Passenger Transport: November 12, 2021

YEARS 2011 | 2021

ISSUE 253 12 NOVEMBER 2021

NEWS, VIEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR A SECTOR ON THE MOVE

Don’t ‘COP out’ and rely on electric cars

Sustainable Transport Alliance uses COP26 to warn that solely focusing on electric vehicles would ignore their social and environmental drawbacks The UK’s leading sustainable transport NGOs this week appealed to world leaders to recognise that technology alone cannot reduce transport emissions. Instead, reducing traffic and shifting towards public transport, walking, cycling and shared mobility must be “a major climate goal, which can unleash widespread health, wellbeing and social justice benefits”.

As the focus of the UN’s COP26 climate change conference turned to transport - the biggest source of greenhouse emissions in the UK and the fastest rising globally the Sustainable Transport Alliance highlighted that solely focussing

on electric vehicles would ignore their social and environmental drawbacks - including a potential 51% increase in road traffic in the UK - and the immediate benefits of greener forms of transport.

The group outlined how the UK as president of COP26 can lead the way globally by drawing on community actions and voices to place walking and cycling, public, community and shared transport

“We cannot put all our faith in electric cars” Jools Townsend

at the heart of climate ambitions.

Jools Townsend, chair of the Sustainable Transport Alliance, and chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “The evidence is clear that we cannot put all our faith in electric cars - we need a more fundamental shift in how we get around, and we have much to gain from this.”

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Rather than saying it’s business as usual and technology will save the day, our leaders need to be upfront with people on what each of us needs to do and provide the right investment.”

COP26: PAGES 4-5

NEWS

Salisbury probe to focus on adhesion

09

RAIB reveals preliminary findings

ENVIRONMENT

Public see rail as green, but still use cars

12

Network Rail survey highlights mismatch

INNOVATION & TECH

5G remote controlled driverless bus

14

Technology tested

by Keolis in Sweden

COMMENT

New funding, but future is finely balanced

18

Jonathan Bray on the spending review

COMMENT

Pushing for electrification GREEN BUSES Stagecoach partnered with ADL BYD to provide a fleet of electric double deckers to transport world leaders, including prime minister Boris Johnson (pictured), at this month’s COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow

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20

Nick Richardson considers the case

10/11/2021 17:35

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10/11/2021 17:36

CONTENTS

PASSENGER TRANSPORT PO Box 5496, Westbury BA13 9BX 020 3950 8000 editorial@passengertransport.co.uk

Government should lead pro-change campaign I was once told by a senior bus manager that I was a bit weird for choosing to travel by bus for most journeys even through I have a car at home.

We will need to become a nation of weirdos if we are going to achieve our goal of becoming Robert Jack net zero by 2050! A completely car-free lifestyle Managing Editor is impossible for many, perhaps most, of us. But making greater use of more sustainable modes of transport is not.

The passenger transport sector seized the opportunity provided by the UK hosting the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow to hail its successes and raise awareness of important issues. One of them is the idea that technology alone can deliver net zero. The myth that we can achieve net zero by switching to electric cars must be challenged by ministers, not propagated. This is a point that has been made this month by bus and coach operator Stagecoach, UITP and the Sustainable Transport Alliance, a group of transport NGOs. We listened to the experts during the darkest days of the coronavirus pandemic, and we trusted them. One of those experts, Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, this week warned that climate change is a far bigger and potentially deadlier problem. He observed that more behaviour change was starting to happen but needed to go much further - but how?

It’s time for government-led, nationwide campaigns to explain why we must change the way we travel and boost public acceptance.

HAVE YOUR SAY Contact us with your news, views and opinion at: editorial@passengertransport.co.uk PASSENGER TRANSPORT editorial@passengertransport.co.uk forename.surname@ passengertransport.co.uk Telephone: 020 3950 8000 Managing Editor & Publisher Robert Jack Deputy Editor Andrew Garnett Contributing Writer Rhodri Clark Directors Chris Cheek, Andrew Garnett, Robert Jack, George Muir, John Nelson OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS Passenger Transport Publishing Ltd PO Box 5496, Westbury BA13 9BX, UNITED KINGDOM Telephone (all enquiries):

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address. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the publisher’s written permission.

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IN THIS ISSUE 13

GO-AHEAD BUYS HYDROGEN BUSES

16

MY 10-POINT PLAN FOR RAIL REPLACEMENT

23

LONGSTANDING CAUSES BEHIND PRICE SPIKES

25

WHO’S GOING TO PAY? I SENSE A BUST-UP

Go-Ahead Group has signed a contract to buy its first hydrogen powered buses, as part of a deal which could become the largest of its kind in Europe. The buses will be part-funded with money from UK Government and EU bus schemes.

ORGANISATION

PAGE

Adventure Travel Alexander Dennis Arriva Avanti West Coast Brighton & Hove Buckinghamshire Council BYD c2c CILT Cumbria County Council Edinburgh Trams Eurostar FirstBus First Cymru Glasgow Subway Go-Ahead Group Go North West GWR McGill’s Mellor Metrobus Newport Transport Oxfordshire County Council Pelican Yutong Porterbrook RAIB Scania ScotRail South Wales Travel South Western Railway Stagecoach Group Stagecoach South Stagecoach South Wales Transdev Blazefield Transport for London Transport for Wales VivaRail WECA

8 5 11 5 10 7 5 5 4 7 9 5 5 8 9 5 10 9 5 10, 11 10 8 7 5 5 9 11 5 8 9 4, 5, 7 11 8 10, 11 5, 9 8 5 6

During the transition to Great British Railways, Alex Warner argues its important that the age-old quandary of rail replacement provision doesn’t get forgotten and reveals his blueprint for success . “My 10-point plan is straight-forward,” he says.

Gas prices are now so high they have the potential to disrupt the global economy, writes James Spencer.

Seasoned market observers point out that ‘sudden’ crisis has its roots in historical decisions and a chain of energy policy failures, he says.

Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the Department for Transport.

It’s becoming increasing clear that the ambition of BSIPs is such that the funding is completely inadequate.

REGULARS NEWS ENVIRONMENT INNOVATION & TECH COMMENT GRUMBLES CAREERS DIVERSIONS

04 12 14 16 25 26 28

12 November 2021 | 03

10/11/2021 17:38

NEWS COP26

CILT reveals 18-point plan to deliver net zero Consideration of road charging and measures to make public transport more affordable in comparison to the private car are among the proposals STRATEGY

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK this week revealed its 18-point action plan to combat emissions and deliver a net zero economy.

As part of this month’s COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, the professional membership organisation for those working in transport and logistics has produced a series of policy papers covering the challenge of decarbonisation across current and future transport operations and practice.

Developed as part of CILT’s larger policy campaign, ‘Route to Net Zero 2050’, the seven individual papers were launched at the Low Carbon Logistics’ event on November 10 at Mossend

STAGECOACH PLEA TO LEADERS Group wants focus on incentivising modal shift STRATEGY

As attention at the COP26 climate change summit turned to transport on November 10, Stagecoach urged world leaders to put in place firm plans to motivate and incentivise people to change the way they travel in order to meet the country’s net zero ambitions.

The UK’s biggest bus and coach operator is warning that net zero ambitions cannot be achieved by technology alone, such as by replacing petrol and diesel-powered cars with electric vehicles. The fastest 04 | 12 November 2021 PT253p04-05 4

International Railfreight Park to the east of Glasgow.

While each of the reports gives in-depth analysis of sector specific issues, CILT has identified 18 actions and measures that need to be delivered in the route to net zero. They include: Ensuring that many measures are put in place during the 2020s; Making the UK’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan “more focussed and targeted in what and how change is to be achieved”; Giving local authorities

Daniel Parker-Klein

clear guidance from central government on what is expected but flexibility to adapt plans to meet their local circumstances; Quick wins to promote the importance of change such as a group of infill rail electrification schemes, particularly for freight, investment in battery or hydrogen buses and the introduction of more Clean Air Zones; Encouraging the take-up of electric vehicles but recognising that they impose costs on highways and that these need to be covered through duties or maintenance charges; Giving consideration to road charging as a means of offsetting falling fuel duty revenues; Resolving the inconsistency between motoring costs and bus/

way to make progress is by switching where possible from making journeys by car and instead travelling by public transport, cycling or walking.

Stagecoach is calling on leaders to be honest with citizens that the current status quo cannot continue in simply replacing traffic jams of diesel and petrol cars with traffic jams of electric cars. Figures published by Inrix, show that congestion during 2019 cost the UK economy £6.9bn, an average of £894 per driver, with Brits wasting an

average of 115 hours in congestion.

By contrast, independent research carried out prior to Covid-19 demonstrates that Stagecoach helped to save 190,000 tonnes of CO2 by people taking buses rather than using cars, equating to around £343m a year in potential congestion related savings.

The Committee on Climate Change has made clear that changing technology will only deliver 38% of the required reductions in emissions, which means 62% of

“The challenges are great but so too are the opportunities”

“We need leaders to be honest with citizens that we cannot go on as we are now” Martin Griffiths, Stagecoach

rail fares (fuel duty has not risen for many years, but fares have) to encourage modal shift; An advertising campaign to explain why changes are required and boost public acceptance; More funds for research into developing new and innovative forms of sustainable travel; Targets for local deliveries to be transferred to electric vehicles by a stated date, within 10 years; A re-assessment of sector skills requirements alongside appropriate training and apprenticeships.

Daniel Parker-Klein, director of policy and communications at CILT commented: “With logistics and transport accounting for 28% of all UK carbon emissions, our profession has a huge role to play in reaching net zero by 2050. This collection of papers presents our latest thinking as part of CILT’s Route to Net Zero campaign and is intended to prompt and inform debate surrounding COP26.

“The challenges are great but so too are the opportunities, and CILT believes that our sector will be a key part of the solution.”

emissions reductions will have to come from changes in how people live and travel, including using more sustainable public transport.

