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

Tuesday, 08 July 2025

BBC News

• Heritage trams on track to return by OctoberBlackpool's heritage trams are on track to return to service in the autumn following a series of safety inspections.
• Plans to build M54-M6 link road announcedA plan to build an improved link between the M54 and M6 motorways is among more than 50 transport schemes to receive government support.
• Work to improve A38 approved by governmentA multi-million pound scheme to increase the capacity of the A38 in Derbyshire has been approved by the government.
• Birmingham Airport liquid limit increased from 100ml to two litresIt will now be possible to carry liquids in containers of up to two litres through security in hand luggage.
• Long-awaited Cheshire bypass gets green lightThe Department for Transport has confirmed funding for the new Middlewich Eastern Bypass.
• Council challenged on trans colours road crossingBlessing Olubanjo says the installations are political and infringe on her rights as a Christian.
• Opening of railway stations delayed until 2026Residents have been left frustrated by the latest delays to the opening of two new railway stations.
• TfL offers sponsorship deal for shortest Tube lineTransport for London (TfL) is offering a new partnership to an organisation or company willing to pay to sponsor the Waterloo & City line.
• Farage calls for cuts to school transport spendingReform UK leader Nigel Farage has described Kent County Council's spending on home to school transport as "beyond belief", suggesting funding should be removed from some families.
• Calls for mayor to fund £2 bus fare capConservative councillors in Nottinghamshire have called for bus fares to be capped at £2.
• Another £27m helps assure Portishead line's futureA major funding boost has helped to secure the revival of a defunct rail line between Portishead in North Somerset and Bristol.
• A66 dualling approved again after review delayA plan to dual the A66 has been approved again, a year after the government put the scheme on hold.
• How artist helped bring railway 'back to life'An artist has shared how she painted a mural on a railway ticket office in Lincolnshire to help bring life and history back to the station.
• Russian minister sacked by Putin found deadRussia's Investigative Committee says former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead, apparently with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

ITV News

• Dualling of A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner given green-light by UK GovernmentThe government says that millions of commuters and businesses across the North West are set to benefit from safer and more reliable journeys

Department for Transport

• Green light for over 50 road and rail upgrades supporting over 39,000 new homes and 42,000 jobsCommuters and businesses to benefit from quicker journeys as more than 50 road and rail upgrades are agreed.

Financial Times

• Europe’s biggest port readies for potential war with RussiaRotterdam has started reserving space for Nato supply ships and planning military exercises
• UK challenges more than 40 ‘shadow fleet’ ships a month in English ChannelHigh number of checks highlights new European efforts to squeeze Russian exports

The Guardian

• Russia’s former transport minister dies from gunshot hours after sackingNews of Roman Starovoit’s death made public shortly after that of his sacking by Putin, but timeline is unconfirmed. Russia’s former transport minister has died from a gunshot wound just hours after Vladimir Putin sacked him.The body of Roman Starovoit, the ex-minister, was found in his car in a Moscow suburb.
• Low water levels push up shipping costs on Europe’s rivers amid heatwaveVessels on Rhine in Germany and Danube in Hungary forced to sail partially loaded

The Independent

• 100ml liquids limit scrapped at Birmingham and Edinburgh airport securityPassengers warned 'to check situation at their return airport]' as cabin baggage rules diverge
• Get out of your car if you want to be less lonelyAs new research shows evidence that good public transport links are the key to feeling more connected, non-driver Helen Coffey advocates for getting out of our insular metal boxes and into the world

The Telegraph

• P&O axes crucial ferry route to continental Europe [subscription]Blow to North East's industrial economy as link between Redcar and Belgium scrapped
• Tram nostalgia won't solve our transport problems [subscription]Rather than moving to a new generation of transport, we would be stuck with an expensive and inflexible 19th century technology

Times Online

• 100ml liquids rule: which UK airports have changed restrictions? [subscription]Passengers through Birmingham and Edinburgh airports can now take up to two litres of liquid in their cabin bags.
• Tesla shares sink lower after Elon Musk launches America Party [subscription]Investors feeling a 'sense of exhaustion' over the chief executive's involvement in politics

City AM

• Transport for London offers up first chance to sponsor tube lineTransport for London (TfL) has for the first time offered businesses a first of its kind opportunity to sponsor a whole tube line.

i News

• HS2 warns firms across 140-mile route after supplier sacked over 'tax fraud' claimsThe i Paper has revealed that Balfour Beatty, which is building 55 miles of the West Midlands section, has terminated 'all agreements' with Danny Sullivan Group

Network Rail

• Oxford Road station artwork to celebrate historic Manchester milestonesPassengers and visitors to Manchester Oxford Road station will soon be greeted by a striking new mural, part of an exciting visual makeover celebrating the city's rich cultural and musical heritage.

