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

Friday, 26 June 2026

BBC News

• Mayor urges Burnham to keep bus fare capThe Mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, has urged Andy Burnham to keep the national bus fare cap, if he becomes the next Prime Minister.
• First big beams for HS2 station lifted into placeThe construction of a large deck supporting platforms at Birmingham's Curzon Street Station begins.
• Trains suspended as heatwave causes rails to buckleWest Midlands Railway services between Coventry and Leamington Spa are currently suspended after a rail buckled in Leamington in the extreme temperatures.
• New major HS2 works to disrupt M6 and M42 trafficThe work, taking place at weekends around the motorways, will continue until the end of November.
• Gritters out to protect roads on Scotland's hottest day of the yearTemperatures have topped 31C in southern areas of the country on a third day of hot weather.
• Cabbie says 'crazy' policy will 'put me out of work'Some Wigan private-hire taxi drivers say a new rule banning older cars will put them out of business.
• Electric bus destroyed in west London depot fireFour fire engines and about 25 firefighters are sent to a bus depot in Westbourne Park.
• EasyJet rejects fourth takeover offerThe airline is questioning the "deliverability" of the offer.
• Ryanair says it will reluctantly not charge parents to sit next to childrenThe airline had typically charged adults a fee of £8 each way to sit with their young children.
• Teens who hacked TfL were known to police years before cyber-attackOwen Flowers and Thalha Jubair were convicted for their roles in the attack, which led to large costs for Transport for London.

The Guardian

• Art trails, swimming spots and punt safaris, all easily accessible from Cambridge’s new train stationWith Cambridge South about to welcome its first passengers, it’s an ideal time to explore some of the university city’s lesser-known treasures on foot or by public transport. Flat fields of poppies and ox-eye daisies stretch out to a wide horizon. There are butterflies, vetches, salad burnet. Skylarks sing overhead and a cuckoo calls from the trees near the river. Legend has it that the poet Lord Byron swam here as a Cambridge undergraduate and, 20 years later, Charles Darwin surveyed its beetles.
• EasyJet opens talks with Castlelake after rejecting £4.9bn takeover offerBritish carrier says it hopes to receive ‘more attractive proposal that better reflects’ its value. EasyJet has opened talks with Castlelake, despite rejecting a fourth takeover offer worth £4.9bn from the US investment firm, with the airline saying it would open its books in the hope of receiving a higher bid.The British low-cost carrier unanimously rejected the latest proposal, of 650p a share, saying it still “substantially” undervalued the company while flagging “significant questions of deliverability”.

Times Online

• EasyJet lets raider take the controls [subscription]Opening the books to its US suitor Castlelake after an offer of just 650p a share suggests a lack of ambition from a low-flying board

City AM

• Ryanair blasts ‘misguided’ watchdog over family seating probeRyanair has slammed the “misguided” competition regulator over a probe into its family seating rules, claiming the watchdog has turned a “blind eye” to more serious issues. Michael O’Leary, the boss of the budget airline, claimed that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has forced it to “reluctantly” make a rule change which will make families more likely to have to sit at the back of the plane.
• Tesla casts long shadow over SpaceX's bumpy market debut Tesla’s record-breaking returns for early investors have become something of a benchmark for SpaceX as Elon Musk’s latest company weathers a volatile start to life on the public markets.

The Mirror

• Outrage as woman, 80, blocked from going up stairs at London tube station - 'you've got legs'The moment was recorded by a man who point blank refused to move out of the way to let the pensioner through - telling her 'don't touch me' and telling her he was busy 'relaxing'

The National

• Key Glasgow to London trains cancelled amid 'danger to life' heatwaveAll Avanti West Coast trains from Glasgow Central to London Euston have been cancelled as the UK braces for severe disruption due to extreme heat.

Network Rail

• Euston passengers issued 'essential travel' warning as extreme heat continuesPassengers travelling into and out of London Euston station should expect disruption in the coming days and only travel if essential today and tomorrow (25 and 26 June). It comes as temperatures across London and southern parts of England are forecast to rise as high as 36 degrees and could average in the mid-30s.

Birmingham Post

• Newcastle hydrogen firm GeoPura snapped up by Canadian Ballard Power Systems in £301m dealBallard Power Systems Inc has acquired Newcastle-based GeoPura in a landmark clean energy deal worth £301.1m, marking a major investment in UK hydrogen power and manufacturing.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales rail lines shut again due to 'severe weather'Trains have been cancelled or disrupted across Wales for a second day amid amber and red alerts for heat

Edinburgh Evening News

• Funding secured for new direct bus routes from Midlothian to Royal Infirmary after community backlashMidlothian Council and Lothian Buses said the changes would benefit employees at the Royal Infirmary as well as the wider community

Manchester Evening News

• Free buses for all 11-18s: Labour mayoral candidate Bev Craig pledges bold 'Our Pass' expansion According to Ms Craig, the driving force behind the policy is twofold: expanding horizons for the next generation, and providing immediate financial relief to households currently pushed to the brink

Nation. Cymru

• Change on the cards for town centre bus stationA town centre bus station could be set for an overhaul under proposals now open to public consultation. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is seeking views on plans to upgrade Pontypridd's main bus station.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Bus campaigners call for 'more transparency' from Mayor's office on franchising plans in West YorkshireBetter Buses West Yorkshire staged a 'People's Question Time' protest outside the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's (WYCA) offices on Wellington Street, Leeds this morning. This was aimed at highlighting how local bus groups feel they have been locked out of decisions about their bus services.