Stagecoach chief executive Martin Griffiths said: “As the focus at COP26 today turns to transport, it’s crucial that we focus on the most important thing - incentivising people out of cars and onto public transport. This is the only way that we can quickly meet the country’s net zero ambitions.

“We need leaders to be honest with citizens that we cannot go on as we are now by simply replacing jams of diesel and petrol cars with jams of electric cars. Congestion is costing our economy billions of pounds each year, and that cannot be reduced by technology alone.” www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 16:31

Transport sector plays role in COP26 summit Event offers chance to showcase success and raise awareness ADVOCACY

The passenger transport sector used this month’s COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow to highlight the pivotal role that it can play in reducing carbon emissions - if governments pursue policies that support modal shift away from the car.

Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, partnered with bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis and BYD to become a provider to COP26.

They supplied a fleet of brand new electric double-decker buses to transport several hundred VIPs to a reception event.

Boris Johnson, UN secretary general António Guterres and Italian prime minister Mario Draghi were among those who travelled on the fleet of 10 red London double decker buses, which came straight from ADL’s nearby production line in Falkirk.

Following COP26, the buses will travel from Scotland to London, where they will deliver passenger services for Stagecoach on behalf of Transport for London.

Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis president and managing director, said: “COP26 is focused on finding solutions to the climate emergency and we are proud to be able to demonstrate a zero emission solution that is available right now.”

As reported in the previous edition of Passenger Transport, First Bus operated the official COP26 delegate shuttle service with a fleet of 22 BYD ADL www.passengertransport.co.uk

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single deck electric buses. These vehicles will remain in service in Glasgow once the summit is over.

Pelican Engineering meanwhile completed the fit-out and commissioning of its biggest ever order of zero emission electric Pelican Yutong buses with the delivery of 55 buses to McGill’s in Glasgow ahead of the start of COP26.

Rail travel was also in the spotlight at COP26. Eurostar hosted a ‘Climate Train’ event on October 30, carrying guests from Amsterdam to London.

Avanti West Coast provided the final leg of the Climate Train

journey to Glasgow.

ScotRail provided more seats and more net zero carbon trains during the summit. Extra carriages and frequent electric rail services have been provided until late at night - after midnight on some routes - to help delegates, attendees and the people of Glasgow get around the city as smoothly as possible.

It was estimated that up to 25,000 people will attend the COP26 event in total, and as many as 14,000 people will be at the SECC, the COP26 venue, at any one time.

New rail technology was also

“The actions we take as operators need to be matched by a shift in transport policy” Martin Dean, Go-Ahead

Stagecoach provided a fleet of electric double deckers

Eurostar’s ‘Climate Train’

profiled in Glasgow. A nextgeneration battery train from Vivarail was launched at COP26 and has run daily services.

HydroFLEX, a hydrogen-ready hybrid capable of being powered by hydrogen, battery or the overhead electric wires, was demonstrated by train leasing company Porterbrook.

The Go-Ahead Group demonstrated its support for action to tackle climate change by sponsoring an event at COP26.

The Green Zone event, People make transport: communities enabling greener travel, on November 10, embraced the need to reduce car dependancy. It was hosted by the Sustainable Transport Alliance, a network of NGOs supporting active travel, public transport and shared mobility. Transport minister Trudy Harrison was the keynote speaker.

Martin Dean, managing director business development at Go-Ahead, said: “The actions we take as operators, working with our communities, need to be matched by a shift in transport policy - towards encouraging people to walk or cycle where possible, use buses and trains as an alternative, but only use a car if absolutely necessary.”

Some passenger transport operators used the increased focus on the environment to entice people on board with lower fares.

ScotRail is giving travellers who’ve been inspired by COP26 the chance to cut their carbon footprint while taking advantage of savings on November tickets.

The train operator is launching a Buy One Get One Free offer from November 14 which will last for two weeks, and will be valid for travel from Sunday to Thursday.

Train operator c2c meanwhile offered 1,000 half-price weekday off-peak tickets on its trains during the summit.

12 November 2021 | 05

10/11/2021 16:31

NEWS BSIPS

West of England plans ambitious bus growth Combined authority outlines aspirations for an expansion of bus services with commitments for minimum level of service for communities GROWTH

Every community with a population of at least 1,000 people having a minimum hourly bus service, improvements to every single bus stop within its area and a move to a completely zero emission bus fleet by 2033 are among the aspirations of the West of England Combined Authority’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.

At a meeting of the combined authority last month, members were told that an Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators would “bring about improvements quickly” and “puts in place a framework under which future improvements can be delivered as and when funding becomes available”.

However, the impact of coronavirus on the West of England’s bus network should not be underestimated.

“Prior to the onset of coronavirus, bus patronage in the West of England had been growing consistently over the past 15 years - in contrast to the trend across most of England,” Andy Strong, WECA’s bus improvement manager told members.

“At the imposition of lockdown in March 2020, passenger numbers fell dramatically, then rose and fell over the following 18 months to reflect changes in the rules and the reopening of the economy.”

Strong added that by mid September, bus patronage had only recovered to 63% of its 06 | 12 November 2021 PT253p06-07 6

WECA claims there has been a reluctance to return to using the bus

pre-Covid level, whereas bus operating mileage was over 90% of the pre-Covid level. He added that general road traffic was now back to its former level.

The West of England Bus Strategy includes a target to double bus passenger numbers by 2036 from a 2011 baseline.

Prior to the onset of the Covid pandemic, the region was on track to meet that target, amounting to 106 million single bus passenger journeys in 2036-37.

But the region’s draft BSIP warns Covid has had a lasting impact on travel behaviour. It continues: “There is anecdotal

“There is anecdotal evidence of a growth in car dependency during the lockdown”

evidence of a growth in car dependency during the lockdown period, embedding a home working trend and a sustained reluctance on the part of some passengers to return to using the bus.”

It means the region has prepared two scenarios for recovery based on high and low growth. In the latter scenario it envisages meeting the West of England Bus Strategy target by 2036 through accelerated growth in passenger numbers following a return to pre-Covid levels by 2025.

In the high growth scenario, which is linked to an aim for a carbon-neutral transport network by 2030, it is anticipated the modal share for car commuting will halve to around 30% by 2030 compared to 2011. This includes exceeding the pre-lockdown level of patronage by 2025-26 (81 million trips) and rapid bus passenger growth to 128 million

by 2030-31. But the combined authority admits this growth will be dependent on the delivery of further policy interventions to reduce car dependency.

But it is on expanding the local network where the combined authority is planning radical changes.

Principal radial corridors would see a minimum of 12 buses per hour with four buses per hour on interurban routes. Elsewhere, bus frequencies would be directly related to demographics. These range from at least six buses per hour on cross-centre routes in areas with a population of over 70,000 people to at least one bus per hour serving every settlement with between 500 and 3,000 residents. In smaller rural areas there would be a demand responsive transport solution to a local transport hub.

This ambitious minimum provision would apply between 7am and 7pm on Mondays to Saturdays. WECA says this would be scaled back to 50% of the minimum provision from 6am to 7am and from 7pm to midnight on Mondays to Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and most public holidays.

“Currently, 18% of bus services in the BSIP area meet the proposed frequencies,” says WECA. “Full implementation of the network design principles will increase the number of residents living within 400 metres walking distance of a bus stop from 560,000 to 721,340 (a 29% increase).”

These plans would require more vehicles and WECA acknowledges there could be potential issues with bus depot capacity. “We will work with local bus operators and planning authorities to review bus depot capacity and look for ways to address the problem,” the combined authority adds. www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 16:35

Funding and a finely balanced future. Page 18

Oxfordshire identifies nine BSIP projects Restoration of links and rapid transit are key aspirations NETWORKS

Oxfordshire County Council has identified nine bus projects or schemes that would require revenue support as part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan. Some of these would restore bus links lost in recent decades.

The council plans to restore routes linking Newbury with Oxford or Didcot via Harwell, Oxford to Northampton via Bicester and Brackley; and Oxford to Swindon via Carterton and Lechlade. The council assumes these restored cross-border links would become fully commercially viable after a period of around eight years.

Other plans include a bus rapid

transit corridor linking eastern Oxford with Witney, Kidlington and Abingdon. Oxfordshire says it is essential to launch this ‘rapid transit’ network in 2023 in order to coincide with the introduction of the ‘Connecting Oxford’ initiative which aims to slash congestion and pollution.

Meanwhile, the council has also identified six semi-flexible new bus routes in the more rural parts of Oxfordshire. These would operate in a similar manner to the Lincolnshire Call-Connect service; semi-flexible services that leave termini at fixed times but divert according to demand.

Another project would bring consistency to bus fares for young people. While Go-Ahead subsidiary Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach Oxford offer a 50% discount for young people

Bucks aims to restore pre-Covid patronage Frequencies and reliability also in council’s BSIP plans Buckinghamshire Council plans to place boosting bus patronage and reliability as key metrics of its Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The council says improving frequency and reliability of services were identified during the public consultation phase into its plans as the two key factors likely to encourage further bus use.

Buckinghamshire says it has worked with local operators to identify interventions that

www.passengertransport.co.uk

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would support greater bus priority. These include several schemes with SCOOT traffic signal phasing technology to increase bus priority through road junctions.

Meanwhile, the BSIP has outlined plans to deliver at least 15-minute service frequencies on key corridors during daytimes with secondary urban and rural route frequencies increased too.

On rural services Buckinghamshire has won funding for two rural demand

on Oxford services, this drops to a 33% discount outside the city. Oxfordshire has requested funding of £1m per annum to deliver standardised ticketing for young people. A similar scheme would also subsidise tickets for NHS workers.

The council also expressed concern about the uncertainty regarding the level of national government support for bus operators. Currently bus patronage levels in Oxfordshire are only around 65% of pre-Covid levels and the county’s BSIP includes some “very speculative “ support to ensure bus operators are not left in the position where they have to make cuts to their networks.

