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

Thursday, 19 February 2026

Cogitamus

• Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Episode 8, Season 4Christian speaks to Leo Murray, Chief Executive of Riding Sunbeams, about his company's quest to connect Britain's railways directly to renewable electricity sources [01:30], Ian Brown CBE, Policy Director at Railfuture, about the campaign's aim for a bigger and better railway [16:30] and Chris Todd, outgoing Director at Transport Action Network, about the case for choosing rail, bus, active travel and road maintenance schemes over new highways [26:54].

BBC News

• City centre road transformation plans unveiledA public consultation has been launched into the proposed road changes by Birmingham City Council.
• Transport cash prioritised for 'greatest benefit'West Midlands Combined Authority is reviewing the way its funds large projects.
• New railway stations part of £14bn UK government funding promiseSir Keir Starmer backs long list of Welsh railway projects, including seven new stations.
• Call for congestion charges on evening rush hourClean Cities says the number of cars coming into central London dramatically increases after 18:00.
• Why there's no quick fix in sight for the problem of dazzling headlightsRoad users say headlight glare is an issue - but experts warn a solution might not be straightforward.

Department for Transport

• 4,500 new homes and jobs in Lincolnshire thanks to new government-backed roadThe £110 million investment in the North Hykeham Relief Road will also mean faster journeys and less congestion for people across Lincoln and Lincolnshire.

Financial Times

• Palantir CEO Alex Karp has his head in the clouds Frequent flier

The Guardian

• Plug-in hybrids use three times more fuel than manufacturers claim, analysis findsWhile most hybrids are said to use one to two litres of fuel per 100km, a study claims they need six litres on average. Plug-in hybrid electric cars (PHEVs) use much more fuel on the road than officially stated by their manufacturers, a large-scale analysis of about a million vehicles of this type has shown.The Fraunhofer Institute carried out what is thought to be the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, using the data transmitted wirelessly by PHEVs from a variety of manufacturers while they were on the road.
• Councils in England call for ‘radical’ means testing of Send school transportDemand is rising at unsustainable rate and could cost £3.4bn by 2030-31, local authorities warnFamilies who have children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) should be means tested for school transport, according to councils in England, who say demand is rising “at an unsustainable rate”.Local authorities are urging the government to be “radical” in its Send reforms, which are expected imminently, warning that annual costs on home-to-school transport for children with Send could rise to £3.4bn by 2030-31, up from £2bn last year.

The Scotsman

• Bikes outnumber cars in Scotland-first commuting milestone on busy route into Glasgow city centreBikes have outnumbered cars for the first time in a rush hour traffic survey by Cycling Scotland which said the figures "wouldn't look out of place on a Dutch or Danish street".
• Wanted: New chief to spearhead near £1bn expansion of Edinburgh Airport - Scotland's busiestnew leader to spearhead one of Scotland's biggest expansion projects is being sought after the chief of the country's busiest airport announced his departure on Wednesday.

Times Online

• Pedicab clampdown slams brakes on loud music and rip-off fares. [subscription]One driver attempted to charge £580 for a journey of less than 20 minutes from Oxford Circus to Old Street, according to a TfL official
• Ryanair may defy new passport rules for British dual citizens [subscription]The airline suggested it could allow them to continue boarding flights without a UK passport if they had proof of British citizenship

City AM

• New regulations for pedicabs to curb rip-off fares Pedicabs will be barred from blasting bangers and charging “rip-off” fares under new rules which will mean rickshaws in the capital face regulations for the first time.
• New EV charges threaten fragile consumer confidence The UK government wants Britain to go electric, but carmakers are under strict sales targets, grants have been extended, and billions are being funnelled into infrastructure. But at street level, the case for switching still depends on whether the switch will actually save drivers money.

Bristol Live

• Old railway line to be cleared for major Bristol-Bath transport projectThis is adding to the uncertainty and anxiety faced by hundreds of people. We know several families who have had enough and moved away

Northern Echo

• Newcastle Airport targets major expansion with new cargo equipmentNewcastle Airport has boosted its cargo operations with new equipment, including a main deck loader, backed by investment from on-site partner Samson Aviation.

Wales Online

• Speed limits to change again on dozens of Welsh roads Welsh Government is set to make speed limit changes on trunk roads including the A494, A487 and A40 following the controversial 20mph speed limit review

Bucks Free Press

• Student’s college commute cost spikes from £27 to over £40 a week - MP speaks outAn MP has warned that the rising costs of rail fares risk restricting access to education after a parent contacted her about a sharp rise in the cost of travelling to college.

