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

Friday, 16 October 2026

BBC News

• £15m for zero-emission testing at Belfast HarbourBelfast Harbour is to become a live environment for testing zero-emission transport and energy systems.
• Labour calls for M4 relief road, seven years after axing the planSeven years after the party axed the project, Labour says the Welsh government should build the road.
• TfL needs more powers on driverless taxis - reportThe London Assembly report says the technology risks increasing congestion and harming jobs.
• Glasgow Subway reopens after train failure at depot forced closureOperator SPT said both the inner and outer circles were shut down during one the busiest periods of the day before reopening just before 08:00.

Department for Transport

• Updated national policy statement for portsAnnounces formally amended national policy statement for ports.

The Telegraph

• Minibus crashes into train at Channel Tunnel terminal [subscription]Two people airlifted to hospital after vehicle carrying HGV drivers collides with Le Shuttle freight service near Calais

Times Online

• Bath LTN row as cycle works damage 200-year-old canal tunnel [subscription]Bath & North East Somerset council has closed a towpath and waterway after contractors struck a grade II* listed arch, adding to congestion on the A36
• Tesla Roadster 2: Elon Musk unveils a 'flying car' [subscription]The founder had hinted that SpaceX thruster technology would feature on its long-awaited latest model, taking it from 0-60mph in under a second
• London's eight most interesting and surprising Tube stations [subscription]s Dickens was writing Martin Chuzzlewit and the prime minister was repealing the Corn Laws, a fella called Charles Pearson was reaching the conclusion that the answer to London's traffic-stricken streets was an underground railway. That railway opened two decades later in 1863. It was called the Metropolitan Railway and was the first of its kind in the world.
• Record fines for motorist victims of car cloningA record number of drivers were hit with fines or penalty charges last year after their number plates were cloned by criminals.
• Channel Tunnel crash: at least 19 hurt as bus hits train [subscription]Five people are said to have serious injuries after the collision on the French side of the tunnel
• UK transport secretary: Heathrow expansion and climate goals can co-exist [subscription]Opposition party suggests delays could deter international investors as government weighs sustainability against growth.

Parliament

• Bridges and tunnels could 'transform' island communities, MPs sayFixed link transport infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, has the potential to deliver 'transformative benefits' for Scotland's island communities, according to a new report published today by the Scottish Affairs Committee.

City AM

• Don't congratulate Sadiq Khan for delivering the transport London needed 10 years agoSo far, Sadiq Khan's only transport achievements have been to cut the ribbon on new projects that his predecessors started, writes James Ford
• American Airlines sues London travel consortium Aviation titan American Airlines and one of its special purpose vehicles have filed a lawsuit against a group of British travel agents at the London High Court. The US airline and its subsidiary, AAdvantage Loyalty IP, filed a claim against against Advantage Travel Centres on Tuesday, according to filings in the High Court's Intellectual Property

Daily Record

• Scotland's best city for public transport beats London thanks to 'secret weapon'One Scottish city has been named among the best in the world for public transport, beating all other locations in the UK. Time Out has revealed the best cities across the globe when it comes to public transport services in 2026, according to locals.

The Mirror

• DVLA key update as it confirms 4 changes over driving licence renewalsThe Department for Transport has issued a DVLA update this week from Parliament on steps it is taking to ensure drivers are affected as little as possible

Local Government

• Passengers journeys pass the 2m mark on the Northumberland LinePassengers have now made more than 2,000,000 journeys on the Northumberland Line - less than two years after it opened.
• Home-to-school transport savings of £1m made as part of wider plan to reduce energy costs and improve environmentMore than £1m in savings have been made by the county council through projects to reduce environmental impact, lower energy use and improve resource efficiency.

Birmingham Mail

• Department for Transport confirms 'crackdown' on law affecting 11,400 drivers under Andy BurnhamIt's a big problem

Bristol Live

• Channel Tunnel crash as bus collides with train and at least 19 casualtiesA train and a bus have collided at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in Pas-de-Calais, France [World news]
• Around 90 Bristol roads could be made 20mph in bid to cut down on crashesMany of the potential locations are main roads like Bond Street and the Bath Road
• Sites for 200 new e-scooter parking spots revealed in BristolMost of them will be new spaces and be on-street to stop pavement parking

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Holyhead lorry parking chaos continues as £50m post-Brexit border post lies emptyLorry drivers and people living in Holyhead are facing a 'disgraceful' situation after a truck stop was closed to make way for a post-Brexit border post

London Evening Standard

• French authorities probe Eurotunnel crash which injured 19 peopleFrench authorities are investigating the cause of a collision between a minibus and a freight train at the loading platform of the Eurotunnel terminal near Calais which left 19 people injured.

