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

Thursday, 16 April 2026

BBC News

• Plan to raise taxi fares due to higher fuel pricesA council has agreed to a proposal to increase taxi fares to help cab drivers cope with the higher cost of fuel as a result of the Middle East conflict.
• Train passengers fell off seats after driver errorPassengers on a train fell out of their seats after it sped across a junction because the driver had misread signals and was unaware the train had switched lines.
• Two city locations shortlisted for new rail HQTwo sites in Derby have been shortlisted to become the new headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR).

The Telegraph

• Transport Secretary's car towed after hitting pothole [subscription]Heidi Alexander's Mini Cooper had to be towed after it hit a 'crater worthy of the Moon' while she drove from a Labour fundraiser to her Swindon constituency last month.

Transport Committee

• Letter to Minister highlights 'slow progress' in driving test delaysThe Chair of the Transport Committee has written to the Minister for Roads and Buses to find out what is being done to tackle the long waiting times for car driving tests.

The Mirror

• New UK train station could run up to 5 trains an hour connecting major citiesEast West Railway Company (EWR Co) has unveiled a revised proposal for a new railway line in Cambridgeshire. The new route will link Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge, offering up to five trains per hour.

Local Government

• Shortlist for new GBR HQ down to final two city locationsTwo sites in Derby have made the final shortlist for a new Great British Railways (GBR) HQ.

Birmingham Mail

• Major plan to transform West Midlands bus network set for next milestoneBosses say a franchise model will give the public greater control over bus fares, routes and timetables
• Birmingham drivers face fines as council to enforce new road rulesCameras will be going up in parts of the city
• Lime bikes 'already being dumped in borough' say Solihull councillors'Operate them sensibly' concerns over new Lime electric bikes being dumped in Solihull

Bristol Live

• Shock as rail project soars in cost but locals insist 'the line will be popular'The cost has risen to almost £200 million

LBC

• Transport Secretary's Mini Cooper towed after car hits 'crater' potholePictures show her green car being loaded onto an AA recovery truck after the incident.

Liverpool Echo

• New bus lanes in Liverpool and one has drivers 'fuming'As the latest bus lane returns to the city centre, drivers are regularly being fined at another

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• Aldridge station proposals have 'been pushed into the sidings', claims MPThe Conservatives have challenged Richard Parker, the elected mayor for the West Midlands, to unveil his plans for rail services in the region, accusing him of failing to outline his ambitions.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Pepper Road railway bridge in Leeds to be partially demolished as part of 'improvement project'A railway bridge in Leeds is set to be partially demolished and rebuilt to allow for improvement works. Pepper Road Bridge in Hunslet will be closed for a period of six months from May 5 through to November after plans were originally put in place to replace a damaged bridge plate.

Yorkshire Post

• Early flights could take off from Doncaster Sheffield Airport this yearDomestic flights on private jets and medical aircraft could start taking off from Doncaster Sheffield Airport after May.
• Scarborough railway station clocktower: 'Crowning glory' of station's £14m restorationFor thousands of people, Scarborough railway station is the gateway to the coast, but last year some may have thought that the landmark building had seen better days.

Cambridge News

• Passengers fell off seats as train driver sped through Cambridge junctionThe driver was speeding by 31mph, which caused the train to 'lurch sideways', investigators found

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow third runway plans face fresh opposition as campaigners warn of climate and community impactA local campaign group has spoken out against £49bn plans to build a third runway at Heathrow. The airport has recently started work on its planning application for the new runway, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves described the scheme as "critical for Britain's economic growth and competitiveness."
• Take a look at the latest images of the major HS2 project which runs through the Northamptonshire countrysideHigh Speed 2 (HS2) is a major, ongoing high-speed railway project under construction in England, designed to connect London and the West Midlands, with services extending to the North West and Scotland. Phase 1 focuses on building the route between London and Handsacre (Staffordshire), aimed at increasing capacity and reducing journey times.
• Residents call for Parliamentary intervention as wait for Winslow Railway Station and East West Rail opening continuesResidents living in Aylesbury Vale facing the longest wait for a train have described how the delay is 'ruining their lives'.
• Angus taxi operator hits out at 'insulting' £50k plan to boost wheelchair vehicle fleetGrants to help buy new wheelchair accessible taxis are among options being considered by Angus Council to improve local provision for disable passengers.
• Hopes new funding scheme will resolve concerns surrounding historic bridgeTWO local MPs are hoping a new initiative will help resolve long term concerns surrounding an historic bridge near Lichfield.

