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

Sunday, 17 May 2026

BBC News

• Direct rail service set to begin after 23 yearsA new daily rail service from Oxford to Bristol is expected to set off for the first time in more than 20 years.
• Bus users fear isolation from planned service cutsBus users said they would be isolated if services were reduced on the outskirts of Bedford.

The Guardian

• JLR and General Motors eye £900m contract to build new range of military trucksCarmakers aim to expand into UK defence sector, exploiting spending boom by Nato countriesJaguar Land Rover and General Motors are considering an expansion into UK defence via a £900m military contract, as carmakers seek to exploit a spending boom by Nato countries racing to rearm.The manufacturers are among a group of automotive firms vying to make thousands of 4x4s for the armed forces to replace an ageing fleet of Land Rovers that have been out of production since 2016. Continue reading...

Times Online

• British Airways backs billionaire's shorter Heathrow runway plan [subscription]Virgin Atlantic, Swissport and veteran Willie Walsh also throw their weight behind a fast-track scheme that will avoid moving the M25 in the first instance

Mail Online

• Baggage chaos at Heathrow as furious passengers are forced to wait up to five hours for their luggage - with some told to go home without their bagsPassengers have been left furious after some were forced to wait up to five hours for their luggage and others were told to head home without their bags. 

The Mirror

• Holiday hell as luggage piled at Heathrow and BA warns of 'ongoing impact'A sea of bags were left stranded at Heathrow Airport following a system failure, leaving fuming passengers arriving at their destinations without any belongings

Birmingham Mail

• HMRC confirms £2,297 charges for certain drivers coming before April 2027Road fuel scale charges are fixed amounts added to a VAT return to account for VAT on fuel bought by a business but used for private, non-business journeys.
• Rachel Reeves confirms new £300 charge for drivers doing 10,000 miles a yearIt's part of a radical shake-up of vehicle tax
• Midlands motorway drivers fall foul of 71mph ruleExclusive figures reveal how common speeding is on our motorways
• West Midlands bus cuts warning as soaring fuel costs put 49% of network at riskTransport for West Midlands (TfWM) has warned that up to 49 per cent of the current bus network could be lost if a subsidy scheme is not extended, as fuel costs soar by around 50 per cent per litre.

Bristol Live

• UK Government updates response over small pets travelling inside cabin on flightsMany people want to take their beloved pets in the plane cabin with them
• GWR resumes Bristol to Oxford direct trains - full timings confirmedIt's been decades since the last direct service between the two cities ran
• Bristol’s massive e-scooter expansion targetting new users as parking issues continueAfraid of e-scooters? Dott launches takeover at Lloyds Amphitheatre to show Bristol how it's done

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Direct Llandudno Liverpool service launches in revamped train timetableServices on the North Wales Coast Line will increase by around 50%

Liverpool Echo

• 'Do it today' DVLA alert as around 150,000 cars clamped last yearThe DVLA has urged drivers to set up an account online today

Cambridge News

• New bus gates set to close off residential roads to traffic in Cambs cityThe bus gates would create a 'shortcut' for public transport

Leeds Live

• Major road to be closed outside of Leeds Bradford Airport for two weeksThe junction at Harrogate Road and Otley Road outside the airport will be closed

Other Regional Press

• Newcastle Airport drop-off fee rise slammed as 'unjustifiable' as taxi firms count the costThe Express pick-up and drop-off charge at Newcastle Airport has risen from £5 to £6 from Wednesday, May 6, with taxi companies warning the increase is being passed on to passengers

TaxiPoint

• Labour MP warns taxi licensing shake-up could ?drive down standards? and weaken public safety in letter to Transport SecretarySarah Champion MP has warned the Government that proposals to overhaul taxi and private hire vehicle licensing could risk weakening local enforcement standards and undermine public safety protections if powers are transferred away from councils.