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

Wednesday, 15 October 2025

BBC News

• New hangar 'pivotal' for airport's successA new airport hangar equipped to service Boeing 737 and Airbus A320s has opened with chiefs describing it as a "pivotal day" for the site.
• Train travel to be hit by £1.3m track improvementNew track and sleepers will be installed as part of a £1.3m investment to make train travel smoother, Network Rail has confirmed.
• Contracts for major £28m station revamp awardedContracts for a major £28m city centre project to redevelop the land around its rail station have been agreed.
• Train revamp complete in £100m projectMore than 300 trains serving passengers across the South East have been upgraded following the completion of a £100m project.
• New bus lane proposals to be decided by councilPlans for new bus lanes in Eastbourne are to be considered by East Sussex County Council.
• 'E-bikes are a fatality waiting to happen'Attracting more than 250,000 people a week, Briggate is one of the busiest high streets in West Yorkshire. As councillors in Leeds consider plans to ban cycling along parts of the popular thoroughfare, shoppers told the BBC what they thought of the proposal.
• Crossing revenue could fund ferry service, MP saysSome of the toll money from the Lower Thames Crossing could fund the re-instatement of the Gravesend-Tilbury ferry crossing, an MP has said. Labour MP for Gravesham, Lauren Sullivan said reviving the ferry could help reconnect communities and ease traffic.
• I felt trapped, says victim of train sexual offence as reports riseA BBC investigation finds reports of sexual offences on trains rise by more than a third.

Financial Times

• Lime bikes need a tech fix in LondonThe race among dockless e-bike companies to expand in the city is causing disruption
• China slaps sanctions on Korean shipbuilder accused of helping USMeasures extend trade war between Washington and Beijing to third countries

The Guardian

• EasyJet shares jump after report of potential takeover bid Investors including MSC consider offer, with options ranging from majority stake to full control. Shares in easyJet jumped after reports that the Swiss-headquartered shipping company MSC was considering a takeover of Europe’s second-largest budget airline.

The Telegraph

• EasyJet becomes takeover target after share price slump [subscription]Budget airline linked to reports of potential foreign interest in its valuable airport landing slots

Local Government

• Leven Bus Station improvements set to startWork to improve Leven Bus Station is set to begin next week. Fife Council is investing £271,000 to upgrade the bus station and its surroundings, with contractors Gilmartin who will carry out the work on the council's behalf - expected to begin on site on Monday, October 20.
• 40 local bus stops to get complete makeoverDerby City Council is preparing plans to refurbish more bus shelters in communities around the city as part of its commitment to improving comfort, safety and accessibility for passengers.

Birmingham Post

• Newcastle Airport anticipates record six million passengers in 2026 The airport is also investing £60m in upgrades and extensions to cope with the increased demand

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Over 18 million Ryanair passengers through Leeds BradfordRyanair has carried more than 18 million passengers through Leeds Bradford Airport since it began operating from the airport, it has been revealed.
• Over 100 on street EV charging bays to come to BradfordOVER 100 car charging points will be installed at 33 Bradford locations in a bid to offer more options for electric vehicle users.

Liverpool Echo

• Two new bus lanes will be introduced in Liverpool from New YearLongmoor Lane and Upper Parliament Street will be subject to experiment from January 2026

London Evening Standard

• Row breaks out over £1.5million cycle lane that would be alternative to blocked-off Oxford StreetA row had broken out over a £1.5m cycle lane that would help cyclists to ride more safely through central London including when they are banned from Oxford Street.

Nation. Cymru

• Rail chiefs gear up for autumn and winter challenges across WalesTransport for Wales (TfW) and Network Rail have announced a package of measures to help keep trains running safely and reliably through the challenging autumn and winter months.

Bucks Free Press

• First look at new trains set to replace 50-year-old carriages on Bucks routesChiltern Railways has unveiled its new trains set to replace 50-year-old carriages.

Cambridge News

• Full list of areas in Cambridgeshire that could see new 20mph zones introduced in 2026Cambridgeshire County Council has set out a list of places that have been prioritised for new 20mph zones.

Kent Online

• Nimbys and blockers to £10bn Thames Crossing in Chancellor's sightsWork on the £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing could see 'spades in the ground' sooner if the government can speed up court challenges.

