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

Tuesday, 25 March 2025

BBC News

• Lower Thames Crossing approved by governmentThe largest road tunnel in the UK will be built after a ?9bn plan was approved by the government. The Lower Thames Crossing would link Tilbury, Essex, and Gravesend in Kent by two tunnels running underneath the River Thames. National Highways hoped the road would reduce traffic at the Dartford Crossing by 20% and open by 2032.
• Trains running in Cornwall coast-to-coast projectTrains are now running between Newquay and Par after the completion of the latest phase to provide coast-to-coast rail travel in Cornwall.
• Road closures start as new station being builtRoad users are warned to expect disruption and closures on Rose Hill and Bilston Street until August.
• Grand Central Station to install Irish language signageCampaigners had criticised the lack of Irish language signs when the station opened in September.
• 'We warned of power issues before Heathrow outage'Business groups and a council say there were energy capacity problems before a fire near Heathrow.
• Heathrow closure deeply concerning, says PMSir Keir Starmer says he is 'deeply concerned' about the closure of Heathrow Airport as a result of a power cut caused by a fire on Friday.
• Chinese electric carmaker BYD sales beat TeslaThe Shenzhen-based firm says revenue for last year came in at $107bn, boosted by sales of its hybrid vehicles.

Department for Transport

• Lower Thames Crossing development consent decision announcedThe Lower Thames Crossing application has today been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Transport.
• Road maintenance in England - Written statement to ParliamentLocal highway authorities will receive ?500 million to fix potholes and ?4.8 billion investment for National Highways to keep the strategic road network working.
• Road investment strategy: post-2020Sets out the process developing the next 'Road investment strategy' to continue long-term improvements to our motorways and major roads.
• Course charted for carbon free shipping by 2050Our maritime decarbonisation strategy will help us build a cleaner, more resilient maritime nation.

Financial Times

• British Airways tries to regain its halo with a new first-class seatThe UK flag carrier has called again on the London design studio that created a revolutionary product
• UK’s Motability to crack down on misuse of motoring scheme for disabled people Chief executive says most car buyers come from households on incomes of less than £20,000
• Why was Heathrow airport slow to resume operations after substation fire?Time spent switching power supply and rebooting systems raises doubts over resilience of Europe’s largest aviation hub

The Guardian

• Thousands of jobs ‘could go as part of UK government’s rail shake-up’Reports suggest cuts in Great Britain would include removing ‘duplication’ of teams, as well job losses at HS2. Thousands of jobs could go as part of the government’s planned shake-up of Britain’s railway industry, according to a report.Under Labour’s plans, a state-owned company, Great British Railways, will run the railway and take every train operator into public ownership as existing contracts expire.
• Airlines could take legal action over Heathrow shutdownBody representing over 90 firms says it could take airport to court over costs of closure if issue not ‘amicably settled. ’A body representing more than 90 airlines using Heathrow airport said there might be a case for legal action if a settlement over the costs incurred from Friday’s closure after a fire is not reached.Europe’s largest airport was closed in the early hours of Friday morning after the blaze at a major electricity substation hit electricity supplies.
• Was Heathrow’s response to fire at a substation really the best it could do?Given the airport had uninterrupted power from two other substations, did it have to shut down for long? Transport secretary says she’d ‘struggle to sleep’ after report Heathrow boss went to bed amid crisisThe 10-page risk report within Heathrow airport’s latest annual report does not mention North Hyde substation, or even substations in general, but it does describe the company’s approach to managing risks.Heathrow rightly has “no appetite” for safety risks that could lead to loss of life.

Times Online

• Bidders line up to break Eurostar monopoly on Channel Tunnel routes [subscription]Gemini Trains joins Virgin and Evolyn with ambitions to extend high-speed rail services to Germany and Switzerland

City AM

• Heathrow fire ‘not believed suspicious’ but under Met counter-terror probe The cause of the fire which shut down Heathrow Airport is “not believed to be suspicious” but is under investigation by the Met Police counter-terrorism squad, a minister has said. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander updated MPs on the “unprecedented” power outage which shut Britain’s busiest airport over the weekend

Network Rail

• New managing director appointed for Network Rail's Eastern regionEllie Burrows has today officially started her role as managing director for Network Rail's Eastern region.
• One year of work to protect Manchester link to Europe's busiest mixed-used rail lineThe year-long closure of the roundabout is part of Network Rail's almost £20m investment to replace the aging bridge that crosses over the Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line, Europe's busiest mixed-use railway.

