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

Sunday, 28 December 2014

BBC News

• Severn toll one of 'most expensive'Campaigners claim the Severn crossings' tolls are among the most expensive stretches of roads in the world.
• Icy roads warning after snowfallMotorists are warned of treacherous driving conditions in parts of Wales following a night of snow, rain and plummeting temperatures.
• Regulator to probe rail work delaysThe Office of Rail Regulation launches an investigation into major disruption to passengers caused by overrunning engineering work at two London stations.
• Call for transfer of air tax powerThe transport minister Derek Mackay calls for control over air passenger duty to be devolved to Holyrood immediately.
• Pair killed in Boxing Day car crashA man and a teenage girl, who are believed to be related, are killed in a car crash in south London.
• Rural firms 'catching up on towns'Faster broadband and improved transport could help productivity grow faster in the English countryside than towns, the environment secretary says.

Financial Times

• Rail chaos as engineering work over-runsPassengers stranded as trains in and out of King’s Cross are cancelled
• AirAsia flight missing with 161 on boardContact lost with aircraft en route to Singapore from Indonesia

The Observer

• Rail watchdog promises investigation into London travel chaosThe Office of Rail Regulation will launch an investigation into serious travel disruption caused by overrunning engineering works in London, which led to services to and from two major stations being cancelled and chaotic overcrowding at a local station to which some trains were re-routed.
• AirAsia flight loses contact with air traffic control between Indonesia and Singapore – liveIndonesian transport ministry says flight QZ8501, with 162 people on board, had asked controllers to ascend because of cloud before going missing
• ’Regrettable and unfortunate’: Network Rail apologies over holiday travel chaosPassenger fury as late engineering work closes King’s Cross, adding to havoc caused by cold snap

The Scotsman

• SNP calls for immediate power on air passenger taxTHE transport minister has called for control over air passenger duty (APD) to be devolved to Holyrood immediately.
• Tram works unearth piece of Scottish prehistoryEVIDENCE of Edinburgh’s first farmers has been unearthed as part of a 6,000-year slice of Edinburgh’s history revealed by construction of its tram line, archaeologists have discovered.

The Telegraph

• Travel chaos angers rail passengersRail passengers at King's Cross are not happy after being told train services on the East Coast Mainline have been cancelled because of wintry weather
• Chaos at overcrowded Finsbury Park commuter station after Kings Cross terminal shutTravel plans hit buffers as suburban station has to take passengers diverted from Kings Cross
• Network Rail faces multi-million pound fine over trains chaosNetwork Rail placed under investigation as Christmas engineering works fiasco paralyses links in and out of the capital
• More planning can avert chaos on the railwaysTelegraph View: all too often, Britain's rail network seems to hibernate over the Christmas period - leading to chaos for thousands.

This is Money

• Ferry fares poised to soar in Brussels war on dirty fuel Ferry passengers are being warned to expect a sharp increase in fares after rules curbing "dirty fuel" come into force on Thursday. Rates will jump as ferry operators pass on the costs.

Network Rail

• King's Cross reopens this morningKing's across station reopened this morning (04:57) following the completion of late running improvement work north of the station.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford pilot in training for Red Arrows debut A BRADFORD man is stepping up his training to make his Red Arrows debut next year.

London Evening Standard

• UK weather: Travellers stranded in the snow as blizzards sweep across country Snow and blizzards that swept across the country have brought treacherous conditions to roads, with many motorists forced to abandon their cars after becoming snowed in.
• Misery for rail passengers in London as King's Cross cancellations spark chaotic scenes and overcrowding Thousands of angry train passengers were today hit by severe delays sparked by the cancellation of all services at King's Cross.

Metro

• Ferry carrying 466 passengers sets on fire between Greece and ItalyA ferry from Greece to Italy was this morning being evacuated after a fire broke out. The blaze is believed to have started in the car deck, sparking the captain to order the evacuation of the ship which was carrying 466 passengers. Merchant marine minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said nearby ships had been instructed to take […]

Sheffield Star

• VIDEO: Buses get stuck in Conisbrough snow chaosScores of bus passengers were left stranded after snow caused a huge bus backlog in Conisbrough.

Sheffield Telegraph

• Sheffield gritting teams insist they are working ‘around the clock’Sheffield Council’s gritting team has insisted workers have been out on the streets around the clock to help the city’s main roads remain clear in the snow.

Wales Online

• Rail disruption at Paddington and King's Cross leads to chaos for thousands of passengersPassengers experienced delays because of an electrical fault at Paddington and overrunning work at King's Cross

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Building contracts signed for Severn Valley Railway depotConstruction contracts for the Severn Valley Railway’s long-awaited diesel locomotive maintenance depot have been signed.

The Shields Gazette

• New rapid-charge electric car points to encourage vehicle revolutionCOUNCIL bosses in South Tyneside are charging ahead with facilities for electric car drivers.

Other Regional Press

• Fresh criticism of Portsmouth road layoutA video of cars queueing to get into Portsmouth city centre has provoked fresh criticism of a new road layout.

Aviation Industry

• Departures and arrivals in a busy aviation yearThere were major changes at the top levels of airlines as the aviation sector roared back into life during an eventful year, reports John Mulligan Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary who landed at Dublin airport with the first of Ryanair's new boeing 737-800 NG aircraft from Seattle. It was an incredibly busy 2014 on the aviation front, both domestically and internationally.

Other News Sources

• Surrey gets £87 million government cash windfall to repair potholesDespite the government cash boost, it has been estimated fixing all of Surrey's pothole-ridden roads would cost £200 million
• Residents submit a petition opposing Gatwick flight path changesCampaign group PlaneWrong claim changes to flight paths by Gatwick Airport were implemented without direct consultation with those affected by noise pollution
• £140m to fix potholes in county roads THE Government is promising an end to “short-term fixes” on potholes after granting more than £140 million to repair Sussex roads over the next six years.