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

Friday, 07 August 2026

Government

• Charity Commission investigates Wirral community transport charityThe charity was set up to provide community transport and allied training for people in Merseyside and surrounding areas who need such services because of age, sickness, disability, poverty or lack of adequate and safe public transport.

BBC News

• Four-week rail disruption 'latest blow' for commutersA Liverpool councillor has said a planned four-week closure on a section of Merseyrail's Northern Line is "another blow" for commuters and football fans in the immediate local area.
• 'Frustration' as HS2 delays slip road reopeningRoadworks linked to HS2 in Staffordshire have been delayed by a further six months, meaning a slip road to a busy route will be closed for longer than planned.
• 'The London bus driver's reality is frightening'"I think if passengers knew the reality of the bus driver's life, they'd be actually very frightened," says Toni, one of London's bus drivers.
• Minibus charity under investigation over financesA charity contracted to run transport services and days out for vulnerable people is under investigation over concerns about its finances and leadership.
• Thousands of rail passengers hit by power failure disruptionThousands of rail passengers have described "nightmare" journeys, after being hit by delays and cancellations following a power failure at a Manchester signalling centre that caused major disruption across northern England.
• Owner of bike maker Raleigh files for insolvencyAccell, based in the Netherlands, has owned the famous bike brand since 2012.
• Why airlines are warning over lithium-ion batteriesThe airline industry wants passengers to be careful when travelling with lithium ion batteries.
• EasyJet agrees to £5.7bn takeover by US firm The no-frills carrier agrees to be bought by US firm Apollo after a rival suitor drops out.

Financial Times

• Rome airport aims to expand before 2033 anniversary of Christ's deathMessianic milestone will boost tourists and is unofficial deadline for new runway project.
• Rail users face further disruption after Manchester power cutHundreds of trains were cancelled in north-west England after a 90-second outage at a critical train signalling centre.

The Guardian

• Trains stop across north-west England after power cut hits signalling centreTrains across parts of north-west England have ground to a halt after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region.

The Independent

• UK airport closed for four years takes major step towards reopeningA consultation has begun into the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield airport after it closed almost four years ago.
• Fire at Heathrow airport leads to runway closure and travel delaysA runway at Heathrow was briefly closed due to a grass fire, delaying flights.

Times Online

• Wizz Air's plane lease wheeze is up in the air [subscription]The airline would be staring at vast losses if it wasn't for some nifty financial engineering but the tactic's long-term viability is coming under scruitiny

Welsh Government

• Deputy Minister for Transport holds urgent meeting on Menai Suspension BridgeUrgent meeting held yesterday to tackle short-term issues on Menai Bridge.

The Mirror

• Queues at EU airports expected to worsen ahead of new rule starting in SeptemberEU member states are allowed to pause EES checks when queues become too long, but this rule will change in September and delays could be experienced as a result
• UK trains cancelled LIVE: Commuters braced for Friday delays after power outageIt's set to be a difficult day to get around on the rails in the north west and Midlands on Friday after a power outage ground the network to a halt on Thursday

The National

• Why is our ferry service only one singled outfor criticism?THE criticism presented by one of the country's leading ferry experts on the Scottish West Coast ferries is quite comprehensive, but why is there no comparison between Scottish ferry services and unsubsidised services in England a competitive service to the Isle of Wight and a medium-length single-company route to the Scilly Isles?

Birmingham Mail

• Birmingham 'New Street Station is full' says campaign group backing divisive Digbeth rail proposalBetter Streets for Birmingham will lose an important space in Digbeth if rail demolition goes ahead, but it says the change is of 'vital importance'.

Bristol Live

• Concerns raised over 'perilously dark' path at Bristol's railway stationPassengers using a railway station that opened less than two years ago are already calling on Network Rail and Bristol City Council to make improvements, saying that the main path and tunnel used to access the station is 'perilously dark'.

London Evening Standard

• City Hall bosses are being 'rewarded for failure' over fare dodging, London Tory claimsThe total cost of fare evasion to Transport for London is estimated to be £190 million every year
• Grassfire closes Heathrow runway as flights hit by delaysFootage on social media appears to show smoke rising over the runway at Heathrow

Wales Online

• Cardiff Airport records higher score than Heathrow and Stansted in new reportThe airport has received a 'very good' rating in the UK’s aviation regulator's report

Oxford Mail

• £7 billion East West Rail Oxford to Milton Keynes row reignitesThe dispute that halted the much-anticipated introduction of new trains to Milton Keynes looked to be coming to be coming to an end.

South Wales Argus

• Welsh Government vows to fix 'unacceptable' Ebbw Vale - Newport chaosThe Welsh Government has acknowledged failures on the Ebbw Vale to Newport line in response to weeks of cancellations, delays, and reduced services that have left commuters and communities frustrated and without reliable transport.
• 18 year olds to buy half-price train tickets is 'excellent news'The Department for Transport decision to allow 18 year olds to buy half-price train tickets Is 'excellent news for young people in Newport East who take the train', says Jessica Morden MP.

