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

Wednesday, 02 April 2025

Government

• Major reforms to environmental regulation to boost growth and protect natureGovernment reforms will streamline and modernise regulation to unlock growth, deliver 1.5 million homes and do more for nature under the Plan for Change

BBC News

• Electric bus rollout delay for charging point workPlans to make a Kent bus route fully electric by April have been delayed until July, a council has said.
• Mayor meets bus operators to discuss better serviceA mayor has said public transport services in North Yorkshire "aren't good enough" as he met with local bus operators to discuss improvements.
• Man charged over Network Rail terror message hackA 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a cyber attack at UK railway stations which resulted in people who accessed the wi-fi being shown a message about terror attacks.
• Bereaved mother backs gruesome rail safety videosA teenager who died after she was electrocuted on a railway line might still be alive if she had seen Network Rail's hard-hitting new safety films, the girl's mother has said.
• Man charged over Network Rail terror message hackPublic wi-fi services were suspended at 19 railway stations last September including Birmingham New Street.
• Bryson legal challenge pauses Grand Central Irish language signs workLoyalist activist Jamie Bryson lodges challenge over approval of £150,000 for Irish language signs at Belfast station.
• Problems delay £22.8m road upgrade by more than a yearWork on Aurs Road in East Renfrewshire began in January 2024 and will not now be completed until spring 2026.
• Car firms fined for withholding recycling informationBMW, Ford, JLR, Peugeot Citroen, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volkswagen have all been fined.

Department for Transport

• Over £20 million to help drones and flying taxis take to UK skiesWe want the UK to have an advanced aviation ecosystem where everyone can benefit from new technology while tackling emissions.

Financial Times

• Heathrow power outage triggers angst over UK energy resilienceThe incident was a ‘wake-up call’ for hub airports and airline bosses

The Guardian

• Thousands of Ford Kuga hybrid drivers ‘left in limbo’ after fire risk warningsCarmaker reportedly has yet to announce plan for repairs after telling motorists not to charge their cars. Thousands of drivers have reportedly been left in limbo after warnings that their car could catch fire due to a battery defect.

City AM

• Ryanair at court seeking to appeal employment rights case Budget airline Ryanair is in court today seeking to overturn a decision on the worker status of a Ryanair pilot

Network Rail

• Network Rail trials revolutionary approach to aerial operations with British drone companiesNetwork Rail and partners Drone Major Limited and Dronecloud have begun trials of 'beyond visual line of sight' aerial operations on the railway to test a concept that could bring major improvements for passengers and rail freight customers.

Wired Gov

• Rail regulator says some capacity can be made available at Eurostar depotThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) says Eurostar's London depot would be able if required to accommodate additional trains, following its receipt of an independent report it commissioned to investigate the matter. The report, published yesterday, assessed the capacity at the operator's Temple Mills International facility.

Birmingham Post

• Great British Railways will not deliver the step change in rail investment that Wales needsGBR is not the revolution claimed of it
• Ambition new plaza and brewery plans for Wrexham train stationWrexham Lager, now co-owned by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, is also investigating the possibility of restoring and converting the nearby Cambrian Sheds

Bolton News

• Row over Bolton's MP's support for new 'international airport' in KashmirA row has broken out over a Bolton MP putting her name to a letter calling for a new international airport to be built in Pakistan.

Bristol Live

• More people using Bristol buses despite service being 'hit or miss'Wonder how much of that increase is due to the lowered price cap and if this year's figures will drop due to the increase in fares

London Evening Standard

• Rail renationalisation: Train firms 'will be told to cut cancellations to 2%' to tackle dire performanceGreat British Railways to crack down on worst cancellation rate in a decade
• TfL launches consultation on new Superloop express bus route through north-east LondonThe route would link several Tube and railway stations with two local hospitals and an industrial estate on the banks of the Thames
• New rail links needed if Heathrow Airport expands, London Assembly warnedSolutions include extending the Elizabeth line to Staines - dubbed an 'absolute game-changer' for access to the airport from Surrey and south-west London

Wales Online

• Train and bus passengers warned of 'card clash' error that sees them charged twiceYou could end up paying twice by making a simple mistake

Lancashire Telegraph

• Colne-Skipton rail campaign told leisure travel is 'higher than ever'Campaigners who want the government and railway industry to reopen a line between Colne and Skipton, enabling fast trains between Lancashire and Yorkshire, were told tourism and leisure passenger numbers have surged since the covid pandemic and are now 'higher than ever' on some weekends.

Other Regional Press

• Free bus passes over 60s in England update as new DfT statement makes funding suggestionDepartment for Transport responds to parliamentary question calling for concessions to be introduced in England as they are in Scotland, NI and Wales
• Reform call as Norfolk spends £8m on free bus travelThe £8m bill to provide free bus travel for older and disabled people is preventing improvements to rural bus services, a senior councillor has said.
• New Bus Services bill does nothing to address transport problems in Mid WalesBrecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans says Mid Wales needs improvement, investment an expansion of bus services in Mid Wales

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government unveils £20 Million fund for drones and flying taxisThe government has announced over £20 million of funding intended for commercial and emergency service drone operations and eco-friendly flying taxi services.

Rail Business Daily

• New platform and entrance to be built at Mirfield station over Easter WeekendNetwork Rail says work between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will impact train services across the Pennines from Saturday 19 to Monday 21 April.

Rail Magazine

• Analysis: The vision from devolution is not yet in focusHow is our new government faring on rail reform? In the build-up to last July's General Election (RAIL 1012), we consulted with the industry to devise a seven-point manifesto for Britain's railways. In this issue, Richard Wilcock considers the progress on devolution.
• Two new open access cross-country routes set to be submitted to rail regulatorTwo new cross-country open access applications have been submitted for consultation, despite concerns over the sector's future in a nationalised railway.
• New train monitoring and control equipment to be used at Coventry VLR test trackOne of the companies that demonstrated its new technology at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence has secured its first contract.

Rail UK

• ORR says capacity can be made available at Eurostar depotThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) says Eurostar's London depot would be able if required to accommodate additional trains, following its receipt of an independent report it commissioned to investigate the matter. The report, published today, assessed the capacity at the operator's Temple Mills International facility.
• Amey appointed to Network Rail's Development and Design Partnership Framework to transform railways in the north of EnglandAmey has been awarded a place on the Network Rail Development and Design Partnership Framework (DDPF) to connect people, businesses, and communities in the north of England.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Stagecoach begins bus operations on GuernseyStagecoach has taken over the running of bus operations on Guernsey as of 1 April.