Birmingham Mail

• Seven UK airports scrap much-hated rule with millions of passengers affected"This is a big day for our passengers and the airport team"
• Massive £1 billion rail boost for Birmingham will mean more lines and 300 extra trains a dayA blueprint to transform local rail services in and around Birmingham has finally been given the green light, with an estimated £1 billion fund on its way to build new links, add extra platforms and eventually bring up to 300 extra trains a day in and out of the city.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport expansion plans sees battle lines drawn again as second phase revealedThe battle lines are being drawn, protests planned at City Hall and the same arguments about economic boosts, the environment, climate change, transport, parking, noise and late-night activity. Bristol Airport wants to expand - again - and is again being opposed by a long list of people and organisations, from residents' groups worried about traffic in their villages to environmentalists worried about climate change and the future of humankind.

Derby Telegraph

• Huge A38 Derby upgrades get go-ahead after years of uncertainty, says GovernmentA major scheme to improve the A38 in Derby has been given the go-ahead, the Government has said. The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the huge project will transform the city's road network and quicken journey times.

Leicester Mercury

• Leicester city mayor urges Government to back 'transformational' train service planLeicester's city mayor has backed calls for the Government to reinstate direct rail services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham. If the plan went ahead, it would be the first time in two decades that the service has run.

London Evening Standard

• Long-running road and rail projects to go ahead after year-long pauseMost have been in the works for several years, and many have already received planning permission.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Fury as Northumberland Line station delay leaves town 'at the back of the queue'Residents in Bedlington have been left frustrated but unsurprised by the latest delay on the town's new railway station. Part of the Northumberland Line, the project will connect the town to Tyneside and the wider rail network as well as the rest of south east Northumberland.
• Metro to get 'critical' upgrade as Government confirms funding to replace 1970s signalling systemThe Department for Transport has confirmed that it will pay for a replacement of the Tyne and Wear Metro's 'safety critical' signalling system

Northern Echo

• UK's first battery trains to be manufactured in North EastThe UK's first battery trains are set to be manufactured in a North East partnership, it has been revealed. Turntide Technologies, a leader in electrification solutions based in Gateshead, has been selected by Hitachi Rail to supply the Gen 2 lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system for the Grand Central intercity battery train contract.
• A66 dualling Scotch Corner to Penrith approved by DfTAfter years of uncertainty, legal wrangling, and intense political lobbying, the A66 dualling project has finally received official approval from the Government.

The York Press

• £24m Haxby Station will go ahead after uncertaintyA new rail station planned for Haxby will go ahead following uncertainty over Government funding for the project.

Yorkshire Post

• A66 upgrade: North Yorkshire road to be dualled in its entirity, Government announcesThe A66 is set to be dualled in its entirety, as the Government announced funding for the Northern Trans-Pennine Project.

Carlisle News & Star

• A66 and rail upgrades confirmed by GovernmentUPGRADES to the A66 that will 'shave 12 minutes off journeys' have been given the green light.

Other Regional Press

• 'Transformation' at Prestwick Airport after Red Arrows newsTHE latest boost in Prestwick Airport's "positive future" has been hailed as 'transformational' for the wider South Ayrshire economy.
• Kirklees is 'open for business' as mass transit plans take next step this weekKirklees is 'open for business' a senior councillor has said, as mass transit plans are set to take a step forward this week. Last month, around £800m was confirmed to make a tram system a reality for West Yorkshire. The first two tram lines will go from St James’s University Hospital through the city centre to the White Rose, with a Bradford Line connecting Bradford and Leeds city centres. In the later phases of the scheme, a Dewsbury line is planned.
• 'Shropshire's HS2': Campaigners call for 'full and thorough' inquiry into handling of North West Relief RoadCampaigners are calling for a "full and thorough" inquiry into the handling of the North West Relief Road - two weeks after work was 'paused'.
• Long-lost former Portishead Railway reopening finally confirmedThe government has finally given the scheme the green light after a year of limbo.
• Telford MP's 'deep frustration' after plans for direct train service between Telford and London rejectedA Shropshire MP has met with the Deputy Director of the Office for Road and Rail (ORR) following the regulator's recent decision to reject the proposed direct train service between Telford and London.
• New operator and Sunday Service boost for TrawsCymru T5 routeWest Wales passengers are set to benefit from major improvements to the TrawsCymru T5 bus service this summer, as Transport for Wales confirms a new operator and expanded timetable.
• A46 Newark bypass and A38 junctions get green light in funding announcementDrivers across the East Midlands are set to see faster journeys, as the A38 Derby Junctions upgrade is given the green light, funding for the A46 Newark Bypass is confirmed, the Government has announced today (8th July).
• New rail stations and road upgrades set to transform travel in DevonPassengers in Devon and Cornwall are set to benefit from a major boost to their transport network, with new rail stations and significant road improvements announced as part of a wide-ranging government infrastructure package.
• Long-running road and rail projects to go ahead after year-long pauseA slate of long-awaited transport projects has been given the green light again almost a year after ministers put many upgrades on hold.

