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

Thursday, 10 July 2025

Cogitamus

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 17, Season 3We have two great interviews in this episode.  Christian visits the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire, UK, and hears from Tom Ingall about the "Reunification" project for this leading heritage operator.  Christian then talks to Caroline Seton about London's Forest e-bike hiring and sharing company and its hopes to expand across the capital.

BBC News

• On-demand bus service set to expand in countyAn on-demand bus service is going to be expanded in a county, according to a council.
• Airport's new buyers share vision for site's futureCompany bosses set to take over Gloucestershire Airport say they want to unlock the site's "full potential while aligning with the goals of the community".
• Dismay at government pause to rail electrificationEast Midlands council leaders have said they are dismayed at the government's decision to indefinitely pause the northwards electrification of the Midland Mainline.
• Frustration as rail electrification project pausedSheffield will remain Britain's largest city without electrified rail travel after the government "paused" plans to electrify more of the Midland Mainline.
• Investigation begins into derailed train incidentInvestigators are to look into an incident in which a broken-down train derailed on its way to a depot.
• Bristol Airport challenges £200m Cardiff subsidyLegal challenge launched against Welsh government plans to give Cardiff Airport £200m.
• Younger children added to £1 youth bus fare schemePlans for fare cap for young people had been criticised for missing out 5-15 year olds.
• Heathrow to pipe 'sounds of an airport' around airportThe airport has commissioned a soundtrack recorded on site to reflect the "excitement" of waiting to board a flight.
• We have many bus stops, but zero buses - studentPeople have voiced concerns that recently installed bus stops around their village will be redundant when a bus service ends next month.

Financial Times

• EU warns airline delays could be at worst ever this summer Understaffed air traffic controllers face strikes, wildfires and high demand for flying
• At least four crew members killed after Houthis hit cargo ship in the Red SeaIran-backed Yemeni militants renew campaign against commercial vessels in strategic waterway
• Carmakers and shipowners say Donald Trump’s port fees will hurt US consumersCompanies including Ford warn that steep levies for car carriers will prove counter-productive

The Guardian

• Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopenAfter serious floods and landslides, some of the great trans-Alpine routes have reopened with new services added offering unforgettable train journeys from Austria to the Adriatic
• HS2 already billions over budget with work 'just over halfway done', says rail bossTotal overspend on high-speed rail could be as high as 100%, Mark Wild, who runs the project, told MPs

The Independent

• How HS2 squandered billions to become a national embarrassmentHS2 will provide more track, more trains, more seats and faster journeys to improve performance and reliability across Britain's rail network. So says the hitherto dysfunctional organisation that has squandered billions of pounds of taxpayers cash with precious little to show for it.

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh Airport: Business leaders brand state of Scotland's busiest airport 'embarrassing'They took to social media to express their outrage at long queues and lack of accessibility

The Telegraph

• HS2 is 'too fast', says rail minister [subscription]Lord Hendy criticises 'zealotry' behind plans for project's 225mph trains

Times Online

• How Luton airport drop-off costs more than the RitzAirport charges have gone up so much that drop-off parking at Luton is now more expensive per minute than a stay at the Ritz hotel.
• HS2 is only a third complete and 2 or 3 years late, says chiefMark Wild told MPs on the transport committee that not enough progress was made in the first two years
• Building big in Britain takes far longer than rest of developed world [subscription]Major infrastructure projects such as roads or railways take an average of 12.5 years in the UK, compared to 8.8 years in the US and 9.9 in Australia

Daily Record

• New contract at Ferguson is shot in the arm for Scots ship building industryAnyone who cares about Scotland should welcome fresh funding being pumped into the industry, says Record View.

i News

• HS2 is up to three years behind schedule, train line's boss admits to MPsHS2 is up to three years behind schedule, and the first phase of work could end up 100 per cent over budget, the project's new boss has admitted.

The Mirror

• UK's best airport is a 'brilliant' one and it's certainly not Heathrow or GatwickLiverpool John Lennon Airport has been named the best airport in the UK - despite being significantly smaller than some of its southern rivals such as Heathrow and Gatwick

Local Government

• On demand bus service to expand across the countyWorcestershire's flexible on demand bus network is expanding, with a brand-new service launching in large parts of Wychavon in August 2025.

