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

Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Government

• UK and France: transport connectivity declarationIn recognition of their responsibilities as joint stewards of the Channel and Channel Tunnel, as well as the importance transport plays in our joint growth ambitions and people-to-people connections, the United Kingdom and France have agreed to deepen their collaboration on transport

BBC News

• Mayor refuses to raise taxes to franchise busesA regional mayor has once again refused calls to franchise bus services across his constituency.
• Jersey Airport to get first-class departure loungeA major redesign of Jersey Airport's departure lounge is set to begin next month.

Department for Transport

• Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group reportIndependent report and recommendations from the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group on ways to improve aviation accessibility.

The Guardian

• UK taskforce calls for disability training for all airline and airport staffReport led by former Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson warns of 'sometimes catastrophic' treatment of passengers
• UK air pollution falling but danger levels still breached too often, say scientistsNO2 and PM2.5 levels down significantly since 2015 but climate crisis may be driving rise in harmful surface ozoneThe UK’s air pollution has dropped since 2015, scientists have found, but they have warned that dangerous levels are still reached too often.Researchers found that nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is mainly produced by traffic, fell by 35% on average at monitoring sites. Fine particles called PM2.5, which are small enough to get deep into lungs and are caused by burning wood and driving cars with internal combustion engines, dropped by 30%. Continue reading...
• 'Investing in destruction': campaigners attack plans to fill Yorkshire tunnel with concreteGovernment decision to infill disused Queensbury railway line comes amid calls for it to be converted to subterranean cycle path

The Independent

• Bentley CEO reveals secrets of EV plansSteve Fowler is joined in this episode of Drive Smart by the CEO of Bentley, Frank-Steffen Walliser where he revealed the future of his electric vehicle plans.

The Telegraph

• The HS2 farrago shows we're a country that can't get its act together. [subscription]It's not often one wishes for Communism or to live in a full-blown dictatorship, but Derailed: The Story of HS2 (Radio 4, all week) just about had me there.
• Why Wi-Fi on Britain's trains is so bad [subscription]In an era when the average transatlantic flight boasts speedy connectivity, why is it such a struggle on the train to Peterborough?

Daily Record

• ScotRail outsources complaints team to French firm despite being publicly owned by SNP GovernmentEXCLUSIVE: Employees at ScotRail's customer services team have claimed they are being treated like "second-class rail staff".
• French firm behind Edinburgh Airport blasted for banning cash for parkingCampaigners said it was hypocritical for the airport to only accept card payments given it's illegal for firms to go cashless in France.

The Mirror

• Four times more efficient than walking - and this summer is the perfect time to try itThere are more than a billion bicycles in the world - and even London is set to have a new tunnel under the Thames with a free shuttle bus especially for bike riders

Local Government

• Council publishes independent study that shows potential rail link from Carterton to Oxford is economically viableWest Oxfordshire District Council has published the findings of an independent study exploring the potential benefits of reinstating a rail link between Carterton, Witney and Oxford.

Birmingham Post

• Japanese automotive group Astemo investing £100m and creating 200 jobs in Greater ManchesterAndy Burnham says move 'puts our city-region at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution'

Bolton News

• Manchester Airport named worst UK airport for long delaysManchester Airport has been named the worst airport when it comes to long delays in the UK and Ireland.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Harrogate-Leeds-Ripon zero-emission bus fleet wins national awardA zero-emission bus fleet linking Harrogate with Leeds and Ripon has been recognised with an award.

Bristol Live

• Disabled people left stranded late at night in Bristol as First Bus cancels last servicesCampaigners are calling on the company to change its policy

London Evening Standard

• Elizabeth line trains would 'save residents from 20 years of HS2 blight' at Old Oak CommonResidents say early start of Lizzie line service at £2bn mega-station would be 'game changer' in easing woe caused by HS2 delays

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Kids Go Free on buses throughout the North East during summer holidaysThe scheme means children will be able to travel by bus, Metro and ferry for free in the North East during the school holidays

The York Press

• Harrogate-Leeds-Ripon zero-emission bus fleet wins national awardA zero-emission bus fleet linking Harrogate with Leeds and Ripon has been recognised with an award.
• Siemens Mobility workshops teach children about engineering industryGoole schoolchildren have learnt about the engineering industry through Siemens Mobility workshops.

Bucks Free Press

• Bucks council leader slams HS2 over 'pitiful' payouts for road damageThe leader of Buckinghamshire Council has slammed HS2, accusing the company of failing to adequately compensate the county for the damage being caused to its roads.

