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

Monday, 14 July 2025

BBC News

• Plan to scrap school buses and increase faresBlackburn with Darwen Council's education boss has promised to monitor the impact of changes to its support for dedicated buses to four of its biggest secondary schools.
• Bus passenger numbers in county rise by 10%The number of people using buses in Norfolk has increased by 9.7%, the county council has revealed.
• Residents' frustration as railway station delayedThe news that a town's new station has been delayed until 2026 has been met with frustration.
• How work on £20m new bridge will hit commutersNo trains will call at Stockport station for three weeks when a £20m project to replace a bridge in the town centre begins next month
• Why are there more roadworks in Scotland than ever before?Complaining about the amount of roadworks is something of a national pursuit - but it is one that appears to increasingly be justified.
• Bus passenger numbers in county rise by 10%The number of people using buses in Norfolk has increased by 9.7%, the county council has revealed.
• Public transport 'too costly' for young peopleYoung people are being put off using public transport because of concerns about the cost, accessibility and safety.
• M54-M6 link road 'could generate more than £500m'The project could generate between £555m and £634m in economic benefits, a council leader claims.
• Trains hit for second day after heat damages trackRoad replacement services are laid on after a rail track was damaged by hot weather in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
• Southend airport to remain closed after fireball plane crashEyewitnesses describe seeing the plane "bank heavily" shortly after take-off.
• Tube fare evasion prosecutions highest since 2019The number of prosecutions for fare evasion is at its highest level for six years, figures show.
• Electric cars will be cheaper to buy, pledges ministerThe Transport Secretary says she will announce measures to cut the cost of buying an electric car.

Financial Times

• FAA says Boeing fuel switches are safe following fatal Air India crashUS regulator’s notice follows preliminary investigation that found the switches had been turned off

The Guardian

• Southend airport shut and flights grounded after small plane crashes in flamesWitnesses describe the aircraft leaning to the left shortly after takeoff before crashingLondon Southend airport has been closed and flights cancelled after a small plane crashed into a fireball shortly after takeoff.The Beechcraft B200 aircraft crashed about 4pm on Sunday, soon after taking off from the airport, which is in Essex. The plane was seen in flames with dark smoke billowing from it, according to witnesses and photos circulating on social media. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Family sells 'respected' Scottish bus firm after 70 yearsA family has sold one of Scotland's longest-established bus companies.

The Scotsman

• Scottish bus drivers 'left at the mercy of violent thugs' as assaults skyrocketThe Scottish Conservatives say the SNP's soft-touch approach to justice is to blame for the rise in violent behaviour at bus stations.

The Telegraph

• Sadiq Khan could cut car parking spaces under plans leaked by careless official [subscription]Official pictured reading anti-motorist plans for more double yellow lines, higher charges and controlled parking zones

Times Online

• Suspending Midland mainline upgrade 'will cost taxpayers 370m' [subscription]Rail industry tells ministers that electrifying the route would add £400m to the UK economy

City AM

• Easyjet update in focus after flights cancelled due to French strikes Easyjet will be looked to for any guidance on the impact of recent French air traffic control strikes when it updates on Thursday after it revealed hundreds of flights had to be cancelled. The group joined budget rival Ryanair in scrapping flights to and from France for two days in July due to the industrial action, [...]

i News

• How failed northern rail investment is creating Starmer's next headacheWhy do we keep getting better connections for the South than the North? said Labour mayor Oliver Coppard

The Mirror

• Air India pilot's medical records being examined 'over mental health fears' The medical records of one of the pilots flying the doomed Air India flight 171 are reportedly being examined closely after claims he suffered from poor mental health

Birmingham Mail

• Notorious Midlands road named among worst for nightmare delaysTraffic regularly backs up on this key route connecting the M6 and M54

Manchester Evening News

• The forgotten plan to link Manchester and Paris by trainThere were once ambitious plans for trains to run between Manchester and two European capitals

Metro

• 'Pole hogging' is the latest Tube habit tormenting commuters on the London UndergroundFrom bare beating to knee-knockers, Metro has coined plenty of creative terms for irritating commuter habits.

