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

Friday, 20 February 2026

BBC News

• Safety work for A34 ongoing after MPs' callA review that could propose measures to improve safety on a key road is under way and should be complete by the spring, an MP has said. Newbury MP Lee Dillon said National Highways would complete work on a safety study of slip roads, with the A34 and its Chieveley Interchange due to be considered.
• PCC wants 'clear guidance' in new e-scooter lawsA police and crime commissioner says any new e-scooter laws must come with a "clear and enforceable framework". The government has said it intends to make changes to the rules, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander admitting that the "genie is out of the bottle" when it comes to their use.
• Trains off for five days for level crossing worksThere will be no trains between Middlesbrough and Whitby for five days next week, so a level crossing can be replaced.
• New bus station to be built as part of depots planThe proposal comes as officials look to buy bus depots in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.
• Speed limits could be changed on main roads after reviewThe country's default speed limit in residential areas was lowered from 30mph (48 km/h) in 2023.
• Airbus 'committing a lot of cash' to Belfast operationAirbus finalised a deal to buy part of the Spirit Aerosystems facility in east Belfast in December 2025.
• Portobello Road to be 'modernised' in £4.4m revampKensington and Chelsea Council approved plans for wider granite pavements, new lighting and greenery.

Financial Times

• Air France-KLM takes €90mn hit from de-icing fiasco Storm costs in first quarter come as rising spending on first and business class boosts annual profits for 2025
• Musk’s Starlink to be tested against Eutelsat on French shipping fleetMove by CMA CGM comes amid European efforts to support OneWeb as a rival to SpaceX’s satellite network

The Scotsman

• Fury at CalMac's newest ferry Glen Sannox's 'scandalous' three months of major repairsMajor repairs to Glen Sannox which will keep CalMac's newest ferry out of service for three months longer than expected are 'scandalous', well-placed industry sources have told The Scotsman.

Times Online

• Man in Seat 61: My nail-biting journey to Orkney by train and ferry [subscription]Now the Caledonian Sleeper connects the Midlands to Scotland in style. Mark Smith travels to the UK's most northerly rail station and beyond
• British Airways owner: Cap Heathrow third runway cost at £30bn [subscription]Luis Gallego, chief executive of IAG, fears that any higher cost will drive away airlines because the airport's landing charges would rise sharply

City AM

• Facial recognition trial at London Bridge flags children in early testsThe British Transport Police’s new live facial recognition trial has barely begun at London Bridge, and concerns are already mounting after AI monitoring systems incorrectly flagged children as potential offenders. Cameras went live at the station on 11 February as part of a six-month pilot set to identify people wanted for serious offences

i News

• New Northern rail links closer than ever as billions of pounds unlockedNorthern leaders, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, have welcomed a shake-up of Treasury rules which they hope will speed up efforts to build new rail and tram links.

Local Government

• Council welcomes step-free access plan for Wellington Railway StationTelford & Wrekin Council has welcomed plans submitted by Network Rail to improve accessibility at Wellington Railway Station.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• ORR authorises Northumberland Park Station on the Northumberland LineThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the rail regulator, has authorised Northumberland Park Station in North Tyneside, the fifth of six stations to open as part of the Northumberland Line project. Northumberland Park is set to open on Sunday 22 February. Bedlington Station, the final station on the line, is expected to be authorised and open in March 2026.

Birmingham Mail

• Major Midlands A road to fully close over 'unforeseen challenges'National Highways has made changes to its work programme
• New Birmingham depot to be built as major plan to overhaul bus service moves forwardBuying up bus depots across the region are part of a wider plan to introduce a franchise model for the network

Birmingham Post

• 'Landmark year' for Airbus as global demand for aircraft soarsThe company's workforce grew during the 2025 financial year to more than 165,000 staff around the world

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Rail chiefs explain Bradford Interchange mayhem - revealing criminal act was to blameNetwork Rail have provided an answer as to why there was mayhem at Bradford Interchange yesterday - revealing that the problems were caused by a criminal act.
• 'No lifts, no date and no accountability' - Six years on from promise to stationThe issue of what is happening to long-promised lifts at a rail station has been raised in Parliament.

