Great Western Railway (GWR) is set to trial new early morning train services between Reading and Gatwick Airport, aiming to improve connectivity for passengers with early flights and late arrivals. The 12-week pilot will begin on 6 June, with services operating on Saturdays and Mondays to assess demand for extended hours on the route. Currently, GWR services run between 04:30 and 23:30, limiting options for travellers needing to reach the airport during overnight periods. The

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has confirmed interim leadership plans ahead of the departure of its Chief Executive, John Larkinson, later this month. Feras Alshaker, currently Director of Planning and Performance, will step into the role of Interim Chief Executive from Monday 27 April, following a decision by the ORR Board. Alshaker brings nearly a decade of experience at the regulator and currently holds senior responsibility for oversight of Britain’s rail network and E

WJ Group has announced a major brand consolidation, bringing its JMS and Textureblast operations together under a new trading division, WJ Surface Treatments, effective from 1 April. The move sees both brands integrated into WJ North, streamlining the company’s service offering following a period of expansion that has included acquisitions and the development of specialist capabilities. Previously, JMS operated across three key sectors—highways, marine, and surface preparatio

Engineering and design consultancy GHD has secured a place on the London Borough of Ealing’s Highways and Transport Services Framework for a second term, continuing its role in supporting infrastructure and public realm projects across London. The company has been reappointed to Lot 3 (General Engineering) under the 2025–2029 framework, which runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2029. The framework is accessible to 33 local authorities and covers a wide range of highways,

Costain has been appointed to the Procure Partnerships Framework’s North West Contractor Framework, strengthening its position in the region’s infrastructure delivery market. The framework, managed by Wirral Council, enables public sector organisations across the North West—including local authorities, government departments, utilities, schools, housing associations and emergency services—to procure infrastructure projects efficiently from initial planning through to completi

A Birmingham social enterprise that helps young people facing complex barriers into work has received £10,000 of funding from the team behind the M42 junction 6 scheme. Miss Macaroon is the latest beneficiary of the project’s Community Legacy Fund, part of a wider National Highways commitment to ‘give back’ to local communities by creating positive change through its work. The investment for MacsMAD (Macaroons that Make A Difference) has enabled the creation of a dedicated tr

Thousands of new homes and jobs are set to be delivered across England following the launch of a new £165 million government fund aimed at unlocking stalled developments by improving transport infrastructure. The Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund will focus on sites where progress has been delayed due to a lack of funding for essential road links. By addressing these infrastructure gaps, the initiative is designed to enable construction to begin on housing and employment si

Concerns are growing over the impact of e-scooters and e-bikes on accessibility in Liverpool city centre, with a local charity warning that poor parking and unsafe riding are discouraging blind and visually impaired people from visiting. Bradbury Fields Services for Blind and Partially Sighted People says vehicles are frequently being left obstructing pavements, including on tactile paving designed to assist those with visual impairments. Deputy chief executive Donna Healey-S

Work on a major scheme to improve capacity and reduce congestion on the A38 in Derby is not expected to begin until 2030, despite receiving government approval last year. The £600 million project includes plans to introduce flyovers and underpasses at the busy Little Eaton, Markeaton and Kingsway roundabouts, alongside road widening to improve traffic flow on a key route through the city. Approved by the government in July, the scheme forms part of the Department for Transpor

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has outlined how it intends to invest a record £940 million in transport improvements, submitting initial proposals to the Department for Transport following consultation with local councils. The draft plans set out a broad programme of investment aimed at improving connectivity, reducing congestion, and supporting economic growth across the region. Key allocations include £150 million each for bus services, rail upgrades, and th

York’s annual maintenance plan for our roads and streets has been published today (31 March), which will result in a 50% increase in investment in highways, pathways, lighting, drainage and more. This will see significantly more invested in York’s roads than in previous years and the wide-ranging plan commits to highway repair schemes in villages and suburbs as well as the city centre, from Acomb to Osbaldwick and lots of areas in between. It also covers street lighting repai

Schools in Suffolk are beginning to benefit from more than £4,000 worth of books, dictionaries and other resources thanks to the National Highways social value fund Two primary schools close to the A14 in Ipswich - where maintenance work has been carried out - were awarded a total of £4,419.25 to help pay for new literature and learning tools. Sproughton Primary School was handed £1,904.25 while Bramford Primary School was given £2,518. Both schools are within a short distanc

Network Rail has finished replacing glazing panels as part of its major roof refurbishment project at Liverpool Street, bringing lighter and brighter journeys to Britain's busiest station. The final cracked glass panels were replaced while the station was closed over five weekend days in March, with the main concourse becoming an exclusion zone so that the work could be completed safely overhead. Engineers had earlier finished replacing the discoloured, lichen-covered panels

Police are failing to effectively deal with "unacceptable" levels of hate crimes and violence against women and girls (VAWG) on public transport in London, according to a new report from the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee. The report noted that "the rise [in incidents] is contributing to a growing sense of concern about how safe people feel when travelling across the network". Figures from the British Transport Police (BTP) showed that in 2025, around 97% of hate

Infrastructure teams are now expected to provide carbon data that is accurate, traceable, and aligned with PAS 2080 — but collecting it shouldn’t become extra work. Now more than ever, manual processes – and software not quite up to the job – need to be reassessed. PAS 2080 and the benefit of sector specific field operations software Re-flow Field Management are about to release a new update: a PAS 2080 module designed to capture and report on carbon data across the lifecyc

Torquay Group has confirmed a change in leadership as it looks ahead to the next stage of its development. Scott Paton will step down as Group CEO after two years in the role. He joined the organisation during a pivotal period, tasked with bringing together a collection of businesses and laying the groundwork for future growth. During his tenure, Paton played a key role in improving collaboration across the group and helping to shape its current structure. The company thanked