It is anticipated this financial support would not be required beyond March 2025.

responsive transport pilots which it hopes will reach commercial viability within four years. The council adds a future phase of the BSIP will explore options for the rural bus network and determine the funding required for improvements.

Meanwhile, boosting patronage is a key target. While bus service frequencies have generally returned to pre-Covid service levels, patronage has not recovered and is currently at around 70% of pre-pandemic levels. In the short term the BSIP aims to restore patronage before seeking to grow passenger numbers.

LOCAL BRANDS FOR CUMBRIA

BSIP plan aims to make locals feel ‘more connected’ BRANDING

Cumbria County Council has proposed regional branding across the local bus network in its Bus Service Improvement Plan.

It says that over 95% of local services are operated by Stagecoach, the majority of which are operated by vehicles in the group’s national livery. Cumbria’s BSIP advocates developing local identities for networks, such as Stagecoach’s existing ‘Lakes’ branding for services in the Lake District National Park, and/or route branding to “to make passengers feel more connected to their local services”.

Other proposals include a busway serving a new ‘garden village’ community to the south of Carlisle, bus priority improvements in both Carlisle and Kendal and better parking enforcement across the county. Cumbria has also proposed subsidising travel for young people up to the age of 21 and those starting employment in low paid professions.

The council also says that issues in recruiting hospitality staff in the national park, particularly since Brexit, mean it is imperative that public transport links are improved between the key tourist hotspots of the Lakes, where there is largely full employment, and areas in the county where there is higher unemployment.

However, the council warns that plans for local government reorganisation in the area could undermine the aspirations of the BSIP. In July 2021 it was announced that the county council and the six districts would be combined from April 2023 to form two unitary authorities roughly along the lines of the old counties of Cumberland and Westmorland. A decision on how transport services are to be delivered has yet to be decided.

12 November 2021 | 07

10/11/2021 16:35

NEWS ROUND-UP

BCR boost for Swansea Bay rail service project But some believe it would not be as successful as predicted INFRASTRUCTURE

A £131m project to create a local rail service for the Swansea Bay area would deliver £2.90 of benefits for every £1 invested, a feasibility study has found.

Such a return is officially classed as high value for money.

However, some experienced public transport figures believe the service would be less successful than predicted because the rail route is indirect and terminates outside Swansea’s central business district, whereas buses run direct to the Quadrant Shopping Centre and other major trip generators.

The proposed service would start at Pontarddulais, on the Heart of Wales line. Instead

CONTRASTING TRAWCYMRU SUBSIDIES

T7 and T1C services need different levels of support FUNDING

The Aberystwyth to Cardiff coach service is receiving high subsidy from the Welsh Government despite the squeeze on transport budgets.

However, subsidy on the crossSevern bus service - operated on the government’s behalf since last year - is now below £2 per passenger journey as patronage has grown.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, Passenger Transport obtained statistics for the T1C and T7 services.

The T1C originally replaced a coach service between Aberystwyth and 08 | 12 November 2021 PT253p08-09 8

of taking the circuitous route via Llanelli which is used by the current train service from Shrewsbury to Swansea, the new service would divert onto the Swansea District Line (SDL), which heads eastwards to join the South Wales main line at Briton Ferry, south of Neath.

A new chord would be built near Briton Ferry in order for the new service to avoid reversal on the main line. Six new two-platform stations are proposed, including at Landore (on the main line near the Liberty Stadium) and at Morriston, on the SDL about 2.5 miles further north. While there is a dual carriageway in an almost straight line between Morriston and Landore, the same journey by the proposed half-hourly train would be about 14 miles. The train’s route would loop around,

crossing over itself. Between Morriston and Swansea, trains would call at six intermediate stations, including Neath.

Consultant Capita estimated that Morriston station would attract almost 340,000 passenger journeys per year.

The total additional rail demand is forecast to be 1.73 million passenger journeys per year, including increased usage of existing stations as a result of the improved service frequency.

Four trains would be needed for the half-hourly service, but Capita says direct income from ticket sales would cover the annual operating costs. That would be a remarkable achievement for a train service in Wales, where rail subsidy in 2019-20 was 24p per passenger kilometre, compared with 8.5p in England and 20.5p in Scotland.

Cardiff which was operated by Lewis Coaches before the company’s demise in 2016. The service was restarted by the government in April 2018 despite duplicating rail, coach and bus services.

The T1C, operated by Adventure Travel, was suspended during and after the first Covid-19 lockdown but later reinstated. The government provides £158,812 per annum for the service, which is operated by the sole TrawsCymru-branded coach. The vehicle has a layover of nearly four hours in Cardiff each afternoon.

The full pre-Covid T1C timetable was reinstated on 25 July. In August, the T1C carried 710 passenger journeys, with subsidy per passenger of £18.64. In September, 784 passenger journeys were recorded and subsidy per passenger journey

was £16.88. Loadings that month averaged about 13.5 passengers per vehicle journey.

The hourly T7 service connects Chepstow to the centre of Bristol via the Severn Bridge. It was introduced in June 2020 at no additional cost to the government, because resources were redeployed from the suspended T9 service between Cardiff and T7 service, pictured here in Bristol

The bus alternative takes about 15 minutes from Morriston to Swansea railway station and benefits from bus priority infrastructure, including a section of bus-only road. There are usually six buses per hour, all continuing past the railway station to the city centre. Bev Fowles, managing director of Swansea-based bus company South Wales Travel, was surprised by the figures in the study. “I can’t see people getting on a train at Morriston and going to Neath before going to Swansea.

People from Morriston and further west would probably feel they’re going the wrong way for Swansea,” he said.

Transport for Wales, owned by the Welsh Government, commissioned the study as part of its development of a ‘Metro’ programme of transport improvements for the region.

Capita recommends that the Pontarddulais to Swansea service go forward for further design development and full business case assessment.

Cardiff Airport. Stagecoach and First had previously operated a similar service but withdrew for commercial reasons.

The current T7 contract has a subsidy of £179,934 per annum. In July, the T7 carried 5,066 passenger journeys, at a subsidy of £2.95 per passenger journey. Loadings grew rapidly in August and in September, when 6,646 passenger journeys were recorded, at a subsidy of £1.59 per passenger journey. Loadings in September averaged about 11 passengers per vehicle journey.

The service, operated by Newport Transport, is used by some commuters from Chepstow to workplaces in Bristol, and by shoppers from the Chepstow area visiting Cribbs Causeway shopping centre or Bristol city centre. www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 16:41

My 10-point plan for rail replacement. Page 16

RAIB Salisbury probe to focus on adhesion Driver receives ‘lifechanging injuries’ after two trains collide SAFETY

Train services through Salisbury remain disrupted as work continues to clear the line after two trains collided at Salisbury Tunnel Junction on the approach to the city’s station.

At around 18:45 on October 31, a South Western Railway service from London Waterloo to Honiton collided with the side of the Great Western Railway service from Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads. The impact of the collision caused the front two coaches of the SWR service and the rear two coaches of the GWR train to derail.

Thirteen passengers required treatment in hospital as a result of the accident with the driver of the SWR service receiving what the British Transport Police

TfL RESTORES RAIL SERVICES

‘The Drain’ restored as Night Overground returns NETWORKS

Further changes have been made to rail services in the capital with patronage on the London Underground continuing to see a resurgence.

As a result Transport for London has announced the Waterloo & City line will resume a full weekday service from November 22. The line shut in March 2020 in response to the government’s advice for people to work from home and as demand for the line plummeted. www.passengertransport.co.uk

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termed “life-changing injuries” after being cut free from the remains of his driving cab.

The Rail Accident Investigation Board’s (RAIB) preliminary examination has found that the movement of the GWR service across the junction was being protected by signal SY31 which was set at danger on the main line

from London. However, the SWR train passed this signal by around 200 metres, immediately prior to the collision occurring.

RAIB says data from the ‘black box’ fitted to the SWR train reveals the driver braked as normal on approach to the signal before applying the emergency brakes. Further braking by the The SWR service slid by around 200 metres after passing the red signal

train protection and warning system as the train passed the red signal failed to stop the train from hitting the GWR service.

“This was almost certainly a result of low adhesion between the train’s wheels and the rails,” added RAIB, which says it will now investigate the level of adhesion present on the approach to Salisbury Tunnel junction.

RAIB’s probe will include investigating the status and performance of the braking, wheel slide protection and sanding systems on the SWR train; SWR and Network Rail’s policies relating to low adhesion; and the processes used to assess and control the risk of overrun at signal SY31.

17:08 GWR service from Portsmouth Harbour 17:20 South Western Railway service from London Waterloo

The SWR service hit the side of the GWR train

Signal SY31

In June this year, TfL reintroduced peak time only weekday services on the line, to support those gradually returning to the office. From later this month the line will operate a full service from 06:00 in the morning to 00:30 at night. At peak times, between 06:30 and 09:30 and between 16:00 and 19:00, it will run every three minutes, and at off-peak times it will run every five minutes.

Meanwhile, TfL has also announced that Night Overground services will return next month in time for London’s festive celebrations. The overnight service between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate has been suspended since March 2020. It will run every 15 minutes throughout

the night on Fridays and Saturdays from December 17. The return of the link will complement the Night Tube, providing a convenient interchange with the Victoria line at Highbury & Islington.

Ridership on buses in London is regularly at 75% of pre-pandemic levels. On London Overground it is around 71%, with weekends reaching even higher. The Tube network on weekdays now regularly sees more than 60% of journeys compared to before the pandemic, but this has reached as high as 80% at weekends.

Overall TfL network-wide patronage is now at around 70% of pre-pandemic levels.

MORE SCOTS COVID FUNDING

Trams and Subway benefit from further assistance FUNDING

The Scottish Government is to provide a further £2.2m of emergency funding for Edinburgh Trams and Glasgow’s Subway in response to the ongoing financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This latest emergency funding brings the total support available for the two systems to over £36m and this will now be in place until the end of March 2022. Since July 2020 the networks have carried over seven million passengers combined.

