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

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

BBC News

• Northern mayors unveil investment partnershipMayors in the north of England have unveiled a new partnership which they claim will drive investment opportunities across the region.
• Donations help fund new transport serviceA new transport service in Belper will help prevent people becoming isolated, according to one of its founders.
• Viaduct rail upgrade aims to improve reliabilityThe upgrade of a viaduct in Cornwall will improve the reliability of rail travel in the county, Network Rail has said.
• Bus lanes considered in local transport planPlans to make travelling by bus more attractive in Herefordshire have been set out by the county council.

Department for Transport

• Train services between Bradford and London more than triple thanks to government funding5 additional train services daily will bring an estimated extra £4 million into the local economy each year.

Financial Times

• Ryanair hit by lower ticket prices and Boeing delivery delaysChief Michael O’Leary closes in on €100mn share options award

The Guardian

• Car-free streets, geothermal heating and solar panels: Paris’s new eco-district – in picturesClichy-Batignolles, in the city’s north-west, is emblematic of the ‘15-minute’ city approach to urban planning Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Nationalised railway faces £1bn blow from cheaper private rivals [subscription]Nationalised railways are doomed to fail when competing against cheaper private rivals, a new government-backed report suggests. In a blow to Sir Keir Starmer's commitment to nationalise the rail network, government-run LNER is predicted to lose out on £1bn in ticket sales to private operators serving the same stations.
• Ports demand £120m for 'obsolete' Brexit border posts [subscription]EU trade deal creates unforeseen costs as expensive checkpoints become redundant

Times Online

• Blue skies on their way for O'Leary [subscription]Ryanair's profits may be down but Michael O'Leary sees brighter times ahead. Record-high share prices and a huge passenger increase hint at a turnaround

City AM

• Uber Boats by Thames Clippers nets £59m from Natwest and Santander Uber Boats by Thames Clippers has secured £59m in funding from Natwest and Santander after experiencing a surge in passenger numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic. The London river transport provider said the joint funding package would support plans for new vessels, pier upgrades and improvements to dry docking facilities. “It’s vital that we have funding [...]

Daily Record

• Opening of new Hairmyres station an 'exciting milestone' in £144m rail upgradeCabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP said this latest opening is an exciting milestone with the completion of the East Kilbride electrification on track for later this year.

Mail Online

• Will Brits soon be able to use e-gates at European airports? Only if the EU agreesSir Keir Starmer said the agreement would allow UK travellers to go through EU 'e-gates' rather than manual passport checks, 'ending those huge queues at passport control'.

The Mirror

• UK's huge £715m deal could see fast double-decker trains arrive from FranceAfter securing contracts worth more than £700 million, French manufacturer Alstom wants to run double-decker, high-speed trains from London to France - but will it happen anytime soon?

Local Government

• Northern mayors launch partnership to drive investmentMayors across the north of England are forming a new body to champion investment opportunities in the region. The Great North partnership, which is endorsed by the government and chaired by North East CA mayor Kim McGuinness (Lab), will be launched at the UKReiiF investment

National Highways

• Championing biodiversity on our networkWe're committed to playing our part in nature recovery now and in the years to come.

Network Rail

• Customers urged to check before they travel ahead of railway upgrades across West YorkshireFrom Monday 26 May until Friday 20 June, services will be impacted between Huddersfield and Leeds to facilitate Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) work at different sites across this section of the route.

Birmingham Mail

• E10 petrol drivers urged to fill up cars now before it's too lateThe deal, which scraps tariffs on American bioethanol, could cripple the UK’s green fuel industry by flooding the market with cheap, subsidised US imports.

Birmingham Post

• National Express owner's new boss faces uphill battle to turn the coach operator aroundMobico said new chair Phil White, who took on the role in February, is leading a "large-scale, complex" turnaround of the UK business, which will involve "significant investment" in the coach operator

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'It's a game changer' - new rail platform will add £4m per year to Bradford economyA NEW rail platform in Bradford, and the extra services to and from London it will bring, will add £4 million a year to the local economy.
• All bus services have now returned to Bradford InterchangeALL bus services have now returned to Bradford Interchange – meaning the station is now fully operation for the first time since January 2024.

Bristol Live

• Locals not convinced over barely visible cycle path 'nightmare' to be resurfacedThe barely-visible bike path is set to be replaced with black tarmac and potentially red surfacing in future
• Bristol could get a tram line as city centre road changes leave 'unbroken' pathThe route stretches from south-west of the city to the north-east

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 'Total waste of money' - North Wales councils consider 20mph changesWelsh councils are in the process of looking at reverting potentially hundreds of roads from 20mph back to 30mph

Manchester Evening News

• 'It's one of the busiest stations in Greater Manchester - this is simply not good enough'Stockport's MP has called for major improvements to the town's railway station, saying parts of it have fallen into a 'dire' state which could become 'hazardous' for passengers and staff.

