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

Tuesday, 27 October 2026

BBC News

• Cranes begin removing ageing rail footbridgeA major crane operation has began to replace a 79-year-old footbridge with a modern accessible crossing.
• Shoppers fill Oxford Street on first traffic-free dayAlmost 1km of the popular shopping destination is pedestrianised between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.

The Guardian

• US bans vehicles from China’s BYD at Japan military base, calling them ‘unacceptable’ riskUS military says the restrictions on the electric vehicles at Kadena airbase also apply to delivery drivers and taxisOne of America’s biggest overseas military bases has banned vehicles made by the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD over security concerns, the US military in Japan said on Tuesday.
• Airport lounges: how did they get so horribly, competitively decadent?High-end cocktails, nap pods, waffle stations, tapas attendants, sashimi bars and brutalist art. The airlines’ battle to please the 1% is getting increasingly bizarreName: Airport lounge wars.Age: American Airlines opened the first airport lounge in 1939.
• ‘It’s a better experience’: shoppers praise Oxford Street pedestrianisationMany punters say inconvenience of bus rerouting is small price to pay for more space, but not everyone is happyTo the east of Oxford Circus, there is chaos. A steady stream of red London buses swing round the last junction before the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street begins. The streets are crammed with pedestrians, some squabbling over who poked whom with their umbrella first.To the west, pedestrians walk freely through the temporary bollards on to a green welcome banner rolled along the tarmac, declaring Oxford Street traffic-free.

The Independent

• EasyJet partners with Elon Musk's Starlink for in-flight wifiIt comes after the budget airline previously turned down Starlink wifi, saying it wasn't economically viable

Times Online

• Oxford Street pedestrianisation chaos as cyclists carry on regardless [subscription]Cars were nowhere to be seen on the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street, but for one group of road users, it was very much business as usual as dozens of cyclists flouted the new rules and rode through crowds of pedestrians.

City AM

• Oxford Street pedestrianisation is a win for London The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street will create a new a public realm where it is anticipated that people will enjoy the new space, stay longer and spend more, says Andrew Busby The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street is the most radical project to hit the West End in decades.

Mail Online

• Cyclists run amok on Sadiq Khan's new 'pedestrian-only' Oxford StreetOxford Street has been permanently blocked off to cars under Sadiq Khan's plan to pedestrianise the busy shopping hub.

Birmingham Post

• easyJet to offer in-flight WiFi to passengers using StarlinkAirline to use SpaceX's satellite communications system to keep holidaymakers and business travellers connected

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Why reopening the Skipton-Colne railway line makes no senseLAST week's front page headline in the Craven Herald focused on a petition to reopen the Skipton-Colne railway line (Petition is way to get 'voices heard').

Nation. Cymru

• MSs press for Abertillery rail funding after minister's positive responsePlans to reconnect Abertillery to the rail network are being considered for investment, but the UK Government has stopped short of confirming funding for the scheme.

Newcastle Evening Chronicle

• Metro bosses apologise over Google Pay issue for passengers with Pop cardsTyne and Wear Metro travellers can't currently top up Pop cards hosted on Google Pay
• Blyth Relief Road update with Government backing for £55m scheme 'off the table'The Department for Transport confirmed it would not be putting up money for the long-awaited building of a new relief road to ease congestion around Blyth

Wales 247

• New on-demand bus service to launch across parts of mid WalesTransport for Wales (TfW) is introducing its demand-responsive fflecsi service to Rhayader from 2 November, in partnership with Powys County Council, replacing the B57 and B58 Bwcabus.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Pressure group criticises 'endless delays' of Leeds Bradford Airport railway station plansA railways pressure group has criticised the 'endless delays' of Leeds Bradford Airport's railway station plan.

