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

Monday, 29 June 2026

Cogitamus

• Can UK rail businesses seize opportunities from the European Union’s renewed industrial strategy?For the UK, Brussels is not just the capital of a neighbouring trading bloc but the regulatory powerhouse which could be shaping the future of British domestic industry. Despite Brexit, the UK remains interconnected to European supply chains, meaning that any shift in EU policy has the potential to send shockwaves across the Channel.

BBC News

• New high-speed rail link and station set for townPlans are under way for a high-speed rail link and train station to be built at Warrington Quay Bank.
• Bus station upgrades to make town more accessibleMajor improvements to bus journeys will "make services more reliable and easier to use", a county councillor has said.

ITV News

• First passengers use new £250m Cambridge South station after months of delaysThe first Great British Railways branded station officially opened this morning, after months of delays.

Financial Times

• Heathrow's £33bn expansion is 'like a luxury Mercedes', says airline group bossThe head of a major airline alliance that includes Lufthansa and United has likened Heathrow's third runway plans to an unaffordable luxury car

The Guardian

• Pause HS2 reset until you are confident it can be delivered, NAO tells ministersSpending watchdog says high-speed rail project must be put on stable footing to avoid repeat of costly past failures. Revised plans for HS2 should not be put into action until the government is confident they can be delivered, according to the public spending watchdog.The project to build the high-speed railway must be put on a stable footing to avoid a repeat of past failures, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report.
• Spirit airlines is dead and a bus travel boom looks likely - but will Greyhounds ever be cool again?For most Americans, riding a bus means abandoning expectations of basic dignity - but with an increase in ridership, that could change

The Scotsman

• I toured CalMac's Aladdin's cave of spare parts that keeps the fleet sailingEquipment salvaged from scrapped 40-year-old ferry among thousands of parts stored

The Telegraph

• Slower HS2 trains may not save money after all, NAO warns [subscription]Dropping the top speed to 199mph will remove £1.3bn in long-term benefits
• Burnham must end Labour's addiction to taxes, says Manchester Airport boss [subscription]Northern voters expect a dividend from former mayor if he reaches No 10, says MAG chief
• Hotel tycoon hires Britain's best-paid barrister for Heathrow showdown [subscription]Tensions escalate over third runway proposals ahead of Government decision

Times Online

• Andy Burnham's buses 'unsustainable without fare rise or taxes' [subscription]The Bee Network 'cannot continue' in its current form due to the expense of capping fares while passenger revenue remains below pre-pandemic levels
• Two life-saving upgrades could stop lorry crashes like this [subscription]Experts believe rear protection guards and smarter automatic braking would save 400 lives a year, including 40 in Britain
• Andy Burnham backs cut-price revival of HS2 line to Manchester [subscription]The presumed next PM said he would revive plans for phase two using a Crossrail-style funding model, with lower speeds and a possible levy on business rates
• HS2 reset to cost £153m and slower trains 'won't save money' [subscription]External consultants will soak up much of the cash, the National Audit Office reports

National Audit Office

• High Speed Two resetThe High Speed Two (HS2) programme aims to deliver a high-speed, high-capacity railway between London and Birmingham. The Department for Transport (DfT) sponsors the programme and is responsible for funding and oversight. High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd), an arm's-length body of DfT, is responsible for building the railway and bringing it into service. A new body, Euston Delivery Company Limited, is responsible for the HS2 station and related work at Euston, where the railway will end in London.

i News

• Britain's worst performing rail services revealed as 900 trains cancelled every dayThere have been some improvements as cancellations reduce by more than 30,000 but there is still a long way to go

This is Money

• Easyjet takeover suitor faces a £1 BILLION bill to use the 'easy' brand nameUnder a licensing deal, easyJet pays founder Haji-Ioannou's easyGroup an annual royalty of 0.25 per cent of the low-cost airline's revenues to use the 'easy' brand name.

Bolton News

• Bolton pensioners' bus pass debate leads to political clashesA fiery council debate that began with 'twirly' bus pass restrictions for older and disabled people quickly became a political row over Bolton's place within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Bristol Live

• Simon Calder names 'best airline in the world'The travel expert says he stands by his controversial opinion
• 'A slap in the face': Heatwave sparks fresh fury over Bristol Airport expansionPoliticians from across North Somerset, Bath and Bristol have come together to call for the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport to be stopped - and cited this week's record-breaking heatwave as a reminder why they are opposing it.

London Evening Standard

• 'I can't see through the sweat': London bus drivers raise heatwave safety alarmLondon bus drivers have revealed the sweltering conditions on board during hot weather is compromising safety, saying they can struggle to concentrate on the road or see properly through the "sweat dripping on your eyes".

