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

Monday, 30 March 2026

Cogitamus

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 10, Season 4Christian speaks to legendary British Rail senior manager Chris Green OBE about the pioneering launch of the ScotRail business in the early 1980s, how this experience was than applied to Network South East across London and the surrounding counties and the lessons which could be learned by Great British Railways [1:24]. Turning to the future, Christian explores with Thomas Ableman of Freewheeling his study into how the integrated public transport model developed in Switzerland might be deployed in rural areas of Great Britain [36:11]. In his final thought from the departure lounge, Christian asks why the failed new highway scheme under Stonehenge has cost the taxpayer £179 million [52:30].

BBC News

• Councils pressed to use universal parking app to cut 'unfair' finesThe government is urging more councils across England to sign up to a single, nationwide parking payment app to cut the risk of fines for drivers.
• Thames ferry service relaunch still under scrutinyA further review will be carried out into whether a ferry service across the River Thames should be reinstated.
• Ferry crosses the Mersey on final voyage after 66 yearsAn "iconic" ferry that crossed on the River Mersey for 66 years has set sail on its final voyage.
• Easter tram disruption - what to expect and whereTram services will be disrupted in Greater Manchester over the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend due to tram improvement works.
• Bus fares to rise across Cornwall as pilot endsSome bus fares in Cornwall are set to rise now a discount scheme is ending. Transport for Cornwall said that the council's reduced fares pilot scheme has come to an end and fares will need to increase from 12 April.
• New dry-dock facility for Thames Clipper boatsThe 24-vessel fleet of Uber Boat by Thames Clippers will use the new Essex facility from 2027
• Damage to London buses from crashes risingThe data includes incidents that caused injury as well as minor damage to paintwork, TfL says.
• Oil rises above $115 and Asia shares slide as Iran war enters fifth weekIt comes after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen joined the conflict by striking Israel over the weekend.

Department for Transport

• Stalled housing and employment sites to be unlocked with new £165 million road fundFund will support transport links so stalled housing and employment sites can go ahead.

The Herald

• CalMac's technical cancellations skyrocket in a decadeCalMac's ageing ferry fleet resulted in cancellations due to technical problems skyrocketing in a decade, new figures show.

The Independent

• Labour vows to merge ferry bodies and fix broken systemAnas Sarwar will visit Stornoway on Monday, as he warned the 'SNP's ferry fiasco is a symbol of their incompetence and waste'.

The Scotsman

• Crisis talks held over Scotland's ferry shortage to prevent Easter weekend chaosCrisis talks have been held ahead of the Easter holidays as Scotland's beleaguered ferry fleet faces further disruption.

The Telegraph

• Last ferry cross the Mersey for vessel used by late Queen [subscription]For six decades, the Royal Iris ferry has carried families, commuters, tourists and even Queen Elizabeth II across the Mersey, but now she is about to take her final journey before retirement.
• Airlines and Heathrow split over third runway. [subscription]Heathrow's third runway is under threat from a mounting conflict between airport bosses and airlines over costs and customer service. The long-delayed £49bn project is crucial to Labour hopes of growth and Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to do 'whatever it takes' to begin construction before the next election in 2029.
• Railway without passengers for a year as union dispute drags on [subscription]The line is the first stretch of a £7bn corridor to Cambridge, but is on pause amid disagreement over platform staff

Times Online

• Mobility scooters could reach 20mph in road law shake-up [subscription]Ministers consider raising speed and weight limits for electric wheelchairs and improving access to cycle lanes in an update to 1970s legislation

Daily Express

• The new £1.3bn UK rail line that hasn't seen a single passenger over the last yearDespite being completed over a year ago, a new 41-mile railway line and station have yet to welcome a single passenger due to a dispute regarding staffing.

i News

• Councils forced to roll out universal parking app to prevent unfair finesCouncils across England will be ordered by the Government to adopt a single parking payment app designed to cut confusion at car parks and reduce the risk of drivers receiving unexpected fines, The i Paper can reveal.

Birmingham Post

• Transport for Wales support to local authorities to roll out electric vehicle chargingIt is providing sharede national data plaform, ChargePoint Navigator, to the 22 local authorities in Wales

Bristol Live

• Spain airport strikes set to cause delays for UK Easter travellers from MondayGround staff strikes at major Spanish airports including Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga and Palma are expected to cause queues and baggage delays for UK holidaymakers

The York Press

• Minsters Rail bid for York to Beverley line backed by MPsA long-running campaign to reconnect a railway line from York closed 60 years ago is 'knocking on the doors of success' as supporters push for the next crucial stage of work to be funded.

