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

Tuesday, 22 September 2026

BBC News

• Repeated air traffic control failures leave us in worrying territoryTo have one air traffic control failure in a fortnight may be regarded as a misfortune, to have two looks like carelessness. The UK's air traffic services provider is coming in for a wave of criticism at the moment, so where is it all leading?
• Works on £10.6bn Lower Thames Crossing progressThe first physical signs of the Lower Thames Crossing are beginning to appear across Kent and Essex, as work gets under way on the huge project.
• HS2 bridge lifts completed during motorway closureThe remaining viaduct spans which will carry trains over the M42 are now in place, HS2 says.
• Fire alarm causes rush hour rail disruptionNational Rail says the fire alarm in a signalling centre is likely to cause hours of delays.
• Edinburgh Airport to expand terminal in £500m investment planThe project includes new gates and aircraft stands, an expanded check-in hall and departure lounge, with new food and retail areas.
• TfL to build more than 50 bus driver toilet blocksSix bus routes in London do not currently have driver toilet facilities at either terminus.
• Gallows Corner opens after months of delaysTfL is apologising to drivers and businesses who have been affected during the delays.
• Airlines criticise air traffic control as second glitch causes more disruptionPrime Minister Andy Burnham said further issues "cause even greater concern" about the UK's air traffic control and the head of the organisation that runs it.
• Flights at major US airports delayed after cable cut by construction workersThe cable had been repaired and airports are resuming normal operations, the US transportation secretary says.

ITV News

• TfL announce plans for new bus driver toilets after ITV News London campaignTfL has announced funding to build 53 new toilet buildings for bus drivers across the capital over the next three years.

Financial Times

• UK flights disrupted by another air traffic control problemNational Air Traffic Services says it fixed a fault at its Prestwick control centre in Scotland that led to service cancellations and delays

The Guardian

• Airlines urge action after UK flights delayed and cancelled againNats says fault at Prestwick has been 'fixed' after airports in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland are hit

The Herald

• Drivers could boycott ScotRail trains over Israel linkScotland's train drivers will refuse to work on new ScotRail trains if a company which operates in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is given the contract.

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Airport unveils £500m investment plans amid calls to get the basics rightEdinburgh Airport has come under fire for frustrating passenger experiences in recent months

City AM

• Easyjet and British Airways criticise air traffic control operator on fresh flight chaos Easyjet and British Airways have questioned the resilience of the UK's air traffic control system as British airports face another day of delays and disruption following a system failure earlier this month which grounded more than 2000 flights across the country.

The Sun

• TAKE A HIKE Britain's newest tunnel is HIKING fees to £4.20 today in blow to millions of driversBRITAIN'S newest tunnel is hiking its prices today in a blow to millions of drivers.

Local Government

• Passenger journeys on council-supported bus services pass 220,000Continued investment in local public transport has now supported more than 220,000 passenger journeys across Wrexham, as use of a number of council-funded bus services continues to grow.

Network Rail

• Rail investment across Cambridgeshire and Norfolk continues this autumn.Weekend engineering work across Cambridgeshire and parts of Norfolk is planned throughout October to deliver a range of improvements, renewals and maintenance to keep trains running safely punctually and efficiently for customers.
• Footage released after emergency footbridge removal over the West Coast Main LinePassengers thanked after Network Rail successfully completes the emergency removal of Oxhey Grange footbridge near Watford, reopening the West Coast Main Line earlier than planned on Sunday afternoon.

Birmingham Post

• Bristol Airport's new chief executive to shape transport hub's 'ambitious future'She is taking over from Dave Lees who is stepping down at the end of the year
• Airbus to transform former super-jumbo A380 factory to create hundreds of Broughton jobAcross the Broughton site, the manufacturer is creating around 480 new well paid jobs this year.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport appoints new boss to lead on future expansion plansCharley Maher will succeed outgoing boss Dave Lees, who has led the transport hub since 2018 and is due to step down at the end of the year.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Manchester Airport flights hit by latest air traffic control issuesAirports in Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester were registering delayed flights

LBC

• The Government backed air traffic bosses. Two failures in a month prove they were wrongNobody expects ministers to run air traffic control themselves, but they are responsible for the judgements they make about the people who do, writes Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden MP

Liverpool Echo

• Should Merseyrail ban e-bikes from its network as cyclists fume?Merseyrail's proposed ban on e-bikes across the network has left users fuming. Earlier this summer, the operator announced it would look to prevent the vehicles being used in any form as of New Year's Day 2027 following a safety review.

London Evening Standard

• What you need to know as Silvertown and Blackwall tunnel charges riseThe cost of driving through the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels has just increased
• 'Dangerously loud' Tube noise shaking Londoners awake at nightTransport for London is facing criticism over 'disruptive' Tube noise angry residents say has been plaguing streets on the border of Camden and Westminster for several years.

Manchester Evening News

• Air traffic control issues RECAP as hundreds of Manchester Airport and UK flights delayed with NATS statement issuedNATS has issued a statement on the air traffic control failure with around 100 flights delayed at Manchester Airport

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Free Wi-Fi to be extended on Tyne and Wear Metro networkThe Metro Connect network, which is already available at Haymarket and Central Station, will be extended to more stations

Northern Echo

• Probe after pothole appears at Bishop Auckland bus stationA pothole has appeared at Bishop Auckland's new £11.8m bus station just months after it opened.

