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

Friday, 17 April 2026

BBC News

• 'Uncertain' future for inter-island freight firmA shipping company that runs a daily inter-island freight service said it is disappointed Guernsey's government refused a bid for funding to support its services.
• Lack of buses 'pinning us in homes' say villagersPeople living in a village in East Yorkshire say limited bus services are leaving them "pinned in their homes".
• CalMac's dual-fuel ferry has run solely on diesel since JulyThe cleaner-burning gas propulsion system for Glen Sannox is not currently being used, the operator confirms.
• Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warnsFlights could soon be cancelled if supplies from the Gulf remain blocked, says the International Energy Agency.
• Airport reopening plans take a step forwardThe plan to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport has taken a step forward with operator Fly Doncaster launching a search for on-site airport operational partners.
• Road works planned to improve bus journey timesWork to improve bus journey times and reduce traffic jams on the A61 Chesterfield Road in Sheffield has been approved.

Department for Transport

• Economic growth, innovation and customer service on the agenda for UK Flag Forum 2026Delegates from across the UK maritime sector gathered in London to discuss opportunities for strengthening economic growth, innovation and industry-government collaboration at UK Flag Forum 2026.

Financial Times

• City of London urges Swiss airports to give UK travellers e-gate accessCity of London officials are pressing Switzerland to allow UK travellers to use automated passport gates to end the long airport queues
• Letter: A compelling case for shifting goods and passengers to railFrom Alberto Mazzola, Executive Director, Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), Brussels, Belgium.

The Guardian

• Europe has only six weeks’ supply of jet fuel left owing to Iran war, says energy chiefThere will be flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies are not restored in coming weeks, says head of IEA. Middle East crisis – live updatesEurope has only six weeks of jet fuel left before shortages will hit because of the Iran war, according to the head of a global energy watchdog. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, said there would be flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies from the Middle East were not restored within the coming weeks.
• Network Rail must restore swift nesting sites | LetterSue Atkinson on how nesting sites of sand martins were blocked in Perthshire, similar to that of swifts at Chapel Milton viaduct in Derbyshire. Your distressing article about the unnecessary blocking of swift nesting sites in Chapel Milton viaduct triggered deja vu here in Perthshire (Anger as swifts’ nesting holes in Derbyshire rail viaduct ‘blocked up’, 10 April).In early 2024, Network Rail repointed the Inver viaduct over the River Braan and blocked up the nesting sites of a colony of sand martins.

The Scotsman

• CalMac chief pledges 'level of certainty' as ferry crisis eases but warns 'we are not out of the woods yet'Two large vessels due to return within days but two others remain out of action
• £2 maximum bus fares across Scotland pledged by SNPFare-paying passengers would travel across Scotland for a maximum of £2 under an SNP pledge in its election manifesto published on Thursday.

Times Online

• Will Sadiq Khan make the right call to save London's busiest station? [subscription]The row over the redevelopment of Liverpool Street risks rumbling on for years. A radical, decisive choice is necessary even if we sideline heritage considerations

City AM

• Can Volkswagen really pivot to defence? Can Volkswagen really pivot into defence? Saskia Koopman examines whether one of Europe's great industrial names can reinvent itself for an era of rearmament. For most of its eight-decade history, Volkswagen has stood as a symbol of Europe's industrial might churning cars out at scale and underpinning entire regional economies.

Network Rail

• Inspiration visits Porterbrook's Long Marston Rail Innovation CentreThe Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre was the next stop for Inspiration, the Railway 200 exhibition train, which has been touring the country since June 2025 to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway.

Belfast Telegraph

• Ballymena's Wrightbus gave Boris Johnson the most positive legacy of his political career, but now even that has been yanked away from himAh, Boris Johnson. The man with the reverse Midas touch. Everything he caressed turned to... well, you know what. The pro-Brexit PM who got elected on an anti-immigration ticket yet introduced the 'Boris Wave' resulting in over a million additional people coming into the UK every year.

