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

Wednesday, 01 April 2026

BBC News

• Unsold airport costing councils nearly £3m a yearAn airport is costing two councils nearly £3m a year, council chiefs have revealed. Pressure is mounting to increase income and reduce costs at Gloucestershire Airport, which is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council.
• Funding to tackle late buses and upgrade sheltersInvestment to tackle late buses and and make shelters and stations safer has been announced across a county's network.
• Rail station access improvements under discussionThe first steps in looking at how a station's long-standing access problems might be resolved were taken last week, a council said.
• Extra trains to run on line at peak travel timesMore peak time trains will run on a key route by the end of 2028 after government funding was secured.
• Cycle lane works cost £5m, figures revealWillenhall buisness owners say they have suffered from reduced footfall due to the works.
• Bus firm Alexander Dennis to close Falkirk site with loss of 115 jobsIt comes six months after the Scottish government announced a furlough scheme aimed at saving the firm's operations in Scotland
• New ferry enters service as CalMac faces 'firestorm' of ship shortagesMV Isle of Islay is the first of four large new ferries ordered from a shipyard in Turkey.

The Guardian

• UK aviation regulator rejects Heathrow's plans to significantly raise landing feesHeathrow wanted changes to fund upgrade, but airlines warned cost increases would be passed on to passengers

The Independent

• Recall Parliament to sort out ferries crisis, demands Scottish Lib Dem leaderAlex Cole-Hamilton said MSPs had to 'sort out this mess' which he said was created by the SNP government.

Times Online

• Nigel Farage takes a holiday from reality at Heathrow airport [subscription]Reform UK wants families to fly more but don't ask about the two-hour queue to get your fingerprints taken at the other end, another Brexit benefit

Mail Online

• Ministers spend £24m a mile on consultants to dual just 11 miles of A9!SNP ministers have blown a 'jaw-dropping' £340million on design consultants and planners to dual just 11 miles of key Highland routes.

Network Rail

• Last call! Exhibition train's final tour dates announcedRailway 200's hit exhibition train Inspiration is rolling into its final stations giving communities one last chance to explore the past, present and future of rail.
• Clear gains from new panes at London Liverpool StreetNetwork Rail has finished replacing glazing panels as part of its major roof refurbishment project at Liverpool Street, bringing lighter and brighter journeys to Britain's busiest station.
• Public consultation on proposed rail upgrades between Standedge and Gledholt (Huddersfield) extendedThe public consultation on proposed rail upgrades between Standedge and Gledholt has been extended, giving communities in and around Huddersfield more time to share their views.

Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

• Office of Rail and Road announces Interim Chief ExecutiveThe Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today announced interim leadership arrangements ahead of the departure of its current Chief Executive, John Larkinson, later in April. Following consideration by the ORR Board, Feras Alshaker, currently Director of Planning and Performance, has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive with effect from Monday 27 April.

Belfast Telegraph

• Wrightbus owner calls Scottish government's £45m bus grant decision 'national scandal' as Chinese firm lands bulk of ordersThe owner of Wrightbus has hit out at a Scottish government move awarding a chunk of 345m in grants to a Chinese manufacturer.

The York Press

• Extra TransPennine trains between York and ScarboroughExtra train services are being introduced between York and Scarborough.

Wales Online

• The expected final cost of the South Wales Metro soars to £1.3bnThe rail electrification scheme in south Wales was initially forecast at £734m back in 2016 but the pandemic and inflation caused by the Ukraine war has seen it rise considerably

Blackpool Gazette

• 'Seaside Specials' is a history of railway excursions - the life blood of Blackpool tourism for 150 yearsRailway excursions were the lifeblood of Blackpool's holiday trade for almost 150 years. Now, a new book Seaside Specials, produced by Blackpool and Fylde Rail Users' Association provides an evocative reminder of the excursions from the industrial hinterlands of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Scotland that brought hordes of day-trippers to Blackpool and its satellite resorts.

Cambridge News

• New cycle and pedestrian bridge over major Cambridgeshire road opensThe bridge has formed part of a new pedestrian, cycle and equestrian route into Cambridge
• Trainline renamed in bid to encourage more train travel between Cambridge and SuffolkA train company is trying to promote more travel between Cambridge and Ipswich

