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

Wednesday, 25 June 2025

BBC News

• Report highlights poor rural bus servicesA bus franchising model could be used to improve the public transport network in rural North Yorkshire, according to a new report.
• Railway station revitalisation is celebratedLocal residents and dignitaries celebrated the revitalisation of a railway station forecourt at a ceremony on Friday.
• US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxisVideos posted online appear to show the newly launched self-driving cars speeding and driving in the wrong lane.
• A47 dig artefacts to be displayed at Norfolk ShowNational Highways is upgrading the A47 between North Tuddenham and Easton, to the west of Norwich, to a dual carriageway. During excavations, construction workers found remains of "deserted medieval settlements and ancient spearheads", the government agency said.

Financial Times

• Air India crash tests Modi’s ambition to get country flyingHuge expansion of airports and infrastructure has created need for stronger oversight and more staff, analysts say

The Guardian

• UK can reach net zero by 2050, climate report findsClimate Change Committee says current targets could be met provided country takes ‘steps forward’ to achieve them. The UK can reach its net zero targets for 2050, and its interim carbon budgets for 2030 and beyond, the government’s statutory climate advisers have reported, in an unusual vote of confidence in green policy.
• Noise pollution harms health of millions across Europe, report findsAbout 110 million people suffer stress and sleep disturbance that lead to tens of thousands of early deathsMore than 110 million people across Europe suffer high levels of health-damaging noise pollution, according to a report. The resulting physiological stress and sleep disturbance leads to 66,000 early deaths a year and many cases of heart disease, diabetes and depression.The report, from the European Environment Agency (EEA), focuses on noise from cars, trains and aeroplanes and found that 20% of the population of the European Economic Area (EEA) were affected.

City AM

• Driverless taxis will make black cabs extinct – and that’s no bad thing The imminent advent of ‘robo taxis’ may well be the final nail in the coffin of the London cab trade, suggests James Ford By all accounts, a London cabbie’s lot is not a happy one. You may get to drive around the capital in one of the great transport icons

Network Rail

• We're working with industry partners including Department for Transport and local train operators to improve your journeys in West Yorkshire.We're upgrading and expanding the railway surrounding Leeds City station so we can give you better and more frequent trains in the city and beyond.
• Network Rail award new five-year rail supply contractsNetwork Rail has today concluded its new rail supply contracts for the provision of almost 450,000 tonnes of rail for the five years to 2030. The contracts have been awarded to British Steel, Saarstahl Rail and Voestalpine, with Arcelor Mittal also able to supply on an ad-hoc basis.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham Airport gets 12 month extension after High Court told 'that is why chaos erupts'Extension for injunctions to prevent environmental protesters trespassing at airports across England - including Birmingham

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Introducing graduated driving licences would help to save lives'West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has joined with victims' families to call for the introduction of graduated driving licences.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• 'Traffic ruining people’s day to day life and Welsh Government should fund solution' Plaid MS furious that Welsh Government aren't guaranteeing funds for scheme it backed and then scrapped in roads review

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport has High Court injunctions continued to bar climate protester 'chaos'Last year, a number of UK airports sought court protection from climate protests by groups including Just Stop Oil

Northern Echo

• 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway marked in new displayBishop Auckland’s Mining Art Gallery is launching the 'Fuelling the Railway Revolution' exhibition to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, highlighting the historical connection between mining and the railway industry.

Wales Online

• Free bus scheme returns to Swansea for the summerThere will be 15 days free travel will be up for grabs between July 19 and August 31

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 50mph speed limit on Bewdley bypass to be made permanent after public backingThe 50mph speed limit on Bewdley Bypass will become permanent from next month after winning public backing.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Northern trains: Leeds operator to offer over 5,000 extra seats a day on Ilkley, Skipton and Bradford servicesNorthern passengers will be provided with thousands of extra seats on key routes in Leeds.

South Wales Argus

• Calls for transparency over Cardiff Airport's £400m fundingA Member of the Senedd has called for more transparency regarding hundreds of millions of pounds of funding for Cardiff Airport.

Other Regional Press

• Abandoned UK airport to reopen with cheap Ryanair and easyJet flights to EuropeManston Airport in Kent, a former Royal Air Force base, has been closed for a decade and is currently undergoing a £500 million refurbishment, with the hope of reopening in 2028
• Robin Hood Airport could reopen by spring 2026 under plansAn airport formerly known as Robin Hood Airport just over the Nottinghamshire border could reopen as soon as next spring if plans move forward.
• Southend Airport is 'fastest-growing' as passenger numbers doubleSouthend Airport has seen passenger numbers more than double in the first four months of 2025.
• New road opens as part of £1billion Black Cat upgradeIn the latest stage of the £1 billion improvements between the Black Cat roundabout and Caxton Gibbet, a new road opened
• Southampton Airport looking to get ‘back into profit’ after making losses since 2019Southampton Airport is hoping increased parking fees - and several other schemes - will get the airport “back into profit” after making losses since 2019
• Rise in drivers holding onto older cars due to rising costsMore drivers holding on to older vehicles amid rising costs and limited supply.
• First Bus offering free trips to Armed Forces members and veterans this weekendHere is how veterans, cadets and serving members of the UK's Armed Forces can get free bus travel this weekend.

