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

Friday, 16 May 2025

BBC News

• Major expansion plan submitted for Port of TilburyPlans have been submitted to expand the Port of Tilbury by 100 acres (40ha) in Essex.
• Lord Blunkett outlines £14bn Yorkshire rail planA multibillion-pound plan to fix Yorkshire's "creaking Victorian-era" railways has been put forward by the former home secretary Lord Blunkett.
• Merseyrail tap-and-go ticketing trial set to beginA new contactless system for purchasing train tickets on the Merseyrail network has taken a "big step forward" as it enters its testing phase, the region's metro mayor has said.
• Rail delays harm pupil attendance records, MP saysPupils are being recorded as late to school due to consistent railway delays in Surrey, according to an MP.
• BA fined £3m after luggage handlers hurt in fallsOne worker broke his back and another suffered a brain bleed in falls at Heathrow Airport.

The Independent

• Why the quiet carriage is the most hellish part of the trainOnce a sanctuary offering a few hours of peace on a long journey, quiet carriages are now just as bad as 'if not worse than' the rest of the train. Katie Rosseinsky makes the case for ditching them altogether

The Telegraph

• The rail firm cleaning loos using green 'chemical-free' product ... that's just water. [subscription]Safety fears amid revelation that trains are cleaned without disinfectant or soap-type ingredients

City AM

• Rents near Elizabeth line stations rocket up a third since opening Rents for homes near recently-added Elizabeth line stations have shot up by more than a third since 2022 as the housing crisis in the capital continues to intensify. In some locations, prices have risen by more than 70 per cent as demand for well-connected properties soars, according to lettings software firm Goodlord.

Network Rail

• Creating better opportunities: Network Rail Academy launches new pathway in North LondonTo celebrate Learning at Work Week, Network Rail has launched a new learning academy in partnership with Capital City College in Enfield. This pre-apprenticeship programme is designed for 16 to 19-year-olds who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET), offering them the chance to gain essential skills and take their first steps towards a rewarding career in the rail industry.

Birmingham Mail

• Fears Birmingham HS2 station could be delayed amid new '2039 finish date'High Speed 2 services are now anticipated to start in 2036 at the earliest, with 2039 apparently looking more likely
• Drivers face 'ridiculous' new UK motorway speed limit which 'could last 12 weeks'Drivers in England face a "ridiculous" shake up to the speed limit on the country's busiest motorway.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• New Bradford station should be a top priority - rail review claimsThe creation of a new rail station in Bradford to “unleash the city’s economic potential” is one of the key priorities of a review into Yorkshire’s rail network.

Yorkshire Post

• Yorkshire Labour mayors to unveil Lord Blunkett's £14bn plan to fix region's rail networkYorkshire's three Labour mayors will today present a £14bn plan to get the region's railways back on track, which they say will deliver a huge boost to jobs, growth and housing.
• Lord Blunkett backs £14 billion Yorkshire rail plan as 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to fix 'broken' systemA £14 billion plan to fix Yorkshire's "broken" rail system "presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" improve connectivity and unlock economic growth in the region, former home secretary Lord Blunkett has said.

Wrexham.com

• Column from Ken Skates ahead of Public Transport Summit in WrexhamAhead of a major Public Transport Summit in Wrexham next week (22-23 May), Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, has outlined his aims for the event which includes unlocking the potential economic prosperity for North Wales and the North West of England.

Other Regional Press

• Expansion plan unveiled for the Port of Tilbury as planning proposal submitted for Tilbury3GROWTH plans have been unveiled by the Port of Tilbury's owners, Forth Ports, to further expand the Thames-based port and industrial complex as it submits an outline planning application to Thurrock Council to redevelop a 100-acre brownfield site located immediately adjacent to Tilbury2 (T2) to support its major markets.
• ‘Everyone is shocked’: Anger as ‘vital’ school bus route suddenly axedParents and councillors have slammed a bus company’s “flippant” decision to axe a school bus service mid-way through the academic year.
• 'Credible and affordable' £14bn wish list to fix Yorkshire's broken railwaysReport for Yorkshire's mayors says five million people are held back by creaking Victorian railway infrastructure

British Trams Online

• Coventry Very Light Rail demonstration tracks put downRail vehicle in its home city, its been confirmed that the 220 metre test track has now been fully laid. The track is on Greyfriars Road and Queen Victoria Road and is the first time that the innovative modular track form has been embedded within a live urban corridor.

