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

Tuesday, 15 September 2026

BBC News

• TfL developing proposals for public-owned bus firmTfL said it is assessing how a public-owned bus firm "could further support innovation".
• Petrol and diesel prices hit highest since 2022The cost of filling up a vehicle has rebounded, according to the RAC, as oil prices remain elevated.
• TfL faces charges after woman's death at bus stationThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) alleges that between 1 January 2004 and 15 December 2023, TfL failed to ensure traffic routes at the northern crossing of the station in north-east London were suitable for the people and vehicles using them.

Department for Transport

• Highways (Financing) BillA Bill to Make provision for licences authorising the charging of tolls in return for securing works on trunk roads in England; about the functions of holders of licences; about enforcement; for a special administration regime for holders of licences; about the collection and enforcement of tolls charged under other Acts; and for connected purposes.

Financial Times

• How the shipping industry could make itself greenerThe global container shipping industry has grown beyond recognition from its roots 80 years ago when a few wartime vessels were repurposed, to become one of the key enablers of globalisation.

The Guardian

• Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsensLatest daily reductions will further choke one of the world's most important shipping lanes
• Phone coverage across the London tube? That's sent me hurtling down a tunnel of despairRejoice! For by the end of 2026, 4G and 5G mobile coverage is expected across the whole London underground network. After months of delays and setbacks, 121 subterranean tube stations will be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, joining Paris and Berlin in perma-connectivity bliss. But should we really be so happy about the rollout?

The Herald

• Broken windscreen wiper on ferry halts CalMac sailings to MullFerry crossings between one of Scotland's most popular islands were cancelled after a broken windscreen wiper halted sailings on Monday.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow warns that Neets crisis is putting third runway at risk [subscription]Recruits needed for £49bn expansion must start training now to meet demand in 2030s, airport says

Times Online

• Fears of more airline failures as AirBaltic files for bankruptcy [subscription]'Acute financial stress' at Latvian carrier comes as rising jet fuel costs amid Iran war cast cloud over carriers unable to hedge against high oil prices
• Ban delivery robots that put pedestrians at risk, says charity [subscription]Autonomous delivery robots are 'putting pedestrians at risk' and should be banned from pavements across the country, a charity has warned.

City AM

• Nationalising London buses fixes a nonexistent problem City Hall already controls London’s bus network, so why is Sadiq Khan humouring a proposal to build a publicly owned bus operator.

i News

• New HS2 farce as millions spent filling in holes but they'll have to be dug againHS2 is spending £40m capping boreholes, closing down sites and returning land on its northern leg - despite Andy Burnham wanting to revive the route

Local Government

• What's up for discussion at today's Highways and Transport Scrutiny CommitteeCouncillor David East, executive member for Highways and Transport at LCC says he's keen to hear what questions members will raise today as the Scrutiny Committee meets in the Council Chamber

National Highways

• Highways Bill introduced to Parliament The Bill will enable private investment into the construction of major road projects like the Lower Thames Crossing

Network Rail

• Leaf it to us: Scotland's railway gets a grip on autumnNetwork Rail is beginning its annual autumn operation across Scotland to help keep trains running reliably during the railway's most challenging time of year.

Birmingham Post

• Burnham meets Aviva and Rolls Royce bosses amid budget implications for UK businessThe Prime Minister is set to pitch the government as a partner for growth to top chiefs on Monday
• 'Dorset Metro' and train station upgrades among transport plans for BCP areaBCP Council and Dorset Council have set out plans to improve rail services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Council leader wants Weaver Network in Bradford soonerBRADFORD Council bosses are pushing for the new Weaver Network bus service to be rolled out in the district much sooner than planned.

Bristol Live

• Council chief rejects claims of Bristol bus 'pandemonium' after huge city centre changesPeople are now getting used to the major changes

Morning Star

• We need a rolling-stock revolution to get Britain back on trackPrivatisation and the break-up of our integrated rail system have been disasters. The Labour government's pledges on reindustrialisation and renationalisation offer the solution, argues DAVE CALFE of Aslef
• Government needs to bring rail workers on board to make GBR a successPublic ownership of Great British Railways has enormous potential to improve our railway network, but that can't happen unless jobs, employee rights and union recognition is at the heart of the transition, argues MARYAM ESLAMDOUST

My London

• TfL quietly admits Sadiq Khan's pledge to end bus deaths by 2030 is impossibleBus safety campaigns over the past 10 years have made little impact on reducing the number of deaths involving a bus in London

Oxford Mail

• Botley Road will open this Sunday, Network Rail confirmsThe busy route has been closed now for more than three years at the railway station as bridge works were delayed repeatedly.

Bus-News

• Transport for Wales Extends £1 Bus Fare for Young People to March 2027Transport for Wales (TfW) has announced an extension of its 1 GBP bus fare for young people aged 5-21, with the scheme now set to continue into March 2027.

Highways News

• Early Lower Thames Crossing works set to partially close M25Overnight lane closures are set to begin this week as part of early works on the Lower Thames Crossing. The closures will affect sections of the M25 in Thurrock as National Highways carries out ground investigations and utility surveys, reports the Southend Echo. The new crossing project will connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex via a 2.6-mile tunnel beneath the Thames.

Rail Business Daily

• GTR highlights improvements delivered during its first 100 days under public ownershipIt has been 100 days since Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR) services transferred into public ownership, with improvements already being delivered for customers across Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express.
• TfL unveils fresh plan to make the capital's transport services more resilient, reliable and sustainableTransport for London (TfL) has unveiled its updated Corporate Environment Plan, which sets out how TfL will continue to take trailblazing action to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, adapt to climate change, enhance biodiversity, and use resources more sustainably across one of the world's largest integrated transport networks.