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham HS2 plans set to forever change city centre after approvalA Birmingham Council report said the proposals would help create a 'world‑class station and landmark destination'

Birmingham Post

• Chief executive of Bristol Airport Dave Lees to stand downSince taking up the role eight years ago he has overseen a huge rise in passenger numbers

Bristol Live

• Europe 'has 6 weeks of jet fuel left' with flight cancellations 'soon'International Energy Agency boss said Iran war is causing 'the largest energy crisis we have ever faced'
• Bus service extends into ‘new town’ on edge of Bristol where arena being built Extra stops have been added along the m4 route

Derby Telegraph

• Major bus station revamp is a success - but unreliable buses remain a key problemThe station was given a £670,000 overhaul but passengers say some buses still don't turn up

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Millions could be found to fund new train lines to Fraserburgh and PeterheadHolyrood hopefuls share their thoughts on restoring rail links between Aberdeen and the Buchan area.

Yorkshire Post

• Drone photos show Doncaster Sheffield Airport from above as reopening plans progressNew aerial images offer a fresh perspective on Doncaster Sheffield Airport as efforts continue to bring passenger flights back to the region.

Cambridge News

• Road for self-driving vehicles could form part of science park transport plansThe government has provided funding for a year-long study into electric autonomous vehicles

Wirral Globe

• New Royal Daffodil begins first Mersey Ferry sea trialsTHE FIRST new Mersey Ferry in more than 60 years began sea trials this week, giving people the first chance to see it in action.

Other Regional Press

• Airport Addresses MP's Concerns Over Parking Fees And Employment OpportunitiesParking fees and fines were among the issues raised when Heywood and Middleton North MP Elsie Blundell visited Manchester Airport's newly renovated Terminal 2.
• RBWM 'wish list' for transport improvements to address impacts from Heathrow expansion plansThe Royal Borough's aviation forum has put forward a 'wish list' for transport infrastructure improvements needed to mitigate impacts from Heathrow's planned expansion.
• 'Low usage' condemns Badenoch workers' train to historyThe strath is to lose its early train to Inverness, much to the chagrin of the few regulars who use it.
• All-electric bus depot and 1,000 new homes amongst plans for Wakefield as part of £230 million investment into regionAlmost a quarter of a billion pounds of investment has been given the greenlight for transformative projects across Wakefield and the wider region.

Airportwatch

• How a brand new £7bn rail line fell victim to militant unions and delays [subscription]It was meant to provide a vital route between Oxford and Cambridge. Instead, would-be passengers are forced to watch empty trains roll past

New Civil Engineer

• Why devolution is critical to delivering the Integrated National Transport StrategyThe publication of the government's Better Connected: a strategy for integrated transport at the start of April marks a significant moment for transport policy in the UK.

The Business Desk

• Disruption continues following overhead lines damage at Manchester PiccadillyNetwork Rail has warned passengers using Manchester's Piccadilly station to expect further disruption to services over the weekend after lines into the station were closed just before mid-day yesterday (Thursday, April 16).

Aviation Industry

• Strive for highest sustainability standards in fuels, says AEFThe government has just concluded a consultation into the design of contracts to be awarded to fuel producers under the new Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The government support package is intended to be the final step in helping producers of fuels from waste (2nd generation) and synthetic fuels (3rd generation) get final investment decisions for their production facilities.

Other News Sources

• Contractor appointed to Earlestown Rail Station revampA contractor has been appointed to carry out major improvement works at Earlestown Rail Station, enabling the scheme to move to the design phase. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority - acting as delivery partner for St Helens Borough Council - has awarded the contract to Merseyrail.
• Major update in plans to build new Rainham railway stationThe new railway station will stop the area from being a 'transport vacuum'
• Campaign against floating bus stopsConcerns about floating bus stops have continued to grow, with increasing pressure on government and local authorities to address serious safety risks.
• HJCE supporting development of new Scarborough bus depotYorkshire civil and structural engineering firm HJ Consulting Engineers (HJCE) has won a contract to support the development of a multimillion-pound sustainable bus depot at Scarborough Business Park.
• AIA response to Transport Secretary's pothole incidentRESPONDING to news that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander's car had to be towed away for repairs last month after hitting a large pothole, David Giles, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), says her experience is one that is, unfortunately, shared by many and highlights, yet again, the woeful condition of the country's local roads.