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

Thursday, 04 June 2026

BBC News

• Plans for 10k homes and rail station on city airport siteMore than 10,000 homes and a new railway station could be built as part of the redevelopment of a city airport after land was purchased.
• Tram works causing devastating losses, says pub bossPeter Connolly from Nortons in Digbeth says work on the Eastside Metro extension is hitting trade.
• Phone signal on trains not good enough most of the time, research saysOfcom found the major phone networks were not providing good signal on trains, and train companies were slowing down wi-fi.
• Paralympic champion backs plans to fine airlines which fail disabled travellersThe Paralympic champion said an airline staff member once asked her if she had "ever tried to walk".
• Number of parking machines cut to make way for ticketless systemStormont's Department for Infrastructure is to remove almost half the pay and display machines it owns in Belfast, Newry and Lisburn.
• Council seizes 2,500 e-bikes in parking crackdownThe council has charged operators more than £210,000 in seizure, storage and release fees.
• Tube usage down by 41% during strike, TfL saysMembers of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union are due to walk out again on Thursday from 00:01 BST.
• Images show inside first new Mersey ferry in 60 yearsNew images showing the interior of Merseyside's newest publicly owned ferry have been released.
• Disruption warning over railway improvement workPassengers have been reminded that railway improvement work between Leicester and Kettering will mean a bus service will replace trains for two consecutive weekends in June.

STV

• Council urged to use dimmer lights at ferry terminal car parkResidents said it was 'unbelievable' that strong floodlights were installed in a rural location

The Guardian

• London braces for second day of Tube strike disruptionTfL says 60% of drivers worked on first day of stoppage as RMT confirms second day of action will go ahead. A London Underground drivers’ strike will bring another day of transport disruption to the capital on Thursday, after the RMT union confirmed its action would go ahead.Transport for London (TfL) urged the union to call off the strike, the second 24-hour stoppage this week in a dispute over the introduction of a four-day working week.

The Independent

• Piccadilly line closures to cause major disruption for Heathrow passengersStaggered closures will run throughout the summer

The Scotsman

• Tourism boss calls for rapid funds for island firms amid ferry chaosA tourism leader in the Outer Hebrides has urged further rapid financial support for island businesses hit hard by chronic CalMac ferry disruption after faults with two ferries serving the Western Isles triggered more cancellations.

The Telegraph

• Labour spends £36k finding out that people without cars use trains [Subscription]Labour has been accused of 'burning money' by spending £35,834 to find out that some people use trains because they do not own a car.

Times Online

• Revealed: Britain's best and worst rail routes for wifi coverage [subscription]Ofcom tested the signal on 24 journeys across Britain and found that for too many people, stepping on board can mean going off-grid

The Mirror

• UK airport site to get stadium and train station in 'once-in-generation' planGovernment agency Homes England and developers The Hill Group have bought Cambridge Airport with the goal of building 10,000 homes, a train station and even a stadium

Network Rail

• Network Rail rolls out remotely operated drones to monitor and protect the railwayNetwork Rail, in partnership with heliguy, has secured approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate drones beyond the operator's line of sight (BVLOS), marking a significant step forward in the use of remote aerial technology across the rail network.

Birmingham Mail

• Plan submitted for new bus depot in Birmingham suburb ahead major network changeThe new depot forms part of the West Midlands Mayor's plans to franchise the region's bus network

Birmingham Post

• North East parts of historic William Cook acquired by US aerospace giant HeicoCook Defence Systems will continue to operate out of its Stanhope factory

Bristol Live

• Fury as Welsh plan for more Bristol trains opposed by GWRThe new service would mean more trains stopping at stations in the city

Daily Post (North Wales)

• North Wales main line to close this weekend as train services cancelledServices from London will terminate at Chester while buses will replace trains on part of the route

London Evening Standard

• More trains, buses and Night Tube feature in Richmond Council's public transport planRichmond Council plans to lobby Transport for London (TfL) and South Western Railway (SWR) for the changes

Wales Online

• Major rail operator tries to block more direct trains from Wales to BristolThe objections from GWR are 'extremely disappointing' says Wales' transport minister

Doncaster Free Press

• Mayor reveals US and China talks over DSA re-openingThe South Yorkshire mayor has delivered an update on the re-opening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Kent Online

• Extra trains, new Sunday services and better connections planned across Maidstone and MallingMore weekday and weekend trains are set to be introduced under new plans.

Other Regional Press

• Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad asks transport secretary Stephen Flynn for support addressing Loganair's cuts to Sumburgh-Kirkwall-Inverness servicesShetland's MSP has called on the Scottish government to demand more from Loganair after it announced plans to massively reduce services to the islands.
• Mayor warns A1 safety improvements 'don't go far enough' and calls for duallingNorth East Mayor Kim McGuinness has told the Government planned safety improvements on the A1 in Northumberland 'don't go far enough'. It comes after five people died in two accidents in the space of nine days.
• 'Bicester has fought too hard to be ignored', says MP on EWRConsultations on a controversial railway line are due to close in the next week, as one local MP has urged locals to have their say.
• Helensburgh-Dumbarton cycle path route set to changeCOUNCILLORS are set to be asked to approve that the planned Helensburgh to Dumbarton cycle path moves alongside the A814 between Cardross and Helensburgh.
• New £510k transport hub coming to Somerset town by ChristmasA new rural 'transport hub' in the heart of the Somerset Levels will be up and running by Christmas, Somerset Council has confirmed.
• Beeline Community Transport in Moray welcomes three new vehiclesA community transport service has celebrated the arrival of three new vehicles. Beeline Community Transport and Wellbeing Hub held a special event at Hopeman Bowling Club.
• East Yorkshire Mayor Outlines Vision For Integrated Public TransportHull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell has defended his progress on public transport after being challenged over the lack of discounted youth travel in rural and coastal areas.
• Rugby rail campaigners say cuts to summer services will 'disadvantage' town'SHOCKED' advocates for train travellers in Rugby say 'disproportionate' cuts to summer services will 'disadvantage' the town.
• 'Incredibly frustrating': Calls for council to sit down with Network Rail and finally reopen Northants village bridge closed for two yearsCalls have once again been made for West Northants Council (WNC) to sit down with Network Rail and finally reopen a village bridge closed for two years.

