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

Friday, 17 July 2026

BBC News

• Government drops plans to stop paying coastguard volunteersPlans to stop paying coastguard volunteers for their time on call-outs and training have been dropped after some threatened to quit over the move.
• City businesses could pay thousands for staff parking spaces under council plansBusinesses in Cardiff could be charged thousands of pounds for staff car parking under new council plans.
• Greater Anglia unveils new GBR branding on trainGreater Anglia's new branding has been unveiled at Liverpool Street Station in London, seven months after the company entered public ownership.

ITV News

• Council proposes workplace parking charge to raise money for public transportCardiff Council has moved a step further to the proposed introduction of a workplace parking levy.

Department for Transport

• Future work of the Coastguard Rescue Service - StatementPlans to move to the expenses-only volunteer model in September 2026 will not go ahead: current arrangements for the Coastguard Rescue Service will remain in place.
• Active travel local transport authority allocationsActive travel funding allocations for local transport authorities, as part of integrated and consolidated transport settlements.
• Initial response to the Cranston Inquiry - StatementGovernment is dedicated to providing vital maritime search and rescue responsibilities and will continue to seek opportunities to learn and improve.

The Guardian

• 'Keys to the kingdom': hackers who gained access to heart of London transport network jailedThalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers, 19, sentenced to five and a half years each for cyber-attack that cost Transport for London £39m
• EU border chaos feared at Dover crossing as busiest summer weekend loomsThe start of the peak summer season is set to bring millions of drivers on to British roads, with concerns of traffic chaos as the port of Dover faces its biggest test yet of new EU border controls.

The Telegraph

• Labour drops plan to scrap Coastguard volunteers' pay [subscription]Transport minister admits evidence underpinning original decision was 'not sufficiently detailed'

Times Online

• Hackers who crashed TfL and cost it millions jailed for five years [subscription]Scattered Spider members Owen Flowers, 18, and Thalha Jubair, 20, pleaded guilty last month to the cyberattack that cost Transport for London £39m
• Ministers scuttle plan to strip coastguard rescuers of pay [subscription]The U-turn was announced after it emerged that an internal poll revealed a risk of mass resignations from the emergency service
• Share your car charger to ease growing demand, say climate advisers [subscription]Letting neighbours use a home electric vehicle charger may encourage those without driveways to switch to greener cars as the UK tries to hit ambitious targets

Transport Committee

• Safer journeys for women and girls: MPs launch inquiryThe Transport Committee has launched an inquiry looking at how effectively the Government is helping to keep women and girls safe as they travel.

Welsh Government

• New Cardiff depot facility speeds up train repairs and servicingA new £12 million bogie drop has been installed at Canton rail depot in Cardiff to help maintain and service Transport for Wales's fleet of new trains.

City AM

• Airlines clash over Heathrow regulationAirlines have found themselves at loggerheads over the future of Heathrow, after one American carrier warned against the break-up of the owner's monopoly even as others double down on calls for a new third runway operator.

Local Government

• Real-time bus information upgraded across Weston-super-MareBus passengers in Weston-super-Mare are benefiting from more accurate and reliable real-time travel information following a major upgrade by North Somerset Council.
• £27.5 Million Highways Investment Delivering Improvements Across CumberlandCumberland Council is continuing to invest in Cumberland's roads, pavements and infrastructure through a £27.5 million highways works programme aimed at improving transport links, maintaining assets and keeping communities connected.

Network Rail

• First Great British Railways trains for Anglia unveiled as integrated railway delivers early benefitsThe first trains to carry the new Great British Railways identity for Anglia have been unveiled at London Liverpool Street station today (16 July), marking a visible milestone in the creation of a simpler, more joined-up railway that is already delivering benefits for passengers across the East of England.

London Evening Standard

• Plea to reopen Hammersmith Bridge to public transport as 'lack of vision' condemnedRichmond Council has renewed calls for Hammersmith Bridge to reopen to public transport and emergency services, stating it refuses to accept only keeping it open for pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic as 'the end of the story'.

Nation. Cymru

• Cardiff congestion charge ruled out with workplace parking levy consultation plannedCardiff Council has ruled out introducing a congestion charge, with councillors instead backing plans to consult on a workplace parking levy to help fund improvements to the city's public transport network.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• North East Labour MPs call on Government to be the one that finally fixes the A1Berwick MP David Smith led an adjournment debate about the road's appalling safety record

Northern Echo

• Holdham Group shortlisted for two National Rail AwardsA fast-growing County Durham rail company has been shortlisted for two of the industry's top national honours.

Wales Online

• New details emerge of Cardiff's congestion charge alternative that could raise £10m a yearThere is hope it will 'revolutionise public transport in the city' but council has been told they will need to move fast
• Major step forward for Cardiff parking scheme that could affect hundredsCardiff Council has approved the city's proposed workplace parking levy (WPL) for consultation. A WPL is an annual charge paid by certain businesses to the council based on the number of employee parking spaces.

