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

Friday, 28 February 2025

BBC News

• Network Rail fined £3.41m over track worker's deathTyler Byrne, 30, was working on tracks in Surbiton in February 2021 when he was struck and killed.
• Gatwick second runway backed by governmentTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander says she is "minded to approve" the expansion, which faces opposition.

ITV News

• Gatwick Expansion: It's not 'no' but neither is it 'yes' - not yet anywayToday was supposed to be the day the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, granted official permission for the northern, standby runway to be brought into regular use.

Department for Transport

• Transport planning: Gatwick Airport... This statement confirms that today (27 February 2025) I have issued a ‘minded to approve’ letter for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act 2008.

Financial Times

• UK delays final approval for second runway at Gatwick pending changes to planConditional decision comes as ministers bet on expansion of London’s airports to boost economic growth
• HS2 is case study in ‘how not to run a project’ say MPsPublic accounts committee casts doubt on ministers’ ability to successfully deliver high speed rail link

The Guardian

• What are the next steps for expansion at London Gatwick and Heathrow?Airports want new runways that would allow them to massively increase the number of flights in and out of capital
• Minister 'sets path' to allow Gatwick to open second runwayTransport secretary backs £2.2bn airport plan but final decision delayed to October
• Roll-Royce’s recovery is stunning: from basket case to No 8 in the Footsie | Nils PratleyIn just over two years under Tufan Erginbilgiç, the aero engine maker’s share price has gone into the stratosphereTufan Erginbilgiç didn’t quite catch the bottom for Rolls-Royce’s share price when he joined as chief executive at the start of 2023, but he came close. The reference price for his £7.5m-worth of “golden hello” shares – the cost of extracting him from the world of private equity – was 91p. The engine-maker’s share price is now 732p, up 16% on Thursday’s ultra-bullish full-year report, meaning the value of Erg...
• HS2 ‘a casebook example of how not to run a major project’, MPs sayScathing committee report lambasts DfT and HS2 for failing to work together effectivelyHS2 has become “a casebook example of how not to run a major project”, according to the latest scathing report on the high-speed rail line from MPs on the public accounts committee (PAC).The PAC lambasted the Department for Transport (DfT) and HS2 Ltd for failing to work together effectively, and told them not to waste the opportunity to get a grip on costs during the project’s latest “reset”.

The Independent

• HS2 is an example of 'how not to run a project' and may not even reach Birmingham, MPs findEven if the slimmed down project is delivered it will 'bring very poor value for money', damning report finds
• Gatwick second runway given green light by government despite eco furyGatwick, the busiest single-runway airport in Europe, will see a final decision made by the government in October

The Telegraph

• Gatwick Airport's second runway delayed by Transport Secretary [subscription]The Government has delayed a decision on a second runway at Gatwick despite its pledge to 'defy eco-warriors' on the £2.2bn expansion.

Times Online

• Gatwick's growth hopes run out of runway [subdcription]If the airport can't get the nod for its £2.2 billion second runway, how will Heathrow's stratospherically more complicated and expensive third get off the ground

Reuters News

• Ferrovial posts $3.3 billion profit in 2024 after selling Heathrow stakeMADRID, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Spanish construction giant Ferrovial posted a 2024 net profit of 3.23 billion euros ($3.35 billion) on Friday after completing some divestments such as shedding its stake in Britain's Heathrow airport.

City AM

• Gatwick expansion raises questions over Heathrow third runway, Khan says Sir Sadiq Khan has said the government’s pathway towards approving plans for use of a second runway at Gatwick “begs the question” over the need for a third runway at Heathrow. The mayor of London made the comments following the launch of his London Growth Plan at Imperial College
• HS2 is beyond saving and poses risk to UK’s reputation, MPs conclude HS2 is beyond saving and must be studied by future governments as a 'cautionary tale'on how not to run a major project a cross-party group of MPs has concluded.

This is Money

• Electric cars already cheaper to own for four in five UK drivers, says industry report - here's how much it says you could saveExperts backing the study say the report 'shatters long-held myths' that the premium price of battery cars cannot be offset by cheaper maintenance and servicing costs.

Local Government

• Regional funding boost for transport and highwaysTransport and highways in Derby stand to benefit from £15.6 million of funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).
• Publicly owned, passenger focused: Mayor unveils day one bus upgradesFrom day one of the rollout, passengers will benefit from more frequent services, extended routes, and better links to hospitals and railway stations.

Sky News

• Gatwick second runway decision deadline is extended on green concernsThe transport secretary is seeking some environmental adjustments to the airport's expansion plans as the government grapples green and growth pressures.

