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

Thursday, 26 June 2025

BBC News

• Edinburgh and Prestwick criticised over airport disabled servicesTwo of Scotland's busiest airports have been criticised by the aviation regulator for services they provide to disabled passengers.
• No phone signal on your train? There may be a fix - by 2028Mobile phone blackspots will be eliminated on several major railway lines and train tunnels by 2028, the body which runs Britain's railway infrastructure has pledged.
• Rail track testing complex at former mine delayedA rail track testing facility set to bring thousands of jobs to an area of mid Wales is at least five years behind schedule, it has been revealed.

Department for Transport

• On track and online: landmark deal to end mobile dead zonesProject Reach deal signed to boost connectivity and remove mobile signal blackspots on the rail network.

Financial Times

• UK ministers line up £500mn transport package for Universal theme parkScale of support for Comcast attraction a sign of government’s desire to attract inward investment
• Eurostar cross-channel rail services delayed and cancelled after cable theftWednesday’s incident adds to delays caused after two people were struck by trains the previous day

The Guardian

• Shipping is one of the world’s dirtiest industries – could this invention finally clean up cargo fleets?Freighters emit more greenhouse gases than jets, but a tech startup believes a simple and effective technique can help the industry change course An industrial park alongside the River Lea in the London suburb of Chingford might not be the most obvious place for a quiet revolution to be taking place. But there, a team of entrepreneurs is tinkering with a modest looking steel container that could hold a solution to one of the world’s dirtiest industries.Inside it are thousands of cherry-sized pellets made from quicklime. At one end, a diesel generator pipes fumes through the lime, which s...

The Independent

• ‘Total chaos’ on Eurostar – but what are passengers’ rights between London and continental Europe?Mass cancellations on cross-Channel trains show how poorly rail travellers are protected compared with airline passengers
• New deal will end many mobile blackspots for rail passengers, Government claimsPassengers often suffer from dropped calls and weak internet connections when travelling by train.

Times Online

• Transport tech firm Zeelo raises $23m for US expansion [subscription]Company's fleet and route optimisation software handles 500,000 rides a month in the UK now it's looking at the potential of automonous vehicles in America
• Dream of car-free Berlin aims to end nightmare of gridlock [subscription]The highest court in Berlin has paved the way for a referendum on largely banning private cars from the city centre.
• Eurostar delays: trains to Paris cancelled after cables stolen [subscription]Eurostar trains were cancelled and severely delayed after more than 600m of cable was stolen from the high-speed line.
• Brussels may ban airlines from charging for carry-on luggage [subscription]As well as the one that goes under the seat, passengers should be allowed an extra bag up to a certain size without incurring a fee, say MEPs
• The joke is on Tesla as Skoda eclipses its electric car sales [subscription]Tesla's European sales fall for a fifth month in a row as consumers turn to cheaper rivals amid a backlash against Elon Musk

City AM

• Serco appoints new chair amid better than expected performance Serco has appointed Keith Williams as chair amid a period of strong growth boosted by government spending on defence and immigration. The Halfords chair will take over from John Rishton, who will have completed a nine-year tenure by the time he steps down in December. Williams said it was an “honour” to have been selected [...]

Daily Record

• Closure of Alexander Dennis will be ‘catastrophic’ for already struggling areaThe firm said earlier this month it could move its production from two sites in Larbert and Camelon to Scarborough, North Yorkshire in a bid to lower costs.

Network Rail

• Five things we're doing to keep you moving this summerThe mercury's rising and we're working hard behind the scenes to keep you moving safely and reliably.
• Major boost for rail passengers: Say 'goodbye' to mobile signal blackspots!Project Reach, a new ground-breaking partnership between Network Rail, Neos Networks and Freshwave, will see an end to the worst signal blackspots on the major rail arteries of Britain as the companies join forces to provide the biggest upgrade to Britain's rail telecoms infrastructure in decades, benefitting millions of rail passengers, establishing the beginnings of a new high-capacity telecoms infrastructure for Great British Railways to take forward and build upon, and supporting the digital ambitions of the nation's businesses.

Birmingham Post

• Wizz Air chief executive's salary hits £3.2m despite facing profit challengesWizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi took home a pay packet of €3.8m (£3.2m) for the airline's year to 31 March, 2025, according to its annual report

Bristol Live

• easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air hand luggage rules could change for all passengersThe EU Parliament's transport committee has voted for new rules to ban charging for carry-on bags

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Scrapping roads plan slammed as critic says 'offering false hopes is not fair'Speed limits in the area have been a hot topic of debate among North Wales Live readers

Liverpool Echo

• easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air hand luggage rules could change for all passengersThe EU Parliament's transport committee has voted for new rules to ban charging for carry-on bags

Wales Online

• Holyhead Port reopening delayed as Stena Line says it is 'disappointed'It has apologised to its customers
• More than 200,000 potholes to be filled on Wales worst and busiest roadsWork is now progressing on the A458 in Conwy County, making it one of the first major roads to benefit

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: business leaders urge mayor to go faster with reopeningDoncaster Chamber of Commerce has urged Oliver Coppard to speed up his decision on reopening the airport, saying: "The risks of prolonged delay and indecision are far greater than the risks of proceeding at pace."

