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

Tuesday, 31 March 2026

BBC News

• Ferry service at risk due to decline of newspapersIncreasing costs and a decreasing demand for newspapers could put a "life link" daily inter-island freight service at risk.
• Easter disruption for Europe's busiest train lineThousands of Easter train journeys will be disrupted by a six-day shutdown on the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
• Edinburgh private hire drivers in protest over roads and bus lanesThey claim it is getting harder to find work in the capital.
• Fatal train derailment was 'avoidable', inquiry toldThree men died when a train derailed near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire following heavy rain in 2020.
• Damage to London buses from crashes risingThe data includes incidents that caused injury as well as minor damage to paintwork, TfL says.
• Police criticised over public transport crimesFigures show around 97% of hate crime or VAWG offences reported never result in a charge or summons
• New ferry to enter service but CalMac vessel shortage still criticalMV Isle of Islay is the first of four large new ferries ordered from a shipyard in Turkey.
• Korean Air takes emergency action as fuel prices soarThe national flag carrier said it will cut costs as energy prices soar due to the Iran war.
• Millions of drivers mis-sold car finance to receive average £829 in compensationThe City regulator says 12.1 million mis-sold motor finance deals will be eligible for redress.

The Telegraph

• Heathrow boss hits back at plan to split up airport [subscription]Thomas Woldbye warns that fragmenting ownership introduces 'delay and higher costs' for passengers

Times Online

• Regulator proposes cap on Heathrow airport charges [subscription]The aviation regulator wants to either freeze airport charges or limit increases to single digits, which is likely to anger both the airport and airlines

Reuters News

• UK aviation watchdog proposes Heathrow airport charge cap for 2027-2031Britain's Civil Aviation ​Authority on Tuesday proposed capping Heathrow ‌Airport's passenger charges at between 27.20 pounds and 30.50 pounds per passenger for the ​2027-2031 regulatory period.

City AM

• Heathrow to remain world's most expensive airportHeathrow is poised remain the most expensive airport in the world, under plans submitted by the the UK's aviation watchdog which permit the hub to raise its passenger fee despite a frenzied lobbying effort from the airline industry.
• Why Rail is the Next Big Growth Frontier for eDreams ODIGEO The liberalisation of European airspace in the late 1990s didn't just create low-cost travel, it paved the way to a new class of digital intermediaries to aggregate a fragmented market. Today, we are seeing a strategic parallel unfold. As European rail undergoes a similar structural opening, the investment opportunity is now on the tracks.

Daily Record

• CalMac ferry chaos leaves Scots islanders unable to return home for Easter 'for first time in 20 years'Fed-up islanders warned their lifeline transport network is currently broken with eight of CalMac's largest ferries currently out of action.

Mail Online

• TSA lines FINALLY shorten as Trump gives workers double paycheck in bid to end weeks of airport chaosPassengers flying through American airports on Monday were astonished to find significantly shorter security lines as Transportation Safety Administration officers began receiving money.

The National

• Scottish Government issues statement on CalMac amid 'critical shortage' of ferriesTHE Scottish Government has said it is working with CalMac to 'urgently resolve' issues facing its ferry fleet, after an eighth vessel was taken out of action for repairs.

Local Government

• Station opening completes Northumberland Line...for nowShortly before 8.30am on Sunday, March 29th 2026, the first passenger train in more than 60 years pulled into Bedlington. It marked the completion of the Northumberland Line programme which has revolutionised travel in the area and surpassed all expectations in terms of passenger numbers since it opened in December 2024.

Network Rail

• Network Rail and South Western Railway carrying out £6 million upgrade for Berrylands station in south west LondonStation to close from 11 May until end of September so that platforms can be replaced and safety enhancements carried out.
• Major rail improvement work between York and Northallerton on both May bank holiday weekendsNetwork Rail will carry out a package of major improvement work on the East Coast Main Line between York and Northallerton during May, supporting a more reliable and resilient railway.

Metro

• Major London train station to close over Easter in huge disruption to passengersOne of London's busiest railway stations is set to close for almost a week during the Easter break. If you need to catch a train from Euston over Easter, brace for a longer journey and queueing up for a replacement bus.

Yorkshire Post

• Tong Street: Multi million pound scheme to improve one of most congested roads to go aheadA multi million pound scheme to improve one of Bradford's most congested roads will still go ahead Government has confirmed.
• Lavatory logistics on a Northern service from Leeds to Blackpool was a damning indictment of the railways in the region - Andrew VineLet's talk about toilets. Specifically, let's talk about the toilets on trains, or more accurately the lack of them for passengers shifting uncomfortably in their seats and counting the minutes until they can get off and find a loo.

