreetA bus erupts into a fireball on a busy street during rush hour, causing people to be evacuated from their homes and businesses.
• Airline pilot suffers heart attack at Glasgow AirportThe pilot of an airliner with 128 people on board suffers a heart attack as he taxies the plane to the runway at Glasgow Airport.
• Four major cities move to ban diesel vehicles by 2025The leaders of four major global cities say they will stop the use of all diesel powered cars and trucks by the middle of the next decade.
• Testing car seats to protect childrenWith rules on children's car seats set to change next year, Richard Westcott visits a facility for conducting tests.
• Could a railway force Chanel No 5 out of its historic home?Chanel says it will leave a historic French perfume site if plans for a high-speed train line go ahead.
• Train fares to rise by average of 2.3%Train fares in Britain will go up by an average of 2.3% from 2 January, the rail industry announces.

Financial Times

• German car industry predicts weak UK salesSector lobby group forecasts 8% drop in registrations in 2017 as sterling fall bites
• Oil shipping: tanks, Opec900,000 fewer barrels a day will leave Gulf ports over next year, so less transport required
• Southern to argue strikes breach EU rightsRail group plans to use precedent of Baltic ferry workers case to stop driver walkout
• Bolivia vows tough action over fatal air crashFlight that killed most of a Brazilian football team might have run out of fuel

The Guardian

• Rail fare rises driven by hikes on Virgin Trains East CoastTicket prices on line that was reprivatised last year will go up by 4.9% next year, compared to average 2.3% across UKThe 2.3% average UK rail fare rises for 2017 are being driven by much higher increases on the reprivatised Virgin Trains East Coast, where ticket prices set by the operator will far outstrip the rate of inflation.While regulated fares such as season tickets and off-peak returns, which are set by the government, are to increase by 1.9%, fares on Virgin Trains East Coast will increase by 4.9% overall. Continue reading...
• Pilot suffers heart attack at Glasgow airport as he prepares to take off with 128 aboardKLM captain on Amsterdam route was resuscitated by crew and a passenger after becoming unwell while heading for runwayThe pilot of a plane carrying 128 people suffered a heart attack as he taxied to the runway at Glasgow airport.The captain of the KLM aircraft became unwell as he was about to leave for Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He was resuscitated by the crew with the help of a passenger. Continue reading...
• Network Rail to lose sole control of rail maintenanceTransport minister Chris Grayling believes using Virgin, Southern and other private firms will lead to savings, sources saySole control of Britain’s rail infrastructure is to be taken out of the hands of the state-owned Network Rail and shared with private firms under government plans to be announced next week, it has been reported.The move, which would represent one of the biggest changes to the running of the British rail network in recent years, would see track maintenance undertaken by Virgin, Southern, ScotRail and other operators for the first time. Continue reading...
• Little sympathy for Colombia plane crash pilot: 'What he did was mass murder'Miguel Quiroga’s father-in-law asked for forgiveness, as flight plan revealed inadequate fuel reserve for journey that killed most of a Brazilian football teamThe father-in-law of the pilot who was operating the charter flight which crashed in the Andes killing 71 people, has asked for forgiveness, amid growing evidence that the aeroplane embarked with barely enough fuel to complete the journey. Related: Chapecoense plane crash: fans' anger after confirmation plane ran out of fuel Continue reading...

The Herald

• Stamped passport initiative on North Coast 500 aims to ease congestionSCOTLAND’S answer to Route 66 has attracted thousands of tourists since it was launched last year.
• Transport Minister begins talks over public takeover of railwaysTransport Minister Humza Yousaf has begun discussions with passenger groups, unions and political parties over options for bringing Scotland’s railways into public ownership.
• Scottish Government vows to 'look at options' amid calls for ScotRail fares freezeIn the rest of the UK, train fares will go up by an average of 2.3% on January 2.
• The CAMPAIGNERS have criticised the
• Pilot suffered heart attack as he taxied to runway at Glasgow AirportA pilot suffered a heart attack as he taxied to the runway at Glasgow Airport.

The Huffington Post

• Transport For London Sends Lost Toys And Games To Disadvantaged Children For ChristmasTransport for London has given more than 500 children’s toys and games new homes this year to disadvantaged kids for Christmas.  The lost property team has donated the toys to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Present Appeal, so children will have something to unwrap this year.  The toys that have been donated are those that have been lost on the network and remained unclaimed for more than three months.  The charity has worked with local care services in London to distribute them among families and children who otherwise might not have anything under their tree. &ldquo...