Train Operators

• TPE invests more than £530k in new Glasgow depot future-proofing growth with upgraded facilities, including a new pool tableTransPennine Express (TPE) has opened the doors to its brand-new Glasgow depot at Caledonian Chambers, following an investment of more than £530,000.

Construction Enquirer

• 10 big road and rail upgrades get funding green lightMore than 10 big road and rail upgrade schemes across England have been given the green light, by the Government today.

Highways Magazine

• Surprise failure of Ouse Bridge joint forces overhaul of worksThe failure of a recent joint repair on the M62 Ouse Bridge came as a 'surprise to everyone', a senior figure at National Highways said, sparking a complete overhaul of the work.
• Minister halts roll-out of 'floating' bus stopsThe roll-out of floating bus stops has been halted by the Government as it responds to campaigns surrounding pedestrian safety.

Rail Advent

• New Lifts to be Installed at Four More Liverpool City Region StationsAigburth and Rock Ferry stations are set to become fully accessible thanks to a £9.5 million investment.

Rail Magazine

• Private finance hailed as key to new Edinburgh tram lineEdinburgh's second tram line should be delivered through private finance, according to a transport consultant who played a key role in delivering the Newhaven extension.
• UK "could have diesel trains for 30 years" amid lack of electrification strategyThe challenges in trying to draw up an electrification strategy and the alternatives to diesel traction formed one of several talking points in the Engineering Theatre on day one of Rail Live.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• PC Coaches highlights Lincolnshire bus Enhanced PartnershipYear-on-year growth in usage among achievements majored on by operator at Lincolnshire Show
• National Express ups frequency on Northampton-Luton AirportNational Express is set to increase the frequency of its services between Northampton and Luton Airport.

The Business Desk

• Approval for A66 Trans-Pennine road route in boost for commuters and communitiesMillions of commuters and businesses across the North are set to benefit from quicker journeys as the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route and a new station in Haxby, near York, were given the green light by the Government today (July 8).

Other News Sources

• TSA to end shoes-off policy for airport security screeningNearly 20 years after airline passengers were first required to remove their shoes for security, the policy is being phased out.
• Government Confirms Funding Towards Massive Upgrade Of One Of The North West's Busiest Motorway Junctions Used By Around 90,000 Vehicles Each DayThe project to transform the interchange connecting the M60, M62 and M66 was given the greenlight for funding alongside the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
• Trio of road schemes valued at £2bn backed by the governmentPlans to duel the A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner, increase the capacity of Simister Island off the M60 in Bury, and build the Middlewich bypass in Cheshire have all been greenlit.
• Work starts on lifts for Rock Ferry and Aigburth stationsA £9.5m investment will see Aigburth and Rock Ferry stations soon become fully accessible to passengers with mobility issues, prams, bikes, and wheelchairs.
• New trains on London's Bakerloo line could arrive much sooner than expectedTfL says that the oldest trains on the London Underground will be retired before 2030
• Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham rail project would add more than four million extra seats - Midlands ConnectThe re-linking of Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham by train would provide more than four million extra seats a year for businesses, residents and commuters, according to Midlands Connect.
• Stabilisation underway on Kent rail embankment vulnerable to landslidesNetwork Rail and Volker Fitzpatrick are delivering a programme of stabilisation measures along Edenbridge embankment in Kent.
• Long-running road and rail projects to go ahead after year-long pauseMost have been in the works for several years, and many have already received planning permission.
• New rail station for Mid DevonDevon is set to benefit from a major transport funding boost as the Government today confirmed plans for a new railway station in Cullompton and approved a long-awaited upgrade to the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot.
• Stafford road project underwayWork is underway in the UK for a key Stafford road project.
• Major upgrades to potentially deliver up to 39,000 new homesPlans for more than 50 road and rail upgrades look set to support the construction of up to 39,000 new homes, according to the government.
• Funding gets Haxby station back on trackA North Yorkshire transport project has received a major boost with 'much needed' funding for a new railway station.
• 'This is hugely important for York' Haxby Station gets the go-aheadAfter years of campaigning, Haxby Station has finally been given the green light.