Rail Magazine

• Varamis planning comeback as driver training and proving runs beginVaramis Rail units have started moving again ahead of a planned return to service.
• Avanti West Coast confirms Christmas service cutsAvanti West Coast has confirmed that it will be reducing some services over the winter period as part of a demand led timetable.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Wirral changes detailed as Liverpool bus franchising gets set for next phaseIncreased frequencies and extended routes are among the improvements set to be implemented in Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's (LCRCA) next phase of the bus franchising rollout in Wirral on 25 October.

Shipping News

• 'This may never happen again': VLCC surge pushes shipping rates to all-time highsSoaring rates come even as tonnage builds up in Gulf of Oman as few ships willing to make dangerous voyage into Middle East

The Business Desk

• Black Country bus operator lands eight-figure HSBC funding for UK expansionWest Midlands-based bus operator Rotala Group has taken ownership of two depot sites to strengthen its operational footprint, backed by an eight-figure funding package from HSBC UK.

Transport for Greater Manchester

• Aviva and Transport for Greater Manchester to provide free Bee Network travel for Greater Manchester school tripsAround 90,000 schoolchildren across Greater Manchester will benefit from free Bee Network tram travel from this month to help more young people go on educational school trips.

Aviation Industry

• London Southend Airport takes top spot in latest UK punctuality rankings, overtaking Liverpool and AberdeenLondon Southend Airport has become the UK's most punctual airport, according to the latest CAA statistics, while maintaining its position as the UK's fastest-growing airport.
• Heathrow passenger charges to rise from JanuaryThe aviation regulator ruled that a price cap of £28.66 be introduced up from £28.40 proposed in a consultation document in June.

Other News Sources

• UK introduces bill to enable RAB on roadsThe UK government has introduced the Highways (Financing) Bill to Parliament, in a major step towards utilising the regulated asset base (RAB) for road projects such as the Lower Thames Crossing.
• Zero tolerance approach to abuse and assault on Bus Vannin servicesBus Vannin is urging passengers to respect its drivers, and says it has a zero tolerance approach to abuse and assault.
• Stephen Flynn warned he has 'nowhere to hide' as A96 dualling call renewed after horror crashSeven people were rushed to hospital last week after the crash near Huntly, with five ambulances and an air ambulance along with two special operations response teams called to the scene.
• Connecting rail through software and AIRising global demand, ageing networks, and severe weather events are making rail operations more complex, while passengers expect increasingly seamless and personalised journeys. Devina Pasta, CEO of Siemens Mobility Software, explains how connected data, interoperable platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) can help operators manage disruptions, improve decision-making, and deliver better passenger experience.
• What will define the next generation of rail infrastructure?Railways play a central role in addressing some of today's most pressing mobility challenges, such as supporting growing cities, increasing network capacity, advancing decarbonization, improving resilience, and delivering better passenger experiences.
• Concur Expands Cross-Border Rail Platform InvestmentSAP's Concur Travel for the past two years has been "heavily investing" in its rail platform, adding new rail operators, particularly in Europe, to help corporate customers capture rail transactions
• DB ESG appointed to Network Rail rolling stock ETCS survey frameworkDeutsche Bahn's UK rolling stock engineering services business DB ESG has been appointed to Network Rail's framework as a potential provider of independent vehicle survey reports to support the tendering of ETCS supply and installation contracts.
• HS2 boss proposes 'slower railway' project savingHS2 boss Mark Wild has doubled-down on the claim that reducing the speed of the operational trains could minimise risk and save the project money.
• RIA sets out five rail supply sector 'asks' of government ahead of the October budget'The October budget needs to recognise that demand for rail is growing and to set out how we invest now to provide the resilience and capacity the government needs for a safe and durable railway in future', said RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan on September 10.
• MPs challenged to play their 'Charge Card'Industry association ChargeUK has created a 'Top Trumps' style pack of cards featuring EV charging statistics for every MP's constituency.
• Chamber Urges Harrogate Businesses To Have Their Say At The Great Harrogate Transport FairHarrogate District Chamber of Commerce is encouraging businesses across the district to attend the Great Harrogate Transport Fair on Tuesday 22 September, a free public event that combines a showcase of local transport options with a first look at the region's new Local Transport Plan.
• £1.2m funding announced for transport decarbonisation researchFunding of £1.2 million to support transport decarbonisation research is being offered by TransiT, the UK research hub led by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and University of Glasgow.

News from Europe

• A new train from Tuesday connects Split and Zagreb: The first electro-diesel train has 150 seats, Wi-Fi and space for bicyclesHŽ Passenger Transport said that the new train is adapted to the specifics of the line between Zagreb and Splita, which is partly electrified and partly non-electrified. It has 150 seats, and passengers have access to free Wi-Fi, sockets next to the seats, a modern information system, visual and audio announcements, ramps for people with disabilities and space for bicycles. The train also has self-service machines for purchasing coffee and other hot drinks, water, juices, sweets and snacks.
• Rail freight transport dropped by 1.8% in 2025In 2025, the EU rail freight transport performance fell by 1.8%, declining from 375.1 billion tonne-kilometres (tkm) in 2024 to 368.2 tkm, and marking the fourth consecutive year of decline.
• Catching up with HiEFFICIENT: powering tomorrow's electric vehicles for greener European transportTwo years on, the HiEFFICIENT project continues to drive a new era of electromobility across Europe. Its legacy lives on through commercial products, new spin-offs and follow-up initiatives that redefine sustainable transport.