Airportwatch

• Ferry passenger numbers 'increased significantly'A ferry operator has said the number of passengers "increased significantly" during May compared to the same month last year.

Campaign for Better Transport

• Track Record: What Great British Railways can learn from British RailBritain's railways are undergoing their most significant restructuring in a generation. Great British Railways (GBR) will unify track and train under single public ownership, consolidating the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and acting as a single guiding mind for the network.

Rail Advent

• Final Class 599 to be withdrawn from service at the end of JuneNexus has announced that the Class 599 electric units, which have operated on the Tyne and Wear Metro since its inauguration in August 1980, will be withdrawn by the end of June 2026.

Rail Business Daily

• What can Great British Railways learn from British Rail? BR veterans share first-hand knowledgeSenior figures from the days of British Rail have been brought together to share lessons that can help make Great British Railways (GBR) a success. Their insights were gathered at a roundtable event convened by Campaign for Better Transport
• UK Eurostar growth driven by surge in UK-Netherlands rail travel as company advances new fleet and routesEurostar has announced its 2025 full-year results, confirming continued growth, driven by sustained passenger demand and a long-term investment strategy focused on new fleet and customer experience.

Rail Magazine

• Avanti West Coast having to use diesel power on West Coast Main Line serviceAvanti West Coast has confirmed that it's running one of its new additional Liverpool services using diesel traction under the wires for a large part of the route because of power supply issues between Weaver junction and Crewe.
• Transport for Wales confirms '231' fleet will become bi-modesTransport for Wales has confirmed it is planning to convert its Class 231 diesel-electric units into bi-modes.

Aviation Industry

• Civil Aviation Bill to support airspace modernisation and enhance safetyThe Civil Aviation Bill, now going through second reading and announced in the King's Speech in May, will support the modernisation of UK airspace, enhance safety standards and give the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) new enforcement powers, including to fine the minority of airlines and airports that fail to deliver for passengers.
• WHILL Expands Global Autonomous Mobility Network with Heathrow Airport LaunchWHILL's Autonomous Service enables travelers with mobility needs to independently navigate Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport using self-driving mobility devices equipped with advanced sensors and autonomous navigation technology.

Other News Sources

• Government hears the voice of logistics 'loud and clear', says MinisterThe work of the logistics industry, and the support provided by Logistics UK, has been recognised by Minister of Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Keir Mather in his keynote address opening this year's Logistics UK Annual Conference.
• Connectivity on Trains Measurement Study - OFCOMThis study, commissioned by Ofcom and delivered by Streetwave, measured mobile and Wi-Fi performance across 50 journeys on 24 rail lines in February and March 2026.
• RMT call for insourcing of all railway staffRail union RMT demands that all Govia Thameslink Railway staff be brought into direct employment after the train company became the latest to be brought under public control.
• East Thanet MP calls for installation of ticket barriers at Broadstairs railway station to deter yobsEast Thanet MP Polly Billington is calling on Southeastern to install ticket barriers at Broadstairs railway station in a bid to crackdown on youths travelling to the town to cause trouble.
• Start teased for Cheadle stationBeginning work in the next year on the long-awaited project is among the aspirations set out in a draft 16-year transport strategy document for Stockport.
• Arriva's Martin Wayman: Decarbonising the Transport SectorTransport operator Arriva Group has named Martin Wayman as its new Group Sustainability Director, bringing experience from a 19-year sustainability career
• Eversheds Sutherland Supports Department for Transport on Govia Thameslink Railway NationalisationInternational law firm Eversheds Sutherland has advised the Department for Transport (DfT) and DfT Operator Limited (DfTO) on the transfer of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) into public ownership, marking another major milestone in the Government's programme of rail reform.
• Mobile rail connectivity is coming off the rails says OfcomMobile operators are facing scrutiny over network quality after Ofcom claimed train passengers experience poor mobile performance.
• Northern Employee Uses Social Media to Inspire a New Generation of Railway EnthusiastsA young Northern conductor is helping to showcase life on the railway to a growing online audience, using social media to share his enthusiasm for trains, transport history and careers in the industry.
• TSSA Takes Railways Bill Concerns to ParliamentTSSA has held a briefing in Parliament for MPs outlining the case for our suggested amendments on the remaining stages of the Railways Bill
• Leaders demand 'urgent action to dual the A1'North East leaders are pressing the Government for urgent action on the A1 in Northumberland, arguing the route is no longer fit for demand.
• Ofcom releases report on poor connectivity on trainsOfcom has released a report it commissioned from Streetwave detailing the poor performance of mobile connectivity on trains. The report shows that mobile and Wi-Fi performance was deemed poor on between 58% and 83% of tests that were undertaken