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

Monday, 17 November 2025

BBC News

• Rail line reopens as Claudia clean up continuesHighways crews in Staffordshire had hundreds of call-outs during Storm Claudia, dealing with damaged trees, flooding and power outages.
• Fund to help communities opened by rail operatorCommunity groups and charities in south-east England are being invited to apply for a community fund group which has been made available by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).
• London's Budget list - more money and 'do no harm'... City Hall and Transport for London (TfL) want the go-ahead to extend the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead - a move they say will unlock tens of thousands of new homes.
• Formula 1 tech used to rev-up train wi-fi speeds in new pilotA new UK-first pilot scheme is aiming to create fast and more reliable train wi-fi, using technology originally developed for Formula 1 cars.
• Airport railway stations to accept contactlessThe railway stations are among 50 to accept tap-in, tap-out payments from next month.
• Keyless car theft devices used by criminals sell for £20k onlineIt is not illegal currently to own the gadgets but the government has promised to ban them.

Department for Transport

• Simpler train travel to London airports as tap-in, tap-out expanded across south-east EnglandBuying tickets will be more convenient, more accessible and more flexible, ensuring passengers can get the best fares.

The Guardian

• Flooded and forgotten: the UK’s waters are rising and we’re being kept in the dark | John HarrisRescue operations in Wales, submerged railway lines in Cornwall – these events are ever more common. So why have we utterly failed to prepare. As autumn blurs into winter, the news is once again filling up with a familiar story: overflowing rivers, inundated streets and overwhelmed infrastructure.

The Independent

• Airport rail passengers will no longer be fined for trying to pay by contactlessStansted airport's railway station will be one of 50 across South East England to accept contactless payments from December 14.

The Telegraph

• Ancient woodlands are supposed to be our pride and joy. Now we're destroying them [subscription]While governments bet on growth, including Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament, activists fear ancient woodlands could suffer. And it's not hard to find examples. At Shorne and Ashenbank Wood in Kent, eight hectares are threatened by the Lower Thames Crossing, a new road connecting Kent and Essex through a tunnel beneath the Thames. Campaigners say the mitigating green bridges are insufficient to protect an important habitat housing several species

Mail Online

• Budget airline cuts back flights to UK airport in attempt to slash costsA top budget airline has cut the number of flights to a major UK airport in an attempt to slash costs. 

The Mirror

• Drivers 'stuck for hours' as 'entire UK city gridlocked' in Christmas 'madness'Motorists claimed they were 'stuck for hours' in 'absolute madness' as they queued to enter and exit a multi-storey car park while Manchester city centre became 'gridlocked'
• Budget airline Wizz Air to slash flights from major UK airportBudget airline Wizz Air plans to reduce the number of flights from Gatwick Airport, instead shifting its fleet to Luton, due to operating costs and 'inferior slots'

Birmingham Mail

• Major UK car ban moves step forward with drivers issued big updateCity Hall has appointed Hawkins Brown and East as lead architects on a “transformative” scheme to pedestrianise part of Oxford Street in central London.

Bristol Live

• Protesters out in force to fight Bristol Airport's bid to expand'In the time between the planes, it's quiet, peaceful and bursting with nature'

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Huge surge in abandoned cars as number nears 100,000 in a yearThe RAC says it is 'never the right thing' as councils use them to make money

Wales Online

• Train line shut with 'not enough replacement transport' warningTransport for Wales said it could not guarantee passengers would reach their destinations

Other Regional Press

• The bombshell London Underground plan to axe all drivers - Sadiq Khan sends £20billion warningA professor has said not only is it possible to fully automate the Tube, but it's already a reality in many cities worldwide

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Great British Railways Bill analysed plus cycling for deprived communitiesWith the UK Government publishing its much anticipated Railways Bill, Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker analyse what the legislation says about Labour's intentions for industry reforms and anticipate where controversy will flourish [1:10]. Christian meets Olympic and World championship legend Chris Boardman CBE at the launch of a pamphlet promoting access to cycling for people in deprived communities [25:40]. In his final thought from the departure lounge, Christian applauds the railway personnel, emergency services and health professionals who responded so magnificently to the incident at Huntingdon [33:04].

Rail Advent

• Scottish rail line to welcome electric trains next monthNetwork Rail has confirmed that electric trains will be operating on the line between East Kilbride and Glasgow from Sunday 14 December.
• Watch: Welsh rail station to provide step-free access to both platforms for the first timeTenby railway station in West Wales is to gain a new, fully-accessible footbridge with lifts. The upgrade work, to be carried out by Network Rail, is supported by the Department for Transport's Access for All programme and by the Welsh Government.

Rail Magazine

• GWR planning overnight Reading-Gatwick Airport trainsGreat Western Railway has applied to run North Downs Line services on Friday and Sunday nights between May and September 2026.

Railway Gazette

• Great Western Railway gains autism inclusivity awardUK: Great Western Railway has gained the National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Award for businesses which become more inclusive by providing accessible customer services, information and environments.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• School transport trouble: correct funding for LAs is the only answerHome-to-school transport is a core income source for many operators, particularly SMEs. And yet in England at least, some of that procured by local authorities (LAs) is in a financial hole.

Aviation Industry

• Cornwall Airport Newquay Wins Gold at 2025 Cornwall Tourism AwardsCornwall Airport Newquay has clinched the prestigious Gold award in the International Tourism category at the 2025 Cornwall Tourism Awards.
• IATA's Walsh Urges Asia-Pacific To Avoid Europe's Regulatory 'Mistakes'With the Asia-Pacific region poised for strong long-term air transport growth, IATA Director General Willie Walsh is urging the region to develop its own regulatory and infrastructure solutions rather than emulate Europe's approach.
• Boeing 777X Moves To Next Certification PhaseDespite being 'very, very disappointed' in the latest delay to certification of the 777-9, the program is advancing to the next stage of flight testing over the next few days with the start of FAA Type Inspection Authorization Phase 3, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope says.
• Boeing: Airline Fleet Planners Must Think Further AheadLong-term fleet planning is more important than ever, with airlines needing to think 10-15 years out and likely extending the lives of their current aircraft because of new aircraft delivery shortfalls, a Boeing executive says.

Other News Sources

• Storm Claudia Hereford to Newport rail line closure remainsA MAJOR rail route from Hereford is to remain closed until at least Tuesday, after floods brought on by Storm Claudia damaged the tracks.

News from Europe

• EU Commission plans to cut rail travel times to reduce flights within the EUThe European Commission presented on November 5, 2025 a plan to significantly reduce travel times by train between major European cities by 2040. The main goal is to reduce the necessity of short-haul flights within the European Union.
• Swiss rail head under guardSwiss Federal Railways CEO Vincent Ducrot has been placed under protection after receiving death threats linked to a major contract award.
• Fossil fuel exit and finance remain thorny issues as COP30 enters the political phaseWith the UN having accepted that a central goal of the Paris Agreement is all but unachievable, this week in Belém will reveal whether there exists the political will to turn things around