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

Tuesday, 20 October 2026

BBC News

• Driverless shuttle bus trial on Margate roadThe eight-seater Ohmio Lift electric vehicle offered passengers free journeys between Margate railway station and the Turner Contemporary on Friday as part of the Self Driving Industry Awards which were held at the venue.
• 'Lack of detail and serious concerns' over Scottish government bus plansA trade association which represents bus companies has said there are serious questions over the Scottish government's plans to bring the bus network under public control.
• New station or more trains? How to solve rural areas' transport woesThere are calls for improved rail links to a rural area to boost job opportunities and travel. Some leaders would like to see a new station built in the Forest of Dean on the Cardiff-to-Gloucester line, while others believe increasing services through the area's only station, Lydney, is the key.
• Reopening line 'a no-brainer' or 'insanely expensive'?Supporters of a bid to re-open a railway line closed for more than 50 years say their campaign "never had a better opportunity" to succeed. The Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) has launched a new petition calling on the government to reinstate the 12-mile (19km) Colne to Skipton line, which has been shut since 1970.
• Airport workers' half-term strike suspendedPlanned strikes by more than 130 workers at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) during the school half-term period have been suspended to allow for fresh pay negotiations.
• New station puts city at heart of network - mayorA new railway station is to be built in Bradford which will put the city at the "heart" of the Northern Powerhouse Railway network, the government has confirmed.
• Should Scotland look to London and Manchester for inspiration on buses?John Swinney has been compared to a dictator over plans to bring the network under public control, but is he onto something?
• Uber wins bid to throw out £200m black cab claimsClaims that Uber misled TfL over its licence were thrown out because they were brought too late.
• Bikes 'not for jousting,' says Lime after duel videoFootage emerged on social media of hundreds of people gathered in east London to watch a bike joust.

Department for Transport

• Full steam ahead: new station for BradfordNew station for Bradford will improve connections, support economic growth and set the foundations for new homes, jobs and opportunities across the North.

The Guardian

• UK government promises disabled air passengers better safeguardsDespite recent progress, almost a fifth of air travellers with disabilities are still dissatisfied with their experience
• New Bradford railway station will 'transform travel across the north'Transport hub will offer through trains between Leeds and Manchester with 'turn-up-and-go' service
• Andy Burnham outlines new rules to outlaw ‘rip-off’ private parking finesDrivers to get five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave after their session endsDrivers will get a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave after their parking session ends before they face a fine under new rules for private car parks that Andy Burnham said were designed to outlaw “rip-off” charges.In the latest in a series of “everyday fixes” to ease the cost of living and give consumers a “fairer” deal, the prime minister said a new official code of practice for the industry meant motorists in England

The Scotsman

• Edinburgh businesses say trade has been hampered by 7-7-7 bus lanesBusinesses in Edinburgh's Meadowbank say trade has been hampered by the 7-7-7 bus lane trial which came into force last Monday, with some saying they fear their businesses will no longer exist by the time the scheme ends.

City AM

• Uber beats London cabbies in £340m court battle Uber has defeated a £340m legal claim brought by 13,000 London black cab drivers after the High Court ruled they had waited too long to sue the ride-hailing giant.

The National

• John Swinney hits back at McGill's 'dictator' attack on bus plansJOHN Swinney has told bus bosses to "watch their language" after he was compared to dictators Idi Amin and Robert Mugabe over plans to bring Scotland's bus network under public control.
• The era of highly selective private bus operators is endingTHE case for public control of the buses was made by the great privateers of the Thatcher era when they sold off our bus network to their friends in the City but kept their bus network in London under public ownership, ensuring investment on the massive scale that was needed to transform it into the effective integrated transport network now known as Transport for London.
• Transport campaigners hail SNP bus plans amid McGill's backlashA TRANSPORT campaigner has welcomed the SNP's pledge to bring buses into public control by 2031 and argued that McGill's have "thrown their toys out the pram" over the plans.

Local Government

• Transport revolution comes to Wirral this Sunday as bus services return to public controlPassengers across Wirral will see bus services return to public control this weekend for the first time in 40 years, almost to the day, as Mayor Steve Rotheram's pledge to deliver a public transport revolution in the region continues to move forward.