Train Operators

• LNER Gives Behind the Scenes Look Into Crucial Role Keeping Railway RunningTo mark International Women in Engineering Day (23 June 2025), LNER is sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a day in the life of one of its engineering team.
• Northern throws open the doors to Heaton TrainCare Centre to celebrate 150 year anniversaryThousands of visitors are expected to join the operator for a rare chance to look behind the scenes at one of Britain's longest-serving rail depots.
• Passengers provided with thousands of extra seats on busy Yorkshire routesNorthern passengers will be provided with thousands of extra seats on busy routes in Yorkshire.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Labour's transport spending plans revealed - in part S3 Ep16In the midst of a flurry of UK Government transport funding and policy announcements, Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker examine: the current status of Britain's high speed railway project, HS2 [2:25]; just how realistic are expectations for driverless cars [14:40]; and which schemes are so far known to be on the receiving end of Ministers' chequebooks [23:30]. Christian also reflects on the progress of his original idea to pedestrianise London's famous Oxford Street [46:40].

Rail Advent

• Funding secured for London railway stationThe station at Pontoon Dock on London's Docklands Light Railway (DLR) system has received funding to make the station less congested at peak times and fit for the future.

Rail Engineer

• Glenfinnan Viaduct restored for future generationsThe iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands, made famous worldwide by the Harry Potter films, has undergone an extensive, £3.4 million maintenance programme to safeguard its future for generations to come.
• GBR needs an engineering strategyThe creation of Great British Railways (GBR) to eliminate industry fragmentation by bringing track and train together has been universally welcomed. Yet it is taking some time to achieve this. Following problems implementing the 2018 timetable, Keith Williams was tasked with recommending a new industry structure.

Rail Magazine

• Docklands Light Railway rolling stock issues explained ahead of reduced timetableLondon's Docklands Light Railway has been forced to cancel some of its services from July 21 because some of its current train sets are no longer fit for use and are to be scrapped.
• Delay in East Midlands Railway Class 810 delivery could affect other operatorsEast Midlands Railway has confirmed industry speculation that the entry into traffic of its new Hitachi AT300 Class 810 Aurora five-car bi-mode units could be delayed.

Railnews

• Politicians call for urgent Northern Powerhouse Rail plan Transport for the North says it is ‘adamant’ that a plan to complete Northern Powerhouse Rail is needed now. A meeting of the TfN Board in Liverpool yesterday welcomed the latest announcements of transport investment in North of England cities but called for more, saying that further spending should include rural and coastal areas.

Railway Gazette

• South Eastern Railway brings operations and infrastructure together as Hendy dismisses alliance modelUK: Train operator Southeastern and Network Rail's Kent Route have been brought together under a unified management team branded South Eastern Railway.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Bus franchising contracts in Wales set to be sized from two vehiclesMove is expected to protect SME interests, with small awards unlikely to interest large bidders

The Business Desk

• Thousands of extra seats to be provided on region's busiest rail routesTrain operator Northern has promised passengers thousands of extra seats on busy routes in Yorkshire. It will begin introducing more six-carriage services between Leeds, Ilkley, Skipton and Bradford Forster Square this week, providing more than 5,400 extra seats a day for customers on week days and Saturdays.

RMT

• Unions call for public ownership of MerseyRailRail unions, RMT, Aslef and TSSA have written a joint letter to Liverpool City Region transport committee and Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham, urging public ownership of MerseyRail.

Other News Sources

• Ceres Joins Global Hydrogen Council to Accelerate Clean Energy TransitionHorsham, UK - Ceres, a global leader in clean energy technology, is proud to announce its acceptance as a member of the Hydrogen Council, the global CEO-led initiative of leading energy, transport, and industry companies working to position hydrogen as a key solution to the global energy transition.
• Southampton Airport looking to get ‘back into profit’ after making losses since 2019Southampton Airport is hoping increased parking fees - and several other schemes - will get the airport “back into profit” after making losses since 2019

News from Europe

• Aircraft and transport. European Parliament revolutionizes passenger rights regulationsStop extra fees for carry-on luggage, rapid refunds with increased protections, also for integrated travel solutions
• The hydrogen-innovation engine in rail transport is now running – Poland is leading the chargeJust a decade ago, Poland was mainly associated with refurbishing ageing diesel locomotives; today it is emerging as Europe’s centre of competence for hydrogen rail transport.