Other Regional Press

• Huge changes to Bristol Airport as new Transport Interchange opens from today - here's what it means for youA new Transport Interchange has opened opposite the terminal at Bristol Airport today (Wednesday, July 16) - with big changes for passengers.
• 'No one has presented a clear, costed proposal': Ben Houchen responds to bus franchising motionThen-chair of Middlesbrough Council said that the council had taken note of the Labour government’s 'commitment to empowering local communities to take back control of their bus services'
• ‘It’s in disrepair’: £1.1m bike shed boarded up for months due to vandalismCyclists who fork out fees to use a station rack have spoken of their frustration at seeing the hub sat damaged for months on end.

Train Operators

• Greater Anglia launches new ticket as part of UNLONDON campaignLondoners can now enjoy all East Anglia has to offer for less with Greater Anglia's new Weekend Return Fare.

Coach and Bus Week

• New Cardiff Bus Interchange welcomes two million passengers in first yearMore than two million passengers are reported to have used the new Cardiff Bus Interchange in its first year since opening. The interchange, which opened on 30 June 2024, is now serving between 8,000 and 9,000 passengers a day, reports Transport for Wales (TfW) and has 58 bus services an hour operating from its city centre location.

Construction News

• Five year delay to UK's landmark £400m rail testing facilityThe UK's landmark £400m rail testing facility is due to be delayed by five years due to funding issues.

New Civil Engineer

• Skanska wins £153M contract for A47 Thickthorn Junction schemeNational Highways has appointed Skanska to carry out a major upgrade of the A47 Thickthorn junction near Norwich in a contract valued at £153M.
• Ministers suggest future use of HS2 north land still under consultation for rail projectsThe land purchased by the government for constructing the now-cancelled northern legs of High Speed 2 (HS2) could still be used for rail projects, ministers have suggested.

Rail Business Daily

• Transport for Wales continues to transform Rhymney lineTransport for Wales (TfW) says it has made 'significant progress' on its intensive eight-month programme to transform and electrify the Rhymney Valley railway line. The second six-week railway line closure will begin on Saturday 19 July, with no rail services running between Caerphilly and Rhymney until 31 August.

Railnews

• Rail staff under threat may get body armourThe number of railway staff injured by assaults rose by 53 per cent last year, according to the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Railtech

• Spain starts planning for reopening key cross-border rail tunnel into FranceSpain will invest 2.2 million euros for the reopening of the Somport Tunnel on the border with France. A railway used to connect Zaragoza to France through the Pyrenees Mountains, but it has been out of service for years.

Railway-News

• Resetting HS2: Learning from the Past to Build the FutureThe UK's HS2 project promises faster journeys, new economic opportunities, and relief for the increasingly congested West Coast Main Line. However, its delivery has been fraught with challenges that must be acknowledged and overcome to realise these benefits.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Ticketer rolls out tap-off readers in Lancashire BSIP projectMultiple bus operators benefit from tap-off readers' deployment on services across the county

Sustainable Bus

• Over 2,500 Mercedes eCitaro have been delivered so farDaimler Truck announces it has reached a production milestone with the eCitaro: more than 2,500 units of the low-floor electric bus have been manufactured in Mannheim and delivered since series production began at the end of 2018

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow embracing collaborative innovation and advanced tech to redefine the future of baggage handlingHeathrow recently joined the pioneering BOOST initiative, alongside Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Avinor, Brussels Airport, and Incheon International Airport. BOOST was launched by Future Travel Experience (FTE) and innovation consultancy nlmtd (Unlimited) and spun out of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group.

Other News Sources

• HS2 contract renegotiation to begin with the Department for TransportContracts under negotiation include main works civils, stations, and systems supplier contracts
• Truro MP hails landmark deal to end poor phone signal on train linesNetwork Rail partners with telecoms firms to end signal blackspots on the GWR line, benefitting thousands in Cornwall.
• Siemens Mobility's Goole Rail Village inspires the next generation of engineers at local schoolsTeam members at Siemens Mobility's Goole Rail Village have sparked interest among local schoolchildren in exciting careers in engineering.
• Wearable technology to tackle fatigue in Light Rail, BaselineNC™ Project progresses towards operational useA workplace fatigue monitoring system is entering a new phase of operational testing, following years of collaborative development.
• The transport challenge for low-income householdsMany people living on low incomes in the UK are limited in their ability to access the building blocks of a good life because of poor transport provision.

EIN News Subscription

• EU’s ‘green’ fuel mandate costly and not helping environment, IATA saysIATA estimated in June that production of SAF, which is considered a low-carbon replacement for traditional jet fuel, is expected to reach 2 million metric tons. The International Air Transport Association on Wednesday stepped up criticism of the European Union’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate as a costly initiative that is not helping the environment as regional supplies there remain low.