Campaign for Better Transport urges transport secretary to divert funding to public transport as CPT calls for ‘immediate decision’ on £2 bus fare cap
Ahead of this month’s budget, Campaign for Better Transport has urged transport secretary Louise Haigh to cancel “large and unnecessary” road projects - including the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing and the £1.5bn A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme - and to invest in public transport instead.
A letter from the campaign to the transport secretary, cosigned by Transport Action Network and the Rail Freight Group, argues that rather than basing the need for new road schemes on increasing capacity for heavy goods vehicles, the government should instead invest in rail freight upgrades.
Michael Solomon Williams of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Spending £9bn on a road that can’t even carry a bus is utterly nonsensical and if approved by the transport secretary would completely undermine the government’s Net Zero commitments. Building new roads doesn’t cut congestion, it does
“Spending £9bn on a road that can’t even carry a bus is utterly nonsensical”
the opposite. Investing in public transport and rail freight is the best way to cut congestion, free up road space and grow the economy for only a fraction of the cost.”
Meanwhile, responding to Louise Haigh’s speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last week, Graham Vidler, CEO of the Confederation of Passenger Transport said: “It’s great to have a transport secretary who cares about buses and can recall when bus fares were just tuppence in Sheffield. But passengers today are waiting for clarity over the future of the £2 fare cap. An immediate decision is needed.”
MAYORS ON BOARD Transport secretary Louise Haigh (third from left) was photographed with eight English metro mayors at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last week. “Change begins now,” Haigh declared.
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October will show us what reallychange means
Robert Jack
Managing
We have entered a pivotal month for the transport sector. The chancellor’s Budget on October 30 will show us how the government intends to proceed over the coming year, and beyond - and how much of the previous government’s legacy it intends to dismantle. It seems that Rachel Reeves is poised to approve the extension of High Speed 2 to a redeveloped Euston stationreversing the decision that the previous rail-phobic prime minister, Rishi Sunak, announced at last year’s Conservative party conference. Will Reeves find the much smaller sum of money needed to extend England’s £2 bus fare cap beyond December? The initiative was first mooted in the final days of Boris Johnson’s time in Downing Street and was introduced in January 2023. The new government is reluctant to commit to a measure that was only ever intended as a temporary measure to help spark a post-Covid recovery in bus use. However, buses minister Simon Lightwood has said there will be no “cliff-edge”, so perhaps the cap will be extended into a third year or increased gradually to cushion the return of fully commercial fares.
And what about road schemes? Is the new government going to spend billions on projects that were signed off under the previous government? This money could have a transformational impact if the chancellor were to divert it towards public transport. The government is promising change. October will show us what this means.
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business development director for public transport at SYSTRA UK & Ireland, considers the potential pitfalls that must be avoided.
20 THE LEGACY OF T HE PANDEMIC
Four and a half years have passed since the world was severely disrupted as the pandemic rapidly spread. Matthew Niblett and Sarah Kendall of the Independent Transport Commission explain how Covid brought changes in travel behaviour.
22
P ROGRESS BU T ST ILL MORE TO BE DONE
The latest National Travel Survey data shows recovery from the pandemic but there is still much to be done when it comes to modal shift. “Making even the slightest dent in modal share will need ambition, imagination and funding,” says Nick Richardson.
25
R EAL AC T ION, REAL CHANGE, RIGH
T NOW?
Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the Department for Transport. This week, the recent BBC Panorama programme on HS2 and Louise Haigh’s speech to the Labour Party conference.
Calls to ‘Buy British’ increase at conference
A clear theme from the Labour Party conference was the growing demand for British bus manufacturers to be prioritised in public procurement
Political pressure is mounting to adopt a ‘Buy British’ rule in bus procurement, following growing concerns about the impact of foreign competition on domestic manufacturers like Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and Wrightbus.
It comes after ADL, one of the UK’s largest bus producers, announced a consultation that could threaten 160 jobs in Scotland (PT321). The Larbertbased company suggested recent government zero-emission bus funding has favoured international manufacturers at the expense of UK firms.
ADL pointed to the influx of buses from ‘lower-cost’ economies, including Chinese manufacturer Yutong, which has won several major UK contracts in recent years. Despite record levels of government funding to promote zero-emission transport, ADL claims that these policies have disproportionately benefitted foreign competitors, leaving UK manufacturers at a disadvantage.
The situation has reignited calls for a ‘Buy British’ policy to be applied to public procurement in the bus sector. The best known international example of this is the Buy America Act in the United States. Under the legislation, vehicles procured with public money must meet stringent
“The new administrations across England want to see public money remaining in the UK”
conditions, with two-thirds of the cost of all components coming from American manufacturers.
Those favouring a similar requirement in the UK argue that such a policy would safeguard domestic jobs and ensure that UK government investment supports homegrown companies. However, a degree of flexibility would be required due to the closely knitted European and UK supply chains.
A more applicable model could be the rules of origin which are applied to cars entering the
by establishing manufacturing facilities in the UK.
Buy British would be a significant boost for British bus manufacturers like ADL and Wrightbus, which have been leaders in the development of low-emission and zero-emission buses in the UK. However, both companies have faced mounting challenges in recent years due to overseas competition, particularly in the race to supply electric buses.
Supporters of a Buy British rule argue that it would help protect UK jobs and ensure greater control over the quality and security of supply chains. With global tensions rising and concerns about reliance on overseas production increasing, advocates believe that fostering a stronger domestic manufacturing base is crucial to ensuring long-term sustainability in the UK transport sector.
The topic was high on the agenda at the Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool last month. An insider who attended the conference told Passenger Transport: “A clear theme that transpired from this new Labour government was that the new administrations across England want to see public money remaining in the UK due to the value Labour sees in UK jobs, skills and technologies.
European Union. At present they must have 40% of their parts by value sourced in either the European Union or the UK. The rules will become stricter in 2027 when the requirement rises to 55%.
Similar moves in the UK rail sector a decade ago demonstrate the potential benefits of such a policy. When the government introduced stricter requirements for local assembly and production, major international rail companies, including CAF, Hitachi, and Siemens, responded
“The general consensus was that this should be seen as a way to recycle investment through public tenders going forward as a way of contributing to the ‘growth’ agenda identified as one of Labour’s key missions for the new administrations.”
When he launched Bus Back Better, England’s national bus strategy, in March 2021, then prime minister Boris Johnson pledged to deliver 4,000 new “British-built” zero-emission buses.
An Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV was on display at Labour’s conference in Liverpool last month
Andrew Garnett Deputy Editor
“HS2 just wouldn’t work if the terminus was not at Euston”
Chancellor poised to approve Euston rebuild
Old Oak Common link will also see station redeveloped
HS2
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to approve the extension of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line to London Euston and the station’s redevelopment, according to The Sunday Times
The formal announcement is expected to be made in the autumn Budget on October 30. Although the Department for Transport has declined to comment on the speculation, transport secretary Louise Haigh has hinted over recent weeks that a decision is imminent.
Increasing rumours that the government is poised to press ahead with the redevelopment of Euston come as the station faces increased scrutiny. Overcrowding has become a critical issue in recent weeks, and pressure to resolve it has intensified following
DfT TO TAKE ON HS2 CONTROL?
Review will probe troubled rail project’s governance
HS2
HS2 Ltd, the publicly-owned company overseeing the High Speed 2 rail project, could be brought under direct government control following a newly commissioned review. The Department for Transport has appointed James Stewart, former chair of global infrastructure at KPMG, to scrutinise HS2 Ltd’s governance and accountability. One of the review’s key goals is to explore whether greater ministerial oversight
public criticism by rail engineer Gareth Dennis (PT320).
In October 2023, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paused HS2’s extension from Old Oak Common to Euston, stating it would only continue if privately funded as part of a £6bn area redevelopment. Despite efforts to secure investment, no confirmed plans have emerged, and key funding deadlines have been missed.
The 2022 plans for Euston station may be revised
However, there is renewed momentum to complete the HS2 link to central London. A source told The Sunday Times: “HS2 just wouldn’t work if the terminus was not at Euston. The station is overdue for investment and has become a dystopian mess and a stain on London.”
could improve project management and enable greater cost control. The move could potentially see HS2 Ltd fully absorbed into the DfT.
The review will also investigate the possibility of reclaiming funds from contractors. Contracts awarded to the project’s four main contractors have significantly affected its spiralling costs. In the first phase, the sheer scale of the contracts shifted the balance of power in favour of the contractors, all joint ventures between major construction companies.
These contractors also benefited from incentives to raise prices as costs decreased,
further complicating project management. An Institution of Civil Engineers report indicated that HS2 Ltd became overwhelmed by compensation claims from contractors seeking additional time or money, eroding its ability to maintain project control.
The National Audit Office echoed these concerns in a recent report, highlighting that HS2 Ltd failed to achieve the cost control and productivity improvements it had hoped for through its contracts. The NAO concluded that contractual incentives were not working as intended, exacerbating the project’s financial challenges.
is going to be part of the wider picture, but we will be making a decision soon on the tunnelling and the development,” she told the Evening Standard. Despite escalating costssurpassing estimates by £20bn - government insiders maintain that connecting HS2 to Euston is vital for the project’s success. In her upcoming budget, Reeves is expected to greenlight the extension and commit to the multi-billion-pound redevelopment of Euston Station. The details of the station’s size still need to be determined. Originally envisioned as an 11-platform station for HS2 services, the rebuilt Euston was scaled down to 10 platforms in 2021 in a bid to reduce costs. Further reductions to six platforms linked to private investment have raised concerns that the station may not meet the network’s capacity needs.
Reeves’ decision comes as the chancellor is reportedly exploring changes to fiscal rules that could free up an additional £50bn for infrastructure, potentially supporting larger-scale urban development projects.
AVANTI DID NOT BREACH CONTRACT
Legal advice concludes operator met standards
PERFORMANCE
Despite pressure from northern leaders over poor performance, Avanti West Coast will not lose its contract early. Legal advice provided to the Department for Transport has concluded that the train operator has not breached its performance obligations. It means that if the government’s plans for nationalisation proceed, Avanti could be among the last operators to be brought under state control.
NEWS ROUND-UP
SCHEMES SECURE LOCAL FUNDING
Bee Network Committee approves planned spending
INVESTMENT
Greater Manchester’s Bee Network Committee has approved significant bus and rail infrastructure investments as part of a wider plan to improve the region’s network.
The funding drawn down from the £1.07bn City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and the Greater Manchester Transport Capital Programme aims to enhance the Bee Network, the region’s integrated and accessible transport system, and drive economic growth by improving regional connectivity.
Key investments include £1.31m allocated to support Greater Manchester’s involvement in the development of the Northern Powerhouse Rail and High Speed Rail projects. This funding will help advance plans for high speed stations at Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport, and Wigan, as well as strengthen the business case for a new rail corridor between Manchester and Liverpool.
In addition, £1.0m has been set aside to address bus pinch points and improve infrastructure maintenance across the bus network. These measures will target specific issues to enhance bus journey times, reliability, and accessibility. A further £0.6m will fund improvements to bus services on the Sale West to North Altrincham corridor, including upgrades to traffic signals and bus stops and the addition of new active travel measures.