Bolton News

• Bee Network’s ‘ghost buses’ leaving passengers waiting for services that never arriveTransport bosses have acknowledged a "ghost bus" problem in Greater Manchester when "live time" systems count down the minutes until arrival only for services not to show up

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail minister visits Ravensthorpe as commemorative time capsule buriedA time capsule was buried in Ravensthorpe to commemorate the anniversary of the railway, during a visit by rail minister Lord Hendy.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Tourists urged to ditch cars for the train but some say it 'is simply too expensive'The campaign by North Wales Tourism is aimed at travellers from big cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff using trains run by Transport for Wales (TfW) and Avanti West Coast

London Evening Standard

• First look at unusual branding for the new £2m Silvertown tunnel bike busOnly cyclists will be allowed to use the new bus through Sadiq Khan's controversial road tunnel under the Thames
• Gatwick Airport second runway map as government presses for go-aheadNorthern runway could be brought into action to double capacity of airport

Manchester Evening News

• HS2 is 'a casebook example of how not to run a major project', damning report concludesIt is still not known how much the scaled back high-speed railway line will cost, what it will include and when it will be finished

Kent Online

• Podcast: Traders hit out at decision to demolish Park Mall Also in today's podcast, campaigners against a new road tunnel linking Kent and Essex have suggested a rail route instead.

Other Regional Press

• Local authorities reject plea to help save Hythe FerryCampaigners have suffered a double blow in their bid to save a "vital" transport link used by tens of thousands of passengers a year.
• £50m budget cut will have 'huge impact' on County DurhamA £50 million cut to transport funding for County Durham has been labelled 'short-sighted' and criticised for the 'huge impact' it could have on residents.
• Heathrow Airport: MPs call for a western rail linkFour Berkshire MPs have called on the government to support a new rail link from Langley to Heathrow Airport.
• VOLVO TO SUPPLY GO-AHEAD WITH ELECTRIC BUSESLondon bus operator Go-Ahead is taking delivery of 25 BZL Electric single deck buses later this year its first electric vehicle order with Volvo.
• Free bus passes update as Government addresses extension for over 60s and disabledA petition calling for free bus travel in England to be extended to those aged 60 has nearly reached 30,000 signatures, with the UK government having now issued a statement
• West Yorkshire railway upgrade is 'right thing to do' for the NorthLord Peter Hendy visited the project's sites at Ravensthorpe today

New Civil Engineer

• £10M feasibility study into extending Borders railway to finally beginPlans to look into the feasibility of extending the Borders Railway from Tweedbank to Carlisle are finally moving forward with the official agreement between UK and Scottish governments to allocate £10M in funding for a study.
• HS2 has become 'casebook example' of how not to run a major project, says PACThe Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published its findings of an inquiry into the Department for Transport's (DfT's) handling of High Speed 2 (HS2) stating it is a 'casebook example' of how not to run a major project.

Rail Advent

• Proposed 'Essex-Kent Superlinks' to scupper 'unaffordable Lower Thames Crossing'A major report by the Transport Action Network (TAN) has recommended scrapping the proposed £10 billion pound new roadway linking Essex and Kent under the Thames, suggesting that the cheaper Essex-Kent Superlinks which would be a viable alternative.

Aviation Industry

• Allowing Gatwick Airport to expand will go against the UK’s aviation planning frameworks, says the Aviation Environment FederationToday, Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, said that she is “minded to approve” expansion at Gatwick airport, with the proviso of “some additional time to seek views from all parties on the provisions, prior to a final decision”. This delay allows time for more work to address noise and surface transport problems with the airport’s application.

Other News Sources

• What the Clean Industrial Deal means for road transportThe Clean Industrial Deal recognises the role of competitiveness in achieving decarbonisation goals. However, it overlooks critical sectors that support manufacturing and provide essential clean mobility services. Ensuring all decarbonisation solutions are implemented in a cost-effective manner is equally essential.
• More Belfast residents to be served by glider transportFollowing a successful roll out of the first stage, Phase Two of the Belfast Rapid Transit scheme will begin this year and includes new park and ride and active travel connections.
• The Buzz Behind UK Bus FranchisingAs the UK aims to address long-standing challenges in delivering reliable and affordable public transport, bus franchising is gaining traction as a potential pathway forward
• Bus operators call for action to tackle badly co-ordinated streetworksPoorly planned and badly co-ordinated streetworks are having an enormous impact on bus and coach services nationwide according to research by the Confederation of Passenger Transport.
• Gatwick Airport expansion latest as 'alternative' plans emergeThe airport has been given a date to respond to the Government about its runway expansion