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

Monday, 16 June 2025

BBC News

• Bikes abandoned at station to be refurbishedBicycles abandoned at a railway station in Hull have been given to a charity to be recycled and reused.
• Why is it taking so long to improve Ely North junction?There are dozens of rail schemes waiting for government funding but few have had their hopes raised and then dashed as often as Ely North junction.
• Council boss slams government over rail link refusalA council leader has said the government was "really short-sighted" for not approving a link to connect the East West Rail route with Aylesbury.
• UK's largest road tunnel project awarded £590mA project to build the UK's largest road tunnel has been granted £590m by the government. Constructing the Lower Thames Crossing, linking Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent, will cost an estimated £10bn.
• Cycle route opening spells end of roadworks 'chaos'Works in the city have been ongoing since 2023 to increase the number of people cycling and walking.
• HS2 reports subcontractor over alleged fraudThe firm managing the giant rail project has shared whistleblower allegations with HMRC.

Department for Transport

• ?1 billion backed renewal of broken bridges, ruined roads and tired tunnels and new Thames Crossing cashChancellor spends ?1 billion to enhance and repair run down transport infrastructure and futureproof England?s road network.

Financial Times

• Reeves to set out 10-year UK infrastructure plan Strategy will start with programme to repair crumbling bridges, flyovers and tunnels
• American travel demand declines as US consumers cut costsTravellers pare back holiday plans amid economic uncertainty

The Guardian

• UK government pledges further £590m for delayed Lower Thames CrossingRachel Reeves calls Britain’s biggest road-building project a ‘turning point for our national infrastructure’The government has pledged a further £590m towards Britain’s biggest road-building project, the controversial and long-delayed Lower Thames Crossing. In March, the transport secretary gave formal approval to the new road tunnel under the Thames joining Essex and Kent. The £9.2bn project will comprise more than 14 miles of roads including the 2.6-mile crossing near Thurrock, Essex.

The Independent

• HS2 reports subcontractor to HMRC after alleged fraudThis comes after a whistleblower threw a spotlight on two firms working on the the West Midlands section of the high-speed line.
• Ministers pledge another £590m for Lower Thames CrossingThe Lower Thames Crossing is aimed at reducing congestion on the Dartford Crossing, with a new motorway-style road.

The Telegraph

• Trans police officers blocked from strip-searching biological women [subscription]Reversal seen as victory by campaigners after forces accused of lack of urgency on issue
• What Sadiq Khan can learn from the city that crushed fare evasion [subscription]New fare gates and greater police powers have raised revenues on Washington's public transport system

Times Online

• UK's largest bioethanol plant faces closure after US trade deal... Following a meeting last week with Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, and Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, the company said that unless the government presented plans to save the industry within two weeks, it would open consultations about making the plant's 160 workers redundant, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the news. Vivergo supports a further 5,000 jobs through downstream supply chains.

Birmingham Mail

• West Midlands transport to be transformed with £2.4bn on rail, bus and tramsWest Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has said that "big improvements" will be seen in the transport systems across the whole region as a result of a £2.4 billion war chest

Birmingham Post

• Plans for new service station on the M4 in South WalesA planning application from Draycott Group has been submitted to Bridgend County Borough Council

London Evening Standard

• Minister in 'Dartmouth Tunnel' blunder as she announces another £590m for Lower Thames CrossingThe Lower Thames Crossing aims to cut congestion at the Dartford Tunnel
• Ministers pledge another £590m for Lower Thames CrossingThe Lower Thames Crossing is aimed at reducing congestion on the Dartford Crossing, with a new motorway-style road.

Nation. Cymru

• Ministers to unveil 10-year plan to overhaul infrastructureThe Treasury has promised hundreds of billions over the next decade for projects such as roads, railways and homes.

Wales Online

• First Minister Eluned Morgan says rail funding for Wales is 'a sea change from where we've been''We would have been £6 billion worse of. This makes up £5 billion better off'

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 'Railway and cycle lane roadworks are costing us trade' say struggling Willenhall businessesBusinesses in Willenhall town centre say roadworks and bus diversions on two main roads have put off shoppers, resulting in a dip in trade.
• Ministers pledge another £590m for Lower Thames CrossingThe Lower Thames Crossing is aimed at reducing congestion on the Dartford Crossing, with a new motorway-style road.

Other Regional Press

• Lower Thames Crossing budget to go up with sudden ?590m investmentHalf a billion pounds has been pledged for the Lower Thames Crossing as part of a 10-year Government plan for infrastructure. A further ?590 million will go towards the road crossing that will link Essex and Kent.
• More than 17,000 ScotRail trains cancelled last yearMore than 17,000 ScotRail trains were cancelled in the last year, a freedom of information request has found.
• Major transport schemes could transform Somerset by 2050Somerset could get safer roads, more trains and better links
• Listed consent requested for changes to help disabled passengers at Shrewsbury Railway StationNetwork Rail is planning to improve facilities for passengers with disabilities at Shrewsbury Railway Station.
• Train station to get refurb instead of £3.6m rebuildA Staffordshire railway station will be refurbished - instead of rebuilt - due to a lack of funds, council leaders say. Kidgrove's Town Deal from the government included £3.69 million for a major overhaul of the town's station to make it 'fit for purpose for 21st century commuter expectations'.
• Campaigners urge full steam ahead on new county rail stationCONFIRMATION the UK Government will provide funds for five new railway stations around Newport has prompted calls for Magor in Monmouthshire to be at the front of the queue.

Business Live

• Opinion: What a new Liverpool-Manchester railway line could mean for North West SMEsAlex White of Xeinadin says the Chancellor's spending review plans could boost local firms of all sizes

Rail Advent

• £1.5m paint project completed at Greater Anglia railway stationsA £1.5m project to paint 35 railway stations on the Anglia network has been completed by Greater Anglia.

Rail Magazine

• Siemens Mobility CEO: Rolling Stock Strategy needs to come quicklyThe recently announced 10-year infrastructure strategy should have rolling stock at its heart according to leaders from both Siemens Mobility and Alstom.
• Could QuikDeck Revolutionise Future Work on the Iconic Forth Rail Bridge?During past work on the bridge, Brand Access Solutions provided traditional access solutions, including scaffold towers, fixed platforms, and rope access. These methods were essential to safely navigate the complex structure, meet heritage protection standards, and avoid disruption to rail traffic.
• Network Rail to compensate Botley Road residentsNetwork Rail will pay up to £850,000 to compensate businesses disrupted by the prolonged closure of the main road next to Oxford station.

Railway Gazette

• Trainline launches AI assistantUK: Third-party ticket retailer Trainline has rolled out an AI-based assistance tool in its app.

Railway-News

• SYSTRA to Support New High-Speed Rail Line in South-West FranceSYSTRA France has been appointed by SNCF Réseau to provide general and technical project management assistance for the New South-West Line (Ligne Nouvelle Sud-Ouest, LNSO), a major high-speed rail development linking Bordeaux with Toulouse and Dax.

Other News Sources

• £1bn backed renewal of broken bridges, ruined roads and tired tunnels and new Thames Crossing cashDrivers across the UK will benefit from major investments to improve vital road structures, alongside committing cash to finally deliver a new Thames Crossing, working with the private sector.