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

Friday, 06 March 2026

BBC News

• Councils call for upgrade of 'outdated and unsafe' roadsA fresh call has been made for government investment to upgrade two major trunk roads in south west Scotland.
• Work begins on land for Lower Thames CrossingEarly work to prepare parts of Essex and Kent for the new £10bn Lower Thames Crossing has begun.
• Town's 32.3m train station revamp completedA train station has been described as "fit for the future" as £2.3m worth of upgrades are completed.
• Museum to restore green spaces 'lost to railways'Funding of £22,500 has been awarded to a town's railway museum for its project to restore green spaces at the site.
• Letting the train take the strain or more fuss by busRail users travelling between the East of England and London on a weekend know all about the dreaded rail replacement bus and there are more on the way. But why is this and what do passengers think?
• Work on rail bridge expected to finish on timeWork to strengthen a railway bridge so it can carry heavier trains is on track to finish on time despite poor weather, Network Rail has said.
• Cycle lane paused after thousands of locals objectResidents say the Salford active travel scheme would be a "disaster" and worsen already bad traffic.
• London Underground's public art celebratedAn updated map helps shine light on the many public art gems to be found across the Tube network.
• TfL hack in 2024 affected around 10 million people, BBC can revealTfL insists it has "kept customers informed throughout this incident and will continue to take all necessary action".

Financial Times

• Jet fuel prices soar as Iran war squeezes supplyMore flights resume across Middle East despite some refuelling disruptions in Oman
• Industry doubts Trump plan to insure Gulf oil tankers as Iran war halts transitUS lacks firepower to provide $350bn in coverage needed to revive Strait of Hormuz transits, JPMorgan says
• Can the Gulf still act as an airline hub for the world?All regular flights at the three hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha remain suspended
• The billionaire ‘buccaneer’ braving the Strait of Hormuz George Prokopiou’s Dynacom is one of the few legal operators willing to sail to and from the Gulf

The Guardian

• ‘Everyone’s calling’: demand for private jets from UK firm soars by up to 300% amid Iran warInsider says demand is far outstripping supply and calls for creation of air bridges to evacuate people from Middle EastMiddle East crisis live – latest updates. Planes are always urgently sought out when a crisis strikes somewhere in the world. Since the US-Israel war against Iran started on Saturday, demand has outstripped supply with thousands of people stranded in the Middle East frantically searching for an exit route.
• How Flightradar24 became the go-to platform for the world to watch global aviation crises unfoldThe Swedish flight tracking tool, spun out of a price comparison portal, is tracking the travel chaos sparked by the US-Israel war on Iran in real time. Mikael Robertsson and Olov Lindberg did not set out to build one of the pre-eminent monitors of global airspace. In a bid to draw more eyes to their Swedish flight price comparison portal, the entrepreneurs added a page charting air traffic.That page became Flightradar24, the portal that people around the world now turn to when there is chaos – and drama – in the skies.

The Herald

• First Bus introduces raft of new routes across LanarkshireFirst Bus is introducing a raft of new routes across Lanarkshire 100 years after bus services first began operating in the area.

The Telegraph

• Passengers who play loud music to be kicked off flights [subscription]Airline says headphones must be used in new passenger contract

Times Online

• The rail industry's odd couple on why two bosses can work [subscription]Leading Siemens Mobility together, Rob Morris and Aglaja Schneider see many benefits in close collaboration with government on Great British Railways

The Mirror

• Closed UK airport unveils latest plans to finally reopen 12 years after it was abandonedThe airport ceased its scheduled aircraft services in 2014, but the go-ahead has been given for flights to resume, and if plans go ahead it could offer a brand new hub for the south east

National Highways

• Early work begins on the Lower Thames CrossingThe early work to prepare parts of Essex and Kent for construction of the Lower Thames Crossing is now underway

Birmingham Mail

• Vital West Midlands bus service sees a drop in usage due to driver shortagesWest Midlands On-Demand service has seen a drop in usage in recent months

Liverpool Echo

• Police launch random bus patrols in south Liverpool after spike in antisocial behaviourMerseyside Police has stepped up patrols in parts of Liverpool following a rise in anti-social behaviour on bus routes. In a post on its official Facebook page on Thursday, March 5, the force said it had received a number of recent reports involving disruptive behaviour on buses across south Liverpool.

London Evening Standard

• Hammersmith Bridge reopening boosted as minister gives strongest signal yet of key fundingRoads minister Simon Lightwood told the London Standard that the project was a 'compelling candidate' to be financed through a new £1 billion Infrastructure Fund
• 'Boris bus' axed from routes across London as Sadiq Khan 'cleans up previous mayor's messy legacy''Boris bus' Routemasters are being axed from routes across London and mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is happy to see them go. They are due to be withdrawn from route 8 in June, followed by route 16 in October, route 313 in November and route 267 in the coming year.

Northern Echo

• Lumo brings North East to Westminster with Taste of NorthA taste of the North East has been taken all the way to Parliament thanks to a showcase with a regional rail operator.

Kent Online

• Work to build habitats in Thong, near Gravesend, as part of the Lower Thames Crossing project startsAround 1,000 hectares are being transformed into wildlife havens across Kent and Essex as part of the £11 billion project, which will connect the two counties.
• New £4m bridge for cyclists over River Medway near Maidstone East Railway Station planned by Maidstone councilAnother bridge could be built over the River Medway specifically for cyclists. Green-led Maidstone council has allocated £250,000 in its budget to have architects work up plans for the crossing.

