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

Monday, 18 May 2026

BBC News

• More bus fares to be capped at £2 by councilBus passengers in Telford and Wrekin will pay less for a single fare on more routes from Monday. The £2 fare cap on services run by Telford and Wrekin Council has been expanded to also include routes operated by Arriva across the borough.
• Railway track reopens after tunnel closureNetwork Rail says inspectors spotted the problem at Sough Tunnel on Sunday morning and closed it.
• London cycleway plan to go ahead after pauseWork on the Aldgate to Blackfriars route was paused over concerns about floating bus stops.
• Scotland's first modern railway marks 200th anniversaryThe line between Monklands and Kirkintilloch opened on 17 May 1826 and played a key part in the industrial revolution.
• HS2 failings blamed on high-speed focus and political pressure A new reviews confirms the high-speed rail line's "original sins" include a technical design, changing political priorities and ballooning costs.

The Guardian

• JLR and General Motors eye £900m contract to build new range of military trucksCarmakers aim to expand into UK defence sector, exploiting spending boom by Nato countries. Jaguar Land Rover and General Motors are considering an expansion into UK defence via a £900m military contract, as carmakers seek to exploit a spending boom by Nato countries racing to rearm.The manufacturers are among a group of automotive firms vying to make thousands of 4x4s for the armed forces to replace an ageing fleet of Land Rovers that have been out of production since 2016.

The Independent

• 'Gold plating' HS2 resulted in railway's woes, major report due to sayA report will criticise the 'original sins' in the decision-making behind the multibillion-pound rail project.

Times Online

• Need for speed derailed HS2, says report on £100bn shambles [subscription]Political interference and the focus on hitting 360km/h are highlighted in an official review that identifies the scheme's 'original sins'

National Audit Office

• Innovation in transportThe transport sector has a long history of introducing new and improved ways of helping move people and goods. The Department for Transport (DfT) has identified innovation as a key enabler to achieving its priority outcomes of growth; greener, safer and healthier transport; and improving transport for people.

City AM

• Can an e-bike subscription win over London commuters from Lime and Forest? London’s dockless bike market has become increasingly competitive, but for regular riders the main difference between operators is often cost, rather than convenience. Lime and Forest dominate much of the capital’s dockless cycling network and both have become embedded in the daily commute, particularly across central London where short journeys are often quicker by bike

The Mirror

• London Underground strike dates May 2026: Tube lines affected as commuters dealt fresh blowCommuters are facing another round of disruption as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has called for two 24-hour walkouts, with two more sets of strikes also planned in June
• Zinc Aviation plans Ryanair-style ultra-low cost flights across AustraliaZinc Aviation, founded by former Qantas executive Peter Kelly, aims to become Australia's first independent ultra-low cost carrier, modelling itself on Irish budget airline Ryanair with flights anchored at Western Sydney International Airport

Birmingham Mail

• Petrol and diesel drivers face big ban under Labour with exact year announcedThe ban on new petrol and diesel cars was originally introduced in 2017 under former Prime Minister Theresa May’s government

Bristol Live

• Bristol’s massive e-scooter expansion targetting new users as parking issues continueAfraid of e-scooters? Dott launches takeover at Lloyds Amphitheatre to show Bristol how it's done
• Brabazon new town must be ‘fresh start on 50 years of neglect’ in transport woesThe old Filton Airfield and land to the east has been earmarked by the government as a 'new town'

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Direct Llandudno Liverpool service launches in revamped train timetablePassengers across North Wales will benefit from an uplift in rail services as Transport for Wales (TfW) prepares to introduce a new timetable from today.

Sheffield Star

• 'Lack of public transport to blame for rise of e-bikes' - Reader's letterMatthew Smith from Hillsborough on the link between public transport and the rise of the e-bike...
• Sheffield is the last big UK city without electrified train line - how have we gone backwards?Sheffield is the last big city in the country without an electrified line of any sort - but why?

