Public Transport news

• A prize worth pursuing: has Elizabeth line shown what rail investment can achieve?

  21-02-2025 15:00
  
  Project has smashed forecasts on passengers numbers and created a story of regeneration along its routeHalfway to a billion journeys, and it’s only just begun. Amid the recent gloom, struggles and doubts besetting Britain’s railway there is a bright beacon of hope: the Elizabeth line.Now accounting for one in seven national rail journeys, the east-west cross-London railway has smashed forecasts and remoulded the travel habits and urban geography of the south-east. Continue reading...
  
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• New rail watchdog to hold railway to account

  21-02-2025 13:22 via passengertransport.co.uk
  New analysis by Chris Cheek’s Public Transport Monitor reveals extent of increased dependence of England’s bus industry on government money
   Alexander: ‘This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure’
   The government unveiled plans for the long-awaited bill to reform Britain’s railways this week. They include setting up a powerful passenger watchdog to give passengers a voice and hold train operators to account.
  This once-in-a-generation overhaul
  
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• Public purse provides 50% of bus revenues

  21-02-2025 13:19 via passengertransport.co.uk
  New analysis by Chris Cheek’s Public Transport Monitor reveals extent of increased dependence of England’s bus industry on government money
   Direct revenue support, via either the Department for Transport or local government, has doubled from 15% of total income in 2018/19 to 31.3% last year
   Public spending on bus services and their passengers accounted for 49.8% of bus industry revenues in England outside London in 2023/24.
  This figure comes from a new analysis by Passeng
  
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• Bus route keeps Milton Keynes in The Loop

  21-02-2025 13:07 via passengertransport.co.uk
  Arriva has taken data from a DRT network in Milton Keynes to launch a new orbital bus service that plugs gaps in the commercial local bus network
   The Loop launched in early January and has carried over 10,000 passengers in its first four weeks
   By Andrew Garnett
  Back in the 1960s, Milton Keynes was little more than a small rural village, but now it’s a fast-growing city that is home to over a quarter of a million people. At the centre of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, there are plans
  
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• Call out corruption and don’t cover it up

  21-02-2025 13:02 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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 a detailed investigation it had undertaken, exposing her and three other colleagues, including her boss, of showering each other wi
  
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• Beware the allure of capping single fares

  21-02-2025 12:47 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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
   If there’s one thing politicians love when it comes to talking about buses, it’s a flat fare. They gaze longingly at the likes of London and Edinburgh and s
  
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• St Pancras and Channel tunnel plan rail routes to Germany and Switzerland

  21-02-2025 12:34
  
  Partnership comes as London station looks at ways to almost triple passenger numbersSt Pancras railway station in London and the Channel tunnel operator have agreed to work together to open up more trains from Britain to France, and routes to Germany and Switzerland.The agreement is the latest sign of growing momentum for new passenger rail links from England across the Channel, after Great Britain’s only international station announced plans to triple the number of people who can travel t
  
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• Buses must embrace unorthodox thinking

  21-02-2025 12:31 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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 sector is undergoing an ambitious transformation. Actually, that’s probably underselling the importance of it – the sec
  
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• Rail reforms: What do passengers want?

  21-02-2025 12:01 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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
   The way we buy train tickets in Britain is changing. With the government pressing ahead with rail reform, now is the time to ask: what do passengers actually want? At Independent Rail Retailers (IRR), we believe rail should be affordable, reliable, and easy to use – but are we there yet?
  Meet Jane –
  
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• ‘I just said, I’d love to do that’

  21-02-2025 12:01 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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 new prime minister would like a chat.
  Hendy has been the go-to transport boss for senior politicians. First, Ken Livingstone recruited him to lead a revival of London’s bus netw
  
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• Cheaper, greener, better!

  21-02-2025 12:01 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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 for years.
  But a growing segment of the sector is flipping the script on what rail travel can – and should &ndas
  
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• 200 years of rail: An opportunity for reform

  21-02-2025 12:01 via passengertransport.co.uk
   
  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 the birth of the modern railway, an event that has shaped societies across the world in countless ways. From the early days of steam engines to today&rsq
  
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• Which are Britain's most and least reliable trains?

  21-02-2025 01:00 via standard.co.uk
  
  London Evening Standard - New analysis comes as German chancellor mocks Britain for its ?broken tracks and bad trains?
  
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• Which are Britain's most and least reliable trains?

  21-02-2025 01:00 via standard.co.uk
  
  London Evening Standard - New analysis comes as German chancellor mocks Britain for its mp;#39;broken tracks and bad trainsmp;#39;
  
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• Update on 'unjust' bus pass rules as Government reponds to plans for free travel for all over 60

  21-02-2025 01:00 via nottinghampost.com
  Nottingham Evening Post - The Government has responded to an online petition demanding free bus travel for all people over 60 in England
  
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• Under-21s get £1 bus fares in £100m budget deal

  21-02-2025 01:00 via bbc.com
  
  BBC News - Welsh government and Lib Dem leader announce deal on budget, with money for childcare and councils planned.
  