12 November 2021 | 09

10/11/2021 16:41

NEWS ROUND-UP

Mellor plans assault on electric bus market Rochdale-based firm to launch new electric bus model MANUFACTURERS

Rochdale-based minibus manufacturer Mellor has announced it plans to launch a new range of battery electric single deck buses next year in a bid to expand the company’s market share in the sector.

The move follows a dash for zero emission products amongst Britain’s established, manufacturers amidst an ongoing assault by several leading Chinese bus manufacturers with a growing reputation for electric vehicles.

The new model is the culmination of the wider capabilities of Mellor parent Woodall Nicholson which has seen development through investment over recent years.

Mellor adds the new bus

range is very much part of its repositioning plans to address increasing customer demands for zero emission buses.

It adds that the new range will “provide both technical and commercial solutions outside the current traditional thinking of many bus suppliers”.

The company claims the new single decker “will provide an Mellor has provided little information beyond this artist’s impression

exciting alternative for customers both in the UK and in overseas markets” and draw on “a proven track record of design and engineering expertise”.

It is expected the new model will include an extensive choice of lengths, widths, operating ranges and gross vehicle weights. Further details are due to be announced next month. No further information has been provided beyond an artist’s impression that has been issued to the press. This hints at a streamlined conventional single decker rather than the vanbased minibus vehicles previously associated with Mellor.

The news follows the announcement last month of Mellor’s ambitions to reposition the business from 2022. Plans have also been revealed for the opening of a new production facility at Scarborough next year.

The new 54,000 sq.ft.

purpose-built manufacturing, R&D and office facility will support Mellor’s existing manufacturing base in Rochdale and provide a new home for sister company the ProMech Technologies technology division which was launched by Woodall Nicholson earlier this year.

Mellor claims the partnership between the two companies “creates a symbiosis between the two organisations and one which is unique in the bus and coach manufacturing sector”.

“We’re very excited indeed about our new electric bus range, a bold move which we believe will shakeup the UK bus market and deliver a fresh new business proposition for operators,” said Mark Clissett, Mellor’s bus division managing director.

“Our new electric bus range will provide a genuine alternative for customers, with the widest range of models currently on the market today. Our focus has fallen on people, technology and facilities and we’re bringing all these aspects together now as we gear-up for an exciting 2022.”

OPERATORS PAY POPPY RESPECTS Poppy tributes ahead of Remembrance Day REMEMBRANCE

Transport operators across Britain paid their respects to the fallen this week ahead of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

Several bus operators, including Brighton & Hove/Metrobus, Go North West and Transdev Blazefield, announced free travel for current service personnel and veterans travelling to remembrance events.

Meanwhile, Transport for London is supporting fundraising with collections across London and a fleet of six specially ‘wrapped’ buses.

10 | 12 November 2021 PT253p10-11 10

Metrobus

Transdev Blazefield

Go North West

www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 16:45

Stagecoach swoops on Guildford network Stagecoach South registers operations on former Arriva routes

Stagecoach plans depot expansion in Surrey

EXPANSION

Stagecoach has stepped in to take over a number of Arriva routes in the aftermath of the German-owned group announcing it was to withdraw from the local area and close its depot facility in the town.

Last month Arriva announced it was working with trades union groups and staff to explore options for the business after the group decided it could no longer continue to support the loss-making operation. Talks with Surrey-based Falcon Coaches over a potential acquisition also came to naught (PT252).

But despite Arriva’s woes in the area, it appears Stagecoach South

feels it can make headway with the network. The Chichesterbased operation already has a number of routes in the area.

Stagecoach says it has worked closely with Surrey County Council on the expansion, which will also see it invest in larger depot facilities in Surrey and launch a recruitment drive.

“We’re pleased to be able to step in and support the local community and keep bus links in place,” said Rupert Cox

Stagecoach’s regional director for the south of England.

Meanwhile, Rotala-owned Diamond South East has withdrawn from planned operations on two Arriva routes in the area after Stagecoach’s intentions became known, and following a service registration

by Falcon Coaches on route 436 between Woking and Weybridge.

Surrey County Council is still seeking operators for two tendered services in Guildford.

ARRIVA AXES GREENLINE ROUTE Hemel Hempstead commuter route scrapped NETWORKS

Arriva has announced further retrenchment in the south east of England with the news it is to withdraw its Greenline-branded commuter service between Hemel Hempstead and London next month.

The group says prior to the pandemic patronage on the service had been in decline despite efforts to improve reliability and boost footfall in recent years.

“We have not seen a rise in passenger numbers and at the current levels the service is not sustainable,” said Linsey Frostick, Arriva’s general manager at Luton. www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT253p10-11 11

TAILOR-MADE FOR CALDER COUNTRY Transdev Blazefield has introduced six new high specification Mellor Strata Ultra minibuses on five routes serving the Halifax area. The operator claims they are the town’s first brand new buses for six years and fulfil Transdev’s promise to replace one in two of the vehicles it took over from previous operator Yorkshire Tiger in July this year.

IN BRIEF CPT VIRTUAL CONFERENCE The Confederation of Passenger Transport has announced that the second annual UK Bus & Coach Conference will take place virtually on January 25 and 26 2022, with speakers including transport minister Baroness Vere and shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon.

The conference, which is free to CPT members, will be chaired by Passenger Transport managing editor Robert Jack. Over the two days, sessions will address key issues impacting the bus and coach industry and how these can be tackled, including recruitment and retention of staff, growing domestic tourism, and delivering bus services for left-behind communities.

SCANIA WINS FENCER ORDER Car park operator Q-Park has signed a deal with Scania for the first four factory-ordered Scania Fencer f1 buses. Scheduled for delivery in May 2022, the vehicles will feature the livery of Q-Park in partnership with Purple Parking and will provide a premium car park to airport terminal shuttle service at Heathrow Airport.

ARRIVA CONTRACT GAIN Arriva has announced that it has signed a new 10-year contract to operate suburban bus services in the Slovakian capital city of Bratislava. Operations begin on November 15 and will include 220 new buses, with 120 of those delivered for the start of the contract and the remaining 100 buses delivered by May 2022. As part of the new agreement, Arriva will modernise the operation with vehicles equipped with free Wi-Fi, USB chargers, air conditioning and Icat dolute storem volup accessibility features.

12 November 2021 | 11

10/11/2021 16:45

ENVIRONMENT

Public see rail as green but prefer to use cars Network Rail survey highlights mismatch between public’s understanding of rail’s environmental credentials alongside preference for travelling by car TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR

Two-thirds of the British public recognise the railway as a greener mode of transport - and yet 73% of this group still primarily use cars to get around.

That was the key finding of a national survey carried out

by Network Rail as part of the industry-wide ‘We Mean Green’ campaign to encourage travellers to make greener travel choices.

Two thousand people across the country were surveyed ahead of this month’s UN COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow and asked a range of questions about their travel habits.

The survey found that despite volatile fuel prices and rail’s significantly lower carbon emissions, people need further convincing to travel on train.

‘COMMUTE TO SAVE CARBON’ Go-Ahead subsidiaries highlight studies TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR

Research has revealed an average employee that works from home all year round produces 80% more carbon emissions than an office worker. An average home worker produces 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year while working - the equivalent of making one million cups of tea.

The study by WSP consultants identified that working from home in the summer saves around 400kg of carbon emissions, the equivalent of 5% of a typical British commuter’s 12 | 12 November 2021 PT253p12-13 12

Using the train for leisure travel is on the rise, the study found.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, 67% said they would consider using the train instead of a car for a day out with friends or family, and 55% would also consider using the train for travel to a big music or sports event.

The rise in leisure travel re-affirms the major impact

Covid-19 has had on shifting passenger travel patterns with many still working from home.

Tim Shoveller, managing director for Network Rail’s North West & Central region, said: “Rail is the greenest form of public transport there is. We want to encourage as many people as possible to make the shift from car to train more regularly,

WOULD YOU CONSIDER USING A TRAIN INSTEAD OF A CAR IN THE FOLLOWING SCENARIOS? Source: Network Rail survey of 2,000 UK adults, carried out online by Yonder

Day trip Sport/music event Go on Staycation Visit family Travel to work

YES 67% 55% 46% 44% 21%

annual footprint. However, this small seasonal benefit is significantly reversed in the winter when workers typically heat and light their homes for much longer periods.

A second, related study by Purdue University in the USA found that video conferencing can create as much as 1kg of carbon emissions per hour, due to the energy intensive way in which internet data is stored and transferred around the world.

As much as 96% of this is caused

NO 32% 45% 53% 56% 79%

by streaming video to allow home workers to maintain face to face contact while away from the office.

The Go-Ahead Group’s Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel subsidiaries are using these finding to encourage Oxfordshire residents to return to offices in line with government advice, to help reduce the county’s carbon footprint. Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel managing director said: “This data dispels the myth

“This data dispels the myth that virtual meetings from home are good for the planet”Phil Southall

particularly for long-distance travel - not just for the planet, but for reliability, comfort and safety.”

Incentives such as the introduction of flexible season tickets are helping to attract more people back to rail, with passenger numbers increasing by 19% in the last two months alone.

Total passenger numbers are now at around 65% of pre-Covid-19 levels, with commuters steadily returning.

Currently around 40% of the UK rail network is electrified, although 70% of trains run on these electrified routes.

Network Rail has committed to reduce its own operational carbon emissions by 25% by 2024 as part of its pledge to become net zero by 2050 in line with government policy. It is also the first railway company in the world to set the most ambitious level of science-based targets for reducing carbon emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

To read more about the rail industry’s We Mean Green campaign visit: www.networkrail. co.uk/stories/we-mean-green/

that virtual meetings from home are good for the planet, while our own findings demonstrate commuting by bus rather than car can deliver further significant carbon footprint reductions.

“Returning to offices can help reduce carbon emissions, while supporting the wider economy and enhancing mental and physical health and boosting social inclusion.