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• New West Midlands transport hub announced as one of region's best buildings in awardsA new civic transport hub in Birmingham serving the university is amongst the winners in a prestigious awards ceremony.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds United Elland Road expansion latest: New image shared, mass transit agreement & Government backingThe Yorkshire Post have also reported on a fresh agreement to bring mass transit to Elland Road and the city of Leeds. The Lowy Family Group, Leeds City Council and Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin's West Yorkshire Combined Authority are reportedly due to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday.

Oxford Mail

• Oxford congestion charge transport boss 'should get knighthood'The county councillor who introduced the controversial congestion charge in Oxford should be awarded a knighthood, according to one pensioner.

Other Regional Press

• New night bus routes introduced in Devon and Cornwall Making a popular return this summer is Cornwall's convenient and affordable Saturday night bus service. Devon also benefits from year-round night buses with an extra route being added this year in Newton Abbot.
• 7 major Dundee transport dilemmas facing city chiefsConcerns over Dundee's transport infrastructure are never far from the headlines.
• Edinburgh route highlighted as one of the 'worst' services for ScotRailAcross seven routes in Tayside, Stirling, and Edinburgh from January 2025 to May 2026 there have been a total of 6,824 incidents on ScotRail services

Rail Advent

• New router aims to solve Wi-Fi connectivity problemsA new internet router announced today aims to solve problems caused by varying Wi-Fi connectivity requirements across different types of trains, differences in vehicle architecture, space constraints, and operational priorities.

Rail Magazine

• "All marginal benefit is brilliant": new Darlington platforms should help East Coast Main LineDarlington's new-look station and extra platforms were officially opened on Friday (May 15).

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Responding to the South Yorkshire vision for bus franchisingThe South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is the fourth of the combined authorities to take forward bus franchising. Following on from Greater Manchester, Liverpool and West Yorkshire it has been able to benefit from experience elsewhere.
• ROSCO seeks growth and modernisation after 70 years in coach and bus road safetyThe ROSCO Safe Driver Awards scheme is being brought up to date as fresh faces on the board look to reinvigorate the well-established initiative
• Political upheaval must not come to harm coach and bus industryPolitics is a mess, but that must not impact the progress that coach and bus has made recently
• UK bus evolution poses user technology opportunity for RidangoEstonian supplier majors on account-based ticketing, complemented by other services for riders
• Integrated National Transport Strategy: a turning point for coachGovernment recognition in the Integrated National Transport Strategy for the coach sector could be transformative, writes CPT President Kathryn Pulham
• PSVAIR brings benefits and challenges alike for coach and busPSVAIR can help the coach and bus industry but the countdown is on for operators to ensure all remaining vehicles comply, writes Graham Vidler
• Cambridge Connector project paving the way towards autonomyThe Connector project in Cambridge is providing a glimpse of how autonomous technology could be applied in the bus sector

Aviation Industry

• London Southend Eyes Additional Based Aircraft, Domestic RoutesRIMINI, Italy. London Southend Airport (SEN) is seeking to build on a sharp recovery in passenger traffic by targeting further based aircraft, expanding winter operations and positioning itself as a lower-cost alternative to larger London airports.

Other News Sources

• UKREiiF | Elland Road MoU to be signedOn Tuesday, the Lowy Family Group 'owners of Leeds United' along with Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will commit to working together on plans to align the stadium expansion with housing development and future mass transit links. The Lowy Family Group previously threw its support behind WYCA?s plans for trams in March, better connecting Elland Road with the city centre
• P&O Ferries appoints head of B2B salesP&O Ferries has appointed Dominic Tucker as head of B2B sales, distribution and partnerships within its passenger business.
• Darwen and Rossendale's commuter rail services 'are patchy or non-existent'Rossendale and Darwen's MP has told the Government it must invest in new rail links to his constituency to stop towns like Rawtenstall and Bacup being left behind compared to nearby Manchester.
• Darlington Station revamp reaches finish lineA multi-million-pound railway transformation project has been completed in the North East, bringing new platforms, upgraded facilities and improved connectivity.
• Government Signals Continued Support for Open Access Rail Operators Under Great British RailwaysThe Government has moved to reassure the rail industry that open access operators will continue to have a role on the UK rail network under future Great British Railways (GBR) reforms provided their services deliver clear benefits for passengers and the wider network.