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

Wednesday, 26 August 2026

BBC News

• Under 15 bus travel ban is unfair, councillor saysA ban on children under 15 travelling alone on buses in the evening is unfair, a councillor has said.
• 'The Corby to London train service is unviable'"East Midlands Railway either don't have the rolling stock or they don't have the staff," says regular rail traveller Matthew Aldridge.
• Community bus to run along axed council routeA community transport scheme is set to take over a bus route that Shropshire Council withdrew from.

Financial Times

• Another drone found at Leipzig airport as Germany warns of 'unscrupulous' attacksGerman authorities have uncovered another drone near the airport where an explosive-laden device was found earlier this month

The Guardian

• London bus drivers resume strike over heatwave working amid fears over air con dealDrivers concerned that bus operator’s offer to retrofit cabs on 730 buses will not be complete by next summerLondon bus drivers have resumed strike action over having to work in high temperatures, amid fears that proposed improvements to air conditioning will not be complete by next summer.About 1,500 members of the Unite union working across north London and Essex are taking part in the four-day strike from Tuesday to Friday, after industrial action earlier this month. Further stoppages are planned for the coming weeks. Continue reading...

The Telegraph

• Birmingham moves to become England's first 20mph city [subscription]Opponents accuse council of pursuing 'anti-motorist policy' in Britain's former motoring heartland

Times Online

• Birmingham in drive to become England's first 20mph city [subscription]The city council says reducing the speed limit on all routes classified below A-roads will save lives but opponents have branded the plans 'anti-motorist'
• Robotaxi war arrives in Vegas with Amazon gamble [subscription]Pill-shaped, driverless Zoox is cleared to pick up paid fares in Nevada and begins offering free rides in California in rivalry with Waymo and Tesla
• The zebra crossing where hundreds of cyclists fail to stop [subscription]The Times counted 357 bike riders who did not brake for pedestrians at the 'floating bus stop' near Blackfriars Bridge in central London
• Trams on an old railway line? Perfect, until the nimbys find out [subscription]Edinburgh's new transportation system has been hugely popular but a plan to extend it north has angered dog walkers, cyclists and Sunday strollers
• Thameslink finally gets rid of its 'ironing board' train seats [subscription]The rail operator is replacing over 60,000 standard-class seats across its fleet of Class 700 trains, with promises of better cushioning and seat-back tables

Mail Online

• Birmingham bids to become England's first 20mph city as 'anti-motorist' council policy moves to lower speed limit on hundreds of roadsThe Liberal Democrat , Green and independent-led city council wants to stop cars 'dominating' the streets and is instead encouraging residents to walk and cycle.

The National

• Stephen Flynn pledges £55m fund to improve Scotland's busesTHE Scottish Government has pledged £55 million to improve bus services across Scotland.

Local Government

• Free bus transport for Staffordshire care leavers thanks to county council schemeYoung people leaving care in Staffordshire will now benefit from free bus travel at any time of day thanks to a new county council scheme.

Sky News

• Luton Airport 'sale' process being readied for take-offThe council-owned company behind Britain's fifth-biggest passenger airport has appointed bankers to prepare the sale of its operating rights when the current deal expires in 2032, Sky News learns.

Wired Gov

• TfL celebrates 70 years of London Transport's Caribbean recruitment campaign and 60 years of Notting Hill CarnivalTfL is marking 70 years since London Transport's pioneering Caribbean recruitment campaign, which helped shape today's transport workforce and London's transport network

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales to get nearly 60 new Arriva buses in £15m investmentThe buses will operate across the region from depots in Wrexham, Rhyl and Bangor
• Plain clothes officers deployed in operation targeting illegal e-scooters and off-road bikesThey acted as spotters so uniformed officers could intercept
• TaithCymru Bangor to Carmarthen coach service a 'major step forward'A direct daily TaithCymru coach service between Bangor and Carmarthen launches in October 2026, and readers have been sharing their mixed views on the new North Wales public transport route

Derby Telegraph

• Andy Burnham backs new Derbyshire M1 junction plan in bid to beat congestionErewash MP, Labour's Adam Thompson, said the case for a new M1 junction at Sandiacre dubbed Junction 25a is now 'very good' and has the tacit support of Andy Burnham as well as Government officials.

London Evening Standard

• London bus strikes: All 43 routes impacted as drivers complain of extreme heatDozens of London bus routes are being disrupted by the strikes

Manchester Evening News

• New upgrades for train stations across Greater Manchester in £100m planIt includes improvements to make stations more accessible.

Yorkshire Post

• DB Cargo UK sale: Government issues statement after union call for guarantee of no redundanciesThe Government has said it understands 'concern' from workers who could be affected by the planned sale of Yorkshire-based rail freight firm, DB Cargo, after transport union TSSA last week called for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies from the sale.