Meanwhile, £1.8m has been allocated to upgrade real-time information across bus stops, interchanges, and mobile apps. The £4.4m Salford Central Enhancements Scheme, in collaboration with Network Rail and train operator Northern, will modernise the station and improve passenger facilities.
Go North West managing director Nigel Featham joined staff to celebrate the first birthday of the Bee Network
Bee Network’s first birthday
Patronage and performance improvements as the cost of operating franchised network falls
BUS FRANCHISING
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has heralded growing bus patronage and performance improvements on the franchised Bee Network, one year on from its launch in in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Salford and Bury.
TfGM claims that services covered by the first phase of franchising now routinely score punctuality figures in excess of 80%, compared to the 70.5% for the equivalent pre-franchising
back under local control in almost 40 years,” said Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester. “Today, we can see the progress we’ve made, with bus services now cleaner, cheaper and more reliable than before and record numbers of passengers using the Bee Network.”
Vernon Everitt, Greater Manchester’s transport commissioner, said huge strides had been made in delivering the franchised Bee Network.
“The first year of operations under bus franchising has proven the model. Patronage, punctuality and revenue are up and the cost of operation is down,” he said. “The job now is to continuously improve the service and we are working with the districts and their local communities to do just that.
“There is still much to do to complete the Bee Network, including the major exercise to bring the remaining 50% of bus services to the south of Greater Manchester under local control in January, introduce tap and go payment and then begin the integration of eight core rail lines. We’re getting on with all of that.”
period. Passenger satisfaction with fares has jumped from 63% in 2022 to a record high of 82%.
Patronage has also improved with over 58.5 million passenger journeys made on the Bee Network between September 9, 2023 and September 14, 2024. Record-breaking patronage figures were set on two consecutive days in September, with 305,000 journeys recorded on a single day (September 5).
“A year ago, we made history as the first area to bring our buses
Meanwhile, Go North West, which won the large franchises in Bolton and Wigan as part of the first phase of franchising, highlighted that it had trained over 150 apprentices at its Elite Driver Academy since the launch.
“Our first year in partnership with TfGM has been an incredible journey,” said Go North West MD Nigel Featham. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in improving service and investing in our people. It’s exciting to see how our efforts are benefiting both our customers and the wider community. We look forward to continuing our work together to create an even more efficient and sustainable transport network for Greater Manchester.”
“The current legislative and reform agenda represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity”
‘Once in a opportunity’generation for rail
Greater Manchester sees opportunities in government rail plans
RAIL REFORM
Greater Manchester has a “once in a generation opportunity” to reshape the role of rail, according to Simon Elliot, head of rail at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
In a report presented to the region’s Bee Network Committee last week, Elliot highlighted how government rail reform plans could allow Greater Manchester to fundamentally rethink how rail services integrate with local transport networks.
“The current legislative and reform agenda represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for GM to build on the Trailblazer Devolution Deal to implement real local accountability for rail,” said Elliot.
The upcoming reforms could
GM REVEALS £800 ANNUAL BUS PASS
FARES & TICKETING
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced plans to introduce an annual bus pass as part of ongoing improvements to the Bee Network’s fares and ticketing.
The move aligns with the final phase of Bee Network bus franchising, set to be completed by January 2025, and the launch of contactless pay as you go ticketing and capped fares across buses and Metrolink in March 2025.
The adult annual pass will be
give the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and TfGM a statutory role in shaping the city’s rail services.
“An enhanced role for Greater Manchester and other MCAs will allow the railway to shift its focus from managing internal relationships to becoming a service provider for places and communities,” he added.
Elliot revealed TfGM is working with Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) to explore how rail devolution can integrate with the light rail and bus elements of the region’s Bee Network.
Options under consideration include:
Giving the GMCA responsibility for fare-setting;
Station improvements; and Managing customer experience alongside opportunities for the regeneration of railway land in partnership with GBR.
However, Elliot noted that
priced at £800 and aims to offer significant savings compared to purchasing monthly or weekly tickets. TfGM has partnered with local credit unions to provide a payment scheme that will allow passengers to pay for their annual tickets in monthly or weekly instalments without any extra cost. The ticket will also be available for outright purchase through Bee Network’s retail channels, offering up to a 23% saving on the cost of 28-day tickets.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the final phase of franchising, TfGM is coordinating with commercial bus operators within the Tranche 3 area covering a broad swathe of
the exact nature of Greater Manchester’s statutory role in rail is still being developed.
He continued: “TfGM is currently developing these options with SGBR on the basis that statutory powers and, importantly, associated funding is required to specify, commission and deliver railway services.
Elliot told committee members that the next steps include further engagement with SGBR, the Department for Transport, and local authorities to ensure that Greater Manchester’s ambitions are reflected in the final reform agenda.
He added that TfGM also plans to continue work on integrating rail with its Bee Network plans through eight priority rail corridors. Elliot said TfGM aims to present detailed options for the region’s long-term statutory role in rail at a future GMCA meeting.
the south of Greater Manchester on transition ticketing arrangements. A recompense scheme, first introduced for Tranche 1 and 2 passengers, will be extended to Tranche 3 users to mitigate potential fare increases. Only an estimated 3% of passengers are expected to be affected.
TfGM is also addressing student fare transitions. From January 2025, students will be required to switch from operator-specific student tickets to Bee Network student tickets. Communications efforts will be ramped up to ensure students are aware of the changes, and a recompense scheme will be available for those negatively impacted by the transition.
ELECTRIC DEPOT PLANS DELAYED
170 electric buses to be transferred elsewhere
ELECTRIC BUSES
The construction of a new allelectric bus depot in Stockport has been delayed, Caroline Simpson, the chief executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has revealed.
The depot was intended to house 170 Volvo zero-emission buses funded by the government’s ZEBRA scheme, but the fleet will now be deployed to other franchised depots across Greater Manchester while the planned new depot is delivered. TfGM and Stockport Council have said they are still committed to delivering an all-electric fleet and depot in the area and are working together to progress the project. In the meantime, the new buses will be used elsewhere. In order to mitigate air quality issues in Stockport, 77 buses will be upgraded to “OEM Euro6” standards.
Despite the issues in Stockport, Simpson told members of the region’s Joint Clean Air Scrutiny Committee that electric buses remain crucial to reducing air pollution in Greater Manchester with further funding unlocked to support the introduction of electric buses. This includes £51.1m to purchase a further 40 electric buses and upgrade the Bolton and Queens Road depots as well as charging points on the station approach road at Manchester Piccadilly. The Queens Road upgrade will be challenging as a result of the site’s heritage features as a Grade Two-listed building.
Separately, the combined authority’s Bee Network Committee was told last week that TfGM is also developing a broader electrification strategy for the rest of the bus fleet, which will be presented to members later this year.
First snaps up Grand Union Stirling service
Group acquires open access operator’s West Coast access rights
ACQUISITIONS
FirstGroup has expanded its open access rail portfolio by acquiring Grand Union Trains. The company had been granted track access rights to operate four daily return services between London Euston and Stirling via the West Coast Main Line starting in June 2025.
Finalised in August, the deal transfers control of the London Euston to Stirling routes from Grand Union founder Ian Yeowart - who previously established open access operators Alliance Rail Holdings and Grand Central before selling both ventures - to FirstGroup. FirstGroup, already operating its Lumo and Hull
ORR APPROVES RECOVERY PLAN
Network Rail avoids £3m fine for poor performance
PERFORMANCE
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved a new plan from Network Rail aimed at improving train reliability and punctuality across the Wales and Western region. It follows an investigation by the ORR that found Network Rail had not done enough to improve service performance in the area. The infrastructure controller’s initial improvement proposals, including a performance plan for the Thames Valley area, were deemed insufficient by the regulator. In response, the Wales and Western region, led by Rob Cairns, submitted
Trains open access services from London King’s Cross, expands its open access ambitions with the acquisition. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
This acquisition is part of FirstGroup’s broader ambitions to grow its open access business, perhaps in response to the threat posed to its previously franchised rail business by the new UK government. The company recently filed applications for new Lumo services, including a route from London Euston to Rochdale via Manchester Victoria and a Hull Trains route connecting London King’s Cross to Sheffield. Additionally, it plans to extend Lumo services to Glasgow Queen Street via Edinburgh.
The Stirling to Euston service
a more comprehensive plan to the ORR, which has now been accepted.
The new plan outlines nearly 60 actions, with the majority set to be completed by 2026. Key measures include further development of Project Brunel (Network Rail’s Thames Valley recovery plan), timetable adjustments that will improve resilience, improved extreme weather forecasting, and investments in infrastructure and staff performance leadership.
Some actions, such as enhancing responses to stranded trains and changing governance structures to prioritise train punctuality, are expected to be in place before the end of this year.
“It is our view that, if delivered effectively, it is likely to lead to better train service performance,” said ORR
will operate four daily return services, calling at key stations including Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, and Preston. Rolling stock details have yet to be confirmed, although Yeowart’s application was made based on using off-lease Class 221 Voyager rolling stock.
Meanwhile, Yeowart’s other nascent open access business, Grand Union, continues to work on its separate London Paddington to Carmarthen route, which is planned to launch in December 2027. It was awarded a 10-year access contract starting in December 2024 for five services each way per day.
Despite FirstGroup’s acquisition of the Stirling service, it has no involvement in the Welsh venture and it does not form part of the Stirling acquisition.
chief executive John Larkinson in a letter to Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines.
Larkinson confirmed that Network Rail has met the first requirement of the final order, meaning it will not have to pay a £3m penalty.
The next step involves implementing the plan, with ORR closely monitoring progress through six-monthly assessments and regular performance reviews. ORR will also publicly report on Network Rail’s improvements in its mid-year performance letters and Annual Assessments.
Should the ORR request, Network Rail must submit a report proving that the plan has been fully implemented, at which point ORR will decide whether the final order has been completely fulfilled.
DIGITAL PAYMENTS GAINING GROUND
Research probes passenger attitudes to rail ticketing
TICKETING
A recent survey commissioned by the Department for Transport has revealed significant enthusiasm for digital ticketing methods, with age emerging as a key factor in ticket purchasing preferences.
Conducted by research agency Savanta, the survey found that over three-quarters of respondents (77%) used websites or apps to buy their train tickets, with 72% of this group expressing a clear preference for these digital options. In contrast, just 24% of participants indicated that they preferred buying tickets from a station ticket office.
The study also highlighted generational differences in ticketing preferences. While younger passengers (under 26) largely favour online purchases, with just 12% preferring ticket offices, this preference rises sharply to 48% among those aged 66 and above. Older respondents were more likely to encounter barriers to digital ticketing, such as lack of internet access via smartphones or a reliance on cash payments.
Regional trends were also observed, with residents of the South East and East of England showing a preference for traditional orange cardboard tickets, possibly because this ticket format can be used to travel on Transport for London networks. Though digital methods dominate, in-person transactions remain important to some, especially for trust and security. The report shows that 81% of respondents valued staff presence at stations for personal safety, while 58% saw it as important for assistance with ticket purchases. Young people aged 16-17 also preferred cash, as one in five does not have access to a bank account or building society account.