Bus-News

• First Bus & FlixBus Launch New Joint Coach ServicesFirst Bus & FlixBus have officially launched their new joint coach service, with the first bus having left the former's Slough depot earlier today (15 May).

Lloyd's List

• Forth Ports launches Tilbury expansion planPlanning application is first step in expanding river Thames facility

New Civil Engineer

• Network Rail alerts market to £140M contract to supply steel for overhead line equipmentNetwork Rail has issued a preliminary market engagement notice seeking information from suppliers interested in providing steel products to support its overhead line equipment (OLE).
• Plans submitted to expand Port of Tilbury on former power station landPlans have been announced to significantly expand the Port of Tilbury and its surrounding industrial complex through the creation of a new port area dubbed Tilbury3 (T3).

Rail Advent

• New Network Rail Partnership Means More Young People ApprenticeshipsA new partnership between Capital City College and Network Rail means more young people can become involved in the rail industry.

Rail Magazine

• Lord Blunkett led review aims to fix Yorkshire's broken rail systemA review led by Lord David Blunkett has unveiled a sweeping, phased rail investment blueprint for Yorkshire, which it hopes will revolutionise connectivity across the region and inject billions into the local and national economy.

Railnews

• Alstom set to propose double decker trains on HS1 to London Double decker trains could run to London, according to rolling stock builder Alstom, which has supplied two-deck TGVs to countries like France for many years. The British structure gauge is smaller than on continental Europe and could not accommodate such trains, but HS1 and the international platforms at London St Pancras were built to a more generous profile.

The Business Desk

• Plan published to 'reverse decades of underinvestment' in Yorkshire railwaysA phased plan to fix Yorkshire's 'broken' railways has been published by Lord Blunkett today 16 May.

Transportxtra

• Rail enhancement 'pipeline thinking is flawed, says NR chief HainesThe Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) is a flawed proposition, Network Rail Chief Executive Sir Andrew Haines told the House of Commons Transport Committee last week.
• Campaign group calls on GLA to make public transport free across capitalA group campaigning for universal free travel in the capital has reported a 'positive' first meeting with the Greater London Authority (GLA).

Other News Sources

• Port of Tilbury Proposes Second Expansion as Part of Thames FreeportForth Ports operator of the Port of Tilbury located near London in the UK, released plans for a large expansion, which they are calling T3. It would represent a nearly 10 percent increase in the land area for the port which is reported to be the largest multi-modal port in the South East.
• Fast-tracked West Midlands Metro extension to unlock East Birmingham and Blues' 60,000-seat new stadium dreamA highly anticipated extension of the Birmingham tram system will unlock a crucial line to the Blues £3 billion Sports Quarter project.
• Lord Blunkett unveils plan for Yorkshire's railwaysA phased plan of major improvement to Yorkshire's railways has been unveiled by Lord Blunkett.
• Network Rail to spend £8 million on building an inaccessible footbridge that will last 120 yearsNetwork Rail's decision to spend nearly £8 million building a new footbridge that will be inaccessible to many disabled people has been labelled an 'appalling contradiction' of the government's commitment to improving the accessibility of the public transport system.
• How to build next to the railwayRailway assurance for property developers and contractors is vital, writes John Freeman, technical director of Consult International
• New images of Network Rail's £1bn Liverpool Street station plans as City publishes planning applicationDocuments reveal team tested options including building over station's entire listed trainshed
• Hitachi Rail to implement cutting-edge digital signalling on Warsaw-Radom rail routeHitachi Rail, in cooperation with DP System, has signed a contract to implement its modern ERTMS/ETCS Level 2 signalling system on railway line 8 between Warsaw and Radom. The project is worth PLN 85 million (£20 million) and is expected to complete in December 2027.