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

Wednesday, 07 May 2025

BBC News

• 'Cash-strapped' students call for bus discountA group of "cash-strapped" university students called on a bus company to increase the age of its young people discount.
• Campaigners challenge Luton Airport expansion planCampaigners against the proposed expansion of London Luton Airport have begun the first steps of legal action against the government.
• Peak rail fares to be scrapped by Scottish governmentMore expensive fares for those travelling on trains during busy times will be removed from September.
• Belfast International Airport upgrade 'a long time coming'This first £25m investment includes a new security hall and duty free area, as well as a new forecourt outside the front of the building.
• Report on Heathrow power outage to be publishedAn interim report on the outage that affected more than 200,000 passengers is due on Thursday.

Department for Transport

• Full steam ahead: young people take the drivers seat to improve train services and unlock jobsLowering the train driver age to 18 will help future-proof our railways, support young people in fulfilling careers and boost growth across the country.

Financial Times

• UK closes in on US trade pact with lower tariff quotas for cars and steelLondon to offer concessions on digital services tax in deal that could be agreed this week

The Guardian

• Minimum age for train drivers to be lowered to 18 in Great BritainMove prompted by looming retirement crisis 'would help ensure consistent, reliable services'
• Shell doesn’t need to bid for BPThe opportunity to build a European mega-cap firm is tempting, but it’s hard to beat the appeal of share buy-backs

The Herald

• Swinney scraps peak-time ScotRail fares in Holyrood statementJohn Swinney has announced the scrapping of peak train fares in Scotland.

The Independent

• Interim report into Heathrow power outage after fire to be publishedMore than 270,000 air passenger journeys were disrupted after the airport was closed to all flights.
• Tesla sales halve as UK turns its back on Elon Musk

The Scotsman

• Peak ScotRail fares to be scrapped 'for good' by SNP governmentJohn Swinney says stronger finances means peak fares can be scrapped as he attempted to wrongfoot Labour ahead of next year's election.

The Telegraph

• Labour plans to let 18-year-olds drive trains [subscriptions]Applicants as young as 18 will be allowed to drive trains amid concerns over driver shortages.
• John Swinney scraps peak-time rail fares in Scotland [subscription]SNP leader claims the move will 'put more money in people's pockets' ahead of the Holyrood election in May 2026

Times Online

• Tesla sold only 512 cars in the UK in April. [subscription]Motorists shift away from all-electric vehicles to plug-in hybrids, while sales of Elon Musk's vehicles fell by more than half since March
• Peak-time rail fares to be scrapped in 'cynical' SNP giveawayJohn Swinney has resurrected a £40 million per year policy in his 2025 programme for government even though a trial ended in failure
• Ministers 'using EU law to avoid fitting lifts at train stations. [subscription]EU regulation dictates that lifts do not need to be installed for stations with an average daily footfall of fewer than 1,000 passengers per day

City AM

• Campaign group threatens transport secretary with legal action over Luton Airport expansion Legal action has been threatened against the government over the major expansion to London Luton Airport as a campaign group signals a judicial review

Daily Record

• ScotRail alcohol ban to be axed by SNP Government after mounting criticismEXCLUSIVE: The ban will be lifted after being slammed by passengers who say it is unworkable.
• Scotrail peak fares to be scrapped for passengers in u-turn by SNP GovernmentThe First Minister announced the move in his Programme for Government.

The National

• ScotRail alcohol ban to end, Scottish Government saysTHE "ineffective" alcohol ban on ScotRail trains is set to be replaced, the Scottish Government has said.

Birmingham Post

• Bus reform in Wales and how it could play outBus reform follows the principles of one network, one timetable and one ticket, a concept successfully used in other countries

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Extra £11.7m needed to cover 'unforeseen' changes to A59 Kex Gill schemeCouncillord are to be asked to agree to an extra £11.7m to pay for 'essential and unforeseen' changes to the A59 Kex Gill realignment scheme.
• Extra £11.7m needed to cover 'unforeseen' changes to A59 Kex Gill schemeCouncillord are to be asked to agree to an extra £11.7m to pay for 'essential and unforeseen' changes to the A59 Kex Gill realignment scheme.
• Leeds Bradford Airport asks for items for fifty-year time capsuleLeeds Bradford Airport is inviting people to contribute to a celebratory time capsule to mark the development of its new £100 million terminal expansion.
• West Yorkshire's Metro branding to be retired after 50 yearsTHE Metro branding that has been in place on West Yorkshire’s public transport network for over 50 years is being “retired.”
• West Yorkshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy agreedAn Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy has been agreed for West Yorkshire.