Brabin rejects criticism of interchange closure
Bradford Interchange bus station to reopen after lengthy closure
FACILITIES
West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin has defended the handling of communications around the closure of Bradford Interchange bus station amid growing criticism.
The closure of the bus station in January 2023 due to safety concerns, has caused significant disruption since. Its reopening is now planned for early 2025.
At a recent West Yorkshire Combined Authority meeting, Brabin explained that the lack of updates on the bus station’s future was due to the lengthy process of conducting safety surveys.
“The silence was not out of any desire to keep people out
DRAFT LTP TAKES ‘PRO-CHOICE’ APPROACH
Liverpool City Region to avoid ‘anti-car’ thinking
PLANNING
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is pushing forward with an ambitious new draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) that will inform transport policies until 2040. The region’s current LTP was adopted in 2011 and combined authority officials and political leaders believe significant changes in governance, population growth and technological advances mean a refreshed strategic vision for its transport network is now needed. The draft LTP sets out a clear vision for “clean, safe, and accessible
of the process; the surveys that were needed took time,” she said.
“There was no point in repeatedly saying, ‘we’re still waiting.’”
The bus station closed after concrete fell from part of the structure, forcing buses to operate from dispersed city centre stops.
While the news of a potential reopening in 2025 was welcomed, some Bradford councillors have criticised the combined authority’s communication during the closure.
Despite these frustrations, Brabin reaffirmed that public safety was the priority. “We were
“There was no point in repeatedly saying ‘we’re still waiting’” Tracy Brabin
transport for moving people and goods.” The plan has five overarching goals, closely aligned with the wider policy aims of the city region: Support good, clean job growth; Achieve Net Zero carbon; Improve health and quality of life; Transport that is well maintained and tough; and Plan and respond to uncertainty and change and be innovative.
A key priority for the draft LTP is to tackle the urgent need for a large-scale modal shift. The report highlights that, by 2035, major decarbonisation targets must be met, and this will require significant changes in how people travel within the region.
The plan proposes adopting a movement hierarchy which prioritises the movement of people over private vehicles. However, the
as frustrated as you, but the safety of the public needed to be our number one focus,” she said.
The WYCA meeting revealed that following structural surveys experts believe the facility can safely reopen with proper mitigation measures in place. These include regular inspections, structural monitoring, and netting in areas where concrete has fallen.
A phased reopening of the bus station is planned, with a target date of January 2025, though a final decision will be made in October after additional checks.
The combined authority is also drawing up plans for a longer-term solution. Structural assessments have confirmed that while the 1970s-built station has reached the end of its design life, it can continue to operate safely.
plan takes a pro-choice rather than anti-car approach, ensuring that the needs of those who must use cars for essential trips are still recognised, while encouraging more sustainable alternatives where feasible.
An important aspect of the new LTP is its focus on placemaking, aiming to reduce the adverse effects of transport on local environments and communities.
While electrification and the use of zero-emission vehicles are part of the solution, the draft LTP stresses that this alone will not resolve issues like traffic congestion or road safety. This principle ties closely with the region’s draft Spatial Development Strategy, which also seeks to balance housing and transportation needs with environmental sustainability.
The LTP also outlines a phased delivery plan with short, medium,
LCR ELECTRIC BUSES
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has announced plans to purchase 50 double deck electric buses using funding from its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement allocation. The vehicles are in addition to the 58 electric buses that the combined authority is purchasing with Zero Emission Bus Regional Area Bid 2 funding.
WEST MIDLANDS BUS PLANS
Transport for West Midlands has opened a consultation on three new cross-city bus routes. These routes will connect Dudley to Druids Heath, West Bromwich to Heartlands Hospital, and Sutton Coldfield and Castle Vale to Longbridge. The West Midlands Combined Authority also confirmed an update on bus reform plans will be presented to its board this autumn.
and long-term goals, spanning from now until 2040. In the short term (2022-2027), the region will focus on key projects that include a new rail station at the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool, sustainable access improvements, active travel routes and bus enhancements. These initiatives will be backed by the £170m City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS). Medium and long-term projects will be shaped by additional funding sources, including the £1.6bn indicative allocation for the LCRCA from the second phase of CRSTS.
“Delivering the priorities in this plan would enable us to build a fully integrated London-style transport system, along with better connections to and from the region,” said Steve Foulkes, chair of the LCRCA transport committee.
NEWS ROUND-UP
U-turn on all areas franchising for Wales
Welsh Government’s Bill will now offer ‘opportunity’
FRANCHISING
The Welsh Government has abandoned its radical plan to make bus franchising mandatory in all areas of Wales. Franchising remains its priority, but the government now accepts that a different approach may be necessary in some situations.
The original bus reform Bill, introduced to the Senedd in early 2020, included a partnership option similar to that in English and Scottish legislation, but the Bill was scuppered by the Covid-19 pandemic. When the government returned to the subject, it said that franchising would be applied in all areas of Wales because no other option would deliver improvements at the pace and on the scale required.
Since then, the Welsh Government’s budgets have come
CARDIFF PARKWAY PLANS IN DOUBT
First minister refuses to give funding commitment
STATIONS
The Welsh Government’s plan to co-invest in a new four-platform station east of Cardiff faces an uncertain future, after new first minister Eluned Morgan refused to make a fresh funding commitment. Cardiff Parkway station was originally promoted by property developers, but in 2019 the Welsh Government announced that it was co-investing and making an initial £5m contribution. The
under pressure, partly as a result of the funding settlement from the UK Treasury. Also, TfW Rail required more than £100m of additional subsidy last year and again this year. Ken Skates, who took over the transport portfolio from Lee Waters, had previously said the government had not earmarked additional funding for the introduction of bus franchising.
Skates told the Senedd on September 18: “What we’ll be doing with our Bill is, on a national basis, bringing about the opportunity to franchise services and to better plan and integrate bus services with rail services, and
“I can’t see many big groups wanting to go into deepest Ceredigion”
Bev Fowles
developers envisaged that Great Western Railway services between South Wales and London would call at the station, as well as other long-distance and local services. This would require construction of platforms alongside each of the four tracks of the main line.
A station in the vicinity was endorsed in 2020 by the Burns Commission, which recommended major improvements to public transport to relieve the M4 motorway east of Cardiff. Cardiff council gave planning permission for Cardiff Parkway in April 2022 but the Welsh Government called in the decision later that year, on environmental
to integrate ticketing as well.
“So it’s a very significant piece of legislation, but we’ll be introducing it in the spring. Once it’s passed by the Senedd, the hard work begins of actually putting into motion those new contracts that will meet the needs of passengers rather than drive profit motive.”
Passenger Transport asked the Welsh Government whether his use of the word “opportunity” reflected a departure from the government’s policy of franchising being the only option for all areas. A spokeswoman replied: “Franchising the bus network in all parts of Wales is our priority. In some circumstances it may be necessary to adopt a different approach, but this would be an exception.
“Bringing bus services under public control will enable TfW and local authorities to improve and better co-ordinate the provision of a more comprehensive and fully integrated local bus network.”
grounds.
In the Senedd last month, Vaughan Gething MS, who was first minister for four months this year, asked Morgan for an update. He said the station would be privately funded, with the government as a minority joint venture partner, and added: “We all understand the transport budget does not have the spare capital to deliver this proposal.”
Morgan said it was not appropriate for her to comment on a live planning case. She also said: “I’m certainly not making any economic commitments to this programme. Our budget is very stretched, and we have to work out exactly what the priorities are.”
Veteran bus manager Bev Fowles, whose career included bidding for some of the first London bus franchise contracts, said: “I think Skates has been listening. I think he’s come to the conclusion himself. They will pave the way for franchising but there will be a ‘get out of jail’ card.”
He expected some rural areas, particularly in Mid and North Wales, to be exempted from franchising. “I can’t see many of the big groups wanting to go into deepest Ceredigion.”
He said the government and TfW had previously intended to start the franchising process in North Wales but had switched to South-west Wales instead, a region which has large urban areas including Swansea, Port Talbot, Neath and Llanelli.
Fowles, who is vice chair of the Coach and Bus Association Cymru, also thought that Cardiff and possibly Newport could be exempted from franchising in order to preserve their municipal bus companies. Both cities would be prime bidding targets for large groups “if there’s a political will to put them on the market”, he said.
Lee Waters, who was the transport minister until last spring, reminded her that Cardiff Parkway was initially to be entirely private-sector led. “My understanding is that the last costs were at £120m. That’s before Covid, so we anticipate that that will be significantly more.”
He asked Morgan to confirm whether or not Transport for Wales had looked at alternative railway station models. “The four-line mainline model put forward by the developers is arguably over the top, and a local walk-up station, like the one being developed up the railway line at Magor, is arguably more appropriate.”
FirstGroup invests £1m in KleanDrive
Operator invests in heavy vehicle electric conversion specialist
INVESTMENT
FirstGroup Energy Limited, the dedicated energy investment arm of transport operator FirstGroup, is investing £1m in KleanDrive to further develop its pioneering work in converting existing diesel and petrol vehicles into clean electric vehicles.
FirstGroup has a long-term commitment to achieving a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035. This venture investment aligns with FirstGroup’s focus on supporting innovative technologies within the decarbonisation value chain, aimed at lowering the total cost of ownership for electric buses to be equal to, or even lower than, internal combustion engine alternatives.
Faizan Muhammad, investment
‘OUR PLANET’ JOINS LNER FLEET
Train operator highlights environmental message
MARKETING
LNER has named a train ‘Our Planet’ as part of its commitment to more sustainable travel. Produced by 3M, the livery has been applied using a partially bio-based material, the first train in the UK rail industry to do so. Warrick Dent, safety and operations director at LNER, said: “We feel it’s our responsibility to remind people of the positive impact they are making if they take the train over other, less environmentally friendly, modes of transport.”
director of FirstGroup Energy Limited, will join the board of KleanDrive. Commenting on the investment, he said:
“This transaction represents our first venture investment and is consistent with our focus on accessing new and innovative solutions through targeted investments. KleanDrive’s cutting-edge technology offers a complementary option, and greater coverage, to support fleet operators in their decarbonisation efforts.”
KleanDrive maintains that repowering heavy diesel vehicles - such as buses, coaches, and trucks - into electric vehicles offers a smarter, faster, and more sustainable solution than purchasing new EVs. The
company’s OEM-agnostic, modular electric drivetrains combine next-generation technology from top-tier suppliers like CATL, Graysons, and Voith with deep engineering expertise. This flexible, bespoke solution allows any heavy vehicle to be quickly repowered to electric, significantly reducing the total cost of ownership and cutting emissions, all while offering fleet operators a faster route to zero emissions.
Joe Tighe, CEO of KleanDrive, said: “We are delighted at FirstGroup’s investment ... We are offering fleet operators across the UK a real, actionable pathway to decarbonisewithout waiting years for new vehicles.”
The introduction of 715 buses will increase the percentage of Stagecoach’s fleet powered by electric to 15%, once the latest investments have been rolled out.
Significant updates are being made to depots too, introducing EV charging, battery storage, and the installation of solar panels to reduce reliance on the National Grid. The new fleet of EVs is starting to enter service and when complete new additions will mean that more than one in seven of Stagecoach’s buses will be EV, while rapid charging infrastructure will be installed at a further 22 depots across the country.
