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News London has published 16 stories involving Department for Transport, from July 2026 to September 2026. Each one is scored for how well the original reporting stood up, and lists the reports it was written from.
Chiltern Railways has been brought under public ownership, becoming the tenth rail company to join the government's Great British Railways programme. The move aims to improve services and tackle overcrowding on routes from London Marylebone.
The Climate Change Committee warned that expanding Heathrow cannot meet the UK’s net‑zero target, despite a £33bn proposal to add a third runway. It estimates passenger fares could rise by up to £400 on trans‑Atlantic trips by 2050, and the government says it will review the advice before any decision.
A UK thinktank has called for immediate taxes on self-driving vehicles to counter job displacement and increased congestion. The Centre for British Progress report suggests an 88p per mile charge could generate £47 billion annually by 2050, aiding 121,000 London taxi and private-hire drivers.
From 10 pm to 5 am on 30 September, the westbound A406 will close as TfL starts the Brent Cross flyover renewal. The two‑year scheme, funded with £10.8 million by the DfT, will remove a 7.5‑tonne weight restriction and involve lane changes through October.
More than 60,000 standard-class seat cushions on all 115 Thameslink trains are to be replaced starting in 2027. The two-year upgrade project follows the recent nationalisation of Greater Thameslink Railway, with the Department for Transport announcing the changes.
London Assembly member Thomas Turrell has called for a ban on motorcyclists with provisional licences undertaking commercial deliveries across the capital. He argues current training is insufficient for professional use, a view shared by the Mayor of London.
The London Assembly has passed a motion urging the government to ban the use of provisional licences for commercial delivery work. The move aims to improve road safety by ensuring delivery riders hold full driving qualifications.
The Mayor of London has stated that the government's justification for expanding Heathrow Airport is based on outdated information from 2015. City Hall's submission to the House of Commons Transport Committee argues that environmental evidence does not guarantee reduced impacts from a new runway.
The Mayor of London and Transport for London have warned that Heathrow Airport’s expansion could add 22 million car trips annually, worsening congestion and air pollution in west London. Their submission to the Transport Committee argues the government’s case relies on outdated evidence and risks undermining progress on emissions.
Transport for London spends £5,400 daily on a cycle shuttle through the Silvertown Tunnel, used by as few as 51 cyclists a day. The service, required until 2028, has faced criticism for its cost, with calls to allow pedestrians or reduce frequency.
Disabled campaigners have called for a pause on floating bus stops after safety concerns, with six pedestrian casualties recorded in London between 2020 and 2022. The Department for Transport has halted one design but not all, while Transport for London defends the infrastructure as essential for cycling growth.
Six pedestrians were injured at floating bus stops in London between 2020 and 2022, Transport for London figures show. Blind and partially sighted residents in Barnet say they now avoid buses, opting for taxis instead, as campaigners demand a pause on new schemes until designs are made safe.
E-scooter riders are 3.5 times more likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries than motorcyclists, according to a study of 15,247 trauma patients. Helmet use was recorded in just 5.9% of cases, while women faced double the risk of severe injury compared with men.
Transport for London has licensed Wayve’s autonomous Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles for private hire use in Barnet and across the capital. Uber will offer test rides to selected residents later this summer, though a qualified driver must still be in the car. Full public roll-out depends on further approvals from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
The London Assembly is calling for Transport for London to gain full oversight of driverless taxi trials. This comes as Uber and Wayve seek government permission to transport passengers in the capital as early as 2026, potentially bypassing local regulatory authority.

Ministers face demands to hand control of driverless taxi trials to Transport for London, as firms including Uber and Waymo seek approval to carry passengers in automated vehicles by 2026. TfL warns of risks to London’s devolution powers under current Department for Transport oversight.
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