Bus Operators

• One of the region's busiest bus routes to go electric todayFour new single-decker electric buses will be hitting the roads today (Wednesday 15 April), electrifying Go North East's X66 route between Gateshead and the Metrocentre which carried more than 900,000 passengers last year.

Train Operators

• Greater Anglia celebrates World Art Day 2026Art is doing more than just decorating walls across the Greater Anglia network. It's telling stories and bringing local communities together.

Rail Advent

• Cornish China Clay to be transported by rail to Staffordshire with new GB Railfreight contractA two-year contract has been signed between Imerys and GB Railfreight that will see Cornish China Clay transported by rail to Staffordshire.

Railnews

• Derby sites for GBR are narrowed down to two Two sites in Derby have made the final shortlist for a new Great British Railways HQ. They are city centre brownfield site Becketwell and Midland House, an existing railway building opposite Derby station. Three other candidates have been ruled out.

Railway Technology

• Derby Shortlists Two Sites for Great British Railways HeadquartersTwo sites in Derby have been shortlisted as the potential home of the new Great British Railways (GBR) headquarters, marking another significant milestone in the transformation of Britain's rail industry.

TaxiPoint

• Peers clash over taxi accessibility rules as Lords REJECT amendment to enforce Equality Act standards Perry RichardsonA House of Lords debate on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill exposed deep divisions over how and when to enforce long-standing taxi accessibility provisions, after peers REJECTED a proposed amendment aimed at mandating nationwide wheelchair access standards within three years.
• House of Lords APPROVE out-of-area taxi and private hire enforcement powers as part of Devolution Bill amendment debate Perry RichardsonNew powers allowing licensing authorities to take immediate action against taxi and private hire drivers and operators working outside their home areas dominated debate in the House of Lords as peers considered amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
• BETTER CONNECTED: Taxis and private hire vehicles positioned as key 'first and last mile' link in new government transport strategy Perry RichardsonTaxis and private hire vehicles are set to play a defined supporting role in England's future transport network, according to the Department for Transport's newly published strategy, which places the sector at the centre of first and last mile connectivity and flexible travel demand.

Aviation Industry

• World's busiest airports 2025: Atlanta tops passenger traffic as global aviation reboundsAirports Council International (ACI) World has released its 2025 rankings of the world's busiest airports, highlighting continued recovery and shifting dynamics across global aviation.
• Heathrow handles over quarter of UK trade by value in 2025Heathrow handled £293 billion worth of goods in 2025, according to the latest Government trade data, which is more than a quarter of all UK trade by value.
• Briefing: Ultra-fine particles from aviationParticulate Matter (PM) describes solid and liquid particles in the air that are typically classified by their size, for example PM2.5 and PM10 (particles smaller than 2.5 and 10 micrometers … The post Briefing: Ultra-fine particles from aviation appeared first on Aviation Environment Federation.

Other News Sources

• DSA launches search for operational partners - will play 'an important role in re‑establishing the airport as a centre for high‑quality aviation services'A call for a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) has been launched, inviting aviation-focused businesses to put forward bids for a permanent presence at the airport to carry out operational functions for general aviation - such as private jets, medical aircraft and private pilots.
• HS2 starts work on new Warwickshire cycle bridgeHS2 engineers have begun installing a dedicated cycle bridge that will connect the Offchurch Greenway in Warwickshire to Route 41 of the national cycle network.
• Plaid vows to push ahead with St Clears station planSenedd candidate Nerys Evans says west Wales has been left behind for too long as party renews call for rail investment
• How A Secret Government Report Delayed Leeds' Long-Awaited TramsThe long wait in Leeds for a tram network was recently extended yet again. Noah Vickers uncovers the real reasons for the latest delay

News from Europe

• What future for smaller French airports?The future of smaller French airports is being called into question as their vulnerability to the whims of low-cost airlines becomes more evident.