Bristol Live

• Bristol bus franchising dealt serious blow after mayor said it 'wasn't priority'Taking control of the West's buses 'would mean paying more council tax'

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Calls for fairer fares on Tyne Valley railway line to match Northumberland LineThe rail operator has told passengers to book in advance for cheaper tickets

Northern Echo

• Work on £7million hangar for Draken at Teesside AirportSteel is now in the ground as a new aircraft hangar takes shape as part of a major aviation investment in the North East.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• £30 million West Midlands bus plan due to come into operation to speed up travel between Walsall, Birmingham and SolihullMore than £30 million is due to be spent to get a long awaited bus scheme up and running for the West Midlands

Yorkshire Post

• Slaithwaite and Marsden: First look at rail overhaul planThe TRU proposes a series of upgrades between Standedge and Gledholt designed to support electrification and increased capacity on the route. These include big changes at Marsden and Slaithwaite stations, with platforms to be lengthened to 150m to accommodate longer trains, step-free access, and more tracks between Marsden and Huddersfield.

Other Regional Press

• Birmingham Airport reveals sustainability strategyBIRMINGHAM Airport has revealed its new sustainability strategy to reduce its impact on the environment.
• Work progresses on extension to Newcastle International AirportWork is progressing on a major terminal extension at Newcastle International Airport.
• Plans unveiled for joined-up East Midlands bus network with passenger panelThe Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, has outlined her bold plans to deliver a bigger, more ambitious and better bus network for residents across the region including more frequent services, stronger local connections and a system designed around the needs of passengers.
• Clwyd East MP on transport issues in the areaTransport continues to be one of the issues raised with me most often across Clwyd East.
• Slow-moving landslip impacts rail travelROUND-THE-CLOCK work which saw engineers shore up a railway bank for 72 hours following a landslide finally came to an end - having caused travel chaos for commuters.
• Mid Wales ignored again amid rail funding row, Liberal Democrats warnThe Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the UK and Welsh Governments' latest rail announcement, warning that Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire have once again been left behind
• Funding doubt over new western entrance for Oxford rail stationResidents in Oxford feel "betrayed" because funding to create a new western entrance to the rail station has not yet been signed off
• Big changes made for bus servicesBig changes have been made to bus services in the Abingdon area of south Oxfordshire.
• Stagecoach to merge bus routes and reduce journeys in shake-upStagecoach timetables have been given a shake-up to its bus services in Bicester including reduced journeys and the merging of two routes in Oxfordshire.
• No plans to restore short stay spaces next to Oxford stationThere are no plans to restore short stay parking spaces close to the entrance to Oxford rail station, according to Network Rail
• 20mph limit to be implemented on more than 100 roads20mph speed limit are to be introduced on more than 100roads in town

British Trams Online

• Colin Robey appointed Honorary President at UKTramColin Robey has been appointed as an Honorary President of UKTram to recognise his exceptional and longstanding contributions to not only the organisation but also the wider light rail sector. He has spent over 60 years working in heavy and light rail, including nearly 20 years at UKTram. During this time he's shaped strategy, development, governance and professional standards.

New Civil Engineer

• Lower Thames Crossing: British suppliers could meet 90% of low carbon steel requirementsBritish suppliers could meet between 85-90% of the Lower Thames Crossing's low carbon steel requirements according to recent market engagement for the project.
• Todmorden station accessibility upgrade contractor booted for 'unsafe behaviours'An accessibility scheme at a train station in West Yorkshire has been passed over to Network Rail after contractor Input Group was 'stood down for unsafe behaviours', according to a minister in the Department for Transport (DfT).

Rail Magazine

• West of England Line: Paul Clifton's take on its continued problemsThe fragility of the West of England Line between Basingstoke and Exeter has been revealed.

Railnews

• Intercity Express returns to East West RailA Great Western Railway Intercity Express has made a surprise appearance on East West Rail, as there continues to be no firm opening date for the restored line between Bicester and Bletchley, which was completed well over a year ago.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Matt Hobbs named Director of Group Commercial at The Coach Travel GroupMatt Hobbs (pictured) has been promoted to Director of Group Commercial at The Coach Travel Group.

Other News Sources

• GREEN BUS AND TRUCK ROLLOUT ACCELERATES AT MIXED SPEEDSThe UK's full-year new HGV registration figures published by SMMT this week show the market continued to normalise in 2025 with overall demand down -10%. Encouragingly, however, zero‑emission truck uptake more than doubled, with registrations rising to a record 587 units and the UK surpassing the milestone of 1,000 zero emission HGV registrations on record.
• TfL awards TotalEnergies EV charging contractTransport for London (TfL) has awarded TotalEnergies a contract to deliver up to 43 rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the capital.
• The Sussex train line once at risk of closure that's now 175 years oldCelebrations have been held to mark the 175th anniversary of the railway line between Hastings and Ashford International
• Ferry that's a 'vital asset' to town is one of the fastest-growing in the UKThe Newhaven to Dieppe ferry is one of the UK’s most successful international short sea passenger routes, after it recorded 47.9 per cent growth since 2013