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

Tuesday, 29 September 2026

BBC News

• Passports needed for ferries between Wales and Republic of IrelandFerry passengers travelling between Britain and the Republic of Ireland now need to show a valid passport before boarding.
• Avanti West Coast services to be nationalised from MarchThe move is part of a plan to improve rail infrastructure, cut train delays and improve experiences for passengers.
• Oxford Street to be pedestrianised from OctoberBuses, taxis, bikes and other vehicles, will be banned from Orchard Street to Great Portland Street.
• 'Under siege' bus service halted after four attacks in two hoursFirst Bus removed the 240 service from an area of North Lanarkshire on Friday night after vehicles were pelted with missiles.
• Faslane dry docks and research ship to be built in UK, says chancellorJohn Healey says orders worth £6bn will be placed with a UK-based shipbuilder as part of a "new age of industrialisation".
• UK tries to stop Trump's diesel export banJohn Healey said the government is in talks with the US over Donald Trump's threat to stop exports.

Department for Transport

• Government explores buying trains over leasing in new rail strategyPassengers will benefit from more reliable trains, better connectivity and a greener railway across the UK.
• Rolling stock and infrastructure strategySets out how Great British Railways (GBR) will plan passenger trains, infrastructure, depots and maintenance as one system in the UK.

The Guardian

• Avanti West Coast to be renationalised in March as ministers float public ownership of new trainsAndy Burnham hails nationalisation of much-criticised service between London, Birmingham and Glasgow

The Herald

• Storm-damaged CalMac Uig ferry walkway to be dismantledA storm-damaged covered walkway at Skye's upgraded Uig ferry terminal is to be dismantled without ever carrying a single passenger, despite being funded as part of a £38 million publicly funded harbour redevelopment.
• 'Surplus' CalMac ferries to be sold off by London-based brokerScotland's nationally owned ferry operator has hired a ship broker to help sell older ferries that its fleet-replacement programme will render surplus.

The Independent

• Why trains could soon be publicly owned once againTransport secretary Heidi Alexander announced at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that new trains could be directly owned by the state under Great British Railways to lower costs and better serve taxpayers.
• Disabled passengers say UK rail replacement services are not accessibleFewer than three per cent of disabled UK rail passengers consider rail replacement services to be fully accessible, according to research by Great British Rail Replacement.

The Telegraph

• Rival Heathrow runway bidder: I'd build with no delay [subscription]Hotel tycoon reaffirms commitment to 2035 deadline after PM refuses to back expansion
• How I would expand Heathrow (without a third runway) - Simon Calder [Subscription]Forget another strip of tarmac, these operational changes could unlock thousands more flights and bring down fares for passengers

Times Online

• Andy Burnham cannot lead from the back on Heathrow's third runway [subscription]The prime minister needs to demonstrate his commitment to growth by backing the expansion of Britain's most important airport
• Heathrow third runway would boost trade, says business secretary [subscription]A third runway at Heathrow would boost trade and the benefits would be felt across the UK, the business secretary has said, amid doubts over the prime minister's commitment to expansion.
• New Boeing 737 MAX Software Glitch Could Disrupt Navigation Feature [subscription]Aerospace giant working on procedure for pilots and software fix; FAA investigation could affect approval of new plane model
• Colour-blind Tube drivers get the green light thanks to signal upgrades [subscription]An initiative to allow staff with colour blindness to drive trains has been expanded to the Northern Line as old systems are phased out

City AM

• Heathrow's billionaire bidder: I'll put every penny I have on more third runway delaysThe billionaire hotel tycoon behind a rival bid to develop Heathrow's third runway has said there is 'no way' the proposal put forward by the airport's owner can be delivered on time, even after the megaproject was delayed by four years.
• Andy Burnham can't treat Heathrow expansion as a local planning issueHas Andy Burnham's commitment to devolution morphed into a convenient excuse not to lead I ask, because he seems to have excused himself from the debate about a critical £50bn national infrastructure project: Heathrow's third runway.

Labour List

• Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander addresses party conference - her speech in fullConference, Conference, I'd like you to cast your minds back to the first time a journey made your world bigger. Maybe it was the bus that took you into town for the first time. A train or a car trip to a job interview. A cycle path to a new part of a new city. Or maybe a flight that took you on a holiday of a lifetime. Transport networks aren't just lines on a map. They expand our worlds, giving us the ability to pursue our ambitions.
• Government to consider publicly owning new trains under Great British RailwaysNew trains could be publicly owned rather than leased as part of a new strategy being considered by the government.

Network Rail

• Rail industry crackdown as trespassing criminals cause more than 3,300 hours of delays for passengers in a yearNew figures show trespass-related crimes including cable theft, vandalism and obstruction caused over 3,300 hours of delays for passengers equivalent to nearly five months of waiting on trains or in stations and cost the rail sector more than £10 million in delay costs during 2025/26.

Birmingham Mail

• Department for Transport confirms 14 million passengers affected by bus rule changeUnder the Labour Party government, millions of under-16s used buses across England for free in August.
• Andy Burnham government considering 'levers' for all diesel drivers as prices soarIt comes as the conflict in the Middle East continues to drive the cost of fuel to record levels.