Tony Cockcroft, asset management and infrastructure director at Stagecoach, said: “We’re thrilled to announce this transformative investment to our fleet, which will enable us to modernise and upgrade our infrastructure, paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient transport system for communities across the country.”
Flowbird boosts Belfast
Users of Belfast’s multi-modal Grand Central Station will benefit from ticketing technology
The 20 million passenger journeys predicted to flow through Belfast’s new landmark Grand Central Station every year will benefit from Flowbird ticketing systems designed to make rail and bus travel effortless.
The Translink multi-modal concourse - the biggest public transport infrastructure project on the island of Ireland - is the hub for integrated bus, coach and train services covering the city, the whole of Northern Ireland and cross border into the Irish Republic.
Bus services have just started operating, and with rail due to start shortly the station will offer significantly increased capacity for internal and cross-border travel, thanks to the 26 new bus stands and eight rail platforms.
Flowbird, the long-standing ticketing technology partner for Translink, has undertaken infrastructure works at Grand Central, installing and configuring
rail access gates and touchscreen self-service ticket vending machines.
Onboard customer teams will also benefit from new generation handheld ticketing and inspection devices for use on-train and for Glider BRT ticket sales and validation. All this technology is interfaced with the Flowbird CloudFare back office, which is central to network management, remote asset monitoring, ticketing functions and delivering multilayered business information for Translink operations.
David Thompson, managing director of Flowbird Transport, commented: “This landmark public transport infrastructure project will deliver a truly world-class integrated station for local people and visitors, easily accessible through a wide range of digital ticketing options for each mode of transport.”
He added: “With the technology installed at Grand Central and across the multi-modal network, passengers will have more choice than ever before in how they plan, access and pay for travel.”
William McGookin, Translink’s Head of Ticketing said: “The opening of Grand Central Station is an exciting milestone and the new enhanced ticketing technology will make it even more attractive and easier for more people to use public transport as the smarter travel option, which is good news for the climate and a positive step to a healthier more active society.”
ROUND-UP
GTR GOES DIGITAL
Season tickets can be downloaded on new apps
TICKETING
Commuters on Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services can now buy and store weekly, monthly and annual season tickets as barcode sTickets on their smartphones when using the train firms’ new apps. Once a customer has bought their sTicket on one of the new apps, they can scan it from the phone screen at the station ticket gate.
DURHAM BUS INFO SCREENS
Journeo provides displays for city’s new bus station
INFORMATION
Journeo has supplied large summary screens at Durham’s new bus station so people can find the service they need as they arrive, and interactive displays to help visitors with local travel and tourism information. Further displays above each bay identify the next services to depart. All the displays show live information about bus departures.
CRC ADOPTED
Blackpool Transport chooses EPM solution
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Longstanding user of both EPM and Omnibus software solutions, Blackpool Transport, has adopted EPM’s Customer Resolution Centre (CRC) to enhance its customer service function and improve customer satisfaction. Previously working across multiple platforms, Blackpool Transport required a solution that would standardise it customer service function, consolidate data, improve customer response times and provide insight analytics.
BUS OPERATORS CHOOSE FREEWAY
McGill’s and Cardiff Bus adopt digital system
MAINTENANCE
McGill’s Bus Group and Cardiff Bus are transforming the maintenance of their buses with the introduction of a digital system. Supplied by Freeway Fleet Systems, engineers have been equipped with rugged tablets as part of a digitisation programme to eliminate paper and provide real-time information on workshop activity and vehicle availability.
Bus passengers at Belfast Grand Central Station
Displays at Durham bus station Engineers have been equipped with rugged tablets
NORMAN BAKER
Buses need more attention to detail
Improving bus services requires more than a fare cap or a change of ownership - it’s all also about shelters, timetables and ticketing
There is no doubt that the almost universal £2 bus fare has been a great success in England and helped the industry push passenger numbers up towards, and in some cases beyond, pre-Covid levels.
The results of the National Travel Attitudes Survey, reported by Passenger Transport in June, demonstrated that the £2 fare had led to additional bus journeys being taken at the expense of the car, and that two-thirds of respondents said it has saved them money.
One of the real plus points has been the simplicity of the scheme, and the comfort passengers have in knowing in advance what the fare will be. Going forward, those advantages must not be lost.
The scheme was originally due to run for just three months, but following effective lobbying from Campaign for Better Transport (I modestly include myself in that), extension upon extension was agreed. The latest projected end date is fast approachingNovember 30 - with no clear indication as to what will happen beyond that. Simon Lightwood, the buses minister, says there will be no cliff edge, which I take to mean that the scheme will not abruptly end there. I imagine we will have to wait for the Budget for the government’s intentions to become clear.
We have had enough warnings that the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is going to deliver a hard Budget, but it would be a mistake for her to jeopardise the hard-won gains the £2 fare has brought, especially when the cost to the public purse has been minuscule compared with other areas of expenditure. What would be particularly intolerable is if bus fares went up while fuel duty was frozen again. That would be tantamount to a “war on the bus passenger”. Claire Miles, the new CEO of Stagecoach, is right to argue for a further extension to the £2 fare.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport, which was originally sceptical about the usefulness of a £2 fare, commissioned a report from KPMG on its future. That report concluded there were three scenarios: cliffedge abolition, a tapering off, and continuation as we are. Well, blow me down. I could have told them that in two minutes. If I was still a CPT member, I would be asking how much the organisation paid KPMG for that astonishing insight.
Of course the future prospects for bus travel
The Azores were beautiful - but the bus service was confusing
do not all hinge on what happens to the £2 fare. But nor do they hinge on ownership and control issues, which seems to be the belief of the new Labour government. This is not to say that the adoption of franchising cannot make a difference. Andy Burnham’s Bee Network has got off to a pretty good start, with a 5% growth in passenger numbers over the last six months, improved punctuality, and £3m more in revenue than was budgeted for.
I note, incidentally, that the mayor has floated the idea of a tourist tax as a means of helping to fund an even better bus service in the Manchester area. This is an interesting idea that is certainly worth evaluating.
Yet there is no guarantee that passenger numbers will automatically rise if full democratic control is reasserted. It will depend on the design of any scheme and the competence of those running it. Not every area has an impressive mayor like Andy Burnham, nor access to the funds or officer expertise he was able to muster.
There is also a danger in a franchised model that income could be adversely affected, even if passenger numbers rise, if the scheme put in place is not planned properly. I am a regular bus user in London and in my experience around a third of bus drivers not only fail to check passengers have paid but do not even look at passengers boarding. I suggest this is because, while the private companies run the buses and employ the drivers, the farebox goes to Transport for London. In other words, there is no real incentive upon the drivers or the companies who employ them to ensure passengers pay for their journey. TfL, however, seem unphased about this. I reckon they are losing a lot to fare evasion.
Decisions on fares and regulatory control will take us some way, but their effect will be stunted where traffic congestion exists. Congestion, as the industry knows only too well, lengthens journey times and so requires more buses to operate a route, and makes punctuality harder to achieve. Congestion emerged as the number one challenge facing the bus industry in the survey published by Passenger Transport in July.
Governments of all colours and flavours since 1997 (except the last iteration under Rishi Sunak) have been supportive of the bus, but that is only half the story. The enthusiasm to do anything that might antagonise the car
“What would be particularly intolerable is if bus fares went up while fuel duty was frozen again”
driver has been more muted. Yet we need both carrot and stick if the potential of the bus is to be truly realised.
So we need more bus-friendly measures on our roads such as favourable traffic light phasing and more bus lanes - well done Steve Rotherham for committing to reinstating those in Liverpool removed by his predecessor. We also need higher car park charges in our cities - yes we do - and where that has occurred such as in Brighton, not only has bus travel boomed but so actually has the local economy.
And forgive me if I labour the point (pun not intended), we need to end the nonsense of a 13-year freeze on fuel duty, a policy that has only served to encourage modal shift away from bus and train and towards congestion-creating car travel.
Beyond all that, those responsible for bus services sometimes need to make sure the bread and butter elements of their business are properly handled. It is the fate of a former buses minister, at least in my case, that even on holiday, I cannot help but observe how bus services are being delivered.
In Aberdeen, where I was for two weeks in August, the bus services around the city are provided mostly by First but also by Stagecoach. First offer useful daily and weekly tickets but, as I subsequently found out, they are not accepted on Stagecoach buses. It must be in the interests of the two companies to sort this out. Fortunately for me, my Stagecoach driver, either through uncertainty or generosity, let me on without my having to buy another ticket.
The timetable provided in the principal bus shelter I used had incorrect information, suggesting a half hour service which turned out to be hourly outside term time. When I mentioned this to my bus driver, he told me that the timetables were a matter for the council. Joined up action, please.
The bus shelters themselves, excepting the ones in the main street, were all in a pretty terrible state. They all bore the logo
of Grampian Regional Transport, which was abolished in 1996. Interestingly, a recent study in Italy revealed that people waiting at stops with shelters, benches and real-time information perceived that their actual 10-minute wait had taken 11 minutes, whereas those who waited at stops with no amenities perceived their 10-minute wait to have taken 21 minutes.
In Aberdeen, I encountered three major sets of council roadworks affecting bus services, none of which bore any evidence of anyone doing anything during my two week stay. Most of the bus stops affected had no information about the diversionary routes. Even the city’s tourist information centre had no details of where buses were stopping and only a very badly designed map of services as they normally operated.
Some of the routes had generous planned journey times, and on one trip into the centre, my bus waited for extended periods at three stops and even once, incredibly, at a green light, waiting for it to turn red.
I do not wish to be too critical. Overall the service was good, the buses clean and frequent, and the drivers friendly and helpful, but both the operators and the council could and should do better round the edges.
From Aberdeen to the beautiful Azores where we spent a lovely few days. Lots of old narrow streets made it surprising that the local bus service used quite large coaches for all routes. There was a distinct lack of bus stops, even at the terminus where the coaches waited, and I was not clear if what was on offer was hail and ride, or whether there were stopping points only the locals knew about. And almost none of the stops that did exist had timetables. One that did advertised a bus that we waited for and which didn’t turn up, something of a problem for an advertised 90-minute frequency.
I cite these observations to make the point that it is not simply a matter of getting the big picture issues right. Matters like shelters, timetables and ticketing are important too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Norman Baker served as transport minister from May 2010 until October 2013. He was Lib Dem MP for Lewes between 1997 and 2015.
COMMENT
ALEX WARNER
Rail needs a resetnot just another sale
The transport secretary has announced a ‘Rail Sale’ for early 2025. We need to be more radical in reducing costs and raising revenue
In announcing the trajectory towards rail renationalisation on September 3, one footnote towards the end of the press release was Louise Haigh announcing a “Rail Sale” early in 2025. We’ve been here before, of course, with a similar experiment earlier this year. Welcome though this was, it did make me wonder whether such an initiative is capable of creating a legacy in terms of trip frequency and modal shift, or merely unlocking social mobility where it doesn’t currently exist. In the 1980s, we had vouchers on Persil washing powder boxes and Kellogg’s cereal too, offering £1 fares, accompanied by the ‘This is the Age of the Train’ bold marketing campaign. Then there were the Network South East Fundays where unlimited travel across the region could be enjoyed for only a quid, alongside the launch of the new Network Railcard. But, the ‘Rail Sale’? I admit to being a bit cautious. Don’t ask me why but I’ve been hanging round coach and bus stations lately talking to customers about the reason why they have chosen their particular mode of transport. I was expecting folk to say that they have given up on rail as it is too expensive - and unsurprisingly I received this feedback. But, what was noticeable, like never before, was the almost complete ambivalence to train travel. It didn’t even enter the consciousness of people to, consider for one nano-second even going by train. They wouldn’t check train fares, times or even route maps - it was never going to happen. They had long been priced out.
