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

Saturday, 20 January 2018

BBC News

• Charles Burnett III, British-born speed king, dies in helicopter crashBritish-born Charles Burnett III, once the world's fastest man in a steam-powered car, dies in a US crash.
• Carillion: Six charts that explain what happenedA series of charts and maps that tell the story of the construction giant's demise.
• Travel warning issued as snowy conditions continueTransport Minister Humza Yousaf has warned people to think carefully before travelling.
• 'No specific plans' for Boris Johnson's Channel bridgeThe foreign secretary reportedly suggested a
• MoD 'exposed financially' by carrier and jet programmeThe Carrier Strike programme must be delivered on budget, MPs say, or other projects will suffer.
• Glasgow City Council bought fatal crash bin lorry to keep it off roadsGlasgow City Council says it is
• Ice warning after snow travel delaysPolice and forecasters urge anyone venturing out to take extra care on roads, pavements and paths.
• Switch on, switch offAs cars become more automated, some experts worry that we are becoming complacent drivers.
• Hyperloop: A visit to the test site of Virgin's train of the futureCan a futuristic tube-based transport scheme that shoots pods through a vacuum become a reality?
• Carillion plan dubbed 'sticking plaster'The FSB small business organisation rejects government claims that banks' support will provide a lifeline.
• Carillion: The signals that the company was going bustWhy did the City start to bet against construction giant Carillion before it went bust?

The Guardian

• Boris will fight them on the bridges … but is he Churchill? I’m afraid not | Marina HydeThis Channel crossing looks like another bid to play the great leader. The only thing he’ll be remembered for, though, is BrexitAre doomed bridge ideas cheaper by the dozen? The question arises after infrastructure dilettante Boris Johnson called for a second bazillion-pound bridge, this time stretching between reality and the sunlit uplands of Brexit. Forgive me – between and the UK and France, which may well amount to the same thing. Or, as Boris puts it: “Our economic success depends on good infrastructure and good connections.â€� Related: Boris Johnson proposes a 22-mile bridge across the Ch...

The Huffington Post

• Oil Giant Shell Bids For London Minicab Licence
• Tesla Model S: The HuffPost Verdict On The Electric Car That Drives Itself

The Scotsman

• Leader comment: Boris Johnson comes up with another bonzer ideaBoris Johnson likes to see himself as a visionary leader, someone prepared to think big and leave the minor details to lesser mortals. Take, for example, his idea to create an artificial “Boris Island” in the Thames Estuary to accommodate a four-runway airport.
• Boris Johnson proposes bridge across the English ChannelBoris Johnson has raised the prospect of a second crossing for the English Channel after top-level talks between the UK and France.

The Telegraph

• Malaysia Airlines passengers recall 'very violent shaking' as plane diverts to Alice Springs
• US helicopter crash: British steam car record holder and Zimbabwean opposition leader among five killed

Times Online

• Scottish Labour pledges to scrap hospital parking charges [Subscription]Private finance should be “booted out” of the NHS and legislation will be introduced at Holyrood to end hospital car parking charges, Richard Leonard has said.
• Staten Island Hustle TV crew held for taking fake bomb through Newark airport [Subscription]A television film crew was arrested at a major New York area airport yesterday for attempting to sneak a fake bomb through security control.
• Support for cycle safety law growing among TDs [Subscription]Nearly 50 TDs are supporting a proposed law that would require motorists to allow a minimum passing distance for cyclists, according to data gathered by campaigners.
• Boris Johnson’s Channel bridge proposal: ‘It would cost less to move France closer’ [Subscription]Boris Johnson’s plan for a 21-mile bridge to link Britain and France is “entirely feasible” but could be scuppered by a £120 billion price, experts believe.
• Rail firms ‘at risk’ after inflating passenger figures [Subscription]Rail operators may be at risk after the government awarded contracts on the basis of wildly optimistic bids.

City AM

• Norwegian claims new transatlantic record with New York flight to London that arrived nearly an hour earlyLow-cost carrier Norwegian said it set a new record time for the fastest transatlantic flight on the New York-London route by subsonic passenger aircraft with a Dreamliner this week.
• London mayor Sadiq Khan names the next 13 Tube stations going step-freeLondon mayor Sadiq Khan today announced the next 13 Tube stations going step-free and said they will be completed by spring 2022.
• Carillion employees working on Network Rail projects get pay guaranteed through to mid-AprilEmployees of collapsed construction firm Carillion working on Network Rail projects have been told today their wages are guaranteed through to mid-April.

Mail Online

• Pothole alert after spending on roads cut by £560million Damaged local roads are becoming more dangerous after a slump in council spending, experts have warned. Analysis shows that one in six local roads may need repairs.
• Hawaiian Airlines employee sues for racial harassment Black Hawaiian Airlines employee Timothy Degrate alleges he has been subjected to a campaign of sustained and murderous racism - but the airline says it cannot identify any offending individual acts.
• Millions of drivers struggling to pay car payments Millions of drivers who have bought cars on credit are struggling to afford the payments, research shows. It has triggered fears many could default on their loans, triggering a financial crisis.
• Zipwire built across Lake District could down PLANES Defence bosses have objected to controversial plans for a zipwire across a main road and reservoir in the Lake District over fears it could down their planes.
• Boris Johnson is ridiculed over vision for Channel bridge Boris was today backed by a leading designer who said it would be possible to construct a crossing over the Channel while leaving the route open to shipping traffic.
• 'Drunk' British Airways pilot hauled from Gatwick flight The first officer on the Boeing 777 flight 2063 to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, which takes 11 hours, was arrested moments before the plane was due to take off from London Gatwick.

