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

Friday, 05 December 2025

BBC News

• Cash boost to help 'stabilise' region's busesAbout £90m is going to be invested into improving bus services around the South West, the government has confirmed.
• Birmingham New Street named busiest station outside LondonThe main city station was 13th busiest overall in 2025, with 36.6million passengers, figures show.
• Airport boss rules out Ozzy Osbourne renameAlmost 77,000 people signed a petition calling for the change, but the airport's CEO has said no.
• Major revamp of Wales' busiest station gets go-aheadThe £140m upgrades to Cardiff Central aim to support passenger growth and reduce overcrowding.
• Manchester relaunches green walking trailsThe walking circuit of 15 routes goes around the city and connects parks, green spaces and waterways.
• Heathrow Airport announces changes to drop-offsThe UK's busiest airport is making changes which include a drop off time limit for the first time.

ITV News

• £140 million revamp for Cardiff Central Station gets go-aheadPlans to revamp Wales' busiest railway station have got the go-ahead from the UK Government.

Department for Transport

• Plans for direct UK-Germany rail link one step closerEurostar and Deutsche Bahn plan direct London-Germany high-speed rail by early 2030s, making travel greener and easier.
• Better buses, more services: £3 billion boost for millions of passengersMulti-year funding gives local authorities the funds they need to provide passengers with lower fares, more frequent and reliable services and safer journeys.

Financial Times

• Aberdeen takes on Stagecoach’s pension scheme in ‘landmark’ dealAsset management group will actively manage surplus distributed to transport company’s scheme members

Times Online

• I went behind the scenes at Britain's worst airport this is what I found [subscription]anchester airport has an image problem. For the fourth year in a row Britain's third biggest airport after Heathrow and Gatwick, in terms of passenger numbers, has been named the nation's worst.
• Britain's 'loneliest' station, with fewer than 70 passengers a year [subscription]Elton and Orston in Nottinghamshire has no staff or any service on Sunday, while London Liverpool Street is the country's busiest
• UK Tesla sales are biggest casualty as electric vehicle growth slows [subscription]Rachel Reeves's new taxes on EVs will endanger Britain's net zero transition, industry warns

The Mirror

• Better buses finally on the way after years of decline says Labour transport chiefTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced £3billion of funding for bus services - giving councils more freedom to bring in new routes, lower fares and make bus stops safer

Local Government

• New bus stop information displays installed with audioMore than 100 bus stops around Reading have been fitted with new real-time passenger information (RTPI) displays with audio announcements for customers with visual impairments.
• Rotherham residents benefit from smarter Rail Travel with innovative Mobile Ticketing TrialThe Council is supporting a trial by the Department of Transport utilising technology from Swiss technology company FAIRTIQ, which means passengers on the Sheffield Doncaster rail line can enjoy pay-as-you-go travel using just their mobile phone - without having to buy individual tickets
• Discounted travel and frozen fees for Liverpool City Region residentsLiverpool City Region residents will continue to benefit from the cheapest fares under a range of proposed transport fees and charges set to be considered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority later this month.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• London Liverpool Street takes top spot for the third year runningLondon Liverpool Street is Great Britain's busiest railway station for the third year running with almost 100 million entries and exits, the Office of Rail and Road has confirmed today. Elton and Orston in Nottinghamshire is once again the least used station with 68 entries and exits.

Birmingham Mail

• 'Faster and cheaper' buses in Birmingham as £264 million funding announcedThe Government has confirmed that it will provide £264.1 million in funding to support local authorities in the West Midlands, improving journeys for millions of passengers
• First new average speed cameras installed on major Birmingham roadThe speed traps will be located on Coventry Road, which will extend the existing operation from Berkley Road to Bordesley Middleway on the A45

Leicester Mercury

• Major Great Central Railway update issued on bid to reunify Leicestershire with NottinghamshireWork on reunifying the Great Central Railway (GCR) in Leicestershire with its Nottinghamshire counterpart is set to begin next summer, bosses have revealed.

Liverpool Echo

• New stations, rapid transit and smart ticketing: Liverpool City Region's £1.6 billion bonanzaDetails of how the Liverpool City Region's biggest ever investment in public transport will be spent have been revealed. A £1.6 billion cash bonanza will go towards creating new train stations, rapid transit routes and smart ticketing across the region's entire transport network.

London Evening Standard

• South London train station wins award after being restored to its art deco glory in stunning makeoverThe transformation was completed in September this year and has been officially recognised with a National Heritage Railway Award

Manchester Evening News

• The staggering number of commuters passing through Manchester Piccadilly railway stationManchester Piccadilly was today named as the second busiest railway station outside of London - for the second year in a row.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Government announcement to boost bus services with £3 billion investment welcomedThe Government has announced that £3 billion will be made available to help improve bus services across England

The York Press

• 'Mayor's half a million pound bus study is avoidable - just ask elected groups'Why pay for a bus study when every elected group could give their opinion for free asks our letter writer.