The Telegraph

• Motorists warned about thieves using key lock jammers
• London Underground fined �500,000 after maintenance worker injured in a fall
• Exclusive: Network Rail to be stripped of control over Britain’s train tracks as operators will win power to improve services

Times Online

• Rail fares rise by up to a fifth as overcrowding and delays worsen [Subscription]Rail passengers are facing inflation-busting fare increases of up to 20 per cent in the new year as overcrowding levels soar and delays reach their highest point in a decade.

Daily Record

• Scottish Government to 'look at options' after Labour calls for ScotRail fares freeze A spokeswoman for the Government said that 'no final decision had been taken' on fares next year in Scotland.

Mail Online

• Fares for season tickets are set to rise by up to �260� Millions of rail commuters who have endured another year of strikes, delays and overcrowding face paying almost 2 per cent more for an annual season ticket in Britain.
• London bus bursts into flames in Kingston as residents are evacuated Smoke started streaming from the double-decker 371 bus as it pulled into a stop in Kingston, south west London at around 9am this morning. Moments later the vehicle was engulfed in flames.
• HMS Illustrious is towed from Portsmouth base before its final trip to Turkish scrapyard� HMS Illustrious, which served in the Falklands War, the Gulf War and Bosnia, will begin its journey to be scrapped on Wednesday.
• Driver who nearly died is ordered to pay �10k to repair the crash barrier in Devon Steven Hookway, 46, was driving near Plymouth, Devon, when he smashed into the crash barrier after a mattress flew off the roof of a truck - and police have now told him he has to pay for the damage.
• Network Rail rakes in �1.4MILLION from a 50p-a-time toilet Commuters at London's second busiest station, Victoria, which handled 85million people in 2015, are charged 50p every time they want to use the facilities.
• Colombia plane crash: Chapecoense player Moises Santos claims players were 'ASSASSINATED' Clearly still in a state of shock, Moises Santos, who did not travel on the doomed jet because of injury, claimed pilot�Miguel Quiroga 'was the only guilty one' in the Colombian tragedy.

The Mirror

• Network Rail could lose control over Britain’s train tracks in biggest shake up of the railways for decades Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, will say he wants the state-owned Network Rail to share responsibility for running the tracks with private train operators
• Facebook HGV driver was dumping lover by phone moments before he crushed dad-of-two and pal to death in horror smash Keith Mees, 49, had been using Facebook, streaming YouTube clips and chatting on the phone moments before killing Marian Olteanu, 35 and Ion Calin, 42

Bolton News

• Police's drink-drive checkpoint causes delays for morning commuters TRAFFIC built up in Astley Bridge due to a police checkpoint set up as part of its Christmas anti-drink drive campaign called None For The Road.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Councillors look to curb speeding motorists after residents raise concerns COUNCILLORS have agreed to look at implementing road safety measures on a Bradford street residents claim is plagued by speeding motorists.
• Fifty tickets issued for dangerous parking outside schools A SCHEME to tackle bad parking around schools in Bradford has been extended to another four schools in the run up to Christmas.

London Evening Standard

• Trains run on Post Office's 'mail rail' underground line for first time in a decade Trains have run on the Post Office's underground rail lines in London for the first time since the service was abandoned more than a decade ago.
• Traffic faces ban from notorious Bank junction after cyclist Ying Tao, 26, killedLorries, cars and taxis are set to be banned from one of London's most notorious junctions during the day.
• 'Worst commute in years' was just the start of chaos, unions warnUnion bosses today claimed responsibility for this week's Tube chaos — and warned of worse to come.
• Furious passengers hit out at rail fare rises after 'hellish' week on London transportRail passengers have labelled the announcement of fare rises "an absolute joke" after a week of chaos across London's transport network.
• New brands, new models, new tech – China's car industry continues to blossomA major auto show in Guangzhou showcased the very best in Chinese motoring.
• Central line delays: Commuters face fresh rush hour chaos on TubeCommuters face more rush hour chaos after a track fault on the Central line led to severe delays.
• First look at Rolls-Royce's first ever SUV Coming to dealerships in 2018, the car will almost certainly be the most expensive SUV available on the market
• Finsbury Park: Police 'blow up' item found on bus amid security scare in Blackstock RoadInvestigators have reportedly blown up an item found on a double-decker bus which sparked a security scare near Finsbury Park station.