Nation. Cymru

• French lessons on Gallic Vitesse. A tale of two railwaysIn the UK we have spent fifteen years in unproductive bickering over the construction of the HS2 high-speed line: whether it should be classed as an England-only railway, and whether it should stick to the original plan or be cut back by successive UK governments.

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen)

• Exclusive: New SNP transport chief Stephen Flynn sets out his hopes for A96 road dualling, railway plans and Aberdeen cruise shipsThe Press and Journal spoke to the Aberdeen MSP about the high expectations from communities for clear improvements in his new role.

Cambridge News

• Cambridge South opens as photos show long-awaited £250m stationCambridgeshire's newest railway station has opened after months of delays. Cambridge South station welcomed its first passengers on Sunday (June 28).

Wrexham.com

• Fflint Wrecsam Plaid MS presses finance minister on Barnett formula reform and HS2 funding disputeWales is being 'short-changed by £850 million' in the current UK spending review period because of the Treasury's classification of HS2 as an England and Wales project, the finance minister has told the Senedd.

Other Regional Press

• Campaigners drive cardboard bus in Glasgow in bid to improve servicesProtestors have driven a cardboard bus through Glasgow as part of a rally calling for bus franchising to be brought in across the city.
• Camcycle: Transport is the infrastructure of opportunityI've been thinking recently about how many different types of transport people need to use to get somewhere. Depending on where we are going, and what we are carrying, we may walk, drive or take the bus; rarely do we rely on one mode of transport for the entirety of our journeys. I am a pedestrian, a cyclist, a driver, and a train and bus user.
• Axed bus service to return to village after uproarCampaigners are celebrating the restoration of a much-missed bus service, which they say will be a life-changer for a Kent village.
• CMAL takes early ownership of Turkish CalMac ferriesPORT Glasgow-based procurement agency CMAL has taken early ownership of three ferries which are due to serve on CalMac's west coast network amid concerns over financial challenges at the Turkish yard where they are being built.
• Gatwick Airport expansion plan explained - what it means for LondonersGatwick Airport plans to bring its standby runway into routine use, boosting Gatwick passenger capacity from 43 million to 75 million and increasing flights to 386,000 per year
• Bristol Airport named among the UK's worst for flight delaysDelays through Bristol Airport are expected to be among the worst in the UK this summer, according to new research.

Construction Enquirer

• HS2 reset hinges on contractor deals and £8bn Euston planA National Audit Office report said the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd are making progress on the overhaul. But the watchdog warned major risks remain around commercial deals, cost control, delivery skills and the unresolved London terminus.

Construction News

• HS2 running out of time to renegotiate civil contracts, watchdog saysHS2 Ltd is running out of time to save costs on civil work after failing to renegotiate contracts, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.

Railnews

• Cambridge South station welcomes first passengers Cambridge South station opened for business yesterday morning, and an official opening follows today. The project is the university city’s third station, after Cambridge North was opened nine years ago.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Bus Safety Standard 2 a major milestone for drivers, says PailtonBus Safety Standard 2 looks to driver environment - and that should be welcomed, says supplier

Other News Sources

• Transport for London to use ESP for customer contactsThe outsourced customer contract services company with offices in Arbroath and Hull has worked with TfL for almost two decades, providing product fulfilment, call and email handling for Oyster smart card products.
• HS2 reset on track - but watchdog warns of risks aheadThe government's latest reset of the HS2 railway project is making progress but still risks repeating past mistakes unless ministers and HS2 fully stabilise the project before pressing ahead, according to a critical report from the National Audit Office (NAO).
• Extension of rural Somerset cycle route approved despite farmers' fearsThe new routes will help people in the area reach schools and other amenities without needing a car
• Government focussing on 'maximising use' of Liverpool ferry terminalThe Isle of Man and Liverpool have marked the first anniversary of a cooperation agreement saying ambition will be turned into 'practical action'.
• Major Metrolink expansion plan unveiled for Bolton under £1.5M plansPlans are being made for a major expansion of the Metrolink tram network into Bolton.
• Why AI Orchestration Will Define the Next Generation of Airport and Travel ServicesAirlines and airports have invested heavily in technologies designed to improve efficiency and deliver more personalized experiences. This growing prioritization is reflected in reports that in 2025 alone, airlines invested $36 billion in technology while airports spent nearly $15 billion.
• Forest of Dean MP pushes for investment in cross-border transport linksForest of Dean MP Matt Bishop calls for investment in cross-border transport links to boost economic growth and connectivity.
• Dalton Park Set For Major Bus And Active Travel UpgradesCounty Durham residents will soon have easier access to a popular shopping centre thanks to major funding for a range of transport improvements.