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

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

BBC News

• Cross-border ferry suspension 'a loss' for tourismThe suspension of the Carlingford Lough ferry service will mean a significant loss for tourism on both sides of the border, neighbouring business owners have warned.
• What's it like living by a 'nightmare' road?People using a single-lane part of the A120 in Essex have told the BBC it is "horrendous", "intolerable" and "very, very dangerous".
• Portable charger problems on flights 'on the rise', watchdog warnsThe CAA says 'more awareness' of the fire risks is needed and asks passengers to 'do the right thing'.
• Uber Eats and LFB team up to tackle e-bike firesGuidance will be given about fire risks linked with unsafe charging of lithium-ion batteries.
• Ferrari unveils first fully electric carThe new Luce model has divided opinion on social media, and comes despite intense pressure from Chinese EV makers.

ITV News

• New 'quiet lanes' to be rolled out across Oxfordshire as part of pilot schemeNew quiet lanes are to be introduced across Oxfordshire to make it safer for pedestrians.

The Guardian

• A year after nationalisation, is South Western Railway delivering?Rail minister Peter Hendy says fast rollout shows reforms are working as questions over reliability remain
• Sea-hugging railways and magical views: five of Europe's best coastal train linesDramatic coastal scenery and train rides make a winning combination. Our rail expert picks journeys over and along the sea

Times Online

• 'Fuel theft is a nothing crime to police and criminals know it' [subscription]Petrol station owners feel let down by local forces that have effectively decriminalised drive-offs, despite a wealth of CCTV and number plate evidence
• EasyJet flight diverted over power bank charging phone in hold [subscription]The UK-bound flight from Egypt landed in Rome as airlines take a tougher stance on the devices due to fears of the fire hazard posed by lithium batteries

Local Government

• Nearly 2 million people use buses for free to get around boroughA record number of passengers have been able to use the bus for free thanks to the Concessionary Fare Scheme (CFS).

Birmingham Mail

• In pictures - how Birmingham could be completely transformed in coming yearsStunning images have captured how Birmingham could be completely transformed in the coming years amid major plans to speed up regeneration projects.
• Drivers see speed limits return to 50mph after months of 30mph delaysAn upgrade to a tunnel which carries up to 40,000 cars travelling between Devon and Cornwall every day is now live.
• Drivers hit with congestion charge - but handed major perk in olive branchThe funds will also be utilised for road safety improvements and support for NHS staff, school workers and jobseekers.

Bristol Live

• Bike lanes for Gloucester Road ‘set to one side’ because of underground plansBut talks will happen soon about how the road could change in the short to medium term

Derby Telegraph

• M1's best service station named and it has incredible featureA motorway services featuring a distinctive wildlife observation platform has been praised as a "top spot for twitchers" and the "best on the M1". JLS member JB Gill recently characterised these rest stops as the "unsung heroes" of the British road trip while travelling across the UK for a new Channel 5 programme highlighting the nation's finest service stations.

Edinburgh Evening News

• Edinburgh South Sub: Council calls for promised feasibility study on tram-trains to start within six monthsCouncil will write to new Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn Edinburgh council is to press new Transport Minister Stephen Flynn to fund a feasibility study on reopening the South Suburban railway with tram-trains, as the SNP promised in its election manifesto.

Metro

• 'Eurostar of Scotland' launches today with £29.90 tickets from London to StirlingA new train dubbed the 'Eurostar of Scotland is set to make its first official journey today much earlier than originally planned.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Council 'aware of potential issue' after Leeds residents spot 'error' in new station signCouncil officials have confirmed they are 'aware of a potential issue' with the new sign at Leeds City Station.
• Bank Holiday travel chaos at Leeds Station as signalling fault triggers massive train delaysBank Holiday Monday travellers heading into Leeds are facing severe disruption this afternoon following a major signalling failure on the East Coast Main Line.

Yorkshire Post

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Oliver Coppard reveals talks with Chinese investorsOliver Coppard has been talking to Chinese investors about potential backing for the project to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
• Doncaster Sheffield Airport: 'Huge opportunity' to bring defence sector to South YorkshireThere is a 'massive opportunity' to attract organisations in the defence sector to South Yorkshire through the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, Oliver Coppard has said.
• Good luck to the Mayor of West Yorkshire in her bid for a mass transit network - Yorkshire Post LettersGreeted by decades of inevitable cynicism we saw that 'trams could run to Leeds United's ground' (TYP, May 16). They once did, but passenger services were downgraded to buses in 1955, leaving tracks to carry midnight corteges of condemned trams to Low Fields Road scrapyard for cremation. Match-day passenger services were briefly restored in 1956, following the Suez oil crisis. Hopes that this debacle might cause the council to reconsider their fashionable UK wisdom of replacing electric traction by diesel proved forlorn.

Blackpool Gazette

• I say make it easier to get to Blackpool by rail - rather than multiple changesAttempts to increase Blackpool's rail connection with London have stalled - despite coming at a time when the resort is enjoying massive multi-million investment.