And with gas and electricity prices rising this winter, leaving the home office behind this winter will be good for your pocket, too. We’d encourage people to get back to offices and to consider swapping their cars for a bus journey to really make a difference.” www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 14:34

Go-Ahead buys hydrogen buses Brighton & Hove and Metrobus order 20 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from Wrightbus ZERO EMISSION BUSES

The Go-Ahead Group has signed a contract to buy its first hydrogen powered buses, as part of a deal which could become the largest of its kind in Europe.

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus have ordered 20 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from Wrightbus, the Northern Irish manufacturer, for deployment on the Fastway routes in the Crawley, Redhill and Gatwick Airport area. The single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner buses will be delivered in June 2022 and will be the first hydrogen powered vehicles in Go-Ahead’s fleet of more than 6,000 buses.

The single-decker fuel cell buses are part-funded with money from UK Government and European Union zero-emission bus schemes.

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus is pursuing a second tranche of a further 34 buses to operate on other services in the Fastway bus rapid transit network - a network of guided busways and dedicated bus lanes - and on the majority of services which are operated by Metrobus in Surrey. If completed, this has the potential to be Europe’s biggest local fleet of hydrogen buses.

As well as having zero carbon emissions, hydrogen buses have long range capabilities and can be

refuelled quickly in depots.

Go-Ahead is already the UK’s largest operator of zero emission electric buses, with a fleet of nearly 300 nationwide, but this is the group’s first venture into hydrogen.

David Brown, chief executive of The Go-Ahead Group, said: “This is a significant milestone for Go-Ahead as we work towards our goal of a zero emission bus fleet by 2035 ... New technology is only one piece of the puzzle though in addressing climate change - we also need to encourage a large-scale change in behaviour by persuading people to switch from cars to walking, cycling and public transport.”

Martin Harris, managing director, Brighton & Hove and Metrobus, said: “We run services 24 hours a day, with hilly terrain, heavy passenger loads and duty cycles well in excess of the national average at up to 370 miles per day.

Those provide really challenging conditions for any technology but we concluded that hydrogen provides the most efficient replacement for our diesel buses”.

“To kickstart the behaviour change we need to see in people’s travel habits, we need highway infrastructure that matches the ambition we have for zero emission buses.”

“This is a significant milestone for Go-Ahead as we work towards our goal of a zero emission bus fleet by 2035” David Brown, The Go-Ahead Group www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT253p12-13 13

ROUND-UP

CO2 SAVING

YOUTH CAMPAIGN

Wrightbus hydrogen buses have reduced emissions

Young people invited to promote bus travel

ZERO EMISSION BUSES

ADVOCACY

Bus manufacturer Wrightbus has prevented 1,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions entering the atmosphere since the launch of its hydrogen double decker buses - just two years after the company was bought out of administration. The reduction in emissions, from 600,000 miles covered by Wrightbus’s fleet of hydrogen-powered buses, is the equivalent of taking 230 cars off the roads for a whole year.

Bus operators Arriva, First and Transdev and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have joined together with ESG and social value experts Ahead Partnership to launch a creative challenge for young people across the region, designed to encourage the next generation to choose a greener mode of travel and take the bus. Entrants are invited to design a marketing campaign to promote bus travel, which might include posters, social media and new media such as TikTok, film or animation.

The work forms part of a wider commitment to tackle the Climate Change Emergencies declared within the region.

DECARBONISING COACHES EVENT CPT online event will raise awareness of challenge DECARBONISATION

CPT will host an online conference on December 1 to explore what is needed to help coach operators transition to a zero emission coach fleet, and to inform the government’s roadmap for decarbonising the sector. Delegates will hear from transport minister Trudy Harrison on the government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan and what it means for the coach industry.

The sessions taking place will address key barriers operators face in decarbonising the coach fleet, including concerns over the range of batteries, the lack of on route charging infrastructure, and the higher purchase price of zero emission vehicles. Delegates will hear from industry experts including National Express, Yutong and Green Finance Institute.

ZERO CARBON RAILWAY STATION Falkirk High identified as ideal location DECARBONISATION

Falkirk High station has been selected to become Scotland’s first net zero carbon station as part of ScotRail’s plans to help decarbonise Scotland’s railway by 2035. Financed by its annual Sustainability Innovation Fund, ScotRail plans to achieve the carbon neutral goal at Falkirk High by: installing a large four-bay solar-pv carport; installing smart LED lighting in the car park and walkway; improving the insulation to the station building; and offsetting the station’s remaining CO2 emissions.

12 November 2021 | 13

10/11/2021 14:34

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

5G remote controlled driverless minibus test Keolis and partners demonstrate technology in Sweden AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Global transport group Keolis worked with partners to test a 5G-connected, remotely monitored autonomous electric minibus at Kista Science Centre in Stockholm on October 28.

The demonstration explored how real-time data from inside the autonomous vehicle can be transmitted to a centralised control centre and how the vehicle responds to the control centre’s commands with the support of an AI system and extremely high 5G network data speeds.

The data, collected by cameras, includes counting passengers and tracking items left behind on the bus. These lost items are signalled to passengers using outboard microphones. The system also detects ‘abnormal’ passenger behaviour and informs the control centre if someone is not feeling well. A supervisor in the control centre can then take immediate action by calling a doctor or an ambulance.

Paris-based Keolis says that the incorporation of artificial intelligence is an important step in preparing for full autonomy and running a bus safely without a driver. Keolis and its Swedish partners plan to start running trials without a safety driver on board at the end of 2022/early 2023.

5G connectivity is provided

by Telia in collaboration with Ericsson. Intel is delivering processing power to both the IT system in the vehicles and the control centre as well as the 14 | 12 November 2021 PT253p14-15 14

mobile network.

The vehicle, equipped with self-driving technology, is provided by the Swedish technology firm T- Engineering.

Bernard Tabary, CEO International at Keolis, said: “Enhancing everyday lives by making shared mobility smarter and more sustainable is essential for the future of public transport. As we move towards fully autonomous driving, our demonstration in Stockholm represents an important new step by

integrating AI detection sensors to create a safe, comfortable passenger experience. We are extremely pleased with this new development in autonomous driving with our partners in Sweden, following successful trials over the past year.”

Last month’s demonstration follows one in Royal Djurgården, Stockholm, in 2020 (PT230), when Keolis teamed up with the same partners to demonstrate remote control and supervision of autonomous electric vehicles using 5G technology.

“Making shared mobility smarter and more sustainable is essential for the future of public transport” Bernard Tabary, CEO International at Keolis The control centre

IN BRIEF LOTHIAN’S WEEKLY CAPPING Lothian Buses has extended its ‘TapTapCap’ travel scheme to include weekly fare capping across its Edinburgh city network.

Initially, the scheme capped the cost of multiple journeys made on the same day, with the best day ticket price automatically applied after three ‘taps’.

THE IT FACTOR Network Rail has launched a competition to highlight some of the information technology careers available at the organisation, and in the wider rail industry, to young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. It is hoped that the competition will encourage more young people from minority ethnic backgrounds to consider a career in IT, STEM areas more widely, and in the rail industry.

RECORD DRONE FLIGHT Network Rail’s air operations team have successfully flown a drone Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for 25 kilometres over dry land - believed to be the furthest such civilian drone flight in Britain. The proof-of-concept flight - which took place on October 27 from Bicester along the East West Railway - is the culmination of 18 months’ work.

It is a significant step forward in terms of how drones can be used to inspect the railway safely, quickly and cost-effectively.

A BVLOS drone

The autonomous vehicle during the test

www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 14:37

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10/11/2021 14:37

COMMENT

ALEX WARNER

My 10-point plan for rail replacement During the transition to GBR, it’s important that the age-old challenge of rail replacement provision doesn’t get forgotten The Department for Transport’s excellent market engagement day to start the process towards the procurement of operators for the new Passenger Service Concession contracts couldn’t have made the point more frequently or passionately that it wants folk to contribute ideas around how rail services should be provided. Joined at the hip with the mantra articulated in the Williams/Shapps Review and now being progressed through the fledgling Great British Railways transition team, ‘collaboration’ feels genuine. Everyone, including suppliers, is being implored to stand up and be counted.

So here we go, movers and shakers, welcome to the first of my 10-point blueprints, starting with a subject dear to my heart, indeed a personal crusade - the management of rail replacement services during engineering works and short notice disruption.

During 2018, Transport Focus undertook a comprehensive survey of customers, soliciting views on the handling of rail replacement and the results illustrated significant discontent.

The research, alongside my own canvassing of customers and recent surveys, reveals a litany of woes, such as low-quality, unbranded vehicles, inadequate or absent customer information and vehicle tracking, drivers taking a minimalist approach to service provision and a general lack of co-ordination.

The unfavourable experience significantly undermined customers’ sense of trust in the railway and was a deterrent to travel. Post 16 | 12 November 2021 PT253p16-19 16

pandemic, customers have less inclination to travel and when weighing up whether to make a journey, or not, previously ‘tolerated’ shortcomings, are likely to be the reason to stay indoors. The industry needs to up its game more than ever before.

I also undertook discussions with industry insiders around rail replacement provision during engineering works and in short notice disruption. Mindful that many of them had affiliation with owning groups (who themselves had their own ‘in-house’ provider), there was nevertheless an honest recognition that the supply of rail replacement services should be carried out by independent, specialist providers.

With TOCs not having many opportunities to generate money over and above their small contract fee, ‘in-house’ provision of vehicles during disruption not only creates a perverse incentive for rail services not to be recovered quickly but also limits the supply of buses or coaches only to those services controlled within your own in-house function. There was recognition that there was no overall strategic view of the proposition during rail replacement, no attempt to consider how to preserve the integrity of the brand and seamlessness of the customer experience despite the fact that an unwanted road service was being inserted into the rail journey. Rail replacement is currently a disjointed proposition, due to the lack of a holistic lens and paucity of standards.