I can tell you - subjective though this might seem - that it wasn’t just those that came across as destitute, but what I would categorise as middle class, bordering on la-de-da characters, who answered ‘never even entered my mind to go by train’. Quicker journey times and higher frequencies by train made no iota of difference in their thought processes. Besides, a number of those I spoke to claimed that a trip on a bus or coach was more comfortable than by train - no surprise given the idiocy in recent times of introducing new rolling stock with ironing boards as seats and/or without power sockets. It made me wonder whether we’ve reached a tipping point where travelling by rail is now only available to those with a sizeable disposable income. Certainly, in terms of some
longer distance journeys, it feels as though train travel is like those products that were once accessible to all but are now beyond the reach of the ‘average person’, like a day watching Test Cricket or a Premier League game, or a trip to the theatre, or a round of drinks in a London boozer. Eating out in restaurants is also moving in that direction - remember all those affordable chains where, pre-Covid, there was always a special offer but now you’ll struggle to get a family meal for under £150? The railway is no different and there’s a danger that the next generation will grow up in a world where getting on a train is not remotely a lifestyle choice.
Another concern I have is around the issue of social mobility. I spend most working weeks staying overnight in all parts of the UK, sometimes in some deprived locations. Time and time again, I strike up conversations on the streets, in coffee shops or pubs and am struck by the number of people who make comments like ‘oh I went to London once’ or ‘I went on a train a few years ago’. Others admit to barely having been to any of the big cities in the UK or even travelling a few miles away from where they live. I’m not claiming my insight is quantified or sophisticated, but anecdotal conversations are a fairly good barometer of something that requires further scrutiny.
The problem is that the railway costs too much and for all the differing views on whether the recent pay settlement that ended the longstanding spectre of strikes was right or not (and I am undecided), the industry can do more to reduce its financial burden. As a starting point, it is to be hoped that with the set-up of Great British Railways a uniformed structure can be created avoiding duplication, with 14 train operators, Network Rail and regional transport authorities all having their own HQ structures just to ultimately create the same output of getting customers from A to B by train in the best possible way.
We may see the end of those sometimes pointless roles in some owning groups with divisional directors acting as post-boxes, too far removed from the action to create strategy that makes a meaningful difference, or where they just exist to check scorecard metrics among the train companies.
We may see the end of those self-serving HQ ‘support’ functions that irritatingly get in the way and in the history of privatisation have added absolutely no value whatsoever.
Marketing from train operator Greater Anglia during this year’s ‘Great British Rail Sale’
“There’s a market ready to be unlocked. It will, however, take much more than a New Year ‘Rail Sale’”
GBR needs to lead by example here, thoughthe Strategic Rail Authority of yesteryear (the nearest parallel we can structurally compare it with) lost credibility by growing from a close-knit, collegiate team of a few dozen as the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) into an organisation of not far short of 500 with many on six-figure salaries - a genuine novelty in business back then, over two decades ago.
It’s not just about bloated head office structures. Better performance management all round would help. Whilst the pay settlements didn’t lead to formal productivity gains, managers can still cajole, inspire and motivate employees to do better and scrutinise their outputs with conviction. I’m delighted that on my commuter line on Southwestern Railway, DOO (driver only operation) has not happened, and ticket offices remain open. It makes me feel more secure about my kids travelling. But what I can’t accept, despite them being one of the most improved operators in recent years, is when the on-board member of staff rigidly stays in the back cab of the train, or the folk in the ticket offices remain rooted behind their windows rather than proactively looking out for issues on the station. Yesterday, I arrived at Shepperton station and there was a handwritten notice on the ticket machine telling us not to buy a ticket as the trains weren’t running and the ticket office was shut. Our train did run, arriving at its destination only 10 minutes late. One operator, which shall remain nameless, is on an entirely opposite trajectory to the improving Southwestern. I get frustrated seeing their on-board staff lacking the usual spring in their step and attentiveness towards customers. I’m told that it’s because they’ve got the hump with those at the top in their organisation.
As a customer service advocate, it pains me to say this, but efforts to reprofile timetables to better reflect supply and demand to reduce costs haven’t made marked progress. The network, as a whole, hasn’t made the breakthrough to become less peak-centric or flexed up at weekends and down in midweek. Even on a granular basis, train plans seem beset by too many conflicting paths, complicated routeings or over-ambitious timings. Or, in some cases, there is excessive use of busy trains on cramped platforms with high and opposing customer movements, where dwell times can
never properly be managed and trains stack up behind each other (platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly always feel like an unmanageable pinch point). Spend 30 minutes or so at many a station and you’ll pick up on a mix of ‘doomed to fail’ timings or planned movements. Meanwhile, a sloppy disciplines such as tardy announcements about platform changes that have been known to station control centre teams for hours, can cause a sudden rush of customers and inevitable delay to departure, as well as train despatch by staff that is as pedestrian as the Crystal Palace back four.
I also feel that the frequency on some suburban lines is over the top. Again I come back to my comments in previous articles about the necessary cost-cutting that British Rail did in the recession years of the early 1980s and 1990s, when many lines serving London from the Home Counties cut back to hourly frequencies at weekends and there was no sense of shame in doing so. It was necessary to get control of the finances during difficult times. So too, when I joined London Underground in 1993, we spent ages looking at ways to close parts of stations, superfluous walkways, entrances and exits or turning escalators off at times and shutting some Zone 1 and 2 stations at weekends. Again, no stigma was attached to having these plans developed and some measures were enacted.
It’s not just about cost-cutting though.
As an industry looking to rebalance its finances, the immediate post pandemic chuntering from those in charge was about the decline in passenger numbers, making enhanced railfreight a necessity in terms of the functioning of the future railway. However, we’re yet to create more competitive prices for those seeking to use the railway to carry freight. The recent decision by Royal Mail to move away from rail felt unexpected and not in keeping with the narrative.
The industry needs to restore its commercial bite in the passenger sector too. Simplistically, we’ve not concentrated enough on the very essence of trying to make Joe and Johanna Public aware of just how compelling a product it is to travel by train. Have we genuinely engaged with either those bus and coach customers of which a journey by rail is not remotely on their radar or your average car driver? As you know, I don’t drive and hate cars,
but a couple of Sundays ago, out of necessity, Mrs Warner drove me from our Surrey home to my youngest daughter’s university halls of residence at Canada Water. The car was packed with her belongings as she was just starting a degree course at King’s College. A more hideous trip of two hours (nearly double that than if we’d gone by rail), I could not imagine - stop, start, with me gripped the whole way looking at the Sat Nav (or ‘Prat Nav’ as the wife calls it when I’m its custodian on a journey), giving instructions and unable to relax, petrified at inadvertently entering the congestion charge zone. Most of the way the speed restriction was a stultifying 20mph and parking at our destination bordered on farce. As I observed other fellow car-users, I reckoned that fewer than 10% were travelling like us because public transport wasn’t a viable alternative and then I reflected on the comparable merits of Southwestern Railway, London Underground, and London Overground, that we criss-crossed at various points on our journey from hell, as well as the many bus routes. How many of those cooped up in their cars were aware of how much better it would have been to have used public transport, and to what extent were they living in blissful ignorance? Just imagine how their perceptions would be changed had they got out of their car!
Are we not just skirting round the issues, shilly-shallying around when it comes to being more radical in our approach to both cost reduction and revenue generation in the rail industry? It’s possible to do both simultaneously, but we now need to stop thinking conceptually just get properly stuck in. If we can reduce costs and make it easier not to have to increase fares, I believe there’s a market ready to be unlocked. It will, however, take much more than a New Year ‘Rail Sale’ to create a positive legacy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Warner has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of transport technology business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys). He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration.
NEILL BIRCH
There’s a buzz around franchising
The new government is pushing ahead with a bus franchising revolution, but there are potential pitfalls that must be avoided
There’s a buzz around buses right now, and it is all about franchising. We’ve seen the first application of the franchising legislation used in Greater Manchester to bring buses back under public control in September 2023. The new Labour government set out an ambitious legislative programme in the King’s Speech which included the Better Buses Bill with proposals for additional powers for service delivery in England. In principle the proposals set out by Labour are similar to those enacted in Scotland under the Transport Scotland Act 2019. And it’s likely that similar proposals for bus reform in Wales will follow soon.
The Better Buses Bill (and overall greater public control for our public transport system) revolves around three elements: Franchising, Enhanced Partnerships and Bus Service Improvement Partnerships.
Franchising is front and centre stage and is popular with elected mayors in combined authorities. The government is proposing that franchising powers be extended (and accelerated) to many other English local authorities. Franchising will not be the answer to every transport challenge. In England existing legislation will continue to support Enhanced Partnerships between councils and operators alongside Bus Service Improvement Plans, both of which continue to deliver positive changes for many bus users.
The Transport Scotland Act 2019 introduced similar powers with its own equivalent of Enhanced Partnerships and Bus Service Improvement Partnerships, but importantly provided the ability for local authorities to (re)enter the bus market by establishing municipally owned bus companies - which the new Labour government has promised to do in England.
No ‘one size fits all’ approach
The good news is that a new regulated bus market will not attempt to be a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Sensible policies will prevail and follow the principle that the market for buses is inherently local and requires solutions that are tailored carefully to the needs of local users.
Arguably the most positive success stories from deregulation after 1986 happened when local bus companies focused firmly on the markets they knew well, helping to stave off the overall decline in bus use.
Care is required as the ambitious new reform plans are interpreted by each local authority with their own set of circumstances, led by politicians with differing aspirations for local transport and wildly different financial pots available.
At present of course we find ourselves in a relatively simple starting position. With the exception of London and Greater Manchester, all parts of Great Britain are still delivering bus services under the basic legislation which dates back to the 1985 Transport Act. It is therefore primarily the role of local authorities to fill gaps in the commercial bus network, although that is likely to start changing rapidly as more combined authorities in the north of England begin the process of franchising their bus services.
So, what will franchising look like?
A fundamental part of the franchising process is the definition of the franchise area, which currently looks likely to comprise the whole of the relevant combined authority, a situation which we might expect to be replicated as and when more local authorities choose to explore the franchising option. The need to define hard and fast boundaries for the franchise area will create potential challenges where neighbouring franchise areas share boundaries or where the franchise area needs to interact with a particularly ambitious Enhanced Partnership.
The biggest challenge is likely to be simplifing complex fare structures which seem to have become an inherent part of the deregulated commercial market. More uniform fare structures must be implemented and the bewildering range of alternative ticketing options considerably simplified as well as creating opportunities for better value multi-modal travel.