Birmingham Post

• Luton Airport boss admits strict green targets for expansion 'not going to be easy'Lord John Hutton, the former Labour cabinet minister charged with delivering the Luton's expansion, said the project would bring about a "new era of economic prosperity"
• Record passenger and revenue numbers boost holiday firm Jet2The Leeds-based firm said many people were booking holidays close to their departure date

London Evening Standard

• HS2 high-speed train line is only a third complete, admits boss Mark Wild in bombshell update to MPsBeleaguered scheme two to three years behind schedule - but 'good progress' at Old Oak Common station

Northern Echo

• Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves sets out promises for A66 dualling schemeChancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves has written an Op-Ed for The Northern Echo about the A66 dualling scheme and committing to the project.

Yorkshire Post

• Labour mayor accuses Government of not giving South Yorkshire 'fair deal' with rail investmentSouth Yorkshire is not getting a 'fair deal' in terms of rail investment from the Government, the Labour mayor has said.

North Wales Live

• New figures show how well 20mph limits have worked in 15 areasThe scheme has received backlash since it was rolled out on some of the region's roads
• The 'smaller' airport 20 minutes from Liverpool's centre ranks as Britain's number one This 'smaller' Liverpool airport has officially been named the best in the UK, soaring above every other British terminal in a major new global ranking.
• Controversial new law could see all cars banned from parking on pavements in EnglandThe rules would allow authorities to enforce against anti-social and hazardous pavement parking

Other Regional Press

• It's a social thing: Visiting the Yorkshire Dales by train or busTHERE are lots of great options for a day visit to the Yorkshire Dales National Park by train and bus in 2025, especially on weekends, according to two men with mastermind-level knowledge of public transport in the Dales, writes the national park authority's media officer, Andrew Fagg.
• MSP calls for 'answers' over future of 'vital' Renfrewshire bus routesStrathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has been asked to provide answers over the future of "vital" bus routes in Renfrewshire.
• HS2's structures should have been 'largely completed' by nowHS2's physical structures should have been 'largely completed' by now under the project's initial timeline but only 60% of the work has been done, MPs were told.
• Council reveals why new Oxford 20mph speed limits are on holdPlans for further 20mph speed limits in Oxford have been delayed until after Botley Road reopens, Oxfordshire County Council confirm.
• Allotment space 'could be used as buses turning circle'Residents living off Botley Road in Oxford are eyeing up space on nearby allotments for a bus turning circle.
• City council expected to oppose controversial plans for 'tolls on main roads'Councillors are set to vote on whether Oxford City Council will oppose divisive proposals to introduce a congestion charge on several major roads.
• Transport upgrades proposed at three locations as views sought on developmentsTees Valley Combined Authority is carrying out public consultations

Rail Advent

• Rail Industry to Benefit from £92.8 Billion InvestmentThe government has given the green light for over 50 road and rail upgrades, which are set to benefit millions.

Railnews

• Train naming honours railway innovator A Great Western Railway Intercity Express has been named for Cyril Bleasdale. He was the first director of InterCity in the early 1980s and then moved on after his retirement from British Rail to help found the company which bought the BR staff newspaper Railnews. His name was unveiled on platform 8 at London Paddington by his wife Katy.

Other News Sources

• Swindon Bus Company invests in new training schemeSwindon's Bus Company is investing in state-of-the-art training for its engineering team.
• Transport for the North responds to Green light for road and rail upgradesAs of July 8th and 9th, 2025, the UK government has given the green light to over 50 road and rail upgrades across the country, backed by a £92 billion investment as part of its 'Plan for Change'
• Severn Estuary rail resilience project enters final phase this monthNetwork Rail is due to begin the fourth phase of its £25M programme to improve resilience on the landslide prone Newport to Gloucester railway line.
• Council leader welcomes national effort to boost walking and cycling plasThe network, planned to launch this autumn, will include 3,500 miles of safe routes connecting homes, schools, town centres and transport hubs.
• Southampton Airport: £75m could be generated over cemetery tree worksCarrying out work on 29 trees in a Southampton cemetery could lead to the creation of more than a thousand jobs and provide a £75million annual economic boost to the local area.
• Gazette readers have their say on A12 widening being axedGAZETTE readers have had their say on the A12 widening scheme being cancelled with a majority of readers saying infrastructure should come before housing.