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

Thursday, 01 October 2026

BBC News

• East West Rail plan for 900 Bedford parking spacesPlans for 900 new parking spaces across three car parks in Bedford have been proposed as part of the East West Rail (EWR) project.
• EMR services increased after issues with new fleetEast Midlands Railway (EMR) has announced it is increasing services after they were reduced due to issues with a new fleet of trains.
• Airport plan could see an extra 10 flights a nightLeeds Bradford Airport could run an extra 10 flights a night during the summer if changes to their operating rules are approved, the chief executive has said.
• Manchester Airport reviews parking after complaintsTaxi drivers complain about standing traffic on roads around Terminal 2, leading to delayed pick-ups.
• Parents call for return of dedicated school busParents living in rural Oxfordshire are calling for the return of a council-run school bus service, claiming the current public services are making their children late for school.
• Station audio guides help sight-loss passengersNew audio guides have been produced to help blind and partially sighted passengers navigate six railway stations across the network.

STV

• Flynn says failure of Alexander Dennis furlough scheme 'deeply disappointing'Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn said it was not possible to pay out £4m of cash from a furlough scheme set up by the Scottish Government.

National Highways

• Lower Thames Crossing begins one of world's largest deployments of zero-emissions construction machineryWork began in early 2026 and is being carried out only using electric, HVO and hydrogen powered equipment and machinery

Derby Telegraph

• East Midlands Airport bosses defend parking charge price rise as big change confirmedThe airport's commercial director says that while it may seem a big increase, it is only a 'small jump'

Manchester Evening News

• Manchester Airport bosses say they need to move key motorway roadThe group is in the process of undertaking a series of improvements to its airfield to 'unlock the full potential of' its runways and 'enable passengers to fly to even more destinations'. Part of the work will see a section of Runger Lane relocated, new planning documents suggest.

Nation. Cymru

• Pay as you go now available at 25 stations in North WalesTap in and tap out train travel is now available at 25 stations in north east Wales as TfW extends the ticketing product to 10 new stations on the network.
• Data centre plans could jeopardise railway reopening, campaigners warnTraws Link Cymru has objected to the proposed redevelopment of the former Ferodo factory site at Griffiths Crossing, near Caernarfon, over concerns about the old Bangor-Caernarfon railway line running through it.

Wales Online

• New Swansea stations planned in huge £200m rail projectThe metro project aims to build more stations and increase service frequency along with wider bus improvements, integrated ticketing, and more attractive cycling and walking options

Yorkshire Post

• 'Concern': Leeds Bradford Airport reports £6.6m loss in 'significant negative hit'Leeds Bradford Airport recorded a loss of more than £6m in the last financial year - with CEO Vincent Hodder saying the figures demonstrate why it needs to expand its operations.

Kent Online

• Lower Thames Crossing on track to become first major infrastructure project in the UK to be carbon neutralThe UK's longest road tunnel is on track to meet its goal to be the first major infrastructure project in the country to be carbon neutral.

Oxford Mail

• Rail Minister and ex Network Rail head slammed for Botley RoadThe current Rail Minister and ex Network Rail head has been slammed for the £237m Botley Road project.

Other Regional Press

• Humiliation for Stephen Flynn as Transport Scotland admits SNP ferry election brag is unlawfulJust two months before the Holyrood Election, the SNP Government vowed to save Ferguson Marine by directly awarding it a contract to build four boats, but has now admitted that this was actually against the law.
• CalMac's new ferry expected home from Turkey by ChristmasThe second of four new ferries being built for CalMac in Turkey is expected to be handed over within weeks.
• Norfolk Labour MP urges government to tackle Ely JunctionA Norfolk MP has told his own government it is "crucial" that millions of pounds are committed to improve a bottleneck railway junction which experts say is holding back the county's economy.
• Local MP welcomes move to bring Avanti West Coast into public ownershipCongleton MP, Sarah Russell, whose constituency includes Sandbach said: "I welcome the news that Avanti West Coast train services will transfer into public ownership in March 2027.
• Zero-emissions machinery for Lower Thames Crossing projectThe Lower Thames Crossing has begun rolling out what is expected to become one of the world's largest deployments of zero-emissions construction machinery.
• Gobowen rail booking service to close after 30 yearsA not-for-profit rail booking service based near Oswestry is set to close after more than 30 years of serving the community.
• State-of-the-art sensory space opens at Manchester AirportA new sensory room has opened at an airport to support passengers with non-visible disabilities.
• Council quizzed over cost of changing Cornwall's bus networkIt's one of the options as Cornwall faces 'conundrum' when it comes to the future of our bus services, which taxpayers already pay £12 million a year towards
• Wakefield bus operator calls for action to raise profile of free bus passesWakefield bus operator, Stagecoach Yorkshire, has called for more to be done to close the 'knowledge gap' that is preventing entitled people from getting their free bus passes.
• Notts passengers urged to shine mobile phones to attract bus drivers' attention at stopsBus operator Stagecoach East Midlands is urging passengers to make themselves visible at bus stops by shining their mobile phone screens to signal their presence to drivers.
• Lewes MP and councillors call on Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority to consider purchasing bus station siteThe MP for Lewes is calling for Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority to consider purchasing the Lewes bus station and former bus garage site.
• Works to officially begin on new Cheadle railway stationWork to reconnect Cheadle to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years is officially getting underway.