Doncaster Free Press

• Doncaster job fears as rail freight operator is put up for saleThere are fears for Doncaster jobs after one of Britain's biggest rail freight operators was put up for sale.

My London

• TfL urged to bear 'massive cost' for London bus drivers to be safer in scorching heatTransport for London (TfL) must bear the "massive cost" of making conditions bearable for the capital's long-suffering bus drivers, a senior Conservative Assembly Member has said.

Other Regional Press

• Calls for PM to introduce 'proper devolution' to make planned tram network a realityCampaigners are urging new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce 'proper devolution' to ensure West Yorkshire finally gets a tram network.
• Central Connect bus pass hike leaves parents fumingA MAJOR bus company has left parents fuming after hiking a school bus route pass to nearly £1,000.
• Drummond Street could be 'cut off' from station in latest HS2 proposalsDRUMMOND Street traders have slammed the latest proposals to redevelop the HS2 Euston land saying their businesses will be cut-off from the new station.
• £3 million recovered from people or companies who damaged Surrey barriers and road signs will go towards fixing potholesThe money is collected from those who cause damage to Surrey's road signs and barriers
• Row over National Express bus takeover as Conservatives highlight 'financial risks'Coventry Conservatives are calling on West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker to publish the full financial case for the acquisition of National Express West Midlands, warning that taxpayers could be left exposed to £78 million in liabilities including a £53 million bus pension scheme deficit.
• Calls for replacement of Oxhey Grange footbridge in WatfordWatford mayor Peter Taylor and Stephen Giles-Medhurst OBE, leader of Three Rivers District Council, are urging Network Rail to rebuild the Oxhey Grange footbridge, which is being removed after a routine inspection found it was unsafe.
• Railway stations in Yorkshire and the Humber raise safety concerns for women travelling aloneTrain stations across Yorkshire and the Humber have been highlighted in a major new survey by leading women's charity Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), which examined safety standards at stations across the UK.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Scotland to invest £55m in bus infrastructure improvementsA £55m investment in infrastructure designed to improve the reliability, accessibility and efficiency of bus services in Scotland has been announced.

Highways News

• Barnsley Council leader sets out extra £10 million roads investmentBarnsley Council's leader has outlined plans to invest an extra £10 million in roads across the borough, helping to deliver longer-lasting pothole repairs, targeted resurfacing and more teams repairing roads every day.
• Robotaxi petition passes 1,000 signaturesA parliamentary petition seeking to stop the commercial introduction of driverless taxis has exceeded 1,000 signatures as concern grows within the taxi and private hire trade over the potential impact of autonomous vehicles.
• Staffordshire urges HS2 to 'do more' for those affected by A38 slip road closureStaffordshire County Council's highways lead is asking HS2 Ltd to do more to support people affected by the extended closure of the A38 Streethay slip road near Lichfield. The road was expected to reopen in October 2026, but will now remain closed until April 2027.

Rail Advent

• MP visits Siemens maintenance depot in West SussexLuke Taylor, Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam, and Liberal Democrat Frontbench Spokesperson for London, recently visited Siemens Mobility's Three Bridges Depot in West Sussex.

Rail Business Daily

• Major HS2 construction work in BirminghamPassengers travelling by rail over the August bank holiday weekend are being reminded to check before they travel as major HS2 construction work in Birmingham will affect CrossCountry services.
• Network Rail to deliver major bank holiday investment in historical railway bridgeNetwork Rail will carry out £800,000 of renewals work on Brotherton bridge near Knottingley over the August bank holiday weekend, affecting some passenger journeys.

Rail Engineer

• Belfast's impressive interchangeThough the need for integrated public transport is widely accepted, the only town or city on the UK mainland with a rail-bus interchange under one roof is Hull. This was created when the station was redeveloped in 2007. However, with the opening of Belfast's Grand Central in 2024, the number of such interchanges in the British Isles has now doubled. With 28 bus stands and eight rail platforms, Belfast Grand Central is the largest such interchange in Ireland.
• In conversation with Jeremy WestlakeJeremy Westlake became the chief executive officer (CEO) of Network Rail in October 2025 having previously been the company's chief finance officer (CFO) for nine years. Before that he had two years as CFO for Alstom and five years with Rolls Royce, with three years as executive vice president, finance of the gas turbine supply chain and two years as CFO of its energy sector.

The Business Desk

• Freight transport company slips to a loss amidst economic headwindsHaulage company, Clugston Distribution Services, has said national and international economic challenges which are out of its control continue to have a negative impact on its operations.

RMT

• LEVY PROFITS OF PRIVATEER TRAIN OWNERS, SAYS RMTThe UK's largest rail union RMT called for a cost-of-living levy on the profits of train rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCO's) as new figures reveal that dividends have more than trebled.