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

Tuesday, 01 September 2026

BBC News

• Views sought over reintroduction of ferry serviceAn MP has encouraged residents of a harbour town to voice views over a passenger ferry service to the Isle of Man.
• Delays and £20m cost rise for new Turkish-built CalMac ferriesProject costs for the construction of new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey have risen by £20m as new delays are confirmed.
• Train line reopens following Lewes derailmentA railway line that closed after a train derailed in East Sussex leaving 30 people injured has reopened following extensive repairs.
• Call to extend Liverpool's vital night bus serviceCampaigners who helped reinstate night buses after the pandemic are calling for the "crucial" service to be expanded as a new report shows the positive impact it has had on passengers' safety and the economy.
• Heritage trains begin modern commuter trialThe heritage railway bids to start taking modern commuters to their West Midlands destinations.
• What is life really like working in the aviation industry?From early wake-up calls to amazing views, what is work really like when your office is above the clouds?
• Composer turns London Tube into musical instrumentEvery train which stops at a station triggers a note for Matt Wilcock's new work.

The Guardian

• South African airline defends dramatic low-level flyby before rugby union clashCape Town stunt sparks major debate over safety risksAirlink insists flyby conducted according to regulations. A pre-game stunt involving two passenger jets flying dramatically low over a stadium in South Africa drew huge cheers from the estimated crowd of 56,000 people, but also sparked a major debate over safety risks. The flyby by two Embraer jets, operated by the local airline Airlink, happened on Saturday before the second rugby union Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town.
• Queensland has passed tough new laws on ebikes and e-scooters. What do they mean for riders, and will the world follow?Transport minister says laws target ‘young hooligans’ holding ‘communities to ransom’, but cycling advocates say changes most affect law-abiding riders. Queensland became the first Australian state – and one of the first jurisdictions on the planet – to set age limits and licensing requirements for e-vehicle riders.

The Independent

• The One-Stop Shop: How Octopus simplified the EV transitionAs an EV becomes the cheapest car on the market, we look at how the nation’s favourite energy provider is making the switch to clean, green driving an easy no brainer.

The Scotsman

• Further delay to completion of CalMac's next Turkish ferry revealedThe three remaining ferries being built in Turkey for CalMac will be completed up to a further three months late, it was revealed on Monday.
• Lifeline island flights: ScotGov plans summit after HITRANS warningA summit over the future of lifeline island flights is being organised after transport chiefs warned the country's air links needed a clearer vision in the wake of cuts to services.
• Furious row over GBR's red, white and blue colours at Glasgow Central is a depressing sign of our timesSenior Scottish executives in state of high dudgeon after Great British Railway's livery is mistakenly put on the wrong part of Glasgow Central station.

Times Online

• Range Rover to launch EV after Jaguar criticism [subscription]The Range Rover Electric SUV will be built in Solihull and is part of the company's push for new production lines and workforce reskilling
• How safe are e-scooters?Fast, green and convenient, e-scooters are part of a two-wheeled revolution that is supposed to transform the way we travel around our cities.
• What it's like onboard the plane transforming long-haul flights [subscription]The slim, 150-passenger Airbus A321XLR is set to fly on five of United's new transatlantic routes to destinations including Ibiza and the Azores. Our writer gets a preview

City AM

• Qatar Airways-backed airline Airlink defends Springboks flypast manoeuvre The Qatar Airways-backed airline, Airlink, have defended a double flypast over South Africa’s rugby union match against New Zealand after online backlash.
• Easyjet's over-60s recruitment push is economically necessary By 2030, half of Western Europe’s workforce will be over 50. As Easyjet showcases, it's time to get over our age biases in hiring.

Mail Online

• ROSS CLARK: If Burnham thinks bringing back the clanking, wheezing ghost of British Rail will make the trains run on time, here's the proof he's DELUDEDAmid the usual mass of tired commuters at Waterloo station, the lady in the red jacket stood out. As she boarded the 6.14am train to Shepperton in Surrey which itself had been painted in a gleaming red, white and blue livery she heralded 'a new dawn for our railways' and said she was travelling with 'a sense of pride'.

Network Rail

• Network Rail and Southern Railway complete major recovery and repair programme as Haywards Heath to Lewes line set to reopen on 1 SeptemberAn extensive programme of work to rebuild and reinstate the railway has taken place allowing train services to resume.

