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

Monday, 23 March 2026

BBC News

• Fleet of new electric buses unveiled in cityA new fleet of electric buses has been revealed to serve Salisbury. The fleet consists of 18 double decker and 12 single decker buses with three of the buses to be used on the Stonehenge Tour
• Why has new bus station and flats complex taken so long?Planners have approved a major 12-storey housing, bus station and entertainment complex in Douglas.
• Children's bus tickets capped at £1 until 2029A £1 cap on child bus tickets in Bristol and Somerset has been extended until spring 2029. The West of England Combined Authority (Weca) announced the three-year extension of the initiative as part of a wider fares support package for bus passengers.
• Can better buses fix city pollution?Transport is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and in cities around the world it is also one of the biggest daily frustrations. Congestion, pollution and long journeys to work affect millions of people every day.
• MP raises Heathrow expansion transport concernsAn MP has said he is "firmly" against the planned expansion of Heathrow but is a "big advocate" of a new rail link to the airport.
• Train station to get lifts after years of setbacksAfter years of setbacks, a railways station has finally received funding to have its lifts reinstalled.
• Dozens helped to safety after train catches fireA fire broke out underneath the carriage of a passenger train at Newton Abbot on Sunday afternoon.
• Starmer and Trump discuss need to reopen Hormuz StraitNo 10 says the leaders agree reopening the shipping lane is key to ensuring energy market stability.
• 'I can count on one hand the times I am offered a Tube seat'Hannah Emberton says people are "glued to their phones" and do not see her Baby on Board badge.

Financial Times

• Ministers set to order HS2 to consider slower trains to save billionsReducing maximum speed on new rail line among the ideas being explored to cut costs of spiralling bill.

The Guardian

• HS2 firm says new steel tariffs will ‘exacerbate’ cost pressures for UK construction industryDoubling tariffs on imported steel will raise cost of the metal when Iran war is already inflating steel and concrete prices. One of HS2’s biggest contractors has warned the government that raising tariffs on foreign steel imports will “exacerbate” cost pressures for the UK construction industry, amid growing concern over the £100bn railway’s rising budget.Ministers said last week they would double the tariffs on imported steel and slash the amount that can be bought from overseas, in an attempt to save Britain’s struggling steelmakers.

Daily Record

• Anti-war protestors target Prestwick Airport after US planes get green light for Iran strikesKeir Starmer is allowing the US to use UK bases to launch airstrikes at targets on Iran.
• Disability activists protest at Glasgow Subway for 'more accessible stations'Around 30 protestors in support of the Access2Transport group stood outside Hillhead Subway for around two hours this afternoon.

The Mirror

• New badge to help specific pregnant women get a seat on a bus or trainPassengers sitting on busy buses and trains are asked to give up their seat

Local Government

• Mid Wales moves forward on transport as Regional Transport Plan approvedDeveloped by Growing Mid Wales, as the region's Corporate Joint Committee (CJC), in partnership with Ceredigion and Powys County Councils, the Mid Wales Regional Transport Plan has now been approved by the Welsh Government.

Birmingham Mail

• Major Birmingham route to be transformed with 'buses given priority' over carsCross City Bus Package 6 will see improvements made to the Number 74 bus route between Birmingham and West Bromwich
• Petrol station monitoring to be 'stepped up' with UK drivers warnedThe new tool has suffered a setback after problems with fuel ­retailers updating their prices.

Wales Online

• New trains heading for Wales as 'landmark' electrification project completedMillions has been invested in the rail network with the final section of overhead line between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay now complete

Plymouth Herald

• 'Get on the Bus': Plymouth transport boss defends parking hikeA city council transport spokesman has urged people to get on the bus if they don't like the increase in parking charges in Plymouth.

Other Regional Press

• Moray 32 bus cap pilot will cut some fares by nearly 90 per centA new £2 cap on bus fares comes into force today and we have rounded up which Moray routes are set to see the biggest savings.
• Alistair Strathern MP: Getting commutes back on trackWe have all been there. Stuck on the platform waiting for a delayed train, wondering how on earth it can have happened again, and paying handsomely for the privilege.
• North Lanarkshire Council reject plans for Cumbernauld transport depotPlanning officers have refused to approve proposals for a transport depot in Cumbernauld.

Rail Magazine

• Grand Central's Newcastle-Brighton service would CrossCountry (XC) has estimated that £14 million of revenue would be abstracted if Grand Central's Newcastle-Brighton service was approved.

Railnews

• Welsh Core Valley lines electrification completeThe last 800m of overhead has been energised and tested between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay, completing the six-year £1 billion project to electrify the Core Valley lines, which cover 170km.
• Welsh Core Valley lines electrification complete The last 800m of overhead has been energised and tested between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay, completing the six-year £1 billion project to electrify the Core Valley lines, which cover 170km. Tram trains are now set to start entering service between between Pontypridd and Cardiff Bay.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• 100% electrification of the Core Valley Lines completeTransport for Wales has completed the full electrification of the Core Valley lines, at the heart of the South Wales Metro, delivering one of Wales' most ambitious rail infrastructure transport projects.

Aviation Industry

• Sydney and London Heathrow Launch Qantas Ultra-Long-Haul Route Revolutionizing Australia-UK Tourism in 2027:Qantas introduces the world's longest commercial flight from Sydney to London Heathrow, a ultra-long-haul marvel set for 2027 under Project Sunrise.
• Up To 17-Hour Nonstop Flights: London Heathrow's New Ultra-Long Route Revealed The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has had a wide range of ramifications for the commercial aviation industry, with operations at major hubs in the region, such as Dubai International Airport (DXB), being severely restricted against the volatile backdrop of geopolitical tensions.

Other News Sources

• Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vows to look into Burnley railway station issuesPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to set up a meeting with the government's rail minister after being urged to make a Burnley railway station more accessible.
• Welsh rail transformation takes shape as Valley lines go fully electricTransport for Wales has completed the full electrification of the Core Valley lines, at the heart of the South Wales Metro, delivering one of Wales' most ambitious rail infrastructure transport projects.