Birmingham Post

• Electric 'flying taxi' closer to reality as major deals agreedVertical Aerospace has struck up long-term agreements with two international firms

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford-Dales bus service confirmed for winter seasonA SUNDAY bus service connecting Bradford with the Yorkshire Dales will continue through the winter season.
• New rail station at Bradford Interchange site is announcedTHE Government has today announced that a new, modern rail station will be built on the Bradford Interchange site as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Exact best seat on a train named as company reveals which one is booked mostNew research has found the exact best seat on a train as passengers explain their priorities. Avanti West Coast has revealed the how far people will go for more space in its first Comfort Index, combining consumer research with booking and onboard data.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Scotland's buses are to serve communities, not shareholders - Lorna SlaterAnyone who has waited at a bus stop wondering whether their bus will arrive, or watched another route disappear from their local timetable, knows that Scotland's bus system is not working as well as it should.

Nation. Cymru

• Campaigners condemn Labour's U-turn over M4 relief roadTransport Action Network (TAN) Cymru said public transport improvements should take priority in tackling congestion around Newport, ahead of a Senedd debate on Wednesday, October 21.

Sheffield Star

• 'Airport agreement is a huge moment for region' says Doncaster ChamberThe purchase of Doncaster Sheffield Airport's freehold by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is a significant step towards its reopening, according to the Doncaster Chamber.

The York Press

• New Bradford station to bring faster trains to YorkThe government have confirmed that they will be investing in a new station for Bradford Interchange which will transform services across Yorkshire and the wider North of England.

Wales 247

• Transport for Wales announces new taxi booking partnershipTransport for Wales (TfW) has awarded its Taxi Booking Management Service (Aggregator) contract to CMAC Group.Wales travel guide Following a competitive tender, CMAC will act as the central platform connecting TfW with taxi and private-hire operators across its network from 1 November 2026.

Wales Online

• Plans for new cycle path linking Neath with Cimla move a step closer The scheme was approved after the current active travel provision was described as being poor for walkers and cyclists

Yorkshire Evening Post

• New station promises faster trains to Leeds and £1bn economic boostPlans for a new Bradford Interchange station could bring faster, more reliable rail services between Leeds, Bradford and Manchester, improving connections for commuters and businesses across West Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Post

• West Yorkshire should copy France to build mass transit network, report findsMayor Tracy Brabin has staked her reputation on bringing trams back to the streets of Leeds and Bradford as part of a £2.5bn project
• The unanswered questions as deal to buy Doncaster Sheffield Airport is announcedA major thorn in the side of the project to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has been the lease agreement with previous operator and landowner Peel Group. The public was rightly concerned about the agreement being skewed heavily in favour of Peel.
• Bradford has been held back as a result of it being a public transport blindspot, a new station is to be welcomedBradford has long suffered as a result of poor transport connectivity. For a city with such a young population it is hugely damaging to the economic prospects of Bradford. Young people are unable to access opportunities as a result of the public transport blindspot that Bradford has become.
• Bradford Interchange confirmed as site for city's new station as part of Northern Powerhouse RailThe Transport Secretary told The Yorkshire Post that the new station at Bradford Interchange would lead to more frequent trains, improved journey times and better reliability.

Cambridge News

• 'No plans' to close park and ride as new one set for approval nearbyA Greater Cambridge Partnership meeting was told there are no plans to close nearby Trumpington Park and Ride

Doncaster Free Press

• 'What a day!' Airport campaigner's pride at mayor's DSA takeover dealA city businessman who has led the public fight to re-open Doncaster Sheffield Airport has spoken of his delight after a deal was struck to take it into public ownership.

My London

• Oxford Street pedestrianisation - dates, routes and changes to London bus routesThe historical transformation of London's most famous shopping street is now only days away.

Plymouth Herald

• What next for Plymouth Airport? The prolonged legal mystery continuesFresh questions hang over its long term future - with no word on the legal process over the site's lease

South Wales Argus

• Fight to save Caerphilly Victorian ticket office continuesA SENEDD member has taken his campaign to save a Victorian railway ticket office in Caerphilly to the Welsh Government.