Wrexham.com

• Welsh Government to press ahead with A494 River Dee Bridge replacement after objections withdrawnThe Welsh Government has ruled out a public inquiry into the replacement of the A494 River Dee Bridge at Queensferry, clearing the way for construction to begin as early as winter 2026/27.

Other Regional Press

• METRO ROW: Carmarthenshire councillor blasts 'Swansea-centric' transport visionA war of words has erupted over the Swansea Bay Metro after a Carmarthenshire councillor accused leaders of putting Swansea first and leaving the rest of west Wales behind.
• Tram passenger numbers increase againEdinburgh's trams carried 12.5 million passengers in 2025, marking an increase of 3.3 percent from 2024.
• Letter: 'Will MP speak out about benches at Poole Bus Station?'Will our MP in Poole speak out on the removal of yet more benches serving Poole Bus Station?
• Second HS2 viaduct over M6 to be slid into position in AprilEngineers are preparing to slide the west deck of the M6 South viaduct over junction 4 slip road near Chelmsley Wood. The operation begins on Saturday 11th April 2026 with the slip road closing for two days.

Construction Enquirer

• £165m earmarked for roads to unlock stalled housing sitesDetails of a new infrastructure fund to unlock stalled housing and development sites have been confirmed by the government.

Rail Magazine

• Plan to tackle East Coast Main Line congestion published by Network RailOperational changes and tactical lower-value investments form the focus of Network Rail's plan to alleviate congestion on the East Coast
• Cross-country open access plan using East West Rail withdrawnPlans for an open access service between Nottingham and Bristol Temple Meads have been dropped. Consultancy firm SLC had proposed eight trains a day via East West Rail and Oxford, using the name Midland Central & Western Railway (MCWR).

Railway Gazette

• Freight operator adopts virtual training technologyUK: GB Railfreight is using Apple Vision Pro headsets and spatial computing from JigSpace to provide crew with remote immersive training on the cab layout and key components of its Stadler Class 99 locomotives ahead of their entry into service.

Railway-News

• The Hidden Cost of Poor Data Integration: Why Rail Needs a Single Source of TruthDigital transformation in rail depends on more than new tools. Without integrated, trusted data, even the most advanced systems struggle to deliver value, leaving organisations exposed to hidden cost and risk, writes Adam Medley, Head of Operations at Rail BI.

Sustainable Bus

• German operator MVG deploys 20 eCitaro buses in Lüdenscheid, with five more due in 2026Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft, the public transport operator serving the Märkischer Kreis district in western Germany, has presented 20 Mercedes eCitaro electric buses at its Lüdenscheid depot, with five more units scheduled for delivery later in 2026.

TaxiPoint

• Disabled access House of Commons debate puts taxi availability and wheelchair provision back under scrutiny The taxi industry was pulled into a wider House of Commons debate on transport accessibility this week, as MPs warned that disabled passengers are still being left with too few reliable door-to-door travel options when buses and trains fall short.

Other News Sources

• Stagecoach services from Ardrossan going fully electricSTAGECOACH South Scotland bus services from its Ardrossan depot are going fully electric.
• How Warwickshire buses are officially the best in the country - according to passengersA survey carried out by an independent watchdog has found that buses in Warwickshire are officially the best in the country according to those whose opinion matters most - the passengers.
• SYMCA acquires five bus depots as part of work to bring network under public control - a significant moment for South YorkshireSouth Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has purchased five depots from private bus operators, marking a key milestone in efforts to bring the region's bus network back under public control.
• £2.5m Refurbishment to Transform Stanley Bus Station in Major UpgradeRefurbishment work will soon begin at Stanley Bus Station after the project secured £2.5 million in funding from the North East Combined Authority
• UKTram Heritage tramway membership reaches full sector representationUKTram has reached a significant milestone, with its Heritage Tramway community now representing all heritage tramways across the UK and British Isles.
• Bucks MP raises concerns on lack of East West Rail servicesBuckingham and Bletchley Labour MP Callum Anderson highlighted the issue during Transport Questions in Parliament.