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

Wednesday, 29 July 2026

BBC News

• Calls for Supertram safety review after collisionRecommendations have been made to improve safety on Sheffield's tram network after two teenagers were injured in a collision last June.
• Unauthorised airport car park grows despite stop noticeAn unauthorised car park near Stansted Airport has grown by nearly two-thirds since it was served with an enforcement notice to shut, a BBC investigation has found.
• Heathrow able to recover runway money, paving way for ticket risesHeathrow Airport will be allowed to charge airlines more for its services to recover money spent on the early stages of its third runway project.
• Traffic scheme to be dismantled after backlashAn £850,000 traffic-calming scheme is set to be largely dismantled following a residents' campaign.
• Rail services cut due to effects of dry weatherA rail operator has confirmed timetable changes and reduced speeds due to the dry weather.
• Trains between Stratford and London reinstatedDaily trains running between Stratford-upon-Avon and London are to be reinstated.
• The 10 most overcrowded commuter trains revealedThe most overcrowded train service in England and Wales last autumn was a Thameslink morning rush hour service between Bedford and Three Bridges in West Sussex, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
• 'Look beyond' cost to open rail line, locals sayRail users have urged authorities to "look beyond" the immediate costs when considering whether to reopen a freight line to passengers.
• 'It's only going to get worse': Fears for canals amid drought threatCanals across the region have seen closures and falling water levels because of the hot weather.
• Buses will no longer stop in city shopping areaSeveral bus routes that currently serve a busy city centre shopping area are going to be redirected.

Department for Transport

• Rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics: notes and definitionsIn line with arrangements specified in the contracts between train operators and DfT, the train operating companies carry out periodic counts of the number of passengers travelling on their services and provide data on passenger numbers and capacity provision to DfT to permit the monitoring of train crowding levels

Financial Times

• We need an OBR for infrastructureAn independent expert body with the right capabilities can reassure investors that projects are worth the cost.

The Telegraph

• Nationalisation of the railways is already heading off track [subscription]Labour's new plan to run train services contains no passenger growth targets or cost-control safeguards
• Water company behind Gatwick supply failure 'didn't warn airport' [subscription]Utility firm knew a day earlier that supplies could run dry, transport bosses claim
• Chance of getting seat on London commuter train is at all-time low [subscription]More than a quarter of rail commuters are forced to stand on their journey to the capital

Times Online

• Revealed: London's busiest commuter trains where seats are a luxury [subscription]One in four passengers in the capital travel standing up at peak times and Bedford to St Pancras tops the overcrowding league table

City AM

• Passengers to foot bill for Heathrow third runway bidding processHeathrow will be allowed to pass the vast bill it has racked up preparing its third runway bid onto passengers, the aviation watchdog has said, in a ruling that promises to extend the airport's position as the most expensive in the world.

The Mirror

• Worst train services for overcrowding revealed with one running at 176% capacityThe data shows a total of one in five passengers (20%) were standing during peak hours, rising to one in four passengers in London

This is Money

• Should Andy Burnham get an electric car? It would be £9,000 a year cheaper to commute between No10 North and Westminster in an EV than by trainThe Prime Minister, who champions public transport, is set to run up a significant bill if he travels between offices by rail.

Birmingham Mail

• Andy Burnham confirms two changes to roads in England now he's Prime MinisterAndy Burnham has confirmed two big changes to roads in England now he is Labour Party government Prime Minister. In a policy blitz, the Makerfield MP has made a big change for EV drivers, and bus passengers.

Birmingham Post

• Wales to welcome cyclists with £4.5m Tour de France fund'Funding will create a national network of destination cycling hubs, micro-hubs and signage'

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• 'Northern fail': Rail users react to Bradford service lossA rail campaign group has joined passengers in criticising Northern's proposal to terminate its Hull to Halifax service at Leeds, a move that would remove direct trains between Hull and Bradford.

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool to Manchester rail link row set for High CourtA row broke out over the government's attempts to buy up land for Northern Powerhouse Rail

London Evening Standard

• Eurostar route from London to new European destination to launch in DecemberRail travellers will be able to book direct journeys from London St Pancras to Antwerp-Centraal from December 14

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Readers offer mixed views on potential Leeds tramline as Andy Burnham urged to commitThe 'West Yorkshire Needs a Tram' campaign group yesterday called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make a 'cast iron pledge' to fully fund a West Yorkshire mass transit system, 33 years after the last attempt at a city tram was approved.

