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

Tuesday, 17 February 2026

BBC News

• Step-free access plans submitted for rail stationPlans have been submitted for a new footbridge and lifts to provide step-free access at Wellington railway station. Network Rail has applied to Telford & Wrekin Council for prior approval for the development, which a parish councillor described as a "long overdue upgrade" for the station.
• £50m approved for tram and station revampsThe money is for transport schemes including extending the Metro to the new Birmingham FC site.
• TfL lacking depth on accessibility, says reportThe City Hall report says TfL's work to improve accessibility remains "surface level".
• Tube passengers targeted in text scam, court toldLondon Underground passengers received scam messages that aimed to "plunder their bank accounts", jurors hear.

Financial Times

• Hapag-Lloyd to buy Israel’s Zim in $4.2bn shipping dealGerman group will carve out portion of business to serve trade routes into Israel
• China’s high-speed rail network accelerates world’s largest human migrationLunar new year travel is taking place faster than ever

Times Online

• The Tube cleaning squads drawing a line under graffiti plague [subscription]A surge in vandalism over the summer left parts of the London Underground looking 'like 1970s New York'. Now TfL has hired 120 dedicated staff to turn the tide
• Bolt accuses rivals of moving its e-bikes to get them impounded [subscription]The rental firm has shared 'before and after' images claiming to show that its bicycles are being put in prohibited places under cover of night
• Vauxhall's owner shifts towards diesel as electric car sales lag [subscription]Stellantis, which also owns Peugeot, Fiat and Jeep, is reintroducing diesel versions for seven models
• Heathrow airport runway expansion 'could add £250 to family fare' [subscription]Airlines fear the cost of the £33 billion project will drive up landing charges and, in turn, ticket prices

City AM

• What if a blind person falls over an e-bike?: The untenable rise of whataboutism Rowing about hypothetical dangers like e-bikes on pavements is turning London into a febrile City, scared of progress, writes Michael Martins.

Network Rail

• First major work begins to electrify the Borders RailwayNetwork Rail will begin the first stage of electrification on the Borders Railway later this week. The work follows the Scottish Government's announcement in September last year of a £342m investment to electrify routes in Fife and the Borders and introduce new battery and electric trains. Electrification will help cut carbon emissions, improve air quality, enhance the passenger experience and reduce operating costs.

Birmingham Mail

• New driving laws for elderly motorists over age 70 delayed by LabourAll of the road safety consultations - including bringing in mandatory new eyesight tests every three years for older motorists - have been extended until mid-May.

Birmingham Post

• A £500m development near Temple Meads station could become 'Bristol's King's Cross'Under the plans, hundreds of build-to-rent homes, new academic and office space, and a school will be built
• Bristol Airport announces proposals to tackle 'nuisance street parking'It has urged people travelling to the airport to consider using public transport rather than driving

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Transpennine upgrade plans open for public consultationPlans for major rail improvements are now open for public feedback as part of a wider upgrade programme.

Bristol Live

• Bedminster Bridges chaos begins as locals plead 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'Bristol City Council has delayed the main Bedminster Bridges roundabout transformation until autumn due to project complexity, but preparatory work including felling 15 trees begins on Monday

London Evening Standard

• New trains on Bakerloo line: TfL moves closer to replacing oldest fleet on London UndergroundThe trains date to 1972 but may not be replaced for another decade

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• £50 million fund earmarked for major transport projects supporting Aston Villa and Birmingham City FC agreedThe huge pot, agreed by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board, will kick-start work on the new tram line to the Blues' £3 billion Sports Quarter as well as upgrading Witton and Aston stations which serve Villa Park.
• 'Affordable way': Chancellor Rachel Reeves makes HS2 pledge to get trains running - but no date for when high speed rail services will run from Birmingham to London has been givenChancellor Rachel Reeves has insisted the government 'will get HS2 trains running' but could not confirm a date.

East Anglian Daily Times

• New Class 99 locomotives debut in East Anglia on test runsAcross Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, fans gathered at stations and linesides at the weekend to witness the debut of the Class 99 locomotives, which can be powered either by electricity or diesel.

Plymouth Herald

• New railway station plan amid huge Plymouth transport shake-upThe £100m revamp of Plymouth's main railway station is set to go back to the drawing board - but plans are emerging for a new terminal at Plympton.