Manchester Evening News

• Interim report to be published after fire and power outage wreaks flight havoc at Heathrow AirportAn interim report into the power outage caused by a substation fire that shut Heathrow Airport and caused flight chaos will be published on Thursday (May 8).

Wales Online

• £205m investment for Cardiff Airport slammed by Bristol but 'brilliant news for Wales'Bristol Airport has issued a stinging criticism of Welsh Government plans to invest a further £205m into Cardiff Airport

Burnley Express

• Risks to council's £5m a year drive to improve roads outlinedBlackburn with Darwen Council's £5m a year drive to tackle potholes and improve roads faces challenges including a lack of cash, and climate change.
• Council spends nearly £3m on taxi transport for school childrenBlackburn with Darwen Council spent nearly £3m on taxi transport for school children last year, new figures show.

Other Regional Press

• Sheringham bus station revamp plans prove unpopularPlans for a £350,000 bus stop revamp project in a coastal town have been branded a waste of money by the public.
• Southampton MP supports bid to reopen New Forest rail routeA Hampshire MP is backing "once-in-a-generation" plans to launch a new rail service linking the New Forest with Southampton and London.
• London Luton Airport appoints new Chair ahead of airport expansionFormer Labour Cabinet minister to lead Board through significant infrastructure investment plans.
• Battle to save environmentally-friendly campsite from 'green mitigation' for Lower Thames CrossingBOROUGH campsite owners are fighting a battle to overturn a National Highways campsite order to compulsory purchase the picturesque and popular Thames riverside venue at East Tilbury - ironically to turn it into an environment area in mitigation for the planned Lower Thames Crossing, even though it is already haven for flora and fauna.

Train Operators

• New digital signalling technology set to be installed on TPE trains to boost safety and reliability of rail travelTransPennine Express (TPE) will prepare for the future of rail travel by upgrading its current fleet of Class 185 trains with the European Train Control System (ETCS), a next-generation digital signalling technology that will improve safety, reliability, and customer experience over the long term.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Government pledges support for UK's £6 Billion coach industryLocal Transport Minister Simon Lightwood visited Star Coaches in Batley today (6 May), pledging renewed government support for the UK coach sector that employs 42,000 people nationwide. The visit comes ahead of National Coach Week (12-18 May 2025), which celebrates an industry that contributes over £6 billion to the national tourism economy and transports more than half a million students to school daily.  During his visit to the West Yorkshire operator, Lightwood met with staff and Road Haulage Association (RHA) leaders to discuss how the government can work with the indu...

Rail Business Daily

• Mobile connectivity given 'major boost' on East Coast Main LineIn what LNER is calling a 'railway first', mobile connectivity on the East Coast Main Line has received a major boost thanks to collaboration between the operator, Network Rail and the private sector.

Railway Gazette

• East West Railway Co seeks feedback on commercial strategyUK: Oxford to Cambridge railway project promoter East West Railway Co is seeking feedback from potential suppliers to support the development of its commercial strategy for the next stage of the programme.

The Business Desk

• Rail tech start-up on track for expansion after £2m private equity investmentThe company behind a wearable safety solution, which helps to improve the safety of railway staff and prevent avoidable incidents, has raised £2m from Praetura Ventures and Blackfinch Ventures, as it aims to expand into new sectors and global markets.

Other News Sources

• LNER and Network Rail fix mobile phone signal blackouts at King's Cross stationMobile phone coverage for train passengers using King's Cross station has improved after bespoke equipment was installed in the two sets of mainline railway tunnels to the north of the station.
• PSC LIVE London: Q&A With Paul Doherty, Heathrow AirportProcurement Magazine talks with Paul Doherty, Procurement Director at Heathrow Airport, ahead of him speaking at PSC LIVE London Global Summit