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

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

BBC News

• Airport could expand to have 51 million passengersLondon Stansted Airport has submitted an expansion plan that could dramatically increase its passenger numbers.
• Children to get free bus travel for the summerChildren under the age of 16 are to be offered free bus travel across the summer.
• Eco-friendly bus shelters planned for cityPlans to replace up to 30 bus stops with new shelters featuring living roofs and digital advertising screens have been lodged with a council.
• 'Bakerloop' bus route launches in autumn, TfL saysA new bus route named the Bakerloop is set to launch in autumn to connect stations and areas in south-east London.
• Resolving town's pothole problem could cost £50mA councillor says that £50m might be needed to repair all the potholes in his town.
• China's electric cars are becoming slicker and cheaper - but is there a deeper cost?The future for EVs will inevitably involve China. But where does that leave the UK and Europe markets – and what of the questions around national security?

Financial Times

• Shipping lines go cool on Arctic Ocean routeMelting ice could make shorter transits between Asia and Europe a reality but there are economic and geopolitical risks
• Eurostar plans services to Frankfurt and Geneva to tap demand for greener travelDestinations chosen to draw corporate customers looking for alternatives to air travel
• Panama Canal boss warns MSC ports deal threatens principle of neutralityOperator says purchase of Hutchison assets poses risk to waterway’s compliance with US treaty with Central American nation

The Guardian

• Eurostar vows to run direct trains from UK to Germany and SwitzerlandCross-Channel rail operator, which is trying to fend off rivals for its London depot space, regards early 2030s as feasibleEurostar has vowed to run direct trains from the UK to Germany and Switzerland, as it attempts to fend off potential competitors eyeing its London depot space.The cross-Channel rail operator’s chief executive, Gwendoline Cazenave, said she had no doubt the direct services would run in the early 2030s despite the failure of previous ventures to connect London and Frankfurt.
• Children to have free bus travel in west of England during summer holidaysAbout 150,000 under-16s will benefit across West of England combined authority and North Somerset

Times Online

• City Hall fears 'levelling down' if spending review shuns London [subscription]Schemes that could unlock tens of thousands of homes will wither if the capital is cut out of the chancellor's plans, say allies of the mayor
• Tube graffiti on the rise after TfL halts daytime cleaning [subscription]A change in policy and a broken track at a cleaning depot have contributed to an increase in vandalism on the London Underground
• Eurostar plans trains to Germany and Switzerland in next decade [subscription]Plans would add to existing services to France and Amsterdam but questions remain over capacity as rival operators look to break monopoly

City AM

• Firstgroup: Profit at Avanti West Coast owner beats expectations Transport giant Firstgroup has extended its share buyback program by £50m after annual revenue came in ahead of forecasts. The additional £50m buyback program follows Firstgroup’s return of £92m to shareholders in the 2025 financial year. The group also raised its dividend to 6.5p, up from 5.5p last year. The FTSE 250 company told markets [...]

The Mirror

• Four European countries 'outraged' over new airline luggage rules passed by EULast week, the Council of Europe made two major decisions on the future of commercial air travel. The first was on compensation rights, and the second related to free hand luggage

Local Government

• Mr Pothole: Fix Our Roads Before Another Life is Lost£17bn. That's the maintenance backlog across England and Wales, he says. Meanwhile, we're seeing £15bn promised for future transport projects and £10bn for the Lower Thames Crossing. It's insanity. We're building flashy new extensions while the house is subsiding

Birmingham Mail

• Rachel Reeves urged to scrap £40,000 car rule this weekMike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said this week's spending review was the perfect opportunity to "double down on the commitment to net zero by backing the EV transition".

