Street launches traffic congestion action plan
West Midlands mayor says modal shift from cars to public transport is the long-term answer, but in the short-term he promises better co-ordination Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and newly appointed director of network resilience, Anne Shaw West Midlands mayor Andy Street has launched an action plan aimed at combatting congestion....
Huge change in travel plans during upgrade
Commuters are heeding warnings to avoid Waterloo Upgrade work at Waterloo station this month Effective year-long campaigns to publicise disruption that will be caused by the Waterloo station upgrade throughout August has seen nearly half of South West Trains’ regular passengers make alternative travel and working arrangements. A survey by Transport Focus, published...
Air quality plan avoids main issue – congestion
Greener Journeys says government plan won’t address public health crisis because it fails to back the introduction of charges for polluting vehicles The plan will see sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans banned by 2040 The government’s Air Quality Plan will fail to address public health concerns because it fails...
Rail user satisfaction recovery is ‘fragile’
Overall satisfaction hits 83% after period of stable performance There has been a significant increase in overall satisfaction with railway journeys Rail passengers in London and the South East are more satisfied with their journeys after a long period of patchy performance. The result has been a significant increase in overall satisfaction with railway...
Bus sector could face ‘perfect storm’ – ADL
Colin Robertson, chief executive of bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, has warned that the bus industry faces a multitude of serious challenges The chief executive of Britain’s largest bus builder has warned that the industry faces “much, much tougher things ahead”. Speaking in Scarborough last week, Colin Robertson, who has overseen a period of...
CAF to build trains in South Wales
Spanish rolling stock manufacturer plans to create 300 jobs at facility near Newport CAF is building trains for Northern Rail Spanish manufacturer CAF has announced that it is to start building trains at a new factory in South Wales. The company plans to create 300 jobs at the factory near Newport, where it...
Minister backs bus campaign
Jesse Norman helps Greener Journeys to launch the fifth annual Catch the Bus Week initiative Jesse Norman and Claire Haigh launched last week’s Catch the Bus Week event at Brixton bus garage in south London Incoming transport minister Jesse Norman lent his support to the fifth annual Catch the Bus Week, which took...
East Coast rail upgrade in disarray
Infrastructure works deferred; No date for Super Express delivery; Virgin Trains East Coast making losses Stagecoach has warned that its Virgin Trains East Coast franchise no longer expects to provide planned extra services, faster journey times and new routes in 2019. Network Rail has told the company that infrastructure upgrades to support the new...
Adonis – rail must end ‘profiteering’ image
Former transport secretary has blunt message for rail bosses – the public doesn’t like you, you’re paid too much and it’s time to ‘eat humble pie’ Lord Adonis: pictured here during his time as secretary of state for transport A former secretary of state for transport, Lord Adonis, has urged the rail industry...
Profit plunge threatens First bus investment
FirstGroup’s 2016/17 financial results show that the operating profit margin for the UK bus business has dropped to just 3%, after restructuring costs Uphill struggle: First’s flagging profits threaten investment in the fleet. Pictured are two recent additions to the fleet at the Millbrook test track FirstGroup’s UK bus division has reported a...
Virgin targets drivers with ‘disruptive’ ads
Assertive campaign highlights car’s disadvantages Ad portrays rail as stress-free alternative to driving Virgin Trains has launched a high profile marketing campaign designed around a new, more assertive approach to promoting the benefits of choosing rail over car travel. The stated aim is to “disrupt” the market in favour of public transport. It...
Transport sector on alert in wake of attack
Increased threat level saw specially trained firearms officers patrol on board trains nationwide for the first time in effort to reassure the public Manchester Victoria station has now reopened The UK’s passenger transport sector is on a heightened state of alert following last month’s terror attack in Manchester. The bomb that detonated in...