Sky News

• Airlines threaten Heathrow with legal actionA body representing more than 90 airlines using Heathrow Airport has threatened to take legal action if a settlement over the costs they incurred from Friday's day-long closure is not reached.

Birmingham Mail

• DWP urged to 'soften' PIP and Universal Credit cuts by scrapping Triple Lock instead... Infrastructure projects such as Lower Thames Crossing, the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine, and A46 Newark bypass project are some low return on investment examples, which would result in easy savings wins for the Chancellor, the SMF said. By the Department for Transport's own calculations, all these projects provide low value for money (see notes). Cancelling these projects would provide at least £3.8 billion in savings.
• Futuristic autonomous shuttles operating for West Midlands passengers - all you need to knowThe cube-like driverless shuttles are now ferrying passengers around key transport hubs
• UK drivers warned over new cycle lanes which are 'unprecedented' and 'quite mad'Work is beginning north of the border in Scotland on the George V Bridge to deliver a safer and more appealing environment for people who walk, wheel and cycle.

Birmingham Post

• Cross-border Western Gateway Partnership in doubt after UK Government pulls fundingThe Western Gateway Partnership will cease to operate in its current form in June

London Evening Standard

• Heathrow boss who 'went to bed' amid power station fire crisis fails to get backing of Keir StarmerHeathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye delegated the formal decision to close the airport to his deputy in the early hours of Friday, according to reports

Bucks Free Press

• Transport service for those with mobility issues adds two new minibuses to fleetA transport service for people with mobility issues has added two new minibuses to its fleet

Modern Railways

• New Channel Tunnel operator launches open access bidA new open access operator, Gemini, has applied to operate trains between St Pancras International and Brussels and Paris.
• DB Cargo UK launches spot-hire support for rail freightDB Cargo UK is launching what it claims to be the first official 'spot hire' of Type 5 locomotives by one of the major Freight Operating Companies.

Rail Advent

• New London to Europe train operator announcedA new challenger for the London Europe rail route has been announced to offer competitive fares. Gemini will be chaired by Lord Tony Berkeley and will run trains initially between London and Paris / Brussels via the channel tunnel.

Rail Magazine

• DfT in discussions over feasibility of direct rail service to SwitzerlandThe Department for Transport is examining the merits of a direct rail connection between the UK and Switzerland.

Railnews

• New Channel Tunnel open access bid launchedThe contest to provide competing services through the Channel Tunnel is warming up. A new contender has been announced, led by a long-standing critic of HS2.

Railtech

• Newcomer Gemini Trains launches latest Channel Tunnel bid but can political influence turn into accessLook out, Eurostar. And Virgin. And Evolyn. Gemini Trains, a new open access operator, has applied for permits that, if granted, would allow it to run services along the Channel Tunnel. However, it's generally agreed that there's only really room for one other operator. Gemini's teams boasts many rail heavyweights; but what are the new company's chances of setting up shop between London and Paris?

Railway-News

• New Train Operator Announces Plans for Channel Tunnel ServicesA new train operating company, Gemini, has been established to provide competitive fares and frequent high-speed rail services between the UK and continental Europe.

Other News Sources

• New Channel Tunnel challenger announcedA new train operating company, named Gemini, is being established to offer competitive fares and high-quality, frequent train services between the UK and continental Europe. Chaired by industry veteran Lord Tony Berkeley, Gemini services will run initially between London and Paris/Brussels with further exciting destinations currently being developed.
• 'Consistent doesn't mean boring': Great Western Railway on the 'power' of long-term brand buildingGreat Western Railway has been using Enid Blyton's Famous Five to drive awareness and attract more consumers for the past nine years, with marketing boss Amanda Burns saying she is 'lucky' the wider business understands the importance of long-term investment.
• Collaboration: The secret to successSuccessful public infrastructure projects rely on strong collaboration. Mike Reade of Balfour Beatty explores how structured frameworks, early contractor involvement and cross-sector partnerships drive efficiency, innovation, and long-term value for government and communities
• Singapore and India Partner on Maritime Digitalization and DecarbonizationSingapore and India have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to cooperate on maritime digitalization and decarbonization.The LOI was inked by Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and R. Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Ports…

News from Europe

• The European tube: Inside the project to launch a continent-wide rail system by 204021st Europe's Starline network plans to connect 39 destinations in European countries - with lines reaching the UK, Turkey and Ukraine too.