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

Saturday, 23 May 2026

BBC News

• Police to score train firms on tackling sexual harassment...The announcement follows a BBC investigation that revealed reports of sexual assaults on trains had risen by a third over the past decade, with sex offenders on trains escaping justice because of serious issues with CCTV on the rail network.
• 'Chaos' as passengers face airport security queuesBirmingham Airport blame the delays on a high number of staff absences.
• Weeks of disruption for passengers on one of UK's busiest rail linesThe Severn Tunnel, which connects south Wales with London and Bristol, is closing for 16 days.
• Waymo pauses robotaxis in five US cities after cars drive into flooded roadsA Waymo spokesperson said it had expanded the temporary pause "out of an abundance of caution".

Department for Transport

• Government and rail industry say 'Enough' to sexual harassmentCampaign will target sexual harassment on trains and at stations while train operators will be scored on how they tackle the issue under new scheme.

Financial Times

• Letter: Politicians wrong to claim airport capacity is good for growthPoliticians are wrong to claim airport capacity is good for growth.

The Guardian

• Politics of potholes: why Bristol can’t fix its broken roads overnightMarsh Street has been cited as Bristol’s worst for potholes. But it’s just one of many crumbling roads in Britain as councils face repairs backlogs and lack of fundsMarsh Street in the historic centre of Bristol is a modest little stretch of road with an office block at one end, a Thai restaurant at the other, and an almighty mess in between.Along its length of 200 metres or so, the tarmac surface of the road is pockmarked with many dozens of cracks, patches, divots and holes. In some spots where the surface has worn away, three or more layers of road structure are exposed beneath....

The Scotsman

• Readers' Letters: Scotland's transport network needs real coordinationGreen dreams of free bus transport for all will be shattered due to a lack of joined-up thinking, says reader

Times Online

• CalMac ferry technical issues lead to 1,000 cancellations in month [subscription]CalMac ferry technical issues lead to 1,000 cancellations in month
• I want the trains to run on time - if not, the buck now stops with me [subscription]With the renationalisation plans on track, Heidi Alexander says improvements are coming - but will Labour's big gamble pay off?

City AM

• Trainline boss pay hits the buffers after missing bonuses Trainline boss Jody Ford has seen his pay packet go off the rails in what will likely be his last year in the job, almost halving to £2.5m. Chief executive Jody Ford’s total pay packet fell by 44 per cent from £4.5m in the firm’s 2026 financial year, after he and executive director Peter Wood [...]

The Mirror

• SpaceX launch: Starship V3 test flight today for most powerful rocket everElon Musk’s spaceflight company is set to launch the 12th test flight of the Starship spacecraft tonight after calling off yesterday's scheduled launch due to a series of last-minute issues

Local Government

• Micromobility provider Voi is set to expand availability in the east of SouthamptonSouthampton City Council, in partnership with Voi and funded by the Department for Transport, is set to install 16 new rental e-scooter and e-bike parking bays in the east of Southampton to help expand travel choices for local people, reduce congestion and improve air quality
• Proposed 10-year Public Transport Strategy aims to improve connectivity and sustainability across HighlandA new draft Public Transport Strategy for 2026-2036 will be considered by Members of the Economy & Infrastructure Committee on Thursday 28 May 2026, setting out an ambitious vision to strengthen and modernise public and community transport across Highland.

Cambridge News

• Free parking in Cambridgeshire city takes step closer to becoming realityThe introduction of free parking is to bring more people to the city's high street
• Bus gate plans slammed for being 'pure fantasy'Peterborough City Council's proposals to introduce bus gates on Apollo Avenue and Bellona Drive in Cardea have caused a heated debate among Stanground residents

Other Regional Press

• Long wait for bus franchising almost overPASSENGERS have been told that 'things are about to become real' in a county-wide bus franchising scheme.
• HOW HEATHROW EXPANSION IS QUIETLY CHANGING DAILY LIFE IN HOUNSLOWFor most people living in Hounslow, Heathrow Airport is not just a transport hub on the edge of London - it is a constant presence shaping daily routines, local business decisions, housing trends, and even how conversations about the future of the borough unfold. While major announcements about expansion plans tend to make headlines, many of the most significant changes happen slowly, almost invisibly, in the background of everyday life.
• New Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn urged to bring buses back into public ownershipThe Scottish Greens wrote to the new Aberdeen MSP and Transport Secretary to introduce a nationalised service and said the private model was failing Scots.
• Transforming travel in Lancashire and increasing Lancashire's economic potentialPeople in Lancashire are asked for their views on the draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) Implementation Plan, which sets out how we will improve travel and transport across the county up to 2030.
• Stroud MP Simon Opher urges residents to help shape future transport plansImagine life if there was a reliable, regular, modern bus service, with everyone living no more than ten minutes' walk from their local bus stop, and where villages and rural communities have at least an hourly service, through into the evenings, seven days a week.

Highways News

• Government Mass Transit Taskforce to reshape the future of transport in towns and citiesNew tram, light rail and bus networks in towns and cities have taken a step forward, after the government launched its new Mass Transit Taskforce.

London TravelWatch

• Government launches new scheme to tackle sexual harassment on transportOur research has consistently shown that the public are concerned about their safety when travelling on public transport and that there are serious issues when it comes to reporting and dealing with cases of sexual harassment. As a result, we welcome the government's plans to score train operators on how they tackle sexual harassment on their services and hope it encourages the operators to make improvements in areas such as security for passengers and better training for staff.

Railway-News

• UK Government Establishes Mass Transit Taskforce for Urban TransportThe UK government has created a new Mass Transit Taskforce aimed at improving how tram, light rail and bus-based transit systems are planned and delivered across towns and cities.

Transport Scotland

• A9 Dualling: Traffic management update - new road alignment near TomatinThere will be changes to traffic management layouts on the A9 north of Tomatin, as works to extend the current road realignment in this area progress.

Aviation Industry

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport builds next-generation ATC teamDoncaster Sheffield Airport has made significant investments in its Air Traffic Control team and equipment as it continues to prepare for re-opening.

Other News Sources

• Transport for Wales renews supports for the Urdd's 'Cronfa Cyfle I Bawb' (Fund for All)TRANSPORT for Wales (TfW) has renewed its support for Urdd Gobaith Cymru's 'Cronfa Cyfle I Bawb' (Fund for All) initiative ahead of Urdd Eisteddfod in Anglesey.