Cambridge News

• Busway bridge will be closed to pedestrians and cyclists for monthsThe closure is planned as part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s work to install safety fencing between the busway track and the pathway alongside it

Other Regional Press

• Newcastle Airport expands cargo servicesThe airport's on-site business partner, Samson Aviation, has invested in a range of new equipment, including a main deck loader capable of handling both widebody and narrowbody passenger and cargo aircraft.
• Manchester Airport sees record Asian passenger numbersManchester Airport has hit a record high as more than half a million passengers travel to Asia from the UK.
• MP calls for special budget for Cambridgeshire's peat roadsA Huntingdonshire MP has called on the Government to provide a special budget to repair peat-affected roads across the county.
• Scottish government awarded Serco NorthLink £235m to keep Shetland's lifeline service runningNorthLink has been subsidised by almost a quarter of a billion pounds to provide the lifeline ferry service to the Northern Isles, it can be revealed.

Airportwatch

• Solar EV charging put to the test in the Canadian subarctic [subscription]Engineers are braving minus 45C to test the latest solar panels and EV chargers, which could reduce dependency on expensive and hard-to-transport fossil fuels

New Civil Engineer

• Government backs long-term rail plan for Wales with 7 new stations and up to £14bn pipelineThe UK and Welsh governments have agreed a long-term plan to upgrade rail services across Wales, backing a Transport for Wales (TfW) vision that officials say could support thousands of jobs and unlock new housing and business developments.
• Preparation and cooperation prove vital in £60M replacement of West Coast Main Line bridge over M6Replacing the railway bridge that carried the West Coast Main Line (WCML) over the M6 at Clifton, near Penrith in Cumbria, was a project identified as a necessity by Network Rail years before it happened.
• Work on long-awaited £200M Lincoln relief road to start as government confirms fundsWork on a long‑planned relief road intended to ease congestion around Lincoln is due to start next month after the government confirmed more than £110M in funding.

Rail Business Daily

• Ticketing technology without bordersSteve Broadley is Lead, UK and Ireland, at ticketing specialist FAIRTIQ. He has worked in public transport since 2005, supporting digital projects across the UK, Europe, and worldwide.

Rail Magazine

• The 36 aspirations included in Transport for Wales' rail visionThe new Transport for Wales rail vision includes dozens of plans for the Welsh rail network.

Railnews

• Seven more stations planned for Wales The Prime Minister is supporting proposals to invest almost 500 million pounds in Welsh train services, which include seven new stations. The Welsh Government has already committed 1.1 billion pounds to upgrade and electrify the Core Valley Lines and another 800 million pounds for new trains. Six of the new stations will be in South Wales.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• National Express works with SQE and Zenobē on power sourcingEnd-to-end power management solution allows move from traditional fixed-price energy contract
• Trapeze Group rebrands businesses into four separate identitiesEbblo, Grampian Solutions, Naviquate and Nexfeld are the brands to emerge from the exercise
• Met Commercial Vehicle Unit disbanding savaged by former STCFormer Senior Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell (pictured) has attacked a decision by the Metropolitan Police that will see the disbanding of its Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU), which she calls a 'world-class' enforcement arm.

Aviation Industry

• Heathrow sets ambitious 5.6% SAF target for year aheadHeathrow Airport has an ambitious plan to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) across its operations in 2026, setting a target of 5.6% of all fuel uplifted at the airport to be SAF.

Other News Sources

• LBA submits new application in relation to nighttime flightsLeeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has submitted a new application relating to nighttime flights. The airport has submitted a new CLEUD (Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development) application to Leeds City Council.
• Jet2.com opens Jet2FlightPath programme to put more aspiring pilots through fully funded trainingAfter a phenomenal response to its inaugural programme last year, Jet2.com has today announced that it has reopened its Jet2FlightPath programme for 2026, giving at least 60 aspiring pilots the opportunity to fly for the award-winning airline without having to self-fund the £100,000-plus cost of flight training.
• Cycling is reshaping where young Londoners live, vote and dateAccording to research from shared e-bike provider Lime, a new generation of cyclists is reshaping London's streets, housing market and even dating scene,
• London Heathrow Airport alert over key £7 fee to be paid by certain visitorsHeathrow Airport has issued a reminder about a £7 charge for some vehicles at its terminals