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

Monday, 21 July 2025

BBC News

• HS2 was doomed to be a mess, say insiders - due to a 'problem in this country'"I can't answer those questions currently," says Lord Peter Hendy. More than 15 years have passed since the idea to build a high-speed railway up the west coast of England was first announced, and I am asking the rail minister when it will be finished. And, crucially, how much it will cost.
• 'We want to buy railway sports centre we've used since 1926'A charity which runs sports clubs for all ages has launched a campaign to buy the hall it has used for a century.

The Guardian

• Resurrect HS2 northern leg to boost rail freight capacity, say UK manufacturersReviving line to Manchester and Leeds would help get lorries off roads and cut emissions, according to lobby group. Manufacturers will press ministers today to resurrect plans for a high-speed rail line reaching Leeds and Manchester as part of a large strategic investment to get lorries off Britain’s roads and cut emissions.Business lobby group Make UK and Barclays Corporate Bank said research showed companies believe the move would significantly increase passenger numbers and free up capacity for rail freight on existing lines.

The Telegraph

• Wizz Air quit Gulf after Abu Dhabi went back on deal, boss says [subscription]Airline chief claims previously agreed routes to India and Pakistan were blocked

Times Online

• I fear a state monopoly of the rail timetable, fares and capacity [subscription]Network Rails decision to reject three companies' bids for access to the west coast main line may be an early sign of a worrying future
• Air India crash report feeds rumours and wounds national pride [subscription]It is hard to imagine a text more likely to sow confusion and encourage speculation than the partial summary of the fate of the Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad

Mail Online

• Now Ryanair pay staff bonuses to catch out passengers with oversized cabin bags - after EasyJet introduced similar incentiveA leaked payslip shows how one former employee earned a 'gate bag bonus' for flagging up bags that broke the airline's famously tight size restrictions.

Bolton News

• Free scheme to help keep bikes safe from theft proves big successA new police schemes aimed at helping people keep their bikes safe from theft proved a big success this weekend.

Bristol Live

• Bristol Airport expansion latest as mayor issues statementShe could end up being one of the most powerful voices on whether Bristol Airport can expand
• As a new LTN is planned, residents ask 'have lessons from the EBLN been learnt?'Speeding traffic, problems with car parking, and a lack of safety for people cycling all received the most comments last summer

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Wales's biggest county reveals full list of 20mph proposals - with dozens of changes plannedA full list of 43 roads and their recommendations have now been published

London Evening Standard

• Calls for original high-speed rail line to be resurrectedManufacturers say the move would free up capacity for rail freight on existing lines.

Northern Echo

• Major new electric truck charging station goes live at Nissan plantNissan has launched a groundbreaking electric truck charging station at its Sunderland plant, marking the UK's first private, shared facility of its kind.

Yorkshire Post

• Manufacturers urge revival of HS2 to Leeds and Manchester to boost freight and growthManufacturers are pressing for the original plan for a high-speed rail line reaching Leeds and Manchester to be resurrected as part of a major strategic investment in the rail network.

Bucks Free Press

• Great Western Railway trains cancelled due to shortage of crewSome GWR trains have been cancelled/revised this morning due to shortage of staff and train crew

Cambridge News

• The Cambs areas where most bikes are stolen without thieves being punishedCambridge is the bike theft capital of England, with the equivalent of five bikes stolen every day in the city. Only a small percentage of bike thefts resulted in a suspect being charged or cautioned in 2024.

Other Regional Press

• MP Sarah Russell backs Friends of Goostrey StationA CHESHIRE MP has thrown her support by a group of volunteers working to improve and maintain a railway station.
• Northern railway expands family ticket scheme for 2025Train operator Northern is expanding its family ticket scheme, originally launched in October 2023 during a half-term trial, to include more routes and greater flexibility for 2025.
• New Wiltshire train stations planned amid Metro schemePlans for a £30 million Metro system to transform Wiltshire's railways have hit an important milestone.

Rail Magazine

• Repeated bridge failures force TransPennine Express to consider diversionary routeTransPennine Express Managing Director Chris Jackson has told RAIL the operator is considering using a diversionary route, because of repeated failures of a canal bridge in north Lincolnshire.
• Still too many instances of booked assisted travel not happening as lift failures increaseToo many instances remain of passengers not receiving the help they had booked, according to the Office of Rail and Road's annual report on assisted rail travel.

Aviation Industry

• IATA Chief talks about tariff uncertainties, EU’s sustainable aviation fuel and low cost carrier modelThe director-general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, was in Singapore recently where he talked about strategic and significant issues facing the aviation industry. These include the uncertainties surrounding the impending U.S tariffs and the viability of low cost carrier models upon the exit of Qantas’ owned Jetstar. He also heavily criticised the EU’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Airbus' Long-Haul Blended-Wing Body Hydrogen Plane: Everything We Know So FarThe ZEROe is Airbus' proposition for the aircraft of the future. Carbon-neutral, powered solely by hydrogen, and capable of flying long distances with up to 200 passengers onboard, the ZEROe looks set to send shockwaves around the aviation industry when it enters commercial service.

Other News Sources

• The truth about the Treasury's Green BookIt's wrong to blame this guidance for poor investment decisions on HS2 and other projects