Dubai will host the UITP Summit on April 21-23. We spoke to UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani, about the event and what visitors can look forward to Mohamed Mezghani: “For me, the Summit is about people” Mohamed, the UITP Summit is heading to Dubai in April, less than...
What’s inside the latest edition of Passenger Transport: LEAD STORY NPR rail improvements ‘will actually happen’ More than a decade after the Northern Powerhouse Rail project was first proposed, the government has unveiled a three-phase plan for its delivery NEWS Cornwall probes bus regulation options Market engagement...
More than a decade after the Northern Powerhouse Rail project was first proposed, the government has unveiled a three-phase plan for its delivery The plans would see Manchester Piccadilly expanded A three-phase plan for the long-promised Northern Powerhouse Rail project was unveiled by the government this week. The...
Labour has pledged an enhanced bus offer for Wales if it wins this May’s Senedd election, but will this be matched funding? Rhodri Clark reports Welsh bus fares for adults aged 22 to 59 would be capped at £2 Labour has pledged 100 more bus routes in Wales...
A new report by CMAC has shed light on an often overlooked but frequent aspect of the railway’s customer service proposition 2026 has already brought two major shocks. FA Cup holders, my beloved, Crystal Palace, being knocked out of this year’s tournament by non-league Macclesfield, 117 places below...
Those taking decisions should always put themselves in the shoes of the passenger and ask whether what they will think reasonable Average bus speeds in central London are now down to 7.4mph (picture: Shutterstock) It was interesting to see the latest figures for bus passenger numbers (PT351)....
Expense-fiddling and backhanders occur in all walks of life and transport is not immune. Employers should always be vigilant Fraud can permeate itself throughout organisations Of all the news stories doing the rounds, the alleged expenses fiddle and CV exaggeration saga involving chancellor Rachel Reeves fascinates me. Last week, the BBC released...
Fare caps are an easy way to grab attention, but what happens after they end and could funding be better invested elsewhere? England’s £2 bus fare cap morphed into a three-year experiment – into which the government will have ploughed £630m by the time it expires at the end of this year ...
To navigate this make-or-break period of major upheaval successfully, the bus sector needs bold leadership and open minds A more diverse range of voices – whether in terms of gender, ethnicity, professional experience – can only strengthen decision-making With major changes to how services are planned, funded and delivered, the UK bus...
Lord Hendy tells ‘Lunch with Leon’ podcast why he was keen to accept mission to reform the railway Lord Hendy (left) with Leon Daniels Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill was sitting at his desk on a sunny afternoon when the phone rang. It was the Number 10 switchboard informing him that the...
We have a once-in-a-generation chance to bring decision-making closer to the communities served, says Jason Prince HS2 construction workers mark the 200th anniversary of rail travel at the Colne Valley viaduct As many of you will doubtless know, on the 27th of September 1825, in the north-east of England, the world witnessed...
Karl Holbrook considers how open access train operators are flipping the script on UK train travel Lumo’s all-electric fleet produces significantly lower emissions than planes, aligning with the UK’s Net Zero ambitions Rail is rarely out of the headlines – often for the wrong reasons. High fares, overcrowding, and delays have frustrated passengers...
While much debate has focused on what passengers should want, relatively little attention has been given to what actually works Rail is not always an affordable option BY Anthony Smith The way we buy train tickets in Britain is changing. With the government pressing ahead with rail reform, now is the time...
Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, the passenger transport sector is highlighting what it offers Apprentices at First Bus Employers in the passenger transport sector have been using National Apprenticeship Week (February 10-16) to highlight the importance of apprenticeships to their businesses and their work to support them. To mark National ApprenticeshipWeek, this edition...
The prime minister and chancellor seem willing to ignore climate concerns in the hope that airport expansion can deliver growth An artists impression of how Heathrow Airport could look after the opening of a new runway “There is no more important challenge than the climate emergency. That’s why I voted against Heathrow...
Away days can inspire and motivate teams and help to build strong and successful cultures – but they can also go spectacularly wrong The level of debate and passion around customer service from Megabus and Citylink staff was fabulous In the last couple of weeks, I’ve facilitated customer experience training courses and...
Wrightbus has partnered with Chinese manufacturers to launch Rightech, a new brand that will offer ‘white label’ zero-emission vehicle solutions The Rightech RB9 (left) and RB6 (right) have been sourced from Chinese manufacturer King Long By Andrew Garnett If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and Ballymena-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus is doing just...
German-based transport technology specialist is expanding its UK operations following capture of Transport for London iBus contract Left to right: Matthias Kuehn INIT chief operating officer, Megan Powell Vreeswijk, chief executive of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Jens Mullak and Juergen Greschner INIT chief corporate offiver cut the ribbon at the refurbished Nottingham office ...
Call out corruption and don’t cover it up