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

Friday, 13 June 2025

BBC News

• Tunnel reopens to walkers for 60th anniversaryAn East Sussex tunnel which was last used by passenger trains 60 years ago will be reopened to pedestrians for one weekend. Volunteers have spent thousands of hours restoring the 256 yard (242m) Heathfield Tunnel to open to the public on 13, 14 and 15 June from 10:00 to 17:00 BST.
• Unclear when reduced Sunday rail service will endA rail service says it is unclear when it will stop a reduced Sunday service it has been running since late last year. Northern has been running fewer services in north-west England every Sunday since 22 December 2024, because it has not been able to find enough conductors to work those days.
• Trial journeys to be held for new rail systemAbout 2,000 people who take test journeys on a new "very light railway" (VLR) system in Coventry will be surveyed on their views about it.
• Train line fixes contactless overcharging errorA train company has apologised after some customers who made contactless payments were overcharged for up to four months.
• Cable theft causes major rail disruptionA cable theft caused major disruption to rail services in Yorkshire, National Rail said. The theft in the Wakefield Westgate area created a fault in the signalling system, temporarily closing all lines between the station to both Doncaster and Sheffield.
• Government funding a 'milestone' for rail projectMildands Rail Hub bosses say details are unclear but should be "celebrated".
• Swinney 'deeply concerned' over bus firm job cutsUp to 400 jobs are at risk at Falkirk and Larbert as the firm considers moving operations to Yorkshire.
• Ryanair to hand 'disruptive' passengers fines of £500The airline said it would also continue to take legal action against anyone who disrupts a flight.
• What does the Air India crash mean for Boeing?Until Thursday's tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner had an exemplary safety record.
• Global oil prices soar after Israel attacks IranThe cost of crude oil affects everything from the price of food at the supermarket to how much it costs to fill up your car.

Financial Times

• Germany puts rail first in £500bn investment spreeGermany plans to make its faulty railway network its first priority as it seeks to fast-track spending from its £500bn infrastructure fund...
• Air India crash casts shadow over Boeing recovery plansCause of incident involving 787-8 aircraft is unknown but could deal a blow to chief executive Kelly Ortberg’s strategy

The Guardian

• Dublin is the only large European capital without a metro: what would Leopold Bloom make of that? | Dermot HodsonIn James Joyce’s Ulysses, the city’s most famous fictional resident was as frustrated by its transport links in 1904 as many of us are todayIreland’s planning body, An Bord Pleanála, will determine later this year the fate of an ambitious proposal to build the country’s first underground railway. Residents of the Irish capital won’t be holding their breath, however. Since it was first proposed 25 years ago, MetroLink has been cancelled, revived and rebranded. The latest version of the plan, which involves just 18.8km of track, has been subject to delays, co...

Times Online

• Watch out, Superman! Real-life kryptonite to power electric cars [subscription]A rare mineral with a chemical composition very similar to the superhero's fictional nemesis has the potential to fuel a green transport revolution
• First Group ditches employee directors after pioneering the role [subscription]The transport company has had workers on its board since 1989, but has had a rethink after 'significant change' in the sector
• EV charger company Pod Point bought by EDF for £10m [subscription]The electric vehicle charger company's board approves offer from French energy group just four years after £352 million London float
• What is the safest seat on a plane? Airline safety questions answered [subscription]One passenger, a British man in 11A, survived the Air India crash. Are some seats safer than others?
• Flight 171 crash is worst aviation disaster for Britain since 9/11 [subscription]At least 52 Britons have been killed on an Air India flight to Gatwick

Mail Online

• How Boeing whistleblower died from 'self-inflicted gunshot wound' after raising safety fears at Dreamliner factoryJohn Barnett alleged that second-rate parts were removed from bins before being fitted to planes that were being built in order to prevent delays.

Network Rail

• Picture perfect Peak District viaduct to get 37.5m renewalAn iconic railway viaduct which is crucial to the Peak District quarrying industry is getting a multi-million-pound upgrade this summer.

Northern Echo

• Nissan workforce dedicates more than 3,000 hours to volunteeringEmployees at Nissan’s Sunderland plant have contributed over 3,000 volunteer hours in the past year through a company initiative that allows two paid days annually for charitable work.