Other Regional Press

• Sixty per cent cut in active travel scheme funding a 'real shock'A SIXTY per cent drop in government funding to help make active travel more accessible has been described as a 'real shock' by a local transport official.
• Fishguard ferry service restored as Stena Nordica comes homeA key ferry has returned to service, bringing renewed hope for smoother journeys across the Irish Sea.
• Highland MSP calls for new body at Holyrood to scrutinise A9 dualling as Andrew Baxter aims to take-up presiding officer's offer to make the parliament more impactfulAndrew Baxter has today written to the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament to request the establishment of a new A9 Dualling Programme Committee.
• Port of Tilbury welcomes Maritime Minister for update on growth plans & decarbonisation initiativesTHE Port of Tilbury welcomed the Maritime Minister, Keir Mather MP, and Department for Transport (DfT) colleagues to the port this week for a briefing and tour of the UK's fastest growing port.
• Wokingham Borough Council to invest extra £500k in busesAn extra £500,000 a year is set to be invested to improve bus and community transport services.
• Highland Council unveils sweeping new public transport strategy for 2026 to 2036 including includes plans for more bus lanes, services, routes, and cheaper faresHighland Council has unveiled a sweeping new public transport strategy for the next 10 years with numerous developments that are likely to be welcomed and disliked in equal measure.
• Direct trains between Llandudno and Liverpool now runningFAMILIES and day-trippers looking for something to do this half-term can now take advantage of a brand-new direct rail service linking North Wales and Liverpool.
• Thousands back campaign to re-open former Louth railway lineThousands of residents have supported a campaign to re-open a former railway line that ran to and from Louth.
• Demands for two new north-east railway stations amid accusations region has been 'abandoned'"I know the money is available to make these plans a reality because the SNP have opened new train stations in the central belt, yet rail travel across the North East continues to be abandoned."
• 'Welcome to Leeps': Leeds station's £46m makeover sign appears to have wrong letterTravellers are questioning whether it actually spells Leeds

Rail Advent

• Tyne and Wear Metro control room upgraded in multi-million pound projectThe Tyne and Wear Metro's control room has been upgraded, and its layout improved, in an £8.8 million project.

Rail Magazine

• A memorable African rail safari with few creature comfortsI am in Africa, trying to discover the state of the railways along the route where Cecil Rhodes wanted to build lines spanning the length of the continent.
• Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill welcomed - but frustration at its slow progressThe adapted Bill to confirm the alignment of a new Liverpool-Manchester railway has been welcomed, although there's frustration it's taken so long to reach this point.

Railway Gazette

• Finland signs 'unique' alliance deal to support ERTMS rolloutFINLAND: Infrastructure manager Väylävirasto has signed a €70 million service alliance deal with six companies to support the rollout of ERTMS in southern and western Finland, advancing the Digirail programme across one of the country's busiest rail regions.
• CEO appointed to build a 'resilient and scalable' Rail Innovators GroupNETHERLANDS: On June 1 Michail Stahlhut will become CEO of the Rail Innovators Group, which comprises Raillogix (rail freight logistics), Rail Force One (traction provider), Railrelease (wagon leasing) and Combo Wagon Service (wagon maintenance).

Railway Supply

• London Underground's Longest Escalator: A Masterclass in Crowd ManagementAngel station longest escalator is a striking feature of the London Underground. For Tube passengers moving through the capital every day, escalators are more than a convenience: they are part of the system's basic rhythm.

TaxiPoint

• Baroness Pidgeon BACKS cross-border taxi and PHV enforcement reforms, but calls for full licensing overhaul Perry RichardsonBaroness Caroline Pidgeon has welcomed new enforcement powers aimed at tackling cross-border taxi and private hire working, while warning that more comprehensive legislative reform remains necessary.

The Business Desk

• Bus cuts hit Nottingham as passenger slump forces major network overhaulNottingham City Transport is cutting and reshaping services across its network after a sustained drop in passenger numbers left some routes unable to cover basic operating costs.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow Pushes Third Runway as Regional Airports Seek Stronger UK Connections Writer: Safer Highways Safer HighwaysHeathrow Airport has renewed its campaign for a third runway, arguing that expansion could help restore and strengthen direct air links between London and several regional airports across the UK.
• Edinburgh City Council calls for government action on 'South Sub' reopeningCampaign group Tram Trains for Edinburgh (TTfE) has welcomed Edinburgh Councils resolution to request government action on the on a project feasibility study that will look into reopening the 'South Sub' rail line for public use.
• 'An exciting milestone': WestJet touches down in Cardiff, WalesCARDIFF WestJet touched down in Cardiff, Wales on May 23 with its inaugural flight to the UK city from Toronto, and Travelweek was on board and part of the celebrations.
• Britain's Autonomous Vehicle Gamble Begins But Is the UK Infrastructure Sector Completely Unprepared? The UK government has officially opened the door for companies to operate autonomous passenger vehicles on British roads a move being celebrated by ministers as a technological breakthrough but one that also exposes just how unprepared the country's infrastructure and governance systems really are.
• New night-time Bluestar N9 bus linking Langley to Southampton via Marchwood and Hythe launched in Hampshire County Council £6.3m schemeA new night-time bus service linking the Waterside to Southampton is coming later this year as part of a £6.3m county council investment.

News from Europe

• Self-driving bus crashes into tram on debut day in Swedenself-driving bus was involved in a crash with a tram on its first day carrying passengers in the Swedish city of Gothenburg on Monday, the Vasttrafik public transport company said.