LCR selects Stagecoach and Go-Ahead

LCR selects Stagecoach and Go-Ahead

Stagecoach has been selected to operate the franchised bus network based in St Helens while Go-Ahead will operates services in Wirral   Mayor Steve Rotheram: buses aren’t a ‘nice to have’ – they’re a lifeline   Stagecoach and Go-Ahead Group have been selected as the first operators to run the...
Public transport’s ‘global family gathering’

Public transport’s ‘global family gathering’

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...
Out now: The latest issue of Passenger Transport

Out now: The latest issue of Passenger Transport

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...
NPR rail improvements  ‘will actually happen’

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   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...
100 more bus routes in Wales and £2 fare cap?

100 more bus routes in Wales and £2 fare cap?

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...
Let’s get on and fix rail replacement

Let’s get on and fix rail replacement

  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...
Putting customers front and centre

Putting customers front and centre

  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)....
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Will this be Labour’s blueprint for transport?

Will this be Labour’s blueprint for transport?

‘We have a unique opportunity to reshape our transport infrastructure,’ says chair of review commissioned by the party in opposition in December   The review calls for an ambitious transport infrastructure plan to ensure a greener, more inclusive, and efficient UK transport network   A report commissioned by the Labour party while in opposition in...
Mixed messages on transport policy

Mixed messages on transport policy

  It’s not unusual to see contradictory policy positions across government when it comes to transport, but I’d hoped for better   The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, seems willing to grab at any private finance that is around for transport projects, even if this runs contrary to government policy on, for example, climate change   August...
Transport should be for everyone

Transport should be for everyone

  It’s ‘Catch the Bus Month’ and we’re asking bus operators to pick up the pace of change in making their services accessible to all   Caroline Stickland is the CEO of Transport for All   Almost 30 years on from the laws that made buses accessible in the UK, let’s mark ‘Catch the Bus...
10 reasons why I love travelling by bus

10 reasons why I love travelling by bus

  September is ‘Catch the Bus Month’ – and I believe that there are many reasons why we all should, from the rational to the romantic   Catch the Bus Month: I’m on board!   September is here and as the leaves turn brown and gold, the nights draw in and the county cricket season...
‘Bus is best!’ - but no mention of £500m fund

‘Bus is best!’ – but no mention of £500m fund

Minister talks up role of buses, as CPT seeks action on journey times   Jim Fairlie: the future of the industry in Scotland is incredibly bright   Scotland’s minister for connectivity offered a strong endorsement of buses ahead of next week’s CPT Scotland Conference in Glasgow. In an article in Scotland’s Buses 2024, which accompanies...
Action urged on new housing and transport

Action urged on new housing and transport

Former bus boss has raised the alarm after helping parish councils respond the local transport consequences of major new housing developments   Ben Colson spent his career in the bus industry   The new government’s pledge to deliver 1.5 million homes over the next five years risks the creation of new car-dependent communities unless the...
Patronage boost sees Bee Network on track

Patronage boost sees Bee Network on track

Transport for Greater Manchester reveals a 5% increase in patronage on the first phase of Bee Network routes with revenues £3m ahead of budget   Plans to improve performance at Tranche Two are underway   Patronage on the first tranche of franchised Bee Network services in Greater Manchester has seen a consistent increase, with a...
We can create a better connected UK

We can create a better connected UK

  With a new government promising to ‘move fast and fix things’, I am excited about where public transport is now heading   Manchester’s Metrolink tram has greatly improved public transport and attracted significant investment in regeneration projects   At the start of the year, an MP said to me that the general election would...
From buses to a  ‘10-mile museum’

From buses to a ‘10-mile museum’

  I spoke to Marc Morgan Huws about his new role at Isle of Wight Steam Railway and tapping into the high-value leisure market   Marc Morgan-Huws has worked in senior roles for Go-Ahead and First Bus   There are few multi-modal transport professionals around, fewer still those who have traded roles in the bus...
A promising start for public transport

A promising start for public transport

  The new government’s enthusiasm for public transport is encouraging – but ambitious modal shift targets are needed   The transport sector is furthest off track to meet the UK’s carbon targets. New transport secretary Louise Haigh has moved quickly on public transport-friendly legislation – but will she succeed in persuading people out of cars?...
Steering rail to a prosperous future

Steering rail to a prosperous future

  With no need for government funding, independent rail retailers could generate significant additional revenue for the railways   How and when to go from Saltburn-by-the-Sea to King’s Cross? I recently needed to get a ticket back home. So where do you start? Firstly, check one of the many so called ‘third party retailers’ (TPRs)...
NAO adds to pressure to find HS2 solution

NAO adds to pressure to find HS2 solution

National Audit Office report warns that decision to axe northern leg of high speed line will result in trains having fewer seats than existing services   Unlike existing Pendolino rolling stock, HS2 trains will be unable to tilt to take corners on the WCML at a higher speed   Pressure is building on the government...