Issue 301 of Passenger Transport is published on November 17. Contents include: LEAD STORY Rail industry baffled by sluggish reform plans Rail Reform Bill, aimed at legislating rail reforms, was included in last week’s King’s Speech but concerns linger about the pace of the process NEWS Operators...
Rail Reform Bill, aimed at legislating rail reforms, was included in last week’s King’s Speech but concerns linger about the pace of the process The recent King’s Speech has drawn attention to industry frustration with the sluggish implementation of rail reform and the implementation of the Williams-Shapps Plan...
Progressive and coherent in its approach to transport policy, the Welsh Government has plans to transform public transport Revamped:The Snowdon Sherpa network As you’ve probably noticed, it’s all happening in Wales. Of the four nations of the UK, Wales is taking by far the most progressive and...
Closing ticket offices was a terrible idea that no-one wants to own. They should remain, but there are things we can do differently Thankfully, plans to close ticket office have been abandoned I said shame shame shame shame shame shame shame. Shame on you. It’s one of...
Tim Shoveller tells Calling All Stations podcast about the reasons behind his departure from Network Rail last summer to take charge at Freightliner Tim Shoveller left Network Rail to become CEO of freight operator Freightliner in July The railway must unify behind aligned goals and empower its local...
‘It’s a dream for me,’ says company boss Scott Dunn A demonstrator vehicle is already en route to the UK, and is due to arrive in mid-January Australian bus builder Custom Denning is targeting the UK market, and a demonstration electric bus is currently being shipped to the...
Prime minister Rishi Sunak announces that high speed line won’t go north of Birmingham – but ‘every single penny’ saved will be invested in transport The government has scrapped HS2 north of Birmingham After a long and intense period of speculation, prime minister Rishi Sunak finally announced that his government is scrapping HS2...
‘It’s the thing everyone wants but in so many ways it remains elusive. Last week’s Great Transport Debate examined why we can’t join up journeys The debate brought together executives from the air, rail, bus, micro-mobility, taxi and active travel sectors in Manchester Airport’s Concorde Hanger Why hasn’t more progress been made to...
Rishi Sunak’s new ‘Plan for Motorists’ and his decision to cancel Phase 2 of HS2 are not ‘long-term decisions for a brighter future’ Rishi Sunak at his ‘Net Zero’ press conference last month In my last column for Passenger Transport, I observed that it never helps when No 10 or No 11...
Last week’s Great Transport Debate in Manchester brought together all modes of transport, and more. But what did we learn? A quirky venue (underneath a Concorde aircraft) and a quirky host (yours truly) I’m not going to lie but I make it my place to avoid corporate and social events. I am...
October marks Black History Month, an opportunity to build understanding and bridge divides The theme of year’s Black History Month is ‘saluting our sisters’ By Nafisa Nathani October marks Black History Month. The theme this year is ‘saluting our sisters’ – recognising the important role Black British women have played in modern Britain...
Welcome to Scotland’s Buses 2023. This special publication from Passenger Transport places the spotlight on Scotland’s bus and coach industry and its partners, celebrates their achievements and considers the challenges they face. Published in association with CPT for a sixth time, this year’s edition incorporates the official Conference Workbook for the 45th annual CPT Annual...
Passenger Transport teams up with Daniels The popular podcast Lunch with Leon is now produced in association with Passenger Transport. Launched in August 2020, this insightful podcast is now on its 77th episode. Each episode features half an hour of discussions between key transport industry figures and Leon Daniels, who was formerly Transport...
With bus franchising due to start in Greater Manchester, the LGA and Urban Transport Group are seeking a greater role for the public sector The report has been published just two days before Greater Manchester becomes the first city region outside London to run franchised bus services, 37 years after deregulation The Local...
City of York Council outlines plans to prioritise buses in a bid to reverse post-Covid pandemic decline and boost patronage by 50% York’s park and ride services have reported the strongest growth since 2017 over the summer City of York Council and the city’s bus operators have announced ambitious plans to enhance the...
It’s mind-boggling that the UK got rid of every urban tram system (except one). Let’s not take longer than we need to remedy that Like they never went away: Edinburgh’s tram extension to Newhaven Riding the tram as it rolled urbanely down Leith Walk a few weeks back, on the new extension...
The Transport Benevolent Fund has celebrated its 100th birthday. Like frontline staff, it should not be seen as a relic of of the past A train has been named ‘Transport Benevolent Fund CIO’ With the ludicrous proposals to close ticket offices and the obsession with de-staffing across transport, it’s unnerving to imagine...
‘The team work hard to make this service a success and I think it’s a fantastic way to see the area’ Toon Tour, the sightseeing bus service across Newcastle and Gateshead has become the winner of the inaugural UK Open Top Bus Cup, sponsored by Ticketer. This follows its victory in the Final...
Short term thinking at its very worst