South Wales Argus

• Plaid Cymru call for full control of rail policy in WalesMP Ann Davies has tabled amendments to the UK government's Railways Bill, arguing that devolution is necessary for a fair and functional transport system.

Other Regional Press

• Work due to start on Rutland's new £4.5m transport hubWork to transform a former community centre into a transport hub is set to begin. Jules House close to Rutland Memorial Hospital in Oakham will start to be refurbished and extended as part of a £23million levelling up scheme.
• Plan for 'step free' access at a Shropshire railway station outlinedA new footbridge and two passenger lifts are set to bring 'step free' access to Wellington Railway Station.

Highways News

• Hertfordshire: More than £100m earmarked for transport schemesMore than a thousand transport schemes are set to be delivered under a major investment plan for Hertfordshire.

Modern Railways

• £50 million to fast-track West Midlands transport schemesAn advance of £50 million to accelerate early design, surveys and business cases on several schemes including a new tram line and railway station upgrades has been approved by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) board.

Rail Business Daily

• £800k drainage upgrade planned between Bathgate and EdinburghNetwork Rail will carry out improvements to drainage infrastructure on the railway between Bathgate and Edinburgh next month, helping to boost performance and keep services reliable for passengers.
• Final Northumberland Line station confirmed for March openingBedlington the final station on the Northumberland Line will open to passengers on Sunday, March 29th.
• Kilborn Consulting Ltd acquired by TYLinKilborn Consulting Limited, specialists in signalling design, telecoms, and level crossings, has announced that it has joined global infrastructure engineering firm TYLin (pronounced Tee Why Lin).
• Preliminary Market Engagement for DLR Thamesmead ExtensionTransport for London (TfL) has commenced Preliminary Market Engagement for the proposed Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Thamesmead Extension programme (TEX).

Rail Magazine

• Transport for Wales explains benefits of tram-trains - all hoped to be in service this yearTransport for Wales should have all 36 of its Class 398 tram-trains in service by the end of 2026.
• West Midlands advances £50m to fast-track Metro extensionThe West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has agreed to bring forward £50 million in funding to accelerate early work on a series of major transport schemes across the region.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Operators urged to 'be creative' when connecting with politiciansIn the final session of the 2026 Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Conference, CPT Chairman Martin Dean, Jo Tanner of Rud Pedersen and Matthew Faulding of Anacta explored how operators can engage with and influence politicians and decision-makers in the current policy landscape.
• Electric coaches and buses 'should get three-year MoT exemption'Current position for electrics is 'a ridiculous waste of resources', says Leon Daniels in address
• Why coach operators must explain rising hire rates to organisersThe opportunity to increase hire rates prompted by the post-COVID operating landscape is putting smiles on the faces of coach operators. But for group travel organisers wanting to hire a coach, there are more frowns than smiles. What's being done to explain the reasons?
• Does the market exist for luxury intercity coach services?Simon Ingham, Commercial Manager at Edwards Coaches, considers what constitutes luxury in long-distance coach transport and whether the sector could make it work
• First Bus exits Cornwall as Go South West consolidates positionVehicles quickly begin moves to other areas as Go-Ahead further consolidates position in county
• Warning sounded over PSVAIR readiness for rail replacementGovernment expresses concern over preparedness for PSVAIR on rail replacement and operators question if enough compliant coaches will be available
• Action-oriented approach to women's safety on buses at CPT Conference 2026More CCTV, better roadside infrastructure and clear messaging and campaigns were highlighted as ways to address the issue of violence against women and girls (VaWG) on buses at the 2026 CPT Conference.
• PCSOs to use Arriva community hub at Wakefield bus stationFacility also to be made available to groups for meetings, engagement activity, and other events

Other News Sources

• Wake up to triple threat of cyber attacks, transport managers warnedTransport managers need to stop being complacent and recognise that a cyber attack poses a triple threat, which can affect both the business and their own finances, fleet transport risk consultant and insurance broker McCarron Coates warned this week.
• Getting transport infrastructure right is critical to unlocking housing targetsHousing growth will only be successful and create lasting communities if we align it with infrastructure, writes Ian Walters, managing director of rail-led infrastructure organisation SLC
• Major railway line reopens after landslip left tracks hanging in mid-airTrains between Horsham and Dorking have returned to service after engineers worked day and night to repair the collapsed embankment at Ockley