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

Tuesday, 13 October 2026

BBC News

• Two-year train platform closure 'unacceptable'The two-year closure of a station platform which is forcing passengers to use a rail-replacement bus is "unacceptable", a councillor has said.
• Train wash depot plan for village withdrawnA proposal to build an East West Rail (EWR) train maintenance centre by a village has been withdrawn. The company had suggested building the facility at Fulbourn, just south of Cambridge.
• CrossCountry plans 60,000 extra train seatsPassengers travelling between some of Britain's biggest cities could have access to 60,000 extra rail seats each week under plans from CrossCountry.
• How to replace one of the world's busiest runways - while still using itIt is 10:45 PM and we are in a convoy of road maintenance vehicles on the edge of the Northern Runway.
• AI spots nearly 19,000 'shocking' road offencesCaptured images include a front-seat passenger holding a small child on her lap without a seatbelt.
• Publicly owned rail is popular. But is it making the trains run on time?Meeting travellers' expectations could be challenging, experts warn.

Department for Transport

• Great British Railways rolling stock and infrastructure strategy - Written statement to ParliamentSecretary of State for Transport sets out how Great British Railways will plan trains and infrastructure to improve passenger journeys.

Financial Times

• Houthi assault on Saudi airports strikes at MBS's economic visionDeadly bombardment of Riyadh's international airport threatens crown prince's plans to turn kingdom into finance and events hub

The Guardian

• Bedbug infestation forces Qantas to ground plane in RomeAircraft taken out of operation after flight from Perth after the discovery of parasitic insects on board Qantas has been forced to ground a plane in Rome after bedbugs were discovered on the aircraft on its way from Perth.The parasitic insects were found in the front of the economy section of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it made its way from Perth to Rome for the QF5 flight on 9 October, a source with knowledge of the incident confirmed on Tuesday. Continue reading...

The Independent

• Heathrow Airport 'cannot wait forever' for third runway, Andy Burnham warnedHeathrow Airport expansion is estimated to cost £33 billion, including £1.5 billion to move the M25 to build the runway

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh's controversial new 7-7-7 bus lanes come into forceA controversial trial extending the operating hours for bus lanes on certain routes in Edinburgh has got underway, amid fears it may result in congestion increasing in the city.
• 150 new jobs and £57m expansion is a "major vote of confidence" in once-threatened Prestwick airportThe continuing aerospace boom at Prestwick since the airport was nationalised for a nominal £1 to save it from closure 13 years ago was underscored on Monday with 150 new jobs being announced by an aircraft engine firm in a £57 million expansion.

Times Online

• Level crossing forced to close over 'dangerous misuse' by children [subscription]Images show children doing handstands and using their phones at the crossing near Upminster in London, prompting safety presentations at local schools
• London council 'uses misleading traffic signs to gather fines' [subscription]Islington council issued more than 11,000 fines on a single road in 2025

Reuters News

• UK's Heathrow rallies support for third runway as Parliament weighs expansion plansHeathrow Airport said on Monday that its expansion plans have won the backing of trade unions, airlines, regional airports ​and investors

GB News

• Green quango faces backlash from cross-bench MPs over £95million HS2 'bat tunnel'Natural England must undergo reform to stop it obstructing housebuilding and alienating farmers, a Commons committee warned

This is Money

• Heathrow boss warns investors 'cannot wait forever' as he urges Burnham to back third runwayThe boss of Heathrow has urged Andy Burnham to explicitly back the airport's third runway. Thomas Woldbye warned its owners 'cannot wait forever' and would reassess their £33billion plans if the Prime Minister does not greenlight the runway, despite winning the backing of unions, airlines, regional airports and investors.

Local Government

• Council responds to Kendal Northern Access Route decisionWestmorland and Furness Council has expressed disappointment in the government's decision that the Kendal Northern Access Route will not be part of its road and rail investment programme.