We can already see simplified fares in London and Greater Manchester. London has always led the charge when it comes to a single ticket range and an equitable fare regime. This will be all well and good when Greater Manchester is the only franchising authority surrounded by authorities and operators still providing services
“The biggest challenge is likely to be simplifing complex fare structures”
under deregulated arrangements. But what happens when the next combined authorities begin their transition to franchising? Greater Manchester will find itself sharing a boundary with West Yorkshire to the east and Merseyside to the west. Each of those combined authorities will more than likely have their own aspirations for simplified ticketing and an affordable fare regime. We may even find ourselves with buses in large parts of the north of England painted in very similar liveries, with reported aspirations that Merseyside and even Warrington will have buses in similar colours to Greater Manchester’s Bee Network. Does this mean that we will find ourselves swapping one form of complexity and confusion for another when we try to explain to passengers why their “go anywhere” bus pass is only valid on some of the yellow buses, but not all?
None of this of course is insurmountable and many of the boundaries have already been designed to mirror typical travelling patterns. But as more and more councils begin to roll out alternative delivery models, which might well include directly running buses themselves, these complexities will start to proliferate. And it’s not just the ticket range itself. Even where authorities are able to agree on some form of harmonisation, and let’s not hold our breath, it will be necessary to agree some sort of revenue sharing and put in place systems which are able to carry out that reconciliation in an equitable manner with onboard equipment capable of handling different products. It will be critical for authorities to integrate comprehensive solutions into their long-term plans to ensure equipment compatibility and that systems are properly configured.
Where boundaries involve adjoining franchising authorities trying to reconcile these differences will involve only a few stakeholders. Bus operators in franchised areas most likely will simply be fulfilling the requirements of their contracts, and with suitable collaboration the franchising authorities will be able to specify suitable equipment and procure harmonised back office systems. But what about where a franchised authority adjoins an authority which is pursuing a looser relationship between council and operators? In these situations the number of stakeholders will quickly multiply and it will be difficult to avoid a patchwork quilt of local ticketing initiatives alongside potentially very different
approaches to marketing, information, vehicle standards, and so on. This is likely to become particularly difficult in the south of England where there are already many local transport authorities pursuing their own local agendas.
Interurban bus services
However the biggest potential casualty in the growing patchwork quilt of bus service delivery might well be our interurban buses. This would be hugely ironic as they have proved to be very resilient in the face of falling bus patronage, with a number of examples where operators have achieved growth. In a world with a proliferation of hard boundaries around franchise areas, the process of exempting or licencing cross-boundary services, which could travel across multiple boundaries, will become increasingly onerous for the commercial operators who provide them. At the same time, it’s by no means clear that local authorities will have the capacity or appetite to pick up the planning and financing of such services alongside the challenges of their own local networks. To secure the future of one of the most successful aspects of the deregulated market, it’s essential that Better Buses Bill in England, along with efforts to improve bus services in Scotland and Wales, addresses the real challenge of maintaining flexibility. Deregulated operators have been able to operate without being restricted by public sector boundaries, and this flexibility must be preserved.
Careful of the patchwork approach
Avoiding unintended consequences from this patchwork approach to reforming bus service delivery in England and Scotland requires careful, detailed, and pragmatic decision-making. So too for Wales where the vision is for a majority franchised bus network integrated with a nationalised rail system, albeit overcoming boundary issues with its neighbour. Whatever transpires, let’s not forget that our number one priority is attracting brand new bus passengers. And, lots of them. Let the bus revolution begin!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neill
UK & Ireland.
The legacy of the pandemic
Matthew Niblett and
Sarah
Kendall on how Covid accelerated changes in travel behaviour
Some four and half years have passed since the world was severely disrupted as the Covid-19 pandemic rapidly spread. The immediate effect of lockdowns, uncertainty and strict public health measures had a profound impact on life in Britain and forced major changes to how we live, work and travel. Although it is now more than three years since public health measures were removed, the threat of another pandemic has not disappeared and it is only a matter of time before we could face another global health crisis. As such, it is fitting to reassess what have been the long-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on behaviours, lifestyles and policy. Earlier this year, the Independent Transport Commission released its final research report into the pandemic and its legacy effects on travel, transport and land use. In this article we summarise the findings relevant to passenger transport and the implications for the future.
The wider imprint
Given the extraordinary disruption generated by the pandemic, perhaps the most striking reflection is how many aspects of daily life have returned to a pre-pandemic normal. However, there are a range of imprints from the pandemic on behaviours and lifestyles. Most significantly, the pandemic forced an acceleration in the digitisation of our lives, bringing meetings, retail, entertainment, education and a range of public services online. Some of these largely reverted to physical operations, but in a number of cases online activity is now higher than pre-pandemic, including for retail, entertainment and in terms of accessing various public services such as healthcare and interactions with local government. Perhaps the most notable legacy has been how digitisation has enabled hybrid working patterns, allowing more people, especially those in knowledge industries, to spend part of the week working remotely, whether at home or in another non-office location. These flexible working opportunities have been widely welcomed by employees, and the proportion of UK jobs which allow
some degree of remote working increased from just 12% in 2019 to 44% in 2023 (ONS). Despite a backlash by some employers and commercial property owners, the majority of UK companies have embraced this trend and the opportunities it has generated, particularly in a tight labour market. This trend has had important impacts upon travel patterns, such as volumes and timing, and on urban planning, due to the reduced demand for office space.
Rail: from commuting to leisure Rail has experienced particularly significant impacts from the pandemic. There was an initial collapse in rail demand caused by lockdowns and ‘do not use public transport’ messaging, but since public health measures were relaxed passenger journeys have since gradually risen to more than 90% of prepandemic levels today. It is important, however, to note that this figure is boosted by the inclusion of the Elizabeth Line across London, which opened in 2022 and now makes up about 10% of national rail journeys. The slightly reduced current rail passenger volumes are still more than double those in 1995, accommodated on rail infrastructure that has not significantly grown over that period. The challenge for rail is the change in journey purpose post-pandemic. There has been a significant reduction in commuting and business travel caused by the rise in hybrid and remote working. Pre-pandemic rail was reliant on commuting and business travel, with over half of rail journeys in 2019 made for these purposes. Moreover, ITC research has shown that rail commuters are disproportionately likely to work in the knowledge economy where remote working is most feasible. The overall fall in work-related travel has been compensated for by a rise in leisure travel, which now makes up the majority of rail passenger kilometres
“The pandemic forced an acceleration in the digitisation of our lives”
travelled. A related change has been a shift in travel times, with increased rail travel at weekends and especially reduced demand on Mondays and Friday mornings compared with midweek. The peak hours of rail travel, traditionally between 07:00 and 09:00 in the morning and 16:00 to 18:30 in the afternoon, have also flattened, while off-peak rail travel has increased.
This shift in travel patterns has resulted in a significant loss of farebox revenue for rail, since demand for higher priced season tickets and peak hour fares has fallen, which has not been offset by revenue from people now buying cheaper ‘off-peak’ fares and tickets for individual days rather than five days per week. Meanwhile, the operating costs of the rail network have remained largely constant. As a result, since the start of the pandemic, costs have significantly exceeded revenue for most passenger rail operations, requiring additional taxpayer support to sustain services. Rail passenger fare revenue is now just over 80% of pre-pandemic levels, and for the 2022-23 year there was a shortfall of £2bn compared to the pre-Covid situation. Rather than the 70% of income from passengers and 30% from government ratio that applied pre-pandemic, rail currently has approximately 50% of its income from the passenger and 50% from government support. This is closer to the ratio across the European country rail networks and this ratio looks likely to continue.
Bus: demand in decline
Bus travel was also hit hard by the pandemic, with journeys during lockdown limited to essential travel and travel by key workers. As a result, demand fell to approximately 35% of pre-pandemic levels. It has since recovered to over 80% of pre-pandemic levels outside London (the London recovery has been stronger), although this masks a number of underlying trends. Previous ITC research has shown that, unlike rail, bus usage has been in long-term decline for decades across England outside London, so the pandemic accelerated an existing trend. Shopping has
“Discretionary leisure travel will be an increasingly significant part of overall demand”
traditionally been the largest single purpose for making bus journeys, so the increase in online retail has been negative for demand, in addition to the fall in work-related travel. Travel for educational and leisure purposes has remained strong, and these now make up a larger part of overall bus demand than pre-pandemic. The increase in leisure travel has meant that bus travel demand at weekends has recovered better than during weekdays, while reliance on educational travel, with the set hours of schools and colleges, has meant that traditional weekday peak bus demand has been less affected than rail.
The funding model for bus services is highly reliant on local government support, and the financial crisis faced by local authorities since the pandemic has resulted in significant reductions in services. Due to the cutting of services, rural bus operations hit a record low in 2023, and service provision nationally fell below 80% of the pre-pandemic level in the same year. While some additional support has been made available from government through schemes such as the Bus Recovery Grant and fare capping at £2 in England, this has not been enough to reverse the overall loss of service. Concessionary fare bus travel by pensioners, which was a significant proportion of prepandemic off-peak demand, has fallen due to older people now deciding to make fewer travel trips than before the pandemic, even when at zero cost to the traveller. There has been a marked difference in urban and rural bus travel, with the former showing healthier signs due to greater subsidies for bus operations in urban areas and the generally better frequencies and service duration in urban areas.
Other passenger modes
The impacts of the pandemic have also been long-lasting on other public passenger transport modes. Travel patterns on London Underground reflect the overall decline in commuting and the rise in leisure travel. By the end of 2023, demand on Mondays and Fridays on the Tube remained about 25% below pre-pandemic levels but, on the other hand, weekend travel had started to surpass pre-pandemic figures. Peak hour travel was also spreading beyond the classic timings. During Spring 2024, Transport for London introduced a temporary ‘Off Peak Fridays’ scheme, removing peak hour fares on Fridays
in order to boost demand. The trial has now ended and was found to not be enough to stimulate additional Friday morning demand.
In other urban areas, metro and tram services have seen a recovery shaped by local economic conditions. The Manchester Metrolink tram service, for instance, saw demand in 2023 surpass pre-pandemic levels, reflecting the recent strong economic growth experienced in the city-region. Meanwhile, in Nottingham the recovery has been a little slower, with passenger numbers reaching 87% of pre-pandemic levels in early 2024.
Coach travel has also seen a recovery, driven mainly by the rise in leisure travel after the pandemic, and the boom in short-haul aviation demand since international travel restrictions were relaxed in 2022, which has generated a surge in demand for coach travel to airports. Reflecting this development, over the past 18 months National Express has opened a number of new routes connecting to major airports, and boosted capacity on existing routes.
Mapping the future
It is clear that passenger travel behaviour and demand has undergone significant shifts since the start of the pandemic. A key question is how lasting these behavioural changes will be. Some factors, including the growth of hybrid and flexible working patterns and the inexorable rise of online retail, are now well established enough to be considered longterm. While this has inhibited commuting and shopping travel, overall demand has recovered remarkably well. This has been due to the significant rise in leisure travel, as people reprioritise what they are prepared to travel for, demonstrated across most modes and in the recovery in short-haul leisure flights.
