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

Wednesday, 21 January 2026

BBC News

• Commuters say rail station parking 'horrendous'Commuters and residents have described parking at a busy train station as "horrendous" and "disruptive". Nearly 2,000 people have signed an online petition calling for more parking spaces at Twyford train station between Reading and Maidenhead.
• Spat deepens between Elon Musk and Ryanair's O'LearyElon Musk has suggested he could buy Ryanair and called for its chief executive to be fired amid a deepening spat between the pair.
• How landslides affect rail travelIf you're a regular train user, you may have experienced delays caused by landslides.
• Rail station project could cost council £32mBedford Borough Council will not be reimbursed for an estimated £32.1m that it spent preparing for and building a railway station, councillors have been told.
• Bus fare increases 'taking the mick', says MPA rise in bus fares across Lancashire is "outrageous" and operator Transdev are "taking the mick", an MP has said.
• New Gatwick runway 'profoundly concerning', court toldThe climate impact of a second runway at Gatwick Airport was not properly assessed when the government approved plans, the High Court is told.
• New London Superloop bus route to launchThe new express bus service will link Abbey Wood and North Greenwich via Thamesmead.
• Trump greenlit tiny Kei cars but will Americans actually buy them?The president wants to bring to the US tiny vehicles, like those commonly seen on the streets of Japan.
• Spain train crash recovery continues as investigators probe 'gap' in railHeavy machinery is being used to assist in the recovery following a two-train crash in southern Spain which killed at least 42 people.

Department for Transport

• Railway passenger services designation - Policy PaperSets out how the Secretary of State for Transport will designate railway passenger services under the Railways Bill.

Financial Times

• Neither Musk nor WiFi would improve RyanairNeed for connectivity tends to grow the longer the flight, weakening the case for the budget airline
• Musk asks followers if he should buy RyanairTesla boss posts poll on X in escalation of spat with Michael O’Leary over adding Starlink internet to airline’s planes

STV

• First Bus workers call off strikes after securing 'inflation-beating' pay winAround 50 First Bus cleaners, fuellers and shunters in Glasgow agreed to accept a last-minute enhanced pay offer.

The Guardian

• Elon Musk floats idea of buying Ryanair after calling CEO ‘an idiot’Tesla boss clashed with Michael O’Leary when airline boss rejected installing Starlink technology on aircraftBusiness live – latest updatesElon Musk has floated the idea of buying the budget airline Ryanair, escalating his public spat with the Irish carrier’s boss, Michael O’Leary.
• Half of world’s CO2 emissions come from just 32 fossil fuel firms, study showsCritics accuse leading firms of sabotaging climate action but say data increasingly being used to hold them to accountJust 32 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half the global carbon dioxide emissions driving the climate crisis in 2024, down from 36 a year earlier, a report has revealed.Saudi Aramco was the biggest state-controlled polluter and ExxonMobil was the largest investor-owned polluter.

The Independent

• Ryanair launches 'Big Idiot' seat sale as spat with Elon Musk intensifiesThe battle of the billionaires between Elon Musk and Ryanair's boss, Michael O'Leary, has intensified. Europe's biggest budget airline has launched what it calls a 'Ryanair's Big 'Idiot' Seat Sale'.

The Telegraph

• Boeing is back on top thanks to Trump [subscription]After a series of setbacks, the US manufacturer has soared ahead of rival Airbus once again
• London limps to 'world's slowest city title thanks to 20mph limit [subscription]London's 20mph speed limits have been blamed for the city winning the title of world's slowest capital for the third consecutive year.
• HS2 bridge plunges homes into darkness [subscription]Residents near Bellingham Bridge in Birmingham say it looms over homes 'like a metal Godzilla'

Times Online

• Is £100m for a bat shed a waste of money? HS2 says not [subscription]The project's environment chief has defended the controversial tunnel as a 'professional response to a complex problem' which would be value for money
• Scotland to France ferry 'sailing by next year' [subscription]The launch of a 20-hour trip from Rosyth to Dunkirk is a matter of 'when not if', according to the mayor of the French port

Local Government

• Better journeys ahead for Salford as new transport plans unveiledNew plans to make getting around Salford easier, safer and more sustainable have been revealed.

Network Rail

• Next phase of upgrades announced in long-term programme to strengthen Britain's busiest railwayPassengers are set to benefit from a major programme of essential upgrades to the West Coast Main Line the railway that connects London, the Midlands, the North West and Scotland.
• Next phase of upgrades announced in long-term programme to strengthen Britain's busiest railwayPassengers are set to benefit from a major programme of essential upgrades to the West Coast Main Line the railway that connects London, the Midlands, the North West and Scotland.

London Evening Standard

• Let's transfer free transport from oldies to our struggling youthYouth unemployment in London is at record levels; let's help by giving discount travel to the young, not 60 year olds

Nation. Cymru

• Liberal Democrats table amendment to devolve rail to WalesThe Liberal Democrats have tabled a major amendment to the Railways Bill calling for the full devolution of rail powers to Wales, putting the country on an equal footing with Scotland.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Inverurie train station upgrade ditched in funding snubThe UK Government says it does not have the money for a scheme to improve disability access with lifts.

Yorkshire Post

• Northern Powerhouse Rail plans represent a giant leap for transport in the region - Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard & David SkaithYorkshire has always been at the forefront of railway innovation, stretching all the way back to the Georgian era. Leeds was home to the first commercial railway using steam locomotives successfully, Doncaster built locomotives including the iconic flying Scotsman, while York's railway station was the largest in the world when it opened.

