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

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

BBC News

• Company plans to run battery-powered trainsGo-op, which recently formed as a co-operative, previously received permission to run diesel rail services in Somerset and Wiltshire but was unable to secure the necessary funding.
• Police investigate train station fire as 'arson'Detectives are investigating a major fire at Paignton train station as a suspected arson incident, British Transport Police have said.
• Bid for £5m investment to prepare roads for winterA proposal to invest £5m in preparing a county's roads for winter is set to go before a council.
• Rise in Southern 100 visitors arriving by ferryAround 10,000 people travelled to the Isle of Man by ferry during this year's Southern 100 Road Races, with organisers saying the figures underline the event's importance to the island's visitor economy.
• Is a new underground railway coming down the track?Only four UK cities currently have underground transport systems. Could Cambridge become the fifth?
• Most bus fares in England to be capped at £2 from January, says Burnham'No one should be priced out' of good transport links, Burnham says
• England's best and worst major roads named in pollIndependent watchdog Transport Focus finds Kent's M20 motorway is among the most highly rated.
• Ryanair broken window may have been caused by 'foreign object'Passenger Ljubisa Karović was partially sucked out of a cabin window on the Boeing aircraft.

ITV News

• Boss of London's bus network 'shocked' to hear drivers using bottle as a toiletThe boss of London's bus network said she was shocked by the findings of an ITV News London investigation which revealed how drivers went to the toilet in a bottle.

The Guardian

• 'A guy did a runner in a Jaguar': the petrol theft scandal and the garage owner struggling to stop itSince the start of the Iran war in February, there has been a 23% rise in fuel theft, with more than £1.2m stolen from British forecourts each week. Why aren't the police doing more to apprehend the culprits?

The Herald

• Warning Cumbrae ferry queues 'leading to people urinating in streets'A community councillor has renewed calls to reopen public toilets in Largs, warning that long ferry queues are leading to people urinating in nearby streets.

The Independent

• Andy Burnham announces new £2 bus fare cap across EnglandSingle bus fares across England will be capped at £2 from January, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced. Mr Burnham said: Good, affordable transport links are an essential. No one should be priced out of those and left behind.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow may need to be nationalised, suggests Emirates boss [subscription]Sir Tim Clark says Transport Secretary should 'bang heads together' to resolve dispute

Times Online

• The Fastest-Growing Risk to Air Travel Is Probably in Your Pocket [subscription]Phones, power banks and vapes are spontaneously catching fire on planes, injuring passengers and disrupting flights
• Andy Burnham to cap single bus fares across England at 32 [subscription]The new prime minister has ordered ministers to take a 'hard look' at budgets as he prepares more spending announcements
• Cancelled train? Now announcements can be beamed to your headphones [subscription]A new system that uses Bluetooth to play station announcements into hearing aids and headsets is being trialled
• Emirates gives you wings: the seat design that may kill off neck pillows [subscription]Airline believes its adjustable headrest support system can transform sleep for economy-class passengers
• Can superyachts be eco-friendly? This Dutch firm thinks so [subscription]Swallowing large quantities of fuel and emitting thousands of tonnes of carbon each year, superyachts are not exactly regarded as the choice for the eco-conscious.

i News

• Four problems that could end Burnham's HS2 plansThe new Prime Minister has signalled he wants a new rail line between Birmingham and Manchester - but there are plenty of challenges to overcome

Local Government

• Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme progress update July 2026Significant progress has been made over recent months on the Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme (CFIIS), with works advancing at both Nether Lochaber and Ardgour.

Belfast Telegraph

• Burnham announces £2 bus fare cap from JanuarySingle bus fares across England will be capped at £2 from January, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh council confirms North Bridge bus stops permanently scrapped as reopening nearsThere are no plans to reinstate the bus stops on North Bridge when the route reopens, Edinburgh council has revealed.

London Evening Standard

• Burnham announces £2 bus fare cap from JanuaryThe move will partly be funded through changes to international climate finance schemes.

Oxford Mail

• East West Rail Oxford to Milton Keynes: What's gone wrong?The opening of the new railway line has been delayed, more than a year after it was finished.
• HS2 completes complex A43 bridge realignment for next phaseA major road realignment has been completed as part of ongoing high-speed rail construction.
• New walkway paves the way for Botley Road new announcementThousands of people have been using a new walkway close to Botley Road's new rail bridge.