Birmingham Mail

• Midlands motorway drivers warned over 51mph rule as motorists hit with penalty pointsDrivers are being punished at lower speeds

London Evening Standard

• £1.7 million 'healthy streets' London traffic project gets green light despite protestsHampstead scheme gets the go-ahead despite 1,100-signature petition urging Camden Council to 'think again'
• London rollout of robotaxis delayed amid lack of guidanceIt was previously understood that robotaxis would launch before the end of the year
• Nashville airport to honour Dolly Parton with proposed name changeAn airport in Nashville in Tennessee has proposed changing its name in honour of Dolly Parton, after the death of the country music superstar.

Cambridge News

• New train station loudspeakers dubbed 'deafening' as locals demand a fixCambridge South station opened to passengers at the end of June, but residents living nearby say the platform announcements are too loud

Doncaster Free Press

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport flights could soar to 56 a day new figures revealOfficials have revealed that there could be as many as 56 flights a day at Doncaster Sheffield Airport by 2037 - up from just six predicted for 2028.

Oxford Mail

• 'Timetable for station needed after Botley Road disaster'An Oxford MP is demanding answers from Network Rail regarding a timetable for major improvements to the rail station once Botley Road reopens.

Other Regional Press

• New calls to consider alternatives to Heathrow expansionCouncil leaders, including Richmond's, are calling on the Government to strengthen its proposed tests for Heathrow expansion, warning the current plans "do not do enough to protect residents from increased noise, pollution and congestion".
• 'Dangerous and unsustainable Todmorden road is putting lives at risk'"Residents should not have to choose between blocked pavements and blocked emergency access'"

Train Operators

• Cost of journey to Manchester Airport spoils holiday for more than a third of holidaymakersNew research has revealed that getting to Manchester Airport is putting a serious dent in the holiday mood, with nearly half (48%) of northern holidaymakers saying it's the most stressful part of their trip.

Business Live

• Council and Stagecoach row over delays to huge regeneration schemeStockport council mulls CPO move as bus giant says talks are 'ongoing and positive'
• How to fix the huge underfunding of rail in WalesArchitect of the South Wales Metro rail project Professor Mark Barry of Cardiff University on addressing rail underfunding in Wales

Modern Railways

• First of ten new Elizabeth Line trains enters trafficThe first of ten new Elizabeth Line Class 345s entered service on 26 August, forming the 22.37 London Paddington to Shenfield.
• Five manufacturers shortlisted for new ScotRail fleetAlstom, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens Mobility and Stadler have been shortlisted for the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) stage for ScotRail's new suburban fleet, which is expected to enter traffic in the early-2030s.

Rail Magazine

• Thunderbird work planned for Class 68 hired by Colas RailOne of the three Class 68s being hired by Colas Rail as additional traction cover for the rail head treatment train (RHTT) autumn period will be based at Newark for Thunderbird rescue duties.

Railway Gazette

• Quieter, cleaner, smarter How JUMO is bringing hydrogen trains back on trackThe future of rail is quiet, clean, and efficient: hydrogen trains are among the most state-of-the-art and promising technologies for making rail transportation more environmentally friendly. While diesel-electric railcars remain indispensable in many regions, fuel cell propulsion systems are opening up new possibilities for nearly emission free operation on non-electrified routes.

Aviation Industry

• The Real Reason Why London Heathrow Was Just Named The World's Best Major Airport For 2026Air Advisor has released its airport rankings for 2026. The firm conducted extensive research into travel patterns and preferences to rank 23 of the world's most used airports. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) came out on top. Dublin Airport (DAA) and Tenerife South Airport (TFS) are second and third. European hubs claim eight of the top ten spots.

Other News Sources

• Scotland buys Orbex's Sutherland spaceportScotland's Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) organisation has bought the assets of Orbex's Sutherland Spaceport subsidiary. Orbex went into bankruptcy administration in February this year with a deficit of about £117 million (€136.6m).
• ScotRail reveals shortlist to build new suburban trainsScotRail has shortlisted five manufacturers for its new suburban fleet that will replace 69 ageing units on routes which are being electrified, such as the Borders railway. There is an option for up to 37 additional sets.
• Modernising transport starts with peopleLyall Cresswell, Founder and CEO of TEG and Trustd, states that with a shortage of drivers, the solution is not to add more trucks; instead, we should utilise the existing personnel and capacity we have
• Swinney focuses on NHS and transport as cuts loomReshaping the public sector, including a shake-up in the NHS and transport strategy, are expected to feature in today's Scottish programme for government.

News from Europe

• Arrival of new rail traction company 'illustrates yet another shift in French market'The arrival of a new rail traction company in France has been welcomed by a leading incumbent player but who warned it could lead to upheaval on the domestic market. At the end of last month, intermodal solutions specialist, the Modal Group, announced that it was launching its own traction operator, Traix.