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

Friday, 21 March 2025

BBC News

• 'Dementia train' journeys return after five yearsFive years ago, the last "Forget-Me-Not" train ran along the Esk Valley Line between Whitby and Middlesbrough. Its passengers included people living with dementia and their family members and carers.
• A5 upgrade won't jeopardise net zero goals, court toldA group opposing the road project is mounting a challenge against the decision to begin construction work.
• Heathrow Airport closes all day over power outageIt comes in response to a "significant" outage linked to a fire at a nearby electrical substation.
• Nationalised Ferguson shipyard appoints new bossGraeme Thomson will take over as chief executive of the Port Glasgow firm on 1 May.
• Tesla makes largest ever Cybertruck recallIt is the eighth recall involving the pickup since early 2024, shortly after the truck hit the roads.
• Tesla vandals face up to 20 years in prison, says attorney generalThe US attorney general said a wave of vandalism and arson attacks at Tesla dealerships is "domestic terrorism".
• The slow but steady advance of driverless vehiclesRobo-taxi services and driverless trucks are gaining ground but progress is painstaking.

Financial Times

• London’s Heathrow airport closes after nearby fire cuts powerMore than 1,000 flights and 16,000 homes affected by ‘significant’ outage at electrical substation
• New flight patterns mean Gatwick will not pass 2019 peak this yearAirport says longer flights have made off-peak times less busy than before pandemic

The Guardian

• Travel chaos as Heathrow airport closes after blaze at electrical substationMore than 1,300 flights expected to be affected after airport closes down for all of Friday due to a substation fire

The Independent

• Watch live: Heathrow Airport closed and more than 1,000 fights cancelled after huge fire causes blackoutWatch live from Heathrow Airport after a huge fire at a west London electrical substation on Friday (21 March) forced the airport to close.

Times Online

• Motability is crucial in helping disabled people stay in work [subscription]Ensuring continued mobility is key to increasing economic participation, growth and reducing long-term welfare dependency
• Heathrow airport live: flights from London cancelled after huge fireHundreds of flights have been cancelled with thousands of passengers' travel affected, after a transformer within an electrical substation caught fire

Sky News

• Heathrow closed all day after nearby fire causes 'significant power outage'Heathrow Airport has said it will shut all day after suffering a "significant power outage" due to a nearby fire. Passengers have been told not to travel "under any circumstances".

Birmingham Mail

• Heathrow cancels all flights following major substation fire causing travel hellHeathrow Airport has been forced to close today after a huge fire at an electrical substation supplying the hub, with tourists warned not to arrive for scheduled flights
• West Midlands Metro tram customers warned of increase to all fares from next monthFollowing a 'price freeze' in 2023 and a 'below-inflation' increase last year, most fares will rise from April 7

Birmingham Post

• Liverpool and Greater Manchester will have 'key role in global space economy' thanks to landmark deal with Axiom SpaceLiverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and his Greater Manchester counterpart Andy Burnham have signed a landmark deal with Axiom Space

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Tackling 'speeding and inconsiderate parking' in Bradford area part of £5.1m schemeIt’s hoped “speeding traffic and inconsiderate parking” in a Bradford area will be tackled through a multi-million-pound project.

Derby Telegraph

• Bus company loses four Derbyshire contracts due to 'reliability issues'The affected contracts include routes serving Ashbourne, Bakewell, Castleton, Chesterfield, Clay Cross, Matlock and Wirksworth

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow latest LIVE: Passengers told 'do not travel to airport' as airport closure forces 120 planes to divertThe power cut has thrown airline schedules around the world into disarray as hundreds of flights face cancellation or are forced to divert

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink extension to FOUR new towns called for in ParliamentFive Greater Manchester MPs called for it in Parliament

Wales Online

• Spending on city's roads, pavements, and other transport schemes could hit a 'remarkable' £20mThe roads maintenance backlog alone though is around £70m

Carlisle News & Star

• Lake District: Belmond's Britannica Explorer's luxury journeyThe first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales will treat passengers to magnificent views of rippling lakes, impressive peaks and rolling valleys as it visits the Lake District this summer.

Other Regional Press

• Aberdeen to Central Belt £200m rail upgrade delivery date 'dropped' despite 2026 promiseThe Scottish Government committed to reducing journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 20 minutes as part of a £200million addition to the City Region Deal in 2016.
• Delyn MS calls for reopening of Mostyn railway stationIt was another busy week in the Senedd last week and, at First Minister's Questions, I asked how the Welsh Government is investing in infrastructure to drive economic growth in our corner of North East Wales.
• Mauchline: MSP Sharon Dowey letter of support for bidTHE bid to re-open Mauchline railway station has received official backing from an MSP.

Rail Magazine

• Government gives more details on East West Rail and East Coat Main Line interchange stationThe government has revealed more details about the proposed Tempsford station.

Railnews

• Difficulties for disabled passengers are ‘national embarrassment’ MPs on the Commons Transport Committee are calling for transport to be made more accessible for people with disabilities, saying that accessibility for disabled people must be recognised as a human right rather than ‘nice to have’. Failures should be seen as discrimination, not merely as a customer service problem, and a change of approach is needed by operators, regulators and enforcers.

Transportxtra

• Dempsey replaces Lynch as RMT General SecretaryEddie Dempsey is the new General Secretary of the RMT transport union, taking over from Mick Lynch, who has retired. Dempsey previously served as RMT's Senior Assistant General Secretary and has been a leading figure in the union's campaigns for fair pay, job security, and better conditions for transport and maritime workers. He has worked in the rail industry since 2008 and has worked as station staff and a train driver.

Aviation Industry

• Leeds Bradford Airport details terminal expansion designLeeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has released a video and new CGI visuals to showcase its transformative 3100m (US$130m) terminal expansion.
• AEF argues that UK ETS revenues should not be used to compensate airlinesThe Department for Transport recently asked for views about implementing ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in the UK.

Other News Sources

• West Somerset Railway receives ?200,000 boost for renovationsThe West Somerset Railway receives a ?200,000 contribution from support groups for essential renovations and maintenance work.
• Bakerloo line upgrade could see trains run every two minutes under TfL plansThe proposals would allow 27 trains per hour to run on the line
• There are ways to address our fiscal deficit which do not harm our most vulnerable Option 2: Reverse approvals for infrastructure projects with low returns ... Take the Lower Thames Crossing, a road tunnel project designed to link Kent and Essex through a fourteen mile road and tunnel underneath the Thames. This is expected to cost between ?9 and ?10 billion, though delays have increased prices, with more than ?1.2bn already spent by Highways England on planning alone. This is particularly wasteful given the project is expected to provide low value for money, with an initial benefit to cost ratio of 0.48, meaning it will cost more than it is expected to deliver in returns.
• Unveil Hydrogen-Powered Maritime Innovation at H2Hub SummitSea Cheetah and HYSKY Society are partnering to advance hydrogen mobility across land, sea, and air. CEO Serge Markoff will present hydrogen-powered WIG vessels at the H2Hub Summit on March 19, 2025. Executive Director Danielle McLean highlights the importance of multi-modal hydrogen adoption for scalable, zero-emission transportation.