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

Wednesday, 04 February 2026

BBC News

• Bus services to come under mayor's controlPlans have been unveiled to transfer control of public transport in Hull and East Yorkshire to the elected mayor.
• Bus and tram station opening delayed to autumnA long-awaited £24m bus and tram station will not open before September, it has emerged.
• Rail lines to stay closed 'until further notice'Rail lines damaged in south-west England during a storm will remain closed "until further notice". Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) said engineers had been working on lines serving Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple, Exeter St Davids to Okehampton and Liskeard to Looe after Storm Chandra damaged tracks.
• Plan to move Stranraer rail station away from old ferry terminalProvisional plans have been unveiled for the potential development of a new railway station in Stranraer.
• Long wait for station lifts could be stalled againA long-running campaign for lifts at a railway station has suffered a setback after a council said it could withdraw its financial contribution.
• Bus and tram station opening delayed to autumnThe long-awaited scheme will not be open in Dudley before September, it has emerged.
• BTP changes bike theft policy after criticismCritics said the old policy effectively "decriminalised" bike thefts at railway stations.
• The Chinese planemaker taking on Boeing and AirbusComac's passenger jet is attracting customers in South East Asia where demand for affordable aircraft is growing.
• 'After years of campaigning we can now get a bus'Finally being able to travel on the Isle of Man's buses on his mobility scooter will, according to a veteran disability rights campaigner, make "all the difference".

ITV News

• Government accused of 'charade' over to keep Manchester mayor Andy Burnham happyThe Government has been accused of keeping up a 'charade' that Northern Powerhouse Rail will happen to 'keep mayors of the north happy'

Department for Transport

• West Midlands to become Government centre for Transport and Infrastructure with new Campus to accelerate regional growth and deliveryCommunities across the West Midlands will benefit from new high-skilled career opportunities after the government announced a new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, harnessing local expertise to deliver better public investment and services.

Financial Times

• Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison takes Panama to arbitration over canal ports rulingBeijing warns Central American country will pay ‘heavy price’ after top court ruled to kick out conglomerate from terminals

City AM

• Fix Hammersmith Bridge to jolt Britain out of degrowth daydream The seven-year closure of Hammersmith Bridge is emblematic of British decline. The government must now take responsibility, says Neil Garratt “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” We might picture a bewhiskered Victorian Londoner contemplating those words in Arthur Conan Doyle’s latest novel, The Sign of the Four, [...]

Birmingham Mail

• Transport bosses confirm when Midlands bus station will open as traders say 'ludicrous'Dudley bus station was closed in January 2024 to enable the construction of the new Interchange

Manchester Evening News

• Major update in plans for underground travel in Greater ManchesterA detailed feasibility study into plans to build a network of tunnels for Metrolink trams and trains to run through is to be carried out in a major step for underground public transport in Greater Manchester.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro's new £2.50 fare cap approved – but many ticket prices will rise in AprilApril 1 will see the launch of a £2.50 single journey fare cap for Metro passengers who use a Pop card, but not everyone will benefit from the price limit
• Tyne Tunnel toll increase confirmed with higher prices set to come into force later this yearThe cost of driving through the Tyne Tunnel will rise by 10p for cars and 20p for large vehicles from May this year, it has been confirmed
• Inside LNER's 'next generation' trains as Newcastle travellers promised 'improved experience'The 10 upcoming East Coast Main Line vehicles are said to be 'state-of-the-art', as the latest images of the carriages' interior show

The York Press

• MP urges mayor to scrap bus pass restrictions for elderly and disabledTom Gordon MP has urged the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, to remove “unfair” restrictions on older and disabled people’s bus passes.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• New trains bought for the West Midlands could end up being moved to other parts of the country - Wolverhampton ToryNew trains bought to serve the West Midlands could end up being used in other parts of the country under nationalisation, a leading Conservative has claimed.
• New trains bought for the West Midlands could end up being moved to other parts of the country - Wolverhampton ToryNew trains bought to serve the West Midlands could end up being used in other parts of the country under nationalisation, a leading Conservative has claimed.

