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

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

BBC News

• Councillor 'fuming' as The Open hits rail servicesA Liverpool councillor is "fuming" after being told rail services will be reduced at a station in his ward due to The Open golf championship.
• Mayor's bus takeover £100m more than expectedAuditors have discovered a mayor's plan to take control of a region's buses will cost £104.9m more than expected.
• Timber transport funds to upgrade 'fragile rural roads'A string of new projects to protect "fragile rural roads" used for timber transport across Scotland are to receive funding support.

Department for Transport

• Transport Secretary engages with EU commissioner on EES border checks ahead of summer holidaysGovernment is working with the EU to ensure travel across the border is as seamless as possible in summer and through autumn.

The Guardian

• Drivers charging electric cars handed shock parking finesEV owners were sent hefty PCNs but say some signs in private car parks fail to warn of fees to park and recharge carDoes refuelling your car class as parking? The answer appears to be yes if it’s an electric vehicle. Guardian Money has been contacted by several readers who were fined after charging their cars away from home.The motorists report being caught out by signs that fail to make clear that charging points are subject to parking tariffs or to store opening times. Also, they have found some chargers being advertised as available for use when it would be a breach of th...

The Independent

• Transport minister raises EU entry-exit system fears over border check delaysBritish transport minister Heidi Alexander has raised concerns over the European Union's new digital border security check system with the EU transport commissioner, her department said on Tuesday, following reports of long waits at passport control.

Times Online

• Space cargo costs falling faster than steamship freight in the 1800s [subscription]Rapidly declining launch costs could open the way to commercial activity far beyond low-Earth orbit, study suggests
• EV drivers spared as Treasury waters down pay-per-mile checks [subscription]Plans to require a visit to an accredited provider for mileage checks have been dropped, with drivers able to self-report until their first MoT
• Call for 20mph speed limit on English country roads to protect cyclists [subscription]New guidance also suggests councils in rural areas should narrow roads, use more bollards and remove the centre line separating traffic lanes

The Mirror

• British Airways issue statement after 'technical fault' causes chaos at Gatwick AirportThe airline has confirmed a plane had a 'technical fault' before landing and blocking the runway at the London airport as several flights were diverted

The National

• SNP offer to help Andy Burnham copy free bus travel policy in EnglandSCOTLAND'S policy of free bus travel for under-22s should be implemented in England by incoming prime minister Andy Burnham, an independent inquiry has said.

Local Government

• New graphics unveiled showcasing stations on the reopened Portishead to Bristol railway lineNew artist's impressions of Portishead and Pill stations have been unveiled, in a major milestone for the £200m Portishead to Bristol railway line.
• Local MPs back funding bid for Chetwynd BridgeLocal MPs are backing calls for Chetwynd Bridge to be given funding as part of a new government scheme. Staffordshire County Council will be putting the bridge forward for funding from the government's new Structures Fund, designed to help councils fix key structures in their areas.

National Highways

• Progress for Lower Thames Crossing as Europe's largest ever tunnelling machine selectedAt 16.4 metres in diameter the machine will be the largest ever used in Europe, and the third largest ever in the world

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• Annual assessment of Network Rail 2025 to 2026Cancellations have reduced for passenger and freight train services, and punctuality has remained broadly stable. Where ORR challenged Network Rail regions to improve performance, they delivered against their improvement plans.
• Why are asset renewals being cut when Network Rail is beating the target for efficiencies?In our latest annual assessment, we find that Network Rail has continued to deliver efficiencies in how it operates, maintains and renews the national rail infrastructure. However, we also report that the company will deliver fewer renewals than originally planned.
• Rail industry must maintain safety standards through reform, says ORRBritain's rail industry must maintain a relentless focus on safety as it undergoes major reform, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) says in its annual health and safety report published today. The report comes just weeks after the fatal train collision at Elstow, near Bedford, which highlighted the severe consequences of major rail accidents.

Wired Gov

• techUK's impact on Parliamentary rail debatetechUK's Rail Policy Working Group has engaged with Peers to protect the tech sector as the Railways Bill enters the House of Lords.

London Evening Standard

• Port of Dover has done 'absolutely everything' to avoid summer EES chaosChief executive Doug Bannister said it is 'very disappointing' a new processing facility is not yet being used for cars.

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport drop-off charges could face government review as part of national probeManchester Airport's controversial drop-off fees could be reviewed by the government as part of a potential national probe into the practice.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Review finds £104m error in North East bus reform plans but mayor's vision still deemed affordableAuditors found that multi-million pound staffing bills were not properly factored in to an assessment of a North East bus franchising model, but they have been described as only a fraction of the costs

Yorkshire Post

• HS2: land value around north's train stations could fund rail projectsAndy Burnham would look to resurrect the Manchester leg of HS2 using land value capture to pay for it.

Kent Online

• Europe's largest ever tunnelling machine built in Germany will be used to forge Lower Thames CrossingA massive tunnel boring machine built in Germany by the same company that carved out the Elizabeth line will dig the UK's longest road tunnel.

