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

Friday, 19 December 2025

BBC News

• Airport's runway expansion plan could create 'eyesore'Campaigners have described an airport's plan to extend its runway onto a small section of common open space as a "land grab".
• £2.5bn tram plan delayed after government reviewA planned tram system for West Yorkshire has been delayed after the government carried out a review of the project.
• TfL hate crime 'linked to Israel-Gaza war'British Transport Police said international events played "a really big part" on how people behave.
• Ports giant rows back on plans for small boat feesHarbour authority Peel Ports Clydeport shelves a plan to charge an annual £100 fee to use the waters in and around the river.
• 'Carspreading' is on the rise - and not everyone is happy about itIn the UK and across Europe, cars are becoming longer, wider and heavier.

Financial Times

• £2.5bn Leeds tram project delayed following reviewLabour had pledged to make the network a priority
• Bumper Christmas for air travel as 300mn take to the skies Airlines on track for the biggest holiday season getaway in history as industry braces for record demand

The Guardian

• UK's roads and airports brace for busiest Christmas getaway on recordTransport groups warn of unprecedented congestion as commuters, shoppers and holidaymakers travel at once
• Leeds £2.5bn tram scheme delayed to late 2030s after government reviewBusiness case must be submitted for mass transit system with lines connecting Leeds and Bradford before work continues
• ‘We’ve future-proofed’: how UK’s biggest car factory upgraded for EV revolutionNissan builds in capability to go fully electric at Sunderland plant amid scaling back of transition targets across EuropeCar bodies suspended from overhead rails move through Nissan’s factory in Sunderland, with workers stepping in to fit parts at different stations. At the newly installed battery “marriage station”, lifting machines push the most crucial component up into the body. Robots fit and tighten 16 bolts in under a minute – quick enough to ensure the constant flow of vehicles around Britain’s biggest car factory.The electric cars in question are the thi...

The Mirror

• EasyJet flyer luggage row: 'I was forced to pay so I could travel home'Consumer group Which? claims passengers are being wrongly fined for having cabin bags that airport staff say are too big

Network Rail

• Major progress on Network Rail projects this ChristmasThe Christmas period will see strong progress made on Network Rail projects along the East Coast Main Line part of the £160 million of railway investment nationally this festive season.
• Autumn-related train delays in Scotland reduced by more than a quarterAutumn-related train delays in Scotland fell by more than a quarter this year compared with last, according to new figures from Network Rail.
• Major step forward as Midlands Rail Hub Alliance confirmedThe four partners which will design and develop the most transformative railway upgrade in the Midlands have been confirmed.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• Streamlining our regulatory approachRail reform will bring major change to our role and the way we regulate and monitor the new Great British Railways (GBR). Ahead of GBR's introduction, we're focused on supporting the rail industry in adding value and driving growth, including by streamlining our work with Network Rail, making it as efficient and effective as we can.

Birmingham Mail

• Call for 'late-night curfew' and lower drink-drive limits for new UK driversNew measures could improve road safety, says West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster
• Bus station workers and more striking today in West Midlands after ‘inadequate’ pay offer Employees involved in the strike include those who work at bus stations, interchanges, infrastructure project officers and customer service staff

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'World’s largest airport operator' buys majority ownership of Leeds Braford AirportA spanish airport operator has acquired a majority stake in Leeds Bradford Airport.

Nation. Cymru

• Plans for Welsh city to get a new direct rail route from LondonA Welsh city is on track to get a direct rail route from London. If there was ever a location which has seen its stock rise hugely with tourists from around the world flocking to its ancient walls then it's Wrexham.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Delays for long-awaited Leeds mass transit network opening, Tracy Brabin revealsWest Yorkshire£s long-awaited mass transit network has hit the buffers and will be delayed until the late 2030s, transport chiefs have revealed.

Yorkshire Post

• Leeds Bradford Airport: New Spanish owners revealed in 'exciting' £270m dealA world-leading airport operator owned by the Spanish government is to take a majority stake in Leeds Bradford Airport as part of a £270m deal, it has been announced.

Cambridge News

• Bus pass scheme with £1 tickets officially extended until March 2027The popular scheme has been extended to provide affordable travel to young people
• Cambridge bus strikes confirmed to be going ahead over festive periodA union recently asked for a nine per cent increase in pay, which has been rejected by Stagecoach East.

Other Regional Press

• The rail freight teams working behind the scenes to deliver Christmas across Wales and Borders routeIF NETWORK RAIL did Christmas adverts, this would be theirs. Join them for a festive look behind the scenes at Wentloog, where rail freight helps keep shelves stocked, supports Welsh industry and cuts congestion at the busiest time of year.
• Bournemouth Airport investment leads to record yearBOURNEMOUTH Airport is expected to its shatter previous record for annual passengers following a significant expansion in its facilities earlier this year.