Yorkshire Post

• Revamped Huddersfield bus station over two years away as concerns remainConcerns have been raised about the state of Huddersfield bus station but officials say long-awaited improvements are on the way.

Cambridge News

• Cambridge South station 'still aiming' open this yearThis follows two previous delays last year that pushed back the opening

Kent Online

• Taxpayers to lose £120m a year as new firm to pocket toll charge revenue from Lower Thames Crossing and Dartford CrossingA private firm will pocket revenue from the Lower Thames Crossing and the Dartford Crossing, with taxpayers expected to lose £120 million a year.

Other Regional Press

• GXO to run Luton Airport delivery hub as £11.5m project creates 150 jobsA new partnership at London Luton Airport (LLA) will see GXO Logistics operate the airport's first consolidation centre, with an £11.5 million refurbishment programme expected to create 150 jobs.
• Improved bus services boosting travel across CumbriaAn expanded network of bus and shuttle services across Cumbria is making it easier for residents, workers and visitors to travel around the county.
• Dorset station upgrade funding to be withdrawnBCP Council is set to withdraw £2.6million of funding from the Pokesdown Station improvement project.
• Plans for accessible footbridge at Par Railway Station moves closer to realityLONG awaited plans for the installation of an accessible foot bridge at Par Railway Station could be one step closer to completion after an application to Cornwall Council was made by Network Rail.

Construction News

• Northern Powerhouse Rail won't be procured before design completedThe transport secretary has promised to fully design Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) before tendering for contractors. Heidi Alexander pledged in the House of Commons on Monday (2 February) to finalise the scope of works for the relauched £45bn project first ...

New Civil Engineer

• Northern Powerhouse Rail plan dubbed 'castle-in-the-air' but DfT says HS2 lessons learntThe Northern Powerhouse Rail plan is criticised as unrealistic, but the Department for Transport claims lessons have been learned from HS2.

Rail Advent

• London North Eastern Railway to install seat sensors.New sensors are being introduced on London North Eastern Railway's Azuma fleet to help passengers locate available seats.

Rail Magazine

• East Coast Main Line digital signalling project hit by delays and cost pressuresCompletion of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) is set to be delayed, RAIL understands.
• Cancellation of Midland Main Line electrification could alter EMR's new train plansEast Midlands Railway has not ruled out diesel options for a new fleet of trains, following last year's cancellation of the Midland Main Line electrification project.
• 'It was never mentioned': frustrated MPs seek answers over Access for All snubsFrustrated MPs have said the lack of third-party funding was never raised, before being told their local stations will not progress in the Access for All programme.

Railnews

• New contractor replaces TfL Oyster manager Cubic The contractor which has been running Transport for London’s Oyster and other contactless payment systems has been replaced, less than two years since a major cyber attack in September 2024 in which the names and contact details of up to 5000 TfL customers were reported to have been compromised.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Bus Services Act in England majors on choice, not politics: HendyMinister and former industry member tells CPT conference that sector must do its bit on reform

Other News Sources

• Northern Powerhouse Rail £45bn plan: scope and HS2 lessons for rail engineersThe government's £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) pledge is facing scepticism from opposition MPs, with the scheme branded 'castle-in-the-air planning' amid a lack of detailed route, phasing or funding breakdown.
• Is £43m enough for a ticket to greener skies?In January, the government announced up to £43m to support research and development projects that could help the UK meet its target of net zero aviation by 2050. Businesses, universities and research institutions will be able to bid for a share of the funding once competitions launch this month. But how far will £43m actually stretch?
• Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles Offer a Practical Path to Airport DecarbonizationResearch conducted by Newcastle University indicates that significant stakeholders in the airport sector possess favorable views toward hydrogen-powered ground support equipment (GSE).
• Glasgow Prestwick Airport expands military fuel capabilityGlasgow Prestwick Airport has expanded its military aviation support infrastructure with the introduction of a new JP8 fuel mixing capability, strengthening its role as a key hub for NATO and allied air operations in the North Atlantic region.
• Combined Authority agrees to withdraw two bus services in CambridgeshireTwo bus services will come to an end, including one route that costs more than £98 per passenger to run.