Inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport

Inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport

Issue 336 of Passenger Transport is published on May 2. Contents include:     LEAD STORY ALBUM’s Astill warns of ‘existential threat’ As Britain’s small and medium-sized bus operators prepare to gather in Nottingham, David Astill warns against squeezing them out of the market   NEWS Annus horribilis sees Mobico...
Read our supplement: The ALBUM Report 2025

Read our supplement: The ALBUM Report 2025

Welcome to The ALBUM Report 2025, a publication from Passenger Transport devoted to Britain’s independent and municipal bus companies. Returning for a ninth year, this year’s report also incorporates the Conference Workbook for the ALBUM Conference 2025, hosted by Nottingham City Transport on May 12-14. We hope you find it...
ALBUM’s Astill warns of ‘existential threat’

ALBUM’s Astill warns of ‘existential threat’

As Britain’s small and medium-sized bus operators prepare to gather in Nottingham, David Astill warns against squeezing them out of the market   Astill: ‘We’re talking about an existential threat’   Ahead of this month’s ALBUM Conference in Nottingham, ALBUM chair David Astill has warned that bus franchising poses “an...
Annus horribilis sees Mobico boss step down

Annus horribilis sees Mobico boss step down

Mobico Group’s woes continues after it reveals a loss of £793m, sale of American school bus business and the departure of CEO Ignacio Garat   School bus business sold to Arriva parent I Squared Capital   Mobico chief executive Ignacio Garat stepped down suddenly this week, marking the second senior...
Arriva makes bid for cross-country service

Arriva makes bid for cross-country service

Newcastle to Brighton link restores for service lost in 2008   The proposal would form part of Arriva’s Grand Central open access operation   Arriva has submitted an open access application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for a new rail service stretching almost the entire length of...
Looking after the ‘stakeholders’

Looking after the ‘stakeholders’

  The value of good stakeholder relations can’t be underestimated. Who should do it, what should it involve and who does it well?   Sometimes, the term ‘stakeholder’ gets used in a very depersonalised, almost token manner in business   I do titter when I listen to business mumbo-jumbo –...
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UK Bus Summit will return this year

UK Bus Summit will return this year

Local transport minister Stephen Lightwood will be among the speakers in Manchester     With the UK bus industry entering a period of rapid evolution, Passenger Transport has partnered with Transport Times to launch the seventh UK Bus Summit. The event will take place on September 11, 2025, in Greater Manchester – the home of...
£38m for 319 new green buses across England

£38m for 319 new green buses across England

Funding has been allocated to 12 successful local authorities, with more than half going to West of England Combined Authority for 160 buses   More than half of the money (£19.9m) has been allocated to West of England Combined Authority   The government last week announced a £37.8m investment to underpin the purchase of new...
Keep an open mind about open access

Keep an open mind about open access

  Open access rail services have demonstrated that they can grow the market for rail without requiring subsidy. What’s not to like?   Lumo’s open access services begun in October 2021   It was less than a month ago that Rail Partners shut up shop, but I for one am already feeling their loss. The...
Culture: the missing piece in rail reform

Culture: the missing piece in rail reform

  The establishment of Great British Railways provides a unique opportunity to reshape and, in certain areas, reset the rail industry   We are at a pivotal moment for the UK rail industry. With the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) and the imminent renationalisation of passenger services, the sector has an opportunity to set...
£300m cost estimate for Welsh franchising

£300m cost estimate for Welsh franchising

Assessment presents a range of cost and benefit estimates for the planned ‘Bus Reform’ in Wales, which will see all local bus services re-regulated   TrawsCymru services are already publicly controlled   The cost of transitioning to bus franchising across Wales is estimated at over £300m in the Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Bus Services...
Make a great scenic bus journey soon!

Make a great scenic bus journey soon!

  If you believe in buses don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk by taking yourself and others on one of many hidden gems out there   East Yorkshire’s excellent Beachcomer   ‘Use it or lose it’ is a famous but wise old cliché often used among folk to cajole them into supporting businesses...
‘The public transport sector meets here’

‘The public transport sector meets here’

Hamburg will host the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in June. We spoke to UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani, about the event and what visitors can look forward to   UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani   Mohamed, the UITP Summit is fast approaching, and Hamburg will be the first host city under the new annual...
BSIP investment has boosted satisfaction

BSIP investment has boosted satisfaction

The second year of the Your Bus Journey survey, conducted independent watchdog Transport Focus, reveals increase bus user satisfaction     Significant government investment as part of Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding and the £2 bus fare cap, appears to be have helped increase bus user satisfaction in England. Bus passengers across England have...
‘Laser-like focus’ aims to grow Bee Network

‘Laser-like focus’ aims to grow Bee Network

Stephen Rhodes, Transport for Greater Manchester’s director of bus highlights Bee Network progress but warns improvements will take time   Performance has lagged at the final two tranches of the Bee Network   Greater Manchester’s move to the franchised Bee Network has shown early signs of success, with increased passenger numbers and improved punctuality, MPs...
ORR report favours Temple Mills access

ORR report favours Temple Mills access

Independent study concludes that operational tweaks could free-up capacity at Eurostar’s Temple Mills International depot for competitors   Eurostar has stored redundant rolling stock at Temple Mills International (PA Images/Alamy)   The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has confirmed that Eurostar’s Temple Mills International (TMI) depot in East London could accommodate additional trains if...
Should Heathrow say goodbye to Woldbye?

Should Heathrow say goodbye to Woldbye?

  The response to the recent power outage at Heathrow Airport has lessons for crisis management in the public transport sector   Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye   The power outage at Heathrow Airport a fortnight ago was fascinating in the way that it shone a lens on CEO Thomas Woldbye’s reaction to the crisis...
Bee Network bounce inspires GBR rebrand

Bee Network bounce inspires GBR rebrand

Ministers saw how Greater Manchester’s Bee Network rebrand changed public perceptions almost overnight – and want the same bounce for rail   The new logo and branding will be different to a Great British Railways logo that was registered with the Intellectual Property Office’s online trade marks journal in 2022   The government is set...