Network Rail

• Rail industry crackdown as trespassing criminals cause more than 1,500 hours of delays on South Eastern Railway networkNew figures show trespass-related crimes including vandalism and obstruction caused over 1,500 hours of delays for passengers equivalent to over two months of waiting on trains or in stations and cost the South Eastern Railway more than £5million in delay costs during 2025/26.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham council to ban cars outside more schoolsParents will have to follow new rules when picking up and dropping off kids

Bristol Live

• Major plans to transform Bristol streets and waterways unveiledThe proposals are backed by £500,000 of funding and aim to make the city 'healthier' and 'greener'

Derby Telegraph

• Prime Minister Andy Burnham issues message to 'the great city of Derby'It follows the £1 billion order for 29 new battery-electric trains at Alstom

LBC

• Billions worth of investment into Heathrow could be pulled if Burnham doesn't decide on expansion soon, boss warnsThe airport's chief executive warned its owners "cannot wait forever" for the backing

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow chiefs ramp up campaign to stop Andy Burnham downing third runway plansHeathrow boss Thomas Woldbye says London airport's backers could reassess expansion plans if PM does not give commitment to runway project soon

Yorkshire Post

• Scarborough Railway Station: Work on 36.68m station redevelopment set to start early next yearWork on the £6.68 million redevelopment of Scarborough Railway Station will start next year after plans were approved despite concerns.

My London

• TfL confirms timeline for when fleet of 54 DLR trains will be rolled out across lineTransport for London (TfL) has confirmed the timeline for the rollout of its fleet of 54 new trains across the DLR. The first new train re-entered service in September, following a brief hold on the upgrade in November last year due to a braking fault at Canning Town station.

Other Regional Press

• National Express West Midlands' bus buy out completed soonThe buy-out of National Express West Midlands' entire bus operations is expected to be completed within weeks.
• Could a Welsh giant be among ideas for third Menai crossing?Could a unique design once put forward for a third bridge across the Menai Strait still yet come to fruition now that plans for another crossing have been confirmed
• Reform MS demands accounting for land bought for abandoned M4 relief roadJason O'Connell MS has asked Welsh ministers to disclose how much was spent on properties acquired for the abandoned M4 Black Route and what assets remain.
• Glasgow MSP calls for £2 bus fare cap to include night busesThe Scottish Greens are calling for the 32 bus fare cap to apply to night buses in Strathclyde.
• Manchester Airport to rollout new eGate system for passportsMillions of passengers arriving at Manchester Airport could soon be able to quickly pass through airport passport control without needing to put their passport into an eGate.
• Burnham-On-Sea M5 roundabout upgrade included in £283m Somerset transport planSomerset Council's Executive has approved a Local Transport Delivery Plan setting out how more than £283 million of Government funding will be invested in roads, bus services, road safety and walking and cycling routes across the county including the Burnham-On-Sea area up to 2030.

Train Operators

• Greater Anglia marks 1 year of public ownershipGreater Anglia (GA) is marking the first anniversary of its transfer into public ownership by highlighting its ongoing progress as one of the best performing train operators in the UK.
• Three stations run by Northern competing in World Cup of Stations as passengers vote for the winnerPassengers are being asked to cast their vote and decide which railway station has the biggest positive impact on the local community by bringing people together.
• CrossCountry introduces additional Voyager trains to improve capacityCrossCountry has today, Monday 12 October, announced plans to strengthen its long-distance fleet with the introduction of eight additional Voyager trains*, which will enter service in succession from early 2027.

Coach and Bus Week

• York Pullman strengthens team with training programmesFirst Bus-owned York Pullman is working with Wetherby Training School through a Government-funded scheme to support up to 50 people to train as professional drivers.

Construction Enquirer

• Winners named for 3240m Network Rail steel supply dealThe winning firms have been confirmed for a 3240m Network Rail framework to supply steel products and structures for overhead line equipment (OLE) across the UK.

IanVisits

• The lifts are coming: Kings Langley station plans step-free futureKings Langley station, just north of Watford, is set to get a new footbridge and lifts, making the station step-free for the first time. King's Landing, if you will, but with a considerably more orderly transfer of power between levels.

Modern Railways

• Eight more Voyagers for CrossCountrySix Class 221s currently stored at Alstom's Derby Litchurch Lane will enter traffic with CrossCountry from early next year, with two currently in use with Grand Central following in due course.