For passenger transport, this indicates that discretionary leisure travel will be an increasingly significant part of overall demand, with all that means for service provision and customer preferences. Ongoing cost of living challenges may dampen demand and fares will continue to be under tight scrutiny as choices are made by travellers. Transport exclusion is a persistent and increasing issue for some communities and demographic segments. The ability of passenger transport modes to survive and rebound from the worst demand shock in living memory should give some cause for optimism in terms of transport resilience,
especially when the threat of future health crises and economic challenges remains on the horizon. It is important to recognise that these impacts from the pandemic have brought significant challenges for passenger transport. The loss of fare revenue as a result of weakened demand and less peak-hour travel has resulted in a substantial increase in the need for taxpayer subsidies. In terms of bus services, the financial problems faced by local authorities have resulted in a significant loss of services, especially in rural areas, thereby increasing car dependency. The impacts of inflation and high interest rates in the wake of the pandemic have increased the costs of financing capital projects, causing important infrastructure projects to be delayed or cancelled. The damage that results from underinvestment in passenger transport is serious, leading to reduced economic growth, more transport exclusion and jeopardising net zero carbon targets. The government will need to find ways of increasing funding for passenger transport if these problems are to be avoided. However, there are opportunities to be seized by the industry to improve the experience of passenger transport. With greater public control and funding, particularly at regional level, there is scope for improving the fares system and service quality, providing more flexibility for bus and rail users. Changed peak-hour demand also offers the possibility to rethink timetabling and resourcing to make better use of capacity, and to reduce the problem of overcrowding. In the bus sector, there is scope to replace scheduled services on low usage routes with on-demand services, learning from private hire business models and using existing technologies. Opportunities exist for devolving more transport spending and decision making to regions and local authorities, where local needs and priorities are often better understood. Crucially, a more resilient and well-supported passenger transport network will leave it in a stronger position to cope with the next demand shock, whenever that arrives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Matthew Niblett is director of the Independent Transport Commission. Sarah Kendall, is an independent consultant and a member of the commission
COMMENT
NICK RICHARDSON
Progress but still more to be done
The latest National Travel Survey data shows recovery from the pandemic but there is still much to be done on modal shift
Finding appropriate transport data can be difficult. Census data is generally inadequate and out of date, not helped by the pandemic disruption of the 2021 sample which rendered it largely useless in determining trends. Sourcing observed data such as counting traffic is common but getting deeper into how and why people travel is a much bigger requirement with forecasts and assumptions substituting. However, the National Travel Survey (NTS) provides a rich source of information, the latest round being part of a continuous survey that began in 1988, building on ad hoc surveys from the 1960s. It enables patterns and trends to be deduced, something that is invaluable in understanding travel and informing future policy. NTS covers trips made by residents of England within Great Britain using interview data and a seven day travel diary, a detailed dataset that provides insight, especially where other sources are lacking; over 14,000 individuals participated in the survey in 2023.
General direction
With NTS data being verified and published by government, it is helpful to draw out the main findings. Average trips increased by 6% in 2023 compared with 2022 but are 4% lower than pre-pandemic 2019; an average 915 trips per person were made in 2023, 18 trips per week. Both private and public transport had more trips than in 2022 (apart from buses in London which were the same) but walking and cycling
remained unchanged. Given the emphasis placed on walking and cycling investment, this could be regarded as disappointing and given that the survey is based on individual experiences cannot be attributed to undercounting which occurs for many walking and cycling counts because of the vast range of journey options undertaken. Average car trips have increased in number to 363 trips per person for car drivers and 185 for car passengers; outside London, 70% of commutes are by car increasing to 81% in rural areas.
There are some themes that emerge for passenger transport users. More than half use more than one transport mode – this is often overlooked and shows how interchange is an important aspect of the journeys made. Some journeys by more than one mode can be quite difficult due to the lack of coordination. Average trips by bus outside London increased by 8% from 2022 to 2023, 25 trips per person. The published analysis attributes some of this to the £2 fare cap but unfortunately hard facts on the effects of the scheme remain somewhat elusive. In London, bus trip rates remain at 14 trips per person. Here is an interesting
“Making even the slightest dent in modal share will need ambition, imagination and funding”
contrast because it appears that outside London more bus trips per person are made although average figures may be misleading. It does however suggest that an emphasis on bus services outside London is fertile territory. The big problem remains that the levels of bus use are still less than those pre-pandemic; in seeking to show how many more users have been attracted any initiative needs to be benchmarked against historic data rather than just recent years. There are several ways of looking at bus use: total number of users, trips per person or modal share. All need to be set against a suitable datum remembering that if policies that favour buses are to be effective, all three means of measuring the level of use need to shift more dramatically than any of the recent targets suggest. Because car use dominates, even a small shift from car to bus means massive changes in the provision of bus services so to make any impression on modal shares, policies need to have dramatic effects. For home to school journeys, 35% of secondary school children used buses for journeys of two to five miles and 47% used buses for journeys over five miles. This highlights the importance of the bus and coach sector for home to school travel, without which a crisis would ensue. Costs of providing school travel services have increased and some operators have disappeared but the school bus remains an important consideration for parents, schools and education authorities and provides massive opportunities to introduce children to what bus services could offer posteducation.
Why people travel
Regarding journey purpose, a difficult area for which to find reliable statistics, the most common response was for shopping, with 169 trips per person, mainly females aged 40 and over and males aged 60 and over making half of their journeys for shopping. Although commuting accounted for 117 trips per person, it accounted for the longest distances, some 1,055 miles per person. The role of trains for commuting is less than it used to be but remains significant. The figures raise the question of whether bus networks cater adequately for accessing shops, both in terms of location and shopping hours. With out-ofcentre retailing and evening shopping having become established, bus services do not always
meet users’ requirements. Inevitably the delights of retail offers are usually supported by free or discount parking or similar, and there are lots of opportunities to make better connections between shops and buses. If this is the main reason why people are using buses, could greater awareness of bus services, fare and retail hook-ups and similar help promote bus use? The traditional high street destinations are generally well served by buses even if some of the retail offer has disappeared. In some cases bus services have adapted but it also raises the question of whether or not routes can serve shopping, commuting and other journey purposes or if more stratification is needed. In larger urban areas, this may be the case although rural areas tend to converge on towns and cities where a range of activities are concentrated. Understanding why people travel is really important and requires asking them as Transport Focus does with its successive rounds of surveys. There is a contrast between enterprises such as supermarkets which find out a lot about what their customers are buying through loyalty cards and the passenger transport sector which is less well-informed; there is lots of data about when and where people travel but
not much on why they are choosing to use bus/tram/train/ferry, their journey purpose, travel options available to them and their experiences and opinions.
This can be considered in greater detail, for instance analysis of travel patterns by age group. Information about older and disabled people can be deduced from National Concessionary Travel Scheme data on the basis of where and when tickets are issued but it is likely that the reasons why people in this group travel are likely to be very different to those of working age or children. There may be external influences – the cost of winter home heating may attract older people to stay on the bus longer or the consolidation of healthcare facilities may require specific journeys. For children and younger people, choice of how to travel may be severely limited and may be influenced by the ability or otherwise of parents or others to transport them by car, such as for evening events.
Enabling change
However, the core target market must be people of working age with disposable income – this offers the greatest potential for growth and revenue. People need to choose passenger
transport when they may well have other options available; this means making the offer suitable for their needs and providing a good quality service that they will wish to try and repeat. Significant growth in the number of users will not happen by itself and the figures indicate that even recovering from the pandemic has been challenging Making even the slightest dent in modal share will need ambition, imagination and funding. Bearing in mind that approximately twice as many journeys are made by bus compared with train, that is where the focus should be. The rail sector has a multitude of complications and further transitioning is underway, supported by more subsidy than at any time in history but the bus sector needs some big resources if we are to move away from the car-dependency we have come to tolerate and probably regret.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Richardson is a Chartered Transport Planner and Chartered Geographer and a former Chair of the Transport Planning Society. In addition to providing consultancy advice, he drives rural bus services.
The traditional high street destinations are generally well served by buses even if some of the retail offer has disappeared
ENERGY MARKET REPORT
Why hasn’thydrogen taken off yet
A lack of availability of truly green hydrogen and infrastructure disadvantages have held hydrogen back - but don’t write it off
10 years ago this month, Toyota launched their first mass-produced hydrogen car at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Toyota Mirai was built around a hydrogen fuel cell stack that generated the energy to drive an electric motor. Producing around 180 brake horsepower and with a range of 400 miles, the new vehicle was understandably the talk of the show and Toyota were quietly confident that their new vehicle represented the future for sustainable mobility. Yet 10 years later - whilst still on sale and popular amongst its owners - Toyota has sold only 21,500 Mirais. By comparison, the Japanese automotive giant sells 55,000 of its battery-hybrid electric (Prius) and one million Corollas (Toyota’s most popular model) each year. The Corolla of course is a bog-standard internal combustion engine automobile.
Evidently then, hydrogen vehicles have not taken off in the way that many predicted back in 2014. This is something of a head-scratcher when you consider that the science behind hydrogen power has long been understood, and the funding for this particular technology more than plentiful. However, science and money have not been able to solve the first problem associated with hydrogen which is that the only way to produce it at scale is currently via crude oil refining and/or the steam reformation of natural gas. Both processes produce what is called ‘Grey Hydrogen’, which of course cannot
be classified as an environmentally friendly energy source - irrespective of its end-use.
‘Green Hydrogen’ on the other hand relies on the electrolysis of water (ie, splitting the H2 from the O) but producing this at scale is also problematic. The obvious requirement of electrolysis is electricity and to make the hydrogen green, that electricity must come from eco-friendly generation (eg, wind or solar). Furthermore, the separation of hydrogen from water requires huge amounts of said electricity, which makes green hydrogen expensive ($250-$300 per barrel of oil equivalent) and thus commercially unviable in the current energy market.
The next thorny issue concerning hydrogen is distribution. Broadly speaking, green electricity can be plugged straight into the grid, whereas getting hydrogen to the consumer requires complex and far-reaching infrastructure. In the UK, our annual road fuel consumption of 50 billion litres per annum is distributed via six refineries, eight import terminals, four rail-loading facilities, 6,350 miles of pipelines, 30,000 petrol tankers, 8,500 forecourts and 140,000 dispensing nozzles. To construct a conventional petrol station costs around £2m, whereas a road-side hydrogen
“None of this means we can or should write off hydrogen in its entirety”
site comes in at more like £10m (a fully electric site is circa £5m). For these reasons it is hardly surprising that there are only seven hydrogen filling facilities in the UK. When you compare these figures to the number of “normal” petrol stations (UK = 8,500) it soon begins to look unrealistic to think that the world will be capable of ramping up electricity networks for the mass electrification of vehicles, whilst at the same time doing the exact same thing for a universal hydrogen fuelling system.
