Labour turns up the heat on private sector
Shadow transport secretary says Labour will ‘bin’ rail franchising system and calls Stagecoach executives ‘boneheads’ for stance on bus regulation The Labour Party has indicated that it would begin the process of reforming bus and rail industry legislation to provide options for greater public sector control immediately “on Day 1” if elected to...
Brown: Ability to adapt is key to our survival
Go-Ahead points to record in helping local authorities to deliver their objectives at low cost in making the case for voluntary bus partnerships Go-Ahead has predicted that the ability to adapt services to meet local authority policies along with building strong reputations in local communities will define whether bus companies survive. At the...
Osborne floats devolved Rail South West agenda
Chancellor George Osborne has challenged councils in the south west of England to come together and create new body to oversee local transport Chancellor George Osborne has announced that the government is exploring the case for creating a “dedicated Devon and Cornwall rail franchise for the south west of England”. The announcement came...
‘Rail users are still treated as criminals’
Revenue protection must join 21st Century, says Passenger Focus Passenger Focus has called for an overhaul of the way the rail industry deals with passengers who make innocent mistakes when buying tickets in order to provide customer service fit for the 21st Century. In a new investigation into the issue, the watchdog concluded...
DfT review to examine role for bus franchising
Department for Transport asks KPMG to consider if franchising might be an appropriate model for buses, and whether candidate locations exist Nexus is seeking to take control of bus services in the North East The government is seeking to enhance its understanding of bus market dynamics in response to growing interest in regulatory...
‘National rail ticketing holds back innovation’
Arriva calls for Department for Transport to review anachronistic regulations and outlines potential option for radical ticketing reform A magnetic stripe ticket Arriva has called for the Department for Transport to revise “anachronistic” requirements for all train operators to provide a common national ticketing technology and sell tickets for every possible rail trip...
FirstGroup predicts further UK bus growth
UK bus business is in ‘unprecedented territory’ A First bus in Sheffield Patronage has continued to grow strongly at FirstGroup’s UK bus division, despite some of its companies raising fares in line with inflation, following large price cuts the previous year. The bus business has now achieved 19 consecutive months of patronage growth,...
Department in dock over GTR failure
Driver shortages have caused widespread service cancellations at Govia Thameslink Railway, placing the Department for Transport under scrutiny Commuters make their way past a Thameslink train on the platform at Blackfriars Station, London, in the morning rush hour The quality of the Department for Transport’s franchise management, aspects of its franchising process and...
West Yorkshire plans second trolleybus route
Combined Authority plans second NGT route for 2025 delivery An artist’s impression of an NGT trolleybus in Leeds The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced plans for a second New Generation Transport trolleybus route in West Yorkshire, despite the government not yet approving the planned first controversial route. The plans for the new...
Stagecoach beat East Coast rivals on quality
Quality rating was ahead of rivals First and Keolis/Eurostar An artist’s impression of an IEP train in Virgin branding Stagecoach/Virgin trounced its rivals for the new East Coast franchise, with a bid that was a clear winner on quality as well as price. Information released to Passenger Transport by the Department for Transport...
Why did Lesley Hinds stand by Ian Craig?
As details emerge of the complaints levelled against Lothian Buses boss Ian Craig, Edinburgh transport convenor Lesley Hinds is under growing pressure to explain why the council blocked a move to dismiss him Lesley Hinds (left) and Ian Craig, pictured on an Edinburgh tram earlier this year Staff at council-owned Lothian Buses are calling for...
Abellio won ScotRail on quality, not price
Runner-up National Express submitted a bid that required less subsidy but received the lowest quality score, allowing Dutch group to win contract Abellio plans to acquire the first Hitachi AT200 trains for ScotRail (artist’s illustration) Abellio won the new ScotRail franchise with a bid that required £29m more subsidy than second placed National...