Train Operators

• EMR to increase Intercity timetable to 96% from 19 OctoberEast Midlands Railway (EMR), operated by Transport UK, has announced plans to increase its Intercity timetable from Monday, 19 October, taking a further significant step towards restoring its full planned service.
• More women looking for rewarding careers on the railway as Northern sees a sharp rise in job applicationsThe number of women applying for jobs with Northern has risen significantly, following the launch of a successful recruitment campaign.

Forbes

• Musk Mocks Delta's Wi-Fi, Says CEO Will 'Lose His Job' Amid Feud Over StarlinkIn March this year, Delta announced it had inked a deal with Amazon's Leo to provide in-flight Wi-Fi on 500 of its planes starting in 2028. Like SpaceX's Starlink, Amazon's Leo also uses a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites to provide internet services, although its footprint is much smaller than Musk's company. While announcing the deal, Bastian touted the airline's existing relationship with Amazon and its cloud service AWS.

Business Live

• Premier League chief: Transport needs fixing around grounds like Everton'sTransport issues around new Hill Dickinson Stadium have sparked local debate

Rail Business Daily

• Costain appoints new Managing Director for SCS JVAs Managing Director of SCS JV, Rohan will be responsible for leading the delivery of the London tunnels section of HS2 during a critical phase of the programme. The organisation says he will ensure SCS JV maintains the highest levels of safety and productivity, to support HS2's programme reset and play a key role in the most significant addition to the rail network in over a century.
• Transport Secretary confirms new GBR train will aim to have unassisted level boardingGreat British Railways (GBR) will make unassisted level boarding between the train and platform a baseline expectation for all new trains wherever possible, in a move towards greater accessibility on the rail network.
• ORR announces lower investment fees for third parties and investorsThird parties and investors will pay lower fees to invest in rail network infrastructure and rolling stock under new rates published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the rail regulator, as part of wider work to boost economic growth.
• Universal Signalling selects Ferrocene to develop the first Rust-based railway certification packageUniversal Signalling Ltd, a leading railway signalling company, and the team behind Ferrocene, the quality-managed, safety-qualified Rust toolchain, has announced a collaboration to develop the first railway certification package for Rust in compliance with EN 50716. The goal is to establish a certification pathway for using the Rust programming language in safety-critical railway applications.
• Work begins to build new station at Golborne after more than 60 yearsWork on Greater Manchester's first new train station to be built in the 21st century is underway, reconnecting Golborne to the railway network for the first time in more than 60 years.
• Great British Railways Rolling Stock & Infrastructure Strategy publishedThe Department for Transport has published a Rolling Stock & Infrastructure Strategy policy paper, setting out how the future Great British Railways will provide modern, reliable and accessible passenger trains with infrastructure, depots and maintenance considered as one system.

Rail Magazine

• GWR and Hitachi Rail still grappling with IET generator unit problemsGreat Western Railway (GWR) and Hitachi Rail are still trying to get to the bottom of fuel pump problems on Class 800 and 802 fleets.

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS2's Old Oak Common to deliver seamless step-free Elizabeth Line accessFuture Elizabeth line passengers using HS2's landmark Old Oak Common station will benefit from level boarding and step-free access following a major agreement between HS2 Ltd, Network Rail, Transport for London and the Department for Transport.

Railway Gazette

• Scaleable platform supports modular signalling and train detection hardwareINNOTRANS: With digital signalling infrastructure moving towards a more centralised architecture, Frauscher Sensortechnik has been developing its IP-based Frauscher Advanced Platform to support a range of train detection and control functionality. The concept combines a centralised interlocking logic with distributed modular object controllers using standard software and interfaces.

Railway-News

• One Big Circle's AIVR Cameras Help Prevent Train Delays on South Western RailwayOne Big Circle deployed AIVR (Automated Intelligent Video Review) camera systems on South Western Railway's Class 450 'Hotshot' train in collaboration with Network Rail, Angel Trains, Siemens, and dg8 Design. This year-long trial provides continuous, intelligent monitoring of track infrastructure across London, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Dorset.

Aviation Industry

• Ultra-fast free Wi-Fi powered by Starlink is now available on Aer Lingus flightsAer Lingus has installed ultra-fast free Wi-Fi powered by Starlink across its entire narrow body transatlantic fleet. This means customers flying to more than 10 North American destinations can stream movies and TV shows and stay connected with family and friends at 35,000 feet.

Other News Sources

• Evri unveils 4ft wheels-on-legs delivery robot in BarnsleyDelivery firm Evri has launched a trial of wheeled, two-legged autonomous delivery robots in Barnsley, the UK's first government-backed 'Tech Town'.
• 30 zero-emissions machines now working on Lower Thames CrossingAround 30 zero-emissions machines are now working on the Lower Thames Crossing project, including 20-tonne excavators, rollers, tractors, telehandlers and hydrogen generators.
• Transport for Wales' tap-in tap-out to at Chirk and GobowenPay-as-you-go train travel has been introduced in two railway stations near Oswestry as part of an expansion across North East Wales.
• Rail infrastructure under pressure in the climate change eraFollowing a record-breaking hot and dry summer in Europe, IRJ editor-in-chief, Kevin Smith, considers the impact of climate change on current and future rail infrastructure resilience.
• £10.3m upgrades planned at Kings Langley Railway Station including additional lifts and bridgeNetwork Rail announced that £10.3 million has been made available for a series of upgrades at Kings Langley Railway Station.

News from Europe

• SNCF takes long-term approach to cleaner railway sleeper recyclingSNCF Réseau is replacing toxic creosote with copper oil at its Lot factory, allowing wooden railway sleepers to be safely recycled in future