Taking all this into account, my 10-point blueprint is straight-forward, as follows:

1. Procure on scale for engineering works.

Rail replacement services should be bought at scale by GBR, thereby ensuring that there is one rate for suppliers and uniformity of standards, thus avoiding the commercial conflict of interest within transport owning groups.

This would avoid continuous negotiations with suppliers and rates being elevated with the highest always being paid. It could also enable a ‘line of route’ approach to be adopted.

Currently, if a line is served by a number of a TOCs, then each tends to have their own plan and supply chain, which creates not only a disjointed and confusing impact on customers, in terms of inequalities of vehicle provision and a mishmash of brands, but also inefficiencies.

A ‘line of route’ approach also means that only one management team is needed, thereby avoiding duplication and makes better use of resources and avoids situations whereby several TOCs procure drivers and vehicles but are not able to share them, which is sub-optimal considering the current driver shortages. The current arrangement also leads to the different operators not working together on the day both operationally but also in the eyes of customers - with that age-old issue of bus and coach drivers or co-ordinators visibly blaming their counterparts and creating an unprofessional image.

2. Create and deliver high quality customer service standards.

At many TOCs, customer service standards don’t exist even for normal service, let alone disruption and engineering works. It’s the ‘out of the ordinary’ events such as these when standards are at an absolute premium.

In creating standards for rail replacement activity, TOCs should cover all aspects of the end-to-end journey experience, from customer awareness when booking a ticket, through to the attitude and helpfulness of co-ordinators.

There should be a strong focus on protecting the integrity of the GBR brand experience throughout the entire journey and it shouldn’t be allowed to lapse during the ride on the bus or coach. Co-ordinators and bus and coach drivers should, as a pre-condition of working during rail replacement receive my customer care training, whilst supplier management must relentlessly focus on customer-centricity and be accreditation based. www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 17:33

3. Independent procurement of rail replacement.

This has simply got to happen! Transport owning groups are quick to laud and exploit their bi-modal attributes when there is a commercial ‘self-gain’ imperative. They are capable of harnessing their management of bus and coaches to supply their own train companies during disruption, but incapable during normal service of having integrated marketing, timetabling and commonality of standards and brands. Most TOCs don’t know the name of their counterparts in the bus company in their own backyard, yet somehow this isn’t an issue when it comes to their owning group managing rail replacement provision. In fairness to the local train company chiefs, most of the time they are at their wits’ end having to use their group supplier - it often costs more and takes longer for the bus, coach or taxi to emerge when the rail service is suspended. And the quality is poor. It also reduces the instances of local bus routes on more luxury routes losing their premium vehicles to rail replacement run by their owning group on major blockades.

4. Focus on information provision.

Customer service standards for rail replacement will be a key tool, but even then, the conviction and ability to provide information can lapse. Control centre teams should be implored to listen to frontline employees in the heat of the action around the urgency at which vehicles are required and those on stations should have the autonomy in an emergency to advise on local solutions.

Too often, a willing taxi provider is turned away because control hasn’t given them the go ahead to assist, or they aren’t on the supplier list! Control should glean insight in real time from those in the thick of the action about the kind of information required to be generated centrally, in terms of specifics, frequency and tone. The GBR logo should be omnipresent at rail replacement bus stops, on the front and side of vehicles and ideally in some shape or form on the drivers’ uniform.

Frontline employees should also show conviction that they understand whether there are engineering works in the near future. Recently, I’ve carried out over 100 mystery shops across the rail network asking ticket office, platform and gateline www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT253p16-19 17

employees whether there are any engineering works at the weekend, only to be faced with outrageous apathy - blank looks, inaccurate information, a few ‘I haven’t a clue, mate’ comments and on many occasions, just been pointed towards a poster (that is quite often out of date). Management must prioritise the need for employees to be properly briefed on the weekend service provision and mystery shopping and Service Quality Regime audits should assess performance in this vein.

5. Be flexible.

Currently, the approach to rail replacement is binary - there’s a mindset of ‘it’s either a bus or coach’, yet the task should be about ‘moving people’ and indeed often a taxi or minibus is a more customer-centric solution.

It’s also about employees having the flexibility to make decisions in the best interests of specific customers - so, for instance, if a train is turned round short of its destination at night on an isolated station and there is a lone customer that looks distressed or may be lost and gone beyond their intended stop, then a decision should be made to relieve them of their suffering by providing a taxi. In the overall scheme of things, the benefits will far outweigh the cost. Employees should identify the customer need and control respond accordingly. It also relies on a provider that can supply a variety of vehicles bespoke to different situations and across all locations.

6. Early decision making.

The experience for customers during unplanned disruption is frequently exacerbated by a mentality of waiting to see how the situation unfolds. Most industry insiders when they travel themselves, can generally identify whether an incident is likely to be protracted - it’s the kind of intelligence, experience and gut instinct that means that us lot, ‘in the know’ abort trains and make alternative travel plans quicker than other customers. It needs such foresight and early intervention and decision making to mobilise rail replacement vehicles, before it’s too late.

All vehicles should be tracked, not only so that announcements and advice can be made to customers in terms of their likely arrival at the station, but so that contingencies can be made decisively by control and other employees if these vehicles are caught in traffic.

“The GBR logo should be omnipresent at rail replacement bus stops” 7. Make cab-rank management should be an integral part of rail replacement planning.

A taxi rank resplendent with high quality drivers and vehicles during disruption is key to mitigating the impact on customers. Quite often the management of taxi ranks by TOCs is relegated to subterranean importance, whereas if it is outsourced to the specialist rail replacement provider then a joined-up approach can be used. Taxi permits would be issued on the proviso that the drivers provide a service during disruption, irrespective of the customer’s intended destination. The provider should also ensure that their supplier taxis are well managed and made to feel that they are part of the collective goal of driving customer service for rail customers and upholding the GBR brand experience as ambassadors. They should be paid quickly for the service they have provided and be treated well. In doing so, they will be more incentivised and positive about taking customers in disruption.

8. Replace arcane ‘railway’ procedures.

Customers want confidence that they will be provided with onward travel in disruption and it won’t hit them in their pocket, just as taxi drivers need assurance they will be paid quickly. The CHARM tool provided

by Tracsis, enables frontline employees to provide automated, instant ‘delay repay’ and other tailored service recovery when they are delayed, and so too independent rail replacement provider CMAC Group has provided a technology that avoids employees having to use the ‘white docket’ to provide customers with the opportunity to order a taxi, but instead can provide a pre-paid taxi with just a reference number to their phone.

Compensation in a customer’s bank account and a pre-paid taxi to their end destination, all before they’ve even completed their journey, is possible with technology already in the market. No longer should the rail replacement element of the customer experience feel like stepping back in time.

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COMMENT

9. There should be a formal review whenever rail replacement is used.

Within 24 hours of every instance of customers experiencing rail replacement services, a crossfunctional review should ensue to assess what worked well and what improvements could be made. Customer and employee insight should be gleaned and there should be customercentric metrics as part of the overall company scorecard that measures the experience and is a catalyst for the development of future action plans. Bespoke mystery shopping should be commissioned to assess the service provision.

10. Better recruit, nurture, develop and reward those responsible.

Managing rail replacement activity has traditionally been a shunt into a siding for the careers of many. It’s been seen as unglamourous, poorly paid and second best to being entrusted with running a railway. Those in these roles have either been disrespected as quirky and not provided with any development or training, or in several cases, it’s their last chance saloon role before being fired. Rail replacement must no longer be viewed as ‘ancillary’ but seen as a specialism, equal to running trains - it’s moving people, after all, just on roads, not rails. Recruitment should be based on demonstrating a track record in customer service delivery and ‘customer’ should be at the heart of the team’s values and behaviours.

There should be defined, bespoke training, accreditation and career progression schemes and parity of pay with other parts of transport.

In determining the future template for the railway as part of the transition to GBR, it’s really important that the age-old quandary of rail replacement provision doesn’t get forgotten.

Centrally procured and managed, combined with a more specialist, customer-obsessed approach to supply and delivery, ideally with independent, stand-alone expert providers, rather than those aligned to transport owning groups, holds the key to a better customer experience and us finally cracking it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Warner has over 28 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector

18 | 12 November 2021 PT253p16-19 18

JONATHAN BRAY

Funding and a finely balanced future

The Comprehensive Spending Review heralded good news and not-s0-good news for public transport. Tough decisions are needed Now that the dust has settled from Comprehensive Spending Review, it’s becoming easier to see through the smoke and mirrors and work out what actually happened. The question people often ask is ‘is it new money?’.

And ‘is it more money?’. All depends on what you are comparing it with. Which previous year’s actual spend are you looking at and which projections of which spending review are your starting point? It is especially tough to come to a firm conclusion when old funding streams are replaced by new ones (who can say how much would have been in the old funding stream if it had been continued)?

What we can say is that DfT did better as an ‘unprotected’ department than it has at recent such blockbuster fiscal events. Like other unprotected departments the better than expected economic forecasts have fed through into spending. But it still depends on what your comparison point is. For example, revenue spend is still projected to be lower than it was in 2010/11 in real terms. However, capital spend is much higher than it was back then. But a high DfT capital budget has been the case for a while given pre-existing commitments to HS2, investment in the rest of the rail network and a bloated national road programme.

What we can say for sure though is there was good news for mayoral combined authorities which benefitted from capital spending packages (City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements) which were at the upper end of expectations, at the upper end of what

those city regions were asked to bid for, and more than they were getting under previous comparable funding streams. By bundling up what were formerly separate funding streams into a single longer term funding stream there is also now greater certainty which allows transport authorities to plan and deliver schemes more efficiently and effectively than with fragmented, stop-start funding. It will also mean significant capital investment in active travel, in light rail systems and in buses (bus priority and greener buses in particular).

We asked for longer term, consolidated funding for local transport (to bring it more into line with the longer term funding deals that national roads and rail already enjoy) so that’s a tick in the box. It also provides a base to go further through revitalised Local Transport Plans which we are told will be refocussed around carbon reduction. This would also be a positive step forward. It makes sense for transport authorities to have single transport plans - and they were only sidelined in the first place due to the constant quest for policy novelty that comes with a constant churn of ministers and advisors in a country as

“The funding for transforming bus services in England is a lot less than was expected” www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 17:33

“Overall the future for public transport is finely balanced” centralised as this one.

