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

Friday, 16 January 2026

BBC News

• Pair of electric buses added to island's fleetElectric buses have been introduced by Guernsey's government to help the island reach its net-zero goal.
• Will new rail line pull into Crewe?After much uncertainty, the government has announced the construction of a new rail line between Manchester and Birmingham will actually go ahead.
• 'I understand why people are cynical of rail plan'The mayor of South Yorkshire says he understands why people are cynical about the government's new investment in railways because the region has had "15 years of promises which were never met".
• Disruption fears over city's new rail schemeConcerns have been raised about potential disruption to businesses and residents when the next phase of a city's Very Light Rail (VLR) is built.
• HS2's historic station repairs set for approvalThe city council says the proposed work aims to safeguard the old Curzon Street Station.
• Plans to improve access at railway stations axedThe government says projects will not progress at stations in Whitchurch, Ledbury and Small Heath.
• Would lower speed limits improve road safety?BBC News NI takes a closer look at Stormont's consultation on how to make our roads safer for everyone.
• First new CalMac ferry handed over by Turkish shipyard MV Isle of Islay will soon make the two-week journey to Scotland and is expected to enter service in early spring.
• Serial rail fare evader faces jail over 112 unpaid ticketsCharles Brohiri pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket a total of 112 times.

ITV News

• Rhondda Tunnel reopening plans get major boost as planning application approvedAmbitious plans to turn a disused Victorian railway tunnel into Europe's longest cycling tunnel have taken a step forward.

Financial Times

• Maersk resumes shipping through Red Sea after ceasefireIndustry’s return to the corridor would cut transit times and lower freight rates

The Telegraph

• Pothole obsession is making roads worse [subscription]Repairs to defects could divert taxpayer's money away from maintenance, says RAC
• Reeves’s £45bn rail plan based on ‘implausible’ numbers [subscription]Rachel Reeves's £45bn rail plans for the north of England are based on 'implausible' growth figures, a leading economist has suggested.

Times Online

• Rise of weight-loss drugs 'will help US airlines trim fuel bills' [subscription]Fewer obese passengers could cut 2% off the weight of an airliner, saving hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel costs each year

Daily Record

• New call for free bus travel age change for pensionersThe age to qualify for the concessionary bus travel scheme is different across Great Britain.

The National

• Major milestone reached on delayed CalMac ferry built in TurkeyA MAJOR milestone has been reached for a delayed CalMac ferry being built in Turkey.

Local Government

• Hull City Council response to Northern Powerhouse Rail announcementHull City Council has expressed its disappointment as the city was omitted in the Government's Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) announcement, which made no mention at all of rail services to and from Hull or electrification, which was promised as part of the Hull and East Yorkshire Devolution deal.

Network Rail

• First trains run across new £60m bridge as West Coast Main Line reopensRail passengers are being thanked for their patience as the West Coast Main Line fully reopened today with the completion of multiple journey improving projects carried out since the start of 2026.

Birmingham Post

• Business leaders want 'concrete commitments' as they welcome massive Northern Powerhouse Rail plansChancellor insists people will benefit from investments by the 2030s
• Eastern Airways rescue hopes as preferred bidder for sister company is pickedA preferred bidder has come forward to potentially rescue part of the business

Liverpool Echo

• Residents 'puzzled' over empty Penny Lane bus shelter 'shame'Residents are puzzled over the circumstances that have led to the world's most famous bus shelter being left empty and decaying for 23 years. This week, the ECHO was granted access to the former Sergeant Pepper's Bistro on Penny Lane for the first time since its 2003 closure.
• Everything you need to know about what's happening to Mersey Ferry terminalDespite progress at the terminal itself, it might not reopen for another two years

Manchester Evening News

• 'Warrington to Warrington via Manchester Airpont please': Completely inaccurate railway map swiftly deleted by mayor after Northern Powerhouse Rail announcementThere are few transport maps as iconic as that of the London Underground. The brightly coloured lines and well marked stations make it easy to navigate even for people who are not used to the capital.

Nation. Cymru

• New rail rip-off looms for WalesWales is facing the prospect of being robbed of further rail funding as once again a new line built entirely in England seems likely to be designated an 'England and Wales' project by the UK Government.

Sheffield Star

• Northern Powerhouse Rail Sheffield: Fears raised for £45bn scheme to transform city's rail linksSheffield opposition councillors say they fear major railway improvements announced by the Government will never happen.

