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

Thursday, 29 October 2026

BBC News

• City e-scooter trial could begin in summer 2027People in Manchester could be travelling around on a fleet of electric scooters next year after plans for a new trial were announced.
• Budget backs Stratford International rail plansThe government has pledged to work with London's City Hall to enable international rail services to stop at Stratford International station for the first time.
• 'Clear message needed' over Mersey ferry problemsLiverpool City Region's deputy mayor has called on transport bosses to explain why Mersey Ferries have not been running for nearly three weeks.
• Railway station set for 3200m funding boostLeeds railway station is to receive an extra £200m for major improvements aimed at reducing overcrowding, improving journeys and laying the foundations for broader public transport plans for Yorkshire.
• Spain begins three days of mourning after train crash kills dozens Spain is beginning three days of mourning after at least 68 people were killed and dozens more were injured in one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history.
• Budget backs Stratford International rail plansLondon's mayor welcomes the move to bring cross-Channel services to Stratford after "years of lobbying".

Department for Transport

• Leeds station set for biggest transformation in a generation as government backs city's growth with a £303 million upgradeUpgrades include the construction of a new central overbridge, 3 new entrances, nearly 40% more rail ticket barriers and increased lift capacity to make journeys quicker and easier.

The Guardian

• Second fatal train collision this year casts doubt over Spain's high-speed rail networkQuestions were raised before Toledo crash over rail safety in a country where train travel has surged by 40%

The Independent

• Budget paves way for Sadiq Khan's Tube line extensionMayors and regional leaders in England will be given more money and power to invest in projects in their areas
• Delta Heathrow relocation move means passengers 'will pay the price'Virgin Atlantic has hit out at Heathrow amid a relocation move that will see five airlines shift terminals in the next two years

The Telegraph

• Heathrow risks descent into irrelevance as it runs out of room [subscription]Burnham's refusal to back £49bn runway leaves airport's expansion on a knife edge The UK's most enduring running joke is once again drawing mockery worldwide.

Times Online

• Budget could signal green light for Bakerloo Line extension [subscription]London's mayor believes new devolution powers set out by John Healey 'could finally unlock transformational infrastructure projects' in the capital
• Rolls-Royce gets £1.25bn taxpayer backing for jet engines [subscription]The government will be a partner in 32.5bn project to support 3,300 jobs as the company looks to expand its presence in the aviation market

Wales Office

• Breathing space for Welsh families and businesses at Budget 2026Families and businesses in Wales will get breathing space from action announced in Budget 2026.

City AM

• London to get Bakerloo Line extension and Euston upgrade in devolution push London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan will be handed powers to deliver the Bakerloo Line extension and a huge upgrade to Euston station as part of the government’s push for devolution

Local Government

• Cabinet To Meet on Proposed Future Direction of Doncaster Sheffield AirportCabinet approved recommendations at it's meeting today (October 28) - City of Doncaster Council's Cabinet is to hold a meeting next week regarding the future arrangements for FlyDoncaster Ltd, under proposals to bring Doncaster Sheffield Airport into public ownership.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds station to get three new entrances in £303m upgradeThe investment, confirmed in the Budget, includes an additional £200 million in funding to support improvements aimed at easing congestion, improving accessibility, and future-proofing the station for long-term growth.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Double yellow lines next to North Wales station to be 'burned off' after uproarTransport for Wales put the restrictions in to stop parking on narrow route but this led to a backlash

Edinburgh Evening News

• A railcard for wider age groups can help Scotland travel greenerMaking public transport cheaper is one of the most practical things we can do to tackle the climate emergency and help people through the cost of living crisis. Too often, though, the choice between taking the train and driving comes down to the price of a ticket.

London Evening Standard

• All the London transport projects that will be unlocked by new powers for Sadiq Khan in the BudgetNew devolved powers announced in the Budget are set to unlock billions of pounds for four major London transport projects

Sheffield Star

• What Sheffield Council leader thinks of Mayors plan to buy Doncaster Sheffield airportMayor Coppard said sustainable aviation is a "challenge" but he has "no doubt" planes will be flying from DSA in decades to come

Wales 247

• Cardiff Parkway station plans move forward with £30m Budget commitmentChancellor John Healey announced the funding in his Budget speech on 28 October 2026, telling MPs that in Wales he was investing £30m for the Cardiff Parkway Station, alongside £2.5m for a science park in North Wales and £11m for the Aberavon Bridge.

Wales Online

• Funding of £11m announced for Aberavon Bridge replacement as part of Autumn Budget 2026It comes as part of the UK Government's Autumn Budget for 2026
• Cardiff Parkway developer welcomes £30m Budget boost for planned new railway stationChancellor John Healey has confirmed in his Budget a £30m funding allocation towards the Cardiff Parkway mainline railway project.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: John Healey announces £1.5bn borrowing facility for mayors to help with reopeningSouth Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is in the process of buying the Doncaster Sheffield Airport freehold for an undisclosed fee.