Birmingham Post

• Rolls-Royce to invest £300m in UK factoriesThe aerospace giant is looking to boost manufacturing across the country

Daily Post (North Wales)

• More on four week closure of North Wales main line in £25m rail investment Tunnel renewals, new railway footbridges, and track replacement all part of the plans

LBC

• London's 'most hated' Euston station to get £50m upgrade with end to 'last minute' platform announcementsTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander says that last-minute passenger platform announcements will be phased out

London Evening Standard

• Burnham under pressure over refusal to say if he backs Heathrow third runwayThe Prime Minister said there was a live consultation process on the airport's expansion with strong views on either side.
• Trespassers, thieves and vandals caused nearly five months of delays for rail passengers last yearNetwork Rail figures showed that trespass-related crime caused more than 3,300 hours of delays to rail passengers in 2025/26

Metro

• 'London's worst station' is getting a £50,000,000 upgrade here's what's changingA station branded 'London's worst' is getting a major upgrade thanks to a £50,000,000 cash injection. Euston station will undergo a series of upgrades over the next three years, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.

Blackpool Gazette

• Major news as future of beloved Fleetwood to Knott End ferry revealed by Wyre and Lancashire County CouncilsThe future of the Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry has been secured for another 12 months after Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council reached an agreement to continue supporting the service.

Cambridge News

• The ‘very expensive’ villages near A14 used as ‘rat run’ to avoid busyA local said the A14 'makes the connection' for drivers and enables people to get places

My London

• Sadiq Khan sparks fresh row with Westminster Council as Oxford Street pedestrianisation date sharedThe Mayor of London has condemned Westminster City Council (WCC) for failing to be "decent custodians" of Oxford Street as City Hall announced the date that the historic road will be pedestrianised.
• Labour eyes end to 'Euston crowd rush' as Avanti West Coast to come under public controlThe Government said nationalisation will help to improve links between London, northern England and Scotland

Other Regional Press

• Mayor welcomes Spen Valley Greenway improvements as she highlights need to make walking and cycling routes safer for women and girlsWest Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin joined an autumnal cycle ride along the Spen Valley Greenway to highlight the need to make more routes safer for women and girls.

politics.co.uk

• John Healey to vow 'new age of industrialisation' in Labour conference speechThe chancellor is expected to confirm that three new floating docks for the Royal Navy's submarine service at HM Naval Base Clyde will be built through a UK-only competition. The project, known as Programme Euston, will provide maintenance for the UK's fleet of nuclear submarines, including inspections, upgrades and repairs.

Coach and Bus Week

• Edwards and Llew Jones to operate new Welsh serviceSouth Wales Edwards Coaches has been appointed to operate Transport for Wales's new TaithCymru coach service which connects north and south-west Wales. The company will deliver the service in partnership with fellow operator Llew Jones, based in North Wales.

Modern Railways

• GWR and Network Rail prepare for Old Oak Common diversionsYears of diversions related to the construction of the Old Oak Common interchange station start this November when Great Western Railway sends two trains per hour (tph) to London Euston, with 28 trains operating in each direction each day.

New Civil Engineer

• TfL reveals civil engineering behind £15.3M step-free upgrades at Surrey Quays and NortholtTwo London railway stations Surrey Quays and Northolt now have step-free access, making journeys possible for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs or luggage.

Rail Advent

• New strategy to see Government buy trains rather than leaseThe government has today (Monday 28 September) revealed that it is considering buying rather than leasing new trains.

Rail Magazine

• Great British Railways' 30-year rolling stock and infrastructure plan set out'Fleet families', state-owned trains and increased standardisation are some of the key targets of the new Rolling Stock and Infrastructure (RSI) Strategy.

Railnews

• ROSCo twilight? Government unveils proposals for fewer trains to be leasedThe plans, announced at the Labour Party conference in Manchester, could involve the state owning new trains directly rather than leasing them from private sector finance houses.
• TfL takes first step towards ending outsourcingTransport for London has taken the first step towards ending outsourcing, a practice which is vigorously opposed by the unions on the grounds that the employees of third party companies can have less favourable conditions.

RMT

• AVANTI NATIONALISATION SHOULD NOT LEAVE OUTSOURCED WORKERS BEHIND, SAYS RMTRail union RMT demanded today (September 28) that Avanti West Coast outsourced staff be bought into direct employment after the government announced the train company will be brought under public ownership by next March.

TSSA

• TSSA calls for rail workers' protections at Labour ConferenceDelegates at Labour's Annual Conference in Liverpool have heard TSSA's General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, call for a raft of protections for workers in the ongoing transition to Great British Railways.

Other News Sources

• Panorama's ghost plate findings expose a hidden layer of uninsured driving riskA new camera system being trialled on motorways in south-east England has detected thousands of illegal number plates a day, according to a BBC Panorama investigation broadcast on Monday, September 28.
• Euston is getting a vast £50 million makeover all the changes coming to the major London train stationMore seats, better waiting areas and a long-awaited end to those last-minute platform scrambles are all coming to Euston, as revealed by government plans
• Bins to be returned to station at Surrey beauty spot following local outcry over litter build-upThe rail operator said the bins had been removed due to recycling regulations