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• What next for controversial (and eye-wateringly expensive) HS2?The new Prime Minister has long championed extending HS2 to Manchester. But with the first phase already beset by soaring costs and public finances under severe strain, can ambition survive economic reality?

Yorkshire Post

• Nine-month scheme to improve bus journeys could begin in SeptemberA nine-month scheme to improve bus journeys on a city centre street could begin in September if it is approved by Council bosses next week.
• Castleford rail bridge scheme to get £5m boostPlans to build a new railway bridge in Castleford as part of a wider regeneration project is set to receive a boost of more than £5m.

Hull Daily Mail

• Council calls for new Prime Minister to make Hull-to-Selby rail electrification a 'top priority'Hull City Council will push Andy Burnham for action on the long-delayed plans

Oxford Mail

• £1.3bn East West Rail risks becoming a repeat of HS2 say MPsMPs have expressed concerns that the East West Rail line is becoming a repeat of HS2.

Other Regional Press

• Scottish Greens MSP Kristopher Leask 'disappointed' in transport secretary Stephen Flynn's response to Loganair flight cut letterA politician who played a leading role in the campaign to save lifeline flights has expressed his disappointment at the transport secretary's response to his calls for help.
• Will Swindon's transport secretary have a new job?Swindon MP Heidi Alexander is among those whose future in the top team is uncertain as Andy Burnham prepares to take control of the reins of power.
• Huddersfield Railway Station to be closed for 16 days in September as revamp project edges closer to completionAs the countdown continues to the completion of the three-year restoration and internal modernisation scheme, the station will undergo another shutdown or blockade from Saturday September 19 to Sunday October 4.
• PlanBEE Rail apprentices graduate at National Railway MuseumAn apprenticeship scheme is giving new talent the chance to launch careers in the rail industry.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Ambitions for rail freight and high speed passenger trainsChristian discusses the pros and cons of the Railways Bill for conveying goods by train in Great Britain with Maggie Simpson, Director General of trade association the Rail Freight Group [1:46], after which Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker update listeners on the latest progress with the legislation [19:44]. Having been one of the first people to read Christian's new book - 'Fast Track: The Extraordinary Story of High-Speed Rail' - Mark asks the author to develop the themes of his latest work [31:48]. In his final thought from the departure lounge, Christian asks what can be done about the literally growing problem of bigger and bigger cars on the UK's roads [57:36].

Highways Magazine

• Active Travel England releases rural active travel guidanceActive Travel England (ATE) has published a 'first-of-its-kind' guide for local authorities on designing safer and more accessible rural active travel routes.

Rail Magazine

• Midland Main Line gauging work allows for improved freight flowGauging enhancements on the northern section of the Midland Main Line (MML) have opened new opportunities for intermodal traffic.

Railnews

• A new business unit has been created in a further step towards Great British Railways.GBR West Midlands is the fourth organisation of its kind to be set up, as the Bill to create Great British Railways continues its journey through the House of Lords.

Safer Highways

• Major Highways Investment Set to Transform Cumberland's Transport Infrastructure Cumberland Council is investing £27.5 million in roads, bridges, drainage and highway infrastructure during 2026/27, with one of its largest annual maintenance programmes designed to improve resilience, extend the life of critical assets and strengthen transport links across the county.

The Business Desk

• Sustainable transport upgrade on A4 between Bath and Bristol to start soonWork is set to begin this autumn on sustainable transport improvements along the busy A4 between Bath and Bristol.

Other News Sources

• Staffordshire MPs Back Chetwynd Bridge Funding BidLocal 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. The Grade 2* listed structure near Alrewas is a critical gateway to the National Memorial Arboretum.
• Mayor's draft new London Plan takes fresh approach to housing targets and opposes Heathrow expansionSir Sadiq Khan has tailored his proposed blueprint to economic practicalities while making it plain that more parts of the capital will experience change
• TfL expands Lane Rental scheme to more boroughsTransport for London (TfL) is extending its Lane Rental scheme to two more London boroughs, part of a wider rollout that is also funding smart barrier technology, camera-based artificial intelligence (AI) and drone inspections for managing streetworks across the capital.
• MPs committee chair warns of 'significant' EES disruption if no action takenThe parliamentary transport committee chair has added her voice to those warning of 'significant' disruptions this summer if no action is taken on queues caused by Entry/Exit System (EES) checks.
• Work begins to improve Calderdale transport linksPlans to improve walking and cycling links between Elland and West Vale have moved a step closer as work gets underway on a new infrastructure scheme.
• Japanese railway company to run first hydrogen-hybrid trains on passenger lines within this fiscal yearJR East has tested its Hybari trains, which run on a fuel cell and battery system, since 2022