Other Regional Press

• Luton Airport expansion among risks facing town over next five years, warns fire chiefThe expansion of Luton Airport, the arrival of East West Rail and plans for a Universal theme park resort are among the major developments Bedfordshire's fire service says it must prepare for over the next five years.
• Backlog of tube maintenance works estimated at 36.5bnMaintaining assets on the network requires annual spending of £1.2bn but expenditure has averaged just £700m in recent years
• Heathrow among UK airports with fewest long delaysLondoners flying from Heathrow or London City Airport may be less likely to face lengthy departure delays than those travelling from some of the capital's other airports, according to new research.
• Fife MPs demand answers over delayed £2 bus fare capFife is still waiting for answers on when it will benefit from Scotland's £2 bus fare cap.
• Political opinion with John Milne MP: Government lets Horsham residents downLast week I met with the Aviation Minister, Keir Mather, to discuss my proposed amendment to the Civil Aviation Bill. There's much to like in this legislation. However, it falls short when it comes to the comfort of Horsham residents.
• Political opinion with Beccy Cooper MP: Lifting the barriersI'm sure we would all agree that unduly long waits at our railway crossings are a serious issue across Worthing West. From delays in getting to work or school, to the impacts on our bus services, businesses and air quality, or just the sheer annoyance of forever being stuck at a barrier with no sign of a train!
• Newark and Sherwood District Council supports tough measures to tackle issues with illegal e-bikesE-bike hotspot map could be created to keep residents safe from plague E-bike hotspot map could be created to keep residents safe from 'plague'
• ‘I support any extra breathing room we can provide for working people’MP Sojan Joseph welcomes new measures to end rip-off charges and fines handed out by private car park operators.

Modern Railways

• Restructuring likely in DB Cargo UK saleDB Cargo UK has told Modern Railways it hopes to conclude a sale quickly - but the company's Chief Executive Andrea Rossi told trade unions at a meeting in mid-October that irrespective of who acquires it, a major restructuring is required to stop the company haemorrhaging losses.

New Civil Engineer

• Proposed state-of-the-art Welsh rail testing facility £330M short of private capitalA planned 'one stop shop' Welsh rail testing facility is still searching for £330M private capital to progress to construction.
• Engineers complete installation of second HS2 viaduct over M6HS2 engineers have completed the installation of the second high‑speed rail viaduct that will carry trains over the M6 at junction 4/4a near Chelmsley Wood in Solihull, West Midlands.

Rail Advent

• New Essex station proves twice as popular as predictedPassengers have made twice as many journeys to and from Beaulieu Park railway station as they were expected to before it opened a year ago.

Rail Magazine

• GBR appoints Sir John Kingman as chair as HQ plans take shape - Christian WolmarAt last, Great British Railways has a chief though as yet very few Indians and a headquarters though as yet unbuilt. However, it's a start and, indeed, a rather belated one, as the name of GBR's inaugural boss was rumoured more than a month ago and could easily have been announced then.

Rail UK

• West Midlands Railway launches new station librariesWest Midlands Railway (WMR) is encouraging customers to spend their train journeys reading by launching a book borrowing scheme at three stations.
• Beaulieu Park station sees twice as many passengers as expected in first yearOver 800,000 passenger journeys have been made at Beaulieu Park station since it opened one year ago today, more than double the original forecasts.

Railnews

• c2c trains disrupted after freight train derailment There will be no trains at Dagenham Dock, Rainham or Purfleet until further notice, after a GB Railfreight container train was derailed at Barking. The accident, on Friday afternoon, damaged about 1.2km of track, and engineers have been working over the weekend to remove the train and then assess the repairs which will be needed.

Railway Gazette

• New York Subway to roll-out modern ticket gates after trial cuts fare evasion by 35%USA: New York MTA is to begin a programme to roll out modern ticket gates at Subway stations after a pilot project at 20 stations with gates from three manufacturers saw fare evasion drop by an average of 35%.

Shipping News

• Port of Dover wins British Ports Association 2026 sustainability award for its carbon net zero campaignThe British Ports Association Conference 2026 marked a milestone for the UK's busiest international ferry port, with Dover hosting one of the UK maritime sector's flagship events at its iconic Cruise Terminal 1 building whilst also receiving a major sustainability award for its pioneering carbon net zero campaign.

The Business Desk

• Ryanair CMO on growth, air traffic chaos and why the UK is taxing itself out of the marketLove it or hate it, Ryanair will get you where you want to go. And for its chief marketing officer, Dara Brady, that's all that matters.

Other News Sources

• Stratford International could reopen to Eurostar servicesA long-unused international train station in east London could finally open for Eurostar services, nearly two decades after it was built.
• Robin Hood Line Community Rail Partnership on track for further successIt's full steam ahead for a collaborative effort which aims to raise the profile of our area's railway line.
• Alexander Dennis and Volvo Buses explore tram-style electric articulated bus for UK rapid transit marketAlexander Dennis is working with Volvo Buses to explore the development of a tram-style electric bus for the UK market, designed to support high-capacity, zero-tailpipe emission rapid transit solutions with a lower infrastructure requirement.
• First AI apprentices join the railwayThe first cohort of 20 Artificial Intelligence Engineering Apprentices has joined a national rail industry programme, based in York and London where they will combine specialist learning with hands-on experience.