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

Sunday, 18 October 2026

BBC News

• Heritage railway to launch track extensionA heritage railway in East Yorkshire is marking a new route extension with a special event which will see a train run on a track section for the first time since the 1950s.
• Plaque honours Tyne and Wear Metro pioneerA plaque has been unveiled to commemorate a pioneer who played a pivotal role in turning the Tyne and Wear Metro from an idea into a reality.
• Tram lines to close for two weeks for engineering workPassengers are warned no trams will run on three Metrolink lines for two weeks from Monday.
• Couple spent 20 years making railway station gardenSheila and Sandy Davidson have been planting trees, flowers and shrubs at Hindley station for 20 years.
• Albert Bridge closure causing gridlock, locals sayMore than 1,100 people sign a letter saying Albert Bridge’s closure has left nearby roads gridlocked

STV

• Buses to be brought under public control by 2031, says John SwinneyBuses in Scotland will be brought under public control by 2031, John Swinney has said.

The Herald

• Swinney pledges bus network will return to public controlJohn Swinney has promised to bring Scotland's bus network back into public control by the end of this parliament.

The Independent

• Buses to be brought under public control by 2031, says John SwinneyBuses in Scotland will be brought under public control by 2031, John Swinney has said.
• Healey backs Heathrow third runway for 'jobs and growth' in split from BurnhamHealey speaks positively of airport expansion, including at Heathrow, during meetings at IMF summit in Thailand

The Scotsman

• Swinney pledge to bring buses under public control condemned as 'theft'McGill's, the largest independent bus operator in Scotland, said it would fight the plans 'tooth and nail'

The Telegraph

• How airports get rich (and why Heathrow isn't) [subscription]Britain's biggest airport has all the ingredients to be a world-beater, so why isn't it stinking rich like some of its competitors

Times Online

• Times letters: Heathrow expansion and third runway issues [Baroness Valentine]Sir, The taxpayer won't need to foot the bill for the Heathrow Southern Railway scheme (Questions over new Heathrow rail line left hanging in the air, Oct 15). This short section of new railway will transform Heathrow from a rail terminus, currently served only from the east, into a connected transport interchange.
• Banning petrol cars is stupid, Renault boss tells the UK [subscription]François Provost criticises the 2030 deadline for phasing out new petrol and diesel cars and urges alignment with the EU on China tariffs
• Great British Railways chairman to earn £250k without any rail experience [subscription]Reform deputy leader Richard Tice calls appointment of former Treasury mandarin Sir John Kingman a 'civil service stitch-up'

The National

• Greens and Labour to help SNP put Scottish buses under public controlTHE Scottish Greens and Scottish Labour have said they will work with the SNP to deliver John Swinney's flagship conference pledge to bring Scotland's buses back into public control.
• SNP to bring Scotland's buses into public control, John Swinney saysIn his keynote speech to the party's annual conference in Aberdeen, the First Minister pledged to use franchising and regulation to achieve this before the next Holyrood election in 2031.

Sky News

• Heathrow expansion would boost growth, chancellor saysLast month Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to back the plans for a third runway.

LBC

• Healey says third Heathrow runway could drive growth as he splits from BurnhamThe Chancellor said a third runway could boost economic growth

London Evening Standard

• Are London's nationalised train services actually any more reliable?Five train companies serving London have been brought under public control under the Labour Government's flagship railway nationalisation plan.

Metro

• London's major airports race to expand first ahead of 150,000,000 passenger increase by 2040sWith air capacity at a premium in the South East, the race to expand London's major airports is on.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• DVSA shares good news update for learner drivers saying 'we won't stop'Roads Minister Justin Madders said "the action we're taking is delivering results"

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Bus fares to be capped at £2 across Aberdeen and AberdeenshireFirst Minister John Swinney says it will help a region that has felt "real economic pain".

Get Surrey

• The Surrey railway station with a dark past vying to win the World Cup of StationsThe station is competing with others from across the UK to bring home the glory

Kent Online

• Canterbury City Council reveals city centre strategy featuring proposals for Unesco bid, new bus lanes and safer walking routesMajor regeneration schemes, hopper buses and new bus lanes, public space improvements and even a Unesco bid form a council's ambitious plans for long-term improvements to Kent's only city.

South Wales Argus

• South Wales Metro wins UK's top infrastructure awardThe £1.5bn transformation of the Core Valley Lines has won one of the UK infrastructure sector's most prestigious awards, giving the South Wales Metro programme national recognition for its scale and delivery.

Other Regional Press

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport shock twist as SYMCA to buy from Peel GroupThe South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is close to signing a deal to purchase Doncaster Sheffield Airport from the Peel Group.
• The Rosendale Bike Bus makes its way to Rosendale Primary School, West Dulwich'Build it and they will come' goes the saying and when it comes to bike buses, the proof is in the pedalling.
• West Midlands bus service transformation is 'massive job'Councillors across the West Midlands have been told to brace themselves for complaints from disgruntled bus passengers when 'massive' changes to the network come into effect.
• Passengers across Lancashire's Ribble Valley, Burnley, and Pendle will get new bus routes and more of themBus passengers across Ribble Valley, Burnley and Pendle are set to benefit from new routes, more frequent services and better connections across the network.
• New eco drains installed at Maidenhead station as longer-term improvements plannedWork is set to continue on a wider drainage improvement scheme at Maidenhead railway station following the completion of some small-scale works.
• Cambrian line services cancelled due to train repairsServices have been cancelled on a main line in Powys due to trains needing repairs.
• Highlands MSP wants to hear about transport issues in region ahead of Holyrood debateA Highlands and Islands regional MSP is appealing for issues with transport in the region prior to leading a debate in the Scottish Parliament on rural transport connectivity later this month.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Why doesn't scheduled coach form part of the bus fares debate?With much attention on bus fares, a government-backed scheme for scheduled coach could open up further opportunities for those who need it most, writes CPT President Kathryn Pulham
• CitySwift in 1.5% journey time fall for optimised London bus routesWork from network-wide performance partnership with Transport for London and its operators

TaxiPoint

• London Uber drivers confront TfL over driverless cars at black-tie transport dinner amid fears for 100,000 jobs Perry RichardsonPrivate hire drivers protested outside Transport for London's annual Transport Dinner at Guildhall, demanding Sadiq Khan halt the introduction of autonomous taxis over concerns about employment, congestion and the future of London's transport network.

Other News Sources

• Bromsgrove A38 BREP road works completion date confirmedThe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport has confirmed when a delayed major road improvement scheme in Bromsgrove 'will finish'.
• Grimsby's bus depot makes shortlist of country's best at UK Bus AwardsStagecoach East Midlands was shortlisted for five awards, including Top National Bus Depot for Grimsby
• China's Electric Bus Market Has Already Reached The Second CycleThe first electric buses are being replaced by electric buses, while cars, trucks and coaches show why transport does not follow one adoption curve.
• Cumberland Council considers cutting bus services due to lack of fundingSome of Cumberland Council's supported bus services could be cut, due to what is described as 'funding constraints', according to a new report.

News from Europe

• 'Totally useless': people weigh in on planned public transport finesPlans for the fines originally introduced in 2023, but have been amended to propose an increase to the levies
• EU backs electrification to make Europe more secureEU Commission identifies grids as a bottleneck for electrification, promising to standardise vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology