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

Saturday, 07 June 2025

BBC News

• In pictures: India opens world's highest single-arch railway bridge in KashmirIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the world's highest single- arch railway bridge in Indian-administered Kashmir. The term "single-arch bridge" typically refers to a bridge with a single, continuous arch spanning between two supports.
• Rail services to trial digital ticketingThe government is to trial digital ticketing for rail services in parts of Yorkshire from the autumn.
• Railway rollouts 36 new trains on commuter lineThe first rollout of 36 new trains on a commuter line will make a "massive difference" to travellers, a rail operator has said.
• Translink moves some bus services to Grand Central StationDownpatrick, Newcastle and Ballynahinch bus services will operate from Belfast from July.
• Tram-train will link 'forgotten' towns says mayorAndy Burnham says proposals to link Leigh and Bolton to Metrolink will be revealed next month.
• London mayor urged to raise SUV parking feesLondon Assembly Members worry they damage roads, cause congestion and put other road users at risk.
• Bus drivers continue strike action over payThe ongoing industrial dispute involves Stagecoach depots in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan, and Kilmarnock.

Financial Times

• Titan: The OceanGate Disaster — a tale of hubris and serious mismanagementNetflix documentary offers enraging insight into the 2023 submersible implosion that killed all five passengers

The Guardian

• Almost a fifth of England's rural bus services disappeared in past five yearsSuch areas received about half the extra funding per capita than urban areas, according to county council analysis

Wired Gov

• ORR review reveals urgent need for reform in rail fare enforcementThe rail regulator (the Office of Rail and Road) is recommending improvements to how the rail industry handles revenue protection, making it more consistent, fairer and effective after concerns were raised about how rules are enforced.

Birmingham Mail

• Full M6 diversion map ahead of HS2 closure this weekendA diversion route has been issue for M6 drivers ahead of closures around the motorway this weekend
• Residents of Birmingham street where cars banned for kids to play say 'make it permanent'The road, near a city primary school, was temporarily closed down to all forms of traffic

Birmingham Post

• Tram-train plan to connect Bolton, Leigh and Atherton to MetrolinkAndy Burnham said plans are set to be published next month
• The Cliff Railway in Aberystwyth on track for a bumper summer season following loan dealIt has secured a loan of £150,000 from the Development Bank of Wales
• Major step forward for £140m Cardiff Central station revampCardiff Council's planning committee has granted prior approval for the project, which will see major changes to the city's railway station

Manchester Evening News

• Andy Burnham slams Northern after rail firm says 'not a priority' to stop using fax machinesThe train operator says switching to more modern tech is 'not a priority'

Northern Echo

• County Durham MP hopeful of A66 upgrade ahead of key Government speechA County Durham MP said he remains hopeful a project to upgrade and dual the A66 will go ahead.

Wales Online

• The £6bn rail line argument that masks what you should be really angry aboutWelsh politics is obsessed with a rail line in England that means both everything and nothing

Oxford Mail

• Bus Group supports plans to tackle Oxford traffic woesOxford Bus Group has welcomed Oxfordshire County Council's announcement that it would develop plans to tackle congestion and say that the city's traffic is having a 'devastating impact'.

South Wales Argus

• Hereford and Cwmbran could get new London rail serviceFirstGroup is hoping to launch a new open access rail service which would go via Cwmbran.

Other Regional Press

• Rail campaigners still hopeful of opening line through Ashby - despite funding for Nottingham and DerbyRail campaigners pushing for the re-opening of the Ivanhoe Line through Ashby remain hopeful that the project could still have a future.
• Dales rail service celebrates successful first yearA rail service that has brought more than 2,500 passengers into the Yorkshire Dales is celebrating a successful first year of operation.
• Stagecoach West to run shuttle buses to major events this summerStagecoach West will run shuttle bus services to a number of major events across the west of England this summer.
• 'What's not to like?': £1bn transport cash funding prompts praise and Teesside Airport station questionsChancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that the Tees Valley will receive nearly £1 billion in transport funding

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Now more than 2,00 zero-emission buses in LondonThere are now more than 2,000 zero-emission buses on London's streets. This means two in every nine of London's world-famous red buses have now gone green, which is more than 20% of the entire bus fleet, increasing from 30 in 2016.

Rail Business Daily

• Network Rail Consulting announces leadership transition for Global Technical Director roleMike Gallop has stepped into the role as Network Rail Consulting's (NRC) Global Technical Director and Regional Director, Middle East, replacing Barny Daley.

Railnews

• FirstGroup unveils new open access bidFirstGroup has applied for an open access licence to run trains between London and Hereford.

Railtech

• 'Two months to act': SNCF boss urges immediate €1bn rail boost to avoid 'irreversible' German-style collapse'We are at tipping point' Concretely, we have two months to find a solution. That's the message from Jean-Pierre Farandou, the president of the SNCF, who warns that the French state-backed rail company must secure an additional one billion euros per year for infrastructure or face a serious German-style breakdown: 'If we don't decide now, it will be irreversible.

Railway Gazette

• Bristol light rail 'on the table' as WECA gets £750m in transport fundingUK: Mass transit in Bristol 'is on the table', newly appointed West of England Mayor Helen Godwin said on June 4 as she welcomed receiving a share of the £15.6bn in transport capital investment funding announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on the same day.

Railway Supply

• New Opportunities Emerging for Cross-Channel Rail Services AccessThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) contacted Eurostar and other applicants to request full operational plans. The depot plays a vital role in enabling international services between the UK and mainland Europe.

Other News Sources

• How remembering railway accidents from 100 years ago can make the industry safer todayAccording to a recent report, the UK rail industry is a relatively safe environment for both passengers and workers. The findings, from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, came from data on railway accidents for 2024.
• Barry Rail Depot Restored in Transport UpgradePassenger train drivers are once again based in Barry for the first time since the 1990s after work was completed on the depot there.
• Momentum builds for direct Shropshire-London rail link with Transport for Wales supportThe campaign to reinstate a direct rail link between Shropshire and London has gained significant momentum, with Transport for Wales (TfW) officially backing the proposal put forth by Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR).
• Taxi firm 'appalled' at decision to hike licence fees to plug council costsConcerns have been raised after taxi licensing fees in Chichester were raised.