Social media – it’s all or nothing
If you put the right level of resource behind social media, it can be game-changing, but if you get it wrong it’s best not to bother As part of my role, I do social media training for transport companies and detailed reviews of their approach and strategy Public transport is in the...
UITP Summit puts Hamburg on show
Germany’s second largest city is a showcase for innovation in transport policy, with ambitious targets to grow public transport Hamburg has an extensive U-Bahn network of four lines with 93 station The UITP Summit was held in Hamburg, Germany in mid-June 2025. Hamburg held the very first UITP Summit in 1891. This...
Avanti and ALBUM shine in my report
What’s been going well in public transport in 2025 and where is greater attention required? It’s time for my half-term report Over the last month, I’ve made twice-weekly trips with Avanti and each time the service just gets better and better It’s hard to believe midsummer’s night has been and gone and...
Breaking down the transport bonanza
Sing Alleluia and let the word go forth: white smoke has billowed from the chimney atop Number 11 – we have a Spending Review The chancellor at Taff’s Well Rail Depot (image: Kirsty O’Connor / Treasury) Among the bountiful gifts bestowed by the Chancellor are a four-year funding settlement to underpin England’s...
Why so many embarrassing fiascos?
Why do so many of our public sector projects end up massively expensive, heavily over budget, late to be delivered, and faulty? HS2 will not be a particularly attractive journey, as most of the line will be in tunnels or cuttings How much does a door cost? Well if it’s replacement one...
Do we have our fingers on the pulse?
How well does public transport understand its existing and potential customers, and the societal trends that influence them? There has been a greater post-Covid recovery in women travelling by bus than men “Time is the most precious resource any of us has,” Marc Winsland remarked in his excellent article in the last...
Bee Network offers blueprint for Britain
As I bid farewell to the Bee Network and its striking yellow buses, I do so with immense pride. It’s a model that others can follow The Bee Network Bus franchising is a transformative approach to public transport management, granting local authorities the ability to regulate service quality, fares, and network integration....
Putting rail’s jigsaw puzzle together
We might not have all the pieces, but we have enough to make a very good start. Let’s begin transforming the UK rail industry If you’re the sort of person who plunges into a jigsaw puzzle without consulting the picture on the box first, you’ll know how hard it can be. You tip...
The missing buses of Britain
Passenger numbers have returned faster than bus services in the period since Covid. Are bus operators getting the balance right? Our industry has been put through the wringer once or twice in the AD era. 2025 is my 10th year working in the bus industry. It also marks five years since the...
From Istanbul to London by train
I experienced trains, trams and trolleybuses on a recent journey across Europe – and spied some interesting contrasts with Britain A tram in Budapest I have just completed my longest train journey ever, and no, it wasn’t one marred by rail replacement buses, driver shortages and signal failures on the West Coast...
Bus franchising is not a silver bullet
We share the Welsh Government’s goals for buses – but to achieve those goals, reform must build on what already works Buses are the most used and most accessible form of public transport in Wales By Martin Gibbon Bus franchising has a part to play in delivering service improvements across South Wales, but...
French ambition contrasts with UK