Other Regional Press

• Disability campaigner on Ledbury station wheelchair accessA Herefordshire wheelchair user and campaigner says cancellation of promised improvements at a key railway station leaves a 'crazy' situation in place for mobility-impaired passengers.
• Warrington passengers to benefit £400 million railway upgradesESSENTIAL upgrade work has been announced to a key railway line, with Warrington passengers set to benefit.
• £1.7m to improve 25 Cumbrian bus routesA £1.7 million boost from the Government will help a Cumbrian council maintain 25 bus routes and look at introducing seven new services.
• Stockport tees up bus temporary depot relocationPlans for the first 435 homes at Stockport 8 require the demolition of the existing depot off Daw Bank, facilitating the need for two short-term bus compounds while work to find a site for a permanent complex with EV-charging capability drags on.
• Manston airport owners confirm timeline setback, rising costs and final stage discussions with 'European-based funding partner'The projected timeline for the reopening of Manston airport has been set back by another year to 2029 with blame laid at the feet of complexity of planning work changes to the cost of the works and turbulence within the financial markets.
• Cornwall Council responds to Newquay airport 'gross mismanagement' claimIt allowed his question claiming 'gross mismanagement' of Newquay airport - with 80 per cent empty flights and the £1.6 million it is owed - he branded the ban 'something out of Russia'
• Harlow to Stansted Airport 723 bus link to launch next monthA new fast, direct bus link between Harlow and Stansted Airport is due to be rolled out next month, it has been announced.
• Manchester Airport one of 'most stressful airports in the world'The travel insurance comparison service, iSelect, conducted a study of 50 major airports from around the world.
• ‘It’s unfair’: Motorists hit out at council decision to trial free parking for electric vehiclesMotorists have hit out at “unfair” plans to give free parking to electric vehicle (EV) owners in a Kent town’s busiest car park.

Bus and Coach.com

• Stagecoach pleased with sustainability ratingThe operator has been recognised for its consistently strong transparency on climate impact and sustainability by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global environmental non-profit, which runs the world's only independent disclosure system.

Bus-News

• Bee Network to Improve Key Bus Corridor in SalfordTransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Salford City Council have published plans to improve public transport and active travel in Salford as part of the Bee Network.

Coach and Bus Week

• Bus Users welcomes review of accessibility regulationsBus 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.

Construction News

• Minister refuses to put deadline on £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail completionA government minister has declined to put on a date on when the revived Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project might be finished, but warned that railway improvements 'take a very long time'.

New Civil Engineer

• Hull leader seeks 'urgent' talks with DfT after city 'ignored' in Northern Powerhouse Rail planThe leader of Hull City Council has asked the Government for an 'urgent' meeting after the city was not mentioned in the newly-announced Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) plan.

Rail Magazine

• Call for private finance to speed up Birmingham-Manchester line deliveryThe Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) is planning to discuss using private money to speed up proposals for a new line between Birmingham and Manchester.

Rail UK

• New combined railway control centre brings improvements for WCML passengersMillions of passengers who travel on the West Coast Main Line each week are set to benefit from a new behind-the-scenes collaboration at a railway control centre in Warwickshire.
• Rail Freight Group calls on Parliament to amend Railways Bill 2025Rail Freight Group (RFG) has called on Government and Parliamentarians to amend the Railways Bill 2025 to strengthen the independent appeals function for rail freight.

Railway-News

• Rail Freight Group Appeals to Government to Amend Railways BillThe Rail Freight Group has called on the Government to amend the upcoming Railways Bill 2025 in order to strengthen the independent appeals function for rail freight.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Rail replacement standard could be a plus for coachAdoption of a standard for rail replacement services would lead to benefits for coach operators delivering them, a key contributor to a white paper calling for reform says.
• Coach decarbonisation pathway options within DfT consultationExercise majors on HGV decarbonisation but coach gains attention within consultation exercise

Sustainable Bus

• MAN results 2025: bus deliveries rise 49%, urban electric buses reach record 1,300+ unitsMAN Truck & Bus closed 2025 with 101,600 vehicles delivered (+6%), including over 7,000 buses (+49%) and a record 1,300+ electric city buses (+118%). Bus sales were growing +35% in the first nine months of 2025

Other News Sources

• Plans for daily rail services between Swindon and Oxford heat upCalls for a direct daily rail service to run between Swindon and Oxford, which could "boost commuting, tourism, and supply-chain links" have ramped up.
• SWR sees rising number of small retailers at its stationsThree quarters of retailers at South Western Railway (SWR) stations are now independent businesses.
• Direct Rail Service to North Wales for World Cup Play-offsTransport for Wales (TfW) will be trialling a direct service to North Wales from Cardiff following both World Cup play-off fixtures in March.
• Siemens delivers major Christmas rail upgrades across Britain's busiest routesSiemens Mobility successfully completed a major programme of rail commissioning work over the Christmas and New Year period, delivering critical signalling and infrastructure upgrades across key UK rail corridors. This work supports a more modern, reliable network for passengers and freight, aligning with national rail upgrade priorities and strengthening capacity for the future.
• Northern England's rail upgrade could signal change in direction for public transportThe UK government says it has learned valuable lessons from the expense, delays and political embarrassment of HS2. And now it has laid out detailed plans for train passengers in northern England who have been so badly 'let down' in the past.
• East Lancashire bus fare rises criticisedA second East Lancashire MP has called on Transdev to think again about local bus fare rises and ticketing changes which came into effect this week.
• Heathrow Airport's third runway plan is taking off as it targets 2029 completion dateThe Government indicated that the West London hub’s plan to re-routing and tunnelling the M25, is its preferred basis for expansion.