Other Regional Press

• MPs warned as Lower Thames Crossing truck stop 'removed'Lorry drivers could be forced into residential streets if the Lower Thames Crossing is built without a service station, leaders have been warned.
• Lower Thames Crossing in Thurrock schemes to boost jobsMajor investment projects including the Lower Thames Crossing could help unlock thousands of employment opportunities for local people, Thurrock Council leader Richard Bingley has said.
• Let us run the busesGood to hear that Liberal Democrats in the West of England are calling on the West of England Mayor to publish a clear timetable for bringing the region's bus network under public control.
• 'This is the opposite of what our town centres and high streets need': MPs urge council to rethink plan to scrap two-hour free parkingSenior Reform UK councillors look set to vote in favour of ending the concession, which was reintroduced across the district under the previous Labour administration, at a meeting on Tuesday (October 20).
• 'Significant disruption' could be caused to Essex residents as one feature left out of 14-mile Lower Thames crossing planLorry drivers could cause significant disruption for residents living near the Lower Thames Crossing if planners press ahead without incorporating a service station, MPs have been warned. Current proposals for the planned 14-mile A-road linking Kent and Essex make no provision for a rest area, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander previously stating "there is no requirement" to build one.
• Bradford to get new railway station promising faster trains to Leeds and ManchesterThe new station is anticipated to be finished in the 2030s
• Coventry road safety measures declined for Winston Avenue and Monkswood CrescentA petition with 53 signatures was launched calling for traffic calming measures on Winston Avenue and Monkswood Crescent in Henley Green, but Coventry City Council ruled it was not a priority
• JLR export markets in focus as UK reviews Chinese EV tariffsBusiness Secretary Jonathan Reynolds says keeping automotive export markets open is part of the UK’s review of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, highlighting JLR’s global exports. He says no announcement is planned.

Bus and Coach Buyer

• Bee Network receives 500th zero emission busMore than 500 yellow electric buses are now on Greater Manchester's streets as the Bee Network marks a major milestone in making journeys greener, cleaner and quieter.

Construction Enquirer

• Heathrow pitches 17,500 building jobs as runway doubts growHeathrow Airport has dangled the prospect of at least 17,500 local construction jobs as it steps up the push for a third runway.

Construction News

• Ex-HS2 analyst urges review of £58bn cancellation estimateA former HS2 cost analyst has called for an independent review into the government's estimated cost of cancelling the HS2 high-speed rail line, amid ongoing scrutiny over the price of the megaproject.
• Cities urged to tap HS2 workforce once megaproject winds downMayoral strategic authorities (MSAs) across England could bolster their transport projects by absorbing skills from the HS2 workforce once it passes its peak, a think tank has suggested.

Highways News

• Villages near Lower Thames Crossing could face lorry parking pressures, MPs warnSmaller villages and residential communities around the Lower Thames Crossing could face increased pressure from lorry parking if plans for the new road proceed without a dedicated rest area, MPs have warned.

Rail Business Daily

• Amey celebrates double award win for Core Valley Lines Transformation ProgrammeAmey is celebrating a landmark double win for the Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme at the 2026 British Construction & Infrastructure Awards.
• Work begins to deliver step-free access at Pokesdown station under public ownershipSouth Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex (NR Wessex) will install two new, modern customer lifts, the first customer lifts at Pokesdown station in Bournemouth, which will provide step-free access to both platforms for the first time.

Rail Magazine

• East West Rail drops plan for stabling point near CambridgeResidents in village near Cambridge opposed plan for a train care centre with EWR Co now working with train operators to finalise alternative arrangements.
• Government confirms new Bradford Interchange station to be delivered in 2030sA replacement Bradford Interchange station will be ready in the 2030s, the government has confirmed.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Network Rail Installs First Railway Weather Stations on GSM-R Masts Across Wales and BordersNetwork Rail's Wales and Borders route has become the first region in the organisation to install dedicated weather monitoring stations on existing GSM-R railway communication masts, giving operational teams access to real-time local weather data to help manage the growing impact of severe weather on the railway.

Railnews

• Campaign launched to discourage 'loudcasting' on trains Rail passengers who play music out loud on their phones or computers, or make loudspeaker calls, are the targets of a new campaign from today to get them to turn it down. Railway byelaws already allow staff to remove such passengers, who can also be fined up to 1000 pounds, but new publicity is going to be given these powers, using the slogan ‘share the carriage, not the noise’.

Aviation Industry

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport set for public ownership as reopening plans advanceDoncaster Sheffield Airport could return to public ownership under a proposed deal that would give South Yorkshire leaders greater control over its reopening and a major adjacent development site.
• Heathrow expansion expected to unlock at least 50,000 local jobs as airport launches work experience programme and careers eventHeathrow says a third runway would support at least 50,000 local jobs by 2055, as it announces new work experience and careers initiatives.

Other News Sources

• South Wales Metro Wins Top UK Infrastructure AwardThe £1.5bn Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme has won the flagship award, the Sir John Armitt Prize, at the British Construction & Infrastructure Awards (BCIA), organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and New Civil Engineer (NCE) magazine. It also won the Transport Project Award.