Sheffield Star

• Car crashes onto train tracks at South Yorkshire stationTrains from Sheffield to Lincoln were held up after a car crashed onto the tracks.

Wales Online

• Rail fares will rise by an average of 2.3% next year It's part of a plan worth more than £50bn to upgrade the railways
• Flights in and out of Cardiff Airport delayed and cancelled due to the weatherConditions are affecting flights between Cardiff and Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, Milan and London
• This is how to claim for a refund if you get stuck in Christmas rail delays From how long you need to be delayed to whether you get cash or vouchers, we've checked out exactly what you need to know
• This loophole will ensure you get the cheapest train journeys How to make sure you get the very best deals on rail fares over the festive period

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Rail price rises ‘a kick in the teeth’ for Yorkshire passengersRail fare price rises are to ignite a “winter of discontent”, campaigners have warned, as it emerges costs are to increase by an average of 2.3 per cent next month.

Daventry Express

• Upsurge in thefts from cars and vans in NovemberThere were 400 thefts from cars and vans in Northamptonshire during November.

Reading Evening Post

• The child car seats law is about to change and this is what you need to know There are new laws coming into place this year regarding the use of booster seats, take a look at the changes

Other Regional Press

• DVLA clamp nearly 60 vehicles in crackdownNEARLY 60 cars have been clamped by the DVLA for not having tax.
• Four major road projects to ease city congestionFour major traffic projects around Preston could help to save the city’s businesses millions of pounds a year.
• UPDATED: Icy weather and freezing fog brings chaos on the roads across Dorset MOTORISTS are being warned to stay safe on the roads with a weather warning issued for freezing fog.
• Rail industry announces train fare hike Train fares will go up by an average of 2.3% next year, the rail industry has announced.

Rail Technology Magazine

• 'Mail Rail' trains tested to be revived as museum experienceTrains have run on the London Post Office Railway for the first time since the ‘Mail Rail’ service was abandoned over 10 years ago.  The ‘Mail Rail’ underground track, which has not been used since 2003, saw its first test drive in a decade carried out along a...
• Rail freight activity continues to decline in Q2Activity in the rail freight industry has continued to struggle in Q2, as the decline in coal being moved also spread to renewable sectors such as biomass, the latest ORR figures show. According to new statistics from the ORR, in Q2 this year 4.23bn net tonne kilometres of freight were moved, a...
• DfT reveals Southern passengers to be paid a month's compensationPassengers on Southern Rail will be repaid the equivalent of a month’s worth of fares after a year of unprecedented disruption, the DfT has revealed. Passengers who hold a season ticket will be eligible to claim against it and will receive the equivalent of four weeks of fares in...

Aviation Industry

• Industry calls for airspace change to allow massive traffic growthThe aviation industry has today launched a campaign calling for Government to commit to airspace modernisation to facilitate a huge increase in the number of flights in UK airspace. The coalition of airports, airlines and air navigation providers, led by …

Other News Sources

• A320 work to be suspended over Christmas with work continuing into the new year Road closures and temporary traffic lights are due to be removed by Monday (December 5)
• Rail fare rise highest for three yearsIt’s that time of year: when the decorations go up in the high street – and the fares go up on the railway lines. This year’s rise of� 2.3 per cent, taking effect on January the 2nd, will be the highest for three years.
• Brighton and Hove to explore rainy day parking prices RAINY day parking prices could be coming to Brighton and Hove in the near future.
• �15m compensation for commuters - but Southern won't pay a penny SOUTHERN season ticket holders will be compensated the equivalent of a month's travel for the abysmal train service this year.
• Crash injuries in road council said 48 hours earlier was safe and did not need safety measures A WOMAN had to be cut from her car after a crash in a road council bosses had declared did not need safety measures less than two days earlier.
• Warning over new transport body THE FORMATION of a new regional transport body to drive through major road and rail improvements has been met with “absolute horror” and concern from councillors.
• Train compensation scheme "does not go far enough" LONG-SUFFERING commuters have reacted with fury to news that train fares are to rise next year.