Cambridge News

• Fears funding for improvements on major Cambridgeshire A-road could be ‘withdrawn’A decision to provide the funding is currently 'under review'

Oxford Mail

• Sarwar: Transport problem in central belt like island ferries would be scandalTransport issues hitting Scotland's central belt in the same way as ferry disruption would be a 'national scandal', Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said.

Other Regional Press

• Shadow Transport Secretary slams Isle of Wight ferry levyShadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden has slammed the government's levy on ferries as 'a tax on the Isle of Wight' and promised 'robust' policy on the ferries if the Conservative Party were to win power, in a visit to the Island last week (Friday, March 27).
• Cornwall to London flights made easy as locals warn 'use it or lose it'CornwallLive readers have heard that travellers in Cornwall will soon be able to fly from Newquay to London Gatwick again, with easyJet launching a twice-weekly service on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 23rd June. Fares start at £30.99.
• Ealing Reform UK backs Heathrow expansionReform UK members in Ealing have backed a third runway at Heathrow, as the long-running debate over airport expansion resurfaces ahead of May's local elections.
• "It is a really exciting time" - A behind the scenes look as Network Rail begin £120million re-signalling phase at HavantNetwork Rail has begun a £120 million upgrade on an 'underperforming route' in Hampshire as it looks to provide passengers with more reliable services.
• Ammanford proposed as part of new Swansea Bay rail systemA new metro network could reshape transport links across south west Wales.
• Big changes around section of Nuneaton railway line as works startTrees are set to be removed close to a section of railway line in Nuneaton. They are adjacent to the railway line in Attleborough Recreation Ground.
• Big changes around section of Nuneaton railway line as works startThe works will be carried out in phases
• Busiest Easter in years as 21m UK journeys planned despite fuel hikesThe RAC has said that the Easter period is likely to be the busiest on the roads in four years with nearly 21 million leisure journeys by car planned.

Rail Business Daily

• ScotRail thanks customers as 120,000 return to Glasgow CentralScotRail is thanking customers for returning to rail travel with the resumption of the normal timetable at Glasgow Central High Level.
• High Speed Rail Group welcomes Balfour Beatty as newest memberThe High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) has welcomed leading infrastructure provider Balfour Beatty as its newest member, strengthening the industry body's expertise in delivery and engineering.
• Rob Morris appointed as Chair of the Rail Supply GroupRob Morris has been appointed as the new Chair of the Rail Supply Group (RSG), taking up the role on 1 April 2026 at a pivotal moment for the UK rail industry. Rob is a well know figure in the industry and is the Joint Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Mobility and Managing Director of Siemens Rail Infrastructure and Software.

Rail Magazine

• "A very special day": joy as final Northumberland Line station opensThe final station on the Northumberland Line has opened, marking the completion of the project.
• West Yorkshire mass transit uncertainty as Mayor asked to make case for tram over busesConfusion surrounds the form that West Yorkshire's proposed mass transit system will take, following reports of Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander's apparent reluctance to commit to a tram-based network.
• West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line is underperforming, with incident recovery times lengthening due to train flighting on the Fast lines. This is impacting the line's ability to consistently deliver high-level service.

Railnews

• New action group calls for East West Rail to open Frustrated residents in the Buckinghamshire town of Winslow are setting up an Action Group, as there appears to be no end in sight to the deadlock which is preventing scheduled passenger trains running between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes. The restored section of line between Bicester and Bletchley was completed in 2024 and approved by ORR inspectors in October of that year, but so far the only trains have been freight workings and test runs, apart from one or two passenger charters.

Railway Gazette

• Investor to increase stake in Thameslink train fleetUK: Denmark-based energy and decarbonisation infrastructure investor AIP Management has signed an agreement to acquire an additional stake in Cross London Trains, which owns the Thameslink fleet.

Transportxtra

• The humble bus stop is doing extraordinary things in PortsmouthA public private partnership between Portsmouth City Council and Bauer Media Outdoor UK is transforming bus infrastructure from the ground up.

Aviation Industry

• Jet2 hosts Aviation Minister at Leeds Bradford AirportThe UK Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, Keir Mather MP, has visited Jet2.com?s dedicated maintenance hangar at Leeds Bradford Airport.
• Jet2 begins operations from new London Gatwick baseJet2 has launched operations from a new base at London Gatwick Airport, marking the airport's largest airline launch in more than a decade.

Other News Sources

• Heathrow airport's fees set to rise by 1 per centThe per passenger amount that Heathrow airport can charge airlines during the next five years will rise by 1 per cent under new proposals.
• Devon town's rail station bid remains on trackLocal MP 'glad' government is backing the plans after its inclusion in Railways Bill