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

Friday, 25 July 2025

BBC News

• HS2 viaduct operation to see rail line closureRail passengers have been warned to expect delays amid line closures as an HS2 viaduct to be built.
• City's new public transport 'not a bus', mayor saysPeople have had a first look at the latest additions to a city's public transport network - amid fierce debate over what to call them.
• HS2 viaduct operation to see rail line closureThe rail line will be closed from 26 July until Sunday 3 August, Network Rail says.
• Airbus workers vote to strike over 'poor pay' offerThe Unite union says it is committed to trying to avoid industrial action.
• Prestwick Airport fined after worker fell to deathJoseph Dempsey, 59, died in January 2023 when a faulty guardrail on a loading platform gave way.

Financial Times

• Hold the fizz on Wizz Air’s turnaround Unlucky airline is changing course, but it will be bumpy
• Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern in talks to create $200bn transcontinental US railwayMegamerger would face intense regulatory scrutiny and probably require backing of Trump administration
• Wizz Air scales back growth ambitions as engine issues hit profits againLow-cost carrier extends delivery timeline for new planes and reduces passenger outlook

STV

• Chancellor to announce £66m investment in Scottish transportChancellor Rachel Reeves will announce £66m worth of investment in Scottish transport on Friday.

Times Online

• Portsmouth councillors agree on push to tighten rules on out-of-area private hire drivers Perry RichardsonPortsmouth City Council is considering new rules to ensure all taxis and private hire vehicles operating in the city meet its own safety standards, regardless of where they are licensed.

Transport Committee

• Joined-up journeys: MPs to investigate how integrated transport can be achieved and measuredThe Transport Committee has launched a new inquiry into how transport services and investment can be planned to best meet the needs of the public.

Mail Online

• United Airlines grounds entire US fleet after fire alarm at HQThe major airline has grounded its entire fleet just days after a similar ground stop sparked mass travel chaos across the United States.

Local Government

• Council Leader sees how wildlife is thriving at HS2 siteProgress of the new chalk grasslands at the HS2 site in West Hyde was inspected by the Leader of Three Rivers District Council.
• Cumberland Council approves procurement and commission for new and enhanced bus servicesCumberland Council has today approved plans to go to market to procure and commission a major expansion of local bus services, backed by £3.5 million in Government funding through the Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP).
• Suffolk council launches transport infrastructure reviewA review of Suffolk's transport infrastructure is now underway, community leaders have said.

Network Rail

• Renewing the track in Bransty tunnel to ensure the reliability of train services on the Cumbrian coastlineThis project is due to start in late July and complete at the end of September.
• £4.5m upgrade announced for Kyle of Lochalsh railwayA major £4.5m refurbishment project is planned for the Kyle of Lochalsh railway in the Highlands this Autumn.

Bolton News

• Northern trains praised for supporting armed forces veteransTrain operator Northern has received the prestigious Gold Employer Recognition Scheme
• Full steam ahead for £2 million scheme to preserve historical landmarkWork to preserve an important landmark on the historical East Lancashire Railway will stream ahead this week

Bristol Live

• Clifton Suspension Bridge to close all weekend to drivers and cyclistsDiverted drivers won't be charged to enter the Clean Air Zone

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Airbus secures 90 plane order worth billions of poundsThe wings for the planes will be assembled at Airbus Broughton in North Wales
• Airbus workers vote to strike in pay disputeMembers have voted to take industrial action at Airbus

The York Press

• Railway 200: Futurist paints picture of train travel in 2075Futurist Tom Cheesewright has predicted what train travel could be like in 2075, as LNER's 'Train of the Future' experience prepares to pull in at London King's Cross.

Wales Online

• Multi-million-pound transport cash boost announced across Wales and EnglandOver £300 million of funding has been allocated for local transport projects across England and Wales
• Severe weather can cost Transport for Wales up to £500,000 a dayTfW's annual report looks at a number of risks including extreme weather and climate change. It also shows passenger journeys and income from ticket sales are up.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Dudley Council secures deal to save Very Light Rail National Innovation CentreDudley Council has done a deal to secure the future of the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) which had gone into administration.

Other Regional Press

• Rachel Reeves to pledge £66m for key Scottish transport projectsRachel Reeves will announce £66 million of funding for transport projects in Scotland with the Chancellor insisting the cash shows the Labour Government is investing in Britain's renewal after a 'decade of decline' under the Conservatives.
• Wrightbus hosts leading German transport operators to accelerate decarbonisationBritish bus manufacturer Wrightbus recently welcomed 12 of Germany's leading public transport operators to its newly opened Brühl service centre, in a landmark event focused on accelerating decarbonisation across European bus networks.
• Transport for Wales reports surge in rail use and revenueTransport for Wales has published their 2024/25 Annual Report and figures reveal that more people are using the rail network and positively impacting revenue figures for the not-for-profit organisation.
• £3.2m project to improve Woodstock Road completeA £3.2 million project to improve cycling, walking, and wheeling along Woodstock Road has been completed.
• Government contacted about Oxford congestion charge signs before local electionsOxfordshire County Council contacted the Department for Transport about signage for an Oxford congestion charge before the May local elections took place.

Construction Enquirer

• Vinci gets green light for £35m St Helens transport hubVinci Building has got the green light to start work on a £35m transport hub in the centre of St Helens.

Rail Business Daily

• Conservatives appoint new Shadow Transport SecretaryThe MP for Basildon and Billericay has been appointed Shadow Transport Secretary following a shadow cabinet reshuffle carried out by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch earlier this week.

Rail Magazine

• Why Britain needs a proper transport strategy to end a catalogue of failure - Christian WolmarA few years ago, I wrote a short book called Are Trams Socialist?
• Martijn Gilbert to join Arriva after leaving senior FirstGroup open access positionRAIL revealed in June how Gilbert was leaving his post as First Rail Managing Director, Open Access, Tram and Cable, after nearly three years in the role.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Hitachi Just Signed a Game-Changing Deal for South Yorkshire Here's Why It MattersHitachi Rail and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) have signed a new 15-year Technology Partner Framework Agreement, which will underpin the next generation of technology modernisation on the South Yorkshire Supertram network.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Richard Holden appointed Shadow Transport SecretaryRichard Holden, the former Under-Secretary of State for Transport, has been appointed Shadow Transport Secretary.

Other News Sources

• Peterborough station upgrade gets £48m funding boostTravel in Peterborough is set to be transformed - thanks to a government cash handout.
• SYMCA partners with Hitachi on tramsThe Technology Partner Framework Agreement will start in September and last for an initial 15 years, aiming to enhance the county's Supertram network through digitally enabled solutions.
• £7M RAILWAY UPGRADE WORKS TO START IN STONEPassengers and residents in Stone are being advised of upcoming railway upgrade works as part of a £7 million-plus investment to improve safety, performance, and long-term reliability on the West Coast Main Line.
• Joined-up journeys: MPs to investigate how integrated transport can be achieved and measuredThe Transport Committee has launched a new inquiry into how transport services and investment can be planned to best meet the needs of the public.
• UK port traffic at a standstill as summer holidays beginA traffic warden marshalling the queueing system said they had received a lot of verbal abuse

News from Europe

• EU invests €2.8 billion in 94 transport projectsThe European Commission has selected 94 transport projects to receive nearly €2.8 billion in EU grants under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). By modernizing railways, inland waterways and maritime routes across the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the projects will help better connect European regions and cities, north to south, east to west, and make the EU's internal market more competitive and more resilient.