Morning Star

• Aslef insists Labour must go further in rail re-nationalisationTRAIN drivers' union Aslef insisted the Labour government 'must go further' in renationalising rail as it opened its conference today.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Ryanair hand luggage fees court ruling could mean end of cheap flights to SpainA court in Spain has ruled that airlines cannot charge passengers for cabin baggage, which could have a major impact on UK fliers - but not in a way you might expect

Northern Echo

• The Great North partnership reveals plan to unlock years of investmentNorthern and national businesses, from SMES to large firms and leading industry bodies, and creative industry leaders have backed The Great North, the new partnership that will unlock a new era of jobs, opportunity and prosperity for the North.

Other Regional Press

• Bus improvements set to enhance Dorset transportA bus improvement plan is set to enhance transport links across North Dorset.
• Andrew Ranger MP shares update on transport in North WalesIn the House of Commons last week, I asked the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander for her assessment of the adequacy of the performance of rail services operating from North Wales.
• £1.8m transport expenditure paid for by drivers entering the Clean Air ZoneA second round of improvements to bus services is on the way funded by drivers entering the Clean Air Zone.
• 'Immediate prohibition' for firms caught flouting rail safetyTwo firms have been rapped over safety failings near Hereford railway station.

New Civil Engineer

• Interview: Luton Rising MD on airport expansion's role in driving regional and national growthAirport expansion is a key driver for regional and economic growth and should be encouraged if the demand is there, according to one of the minds behind the Luton Airport expansion plan.
• National Highways prepares market for £14.5bn infrastructure framework procurementNational Highways has announced the forthcoming launch of its Scheme Delivery Framework 2 (SDF2), a major infrastructure renewal programme valued at £14.5bn.
• Arup & Seàn Harrington win Lower Thames Crossing low carbon footbridge design competitionArup and Seàn Harrington Architects have won the Lower Thames Crossing's (LTC's) low carbon footbridge design competition with their with timber glulam beam design.
• Transport for London unveils £700M framework for major station enhancementsTransport for London (TfL) has announced a forthcoming procurement event inviting contractors to participate in a significant multi-discipline infrastructure and construction project framework.

Rail Advent

• London to West Yorkshire services triple thanks to £35m projectA new platform has opened at Bradford Forster Square station, allowing for 5 additional services a day between Bradford and London.
• New railway station opens in ScotlandA part of the investment of £4 billion in Scotland's Railway between 2024 and 2029 has been used by the Scottish Government to create a new station at Hairmyres.

Rail Business Daily

• Mayor appoints new members to Transport for London BoardThe Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has announced further appointments to the Transport for London (TfL) Board, which was refreshed in 2024. The TfL Board provides stewardship and oversight for TfL's delivery of the Mayor's Transport Strategy and approves TfL's budget, business plan, annual report and other major and strategic issues and policies.

Transport for the North

• Transport for the North welcomes the launch of The Great North partnershipToday's launch of The Great North partnership marks a significant moment for everyone living and working in North.

Aviation Industry

• Regulating Heathrow: United Airlines CEO Sounds Off On Advocating For Passengers To Avoid High FaresLondon Heathrow Airport (LHR) is one of the most strategically important airports for airlines across the globe, and it is served by dozens of different carriers from across the planet. The airport is not only a home base for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, but it has historically been a crucial connecting hub for oneworld and, more recently, for the SkyTeam alliance. With a lucrative local business travel market and a valuable connecting travel footprint, the airport is a key piece of many carriers' operational strategies.

Other News Sources

• South Western Railway recovers £3.4 million in 2024SOUTH Western Railway has recovered £3.4 million of taxpayer money in 2024 due to its revenue protection policies.
• Wales' First Public Transport Summit 'Will Bring Together Drivers of Economic Growth'Wales' first Public Transport Summit will bring together 'those who drive economic growth and those who can provide the infrastructure to enable economic growth', Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has said.
• Port of Antwerp-Bruges Launches Europe’s First Electric TugboatThe Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium has launched the Volta 1, Europe's first fully electric tugboat.The tugboat follows previous world firsts such as the Hydrotug (hydrogen-driven) and the Methatug (methanol-driven).The Volta 1 is a Reversed…