Other Regional Press

• 'Tulips' to guide cyclists through Bath park under new planTulips will guide cyclists along a new Bath cycle lane and separate them from traffic.
• Students Can Add Bus Passes To Their Watches And PhonesMembers of Our Pass which offers 16 to 18-year-olds who live in Greater Manchester free bus travel across the region as well as selected half-price tram tickets can now add their Our Pass to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone or Apple Watch to travel across Greater Manchester.
• E-scooters riskier than motorbikes for brain injuries, UK study findsA major UK study suggests e-scooter riders are at significantly higher risk of traumatic brain injury and internal organ damage than cyclists or motorcyclists, with children and women among the most vulnerable — and helmet use found to be rare.
• MP says residents will be 'angry and frustrated' at six-month delay to end of HS2 roadworks on the A38 in LichfieldAN MP has hit out at confirmation from the boss of HS2 that the end of roadworks in Lichfield could be delayed by six months.
• Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn highlights how West Fraser's railway halt will cut thousands of HGV journeys from the A9 and A96 on a visit to the 'Cloud Factory' siteTransport Secretary Stephen Flynn highlights the reduction of thousands of HGV journeys due to West Fraser's railway halt.
• Stansted Airport's transport guru Steve Mills sets out his direction of travelSteve Mills, transport expert at Stansted Airport, outlines his future plans.

Bus-News

• Wrightbus Demonstrates 6-Metre Battery-Electric Bus on the Isle of ManWrightbus has demonstrated its 6-metre battery-electric bus on the Isle of Man as part of a week-long visit to showcase the vehicle's suitability for local bus services.

Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 16, Season 4Christian and co-presenter Mark Walker examine what the ministerial appointments and announcements from the new UK Labour Government led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham MP indicate about the direction for transport policy [1:21]. In a discussion recorded live at London's Owl Bookshop with fellow author Andrew Martin, Christian explores some of the issues covered in his latest book, 'Fast Track: The Extraordinary Story of High-Speed Rail' [20:21]. In his final thought from the departure lounge, Christian suggests that Great British Railways might benefit from a snappier marketing brand [60:05].

Highways Magazine

• Urgent meeting held regarding Menai Bridge closuresThe Welsh deputy minister for transport, Mark Hooper, held an urgent meeting to address 'short-term issues' on the Menai Bridge following the recent closures caused by worker abuse and disregard for weight restrictions.

Highways News

• Transport Committee responds to TfL approval of supervised robotaxi service in LondonChair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Caroline Russell AM, has issued a response to the news that Uber and Wayve have been given TfL approval for a supervised robotaxi service in London.

New Civil Engineer

• Aecom appointed for Bakerloo line upgrade depot and sidings feasibility studyAmerican infrastructure firm Aecom has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) to deliver a feasibility study for the depots and sidings required to facilitate the Bakerloo Line Upgrade (BLU), marking one of the first steps towards the rollout of a new fleet of trains on the London Underground line.

Rail Business Daily

• Network Rail Routes and Borders & Transport for Wales (TFW) sets platinum standard for youth rail safetyNetwork Rail Wales and Borders, in collaboration with Transport for Wales (TfW) has joined the Rail Safe Friendly programme at 'Platinum' level, demonstrating their commitment to educating young people about railway safety and helping to prevent incidents of trespass and unsafe behaviour across the rail network.

Rail Magazine

• Network Rail offers one-year support for Transport for Wales Bristol planTransport for Wales (TfW) is confident it will be able to start its West Wales-Bristol Temple Meads service in December after receiving conditional support from Network Rail (NR).

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS2 Targets 2037 Opening as Programme Reset Takes ShapeMark Wild, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, has used his latest project update to reinforce the programme's revised ambition of opening the railway between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street "in 2037, or earlier".

Railway-News

• Final Roof Segment Installed on Burton Green HS2 TunnelThe final roof segment of HS2's new Burton Green tunnel has now been installed, marking a major milestone for the 700-metre-long structure in the West Midlands.

Other News Sources

• Making active travel work: the role of integrated, multi-modal network planningActive travel investment is growing across the UK. Through our partnership with AECOM, we're calling for network planning to shape decisions from the outset so individual schemes create coherent, usable networks.
• London takes next step towards replacing 1972 Bakerloo Line trainsTransport for London has appointed AECOM to assess the depot and siding upgrades required for the future replacement of the Bakerloo Line fleet. The trains currently operating on the route entered service in 1972 and are the oldest used in daily passenger operation in the United Kingdom.
• BCC urge investment push to revive growth in UKThe British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged the UK's new administration to put business investment at the centre of its growth strategy, warning that uncertainty, rising costs, planning delays, infrastructure constraints and weak access to finance are holding back firms' long-term decisions.
• Cycling again declared London's fastest transport in new dataNew data analysis from health data experts Terra and triathlon icon Alistair Brownlee has provided fresh evidence that cycling is the fastest inner city rush hour transport, with new findings from London showing that two wheels beats the tube and cars for most trips.
• Mitie retains security contract with Transport for LondonMitie has retained its security contract with Transport for London (TfL) for a further five years, helping to protect key infrastructure and support safe, secure operations across London.
• Gatwick Airport expansion could bolster investment confidence in the UKPlans to expand Gatwick Airport by bringing its second runway into routine use can proceed after campaigners lost a legal challenge against the government.