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

Thursday, 17 July 2025

BBC News

• Key bus routes can stay by cutting others - mayorTwo "key" bus routes at risk of being cut by an operator could be saved by stopping three lesser used services, said a Conservative mayor.
• Vote to take place on continuing 31 youth bus faresA vote is set to take place on extending a scheme offering young people cut-price bus journeys.
• Rail line resurrection 'economically viable' - studyA rail link from Oxford to the west of the county would be "economically viable", a study commissioned by a local authority has suggested.
• Grey-Thompson humiliated by blame for flight delayThe former Paralympian is looking at how airlines can better support disabled passengers.
• Shipyard boss calls for direct award of new CalMac ferryGraeme Thomson says a "race to the bottom" on cost ignores the social and wider economic value of building ships in Scotland.
• Busiest UK airports raise kiss-and-fly fees, says RACBritain's airports are charging up to £7 to briefly drop-off passengers close to terminals.

Financial Times

• United Airlines raises outlook after ‘acceleration’ in travel demand US carrier’s quarterly revenue topped $15bn for the first time

The Guardian

• All aboard the Nike Northern line? Why corporate takeovers of London's tube are a terrible idea | Oliver WainwrightTransport for London’s call for sponsorship of the Waterloo & City line throws out the network’s founding principles of public service and good design
• UK drivers warned of soaring charges to drop off passengers at airportsMost airports charge up to £7 for a brief stop and 11 of the 20 biggest have raised their fees, RAC analysis shows. Car drivers have been warned of soaring charges at UK airports to drop off passengers this summer, while major European airports continue to allow motorists brief stops without charge.With most UK airports raising charges to up to £7 to briefly park near terminals, the cost of some drop-offs is now more expensive per minute than peak-season holiday flights.
• Trump rescinds $4bn in US funding for California high-speed rail projectWhite House says no viable path forward for planned 800-mile system aiming to connect San Francisco to LA

The Mirror

• Major UK airport scraps buses from car parks with £14m futuristic alternativeMillions of passengers will soon be whizzed over from long-stay car parks to their terminal in a sleek new fleet of futuristic vehicles following a £14 million sustainability investment
• Heathrow Airport's major expansion plans with an increase to passenger feesWith plans to expand even further, Heathrow Airport has proposed an expansion, but it will be at the cost of the passengers as ticket prices are set to rise to cover the cost

The National

• ScotRail slammed for plans to outsource complaints team to French firmA TRADE union group has criticised ScotRail amid plans to outsource its complaints team to a French firm.

Birmingham Mail

• Millions of UK drivers warned over soaring drop-off charges at 11 airportsMost airports charge up to £7 for a brief stop and 11 of the 20 biggest have raised their fees, RAC analysis shows.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Jet2holidays and Jet2.com ranked in UK Customer Satisfaction IndexJet2holidays and Jet2.com have featured in the July 2025 UK Customer Satisfaction Index.
• Group slams 'depressing' drop-off charges - as Leeds Bradford Airport raises feesA motoring organisation has hit out - after Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) increased drop-off fees for drivers in the past year.

Manchester Evening News

• New research reveals more than half of UK airports raised driver drop-off fees this yearMany major EU airports still have no charge for dropping passengers off

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• New Metro train window smashed in first major vandalism against new fleetA missile is believed to have been thrown at the Tyne and Wear Metro train in the Tynemouth area on Tuesday afternoon, shattering one of its windows

Yorkshire Post

• 'My firm runs Manchester and Nottingham's trams - Leeds can set a new benchmark for integrated transport'As Leeds prepares to host the UK Light Rail Conference this month, it does so as both a proud city and an outlier. Despite being Europe's largest city without a tram or metro network, Leeds now stands on the cusp of transformative change.

Carlisle News & Star

• 'Justifiable frustration' over bus performance says Carlisle MPCarlisle MP, Julie Minns said there was 'justifiable frustration' over bus performance in the city following a public meeting with the council and operator, Stagecoach.

Kent Online

• Blue Badge Battle takes step forward at Westminster as transport minister says she is 'open for change'KentOnline's Blue Badge Battle campaign has been debated at Westminster Hall, with the government agreeing to meet to discuss possible changes.

Lancashire Telegraph

• New late-night bus services to start across East LancashireTransdev is launching new Monday to Saturday evening journeys on its Hotline route between Blackburn, Padiham and Burnley, starting on Monday, July 21.

Plymouth Herald

• Plymouth misses out on stations as locals feel 'way down the priority list'Heidi Alexander said Transport for the South West would work with the Department for Transport to support the delivery of a number of key schemes including the South Devon Link Road, the A38 Parkway and the A38 Manadon Junction

Other Regional Press

• All we're asking for is a good night's sleep - councillors call for tougher Heathrow rulesThe Royal Borough will appeal to the Government to address 'major challenges' coming from Heathrow airport and its impact on the health of the Royal Borough
• Inverness set to get new Highland Council bus service which will cover Crown, Kingsmills, Raigmore Hospital and the retail parkA new bus service is set to start in Inverness from August 4. The route will cover the Crown and Kingsmills area alongside Wester Inshe
• York and North Yorkshire mayor rejects favouritism claim over transport fundingThe mayor of York and North Yorkshire has rejected suggestions he favoured his home city over the wider county when he handed out funding for transport projects.