Get Surrey

• Jeremy Hunt says 'exciting' revamp for a Surrey station could be coming soonStep free access at Ash Vale station has got one stage closer

Other Regional Press

• MP slams train decisionTIMETABLE changes which have resulted in the final train being axed on a busy line in favour of a bus replacement have been criticised by an MP who has campaigned for more services to be commissioned.
• Inverness-London Caledonian Sleeper night train launches new Birmingham International airport stops on its journeys between the Highlands and Euston stationThe long-distance night train, which links Inverness to London's Euston station, is now stopping at Birmingham International airport's station during its journeys.
• Has the new Bakerloop bus route been a success?It mirrors the first part of the proposed Bakerloo Line Extension running between Waterloo, Elephant & Castle and Lewisham
• White Rose rail station work to restart within monthsWith an existing £24.7m commited to the long-delayed project, West Yorkshire Combined Authority will take over delivery of the South Leeds station, stalled since spring 2024 when contractor Spencer Group departed from the job amid spiraling costs.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Trade body RHA has raised issues surrounding the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) and how it will affect coach operators.It made the concerns known at the Business and Trade Committee, which scrutinises the policy, spending and administration of the Department for Business and Trade and its public bodies. The RHA's point was put forward by its trade policy lead, Alastair Gunn, alongside Toby Ovens from Broughton Transport Solutions.
• Many bus passengers don't know their rights, says reviewMany do not realise what their rights are as bus passengers, according to a review of a piece of legislation. Bus Users UK has welcomed publication of the Post Implementation Review of The Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport (Exemptions and Enforcement) Regulations 2013.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 6, Season 4With the UK Government intent on beginning robotaxi trials in London during 2026, Christian hears from Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, on why the capital’s cabbies are robustly optimistic about their future [3:03]. Christian discusses with co-presenter Mark Walker the proposals in the UK Government’s Road Safety Strategy for Great Britain and associated reforms of pavement parking in England to explore whether any meaningful changes will be seen during the lifetime of the present Parliament [32:20]. In his final thought from the departure lounge, Christian comments on the ‘Bakerl0.0’ advertising controversy [46:06].

Coach and Bus Week

• One or two doors?The topic always provokes a strong reaction: following some recent news coverage in West Yorkshire, Richard Walter considers the pros and cons of dual-door buses in the UK

Rail Business Daily

• More stations and tunnelled sections across London's Tube network now connected to high-speed mobile coverageMore stations and tunnelled sections of the Tube network across London now have high-speed mobile coverage, Transport for London (TfL) and Boldyn Networks have announced, including the first sections of the Circle and District line.

Rail Magazine

• Why it's so important to get the Railways Bill wording rightThe Bill's wording gives clues on what it could mean in practice, says Iain Stewart, former Chair of the Transport Select Committee and Milton Keynes South MP.
• Another overspeeding incident on East Coast Main Line - third in 2025The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is to issue a Safety Digest after another overspeeding incident on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

Railnews

• Solar powered cameras to track railway floods New cameras are being installed by South Eastern Railway to monitor areas which are at risk of flooding. It is hoped they will reduce disruption by sending early warning of rising water levels or drainage problems. Five trial locations with a history of flooding have been chosen. One of them is Wadhurst, where a flood delayed trains by more than 78 hours and caused extensive damage to the railway in October 2024.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Coach and bus passenger awareness of rights is low, says reviewAwareness among passengers of their rights is low, a review into the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport (Exemptions and Enforcement) Regulations has highlighted.
• Ferdia sees rapids expansion after first year in the UKCoach-sector technology provider Ferdia has reported triple-digit growth following its first full year in the UK market.
• National Express renews partnership with Wembley StadiumNational Express has announced it has renewed its partnership as Official Coach Supplier to Wembley Stadium.
• Flix becomes majority shareholder of airport transfer specialist FlibcoTravel tech company Flix has announced the acquisition of a majority share of airport transport platform Flibco.

Other News Sources

• Plans progress for long-awaited improvements at two Kent railway stationsLong-awaited improvements to accessibility at two Kent railway stations are one step closer - as the Government has announced they will progress to detailed designs. High Brooms station, near Tunbridge Wells, has made the list of 23 up and down the country to move on to this stage, along with Marden, near Tonbridge.
• E&S consultants react to Planning and Infrastructure ActAPEM Group, Arcadis and WSP environment and planning leads highlight the new legislation's risks and opportunities
• New chair appointed to oversee Isle of Wight ferry servicesA new chair has been appointed for the newly formed Cross-Solent Transport Group today (Wednesday, January 14), marking the first time the government has appointed an individual to oversee improvements on Isle of Wight ferries.
• 'Hundreds' receive penalties for illegal parking on Surrey streets near Heathrow AirportMany would park on residential streets near Heathrow, causing a "horrendous" impact on local's lives, with some reportedly witnessing people urinating outside their homes
• Park and ride trial branded 'vanity project' and cost slammedOpposition councillors have criticised the cost and performance of a park and ride scheme that was trialled in Brighton last summer.