The Mirror

• Girl, 15, left 'stranded' on way to school after bus driver gave her credit voucher instead of change Harriet Keightley, 15, said she was unable to catch her usual train after leaving her first bus as she had no cash to get a ticket
• Ministers failed to heed Carillion's profits warning and instead awarded firm a further £1BILLION of public contracts Not a single minister met with the construction giant after it issued an alert over its finances in July before securing another batch of large contracts
• BA pilot hauled off plane by armed police moments before take-off 'after colleagues smelt alcohol on him'One of three pilots on the plane, the first officer would reportedly have been in control for part of the 11 hour flight
• Guide to hand luggage rules for major airlines including Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, British Airways and Emirates To make things easier, here's a list of what airlines do and don’t let you take on the plane with you

This is Money

• Nissan says electric car tech could slash energy bills Excess energy collected via solar panels on sunny days and stored in a fridge-sized home-battery could be sold back to the national grid at peak times when demand for it is at its highest, the car giant says.
• Super-jumbo saved as Airbus lands order from Emirates Plane maker Airbus has finally secured another order for its stricken double-decker A380 jets, rescuing the jet for at least another decade.
• 80 per cent of Brits don't know how to use zebra crossing The majority - 46 per cent - believed that drivers should stop when a pedestrian is waiting to cross. However, this is NOT the legal requirement for a car to give way.
• RAY MASSEY tests the new Nissan Leaf electric car The zero-emissions hatchback will, Nissan says, travel 50 per cent further, deliver 38 per cent more power, and cost up to £1,500 less than the original.

Bolton News

• Taxi fares to rise by 10 per cent in bid to settle drivers' pay dispute TAXI fares will rise by 10 per cent from April in a bid to resolve a row over drivers’ earnings.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• New cycle rides for women aim to boost confidence A NEW series of cycle rides is to begin aimed at helping women build confidence on bikes.
• Heavy snow creates hazardous driving conditions on M62 Heavy snow has fallen on the M62 - with police warning of tricky driving conditions and delays.

London Evening Standard

• Passengers tell of horror as 'shuddering' Malaysia Airlines flight forced to turn around Passengers on board a Malaysian Airlines flight have described their panic as the plane was forced to divert after it was left "shuddering" due to a technical fault.
• Boris Johnson's proposed English Channel bridge 'could cost £100 billion', say expertsBoris Johnson's proposals for a new bridge spanning the English Channel could cost up to £120 billion, according to experts.
• London taxi protest: Black cab drivers descend on Aldwych for latest demoLondon taxi drivers have descended on Aldwych for the fifth and final protest this week against TfL and Uber.
• 10 of the best ski resorts you can get to by trainYou don't have to fly to get to Europe's best ski resorts this season — try the railways, on both sleepers and daytime services instead, says Daniel Elkan

Manchester Evening News

• Hand luggage allowances for Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic and more What is the baggage allowance for Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways and more? Everything you need to know

Northern Echo

• Arriva thanks community for saving buses stricken on steep bankTHE heart-warming spirit of a village community thawed the ice and snow that left two nine-tonne buses stricken on a steep bank.

Wales Online

• 16-mile cycle route project given funding boost of £128,000 The new path will link Carmarthen and Llandeilo along the Towy Valley and is expected to cost between £5m and £7m

Peterborough Telegraph

• Are passengers happy with Virgin Trains East Coast? Complaint numbers suggest notVirgin Trains East Coast had one of the highest rates of passenger complaints in the country over last summer, according to the latest figures from the regulator.

Other Regional Press

• Do you want to build the electric Mini? BMW wants apprentices to help shape future of motoring ASPIRING apprentices are being given the chance to work at the Cowley Plant as it gears up to build its first electric car.
• MPs call for councils to get greater transport control powersOXFORD'S two MPs have called for councils to get more powers to regulate public transport.
• Will ‘pigs fly’ before free parking is introduced in Stevenage? Our politicians respond to parking charge hikeStevenage politicians are at loggerheads about the hike in parking charges that came into force in council car parks across the town on Monday.
• Last chance to take part in survey on major Herts County Council transport planThere’s less than one week left to respond to Hertfordshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan, which the council says will mean a major shakeup of the county’s transport networks in a bid to help them cope in the future.
• Roadworks on Gwent road delayed due to bad weather in Scotland ROADWORKS have been delayed on a major project due to bad weather in Scotland.

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS2 releases concept images of new Colne Valley viaductHS2 Ltd has today released an initial concept of how it expects the Colne Valley viaduct to look once construction is complete. The concept released today, which has been put out for communities to give their views on, will help inform development of the final design. Developed by specialist...

Other News Sources

• Budget airline breaks flight recordTHE RECORD for the fastest transatlantic flight by a conventional airline has been broken by a low-cost carrier.
• Taxi drivers refuse to turn cars 'corporate teal' - and have their licences suspended Guildford Borough Council told drivers they had to get their cars branded by January 1