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

Friday, 11 April 2025

Government

• Science Secretary hails Wrightbus as company pledges £25 million to bolster UK's green transport revolution and drive growthNorthern Ireland based bus manufacturer pledges £25 million to expand its R&D capabilities

BBC News

• Electric bus trial to help reduce emissionsAn electric bus will be serving some routes on the Isle of Man as part of moves to reduce carbon emissions.
• City's free Zipper bus service to be axed next yearA city's free bus service that has been taking people on short journeys since 2023 is to be axed next year, amid concerns over costs.
• Bike bus creates safety in numbers on school runCycling in convoy is a safe and fun way to get to school, organisers say.
• Riverside transport and leisure plans approvedWalking and cycling routes will be created along the River Irwell, from Salford Quays to Peel Park.

Financial Times

• Airline stocks get a nasty dose of wind shearLeisure travel is usually one of the first things to suffer when consumers feel anxious about the economy

The Herald

• Glasgow Airport boost as fast-growing airline arrivesWhen interviewing the chief executive of SunExpress, what was particularly striking was the momentum of the airline.

The Independent

• Heathrow passenger numbers fell 7.5% in MarchA total of 6.2 million people used its four terminals last month.

Times Online

• Wrightbus to build 1,000 zero-emission buses [subscription]Northern Ireland company to ramp up production by 40% and recruit hundreds more employees as it also develops the UK's first long-distance hydrogen coach

City AM

• Heathrow passenger numbers fall after power outage closureHeathrow Airport reported a decline in traffic in March as passenger numbers were impacted by the power outage that resulted in a 10-hour shutdown. Some 6.2m passengers flew from the UK's busiest airport last month, down 7.5 per cent year-on-year.

This is Money

• Will new checks make buying a second-hand electric car a safe bet?A new EV Check Plus aims to help second-hand EV buyers feel confident snapping as it gives feedback on battery issues, performance and vehicle history.

Local Government

• £1.7m for more cleaner, greener buses across SurreyFollowing a successful bid for funding to the Department for Transport, Surrey County Council has been awarded an additional £1.7m for 12 new zero emission buses. This follows a previous allocation in 2024, taking Surrey's total provision to over £5 million and 31 new buses in total.
• Mayor backs real world transport trials to help parcel deliveries go greenMayor Richard Parker visited the WMG at the University of Warwick yesterday (Wednesday 9 April) to see live trials of futuristic electric cargo vehicles that could eventually replace petrol and diesel delivery vans on UK roads.

Birmingham Mail

• Thousands of drivers in England warned over street light shake-upMore than 600 street lights have been switched off as part of the trial, road users are warned.

Birmingham Post

• Prime Minister welcomes plans to re-open South Yorkshire airportThe plans to re-open the airport closed in 2022 could create thousands of jobs, backers say

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Game-changing' rail link could reopen in early 2030s, say campaignersCampaigners fighting to reinstate the Skipton to Colne railway say it could open in the early part of the next decade. 

Liverpool Echo

• Merseyrail to make major change as thousands expected to descend on cityThe change will come into play at the end of May

Manchester Evening News

• Andy Burnham unveils scheme to make driving buses a 'proper career'The new Licence for Greater Manchester ensures experienced drivers don't go on starter pay when they move bus companies

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Tyne and Wear Metro staff help customers get to grips with modern features on new trainsThe new campaign has seen members of the Nexus project team star in a series of short videos on the transport giant's social media channels

Cambridge News

• Busway still threatens to cut down protected orchard trees Councillors have reconfirmed the Tree Preservation Order for 12 trees in Coton Orchard

Other Regional Press

• Denbighshire and Gwynedd bus pilots benefit from £30m boostAN ADDITIONAL £30million of funding has been allocated to local authorities for transport improvements across North Wales.
• Harlow Conservatives welcome news of improved bus services in the townHARLOW'S Conservative group have welcomed news that the town's bus service is to be improved, following lobbying from Harlow Council.
• Nottingham City Transport marks one year of electric busesFollowing the successful introduction of Nottingham City Transport's (NCT) first electric buses into service on 8th April 2024, the UK Bus Operator of the Year is today marking the one-year anniversary of its zero-emission fleet being rolled out across Nottingham.
• Gideon Amos plans public Parliament trip to revive station projectThe Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington wants to fill a coach with people on Wednesday, April 23, to meet the rail minister, Lord Hendy.
• Cashless trial on Kent buses sparks backlash over contactless failuresBus passengers fear a cashless trial in Kent is doomed to fail if reported issues with contactless failures are not fixed.
• Keir Starmer backs Doncaster Sheffield Airport re-opening with £30m boostPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner have announced exciting new plans during their visit

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Scottish Citylink network gains first Yutong GTe14 battery-electricsHairy Haggis Coaches has put two Yutong GTe14 battery-electric tri-axle coaches into service on Scottish Citylink route M92 between Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
• Richard Turfitt named Acting Traffic Commissioner for ScotlandRichard Turfitt has been named Acting Traffic Commissioner (TC) for Scotland on a temporary basis pending the appointment of a permanent holder of that post.
• Bakers Dolphin takes defibrillator campaign to WestminsterWeston-super-Mare-based operator Bakers Dolphin has partnered with local health initiative Donate for Defib W-s-M by providing discount coach travel for the group's recent trip to the Houses of Parliament. There, the group met with MP Daniel Albridge to advocate for wider access to public available defibrillators.

Sustainable Bus

• First Bus and Go-Ahead Pour Millions into Supercharging Their Electric Fleets Hammaad SaghirIn a bold move accelerating the UK's green transport revolution, First Bus has announced a sweeping £70 million investment to roll out an additional 160 zero-emission buses across the West of England. But this funding is not just about the vehicles themselves. it also fuels the transformation of depot infrastructure, enabling electric charging stations and maintenance hubs tailored for a zero-emissions future.

Aviation Industry

• Regional and City Airports appoints Commercial DirectorRegional and City Airports (RCA), a leading operator of regional airports in the UK including Bournemouth Airport, Exeter Airport and Norwich Airport, has appointed Steve Lilley to the new role of Commercial Director.
• Industry must be responsible for funding sustainable aviation fuelIn March, AEF responded to a Department for Transport consultation on the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) revenue certainty mechanism (RCM). The RCM is being introduced to reduce the risk of … The post Industry must be responsible for funding sustainable aviation fuel appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• Coventry University Group and VIT partner to tackle hydrogen transport challenges with AICoventry University Group and the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) have embarked on a pioneering collaboration aimed at revolutionising the transportation of hydrogen using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Stations with soul: rethinking transport hubs as urban anchorsColin Bennie argues that today's stations should be more than places of transit they must inspire, connect, and offer permeability that embeds them meaningfully in the life of the city
• Welsh Government announces £110m transport funding for councilsThe Welsh Government has announced funding of £110 million for local authorities to improve local transport across Wales including the installation of more publicly available electric vehicle charging points.
• Taiwan Charges Chinese Captain over Cable DamageTaiwan prosecutors on Friday for the first time charged a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, after a rise in sea cable malfunctions alarmed Taiwan officials amid tensions with China.Prosecutors…
• Brighton to get new electric busesBrighton will get new electric buses after being awarded extra funding.

News from Europe

• Car-loving Germans lured to public transport by cheap ticketA 5% overall uptick in the number of passengers using scheduled bus and rail lines last year is "likely" down to the nationwide fixed price Deutschlandticket, Germany's Federal Statistical Office Destatis says.