Yorkshire Post

• Cancelled HS2 legs to Leeds and Manchester 'under consultation', Rail Minister saysThe Government is considering the future of the previously cancelled HS2 routes to Leeds and Manchester, the Rail Minister has said.

Cambridge News

• Cambridgeshire's roads 'among the most lethal in the country'There were vast differences across the nation in the number and severity of injuries caused by road traffic accidents

Other Regional Press

• Cullompton station gets green light but key road still in limboA long-running campaign to reopen Cullompton's railway station has scored a major breakthrough, with the Government confirming financial backing for the long-awaited project. But local Liberal Democrats are warning that essential infrastructure still hangs in the balance and without it, the town's development could be derailed.
• Leigh bus services to improve as part of Bee NetworkBus passengers could soon see more frequent services as part of a major transport upgrade.
• Transport for London future network expansion proposalsTransport for London's network spans hundreds of miles of track and records billions of passengers journeys every year but it will soon be even bigger.
• Coventry taxis could be forced to install CCTV systemsMandatory CCTV was looked at before but was not supported

Business Live

• Future of northern HS2 land still 'under consultation'Lord Hendy tells new BBC podcast series the land earmarked for Leeds and Manchester legs is still held by HS2

Rail Magazine

• 16 DB Cargo UK drivers switching to rival after contract loss results in surplusSixteen DB Cargo UK drivers have agreed to join GB Railfreight after the operator asked for volunteers to consider switching.
• Rail industry voices voice concern over Midland Main Line electrification pauseThe Rail Forum and the Railway Industry Association (RIA) have jointly criticised the Government's decision to pause the Midland Main Line (MML) electrification scheme. The announcement, made last week, has been met with disappointment from industry leaders who warn it could jeopardise nearly £400 million in economic benefits and hundreds of jobs.

Railnews

• Industry protests follow suspension of electrification scheme The decision by the Department for Transport to ‘pause’ further electrification of the Midland Main Line through Leicester and on to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield has been followed by protests from the rail industry. The Rail Forum and the Rail Industry Association have written to rail minister Lord Hendy today, offering to convene a cross-industry group.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow unveils 310 billion private investment plan to enhance CX and operational resilienceHeathrow - a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub has unveiled a £10 billion five-year plan, which forms the next part of its strategy to be an extraordinary airport, fit for the future.
• Buckle up: China unveils maglev marvel, redefining the future of high-speed railPublic debut of 600km/h (373mph) superfast train will slash journey times as China builds out its high-speed rail network
• Scottish Conservatives say assaults at Scotland's bus stations skyrocketing just over a year after killing of Elgin bus driver by 15 year old boyAssaults at Scotland's bus stations are skyrocketing, according to the Scottish Conservatives just over a year after the tragic death of a driver in Elgin.
• Night buses to connect Rochdale and Bury with Manchester as Bee Network expandsTwo new night bus services will connect Rochdale, Middleton and Bury with Manchester, part of a wider Bee Network upgrade to reverse decades of transport decline and bring 90% of Greater Manchester within five minutes of frequent public transport by 2030.
• Hamburg Deploys AI to Boost Efficiency of Electric Ferry FleetHadag, the operator of Hamburg’s ferry services, is adopting an AI-powered platform to optimize the scheduling and operation of its electric ferry fleet.The AI system will support daily operations by tailoring charging strategies, managing energy demand…
• MP calls for direct train line between Eastbourne and London Bridge to be restoredJosh Babarinde, LibDem MP for Eastbourne, has launched a campaign calling for the return of direct train services after it was withdrawn by Southern in early 2020.

News from Europe

• Dunkerque port awards rail terminal contract to ModalisDunkerque-Port has selected the Modalis Group to operate its new rail-road transhipment terminal, due to open in March 2026 in northern France.