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

Friday, 12 December 2025

BBC News

• TUI removes last aircraft from airport amid low demandTravel company TUI will move its only aircraft based at London Luton Airport to London Gatwick Airport by next summer.
• Network Rail says sorry for £27m station lift woesNetwork Rail has apologised for the problems faced at a station which recently underwent a £27m redevelopment.
• Four daily direct Blackpool-London trains cut to twoBlackpool is to have its four daily direct services to and from London Euston reduced to two a day from next week, one train in each direction.
• Tube fares to go up by 5.8% in 2026Most increases will be 20p or less and bus and tram fares will be frozen, the mayor of London says.
• Union warns 'inaction' could sabotage shipyard's survivalThe biggest union at Ferguson Marine warns time is running out to help the yard recover from the ferries controversy.
• Transport woes laid bare at public meetingA public meeting has been held in the Forest of Dean to discuss the region's transport issues.

Department for Transport

• Mapping opportunity: new Connectivity Tool launches to place sustainable transport at the heart of jobs, schools and vital servicesThe tool scores places in England and Wales on how well connected they are to health services, education, shopping, leisure and workplaces.

Financial Times

• Mind the gap: what the Railways Bill doesn’t tell usAlso in this week’s newsletter: Flu cases hit record levels in England’s hospitals

The Guardian

• Why it's ridiculous to call our new train system 'Great' British RailThe name originated during the period of Boris Johnson boosterism. People no longer want Brexit triumphalism, but things that actually work
• First trains to join Manchester’s Bee Network by end of 2026Andy Burnham unveils next step in transport system, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and tramsThe first passenger trains in the Bee Network will join by the end of 2026, after Greater Manchester disclosed the next steps in its ambitious transport system.Unveiling a yellow-branded Northern train, the regional mayor, Andy Burnham, said two lines from central Manchester – to Glossop and Stalybridge – would join the network in a year, allowing contactless travel with fares capped across trains, buses and trams.
• ‘Squeaky bum time’ as Britain’s new rail timetable goes live this weekendMore trains, faster journeys and better reliability promised – but spectre of great timetable fiasco of 2018 looms largeBillions of pounds of investment, years of engineering works – and now, the moment of truth. On 14 December a revamped railway timetable goes live across Britain, with the biggest fanfare and radical changes for the east coast mainline, where passengers are promised more train services, faster journeys and a new era of reliability.But the spectre of a previous, disastrous timetable change from May 2018 still looms over the railway.

The Independent

• Heathrow Airport braces for busiest December everHeathrow Airport is gearing up for what it predicts will be its busiest December on record, asserting it is "fully prepared" for the festive rush.
• London commuters to be hit with Tube and rail fare hikesLondoners are set to face increased travel costs next year as new Tube and rail fare rises have been announced.

Times Online

• So long, Zipcar, a victim of terrible policy decisions [subscription]The future of driving is meant to be electric so why is the biggest car-sharing company, whose fleet was a third EVs, disappearing from our streets?
• Plans go in for £2bn York Central regeneration project [subscription]Developers are hoping to get the green light to undertake a £2 billion transformation of a 110-acre plot of disused land next to York station previously owned by Network Rail.

City AM

• Sadiq Khan has derailed Labour’s nationalisation plansHow is Keir Starmer's plan to renationalise Britain's railways going Badly, if events in London are anything to go by.

Network Rail

• Cross-border train operators strengthen collaboration across Scotland's RailwayA new team of railway colleagues have begun working in Scotland's rail operating centre this week, bringing cross-border operators into the state-of-the-art control room for the first time.

Sky News

• London tube and some train fares to rise, says mayor Sadiq KhanTube single fare hikes are capped at 20p as the mayor acknowledges the cost-of-living crisis. A passenger watchdog says the news is "bittersweet".

Birmingham Mail

• Free bus passes for over-66s update as Department for Transport speaks outSimon Lightwood Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport issued a response via a written answer.

Birmingham Post

• Ryanair marks major milestone at Bristol AirportThe budget carrier began operations at the South West transport hub in 1998

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Bradford's been left behind for too long' says MP as he pushes for key developmentAn MP has pushed the Transport Secretary on plans for a new railway station in Bradford.
• Leeds Bradford airline receives top environmental rating for climate strategyJet2, based at Leeds Bradford Airport, has been recognised for its environmental leadership by the CDP.

London Evening Standard

• Council housing and student flats above major Tube station approved againSouthwark Council's Planning Committee has approved the development on top of Southwark Tube station

Manchester Evening News

• Andy Burnham unveils first Bee Network train at Manchester Piccadilly in 'new era'Andy Burnham unveiled his bright, yellow vision for Greater Manchester's railways today promising 'a new era' for passengers.

