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

Saturday, 29 December 2012

Cogitamus

• The TransportInfo team would like to wish all of you the very best for the season! We will be taking a little break over the holidays.TransportInfo will not be updated on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and also on 1 January 2013. Well, that's unless something epoch making happens and we can't stop ourselves... Thank you for your continued interest and support

BBC News

• InterCity 125 designer Kenneth Grange knighted Designer Kenneth Grange - creator of the InterCity 125 train and Britain's first parking meter - has been knighted in the New Year Honours list
• Attwood support for DVLA strikeStormont Environment Minister Alex Attwood says he
• 94,000 litres of sludge dumpedNinety-four thousand litres of toxic sludge were dumped by fuel launderers in Northern Ireland in 2012, HM Customs has revealed.
• Signal fault hits rail servicesA signalling fault causes disruption to train services from Norfolk to London through Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Financial Times

• Commuters struggle back to workSome train routes are still suffering from flooding yet the Environment Agency has downgraded flood risks as dozens of alerts are lifted

The Herald

• Network Rail's purchase of cheap parts causing delaysPASSENGERS travelling between Scotland and London will continue to face delays because Network Rail (NR) used cheap, unreliable parts when upgrading the UK's busiest rail routes, warns a hard-hitting industry report.

The Independent

• Rail ticket 'revolution' could cut journey prices by up to a thirdBritain is on the verge of a œrail fares revolution that could enable passengers to save millions of pounds on published ticket prices for the first time
• New Year Honours: Praise for the 'normal people' who get Britain tickingOne is a railway worker who has been known to lend walletless commuters their fares. Another has battled for recognition of the historical importance of stationary engines. And then there is the man who has dedicated himself to the promotion of Britain's pepper industry.Related StoriesSurrogacy laws: How Britain compares with IndiaOrganic food loses its appeal “ but ethics rule at the checkoutNew Year Honours: 'Death valley Jack' shocked by his honour'The best Christmas present ever': Mother™s joy as abducted Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson, 6, returns home three years after abductionNew Year Honours: '...

The Scotsman

• Record year for airliner safetyThis year has been the safest yet for air travel, according to figures out yesterday.
• Olympics bring petrol sales downA REDUCTION in car travel during the summer Olympics period contributed to a reduction in petrol purchasing in the first nine months of the year.
• £5m of improvements for Scotland™s roads networkFunding of £5 million is to be used to upgrade stretches of some of Scotland’s key roads.

The Telegraph

• 2012 was safest year ever to travel by plane, figures showThe past year has been the safest ever for air travel, figures suggest.

Daily Record

• Stretches of M8, A90 and other major roads to be resurfaced in £5m upgrade WORN-OUT parts of some of Scotland's major roads will be resurfaced as the Scottish Government  announced a £5million project.

Mail Online

• Archived files show Soviet Union used civil airliners to conduct secret Cold War spying missions over BritainDefence Secretary John Nott informed Margaret Thatcher in 1981 that the RAF was monitoring the hundreds of monthly flights through UK airspace by Warsaw Pact airliners.
• M6 crash: Stranded on the road to nowhereIn the event of a fatal accident the emergency services must be given room to do their job. But patience begins to wear thin when the road remains closed for hours on end for no good reason.

Belfast Telegraph

• Translink launches website to keep track of trains Translink Group Chief Executive Catherine Mason launches Journey Check - a Real Time Passenger Information system available on Translink's website that will provide customers with 'live' information on NI Railways services letting people check their train's progress before they reach the station. Related StoriesPost Office link-up for BarclaysLeading Belfast hotel cuts losses and is optimistic for future growthProfits rise but big UK companies are paying less taxObama in last push for deal to save US from $600bn of cutsPub chain JD Wetherspoon serves up 1,200 new jobs in 2013

Bolton News

• Late-night bus services for New Year™s Eve PEOPLE out on the town or working into the early hours will be able to catch a night bus home after New Year™s Eve celebrations.