Other Regional Press

• Local plan and transport plan deadlines extended last minute due to issuesDeadlines for both the Dorset Local Plan and Local Transport Plan surveys have been extended as high demand continues to cause problems with the online consultation platform.

Train Operators

• New Chiltern Railways trains set to unlock 10,000 more seats a dayChiltern Railways today (Tuesday 14 October) showcased for the first time its newest (Mark 5A) trains, set to add 10,000 more seats for customers each weekday from December 2026.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• New minibus to offer enhanced accessibility for community transportA new low-floor minibus designed to improve accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility has been launched by British bus manufactures, Treka Bus. The CitySprint range, built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platform, features true single-step entry and a spacious low-floor area to enable smooth boarding for all passengers.
• Arriva acquire RTS Infrastructure to enhance infrastructure and depot servicesArriva, a prominent tra nsport operator, hassuccessfully finalised the acquisition of RTS Infrastructure, a UK-based firm that specialises in rail depot servicing and infrastructure construction. This strategic acquisition enables Arriva to extend its operations into the UK rail construction sector for the first time, thereby offering a wider array of services for rail operators and infrastructure managers.
• Electric truck programme exceeds targets as demand surgesMore organisations are said to be benefitting from subsidised electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) through The Electric Freightway project, led by GRIDSERVE as part of the Department for Transport and Innovate UK's Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme.
• Drivers consider switching to black box insurance if pay-per-mile tax is introducedMotorists across the UK are reassessing how they drive and insure their vehicles amid growing discussion about a possible pay-per-mile road tax. The idea, currently under government consideration, would see drivers charged based on the number of miles they travel rather than paying a flat annual rate through vehicle tax.

Rail Magazine

• "It would be a game changer": calls for Highland Main Line electrification and duallingThe Scottish government must 'get spades in the ground' to dual and electrify the Highland Main Line, MSPs have demanded.
• Hints given at what Rail Reform bill will include - and earliest possible date for GBRGreat British Railways could be set up by late summer 2027 at the very earliest, with the government's Rail Reform bill going to Parliament next month. That's the prediction of outgoing Network Rail Chief Executive Sir Andrew Haines, who ahead of his retirement as CEO on October 17 has outlined when he expects to see some movement on the government's Railways Bill.

Railnews

• Eurostar safety dispute triggers strike ballot The RMT is to hold a strike ballot at Eurostar in a dispute over safety and and working conditions. The union claims that staff ‘face worsening working conditions with unreliable trains, poor service recovery and operational safety concerns, piling pressure on the workforce’.

road.cc

• "Deeply depressing and frustrating": London Tory councillors say extending £1.5 million cycle route to bypass pedestrianised Oxford Street would be "irresponsible"Marylebone's Conservative Action group claims that "traffic plans for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street remain unclear", adding that the Cycleway C43 scheme "also ignores the needs of pensioners, disabled people those who rely on local parking"...

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• West Yorkshire bus franchising dynamic market gets 25 operatorsTwelve operators signal interest in large contracts, with 23 looking to smaller and H2S awards

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Proposed new walking, wheeling and cycling route between Pontypool and Usk via Mamhilad and Little MillTransport for Wales, the Welsh Government's Strategic Road Network team, Torfaen County Borough Council and Monmouthshire County Council are working together to provide a new safe and accessible route that can be used by everyone in the community to walk, wheel or cycle to destinations between Pontypool in Torfaen through to Usk in Monmouthshire.

Other News Sources

• Zippers: Councillors back bus feasibility study intoHereford city councillors have agreed to spend £5,000 to look at the future of the city's free Zipper bus service, once government funding to maintain it ends in just over a year.
• £1.8million of transport funding for NottinghamFunding allocated to make walking and cycling safer on Gregory Boulevard, continue popular cycling sessions and explore future projects
• Bristol regeneration programme seeking contractor for new 'Southern Gateway' transport hub - includes new multi-storey car parkThe partnership behind the Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration programme is seeking a main contractor for a scheme which includes a new multi-storey car park
• Free car parking times could be cut under new rules, says Surrey councilThe changes could impact car parks in town centres, multi-storeys and recreation ground lots