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• UK lenders paid car dealers cash upfront that may have led to costlier loans

  21-02-2025 01:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Guardian - Exclusive: mp;#145;Advance commissionsmp;#146; said to total millions of pounds allegedly pushed customers to certain providersUK lenders paid mp;#147;advance commissionsmp;#148; to car dealers that may have encouraged them to push costlier loans on to consumers, legal filings linked to the motor finance scandal reveal.Court documents seen by the Guardian show that lenders, including Lloyds Banking Group, have paid commission to individual dealerships in lump sums upfront, which c
  
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• UK bus market hit a 16-year high in 2024, with 1,570 zero-emission units

  21-02-2025 01:00 via sustainable-bus.com
  Sustainable Bus - UK bus and coach market achieved in 2024 a second consecutive year of growth and, what is more, will be recorded as the best annual performance since 2008, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
  
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• UK airport plans huge new high-speed rail station making it much easier to get to

  21-02-2025 01:00 via mirror.co.uk
  
  The Mirror - When HS2 is completed, journey times from Birmingham to the main London interchange at Old Oak Common could be as low as 32 minutes, making travel from Birmingham Airport much easier
  
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• Train line cable thefts cause major disruption

  21-02-2025 01:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News - There was major disruption on a train line after signalling cables were stolen overnight.
  
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• Tracsis secures Tap Converter PAYG system contract in UK

  21-02-2025 01:00 via railway-technology.com
  
  Other News Sources - The Tap Converter system will be the backbone of PAYG travel, supporting the UK Government's vision for a modernised rail network.
  
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• The hidden engineering challenges behind London?s skyline boom

  21-02-2025 01:00 via newcivilengineer.com
  
  New Civil Engineer - London?s skyline is rapidly evolving and, with nearly 600 new skyscrapers potentially planned over the next decade, the city is being reshaped into what some are calling a ?Manhattan-on-Thames?.
  
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• The hidden engineering challenges behind London's skyline boom

  21-02-2025 01:00 via newcivilengineer.com
  
  New Civil Engineer - Londonmp;#39;s skyline is rapidly evolving and, with nearly 600 new skyscrapers potentially planned over the next decade, the city is being reshaped into what some are calling a mp;#39;Manhattan-on-Thamesmp;#39;
  
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• TfL trials mobile charging with electric construction vehicles for the first time

  21-02-2025 01:00 via traffictechnologytoday.com
  
  Other News Sources - Transport for London (TfL) is working with the construction industry on a new trial of zero emission construction vehicles, which involves a UK first method of mobile recharging.
  
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• TfL trial new way to cut construction vehicle emissions

  21-02-2025 01:00 via bbc.com
  
  BBC News - TfL hopes these new technological advances will play a vital role in reaching net zero carbon by 2030.
  
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• Second-generation Wrightbus StreetDeck Hydroliner is detailed

  21-02-2025 01:00 via route-one.net
  
  Route One (Bus and Coach) - Wrightbus has detailed a second-generation model of its StreetDeck Hydroliner hydrogen fuel cell-electric double-decker that will bring a ?significant saving? on purchase price when compared to the existing variant.
  
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• PFI could be answer to bus funding challenge, says analyst

  21-02-2025 01:00 via route-one.net
  
  Route One (Bus and Coach) - Transport Investment Limited Director David Leeder says private funding will be needed to fund Labour?s ambitious bus plans
  
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• Oxford Road Station revamp: Council's full list of concerns as leader says 'the last thing we want is 10 years of delays'

  21-02-2025 01:00 via business-live.co.uk
  
  Birmingham Post - Network Rail bosses want to mp;#39;remodelmp;#39; the city centre station by effectively removing two platforms
  
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• New analysis shows open access rail services pay their way and unleash huge economic and customer benefits

  21-02-2025 01:00 via agcc.co.uk
  
  Other News Sources - FirstGroupmp;#39;s pioneering open access rail operators Lumo and Hull Trains have published new analysis highlighting the positive effects of open access operations for customers, the rail industry and wider UK economic growth.
  
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• McGills: threatens legal action against franchising

  21-02-2025 01:00 via busandcoachbuyer.com
  
  Bus and Coach Buyer - McGill?s Group has launched searing condemnation of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT)?s proposed bus franchising plans, and threatens legal action against SPT.
  
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• Lower Thames Crossing will regenerate surrounding area, says Khan

  21-02-2025 01:00 via transportxtra.com
  Transportxtra - Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has voiced his support for the building of the Lower Thames Crossing, stating that it is pro-business and will re-generate the surrounding area.
  
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• Lower Thames Crossing necessary to ease pressure on Dartford Crossing, says Farage

  21-02-2025 01:00 via transportxtra.com
  Transportxtra - Leader of Reform UK and MP for Clacton Nigel Farage has expressed his support for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, putting him at odds with a fellow Reform UK MP.
  
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• London St Pancras owner inks new partnership as it eyes services to Italy and Germany

  21-02-2025 01:00 via cityam.com
  
  City AM - The company in charge of St Pancras International is luring in competition for Eurostar by nearly tripling passenger capacity and launching a range of new European routes.
  