Oxford Mail

• New luxury coaches for Heathrow and Gatwick airline serviceThe popular airline coach service between Oxford and Heathrow and Gatwick Airports has invested £4m in 13 new luxury Mercedes Tourismo coaches.

Other Regional Press

• Call for evidence over Leeds Bradford Airport night flights bidPeople have until 25 March to submit factual evidence on Leeds Bradford Airport's plans to introduce more night-time flights.
• New Hounslow to Hendon rail link on track after £6.6m dealThe four brand-new stations proposed for the West London Orbital route, including Lionel Road in Brentford
• Residents panel scheduled to discuss bus station upgradeResidents can share their views as Colchester Council is hosting a meeting to discuss the future of the city's bus station.
• Friday Politics: Rob Colwell makes the case for a circular bus route around King's LynnIn this week's Friday Politics column, Lib Dem councillor Rob Colwell makes the case for a circular bus route around Lynn
• More than £6m pledged to 'drive forward' new London Overground rail routeThe West London Orbital Line could connect Hendon and Brent Cross in Barnet with Brent, Ealing and Hounslow boroughs, reports James Cracknell
• Transport for Wales announces major timetable changes for North WalesTransport for Wales will introduce one of the most significant timetable changes for North Wales in a generation this May (from 17th).
• Road and footpath closures to be unveiled in days as first phase of Peterborough's £65 million Station Quarter works startsWork on the new look City Link pedestrian and cycle route between the train station and Cowgate is expected to start in earnest in May but before the diggers can move numerous in preparation works have to take place.
• Record number of passengers recorded on York-Scarborough train routeMore than 263,000 people travelled by rail between York and Scarborough in the 2024-2025 financial year, according to figures from TransPennine Express.
• Call to reopen Uphill railway stationCouncillors have been urged to press for the reopening of a forgotten railway station in Weston-super-Mare.
• A railway that will be the pride of the NorthThe rail route between Manchester and York is one of the busiest in the North; however, it has faced challenges from congestion, delays and ageing infrastructure.

Bloomberg

• Heathrow Faces Mounting Cancellations, Parked Planes From WarThe head of London Heathrow Airport said the Mideast war is posing an 'operational challenge' as the hub faces hundreds of flight cancellations and a fleet of parked aircraft.

New Civil Engineer

• HS2 | Piling for Curzon Street completed as station site works progressesEngineers working on the HS2 project have finished the final of more than 2,000 concrete piles intended to support Birmingham's new Curzon Street station.

Rail Advent

• Greater Manchester set for major transport upgradesTransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced the launch of a major 2026 upgrade to boost the Bee Network's tram capacity, reliability, and resilience.

Rail Magazine

• Encouraging early signs for new East Coast Main Line timetableInitial indications suggest the new base East Coast Main Line timetable is working well after its introduction in December.

TaxiPoint

• Addison Lee teams up with Think Pink to recruit more women taxi and private hire drivers in London Perry Richardson... Lilian Greenwood, Minister for Local Transport, said: 'It's fantastic to see an initiative which makes a career in private hire vehicle driving more accessible for women. This partnership not only opens doors to rewarding careers but also offers the practical skills and confidence to aspiring drivers so they can succeed.
• 'UTTERLY BROKEN': MP backs taxi driver lobbying push to close 'out-of-area' licensing loophole after Casey review warning Perry RichardsonLabour MP Ian Byrne has backed calls from taxi drivers and trade unions for urgent reform of England's taxi and private hire licensing system, warning that current rules allowing widespread out-of-area working are 'undermining safety and driving down standards'.

Transport for London

• Major funding deal puts London Overground 'missing link' on track for next phaseTfL, four west London boroughs and the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation have agreed to commit up to £6.65m to progress the next phase of innovative rail scheme

Transportxtra

• Too many bus stops being moved away from rail stations, Arriva chief tells MPsThe physical distance between bus and rail services is being widened too often, Arriva UK Bus Director Martijn Gilbert has told the House of Commons Transport Committee inquiry on achieving and measuring integration of transport modes. His career has included managing bus and rail operations, including FirstGroup's Lumo and Hull Trains.
• GBR must support metro mayors if rail reform is to fulfil economic aims, says think tankThe Government's pledge that rail reform will improve national economic performance depends in large part on whether it improves mobility within big cities, states a new report by Centre for Cities.

Other News Sources

• Another success for Joining the Dots 2026We were honoured to welcome Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, who officially opened the conference with a keynote address. Coming shortly after the publication of the new Road Safety Strategy, her contribution was both timely and significant, reaffirming that road safety sits at the heart of the government's national missions.
• Arup and Tony Gee collaboration to deliver next phase of Coventry Very Light RailA city centre demonstrator in Coventry will trial new track and vehicle technologies designed to reduce installation time, cost and disruption.
• Assembly calls for the rollout of bus bleed kits across LondonYoung Londoners are disproportionately affected by serious violence, particularly knife crime. They are also more likely to use the bus.

News from Europe

• French rail groups continue push to reopen closed linesGroups have criticised new Bordeaux-Lyon line for failing to serve rural communities