Now for the not-so-good news. The funding for transforming bus services in England is a lot less than was expected and indeed as was pledged by the prime minister. We were expecting £3bn of transformational bus funding to deliver on the bus strategy’s aspirations.

To increase service levels where there are bus services. To provide new services where there aren’t. To make buses greener and to cut fares. Our members were asked to submit ambitious Bus Service Improvements Plans to government by October 31 in order to achieve those objectives. However, instead of the £3bn, we have £1.2bn for transforming bus services (plus over half a billion for zero emission buses).

This is still a lot of money - and an increase in dedicated bus funding from what was available before. Plus, there is more dedicated funding for bus for the mayoral combined authorities in the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements. The problem is that given bus networks and bus use were declining pre-pandemic, and that the pandemic delivered a further hammer blow to a struggling sector, even £3bn wouldn’t have been enough. Not enough for every part of the country to make their bus networks cheaper, denser and greener - given it would be split by capital and revenue, by 79 English local transport authorities and over three years. To give a sense of the level of spend that would have been needed Bus Service Improvement Plans submitted by larger urban areas were often of the order of £1bn. If it was a big ask of the promised £3bn to meet the objectives of the bus strategy in full, then the reduced levels of transformational funding now available for bus (particularly revenue funding) definitely won’t be enough to achieve those aspirations.

On top of this, the cost of keeping public transport running every week is higher than it was before the pandemic - because patronage is lower than it was before the pandemic. These costs are likely to rise further due to inflation and rising labour costs (as bus operators raise wages and conditions to attract and retain drivers). The government is providing welcome recovery funding for both bus and light rail to the end of the financial year. But it is uncertain whether this recovery funding will be enough (it’s based on projections on patronage which may prove to be optimistic) and it is uncertain what will happen after April 22 when www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Boris Johnson at the launch of the National Bus Strategy for England in March

patronage is still likely to be less than it was pre-pandemic. All of which could mean that money meant for improving services could be eaten into in order to either maintain the status quo or control the rate of decline. In short, the prospects for the bus remain fragile.

What else did we learn from the spending review? The ‘save the Union’ project is a significant driver of transport policy. A big enough priority to outrank decarbonisation where necessary (as we saw in the Air Passenger Duty reduction for domestic flights). The ‘save the Union’ project overlaps with the prime minister’s enthusiasm for big transport infrastructure and probably also contributed to keeping a zombie national road building programme lumbering on though with some limited scaling back.

The spending review showed that the government also continues to rely primarily on tech fixes for the decarbonisation of

transport and certainly doesn’t want to be seen to raise the cost of motoring. So, the fuel duty escalator is suspended again - whilst there is substantial investment in zero emission cars.

The tougher decisions necessary for modal shift and decarbonisation are deferred; in particular a fundamental realignment of the relative cost of private and public transport.

However, away from the Comprehensive Spending Review and other big government policy documents, it’s a fact on the ground that environment focussed charging schemes are now becoming a more common feature in urban areas as more and larger charging air quality zones come on line. Meanwhile various think tanks (including the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change) are on manoeuvres, rolling out the pitch for road user charging for when the Treasury is ready to make its move on this (which it will have to at some point as more of the car fleet goes electric).

And outside of the game changer of road user charging, Number 10 is very clear that they see City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and Bus Service Improvement Plans as a way of accelerating the transition of more road space from private cars to space for people on foot, on bikes and in buses. The vote of confidence for further light rail investment and expansion in the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements is also encouraging.

Overall, the future for public transport is finely balanced, with perilous balance sheets thanks to Covid and the relative costs of using private and public transport skewed the wrong way. At the same time there is a capital funding base to build on, road space allocation slowly gaining favour, and the climate crisis contributing to unparalleled political support for the idea of modal shift. We are also starting to see more of the tough decisions being taken (like charging zones). Perhaps it’s the extent of that boldness on those tough decisions - both nationally and locally - that will swing it one way or the other.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jonathan Bray is the director of the Urban Transport Group. Throughout his career in policy and lobbying roles he has been at the frontline in bringing about more effective, sustainable and equitable transport policies.

12 November 2021 | 19

10/11/2021 17:33

COMMENT ELECTRIFICATION

NICK RICHARDSON

Pushing for rail electrification

Climate change responses imply widespread electrification of Britain’s railway but is this laudable aim actually achievable?

There have been calls for more electrification of railways to overcome the emission problems of diesel locomotives and trains. Our history of electrification has not been brilliant, but we have moved from 5% of route miles in 1947 to 38% electrified in 2019/20 according to Department for Transport figures. This hasn’t been a programme of steady modernisation, especially counting the reductions in route mileage in that time, although a few routes have found new use as light railways. High Speed Rail is equipped for electric trains but not all new railways will benefit, including East West Rail, a major inter-urban route destined to be operated by diesel power given its lack of electrical provision. Now the Railway Industry Association has pointed out that the rate of electrification is less than half that required to reach Network Rail’s target of a Net Zero railway by 2050.

Getting it right Recent UK experience has not been good, the Great Western Main Line shows what problems can be expected when the sums are wrong. Working from the experience of the East Coast Main Line was not the best idea, not least because it was a long time ago; budgetary control also seemed to be at fault, and that the East Coast scheme wasn’t particularly robust. In addition, there were some practical problems including the Severn Tunnel in which the atmosphere is damp and therefore some components of the overhead 20 | 12 November 2021 PT253p20-21 20

supply could be expected to rust. The new overhead masts and wires sent some Thames Valley residents into a spin over the visual impacts. They claimed that having the gantry supports shortened or painting them green would not be acceptable but that is hardly a justification for taking down lots of newlyinstalled infrastructure just because some people had a hissy fit at the way it looks.

Today’s network includes some gaps where diesel infills are necessary. To overcome this, the spawning of bi- and tri-mode trains makes it possible to operate routes more effectively but at a cost of carrying around more equipment and incurring more maintenance than a single-mode powertrain. As a rule of thumb, a passenger train carries about one tonne of dead weight for every passenger and while mass is useful for traction and braking forces, it doesn’t do much for fuel efficiency. The Midland Main Line has been in and out of investment programmes for decades but has now reached Corby rather than Bedford; the rest of the route to the East Midlands will have to wait after dithering by successive governments. Once more we have the railway governed by HM Treasury rather than common sense. Having said that, the cost of electrification seems to

“The UK’s energy strategy is not exactly deliverable or sustainable”

be huge so the payback needs to be sustained.

The ‘sparks effect’ following electrification has showed that new trains and faster services do generate demand, notably the West Coast Main Line in the 1960s before its more recent upgrade which once again omitted some key improvements on grounds of cost. London Overground has grown quietly to transform routes into major electrified arteries. That’s not to say that electrification should be promoted regardless of cost, but compare the economic benefits with, for example, HS2 for which there seems to be an unlimited budget.

Lack of resilience Resilience has become a major issue in the context of extreme weather events. Our electrification doesn’t score too well here with East Coast wires blowing over rather more than they should do. The irony of the West Coast Main Line being disrupted by storm damage that brought down the equipment was not lost on all those expecting to get a train to COP26 in Glasgow.

Constraining budgets can be a false economy, but we need to settle on design standards that are more resistant to wind, waves, flooding and whatever else will happen during the lifespan of our infrastructure.

After various experiments during the age of electricity, we have settled for two basic systems - 25kV and the third rail DC system.

The latter is relatively primitive but it works most of the time, its Achilles heel being leaf fall season (formerly known as autumn) and ice which needs to be scraped off the conductor rail surface. The newer heavier trains draw more power than those they replaced but the system is so extensive that there is no serious alternative. It forms the mainstay of the South East’s lines and Merseyrail but elsewhere 25kV and all that it entails is well-established. The wires and all the paraphernalia that goes with them aren’t pretty, but they have unleashed a modern railway capable of supporting higher speeds and much improved services.

We now have the extra challenges of addressing the sustainability agenda while funding constraints persist. With road transport needing to be moved from its dependence on fossil fuels, rail electrification should be inevitable, but it is not. Not surprisingly, some routes such as those to more remote communities do not present a www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 14:30

IN ASSOCIATION WITH: www.ciltuk.org.uk Tel: 01536 740100 @ciltuk

Britain has moved from 5% of route miles in 1947 to 38% electrified in 2019/20

viable investment case and many routes are susceptible to extreme weather, but a huge chunk of the network would benefit. However, the big question focuses on the source if the electricity to power the trains - is it always better than what we have become used to?

Renewable sources are ideal, but the railway demands huge quantities and the National Grid is constrained. In times past, London Underground had its own power stations, fuelled by coal carried by barges on the River Thames. Like other railways, they are now part of the national distribution network with which come vulnerabilities. The system has to address ever-increasing demands and a break in supply can be disastrous, however infrequent it may be. Thus, major rail routes can be paralysed by power failures such as the wipe-out at London Waterloo a few years ago which left hundreds of thousands of people stranded. Any disruption to the 25kV supply has a similar effect and there have been a number of incidents in which the pantographs become entangled with the wires with consequent extensive damage and disruption. www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Rail’s use of electricity only really matters when the sources are truly sustainable. Drax power station was converted to burn biomass instead of coal which, on the face of it, is a step forward especially as the biomass is delivered by train. However, much of this fuel is sourced from North America with lengthy dieselpowered maritime journeys before reaching the train so it isn’t as sustainable as it appears.

