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

Monday, 07 July 2025

BBC News

• CalMac bid to reclaim costs for fault-prone Arran ferryFerry operator CalMac is trying to recover millions of pounds of repair costs for a ship that has been out of action for 18 months - and is still not fixed.
• Rural bus route cost £180 per passenger to runAn authority is looking into reasons why a rural bus route cost £180.32 per passenger to run last year.
• Watchdog flags crossing risk after Metro crashA rail watchdog has highlighted the risk pedestrians face at some level crossings after a person was hit by a Metro train.
• Rail users warned of delays as flood work beginsRail passengers are being urged to plan ahead as the latest stage of flood prevention work begins between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
• Motorway 50mph speed limits set to be removedThe 50mph zones were implemented in 2023 due to bridge replacement works.
• Eurostar train evacuated during nine-hour delay in northern FranceThe rail operator has apologised after passengers were stuck on the London-bound train that broke down near Calais.

STV

• More than 10,000 ferry sailings cancelled due to faultsMore than 10,000 CalMac ferry sailings have been cancelled due to technical faults since 2023, the Scottish Lib Dems have said.

The Guardian

• UK airport staff get bonuses for spotting easyJet oversize bags, email showsSwissport staff at seven airports in UK and Channel Islands eligible for £1.20-a-bag payment through incentive scheme. Airport staff are earning cash bonuses for every easyJet passenger they spot travelling with an oversized bag, according to a leaked email.Staff at Swissport, an aviation company that operates passenger gates at airports, are “eligible to receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every gate bag taken”, according to the message sent to staff at seven airports in the UK and the Channel Islands, including Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey and Newcastle.
• Britons lacking good public transport more likely to feel lonely, UK study findsResearch finds correlation between car dependency and loneliness, particularly in rural towns

The Independent

• Eurostar chaos as passengers complain of ‘slowly boiling alive’ on halted trainCustomers described being stranded on board train with no working toilets or air conditioning

The Scotsman

• How transport will boost Scotland's GDP - and is changing under a SNP GovernmentSince becoming Cabinet Secretary for Transport, seeing first hand the impact transport has on the people of Scotland has been revelatory.

Times Online

• P&O Ferries scraps Teesside to Zeebrugge service after 30 years [subscription]Dubai-owned ferry company is consolidating its business down to three routes having once been one of the UK's biggest operators
• Labour considers fast-tracking approval of big projects [subscription]The move, which would take years off the planning process, is loosely modelled on a Canadian scheme developed by Mark Carney
• Could a £1bn fund pay to reopen Hammersmith Bridge to cars? [subscription]Residents fear the Labour mayor has made a 'political' decision to ignore the wealthy neighbourhood of Barnes and are sceptical that a new fund could restore it
• Eurostar passengers stranded for hours in France on London-bound train [subscription]The high-speed service from Brussels broke down near Calais following a power failure

Daily Record

• ScotRail staff facing soaring physical assaults as recorded attacks double in a yearAttacks on ScotRail workers have doubled according to newly obtained data.

i News

• How Government could fast track Heathrow third runway - by avoiding NimbysTreasury officials are understood to be looking at the proposals, which could save families £160 on airfares Ministers could have planes flying from a third runway at Heathrow before the next election if they fast tracked legislation through Parliament and abandoned plans to move the M25, a major report has said.
• Why the UK can't finish big money projects on time - or on budgetA complex and slow planning system, bureaucracy and a shortage of builders is hitting the UK's infrastructure delivery, a new report warns

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Visitors can now catch scenic bus route from Bradford InterchangeA new stop at Bradford Interchange has been added to the Nidderdale DalesBus scenic route, aimed at enhancing access for visitors during Bradford's City of Culture celebrations.