The York Press

• York and North Yorkshire to lead national pilot on franchising rural bus servicesYork and North Yorkshire will be among the first places to take part in a pilot on franchising rural bus services.

Wales Online

• The five new railway stations being built in WalesThe stations are designed to stop overcrowding on the M4

Carlisle News & Star

• Update on proposed £1 billion A66 upgrade expected 'in due course'The Treasury has issued an update on the A66 improvement scheme after the project wasn't mentioned by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the government's spending review.

Other Regional Press

• Rail link could see Telford become 'hub for London capital' say Shropshire town firms backing proposalsA proposed rail link between Shropshire and London could lead to Telford becoming a regional hub for major London firms, according to town businesses.
• Landmark investment in Welsh rail praised by local politiciansThe UK Government's latest spending review promises a transformative investment in Welsh rail, aiming to improve public transport and boost the local economy.
• Government confirms £2.5 billion funding for line between Oxford and CambridgeThe government have confirmed £2.5 billion funding for continuing to deliver East West Rail, which would connect Oxford and Cambridge.
• £3m Newport Road transport corridor improvements approved despite concerns around consultationMiddlesbrough Councillor Jill Ewan said: ‘The Government could choose to spend it on something else that might be more effective than a £3m cycle lane that four people want’
• Extra £2.5billion boost for East West Rail welcomed by Milton Keynes MPsAn additional £2.5 billion for East West Rail announced in today's government Spending Review, has been welcomed by Milton Keynes MPs.
• A66: Scotch Corner to Penrith dualling project updateThe Treasury has issued an update on the £1.5bn A66 dualling scheme after the project wasn't mentioned by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the government's spending
• First Bus 'cannot' run services across Renfrew BridgeFirst Bus announced that it cannot run buses across the new Renfrew Bridge at present. The company stated that this is due to the 'unpredictability' of the crossing's closures.

Business Live

• Head of Lumo and Hull Trains steps down with immediate effectMartijn Gilbert is believed to have left to take a position at another transport company
• Ryanair to fine disruptive passengers £500 'minimum'The budget carrier is hoping the new policy will act as a deterrent to 'unacceptable behaviour'
• Opinion: Improved rail connectivity is the missing piece of the puzzle that could help the Northern economy to growStephen Cowperthwaite, from Avison Young UK, on Rachel Reeves' transport announcements and what must happen next
• Alexander Dennis seeks to ‘consolidate’ bus manufacturing in YorkshireThe switch of all production to Scarborough means the closure of a site in Falkirk with the likely loss of 400 jobs
• HS2 labour supplier acquires training companyGloucestershire-headquartered Hercules Site Services has snapped up a Lichfield company that helps people into employment
• Siemens Mobility boss calls on Government to step up train procurement to back its 'rail village'Sambit Banerjee stressed the investment that has gone into the firm's Goole facility, while giving evidence to MPs on the Transport Committee

Rail Business Daily

• Midlands Rail Hub funding announcementMidlands Rail Hub, a transformation rail scheme set to deliver improvements in connectivity for the Midlands, is a step closer to reality.
• First Rail's Open Access MD steps downMartijn Gilbert, Managing Director (MD) of FirstGroup's Open Access, Tram and Cable businesses, has stepped away from his position with immediate effect.

Rail Magazine

• Freightliner and Tarmac launch Freightliner and Tarmac have teamed up to start the first bulk service to benefit from Network Rail's Track Access Discount Scheme.

Rail UK

• Rail Industry Takes to the Trains to Prepare for Transformational TimetableColleagues from across the rail industry have joined together to focus on the East Coast Main Line ahead of the transformational December 2025 timetable change the biggest change in a generation.

Other News Sources

• JCB's World First in Hydrogen-Powered Vehicle TrialsLower Thames Crossing, National Highways, JCB, Gallagher Group and Ryze Power run UK's first hydrogen trial to cut carbon in major road construction
• FirstGroup scraps boardroom role it pioneeredTransport operator FirstGroup, which pioneereed worker representatives in the boardroom, will no longer have employee directors.