None of this means we can or should write off hydrogen in its entirety. After all, there are over 1,000 major hydrogen projects currently “in-play” around the world and some of these of course will come good. Heavy (ie, energy intensive) plant and equipment such as diggers and earth movers lend themselves to direct hydrogen combustion (rather than hydrogen fuel cells), which is why JCB is investing heavily in this technology. Other “closed fuelling networks” (ie, where fuelling takes place on one site or in a limited geography) might benefit from the longer range, reduced weight and quicker refuelling times offered by hydrogen when compared to battery electric. More broadly and with incentivisation, it is easy to see clean (green) hydrogen displacing dirty (grey) hydrogen currently in use for the likes of fertiliser manufacture, methanol for chemicals and steel making. More tantalising still could be the use of green hydrogen from electrolysis for long-term energy storage, because whereas batteries lose charge over time, liquid hydrogen retains its energy indefinitely. And finally, maybe we will even see the return of ‘Town Gas’ - last used in the 1960s - where hydrogen is blended with natural gas for home heating. When it comes to automotive mobility however, hydrogen has lost out heavily to battery electric technology. Of the 300 million cars in the USA today, 2.53 million of them are full or hybrid electric, but only 70,000 are hydrogen powered. And at the same time that Chinese cities add 1,000 electric buses every month to their networks, the total number of hydrogen buses in the whole of Europe sits at 300. Ultimately a lack of availability of truly green hydrogen, coupled with the innate infrastructure advantages enjoyed by green electricity (the pre-existence of sub-stations, transmission lines and connectivity into homes and businesses) probably means that this was always the inevitable outcome.
James Spencer Portland
GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES
Real action, real change, right now?
Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the DfT
I couldn’t decide whether to comment this week on the recent BBC Panorama programme on HS2, or to make a few cheeky observations on our secretary of state’s speech to the Labour Party conference. So I’ll comment on both!
The Panorama programme made for very uncomfortable watching. None of the allegations made in the programme were new, having been aired in various media outlets in the past. Whether the central allegation that HS2 deliberately and knowingly withheld the facts from this department about the rapidly rising costs of the project, especially in the area of property acquisition, in order not to jeopardise parliament giving Royal Assent to the Bill for Phase 1, is not for me to judge. But I find it hard to believe that two senior and experienced property consultants who were employed by HS2 would be willing to go on the record to blow the whistle on what was going on and risk their professional reputations by accusing HS2 of deliberately concealing the escalating costs of the project from the government if that was not the case. And it’s odd that both individuals were sacked just before they were due to give presentations either to the HS2 Board or to this department, when they were expected to reveal the true costs of properly acquisition. One of the individuals was sacked 24 hours after raising a complaint with HR over his treatment. A strange coincidence.
Before he was sacked one of the directors commissioned Deloitte to carry out a study
into the property acquisition costs. Deloitte duly produced a report and recommended action be taken to address issues. Apparently, after he was sacked the order went out to shred the Deloitte report. HS2 denied that such an order was given. So if such a report was produced surely copies must still exist. Why doesn’t somebody ask Deloitte for a copy?
Ministers don’t come out well either.
At the 2013 Conservative Party conference Patrick McLoughlin, then our secretary of state, said that “we will build [HS2] carefully and build it right, on time and to budget”. Patrick McLoughlin is now chair of Transport for the North. Ummm. Worse still, we are told that at a meeting of officials and ministers in April 2017, including the then HS2 minister Nusrat Ghani, the new HS2 chair, Alan Cook, said that the then budget for the project of £55.7bn couldn’t be met. Yet three months later Nusrat Ghani said in a parliamentary debate that the project was on time and to budget, making no comment at all on the fact that Alan Cook had said otherwise. Surely she misled parliament?
Back in 2016 the National Audit Office found HS2’s budget calculations to be “reasonable” and found nothing untoward.
That’s very useful cover for HS2. But given what we now know, and what some individuals knew at the time, that begs a large question about the quality of the NAO’s investigation. One of the two property consultants sacked said on the Panorama programme that HS2 was guilty of fraud. Isn’t fraud a criminal offence?
Panorama had a lot more material that I could comment on but that sounds like a good point at which to stop.
So now I’ll offer a few observations on Louise Haigh’s party conference speech. It was harmless enough and, in common with most conference speeches by secretaries of state, actually contained very little of any substance. She told the conference that this department’s new motto was “move fast and fix things”. She talked of “real action, real change, right now”. But the Bill to end rail franchising is still going through parliament and no franchise has been terminated since the election. We’ve introduced a statutory instrument to give all local authorities the ability to make bus franchising without this department’s approval - but no new franchise proposal has come forward.
Mind you, it was never going to be the case that authorities would suddenly fall over themselves to introduce bus franchising, and early termination of rail franchises was also unlikely in the absence of a major breach of contract. But “real action, real change, right now”? I think the average member of the public, who would take these comments to mean things had already changed, would struggle to see what that change actually is on the ground.
I don’t blame Louise Haigh at all for trying to paint a picture of fast-moving and positive change. That’s politics. But when Network Rail continues to be the main cause of delays on our railways, and when the rush to bus franchising doesn’t happen, she may regret her words. Oh, and she said the government had “called time on divisive culture wars around walking and cycling”. Really, what culture wars were these, and how exactly have we ended them? Have I missed something?
“One of the two property consultants sacked said on the Panorama programme that HS2 was guilty of fraud. Isn’t fraud a criminal offence?”
Scheme opened door to career
With Patience and persistence: How Never Mind The Gap offered opportunities At LNER
A work placement through the Never Mind the Gap programme has helped Patience Guildford secure a role as a customer host with East Coast operator LNER.
The programme, a collaboration between LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express, Network Rail, and Women in Rail, aims to provide training and work experience for women returning to the workforce.
Guildford, based in York, participated in the two-week initiative earlier this year, which led her to apply for a customer experience role at LNER. She praised the programme for boosting her confidence and helping her re-enter the job market.
“My confidence has grown so much since I started the Never Mind the Gap experience when I was at a low point in my life,” said Guildford. “I now feel I can help others with valuable skills such as writing CVs, job applications and
interview preparation.”
Each participant in the programme is paired with a mentor. Guildford credited her mentor, Kelly Griffin-Sapey from LNER’s people team, for offering invaluable support and encouragement throughout the process.
“She helped me to believe in myself and she has never let me feel alone since,” added Guildford. “I couldn’t have done this without her.”
Griffin-Sapey said she believed the key to success as Guildford’s mentor was listening, understanding and being there to support.
“Patience is an amazing person,” she said. “Sometimes when you are applying for roles and not finding immediate success it can take its toll. I would say it is always important to remind people of their strengths, encourage them to stay positive and keeping trying until they succeed.”
Guildford now looks forward to further advancing her career in the rail industry, with aspirations to become a train driver.
“I would encourage any woman thinking of a career in the rail industry to just go for it,” she said. “There is a job for everyone. Never Mind the Gap creates the awareness of the opportunities in the rail industry and it was a platform to get started - it gave me my confidence back!”
The “Never Mind the Gap” programme is set to return next year.
APPOINTMENTS
ARRIVA
Arriva Group has announced the appointment of Chris Hardy as business development director.
Hardy (pictured) joins Arriva having spent 11 years at Mobico (formerly National Express Group) where he was managing director of the coach division. Prior to taking on that role he was group commercial director.
Before joining Mobico, Hardy worked at KPMG, developing a strong corporate finance background. Arriva said he had proven experience in international transport market development and has led a number of successful businesses. He gained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Oxford.
STAGECOACH EAST
Bus operator
Stagecoach East has announced the appointment of Hema Russell as operations manager at its Peterborough depot.
Russell (pictured) has 15 years of experience in transport operations management and has successfully led depot mobilisations and route relocations both in the UK and abroad. She was formerly an operating manager with Go-Ahead London.
“Taking on this role in Peterborough offers a wonderful opportunity to work locally and contribute to the community that I call home,” she said. “It is a chance to bring my expertise into a familiar environment and make a positive difference to our local transport services.”
SYSTRA Consultancy
SYSTRA has appointed Riona Ainge to the newly-created position of sustainability lead.
Ainge (pictured) joined SYSTRA four years ago, starting as a consultant in the planning and consents team on the main works civils contract for HS2. She was then seconded to the role of sustainability manager for the Balfour Beatty Vinci SYSTRA Joint Venture, working on the delivery of Old Oak Common Station.
Ainge is part of the next generation leadership team, sitting alongside other early career professionals to bring new perspectives and challenge to the business. She was a finalist for the Women in Construction and Engineering Awards in 2024 and the prestigious Young Railway Professional of the Year 2023.
WRIGHTBUS
Wrightbus has announced the appointment of David Porter as head of coach sales.
Wrightbus first announced plans to develop a hydrogen coach at the start of the year, with plans for the first vehicles to go into production in 2026. The final product is planned to have a range of 1,000km, which would put it on a par with traditional dieselfuelled coaches.
Porter (pictured), who has significant experience in the coach industry, joined Wrightbus last month. He spent over 30 years with Volvo, working in customer services before moving into sales and managing the UK and Ireland sales team.
Patience Guildford has praised scheme
DIVERSIONS
Nightsleeper takes a TV trip like no other
A TV show that will have transport experts fuming
The BBC recently broadcast Nightsleeper, a fever dream of a TV drama that managed to blend hostage crises, high-tech hacking and train geekery into a chaotic overnight journey on the rails.
The story was set on a sleeper train between Scotland and London, operating with an impossible-to-kill Class 94 bi-mode locomotive (transport types no doubt absolutely thrilled at the production company for picking the next free TOPS number).
Of course, what’s a train drama without it being hijacked by a
LIFE IMITATING (MODEL) ART
Heathrow Airport reintroduced the all-day H30 bus route last year, connecting Hatton Cross with Terminals 4 and 5 via the cargo area. After Diamond Bus won the contract to operate the free service, two buses were specially branded for the route.
“We wanted to make sure everybody who sees the buses is
hacker? Suddenly, this mighty Class 94 is being driven willy-nilly across the rail network. Naturally, as it meanders through the UK, it somehow manages to sideswipe the occasional oil tanker, casually knock off its pantograph on low bridges (only to miraculously reappear later), and just generally thumb its nose at
the laws of railway physics. Meanwhile, a handful of hostages - whose backstories are as lightly sketched as a half-baked rail replacement timetable - sit aboard as the tension ramps up.
As for the train itself? The internals seemed uncannily close to the real-life Caledonian Sleeper, while the exterior shots gave off TransPennine Express Class 397 vibes. And although most of the CGI held up pretty well, the finale tipped into classic low-budget special effects, but at least they splurged on a decent location shoot at London Victoria.
So, Nightsleeper - part thriller, part transport expert’s nightmare, and 100% an example of TV land taking a great railway journey no one saw coming.
TEARAWAY FREE BUS TICKETS
Transport for West Midlands has given away up to 1,000 free fourweek bus tickets to people who followed social media clues to a unique billboard advert.
aware that the service is free,” says Matthew Wooll, Heathrow’s route development lead in their surface access team.
“For inspiration, I turned to the model of an H30 bus on my desk at home which shows the original livery from 1998 with the word ‘FREE’ repeated above the side windows. This has now been incorporated into the 2024 livery and I look forward to seeing a model bus of this in future!”
The billboard, which says ‘Stop, grab a bus ticket and see where it takes you’ was unveiled by West Midlands mayor Richard Parker. Within hours hundreds of people, mostly students, flocked to the site to tear off a ‘ticket’ which allowed them to claim their free travel pass when they scanned a special QR code.
“This initiative has helped around 1,000 students see how they can make their journeys greener and easier,” said Parker.
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