Carlisle News & Star

• Launch for Ribblehead station tearoom after £60k refurbA newly refurbished tearoom on the Settle-Carlisle Railway line is set to take centre stage as part of a week-long celebration next month.

South Wales Argus

• Newport leaders attack Plaid over M4 tunnel traffic planNewport is once again caught in the centre of Wales' ongoing transport debate, with claims that it is not fit for the "traffic it is taking at the moment".

Other Regional Press

• SNP ministers show no initiative on Sheriffhall - Miles Briggs MSPAfter less than two months in parliament, it seems we are back to the same old routine of empty promises and disappointment from the SNP. I was told by the Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop before the election that the government was frustrated by the lack of progress on Sheriffhall.
• First Minister refuses to step in over school bus cuts rowThe First Minister has told the Senedd that controversial decisions to cut school bus routes in Caerphilly County Borough rest entirely with the local authority.
• Bus passenger information service may be adopted nationally following success of Bedford pilotLocal authorities are looking at adopting the scheme following the trial which recorded 4,638 users across a single bus route at a cost of 3p per passenger a fraction of the £18 European average spend per user on transport apps.
• Calls for shuttle bus to address complaints in AndoverBus services in Andover have come under renewed criticism from a borough councillor and residents, amid ongoing concerns about access, reliability, and affordability across the town.
• Glasgow £16m tourist tax 'could be used for night or public bus service'Money raised from Glasgow's new tourist tax could be spent on night buses or the set-up of new publicly operated ones, according to a city councillor.
• Daktronics makes LED replica of Swiss railway station clockDaktronics has manufactured and delivered a high-resolution dvLED display for Railway Experience Switzerland, a new rail hall in Lucerne, Switzerland, working with AV integrator Auviso.
• Avanti West Coast confirms summer timetable trial to optimise services during lower demand periodAvanti West Coast (AWC) has confirmed an updated timeline for its summer 2026 timetable trial, as part of wider efforts to improve efficiency across the rail network and reduce reliance on taxpayer subsidy.
• Passengers' 'hell' as Eurostar train breaks down in heatwave Eurostar has apologised to customers, who were forced to wait for a replacement bus service
• Hebden Bridge Railway Station to serve locally brewed ale despite 'inappropriate use' fears Calderdale Council has granted listed building consent for Darkland Brewery to create a real ale bar and cold store at the historic Grade II-listed station
• Moorland fire live updates as Woodhead Pass closes and 'avoid the area' warning issuedFirefighters are currently tackling the blaze

Rail Advent

• Major lift project at Kent station moves to second phaseThe lift for platforms 3 and 4 has now reopened, and work will now begin on the lift at platforms 1 and 2.

Rail Magazine

• Government supportive of Transport for London's Moorgate line bidTransport Secretary Heidi Alexander supports Transport for London's desire to take over Great Northern services into Moorgate.
• Speed restriction over 'bump' eliminated in latest Transpennine Route Upgrade blockadeA temporary speed restriction on the line between Leeds and Huddersfield is being eliminated as part of this month's Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) blockade.
• Thousands attend Wabtec's Doncaster celebrationMore than 3,000 people visited Wabtec's Doncaster Works on June 19/20 ahead of the company closing its famous Plant later this year.

Rail Technology Magazine

• Siemens Mobility Showcases Goole Rail Village During Visit by DfT Operator Chief ExecutiveIndustry leaders have gathered in East Yorkshire to underline the role of rail investment in driving regional growth, skills and connectivity, as Siemens Mobility hosted a high-profile visit to its Goole Rail Village.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Drivers favour electric coach and bus over diesel, VEV survey findsWork finds that cab noise, fatigue and comfort are influences on a preference for zero-emission

Transportxtra

• No contradiction between rail targets and road traffic forecasting, Alexander tells MPsThere is no contradiction between the Government forecasting a 10% increase in road traffic and its decision not to set a target for rail passenger growth, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the House of Commons Transport Committee last week.
• Heathrow expansion requires 'substantial' shift away from carGrowth in passenger and freight demand at Heathrow airport must be matched by improvements in the quality, capacity, resilience, and sustainability of surface access, states a new DfT policy paper.

Aviation Industry

• Star Alliance chief urges Heathrow to keep its members co-located and ensure expansion plans are 'affordable'Any proposal from London Heathrow to break up co-located Star Alliance airlines as part of the airport's terminal occupancy review would be met with strong opposition from the grouping, the alliance's chief executive Theo Panagiotoulias told attendees at an Aviation Club event in central London on 25 June.

Other News Sources

• How cities are making buses even faster and more reliable for lessBus rapid transit (BRT) systems are one of the most practical ways for cities to improve mobility without building a full rail system. They use buses but come with advantages often associated with rail.
• Village to lose bus service under Fenland bus overhaulPlans to overhaul bus services across Fenland have been unveiled by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, with one village losing a scheduled route.
• UK aims for 55% active travel in towns by 2035More than half of short urban journeys must be walked, wheeled, or cycled by 2035 under ambitious new government targets announced by the Department for Transport (DfT).
• Man's sentence increased after multiple robberies and attacks on London UndergroundSolicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, secures increased sentence for man responsible for a series of robberies and stabbings across the London Underground.
• London St Pancras Highspeed adds agencies to rosterLondon St Pancras Highspeed which owns and operates St Pancras International railway station has appointed two communications agencies to its roster.