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

Thursday, 22 May 2025

BBC News

• Rail network adds defibrillators to all platformsA rail operator has installed "easy-to-use" defibrillators at all of its stations. c2c has 26 stations across South Essex and London, which run between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness.
• Consultation over fee for special needs transportParents and carers are being consulted over a proposal to impose a fee for transporting older students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Wolverhampton.
• Crashes on 20mph and 30mph roads at 'record low'New data reveals casualties were at a record low in 2024, despite plans to change some speed limits.
• Electric plane tech centre to be built near Glasgow AirportUS start-up ZeroAvia says 350 jobs could be created at new centre to develop hydrogen fuel cells for planes.

Financial Times

• US accepts $400mn Qatari jet to be used as Air Force OneRepublican and Democratic lawmakers have voiced concerns about ethics and security around such a gift
• Depot clashes and red tape: Eurostar rivals hit delaysFinancing, regulation and different rail systems mean potential competitors are years away from launching services

The Guardian

• UK-wide parking app to be rolled out by industry bodies after pilot schemeNational Parking Platform, where motorists can pay for all parking on single app, to launch ‘as soon as possible’For motorists fed up with having to wrestle with a phone full of apps to pay for parking their car, relief could finally be in sight with a unified app.Lengthy delays have dogged a government-funded initiative, the National Parking Platform (NPP), designed to let people use one app to pay for all their parking instead of having to sign up to a plethora of services.

The Telegraph

• Why pilots fear that aeroplanes will be the next target of cyber hackers [subscription]Aviators say a vital traffic-avoidance computer is vulnerable to attack and could cause a devastating crash

Times Online

• Infrastructure requires long-term thinking to escape Groundhog Day [subscription]In June the government is due to publish a ten-year infrastructure strategy with the aim of transforming Britain's transport, energy and social infrastructure and boosting the broader economy. There is a distinct air of Groundhog Day about it.
• Is it worth buying shares in Mobico right now? [subscription]An investment in public transport does not come without risk, but the shares appear oversold as Phil White returns to the business he built

Mail Online

• Is this the future of travel? Low cost airlines could launch standing only seats as early as next yearIt's a money-saving move to that's sure to divide holidaymakers - but several budget airlines are reportedly set to introduce standing-only seating options, potentially as early as next year.

The Mirror

• Train firms need to 'earn the right' to carry Great British Railways rebrandingThe Government is set to mark an important milestone in rail renationalisation plans when South Western Railways is brought back into public ownership as a new-look design for trains is revealed

Birmingham Post

• Uber set to launch new train service that will take on EurostarUber will offer passengers the chance to book tickets via its app and the ride-hailer's name will be emblazoned on the side of Gemini's new trains
• Gloucestershire Airport bidders 'have investment plans' to secure aviationA decision on the sale of the site, which has a guide price of £25,000,000, is expected at an extraordinary meeting on June 26

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Women in Bradford gain skills and jobs through First Bus schemeFirst Bus has partnered with WomenZone, a Bradford-based charity, to empower women from ethnic minority backgrounds by enhancing their career confidence.
• Women in Bradford gain skills and jobs through First Bus schemeFirst Bus has partnered with WomenZone, a Bradford-based charity, to empower women from ethnic minority backgrounds by enhancing their career confidence.

Bristol Live

• 'Hidden' airline fees could add £200 to your flight cost, report revealsA damning new report has revealed the staggering number of 'hidden' charges that can be added to the cost of your flight with some of the UK's most popular airlines

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 10mph speed limit on some roads is 'interesting' idea says Welsh Government ministerCampaigners suggested 20mph limits might be needed on country roads to reduce casualty rates
• Roads become first 20mph routes in North Wales to revert to 30mphTwo roads have now changed back to 30mph - hundreds more will follow
• Massive hike in speeding fines as tourist season kicks off 'get 3 points as a souvenir'The number of speeding fines handed out on 20mph roads in North Wales has been revealed

Yorkshire Post

• Shame on North Yorkshire Council as it sticks to controversial home-to-school transport policyNo one denies that councils are under enormous fiscal pressure with local authorities looking to find savings wherever possible. But the decision to balance those fiscal pressures on the backs of school children and their parents will be remembered for generations to come.

Other Regional Press

• Shrewsbury MP urges Prime Minister to back direct rail link to LondonJulia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, has made a direct appeal to the Prime Minister, urging support for the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) open access application.
• New beach bus service to launch from Kent town this weekendA summer season bus service set to whisk passengers to a bustling seaside village will launch this weekend.

New Civil Engineer

• Sector leaders call for focus on local public transport ahead of spending reviewThe government is facing calls to prioritise funding for local public transport in its upcoming Spending Review.

Rail Business Daily

• £1.8m to back cutting-edge transport innovationsConnected Places Catapult, the UK's innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth, has announced that applications are open for the latest Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme which will award up to 40 projects up to £45k each.

Rail Magazine

• Welsh Government set to unveil Network North Wales plans including new servicesThe Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, is expected to unveil an ambitious long-term vision for public transport in North Wales at Wales' first ever Public Transport Summit later today (May 22).
• GB Railfreight planning to repurpose at least 12 more Class 66s for heavy trainloadsGB Railfreight is planning to regear at least a dozen more of its Class 66s for heavy trainload work, reducing their speed.
• East Midlands Railway agrees short-term rest day driver agreement after series of Sunday cancellationsDrivers' union ASLEF has signed a temporary new rest day working agreement with East Midlands Railway (EMR) two months after the previous arrangement ended, leading to numerous cancellations.

Railnews

• Uber set to lend its brand to Channel Tunnel trains A train operator planning to run services through the Channel Tunnel has signed a branding partnership with Uber.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Nottingham City Transport orders Wrightbus StreetDeck UltrolinersSix buses are for delivery in autumn 2025 and will be used on Pathfinder 26 route to Southwell

Urban Transport Group

• The pathway to a brighter transport future [Urban Transport Group - Report]In September 20241, shortly after the new Government was elected, we started on a journey to map out a 'Pathway to a brighter transport future' , a new series of reports building up to this year's multi-year Spending Review.

Aviation Industry

• Is there a hole in the UK's sustainable aviation fuel supply?The Government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate came into effect at the start of this year, enforcing a steadily increasing amount of SAF in the overall UK aviation fuel mix.

Other News Sources

• Low-Cost Airlines to launch standing-only seats in 2026If you've ever grumbled about sky-high air fares, get ready for a whole new level of frugality plus a bit of leg work.
• 'Standstill traffic' warning as 10 weeks of roadworks coming for A49CONCERNS have been raised over a ten-week bout of roadworks, which a councillor says will leave the city at an "inevitable" standstill.

News from Europe

• Here's what it might be like to travel on a stand-up airplane seatPerched on a bicycle-like seat, my back's pushed upright and my legs just about fit in the space in front of me.