Nation. Cymru

• 'Still work to do' despite improvements in Transport for Wales' reliabilityLatest figures show Transport for Wales' reliability is improving as more services run on time across the Wales and Borders network.

Wales Online

• Man with plans for huge Swansea Airport revamp makes last minute pleaIn a last minute plea to council chiefs before a decision was made on the site's lease, Michael Henry said there was £50m ready to be invested in the airport
• 'We should not be afraid to step in and run bus services,' says council leaderCllr Rob Stewart made the comment during a discussion about a new bus franchising system which will be rolled out across Wales

Cambridge News

• Plans to extend £1 bus ticket scheme until 2027 but funding not yet certainThe Tiger Pass scheme was introduced by former Labour CPCA Mayor Dr Nik Johnson in May 2024 to support access to affordable bus travel for people under 25 with £1 single fares

Other Regional Press

• Sam Rowlands MS on calls for rail links from Wrexham to LondonI was really disappointed earlier this year when a decision was taken not to improve rail links between Wrexham and London but I am delighted to hear that Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway have resubmitted a new formal application.
• Government invests £245m in South West bus servicesTHE government has promised that better buses and more services are on their way with a £245.9 million boost for the South West as part of a £3 billion national funding package over the next three years.
• Ken Skates: 'Communities from Rhymney southwards will be better connected'One of the main reasons many of us get into politics is to make a difference to people's everyday lives. Sometimes its small intangible changes that have a big impact, others it's a big fundamental change where you can see the transformation.
• First in Scotland to pilot accessible transport techWest Lothian is the first area in Scotland to use cutting edge technology to help blind and partially-sighted people to access public transport.
• £6.3m accessibility upgrade officially opened at Llanelli StationPassengers in Llanelli can now use brand‑new lifts and a modern footbridge after a 36.3 million upgrade was officially opened at the town's railway station.

Bus-News

• TfL Freezes Bus and Tram Fares as Tube and Rail Prices RiseThe Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has unveiled plans for Transport for London (TfL) fares in 2026, aiming to protect Londoners from rising travel costs while maintaining essential investment in the city's transport network.

New Civil Engineer

• East West Railway Company could become part of Network RailEast West Railway Company (EWR Co) could become an entity of Network Rail as the government is reviewing the status of arm's length bodies in light of the creation of Great British Railways (GBR).

Railnews

• First railways to join Manchester's Bee Network namedThe Mayor of Greater Manchester named the first railways which will join the region's Bee Network next year, as he unveiled a Northern Class 323 electric unit in promotional Bee Network livery at Manchester Piccadilly.

Railway Gazette

• 'Five firsts' celebrated at Tuxford as UK rail sector seeks role in hydrogen economyUK:Network Rail and industry partners held an event at Tuxford in Nottinghamshire on December 3 marking the first use of rail to transport hydrogen on the main line network.Nick Kingsley reports.

Railway-News

• 88% of UK Rail Passengers Satisfied with Journey PerformanceThe Rail Delivery Group has published the first set of results from the new Rail Customer Experience Survey (RCXS), which aims to provide a comprehensive and granular view of how passengers feel about the railway.

Sustainable Bus

• DB Regio subsidiary Weser-Ems-Bus deploys a CaetanoBus hydrogen bus fleet in Friesland, GermanyDB Regio subsidiary Weser-Ems-Bus has launched a hydrogen bus fleet in Friesland with six Caetano vehicles. The rollout fits Deutsche Bahn's broader strategy to expand alternative drivetrains across its bus networks and increase the share of zero-emission operations. Friesland is a rural district (Landkreis) in northwestern Germany, located in the state of Lower Saxony

The Business Desk

• FirstGroup snaps up Bath sightseeing bus operator as part of expansion drive in the South WestThe firm behind Bath's Tootbus sightseeing tours has been acquired by transport giant FirstGroup in a deal worth around £17m.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Transport for Wales delivers continued improvement in punctualityLatest figures show Transport for Wales continue our improvement journey as more services are running on time across the Wales and Borders network.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow appoints Philip Jansen as new ChairmanHeathrow Airport Holdings Ltd has today announced that Philip Jansen will succeed Lord Paul Deighton as Chairman of the Board when he steps down on 31 December 2025.
• Paris airports: ADP injects 8,4 billion euros to remain competitive in EuropeBetween urgent modernization, climate imperatives, and international competitiveness, Groupe ADP is entering a new phase of massive investment

Other News Sources

• Duty to disabled passengers in railways bill is 'too vague' and must be strengthened, MPs are toldA statutory duty in the new railways bill to ensure ministers and public bodies promote the needs of disabled passengers is 'too vague' and must be strengthened as the legislation passes through parliament, MPs were told Wednesday.
• Construction debris accounted for 830 road incidents over nine monthsBetween 1 January and 30 September 2025, material left on the road made up 15.1% of National Highways obstruction incidents