Doncaster Free Press

• Mayor to be quizzed on airport deal at Doncaster public meetingMembers of the public are to be given the chance to quiz South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard over his decision to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Get Surrey

• Revisions made to Heathrow Airport's 750,000 flight expansion plan that would reroute M25 and M411 consultation sessions announced for Surrey. Heathrow Airport has updated its controversial expansion plans to build a third runway and increase the number of flights to more than 750,000 a year - and is asking the public for feedback.

Leeds Live

• Leeds train station to get three new entrances in '3200m gateway to West Yorkshire' pledgeLeeds train station is set to receive three new entrances and nearly 40% more ticket barriers, the Government has announced, alongside a further £200 million in funding for the project.

My London

• Sadiq Khan's major Budget win could unlock Bakerloo line extension and new international rail stopThe Government also backed the Mayor of London's proposal to upgrade Stratford International station that will allow trains to and from France to stop there.

South Wales Argus

• Plaid should make an M4 relief road the first choiceIf Rhun ap Iorwerth has an ounce of public care, he will apologise and say Plaid will look into the Senedd's preferred M4 relief road as the first choice.

Other Regional Press

• Rail law update prompts fresh debate on NI-GB 'divergence' post-BrexitA Conservative peer likened the EU's approach to legislation to the way 'drug addicts take drugs'
• Boeing 747 jumbo jets set to return to DSA, says airport campaignerMassive Boeing 747 jumbo jet cargo aircraft are set to return to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, with a campaigner describing it as huge news for Doncaster.
• Hounslow Council pledges scrutiny as Heathrow consultation opensAn eight-week public consultation on controversial plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport is officially underway, reigniting the debate over west London's aviation and environmental future.
• The £29m council bill for trying to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport as new deal agreedAirport closed in 2022 but efforts have been ongoing to get flights operating again
• Mineshaft discovery in Sheffield to cost £275k after trams cancelledBuses are replacing Sheffield trams that can't run
• Coventry railway station Bay Platform hit with yet another three-month delayThe long-awaited Bay Platform at Coventry Railway Station has been hit with another delay, with work now pushed back by three months from December 2031 to March 2032.

Politics Home

• Rock Rail: where public need meets private investmentMark Swindell, founder and CEO of Rock Group, sits down with Total Politics to explain why delivering better infrastructure is less about complex finance than connecting public need and long-term investment with the people who can get the job done

Confederation of Passenger Transport

• Chancellor has missed vital opportunity to support struggling coach industry, warns Coach UKCoach UK, part of CPT, has criticised the Chancellor's failure to provide targeted support for Britain's coach industry in today's Autumn Budget, warning that a freeze in fuel duty and further increases in employment costs will leave operators facing mounting financial pressures, threatening vital school transport services, local jobs and businesses.
• Budget fails to ease mounting pressure on bus and coach services, warns CPTThe Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has warned that today's Autumn Budget does not go far enough to address the mounting financial pressures facing bus and coach operators, with a freeze in fuel duty offering little relief against rising employment and operating costs.

Rail Engineer

• Heat related derailmentsOver the past 10 years there have been around 23 passenger train derailments, of which five resulted in injuries and two in fatalities. These have been the result of a wide range of causes with five derailments, 22% of the total, being due to track defects. Of these five, three were slow speed derailments on wide gauge track, and two were due to kinks in the track. These last two derailments occurred on two consecutive days this year 13 and 14 August.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Bakers Dolphin welcomes MP following Westminster coach debateWeston operator leverages importance of coach to local communities in hosting Dan Aldridge
• Budget fuel duty reprieve not enough for coach and bus, say trade bodiesThe Budget today has not gone far enough to ease fuel cost pressures in the coach and bus industry despite announcing a pause in scheduled fuel duty rises, trade bodies have said.

Aviation Industry

• Our 2026 Public Consultation [Heathrow]We've developed updated proposals for Heathrow expansion, building on years of technical work, environmental assessments and consultation From 27 October to 22 December 2026, we're inviting local communities, businesses, passengers, colleagues and other stakeholders to have their say.

Other News Sources

• Planning Delays and Rising Costs Stall UK Growth Ambitions Along the River ThamesA stalled £1 billion regeneration project east of London highlights how complex planning rules and surging construction costs are undermining Britain's economic growth targets.
• Stagecoach South East introduces wellbeing hub and health checksThe wellbeing hub provides employees with a safe, confidential space to speak to the organisation's trained mental health first aiders.
• New Transport Policing and Crime Command launched to keep Greater Manchester road users and Bee Network passengers safeA groundbreaking new policing model aimed at making the Bee Network one of the safest public transport networks in the world has been launched across Greater Manchester.
• Mayors to keep business rates to fund transport, Healey saysHealey points to the Bakerloo line extension as mayors gain business rates and income tax receipts, but makes no mention of Heathrow or Gatwick expansion.
• Bakerloo line extension gets Budget boost from local tax powersThe Bakerloo line extension got a boost in the Budget when the Chancellor announced that local regions can keep more local tax revenue to fund infrastructure projects.
• Heathrow expansion deal puts Welsh steel in line for major new ordersWelsh steel could play a major role in Heathrow Airport's proposed expansion after the airport signed a new agreement with Cardiff-based 7 Steel UK.