Other Regional Press

• Prestwick Airport visit for Cabinet Secretary for TransportBOSSES at Prestwick Airport welcomed one of Scotland's most senior political figures last week.
• Huge boring machine ordered for Lower Thames Crossing projectDESPITE no agreement yet being in place over a funding shortfall of around £8 billion, the government-owned National Highways continues to plough ahead with work on the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC).
• Ballymena bus builder Wrightbus expands into Australia with major zero-emission push Writer: Love Ballymena Love BallymenaWrightbus is expanding into Australia as the Ballymena-based manufacturer continues to grow its international footprint and strengthen its position as one of the world's leading zero-emission bus makers.
• Shrewsbury MP calls for joined-up transport and services to boost town centreThat is the verdict of Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley, who recently led a national delegation of MPs, specialist civil servants, and stakeholders to study successful urban regeneration in South Yorkshire.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Oxford Bus Group becomes Go Thames ValleyThe group of companies consisting of Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, Pulhams, Pearces Coaches and City Sightseeing Oxford, will now sit within the umbrella of Go Thames Valley, owned by parent company The Go-Ahead Group.

Coach and Bus Week

• McGill's challenges ScotZEB allocationsThe Scottish operator has launched a legal challenge to the outcome of the most recent Scottish zero-emission bus funding round, which it says was improperly allocated as a result of 'questionable decisions'
• Leicester invests £1m more in bus stop infrastructureThe Leicester Buses partnership is continuing to invest in growing its brand and network identity, with ongoing investment in on-street infrastructure

Highways News

• ZEVs increase share but new bus market decline continuesNew data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has suggested that the UK's new bus, coach and minibus market fell by -50.6% to 1,465 units in the second quarter of 2026, as demand continued to normalise after two strong years of fleet renewal.
• Bus Users UK launches new action-focused Partner Pack for Catch the Bus Month 2026Bus Users UK's new Catch the Bus Month Partner Pack for 2026 is now live, giving organisations across the UK everything they need to get involved in this year's national celebration of bus travel.

Rail Advent

• East London rail freight hub set to become international hub as work startsNetwork Rail has revealed that workers have officially started the work to transform Barking Eurohub into a modern international rail freight hub.

Rail Business Daily

• Work begins to transform Barking Eurohub into Britain's gateway for European rail freightWork has officially begun to transform Barking Eurohub into a modern international rail freight hub, marking a major step forward in the Government's plans to grow rail freight and re-establish direct cross-Channel freight services through the Channel Tunnel.

Rail Magazine

• Plan to split and join new Grand Central service poses 'significant risk to East Coast Main Line'Grand Central's plan to split and join services at Doncaster as part of its application to run to Cleethorpes poses a 'significant risk' to East Coast Main Line performance, Network Rail has said.

Railway-News

• UK: Transport Secretary & EU Commissioner to Ensure Smooth EES Border ChecksTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander has spoken with the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism regarding the provision of support for holidaymakers through the EU's enhanced security checks during the upcoming summer holiday period.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Go Thames Valley name replaces Oxford Bus Group monikerChange reflects expanding operating area and preparations for local government reorganisation

UKTram

• UKTram relaunches Operational Innovation Group to support collaboration and new ideas across the light rail sectorUKTram has relaunched its Operational Innovation Group, establishing a dedicated forum for the light rail sector to explore new ideas, share operational experience, and identify practical opportunities for innovation.

Other News Sources

• AV Dawson invests EUR 5.9m in Middlesbrough dry bulk rail terminalThe facility will be the port operator's fifth rail terminal and is due for completion in spring 2027.
• Work begins on £15m Barking Eurohub to revive London rail freightWork has started on the redevelopment of Barking Eurohub in east London, in a project intended to bring regular international rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel back to the capital.
• £5.50 for five minutes: Controversial Manchester Airport drop-off fees face national review after House of Lords blocks aviation billPeers have halted the new Civil Aviation Bill to force ministers into reassessing the fees that critics argue unfairly penalise families and disabled travellers.
• Heathrow Express pushes service as the 'trusted choice'Heathrow Express is putting travellers and their reason for using the service front and centre in a new campaign timed to coincide with the peak summer season.
• Stagecoach event determines to make buses accessibleA bus company has said it is committed to making travel accessible for all of its passengers.
• Night bus service to be enhanced between Brighton and EastbourneAn enhanced night bus service will be introduced between Brighton and Eastbourne this month, Brighton and Hove Buses have confirmed in their July service update.
• New £1k parking at work levy plan moves forwardBristol's proposed workplace parking levy is back on the agenda, with the city council moving from early-stage development toward public consultation on a scheme that could charge employers up to £1,250 for parking spaces provided at work.
• 'Bold action' needed to improve transport accessibility and reap huge economic rewards, IMechE experts say'Bold action' is needed to improve the public transport network for millions of people with accessibility needs, according to IMechE experts and if taken, those actions could unlock hundreds of billions of pounds worth of economic benefits for the UK.

News from Europe

• Rail groups call for ETS rail fundingEuropean rail and combined transport associations are calling for EU ETS revenues to support rail investment, arguing that the cleanest mass transport mode should receive a fairer share of carbon market funding.
• Berlin launches C-ITS traffic signals for public transport priorityBerlin is testing two-way C-ITS communications at eight junctions, paving the way for emergency vehicle priority, cyclist safety and automated mobility.