Wales Online

• Labour U-turns on M4 relief road and calls for new motorwayLabour has now called on the new Plaid administration to build an "appropriate relief road"

Yorkshire Evening Post

• 'We want our pavements back': How introduction of floating bus stops has impacted blind people in LeedsThe visually-impaired community in Leeds are campaigning to get their pavements back after the introduction of floating bus stops.

Other Regional Press

• Wrexham journey highlights barriers faced by blind passengers using public transportA walk between Wrexham bus station and railway station has been used to highlight the everyday barriers faced by blind and partially sighted people using public transport.
• MPs warn Lower Thames Crossing needs lorry service areaTruckers will cause upset for neighbours of the Lower Thames Crossing if planners fail to build in a service station, MPs have been told.
• Cumberland buses could face cuts amid funding constraintsSOME of Cumberland Council's supported bus services could be cut, due to what is described as 'funding constraints', according to a new report.
• Calls for new operator over First Bus delays in WorcesterFAILING bus services have seen growing calls in Worcester for a new operator from angry users, a councillor has said.
• Mixed response as direct Birmingham to Swindon route questionedPlans to restore a direct rail link between Swindon and Birmingham have sparked a lively debate on social media, with many residents welcoming the prospect of easier travel while others questioned ticket prices, the economic benefits and whether the project will ever become reality.
• Answers sought after historic Flintshire railway shelter demolishedAN MP is demanding answers following the demolition of a historic railway shelter in Flintshire.
• Birmingham Airport's £2bn expansion plan to double passengers without second runwayBirmingham Airport chief executive Nick Barton has outlined a £2bn masterplan aiming to double passenger numbers and flights without a second runway, targeting a transformed travel experience and thousands of new jobs for the region.

Insider Media

• Amey awarded new contract for first phase of NPR programmeAmey has secured a new contract to support the first phase of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) programme.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Coaches debated in Parliament during National Coach WeekLed by Labour MP and Transport Committee member, Alex Mayer, the Westminster Hall debate saw contributions from 16 backbench MPs, plus opposition spokespeople and Transport Minister, Keir Mather.

Modern Railways

• Resonate to deliver traffic management capability across ScotlandResonate, the UK's leading provider of rail traffic management technology, is delighted to announce we're partnering with Scotland's Railway to extend the deployment of our traffic management solution, Luminate, across the entire Scottish rail network.

New Civil Engineer

• Work starts on final link of Birmingham Metro extension at HS2 Curzon Street siteWork on the final link of Birmingham's Eastside Metro extension has started at the HS2 Curzon Street station site, marking a milestone in the expansion of the region's tram network.

Rail Magazine

• EMR set to take two Grand Central Voyagers on short-term leaseEast Midlands Railway (EMR) is set to take two Class 221s on a short-term lease from Grand Central to help ease its rolling stock shortage.
• Slough junction work set out as Network Rail prepares for Christmas blockadeThe central crossover between the Main and Relief lines on the Great Western Main Line at Dolphin Junction will be removed in November ahead of a Christmas blockade.

Railnews

• More than two million use reopened railwayPassengers have made more than 2,000,000 journeys on the Northumberland Line, less than two years after it opened.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Community Transport Association builds D1 licence reform caseBody seeks mandatory training-based upgrade pathway with additional safeguards put in place

Transportxtra

• Autonomous shuttles and mass transit feature in Northampton transport planAutonomous shuttles and a mass transit system for Northampton are among the possibilities explored in a new ten-year transport strategy produced by West Northamptonshire Council.
• Where are High Speed and Tram-trains?Rhodri Clark takes a closer look at the Government's plans for rolling stock specification and acquisition under the new Great British Railways, and some apparent missing elements.

Aviation Industry

• New altitude-based priorities guidance draws criticism from AEF over noise pollution concernsIn August, as part of a tranche of policy updates related to airspace redesign, the Department of Transport announced that they would be changing advice around flight path planning in … The post New altitude-based priorities guidance draws criticism from AEF over noise pollution concerns appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• Minister warns funding cannot cover every road scheme as Government moves into delivery phaseRoads Minister Justin Madders has warned that the Government cannot afford all proposed local road schemes, while promising to move into delivery on major investment programmes and hold councils accountable for maintenance funding.
• London Assembly Transport Committee Calls for Cap on Autonomous VehiclesA new report released by the London Assembly Transport Committee states that the Government should provide Transport for London (TfL) the necessary power to set a cap on the number of autonomous passenger vehicles operators can deploy in London when the full regulations are put in place under the Automated Vehicles Act in 2027.

News from Europe

• Luxembourg rail company CFL has spent €20,000 removing graffiti in 2026 as cases riseLuxembourg's state rail company CFL has spent €20,000 removing graffiti so far this year, as the number of incidents reported on its trains more than tripled between 2023 and 2025.