Passengers across England are set to see a range of rail improvements from Sunday 17 May as Network Rail and publicly owned train operators introduce a new national timetable designed to improve capacity, reliability and connectivity. The timetable update — part of the rail industry’s regular twice-yearly schedule change — will affect services operated by publicly owned operators including c2c, Greater Anglia, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine

ScotRail is using Mental Health Awareness Week to encourage both passengers and employees to prioritise wellbeing and speak openly about mental health, with messages being shared across stations throughout Scotland reminding people that it is “OK to talk”. Throughout the campaign, station announcements and digital customer information screens across the ScotRail network have been used to raise awareness and encourage conversations around mental health support. The initiative

M Group has revealed a new addition to its highway maintenance fleet with the launch of the “Baby Dragon Patcher” — a compact road repair vehicle designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs and tackle potholes in harder-to-reach locations. Developed by Archway Roadmaster®, the 7.5-tonne machine is a smaller version of the company’s existing 18-tonne Dragon Patcher and has been specifically engineered for use on narrow country lanes, residential streets and constrained urban

Transport for London is introducing additional peak-time services on the Mildmay line later this month after securing funding support from Olympia as passenger demand continues to rise on the route. From 18 May 2026, new weekday shuttle services will operate between Clapham Junction and Shepherd’s Bush, delivering a significant boost in capacity during the busiest commuting periods. The enhanced timetable will add three extra trains during the morning peak and five additional

Transport for London has appointed three major contractors to a huge £700 million infrastructure framework that will drive the next wave of station upgrades, accessibility improvements and tram network modernisation across the capital. Amey Rail, Costain and Dragados have secured places on the high-profile framework agreement after beating competition from several leading UK contractors during the procurement process. The long-term deal will allow TfL to fast-track a pipeline

The road safety charity has launched a petition calling for Highways Authorities across the UK to commit to their decommissioning by the end of the decade New figures show that almost 150 miles of cable barriers – which pose a safety threat to motorcyclists – remain on England’s roads. The cable barriers are known for their ‘cheese cutter’ effect on bikers unlucky enough to hit them on collision while any unprotected posts that hold the wires in place can cause major trauma t

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is improving railway infrastructure across the North, and driving significant economic growth in the towns and cities it serves, a new report commissioned by Network Rail has found. The study, centred on the Kirklees area in West Yorkshire, revealed the scale of the regeneration effect already taking shape around Huddersfield station – a key location on the TRU route where a major transformation has been underway since 2023. Since TRU fun

The remains of seven ancient people, a Roman well and two probable Anglo-Saxon houses are some of the amazing finds that have been discovered by archaeologists during early, pre-construction investigations around National Highways’ A46 Newark Bypass scheme. The scheme, which was confirmed in the Government’s third Road Investment Strategy (RIS) in March, aims to improve congestion at key junctions along the A46 by widening sections of the carriageway, creating a flyover and b

Plans for direct rail services between London and Switzerland have taken a major step forward after Eurostar, SNCF Voyageurs and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) signed a new agreement to jointly explore the development of cross-border routes. The three operators have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at examining the feasibility of introducing direct high-speed train services linking London with major Swiss cities including Geneva, Zurich and Basel. The agreement

A new integrated leadership team has been established across c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia in a major step towards the future creation of Great British Railways (GBR). The new structure brings responsibility for both train operations and rail infrastructure under a single leadership umbrella across the East of England, with the aim of improving coordination, reducing disruption and delivering a more reliable railway for passengers and freight customers. The move

A major new phase of investment worth £150 million is set to begin on Greater Manchester’s Metrolink network later this month as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) launches extensive infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving safety, reliability and long-term resilience across the tram system. The latest programme of works will include significant track replacement and drainage improvements on the Oldham-Rochdale line, resulting in temporary service changes and line clos

Transport for London (TfL) is set to introduce a new 18-tonne weight restriction on Vauxhall Bridge from 1 July following recent structural assessments that identified signs of deterioration within the historic crossing. TfL described the measure as “safety critical” and said the restriction will remain in place while engineers develop longer-term repair and strengthening plans for the bridge. Despite the concerns, TfL stressed that Vauxhall Bridge remains safe to use and tha

A major £50 million programme of upgrades and bridge replacements on the M53 is set to begin next week as National Highways starts work on a three-year improvement project across the motorway. The extensive scheme will cover a 19-mile stretch of the M53 between Chester and Wallasey, with four bridges due to be replaced alongside resurfacing works, drainage improvements and structural repairs aimed at modernising ageing infrastructure dating back to the early 1970s. Galliford

Motorists travelling through Gloucestershire are being warned to expect months of disruption as major refurbishment works get underway on the A40 Over Bridge near Gloucester. The £7 million project, being delivered by National Highways, will see extensive repairs carried out to the ageing structure over a nine-month period, with lane closures, contraflow systems, reduced speed limits and overnight road closures planned until March 2027. The A40 Over Bridge is a critical trans

The Labour Government has unveiled plans for a new Highways (Financing) Bill that could significantly reshape how major road infrastructure projects are funded across England — including the possibility of private investment-backed road charging schemes. Announced during the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, the proposed legislation aims to accelerate the delivery of large-scale infrastructure by allowing private finance to play a much bigger role in funding r

A road planing contractor has been fined more than £92,000 after a worker suffered life-changing injuries when his leg became trapped in a road milling machine. The incident happened on 14 February 2024 on Wade Road, when a 32-year-old operative working for Power Plane Limited became entangled in the rotating milling drum of the machine. The worker’s foot became caught by the drum, pulling him into the equipment and resulting in catastrophic injuries. Emergency services amput