My London

• Tube strikes and 30C heatwaves badly hit TfL causing swing from profit to £128m lossThe authority could be put into a worse position if the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) decides to resume its strike over plans for a four-day week

Other Regional Press

• Pro-expansion protest challenges third runway oppositionA number of supporters of Heathrow expansion headed to Kingston Bridge last week to tell Kingston and Richmond councils: 'You don't speak for me, you have ignored my voice!' after both councils along with Sutton, Hillingdon, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wandsworth, and Southwark wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander MP, claiming to represent over 1.7 million residents opposed to a third runway.
• Poole to Cherbourg ferry service to end after decadesThe Barfleur service is due to come to an end on October 31 but final sailing plans are still in progress.
• North East mayor calls for rail powers and cheaper faresThe mayor has called for greater devolution of rail powers to improve train services, cut fares, and upgrade stations.
• School bus fares rise sharply as operator defends pricesCentral Connect Buses has defended significant hikes to the cost of school transport, following criticism from parents and Essex County Council, but has apologised for how the changes were communicated.
• Ryanair call on NATS CEO to resign as thousands of passengers face delaysMore than 140 Ryanair flights have been delayed today as a result of the Air Traffic Control issues
• Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels fees increase from todayThe charges have risen in line with inflation to help pay back the cost of building Silvertown
• Installing air con for all London buses 'going to be hard,' admits KhanAt last week's Mayor's Question Time event Khan said that installing air con in driver cabs would be 'the biggest transformation of a bus fleet ever undertaken', reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter
• Finally... South Kensington Tube Station To Get The Upgrade It So Desperately NeedsTransport for London (TfL) has announced that Costain will be the design-and-build partner for the project. It's a major milestone for plans that have been rumbling on for years, and a strong indication that change might finally be coming to the west London station.
• Major moment for HS2 as M42 viaduct span completedThe M42 reopened at around 4am as planned after HS2 lifted the last of six viaduct spans over the motorway at Water Orton. Further construction remains, with another motorway closure scheduled for 23–26 October.
• Fears e-bike riders will 'never be stopped' amid Coventry-wide crackdownA Coventry e-bike crackdown is underway targeting illegally modified e-bikes and unlicensed e-scooters - and readers have shared their thoughts on police e-scooter enforcement

Train Operators

• CrossCountry joins expanded cross-operator ticket acceptance schemeFrom yesterday, Sunday 20 September, CrossCountry customers whose train is cancelled are now able to travel on other train operators'* services at no additional cost, helping them continue their journey more easily during disruption.

Coach and Bus Week

• London bus air-con retrofit programme agreedBuilding on previous agreements, all TfL buses are to be fitted with cab air-conditioning by 2027, with trials already ongoing

Highways News

• TfL to build 53 new toilet facilities for London bus driversTransport for London is to build 53 new toilet facilities for bus drivers across the capital over the next three years.

New Civil Engineer

• DfT sets out framework for Great British Railway's 30-year rail planThe Department for Transport (DfT) has published a briefing paper outlining the proposed structure of a Long‑Term Rail Strategy (LTRS) intended to guide rail investment across the UK for the next 30 years.

Rail Advent

• Dog patrols launched in fight against cable theftNetwork Rail and the British Transport Police have teamed up with some four-legged friends to help prevent cable theft.

Rail Business Daily

• CrossCountry joins expanded cross-operator ticket acceptance schemeCrossCountry customers whose train is cancelled can now travel on other train operators* services at no additional cost.

Rail Magazine

• Hopes data centre will inject revenue into GCRE projectMinisters are being asked to approve a data centre which could help a proposed rail testing centre become reality.

Aviation Industry

• Jet2 demands urgent action after yet another NATS failure disrupts holidaymakersJet2 has demanded urgent action to strengthen the resilience of the UK's air traffic control infrastructure, after yet another NATS issue, which is leading to delays and disruption for airlines and customers today.

Other News Sources

• Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange OpensThe Pembrokeshire County Council project has created a modern transport hub with a fantastic new bus station and spacious multi-storey car park that will make it easier for people to visit Haverfordwest and connect with bus and other onward transport options.
• Deaf people in the East Midlands 'put off' using public transportA third of people who are deaf, have hearing loss or use BSL avoid public transport
• Millions secured for new walking and cycling routes across Scottish BordersDetailed designs for a new active travel path linking Hawick and Selkirk with the new Center Parcs holiday village are among a number of projects to secure a share of more than £3.4m.
• Over half of young women report incidents on West Midlands busses that left them feeling unsafe52% of young women aged 16-24 had reported 'public transport safety incidents' on buses in the year 2024/25
• Airlines demand action after second air traffic control issue in a fortnightAirports in Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester were registering delayed flights and urged passengers to check with their airlines.
• BT tech supporting police drones to monitor UK rail networkPowered by BT's Drone SIM solution, drones are rapidly being adopted to enable faster incident response across more than 20,000 miles of railway
• Public invited to have say on future of Carmarthen Railway StationTransport for Wales (TfW) is asking passengers and residents to help shape plans to improve Carmarthen Railway Station, one of the busiest transport hubs in South West Wales.