Other Regional Press

• Third Menai crossing 'vital' for Anglesey's future, council report saysTHERE is a 'vital need' for a third crossing over the Menai to safeguard Anglesey's socio-economic future and the wider North Wales region. That is the conclusion of an Anglesey County Council report on the resilience of the Menai crossings.
• East Midlands Rail 'using trains likely to fail' as union announces strikeEast Midlands Rail announced cuts to its intercity services last week
• Gatwick Express launches new overnight weekend servicesEarly morning and overnight train journeys are being introduced between Gatwick Airport and the capital.
• HS2 engineers install final roof segment of Burton Green tunnelHS2 engineers have installed the final roof segment on the 700-metre-long Burton Green tunnel.
• MP refuses to be told by Minister what he can discuss on ferriesIn Parliament's last sitting day before recess, Mr Robertson told maritime minister Keir Mather, that he would not be told what he, 'can and can not say' during those meetings.

British Trams Online

• New accreditation framework for tram driver competency pilotedThe Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) are leading on a project which will see a new accreditation framework for tram driver competency and professional development piloted. The aim is that it will strengthen tramway safety standard across the UK with a clear and consistent baseline for driving standards and training across the light rail sector introduced.

Highways News

• MPs launch inquiry into transport connecting young people to jobs and trainingThe Transport Committee has launched an inquiry exploring the issue of transport as a barrier to young people finding and taking up employment, and what can be done to make things better.

Rail Magazine

• Hint at West Coast Main Line timetable shake-up under Great British RailwaysReplanning the West Coast Main Line (WCML) timetable could be one of Great British Railways' (GBR) early jobs, the Rail Minister has suggested.

Safer Highways

• Windsor & Maidenhead Unveils Ambitious Four-Year Transport Investment ProgrammeNew delivery plan sets out investment in highways, public transport and active travel, with major ambitions to boost walking, cycling and electric vehicle infrastructure by 2030.

Other News Sources

• Scottish Government invests to help haulage operators with zero-emission transitionTHE Scottish Government is investing a further £1 million in its SME fleet analysis scheme in a bid to help more businesses plan their transition to zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
• Great Western Railway named as one of Top 100 employersA train operator has been named one of the top 100 apprenticeship employers in the country.
• MPs to probe how lack of transport acts as a barrier to youth jobsMPs have launched an investigation into how a lack of access to transport acts as a barrier to young people finding and taking up employment.
• English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026: what the new transport powers mean in practiceThe English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 marks a significant shift in how transport is planned and delivered across England. At its core is the creation of 'Strategic Authorities' as a new type of devolved regional governance which will be given a clearer statutory role across transport, infrastructure, planning and growth
• Transport employers should plan for increased employee relations riskAs part of the sweeping trade union reforms being introduced by government, the new trade union right to access the workplace will have a significant impact on many employers in the transport sector.
• Can Andy Burnham deliver for UK logistics and transport?Andy Burnham officially became the UK's Prime Minister on 20 July 2026 following his election as Labour leader, promising to deliver a 'circuit breaker for Britain' through a new political and economic model. While his first speech focused on the cost of living, devolution, housing and tackling homelessness, the transport, logistics and freight sectors will be watching closely to see how those broader ambitions translate into policy.
• From HS2 to Hinkley, Britain's most staggeringly expensive construction projects rated (prepare for your eyes to water)When it comes to big-budget British construction projects, some overpromise and underdeliver, while others sink millions of pounds at the time but go on to become an invaluable part of Britain's infrastructure.
• First Bus plays its part in powering the Commonwealth Games organising teamFirst Bus will be helping to power the 2026 Commonwealth Games team when the action gets underway in Glasgow this week.
• Bauer Media Outdoor brings Milestone bus shelters to Bournemouth, with a new documentary and spoken word poem launchBauer Media Outdoor has launched the next evolution of its pioneering Milestone bus shelter range in Bournemouth, unveiling two new 'All-Timber' Nest shelters, alongside a documentary film and commissioned spoken word poem. Together, they tell the story behind one of the UK's most ambitious Out of Home infrastructure projects.
• Newcastle to Norway ferry plans could make Nordkapp road trips easierPlans to revive a direct ferry between Newcastle and Norway could make riding to Nordkapp far easier, cutting out thousands of motorway miles across mainland Europe.
• Work gets under way on new Active Travel improvements in LichfieldWork on a highways scheme to make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle near The Friary School in Lichfield, Staffordshire, began in earnest yesterday (20 July).

News from Europe

• Spain approves transport decarbonisation framework through 2040Spain's government on Tuesday approved a regulatory framework running through 2040 to accelerate the decarbonisation of the transport sector by setting annual emissions reduction and renewable energy targets for fuel suppliers while promoting electrification and renewable hydrogen.
• 'That's not true': Brussels denies electrification target lacks ambitionEuropean Commission says 46% by 2040 is 'realistic and achievable'