The River Tyne (Tunnels) (Revision of Tolls) Order 2026 was made on 3 April 2026 and comes into force on 1 May 2026. Its effect is to revise the tolls that may be charged for traffic using the Tyne Tunnel crossing, replacing the previous 2025 instrument with a new set of authorised amounts. In policy terms, this is a targeted statutory update rather than a wider redesign of the charging regime. The Order leaves the existing legal structure in place and changes the toll levels that the North East Combined Authority may demand and recover.
The explanatory note states that the maximum toll rises from £2.50 to £2.60 for the class described there as "cab". It also raises the maximum toll from £5.00 to £5.20 for light goods vehicles, vans and buses over 3.5 tonnes. For regular tunnel users, the cash effect is modest on a single journey but more noticeable over repeated crossings. For commercial operators, the change is most relevant where tunnel use is routine and toll costs are built into route planning, pricing or operating budgets.
The Order applies to traffic passing through and into the tunnel crossing. In practice, that means the charging power sits with the North East Combined Authority, but only within the framework authorised by statute. The operative text does not build a new classification system from scratch. Instead, it refers back to tolls authorised under the River Tyne (Tunnels) Order 2005 and to the traffic classes set out in the Tyne Tunnel (Revision of Tolls and Traffic Classification) Order 2001. The legal approach is therefore one of revision, not replacement.
The Secretary of State for Transport makes the Order under section 13(2) of the Tyne and Wear Act 1976 and Schedule 14 to the River Tyne (Tunnels) Order 2005. Those provisions are the legal basis for revising tolls at the tunnel crossing. The explanatory note also records that the instrument follows a determination by the North East Combined Authority under paragraph 2 of Schedule 14 to the 2005 Order. That matters because it shows the division of responsibility: the local authority initiates the revision process, but the revised tolls still need to be given effect through secondary legislation made on behalf of central government.
Article 3 revokes the River Tyne (Tunnels) (Revision of Tolls) Order 2025. That is standard legislative housekeeping and means the 2026 Order becomes the current instrument governing the revised toll levels from the date it takes effect. Article 4 keeps two interpretive points in place. It defines a motorcycle as a mechanically propelled vehicle with fewer than four wheels and, where there is a cabin, one that does not fully enclose the driver and any passenger. It also confirms that "the tunnel crossing" carries the same meaning as in article 2(1) of the 2005 Order.
The Order was signed on behalf of the Secretary of State by Samantha Collins-Hill, a senior civil servant in the Department for Transport, on 3 April 2026. From 1 May 2026, the revised toll figures become the amounts the North East Combined Authority is authorised to recover under this statutory scheme. The practical message is straightforward. Drivers and operators using the Tyne Tunnel should expect the updated rates to apply from the start of May, while organisations with managed fleets, staff travel policies or customer charging models will need to reflect the new authorised tolls in their systems and cost assumptions.