New Civil Engineer

• MoU signed to pilot magnetic rail freight technology at Indian portIn a move aimed at revolutionising cargo transport within port premises, DP World, the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) and Polish tech firm Nevomo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly explore the deployment of Nevomo's MagRail technology at Kandla Port in Gujarat.

Rail Business Daily

• c2c contributes over 31.8m in social value to local communitiesTrenitalia c2c has announced that its involvement with the Rail Safe Friendly (RSF) programme has had a social value impact of over £1.8 million in c2c's local communities.
• DP World announce plans to explore autonomous magnetic rail freight movement in IndiaDP World, the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), and Nevomo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore potential opportunities for cooperation in the development and implementation of a pilot project using Nevomo's MagRail proprietary technology for the self-propelled movement of rail-based cargo and freight within the existing port ecosystems.

Rail Magazine

• Third track north of York amongst projects paused by governmentNetwork Rail has wanted to lay a third line potentially called the York Relief Line to allow Northern's half-hourly Harrogate service to be kept off the Down Fast or Up Fast Lines of the East Coast Main Line (ECML).
• Rail Minister explains Dawlish-Teignmouth cliff plans after pausing of resilience project causes concernNetwork Rail will continue to monitor the cliffs between Dawlish and Teignmouth to work out a long-term solution to prevent landslips, Lord Hendy has said.
• "We can't do everything": Lord Hendy defends rail pipeline decisionsRail Minister Lord Hendy and Director General for Rail Services at the Department for Transport Alex Hynes came under fire for the government's decision to pause several rail projects in last week's Rail Enhancements Project Pipeline announcement.
• Firebreaks claim "not a justification" for rejecting Lumo Rochdale plan says FirstGroupFirstGroup has said using performance firebreaks until 2028 is not a justification for turning down its open access application for the West Coast Main Line.
• DfT talking with three operators about combined order to replace DMUsThe Department for Transport is talking to three operators about a potential joint order for new trains.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Altro and Neomind's Universal Bus concept wins London Design AwardThe Universal Bus collaboration between Altro Global Transport and German design house Neomind has won silver in the London Design Awards in the Conceptual Design in Mobility category.

Sustainable Bus

• Higer Bus establishes first European parts and service hub in LuxembourgChinese electric bus manufacturer Higer Bus has inaugurated its first European spare parts center and service station in Luxembourg. The new facility, officially unveiled on July 7, aims to strengthen after-sales support and logistics capabilities for customers across the continent

Aviation Industry

• Gatwick Airport Replaces Buses for Futuristic Electric TramsOne of the UK's biggest airports, Gatwick Airport, has unveiled plans to invest £14 million in its airside shuttle service in a bid to up its passenger experience, and create a more sustainable transfer method.
• Heathrow Airport Expansion Plan, Aiming to Boost Capacity and Enhance Passenger ExperienceAs one of Europe's busiest travel hubs, Heathrow Airport has once more found itself embroiled in the spotlight with a bold proposition devised to accommodate an additional 10 million passengers per year by the decade's end through renovating its terminals
• Ryanair calls for NATS CEO Martin Rolfe to quit as NATS staff shortages disrupt 7000 passengers overflying the UKRyanair, the UK's No.1 low fares airline, today (Wed, 16 July) called on NATS CEO, Martin Rolfe, to step down after NATS staff shortages delayed 38 flights by up to 1 hour on Wednesday (16 July), unfairly disrupting the travel plans of over 7,000 passengers overflying the UK.

Other News Sources

• GB Railfreight unveils £150m fleet of hybrid-electric freight trainsOnce testing is complete the new locomotives are expected to begin entering into commercial service from this winter
• Swindon bus company launches recruitment drive for driversA new college transport contract is fueling a recruitment drive for bus drivers.
• Future of Bus Services in York and North Yorkshire Under ReviewThe future of bus services across the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) area is set to undergo a comprehensive review, following a decision to extend the delegation of the Mayor's transport powers to North Yorkshire Council (NYC) and City of York Council (CYC) for another nine months.
• Port of Tilbury & Continental: A Partnership For EfficiencyPort of Tilbury and Continental are partnering in a move to further sustainability, spark innovation and drive efficiency in port operations The Port of Tilbury, the principal port for London, has partnered with Continental, a multinational manufacturing company, in order to boost operational performance.
• Fleete breaks ground at Port of TilburyCharging solutions firm Fleete has broken ground on its flagship commercial vehicle EV charging hub at the Port of Tilbury, Essex.
• Port of Antwerp throughput down 4.3% as exporters maintain 'wait-and-see' approachThe Belgian port of Antwerp is one of Europe's most connected to the United States, which recently announced a 30% tariff on products coming from the Old Continent. Importers in the US and exporters in Europe are adopting a wait-and-see approach and will continue to do so given the current uncertainty
• Port of Tilbury & Continental's Sustainable Port LogisticsPort of Tilbury partners with Continental to boost sustainable practices and innovation in port logistics
• Study: Unreliable rail networks hampering efforts to decarbonise business travelSurvey from Business Travel Association reveals how lack of green transport options is making it difficult for businesses to deliver on sustainability ambitions
• How the Treasury's new social infrastructure PPP model will workThe infrastructure strategy has proposed allowing a form of PFI to be used in limited circumstances including healthcare centres for the first time since 2018 - but not yet revealed what the structure will be

News from Europe

• Ports lagging in EU-required installation of shore power connectionsEuropean gateways are lagging behind the EU's 2030 shore-power mandate, but the key ports remain bullish they can be 'largely compliant' when the deadline hits.