Airportwatch

• Lower Thames Crossing completion now 2034 as new senior civil servant champion appointedLower Thames Crossing (LTC) has confirmed the appointment of a Department for Transport (DfT) director as senior responsible owner (SRO) for the scheme, outlining a revised completion date of 2034.

Business Live

• Spanish airport giant Aena buys stakes in Newcastle and Leeds Bradford airportsSignificant stakes in two of the North's main airports have been sold to one of the world's largest airport operators in a multimillion-pound deal.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• The DfT seeks freight sector views on major road improvement schemesThe Department for Transport (DfT), with Arup, AECOM and Oxera, is researching how major road improvements have affected the freight and logistics sector from an economic perspective. We are seeking input from operators and freight related businesses on three key schemes specifically: A14 – Cambridge to Huntingdon bypass (2020) A13/M25 Junction 30 Congestion Relief (2017) M62 – TransPennine Smart Motorway (series of improvements since 2013) If your operations are affected by one of those three roads or schemes, we invite you to: Take a short 15–30-minute...

Construction Index

• Midlands Rail Hub Alliance confirmed 42 minutes VolkerRail, Laing O'Rourke, AtkinsRéalis and Siemens Mobility have been confirmed for the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance.
• Landmark planning legislation reaches statute bookThe new Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 is one of Keir Starmer's flagship pieces of legislation, designed to accelerate the development of housing and infrastructure and promote economic growth.

New Civil Engineer

• Aena Expands UK Portfolio With Leeds Bradford, Newcastle InvestmentSpanish airport operator Aena has agreed to buy a majority stake in a new holding company that owns and manages Leeds Bradford Airport and a minority interest in Newcastle International Airport.

Rail Business Daily

• Nine out of ten customers satisfied with ScotRail in new rail industry surveyScotRail customers are giving the train operator a huge vote of confidence with nine out of ten satisfied with their services, according to the first results from the new Rail Customer Experience Survey (RCXS).

Rail Magazine

• New bridge over Oxford Botley Road set to be installed in early 2026Noisy construction work on Oxford's Botley Road to prepare for the installation of a new railway bridge is nearly finished, according to Network Rail.
• Open access Open access operators can still bring new passengers to the railway, FirstGroup has said as it launched Lumo's new Glasgow to London service.

The Business Desk

• West Yorkshire tram plans derailed in hammer blow to Mayor's Mass Transit ambitionsPlans to introduce trams to West Yorkshire have been pushed back by several years following a government review, delaying a project previously described by Mayor Tracy Brabin as her 'biggest ambition'.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow unveils T4 overhaul as part of £1.3bn investment Heathrow has unveiled a series of upgrades totalling £1.3bn to be made to the airport throughout 2026. Construction will start on a revamp of Terminal 4 which will include the development of a new multi-storey car park and upgraded check-in area.
• Heathrow unlocks £1.3bn investment for next year after 2025 delivered record growth and punctualityPassengers can look forward to smoother, more reliable journeys as Heathrow plans a series of upgrades for next year. Construction will start on a revamp to Terminal 4 which will include a new multi-storey car park and upgraded check-in area. The works will be phased to ensure T4's current operations run as normal and are expected to be completed in 2031.

Other News Sources

• Greater Cambridge Partnership extends Connector autonomous bus trialsA new self-driving bus has been launched on a trial basis in Cambridge. The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has begun to run the 26-seater vehicle on route linking Trumpington and Babraham Park and Rides with the Cambridge Biomedical Campus from Mondays to Fridays.
• TSSA raises concerns over digital ticketing trial and rail safety Rail union TSSA has raised serious concerns after it emerged that government funding is being used to trial digital ticketing technology which could sideline staffed railway ticket offices, with potential implications for passenger safety.
• Watchdog's league table on rail passenger assistance is 'misleading', say accessible transport campaignersDisabled campaigners have dismissed a watchdog's 'misleading' new league table that claims to show the best performers in assisting disabled rail passengers.
• UK announces Midlands Rail Hub partnersNetwork Rail has confirmed the four partners for the new Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, which will be responsible for the most transformative rail modernization in the Midlands, a region located in central England, between the north and south of the UK.
• Landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill becomes lawThe UK Government's landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill has received Royal Assent today (18 December), marking a major step in accelerating housing and infrastructure projects across the UK.
• Delay for £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing projectThe UK Government has now confirmed that the massive Lower Thames Crossing project will feature funding from private sources. However, completion of the project is now being delayed until 2034, marking a major delay to the road tunnel connecting Kent and Essex.