Bristol Live

• MarcRath commented First set to introduce fare hikeBUS fares will increase by up to 25 pence on Sunday following the introduction of an annual price hike by transport operator...
• The Bristol Post published Drop to 20mph speed limit "will improve health"PLANS to bring in a 20mph speed limit on Bristol's residential roads will be the biggest move to improve health in the city in...

Derby Telegraph

• Derby Telegraph published Town's bus interchange enjoys £125,000 make-over to provide...AN overhaul of Long Eaton's main bus interchange has been unveiled.
• Derby Telegraph published Passengers face days of disruption to services after freight...RAIL services at Derby will be disrupted over the next few days to allow emergency track repairs to take place following the...
• Derby Telegraph published Political giant Beckett wins top honour after blazing trail for...SHE is famous for empowering women through politics, becoming the first woman leader of her party and the first female foreign...

Liverpool Echo

• Rail delays between Liverpool and ManchesterTRAINS between Liverpool and Manchester were today subject to delay after a signalling box was vandalised in Hough Green.

London Evening Standard

• Travel chaos as delays and floods hit south eastRoad and rail travellers endured another bleak mid-winter morning rush-hour today.
• Arise Sir Wiggo, knight of the roadBradley Wiggins, the Mod from Kilburn who made sporting history by winning the Tour de France and Olympic gold this year, is knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours.
• Storey becomes a DameTwenty years after beginning her career in the swimming pool, 11-time Paralympic champion Sarah Storey has been named a Dame in the Queen's New Year Honours list.

Manchester Evening News

• Salford Crescent to get multi-million pound revamp to ease potentially dangerous overcrowdingA £12m refurbishment of a railway station in Salford to ease overcrowding is underway.
• Buses and trams to run later on New Year's Eve for partygoers in ManchesterTransport for Greater Manchester has agreed to run later services on December 31 “ which will offer revellers the chance to catch services which usually run on Friday and Saturday nights.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Work on Metro ticket machines and gates to startWORK to install new ticket machines and electronic ticket gates for a busy Metro station will start soon.

Sheffield Star

• Public meeting to discuss calls for inquiry into reopening City AirportCAMPAIGNERS wanting an inquiry into whether the old Sheffield City Airport could be reopened are holding a public meeting.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Motorways pothole repair bill hits £30kMore than 700 potholes were urgently repaired on the region™s motorways in the past two years “ costing tens of thousands of pounds.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds bus lanes fines rake in millions of poundsSince installing cameras last year Leeds City Council has collected more than £2m from motorists illegally driving in bus lanes.

Yorkshire Post

• Olympics factor prompts fall in petrol salesA cut-down on car travel during the summer Olympics period contributed to a reduction in petrol purchasing in the first nine months of the year.

Bucks Free Press

• Cash boost gives rail project a kick start A PROJECT to mark the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Railway is going full steam ahead after a cash boost.

Carlisle News & Star

• DVLA staff in Carlisle mount strike CARLISLE™S Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) office remained closed today as staff mounted a 24-hour strike.
• Road repairs on Carlisle estate branded a 'shambles' A ROAD repair on an estate which residents say left drains covered by tarmacadam and levelled speed bumps has been described by a councillor as œa shambles.

Sunderland Echo

• Port of Sunderland celebrates busiest year since end of shipbuildingPORT of Sunderland is feeling the tides of change.

Other Regional Press

• Rail route re-opens ahead of schedule ENGINEERS repairing the flood-damaged rail line between Tiverton and Exeter have managed to reopen the route 24 hours earlier than expected. Services to the south west have been severely disrupted since the busy junction at Cowley Bridge was swamped when the River Exe burst its banks last Saturday, December 22. The line was not expected to reopen until tomorrow (Saturday) but Network Rail announced services have now resumed a day ahead of schedule. Fire crews worked with engineers to set up inflatable dams on the line after last week™s bout of heavy rain caused widespread flooding acr...
• Leicester Mercury published Drivers ignored plight of cyclist left lying in agony on A5 in...A cyclist, injured in an accident, says he was left lying in agony on the side of the road for 20 minutes as motorists passed...
• Western Morning News published Rail boss, weather forecaster and art expert recognised in New...Scientists, sports stars and business leaders have been named alongside unsung heroes from the charity and arts world in the New...
• Rumour of plans for Portsmouth™s shipyard ˜just speculation™CLAIMS the government has asked BAE Systems to ’mothball’ the Portsmouth ship building yard have been rubbished.
• Northants MP commends free ticket plan for rail usersThe chairman of Northampton rail users group has praised London Midland’s offer of compensation for passengers after months of delays and cancellations.
• Aberdeen woman claims First Bus driver humiliated herFIRST Bus has launched an investigation after an Aberdeen woman claimed she was humiliated by a driver in a row over payment.

