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

Friday, 09 January 2026

BBC News

• Storm Goretti brings thundersnow and travel disruptionSome roads were rendered impassable due to blizzards while some properties experienced power cuts.
• Speed limit to be imposed at Rest and Be Thankful next weekImprovement work is to resume on the busy road from Monday.
• Birmingham Airport suspends flights as heavy snow closes roadsPassengers have been asked to contact their airlines for the status of their flights.

ITV News

• Northern mayors to decide on support for Northern rail plansLabour mayors in the north of England will meet on Friday as they consider whether to back the government's plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Financial Times

• Pay politicians £1mn a year, says Ryanair boss O’Leary [subscription]Budget airline chief also talks about expansion plans, Trump and why the carrier does not ‘hate’ its passengers

The Guardian

• Exhaust pipe position affects how much air pollution we breathe, research findsCars that emit fumes closer to pavement result in pedestrians experiencing 40% more pollutionSome vehicles are much more polluting than others and the design of exhaust pipes could affect how much air pollution we breathe when we walk along a busy road, research has found.Diesel vehicles still dominate exhaust pollution 10 years after the International Council on Clean Transportation revealed that many diesel cars were highly polluting, emitting far more nitrogen oxides on the road than in official testing. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Glasgow taxis to be diverted down back alley for three monthsTaxis in Glasgow are to be diverted down a back alley in the city centre for three months due to a road closure.
• Unions criticise UK Government for £200m Navy ship contractScottish shipbuilding unions have urged the UK Government to urgently overhaul defence procurement rules after a £200 million Royal Navy support fleet contract was awarded overseas without British shipyards being invited to bid.
• ScotRail staff suspended over alleged 'back handers'ScotRail has launched an investigation amid claims that staff members were suspended for allegedly accepting 'back handers', including a car.

The Independent

• Storm Goretti live: Snow causing major travel disruption as UK hit by ‘weather bomb’ with 99mph windsBirmingham airport suspended runway operations as heavy snow and “dangerous stormy winds” hit the UK

Daily Express

• East Midlands Airport closes runway as Storm Goretti brings 'heavy snow' and causes chaosStorm Goretti has brought heavy snow to parts of the UK, with East Midlands Airport forced to close its runway temporarily as travel disruption continues

Mail Online

• 'Worst snow for a decade' hits central Britain with flights grounded, roads blocked and rail lines closed as 100mph Storm Goretti leaves trail of devastation across UK and thousands without powerBirmingham Airport was forced to suspend use of its runway operations on Thursday night after 'heavy snow' made it unsafe to fly, while Heathrow cancelled dozens of flights.

The Mirror

• East Midlands Airport closed after Storm Goretti's heavy snow batters BritainEast Midlands Airport, which is an operating base for Jet2.com, Ryanair and TUI Airways, says it has had to close the runway as "safety of passengers is top priority"

This is Money

• Drivers lost £3.6m in unused Dart Charge payments in two years - and the DfT pocketed almost all of itOne-off payments that are not used within 12 months will automatically expire and the Department for Transport will absorb these costs to spend on other projects, it said.

Birmingham Mail

• A42 traffic chaos as vehicles stranded overnight due to Storm Goretti heavy snowHeavy snowfall is causing severe delays on the A42 southbound between Junction 14 Tonge and Junction 13 Ashby-De-La-Zouch with drivers reporting being stuck for hours

Birmingham Post

• Airbus to open flagship aerospace skills academy near BristolThe employer-led curriculum will be co-designed with Airbus and partners including Babcock, GKN and Rolls-Royce

Bristol Live

• Major changes to road layout near M32 junction could be reversed - but more details needed A trial has included restrictions on the busy junction for several years due to air pollution

Manchester Evening News

• Major airline stops selling tickets on transatlantic flights from Manchester AirportIt comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Aer Lingus base at Manchester Airport
• The 'embarrassment to Manchester' a council says doesn't reach 'intervention levels' Metrolink commuters have been pictured walking through flood waters to reach a tram stop

Morning Star

• RMT threaten 'mass industrial action' over any attempt to automate TubeBritain's biggest rail union warned today of "mass industrial action" after Reform UK's London mayoral candidate raised the prospect of automating the city's Tube network

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Tyne Tunnel operator reports rising profits since cashless toll system came into forceTyne Tunnels operator TT2 reported a post-tax profit of £6.5 million in 2024/25 and has paid a multi-million pound dividend to its shareholders for the first time

Northern Echo

• Cycle route part of ambitious plans for key North East employment siteConstruction is beginning on a new cycle route in North East England, part of a £20 million Levelling Up Fund investment to boost travel and economic growth in Yarm and Eaglescliffe.

The York Press

• LIVE: Storm Goretti arrives with snow and ice predicted for North YorkshireStorm Goretti continues to batter the UK. Wintry weather has brought 99mph winds with a rare red warning issued by the Met Office in the South West. Rail services across England, Wales and Scotland may be affected until the end of the day, National Rail said. The UK weather agency has parts of North Yorkshire under a yellow warning of snow and ice.

Wales Online

• Full list of train services across Wales suspended after heavy snow brought by Storm GorettiSevere winter weather has brought much of the Welsh rail network to a standstill
• Wales mountain roads closed as Storm Goretti forces drivers to abandon vehiclesBy 4pm locals reported that drivers were struggling to cross both of the roads with the mountains becoming impassable

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Plane headed for Birmingham declares fuel emergency after being forced to divert after airport closureA plane heading for Birmingham was forced to declare an emergency after the West Midlands airport was closed due to Storm Goretti.

Cambridge News

• MPs call for temporary parking permits for people recovering from surgeryMPs have questioned the government over Blue Badge eligibility for people with fluctuating conditions like Parkinson's and temporary parking support during recovery from surgery

Other Regional Press

• Stockton cycle link work to start - but MP criticises scheme as 'massively downgraded'Stockton Council says it is an 'exciting step' supporting a growing business destination, but Matt Vickers says it is a 'far smaller scheme' than promised
• Major roads to close as Storm Goretti brings heavy snowfallA number of Peak District major routes will close ahead of expected heavy snowfall from Storm Goretti with up to 30cm forecast
• Drivers facing major delays as three Coventry roads closed for resurfacingWork started in Holbrooks this week (January 7)

Rail Magazine

• Ministers request HS2 Euston station expansion to be "futureproofed"Ministers have asked for HS2?s Euston station to be futureproofed for possible expansion, recently published meeting minutes show.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Colas Rail Secures East Coast Main Line Rescue ContractColas Rail UK?s Freight division has been awarded a significant new contract by Network Rail to provide Thunderbird Rescue and Recovery locomotives across the Eastern Region, covering the strategic East Coast Main Line corridor between London and Newcastle.

Other News Sources

• The Challenges and Rewards of Pushing Ahead with Autonomous ShipsIn his 2026 goal setting message, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez noted that all eyes will be on the finalization of the autonomous ships code.The MASS Code is a framework for the safe, secure, and environmentally friendly operation of remotely operated and autonomous ships.Maj.
• ‘Deep concerns’ raised over fleet of US military planes arriving at UK basesTHE arrival of a fleet of US military planes at several UK bases since the attack on Venezuela has been branded “deeply concerning”
• Loganair launches new base at Southampton AirportLoganair has launched its new Southampton Airport base.