New Civil Engineer

• Treatment trains deployed to boost Welsh rail resilience this autumnNetwork Rail is deploying four specialist treatment trains to treat more than 87,000km of track across 224 circuits on key routes in Wales and the Borders, as the railway prepares for forecast wetter and windier conditions this autumn and winter.

Rail Magazine

• Transport for Wales starts consultation on extending South Wales Metro routeTransport for Wales (TfW) has launched a public consultation on extending South Wales Metro services beyond Aberdare.

Railnews

• Monday comment: What's in a name?One casualty of privatisation was probably unexpected the names of stations, writes Sim Harris. Private sector operators could choose whatever names they liked, and so could Network Rail, which persists in referring to

Railway Technology

• ORR Launches Consultation on New Retail Code to Safeguard Competition in Great British Railways Ticketing MarketThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has launched a consultation on a draft Retail Code of Practice designed to protect competition and passenger choice in the future online rail ticket retail market under Great British Railways (GBR).

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Public engagement opens on proposed Aberdare to Hirwaun Metro extensionTransport for Wales (TfW) in partnership with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, has launched public engagement on proposals to extend passenger rail services from Aberdare to Hirwaun.

Transport for Greater Manchester

• Four kilometres of Metrolink track to be replaced in last major tram improvement work of the yearPassengers are being encouraged to plan their journeys as the last major tram upgrades of the year get under way from next Monday.

Transport for London

• TfL helps Londoners to be active bystandersTfL is offering customers the chance to participate in interactive awareness events at stations, or six free online active bystander awareness sessions led by Protection Approaches

Aviation Industry

• Birmingham Airport announces £2bn investment in draft Master PlanBirmingham Airport has unveiled an extensive 32bn draft Master Plan which it claims could take the airport to c30m passengers, generating an additional £3.6 billion GVA for the West Midlands region and creating over 50,000 new jobs with 3,800 on site at the Airport.
• Heathrow Expansion: 40 Airlines Queue for Slots as Pressure BuildsField guides, a spotting logbook app and more. Pay once, no subscriptions, and every purchase pays for the reporting on this site.
• Heathrow backers 'cannot wait forever' for PM to indicate third runway supportPlans to build a third runway at Heathrow will be reassessed if Andy Burnham does not give explicit backing to the project by the end of the year, the boss of the airport has warned

Other News Sources

• DOUBLE DECKER DEMAND DRIVES BUS FLEET RENEWALBritain's rollout of new buses, coaches and minibuses rose 3.1% to 2,065 units in the third quarter of 2026, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
• Caerphilly council raises concerns over Newport M4 plansA senior councillor from Caerphilly has warned that proposed motorway junction closures near Newport could funnel traffic onto already congested roads in the eastern part of the borough.
• Transport for London urged to ensure London drivers are 'not left behind' by driverless cars.GMB add their voice to a London Assembly report urging transport officials to hold off on introducing driverless taxis.
• CrossCountry to expand fleet with eight additional Voyager trainsCrossCountry has announced plans to expand its long-distance fleet with eight additional Voyager trains, aiming to improve capacity and reliability across major routes in Britain.
• Docklands Light Railway station upgrading works get underwayMorgan Sindall Infrastructure has begun site mobilisation and enabling works for a major refurbishment of the Docklands Light Railway's Pontoon Dock station, which has seen an increase in usage as result of local regeneration and population growth since it opened in 2005.
• Belfast International Airport paid French parent £62m in dividend payments over three yearsNew accounts show annual interest bill for bank loans used to fund major infrastructure work increased to 35.3m last year.
• Leeds Bradford Airport strikes to escalateThe Unite members are a mixture of air traffic control workers and hourly paid workers which include customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners - with the airport expected to experience a shutdown with so many essential workers striking.
• Western Rail link to Heathrow called critical for transportA new Western Rail link connecting the Royal Borough to Heathrow is 'really critical' for transport but also for economic and environmental benefits, a meeting heard.
• New DLR link to support thousands of new homes gets public backing to go aheadA consultation on plans to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside has shown 'continued strong support for the scheme'.