C.N.N.

• Electric car crashes could pose new risk for first responders, group says

International Herald Tribune

• Toyota to Settle Class-Action Suits Over Sudden AccelerationsToyota would pay more than $1 billion, giving cash to vehicle owners for the loss of value from multiple recalls and installing special safety features on up to 3.2 million cars.
• Car Factories Offer Hope for Spanish Industry and WorkersWith labor costs so low, Spain is attracting car manufacturers that see a large competitive advantage in producing there rather than in other European countries.

Global Rail News

• New Kazakhstan high-speed train launchedA new high-speed service has been launched in Kazakhstan between the country’s capital, Astana, and Aktobe. The new service, named Aktobe, is the first to link the west of the country with the capital. Travel times between the two cities has been reduced by more than 11 hours, with the 1,411 km route now taking [...]
• 2013 London rail fares to come into effectTransport for London (TfL) rail fares will rise by an average of 4.2 per cent next week when the 2013 pricing structure comes into effect. On Wednesday, January 2, Tube cash fares will increase by 20p, while Oyster pay-as-you-go fares will rise by either 10p or 20p. As part of the package, the Oyster daily [...]

Middle East North Africa (MENA) Rail News

• Iraq Buys 10 Chinese-made Diesel Multiple Unit Passenger TrainsTen Chinese-made Passenger trains are on their way to Iraq following a $115m agreement announced by the Transport Ministry. The Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) are the latest technology made by a Chinese company with many years of experience which has supplied units throughout the world. They are called DMU because each carriage has an on-board [...]The post Iraq Buys 10 Chinese-made Diesel Multiple Unit Passenger Trains appeared first on MENA Rail News.
• Moroccan Tramway Opened by King Mohammed VIThe $745m Casablanca Tramway has been opened by King Mohammed VI, and pays tribute to the style and architecture of Morocco. The General Director of Casablanca Transport, Youssef Draiss said at the opening ceremony “The tramway runs on electricity and thus diminishes the air pollution. It will also decrease traffic jams and sound pollution.” Four [...]The post Moroccan Tramway Opened by King Mohammed VI appeared first on MENA Rail News.

Aviation Industry

• Allegiant Plane Makes Emergency Landing in North IndianaCraig Williams says a search of the cargo bay of an Allegiant Air plane Friday night showed no sign of smoke or fire, but a cargo fire indicator light turned on, leading to an emergency landing.

Other News Sources

• More expensive to park at Hereford's County Hospital than Worcester, Bristol and Cardiff PARKING charges at Hereford County Hospital are going up again.
• Councillor's plea to ditch Hereford's £30m link road plan THE leader of Herefordshire™s main opposition party is urging the local authority to ditch plans for its multimillion pound link road.
• France gauges deal's impactSTX FRANCE was today savouring the prospect that winning the third Oasis-class cruise ship would bring it 10M man-hours of work over three years.
• Maersk Line begins China retrofit for 10 boxships ...
• Changi Airport registers more than 50 million passengers in 2012 Singapore Changi Airport will end 2012 with a new milestone in its history, registering more than 50 million passenger movements for the year. This traffic record is reached just two years...
• China Airlines to Purchase 6 New Boeing 777-300ER Passenger AirplanesAfter signing the lease agreement with GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS) on December 18 for the lease of four new Boeing 777-300ER passenger airplanes, China Airlines has concluded...