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...
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)....
Capital investment in transport across English cities is welcome, but we must not forget London. Its success must be maintained 50 year old Bakerloo line trains being maintained I am writing this column after our work Christmas party, which was held in Manchester. Unfortunately, the Urban Transport Group team didn’t get invited...
For almost 25 years Anthony Smith has represented transport users. He’s about to move on and leaves behind a strong legacy Anthony Smith received the ‘Lifetime Contribution to Transport’ award at this year’s National Transport Awards The internet was just a novelty, text messaging was starting to replace pagers, compact disc players...
First Bus has set the groundwork to enter 2024 with strong momentum, and continued investment Janette Bell: ‘We’re on a mission to get more people to use the bus’ By Janette Bell At First Bus, we’re on a mission to get more people to use the bus – so unsurprisingly this has been...
Britain’s big cities should significantly increase public transport commuters to catch up with European counterparts, says Centre for Cities think tank The UK’s big cities outside of London are outliers and would need nearly one million (963,000) additional workers taking public transport to work to bridge the gap with other cities overseas The...
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 Winners celebate on stage at last week’s UK Bus Awards in London Go South Coast was named UK Bus Operator of the Year at this week’s UK Bus Awards...
Event at House of Commons saw industry leaders and MPs from all parties hear from members, supporters and allies of the new national initiative Members, supporters, and allies of the ‘Women in Bus and Coach’ initiative in Parliament last week Women in Bus and Coach, the initiative to support women in the bus...
With the government focussed on defying the odds and clinging to power, and Labour being cautious, transport is in the long grass The prime minister Rishi Sunak hosting a Cabinet meeting last week And so the long run into the general election has begun. It is the period of a Parliament when...
Public transport isn’t just about essential journeys. It can also be about fun days out, but this opportunity is too often overlooked I don’t think the transport industry does enough to extol the virtues of a trip out from a well-being perspective Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I guess...
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 for Rail. While the Rail...
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 coherent approach to transport. Making...
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 my favourite musical quotes and...
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 management. That is the message...
We need one last Christmas cracker