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

Wednesday, 12 February 2025

BBC News

• New rail station planned for Ashton Gate stadiumA new rail station will finally be built at Ashton Gate, home to Bristol City FC and the Bristol Bears, the regional mayor has said.
• MP urges action after lorry strikes rail bridgeAn MP has called for "urgent action" to prevent vehicles striking a railway bridge after an incident brought traffic in Hull to a standstill.
• HS2 construction 'at a peak' as viaduct finishedEfforts to construct HS2 have reached a peak with the completion of the first of 13 viaducts at a key rail junction, projects bosses said.
• Some Wrexham roads to raise speed limits to 30mphA review of the default lower speed limit was announced following significant public backlash.
• Increased TfL penalty fares working, mayor claimsThe mayor says measures are effective, but critics argue he is in denial about the issue's scale.
• Heathrow to expand two terminals ahead of third runwayThe chief executive of the UK's largest airport will unveil plans to develop terminals two and five.
• Never used, already crumbling: Road that cost ?40mAn unused and unfinished road that has so far cost nearly ?40m is "defective", a councillor has said.

Department for Transport

• Almost £300 million to gear up new walking, wheeling and cycling schemesWe are making sure local authorities can provide high-quality and easily accessible active travel schemes across England.
• Transport Minister kicks off regional tour with communities to shape the future of integrated transportPassengers, businesses, and local leaders have their say on how to transform transport.
• Government welcomes multibillion-pound Heathrow investment expected to secure thousands of steel jobsThe Government has welcomed a multibillion-pound investment programme from Heathrow Airport which will help secure UK steel jobs.

Financial Times

• Heathrow aims to hit 100mn passengers a year as third runway beckonsThe expansion would be the largest private investment programme into the London airport
• Portishead’s “reverse Beeching” set to get green lightThe renewed railway promises to cut car commuting and get up to £43mn in economic growth on track annually

The Guardian

• Heathrow to pledge to use UK steel and boost growth in third runway proposalAirport's chief executive to formally spell out expansion plans in speech at British Steel plant in Scunthorpe

The Herald

• ScotRail warned of nationalisation 'failure' by unionThe nationalisation of ScotRail will have failed if profit continues to be prioritised over passengers, a leading union has warned.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow confirms plans to develop third runway [subscription]Airport boss to unveil details of terminal expansion and controversial landing strip

Times Online

• Glasgow Subway operator spends £120,000 to fix wobbly trains. [subscription]Passengers in new carriages, introduced as part of a £288m modernisation of the network, complain of being thrown about
• Heathrow to push ahead with plans for third runway and new terminals [subscription]The airport's chief executive will say he is 'ending years of doubt' on stalled expansion after Rachel Reeves gave her backing

Daily Record

• ScotRail fares increasing on April 1 - all the new ticket prices on the busiest routesScotRail fares will increase by 3.8 per cent from April 1. The Record looks at the costs for passengers travelling on the country's busiest routes.

National Highways

• National Highways unveils measures to improve A46 safety near BathNational Highways is joining forces with its police partners to help improve safety by introducing new speed restrictions along the A46 near Bath.

Sky News

• Heathrow set to announce multibillion-pound investment - as it prepares proposal for third runwayPlans for a third Heathrow runway will be with the government "by summer", the airport has said, amid projections it could be decades before the project is completed, if at all.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Leeds Bradford Airport announces contractor for LBA: REGEN's phase twoLeeds Bradford Airport has announced Farrans Construction as the contractor for construction works in phase two of its £100 million regeneration project.
• Private parking rules to change to protect for delays in paymentsPrivate parking rules are set to change to address the "five-minute rule," to protect motorists who struggle to pay within the timeframe.

Bristol Live

• Fury over scrapping of bus lane on A4 Keynsham bypassBath council leaders fume as Labour's metro mayor candidate announces a 'chaotic' policy U-turn

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 20mph limit could be scrapped on more than 50 roads in WrexhamThe roads could revert to 30mph after 93% of locals polled called for the lower limit to be ditched

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow unveils multibillion-pound expansion plan with new terminals as it prepares third runway bidHeathrow airport is set to announce a multibillion-pound investment as it prepares its proposal for a new runway.
• TfL spends over £900 million on new DLR trains for London yet almost all of them are stuck in SpainTfL has spent around more than an estimated £942m on new DLR trains - but the majority of them are currently stuck in Spain.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Inverness planning: 'Cloud factory' plans major shift from road to railThe sight of the West Fraser 'cloud factory' is a familiar one to anyone who regularly travels between Inverness and Nairn.

The York Press

• National Railway Museum plans at risk without £15mThe planned expansion of York's National Railway Museum could be in jeopardy without a £15 million cash injection from the Government, the council leader and mayor have warned.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Green growth, or destruction of the countryside Work gathers pace at giant rail terminal between Wolverhampton and StaffordMuch of the greenery has now been cleared, and the bulldozers have left their scars on the landscape. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is still one of rural tranquility rather than industrial sprawl.

Yorkshire Post

• Multi-billion pound investment in Heathrow expected to secure thousands of British Steel jobs amid Trump tariffsA new multi-billion pound investment programme for Heathrow Airport is expected to secure thousands of British Steel jobs in Scunthorpe and partly offset Donald Trump's tariffs.

Bucks Free Press

• WATCH: HS2 completes 'momentous' 4,500-tonne viaduct slideHS2 has unveiled new footage showing engineers completing the heaviest and longest single-stage viaduct deck slide on the project so far
• ‘Our safety is at risk’: Wendover residents blast HS2 over lorries using narrow laneWendover residents have blasted the firm behind HS2 for its plans to send lorries down a narrow street in the town.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow records busiest January with 5% rise in passenger numbersHeathrow airport said it has recorded the busiest January in its history. More than 6.3 million passengers travelled through the west London airport's four terminals last month.

Bloomberg

• Heathrow Expansion Would Show Britain Is Ready to Take OffIf this government is serious about overcoming stagnation, it must deliver on infrastructure projects like the airport's expansion.

Highways Magazine

• No, Derbyshire is not closing Snake Pass...but it needs helpSnake Pass is one of the most striking and storied routes in England and thankfully the recurring rumours of its indefinite closure to cars have been greatly exaggerated...or at least they have been overplayed slightly by the neat journalist trick of 'asking a question to which the answer is no'.

New Civil Engineer

• £330M upgrade to A30 in Cornwall approaches finalisation with last local roads worksProgress continues on the local road connections alongside the new A30 dual carriageway in Cornwall to bring the £330M scheme to its completion.

Rail Magazine

• Northern outlines plans for Wigan-Bolton route once OLE is commissionedNorthern says it intends to use Class 323 electric multiple units and its bi-mode Class 769s between Wigan and Bolton this year.

Railway Gazette

• New operating system deployed in level crossing upgradeUK: Network Rail has completed the modernisation of Skerne Road level crossing at Driffield on the Hull to Scarborough line, including installation of an operating system which is the first of its kind outside a trial site on the Anglia route.

Other News Sources

• Labour puts jet zero 2050 promises at risk with Heathrow runwayHeathrow's third runway promises jobs and growth but at what cost? Critics warn it could jeopardise Britain's net zero targets
• Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange could boost UK economy by up to £406m each yearThe developer behind the controversial Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange has submitted further information detailing how the project could generate up to £406m per annum for the UK economy.
• Scotrail awards £2m contract to firm criticised over performanceScotRail has handed a £2 million contract to its former private owner claiming the deal will provide value for taxpayers.