Bristol Live

• Plan for 'Aerial' transport system to link city with Bristol AirportAn architect has called on the West of England's metro mayor to get in touch, after claiming he has come up with what would be the cheapest and least impactful way of creating a transport link between Bristol Airport and the city centre - an aerial rail system with driverless pods travelling five metres up in the air. Called simply "Aerial", its inventor Robert Hutson said it could be built quickly and at a fraction of the cost of any light rail, railway or tram system.
• Five-night closure on major A-road as cycle lane is turned greenThere will be disruption while the work is being carried out

Nation. Cymru

• Transport for Wales introduces improvements for the TrawsCymru T5 serviceTransport for Wales has announced a range of improvements to public transport in the West Wales region.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 'Incredibly sad news for everyone': West Midlands Very Light Rail Innovation Centre operators enter administration with poignant announcementThe Dudley-based Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) has entered administration.

Other Regional Press

• GWR announces battery trains could replace diesel trainsBattery trains could soon replace diesel trains on the UK's railway network, according to Great Western Railway.
• Buglife's fears for wildlife over Port of Tilbury expansion Buglife is urging Thurrock Council to refuse planning permission for the proposed Tilbury 3 development which the charity says would lead to the loss of Tilbury's ashfields. It is also calling on the local community to "stand up for its wildlife".
• Website launched to encourage sustainable travel in OxfordThis is a column by Anna Railton, deputy leader and cabinet member for zero carbon Oxford at Oxford City Council.
• Wotton-Under-Edge gets bus link back as transport fight continuesThe restoration of key services marks a win for campaigners, with calls growing for a long-term fix to the region's threadbare network
• Oxford travel companies call for congestion chargeOXFORD travel groups have joined forces and called on the council, and residents, to back the proposed congestion charge.

Railnews

• Very Light Rail centre ceases trading The Black Country Innovation Manufacturing Organisation in Dudley has been placed in Administration. BCIMO included the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre, and the site had been well known for testing a Very Light Rail system, which is planned for Coventry.

Railway Supply

• LFP batteries for UK battery trains to boost rail innovationTurntide Technologies has secured a major contract to provide LFP batteries for UK battery trains, powering a new fleet of sustainable intercity units for Hitachi Rail. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.
• Wrexham to Liverpool rail upgrade starts at PadeswoodThe Wrexham to Liverpool rail upgrade begins with major work at Padeswood, aiming to improve freight access and boost passenger services between North Wales and Merseyside. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Other News Sources

• Why The Maersk Institute Was Right About Ship Batteries But Wrong On PriceThe September 2024 pre-feasibility study from the Maersk McKinney Møller Center on battery-powered vessels that crossed my screen today provides a welcome and thoughtful addition to the critical discussion of maritime electrification
• A Game-Changing New Tech for Cutting Shipping EmissionsThe race is on to decarbonise shipping, a hard-to-abate industry in which it is extremely difficult to cut emissions. Over 50,000 cargo ships are at sea at any moment, and these ships produce around 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is even more than aviation, showing the dire need to clean up the industry
• Warning to vapers as people caught puffing at bus stops could face £100 finesAlthough vaping is banned on bus services and stations, it usually does not apply to bus stops
• 'Fufu' and 'Xinxin' to be China's mascots for global meet on high-speed railChina has officially announced the names of the mascots for the upcoming 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail, set to open in Beijing on Tuesday, as the country prepares to showcase its growing influence in the global rail industry.
• HS2: Final TBM completes Northolt tunnel after 'straightforward' driveExcavation work on High Speed 2's (HS2's) 13.5km long Northolt tunnel has been completed after the final tunnel boring machine (TBM) finished its 'straightforward' drive through favourable geology.
• Europe's Largest Tunnel to Have Three Lanes of Highways For CarsConstruction enabling works for the Lower Thames Crossing, set to become the largest tunnel in Europe, has been scheduled to begin in late 2025.

News from Europe

• CEF Transport: €2.8 billion in 94 projects to boost sustainable and connected mobility across EuropeThe European Commission selected 94 transport projects to receive nearly €2.8 billion in EU grants under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).