Wales Online

• UK Transport Secretary issues update on £445m Welsh rail fundingThe Transport Secretary was speaking at an event to mark the £140m Cardiff Central redevelopment announcement

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Better buses and more services after substantial funding boost for millions of passengers in the West MidlandsMillions of passengers in the West Midlands are set to benefit from faster, cheaper and more reliable buses, the Government said after announcing a £264.1 million boost for services and infrastructure.

Other Regional Press

• CrossCountry resumes full Saturday service after union action pausedCROSSCOUNTRY will run normal Saturday rail services throughout December after planned strikes were called off
• Better buses and more services promised as £245 million announced for South WestAs £245 million is announced by the government, local councils will decided how money is spent
• Cleethorpes to London rail link should be 'top priority' says Shadow Minister on visit to North LincolnshireA King's Cross London to Cleethorpes will boost tourism trade and freight and bring growth, said Shadow Transport Minister, Richard Holden
• Revamp of Luton Railway Station could attract 'billions of investment' claims reportRegeneration of Luton Railway Station and its surrounds could maximise town centre investment worth billions of pounds, borough councillors are being advised.
• Hartlepool precision engineering firm JJ Hardy & Sons celebrates new contacts with Eurostar and Transport for LondonA Hartlepool business is celebrating a 'tremendous achievement' after securing contracts with Eurostar and Transport for London.
• Fife Council to extend Go-Flexi bus service to West FifeFife Council has announced that its innovative Go-Flexi bus service will be extended to parts of West Fife as part of a new trial launching on December 15.
• Work to begin on £3.7m Taunton transport hub after ChristmasWork on Taunton's new £3.7m transport hub will finally begin after Christmas, Somerset Council has confirmed.

Rail Business Daily

• Government boost for businesses to drive freight innovationBritish businesses will receive nearly £1.1 million to test innovative technologies which could transform the face of freight and logistics in the UK, through the Government's Freight Innovation Fund.
• Accessible new bridge at Stowmarket rail station to open in 2026Greater Anglia has announced the successful installation of a first-of-its-kind accessible 'AVA' footbridge at Stowmarket station, completed on 29 and 30 November.

Transportxtra

• Alexander looks to CCC in bid to square airport expansion with carbon reductionTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander is seeking advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) on the shaping of the revised Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) in the wake of the Government's decision to endorse the building of a third runway at Heathrow.
• Climate action must go local and that means transport planning is keyMartina Juvara offers her five take-aways from COP30, and observes how cities are more ambitious than national governments in taking climate action, often using transport strategy to drive change

Aviation Industry

• Slow progress on logistics network map harming growth, says Logistics UKThe UK government's lack of urgency in defining a national logistics network is driving up congestion costs, stalling economic growth, and hindering decarbonisation across the supply chain, according to Logistics UK.

Other News Sources

• Eurostar on track for direct UK-Germany link by early 2030sEurostar and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have confirmed joint plans for a direct high-speed rail connection between Germany and London.
• Edinburgh Rail Station Expands Parking Facilities to Meet Growing Commuter Demand Amid Rising Train Travel PopularityAs the popularity of train travel grows in Edinburgh, the city's rail station is taking proactive steps to address the challenges posed by limited parking spaces. With more commuters choosing trains over personal vehicles, the station's passenger volume has increased significantly, necessitating the urgent need for additional parking facilities. In response, station officials have expanded the parking area to meet rising demand, ensuring that commuters have a stress-free and convenient travel experience.
• Balfour Beatty trials hydrogen technology for rail plantBalfour Beatty has completed a trial of Engine Carbon Clean (ECC) technology as part of its goal to reduce emissions across its rail operations.
• Sustainable Transport Futures: Building Resilience at the Nexus with EnergyProf David Flynn and Dr Si Chen from the University of Newcastle's National Research Hub for Decarbonised, Adaptable, and Resilient Transport Infrastructures (DARe Hub) explain the importance of the collaboration between the transport and energy sectors.
• Welsh Transport Secretary Challenges Rail Service Reductions Impacting North WalesThe Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has expressed 'deep concern' over a decision taken by the Office of Rail and Road's (ORR) to reduce two Avanti services affecting North Wales and the borders in its December timetable change.
• TfGM announce simpler rail fares via new transport planTransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that from 7 December, the city-region will become one of the first areas to benefit from simpler rail fares.