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Yorkshire rail passengers invited to join GPS tracking trialYorkshire rail passengers are being invited to take part in a GPS trial.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Lost railway line next to the River Dee to be transformedLine had once carried passengers from one side of North Wales to the other

Liverpool Echo

• The area of Merseyside 'overwhelmed' by congestion desperate for transport cashOne part of Liverpool that is 'overwhelmed' by traffic congestion must receive a 'meaningful portion' of a huge transport settlement, it has been argued. Ahead of Wednesday's landmark spending review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed a £1.6 billion transport boost for the Liverpool City Region.

London Evening Standard

• All aboard! 'Bakerloop' extension of Sadiq Khan's Superloop express bus network to launch in autumnBut Londoners tell TfL they still want the Bakerloo Tube line to be extended
• What London wants from the Spending Review as speculation grows Rachael Reeves set to snub capitalThe Chancellor will reveal her long-term budget plans for public services on Wednesday, but there is speculation London is set to be snubbed in the government's Spending Review.
• Why is the Mayor turning back the clock on e-vans?Vans are now the biggest single contributor to harmful NOx emissions on London's roads

Yorkshire Post

• Create National Bus Company to make journeys faster and cheaper, government toldA new National Bus Company should be created to speed up the rollout of zero-emissions buses across the country, a think tank has said.

Lancashire Telegraph

• Rossendale transport debate as cash for Greater Manchester announcedRossendale transport, links to Greater Manchester, and government investment in the north have been highlighted, as councillors and transport organisations respond to the chancellor's announcements about Westminster support for tram, rail and bus projects in parts of England with elected regional mayors.

Plymouth Herald

• War of words as Plymouth left out of £16bn transport upgradeLib Dems claim city is forgotten but Labour MP says cash could arrive via a regional mayor

Other Regional Press

• Lord Hendy confirms visit to Oxford Botley Road meetingRail minister Lord Hendy has confirmed he will attend a meeting this week to update residents on the scheme to revamp Oxford station.
• Eurostar gives major update on new trains to Germany and SwitzerlandThe operator’s London trains currently serve Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, and the French Alps during the ski season
• Luke Myer MP welcomes £32 million boost for roads and cycle lanes in North EastGovernment funding will support improved road surfaces, safer cycling, and healthier communities

Construction News

• Cash shortfall leaves Lincolnshire with 'bridge to nowhere'A £110m relief road in Lincolnshire, which was left half finished after funding ran out, is not expected to be finished until 2030 at the earliest. The Spalding Western Relief Road was due to be delivered in five separate sections to ease congestion by providing a new route around the west side of the town.

New Civil Engineer

• Engineers advance HS2 viaduct slide across M6 near Birmingham AirportEngineers on the High Speed 2 (HS2) project have slid the first segment of a 320m-long viaduct over the M6 motorway, adjacent to Birmingham Airport.

Rail Business Daily

• Growing the environmental legacy for Cambridge South stationNetwork Rail says the restoration and the extension of a nearby nature reserve planted with 18,000 trees, plants and shrubs will be the cornerstone of Cambridge South station's environmental and biodiversity legacy.
• Renewed Sypro partnership to strengthen transport delivery network in WalesContract management software specialist Sypro has announced the renewal of its longstanding partnership with Transport for Wales (TfW).

Transport Action Network

• Spending Review roads bonanza would increase costs and inequalityTransport Action Network (TAN) is warning Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP not to pour billions into road building in this week's Spending Review, unless it's for better maintenance, or to adapt to extreme weather events due to climate change

Other News Sources

• FirstGroup progressing, Bellway order book risesFirstGroup returned to profitability and said it had made further progress across its rail and bus divisions underpinned by significant investment in growth, diversification of earnings and decarbonisation.
• Rachel Reeves urged to make major announcement for electric cars and UK roads this weekThe automotive industry is eagerly anticipating the latest announcement from the Chancellor, as she could unveil a massive funding boost for electric vehicles.

News from Europe

• EU sets out 25 steps to hire and keep more women in transportThe European Commission has issued a new set of 25 recommendations aimed at improving gender balance and addressing persistent labour shortages in the EU transport sector, where women currently account for just 22.7% of the workforce.