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• Kent Wildlife Trust is asking people to participate in the A229 consultation before 17th March.

  21-02-2025 01:00 via kentwildlifetrust.org.uk
  
  Other News Sources - It is said the scheme is needed to support the additional traffic created by the proposed Lower Thames Crossing.
  
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• Japan to court Tesla on Nissan investment

  21-02-2025 01:00 via ft.com
  
  Financial Times - Former prime minister and ex-Tesla board member plan to approach Elon Musk to support struggling carmaker
  
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• I'm not happy with Boeing, Trump says over Air Force One

  21-02-2025 01:00 via bbc.com
  
  BBC News - US president says he is looking for alternatives because Boeing is taking too long to build new planes
  
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• How the Northumberland Line restoration team responded to obstacles above and below ground

  21-02-2025 01:00 via newcivilengineer.com
  
  New Civil Engineer - The restoration of passenger rail services to a region that has been without them for 60 years is re-setting the connectivity and social landscape of the north-east of England, while tackling the engineering challenges posed by the legacy of its industrial past.
  
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• Green Signals: Focus on Railways Bill consultation

  21-02-2025 01:00 via news.railbusinessdaily.com
  
  Rail Business Daily - The Government has finally released its consultation into the forthcoming Railways Bill. But is it worth the wait?
  
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• Go North East 'not sending modern buses to Manchester'

  21-02-2025 01:00 via hexham-courant.co.uk
  
  Other Regional Press - The allegations were made by unions, with parent group Go Ahead having recently won a major contract in the area.Go North East also revealed it had not been notified of any official ballot for strike action after Unite the Union warned members could walk out after a row with the firm over safety and treatment of staff.
  
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• First Go Ahead e-bus order for Volvo Buses: 25 BZL models to operate under TfL

  21-02-2025 01:00 via sustainable-bus.com
  Sustainable Bus - Volvo Buses announces it has secured its first electric vehicle order from Go Ahead, the largest operator of bus services in London.
  
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• Eurotunnel and HS1 concession sign agreement to boost traffic

  21-02-2025 01:00 via railnews.co.uk
  Railnews -Eurotunnel has signed a memorandum of understanding with the owners of the concession to operate HS1, which has just been renamed London St Pancras Highspeed. The agreement is being described as a mp;#145;landmark partnershipmp;#146;, and is intended to increase the growth of cross-Channel traffic.
  
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• East West Rail ?must do more to protect priority natural habitats and rare bats?, says Wildlife Trust

  21-02-2025 01:00 via cambridgeindependent.co.uk
  
  Other Regional Press - The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) must do more to protect priority natural habitats and rare barbastelle bats along the planned line, according to wildlife experts.
  
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• East West Rail "must do more to protect priority natural habitats and rare bats", says Wildlife Trust

  21-02-2025 01:00 via cambridgeindependent.co.uk
  
  Other Regional Press - The East West Railway Company (EWR Co) must do more to protect priority natural habitats and rare barbastelle bats along the planned line, according to wildlife experts.
  
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• Deal struck to restore services on Heart of Wales Line

  21-02-2025 01:00 via countytimes.co.uk
  
  Other Regional Press - Services will be restored to the Heart of Wales line after an agreement was reached for the Welsh Government budget.
  
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• Cycling to school almost became extinct – until one man revived the bike bus

  21-02-2025 01:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Guardian - Sam Balto took the idea from a local school to the White House and beyond, inspiring a global movement in which children feel the benefits of cycling togethermp;#147;Itmp;#146;s a movement, not a moment.mp;#148; Thatmp;#146;s the mantra from Sam mp;#147;Coachmp;#148; Balto, a former school teacher from Portland, Oregon who quit his day job to stoke a revolution called the mp;#147;bike busmp;#148; mp;#150; groups of kids and families cycling to school together.How did one person in
  
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• Contract awarded for £41m Surrey road upgrades near M25 to make way for construction of 3,000 new homes

  21-02-2025 01:00 via getsurrey.co.uk
  
  Other News Sources - The road upgrades will allow for the construction of 3,000 homes across ten sites in Surrey
  
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• Camera monitoring system option in lieu of mirrors for Yutong GT12

  21-02-2025 01:00 via route-one.net
  
  Route One - The Yutong GT12 coach is now available to order with a camera monitoring system (CMS) in lieu of conventional mirrors. The first two such examples have arrived in the UK and are for Safeway Coaches of Batley.
  
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• Bus company questions council's net-zero ambitions

  21-02-2025 01:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News - A bus company has questioned Brighton mp; Hove City Council after it ditched its electric buses in favour of a diesel fleet on its supported services for the next four years.
  
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• Australia warns airlines over Chinese ‘live fire’ exercises

  21-02-2025 01:00 via ft.com
  
  Financial Times - Foreign minister Penny Wong to confront Chinese counterpart over drills off east coast
  
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• Anger after government appears to drop Tory plans to put accessibility at heart of new national rail body

  21-02-2025 01:00 via disabilitynewsservice.com
  
  Other News Sources - Labour appears to have dropped the Conservative government?s pledge to place accessibility right at the heart of the new national body that will run the railways.
  
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