Other Regional Press

• Swindon's Bus Company wins Cirencester College contractSwindon's Bus Company and Pulhams Coaches have secured a five-year contract to provide dedicated transport for Cirencester College students, beginning in September 2025.
• £2 bus fare remains across Telford & Wrekin Council bus servicesTelford & Wrekin Council is keeping council-run bus fares at just £2 for adults and £1 for children, which comes as the Government extends the national £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.
• Priorities identified as regional transport plan considered for approvalEnsuring buses and trains provide a practical and affordable alternative to travelling by car is a key priority for the South West Wales regional transport plan.
• New 40mph and 50mph speed limits on A-roadNew 40mph and 50mph speed limits on a stretch of the A420 near Appleton between Oxford and Swindon have been approved by Oxfordshire County Council.
• Raised crossings for walking and cycling for two major Oxford roads approvedPlans for raised crossings on Banbury Road and Iffley Road, Oxford, have been approved by Oxfordshire County Council.
• Record year for drivers caught in bus lanes with huge £11.5m incomeDrivers have been hit with more than £11million worth of fines for driving in Oxfordshire bus lanes over the past decade amid a record year for 2024/25.

New Civil Engineer

• What are the pathways to greater steel reuse in bridges?Progress in understanding steel reuse in infrastructure is being forged with the publication of the Steel Reuse in Bridges report.

Rail Business Daily

• GB Railfreight helps Heidelberg Materials to reopen Horton Quarry rail link after 60 yearsGB Railfreight has announced that it has operated the first freight train into Horton Quarry in Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire, marking the first rail movement into the site since 1965. The Quarry is owned by Heidelberg Materials UK, and has produced limestone and high-quality gritstone for road and runway surfacing since 1889.
• Avanti West Coast launches new programme to inspire young people to take up a career in railAvanti West Coast has launched a new school trip programme, which it says will help to educate young people about the railway and the career opportunities within the industry.
• Focus on rolling stock: Latest issue of Rail Director goes liveThis month's issue focuses on rolling stock, and includes the first joint interview with Alstom's Rob Whyte and Andy Butters since they were appointed as Managing Director, UK & Ireland, and Managing Director Rolling Stock and Components UK and Ireland respectively.
• New patrollers enhance safety and wellbeing on Scotland's RailwayA new team of safeguarding patrollers is being deployed across central Scotland to improve safety, support vulnerable individuals, and promote wellbeing at stations where it's needed most.

Rail Magazine

• Quarry's Settle-Carlisle rail link reinstated after 60 years as freight trains to site resumeA rail link on the Settle-Carlisle has been reinstated after a gap of 60 years. Heidelberg Materials has reinstated the link to its Horton Quarry at Horton-in-Ribblesdale station on June 17. The previous rail siding was removed in 1965.

Railnews

• First pictures of Railway 200 exhibition train EXCLUSIVE: The first pictures of the Railway 200 exhibition train are being published by Railnews today, ahead of a formal media launch in London tomorrow.

Railway Gazette

• Hyundai Rotem shows off urban rail vehicles for three citiesSOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Rotem has unveiled light rail, metro and suburban rail cars for Canada, Taiwan and its home market at the RailLog Korea trade show in Busan.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Future of coach and bus to be explored at September conferenceOpportunities for coach and bus operators amid a changing industry landscape and greater political interest in the sector will be central to a free-to-attend conference by Backhouse Jones and the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) in Leeds on 16 September.

Other News Sources

• FinSec underlines 'limited' role for PPPThe UK's Chief Financial Secretary to the Treasury has insisted that the government intends to use PPPs in a 'very limited way' as part of its infrastructure strategy.
• Hull infrastructure investment plan approved by City Council... The government's Structures Fund was announced earlier this month, with a pledge to put £1bn towards infrastructure, including another investment into the Lower Thames Crossing worth £590m.
• East West Rail promises to put inclusivity first as project progressesMembers of the Accessibility Advisory Panel have already issued feedback on inclusive access at three stations
• Southern Rail driver training school rated Good by OfstedSouthern Rail's driver training apprenticeship school has been rated Outstanding in a recent Ofsted Inspection.