Other Regional Press

• Liverpool John Lennon Airport named most punctual in the UKThe Civil Aviation Authority revealed that 81 per cent of flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) departed within 15 minutes of their scheduled time in 2025, marking a 5 per cent improvement on 2024 figures and 8 per cent above the UK airport average.
• Northern Dales Bus and Wensleydale Explorer join up train routeTwo bus routes will launch to help connect train travellers with scenic destinations in the Yorkshire Dales.
• Harrogate MP urges Rail Minister to reinstate improvement scheme between Harrogate and YorkHarrogate's MP is urging the Government to reinstate a crucial £150 million rail improvement scheme between Harrogate and York.
• Greens would ditch the A9/A96 dualling to fund integrated public transport ticket as the party's candidate Ariane Burgess says full dualling is not needed for safetyThe Scottish Greens have announced plans for integrated public transport ticketing across Scotland to be paid for by ditching the A9 and A96 dualling programmes.
• New £153M link road announced which will aim to 'ease congestion'The government has committed £153m to build part of a link road between the borough and Bolton which was first called for shortly after the Second World War.
• Public consultation over TransPennine Route Upgrade works in the Colne Valley extended by a monthPublic consultation has been extended over plans for a major rail upgrade scheme in the Colne Valley.
• Rare open day for Norwich's Crown Point railway depotIt's a familiar, but somewhat off-limits, sight for train passengers heading in and out of Norwich.
• Council leader confirms new carriages for Northumberland Line trains after 'sensational' demandThe Northumberland Line officially opened its final station in Bedlington this week, 15 months after its first operational run back in December 2024. Since then, an estimated 1.4 million passenger journeys have been made on the line, far exceeding any initial forecasts and predictions.

Train Operators

• More trains, more space and more connections are coming for Southeastern customers in two major timetable improvements this yearCustomers across south-east London, Kent and East Sussex will benefit from more frequent services, improved connections and extra capacity when Southeastern introduces its new timetable on 17 May.
• Ipswich to Cambridge rail route to be promoted as St. Edmund's LineThe Ipswich to Cambridge rail line is to be promoted as St. Edmund's Line following a competition launched earlier this year by Greater Anglia and the Ipswich to Cambridge Community Rail Partnership (CRP) to find a promotional name for the route.

British Trams Online

• VolkerRail use new track maintenance solution developed by Sika in London Trams renewalRail replacement works which VolkerRail undertook on the London Trams network earlier this year used a new track maintenance solution developed by Sika. The work which took place during a 15-day blockade saw a key crossover and 500 metres of embedded rail replaced and it was used as a trial of new solution.

New Civil Engineer

• Transport committee calls out government for failing to close enforcement gap on accessibilityThe transport committee has called on the government to close what it perceives as an enforcement gap or ensuring that there are accessibility options available for people using public transport.

Rail Advent

• Network Rail project in Nottinghamshire close to completeConstruction in Collingham is progressing rapidly as a £4.7 million infrastructure project moves towards completion, promising safer roads and faster rail services.

Rail Business Daily

• Ipswich to Cambridge rail route to be named St. Edmund's LineThe Ipswich to Cambridge rail line is set to be promoted as St. Edmund's Line. It follows a competition, launched earlier this year by Greater Anglia and the Ipswich to Cambridge Community Rail Partnership (CRP), to find a promotional name for the route.

Rail Magazine

• Tilbury freight set for big increase after port expansion approvedA new rail terminal is set to be built at the Port of Tilbury, following approval of an expansion plan.

Railway Gazette

• Investors to fund London Overground shuttle train servicesUK: Investors Yoo Capital and DFI are to fund a peak-time London Overground shuttle service between Clapham Junction, Kensington (Olympia) and Shepherd's Bush as part of a £1.3bn regeneration of the Olympia events venue as an entertainment destination.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• South West Wales bus stops review feeds into franchise readinessTransport for Wales (TfW) has commissioned a review of over 6,000 bus stops in the south-west of the country as that region readies to lead the rollout of bus franchising in Wales.

Trafnidiaeth Cymru [Transport for Wales]

• Transport for Wales launches bus stop review across South West Wales.Transport for Wales (TfW) has begun a review of over 6,000 bus stops across South West Wales as the region prepares for bus franchising.

Other News Sources

• Brittany Ferries confirms its growth momentum in GuernseyFERRYBrittany Ferries has a particularly encouraging assessment of its first year of activity in Guernsey, marked by a significant increase in traffic and a consolidation of its presence on routes to the Channel Islands, and is now looking ahead to a new phase of growth.
• UK provides £1bn to drive zero-emission trucks and vans uptakeCompanies are expected to save up to £81,000 off the heaviest zero-emission trucks and up to £5,000 off new zero-emission vans
• TfW launches review of 6,000 bus stops ahead of Wales franchising rolloutTransport for Wales (TfW) has begun a review of over 6,000 bus stops across South West Wales as the region prepares for bus franchising.
• Engineering team underpins fast storm recovery alongside major Devon coastline rail routeA professional marine civil engineering services company has completed its part in the project to repair a well known highly scenic stretch of Devon railway.

EIN News Subscription

• IndiGo New CEO William Walsh Appointed March 2026: Former British Airways IAG IATA Chief to Join August 2026IndiGo has appointed William Walsh, popularly known as Willie, as its new Chief Executive Officer, the Board of InterGlobe Aviation Limited announced on March 31, 2026. The appointment is subject to regulatory approvals. Walsh is expected to join no later than August 3, 2026, following the conclusion of his current tenure as Director General of the International Air Transport Association on July 31, 2026.
• France and Italy take another step in Iran's war against Trump, who threatens to withdraw his support for European countriesIn consonance with Spain, France has announced that it restricts the use of its airspace to US flights participating in the war, while Italy has denied the use of the US base of Sigonella