South Wales Argus

• 'Newport has outgrown M4' with 10,000 extra residentsReform Wales shadow transport minister Jason O'Connell said new population figures showing Newport is the fastest-growing city in Wales prove the case for an M4 Relief Road is stronger than ever.

Other Regional Press

• Heathrow expansion sparks concerns at public meetingAttendees discussed proposals for a third runway with a panel of local councillors, MPs, and representatives from the No Third Runway coalition group. During the session, residents expressed concerns regarding the potential impact of expansion on local homes, health, and quality of life.
• Newport population surge reignites battle over M4 relief roadReform says a 15 per cent rise since 2011 strengthens the case for a new motorway, but the Welsh Government has ruled out the Black Route and is preparing alternative proposals
• Welsh stations reveal mixed picture in women's railway safety surveyTRAIN stations across Wales have been highlighted in a major new survey by leading women's charity Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), which examined safety standards at stations across the UK.
• Leeds: Campaigners call for 'cast iron pledge' on tram fundingCampaigners in Leeds have called on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make a 'cast iron pledge' to deliver trams across the region.
• Bus travel 'never been a better option' as new timetable set to launchAdditional evening and weekend services are being introduced, providing greater flexibility for people travelling for work, leisure, social activities and appointments.
• Silvertown Tunnel cycle shuttle bus could start taking foot passengersThe cycle shuttle bus for the Silvertown Tunnel could carry foot passengers in the future, according to Transport for London.
• Sussex secures £564,000 to explore bus service reformsA major funding boost could reshape the future of bus travel across Sussex.
• Alperton station bridge repainting cost sees Brent Council criticisedA "staggering" £138,000 is set to be spent on painting a railway bridge in Brent - sparking criticism.
• 'The battle continues' as long-awaited East Cleveland rail study puts bill between £107m and £329mNext steps are being considered, but an upgrade unlocking a route for passenger services is not deemed to be economically viable

Rail Advent

• Welsh railway to celebrate its 50th anniversaryThe 50th anniversary celebrations of the Llangollen and Corwen Railway will culminate with a spectacular event over the weekend of Saturday, 12th, and Sunday, 13th September.

Rail Magazine

• Andy Burnham visits Alstom to unveil education system changesThe Prime Minister met around 100 apprentices and graduates at the manufacturer's National Training Academy on July 28 as he announced that schools will offer subjects like manufacturing and AI to 14-year-olds from September 2028.

Rail UK

• LNER to Operate Special Newcastle to Bedford Trains During August Engineering WorkLNER will operate special trains away from its usual route to support customers during planned engineering work next month.
• Prime Minister visits Alstom's Litchurch Lane factory in DerbyAlstom, the UK's leading supplier of new and refurbished trains, and a major provider of signalling and rail infrastructure, hosted Prime Minister Andy Burnham in his second week in office at its Litchurch Lane Works factory in Derby, where he announced the launch of new technical education routes.

Railnews

• ORR sets out plans for railway reforms The Office of Rail and Road has revealed details of how it will cope with railway reforms, and is inviting views before a formal consultation is launched later this year. The creation of Great British Railways will end the need for contracted National Rail operators to have individual licences, but there still be around 50 others, holding about 90 licences between them.

Aviation Industry

• BA extends use of 3D dent-mapping toolBritish Airways (BA) has chosen to continue and expand its use of dentCHECK tooling within its maintenance operations.
• Minister visit reinforces Jet2's focus on homegrown talentThe UK Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, Keir Mather MP, has visited UK leisure airline Jet2.

Other News Sources

• Employer National Insurance rise adds £110 million a year to bus industry costsChanges to employer National Insurance have added an estimated £110 million a year to the bus industry's costs, equivalent to a 2.4% increase in payroll costs, according to the latest Confederation of Passenger Transport Cost Monitor.
• Self-levelling sleeper to transform track maintenance | Rail TechnologyEngineers from Heriot-Watt University, working alongside colleagues at the University of Leeds and partners across Europe, have unveiled a new self-levelling railway sleeper designed to tackle one of the rail sector's most persistent infrastructure challenges: transition zones.
• ScotRail records busiest Sunday under public ownershipRAIL operator ScotRail has announced it reached its highest passenger journey number for a Sunday since it returned to public ownership in April 2022.