The cost of change The additional challenge now is price which is all down to a global economy which distances suppliers from consumers, thus diluting control of prices. The current gas crisis is about price, not quantity; there are shadows of the 1970s shift in oil prices. Ironically, this means that electricity to run trains may be sourced from gas-fired power plants for which costs fluctuate or cost far more. Using electric traction may be more costly than what went before, but there are options about how it is generated. The UK’s energy strategy is not exactly deliverable or sustainable and certainly doesn’t aim to reduce electricity prices. In fact,

the nuclear element of the strategy provides electricity at a substantially higher price and can hardly claim to be sustainable or clean when we are stockpiling on an alarming scale nuclear waste products which won’t go away for tens of thousands of years.

All in all, failure to electrify the railway properly has done us no favours. We have waited until the costs have spiralled and squeezing the funding needed out of government remains problematic. At a time when climate change is becoming more acute, the priorities appear to be wrong.

While electrification is costly, the costs of not progressing it are far greater.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nick Richardson is Technical Principal at transport consultancy Mott MacDonald, chair of CILT’s Bus and Coach Policy Group and a former chair of the Transport Planning Society. In addition, he has held a PCV licence for over 30 years.

12 November 2021 | 21

10/11/2021 14:30

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10/11/2021 14:15

“There are going to be some very disappointed transport authorities”

COMMENT

GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES

Who’s going to pay?

I sense a bust-up

Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the DfT

With the Bus Service Improvement Plans now in, it’s clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that the funding the government is making available to implement the National Bus Strategy for England is totally inadequate.

Just four Improvement Plans are seeking £2.8bn of funding out of the £3bn available.

There are some 80 transport authorities, yet only four of them (admittedly the largest ones) want the entire funding that is available.

Enough said. And as the budget and spending review did not increase the funding to implement the bus strategy - the Treasury Red Book expressly references the £3bn that is available - there are going to be some very disappointed transport authorities when we come to allocate that money.

The government made much of the fact that the spending review saw departmental budgets increase by £150bn over the three years covered by the review. And fair enough too.

That was more than I was expecting, especially as I had warned in my previous column that cuts were likely. Seems I was wrong and not for the first time! But how generous was the spending review to this department.

Not very, I suggest. From 2021/22 to 2024/25 our Resource DEL (Departmental Expenditure Limits) increases by just £1.3bn and our Capital DEL by just £1.7bn over the same period. Those are not large figures and could easily be eroded by inflation.

I had thought that the Integrated Rail Plan would be published on the same day as the www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT253p24-25 25

budget, but that didn’t happen, although I’m hearing it is due to be published within the next two weeks. If this does result in HS2 being scaled back then overall I have to conclude that this department has not done especially well in the spending review. Better than might have been the case, for sure, but generous?

The other issue worth highlighting is the support for rail passenger services. The Treasury Red Book tells us that ringfenced Covid support for passenger services in 2020/21 was an eye-watering £12.9bn. This year it will be just £4.9bn. One reason for the reduction is that passenger numbers are increasing, so obviously subsidy can fall. But that’s a huge drop, so it’s hardly surprising that there is much

talk of service cuts. More to the point the ringfenced funding for supporting passenger services appears to be removed, if my reading of the Red Book is correct, which seems to me to expose the passenger services to even further cuts if the assumptions about passenger and revenue growth that will have been made during the spending review don’t materialise.

These are not easy times. I’m not suggesting the chancellor should have been more generous towards this department as he clearly has the important task of bearing down on the debt mountain. In fact, I am a little surprised the chancellor was as generous as he was, but perhaps he was given little choice by the prime minister. But with the chancellor saying that he wants to cut taxes by the end of this parliament I can see a budget squeeze coming at the next spending review. Sure, the Office for Budget Responsibility is forecasting strong economic growth over the next couple of years, which should provide some headroom for tax cuts, but thereafter its forecasts for growth are much less confident, and it only needs these and other forecasts to turn out to be optimistic, and the promise of tax cuts may become an illusion.

The chancellor is, it seems to me, “caught in a trap”, to quote the opening line from that famous Elvis Presley song Suspicious Minds.

Much has been made of growing tensions between the chancellor and the prime minister as the former tries to rein in the latter’s spending instincts. To quote another line from that Elvis Presley song: “we can’t go on together with suspicious minds, and we can’t build our dreams on suspicious minds”.

Rishi Sunak has seen his support within the Conservative Party membership collapse since the budget because he has overseen the biggest increase in the overall tax take since the 1950s and the biggest increase in public spending since the 1970s. He was No 1 on the list of MPs favoured to replace Boris Johnson in a poll of Conservative Party members before the budget. Now he is ranked at No 24.

Why would any MP want to be chancellor?

So, in order to restore his support among the party faithful will Rishi Sunak conclude that his career advancement will best be served by resigning at some point in the next year or so if his budget forecasts start to unravel or if the prime minister continues to splash the cash?

I’m a mere civil servant and don’t understand these things, but I sense a bust up coming!

12 November 2021 | 25

10/11/2021 14:15

CAREERS

Stagecoach boosts its apprenticeship goals 800 employees now in ‘earn and learn’ positions with group TRAINING

Stagecoach Group has been awarded Silver membership with the 5% Club meaning it is are now more than halfway to reaching the goal of 5% (currently 3.3%) of employees in so-called ‘earn and learn’ positions.

The 5% Club is a UK-wide charity that aims to contribute to the alleviation of poverty through increased employment.

It works with employers to inspire, educate and retain a growing body of people into ‘earn and learn’ placements to increase the number of apprenticeships, sponsored students and graduates.

A total of 790 Stagecoach employees are currently in

FIRST’S FIRST BUS ACADEMY Facility will teach next generation of engineers TRAINING

First Bus is working with a Cheshire college to deliver what it claims is the UK’s first dedicated coach and bus engineering training academy.

The new facility, which opened this month in Nantwich on a site formerly occupied by vehicle recycling company Synetiq, is delivering tailored training to First Bus apprentice engineering technicians in the maintenance of zero-emission vehicles.

Roseheath College has invested £50,000 in state-of-the-art training equipment, and First Bus has equipped the purpose-built, heavy 26 | 12 November 2021 PT253p26-27 26

‘earn and learn’ positions, with the majority carrying out apprenticeships, from its total UK workforce of 24,000 employees.

The number of employees currently in apprenticeships places Stagecoach in the top five of the organisations participating in this year’s Employer Audit and means they are the only transport operator to been awarded silver membership this year.

The move builds on a number of training and development initiatives by the Perth-based group. It’s recently launched

“Earn and learn positions bring huge value to our business” engineering workshops with two Alexander Dennis hybrid double deckers as well as conventional diesel-powered buses and other training tools. The college says it has created a workplace style environment to maintain a seamless switch between depot and learning.

“Creating this academy has needed a collective effort by our businesses around the country to ensure our apprentices have the best start to their training and careers,” said Ian Warr, First Bus engineering director.

“We’ve been determined to make sure access to vehicles and equipment for technical skills development matches the superb study environment at the college.

Zero-emission engine technologies are evolving rapidly as First Bus

sustainability strategy includes a commitment to have 40% females in leadership roles by 2026 and 25% of their workforce from ethnic minorities. Stagecoach’s commitment also includes offering more work placements to young people.

“We are delighted to have been awarded Silver membership with the 5% club,” said Tracey Smyth, the group’s head of people services and talent. “This shows our commitment to developing our people when they join us and helps us to attract the best people from our local towns and cities. “‘Earn and learn’ positions bring huge value to our business in terms of talent and diversity and Stagecoach has for many years been at the forefront of championing apprenticeships and graduates in our workplace.”

invests in greener fleets to reduce carbon and improve air quality.

“It’s vitally important that we build a pipeline of highly skilled bus engineers with the right knowledge.”

First Bus worked closely with the college to ensure the programme meets its needs. The first cohort of 22 apprentices, including three women, have started their training.

Facility aims to create workplace style environment

Kel Pizzuti

PROMOTION FOR PIZZUTI New face leads Transdev Blazefield’s York operations APPOINTMENTS

Transdev Blazefield has announced the appointment of Kel Pizzuti as operations manager of its York and North Yorkshire-based bus operators Coastliner and York & Country.

Pizzuti brings 15 years of experience in the bus industry to his new role, including leading Transdev’s City Sightseeing York open-top tour bus team.

He began his career in the transport industry with bus operator Trentbarton in Nottinghamshire, but moved north to Yorkshire earlier this year. Joining as operations supervisor of the North Yorkshire operations in May, his first challenge was to attract customers back to the sightseeing bus operation in York as pandemic restrictions relaxed, and the staycation summer of 2021 shifted into top gear.

Commenting on Pizzuti’s promotion to operations manager, Alex Hornby, Transdev Blazefield’s chief executive said: “Kel’s outstanding record in leading our City Sightseeing York team to their most successful season ever, coupled with his experience in our industry and his relentlessly positive approach to the challenges of rebuilding beyond the pandemic, make him the natural choice to guide our York and Malton-based teams.” www.passengertransport.co.uk

10/11/2021 14:22

CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE 020 3950 8000 or email sales@passengertransport.co.uk

Bus driving is perfect career for army veteran Army lorry driver finds work/life balance with Thames Travel RETRAINING

A bus driver who served in the British Army for more than two decades has described her career change as the “perfect way” to balance civilian life.

Claire Kelly-Parkin served as a driver in the Royal Logistics Corps, touring Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland until 2012. The 49-year-old took an extended break from working following her departure from the Army due to post-traumatic stress disorder.

But Kelly-Parkin is now a thriving member of the team at Go-Ahead subsidiary Thames Travel where she says she is dedicated to providing passengers

PLAQUE HONOUR FOR JACKSON Network Rail celebrates first black train driver DIVERSITY

A plaque dedicated to Wilston Samuel Jackson, Britain’s first black train driver, has been unveiled at London King’s Cross station. It aims to mark his outstanding contribution to the rail industry and encourage more people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to consider a career on the railway.

Born in Jamaica in 1927, Jackson moved to London in 1952. He quickly took a job as a cleaner on the railway, working his way up to be a ‘passed cleaner’ - a fireman in all but name.

10 years after he moved to Britain, Jackson passed his locomotive www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT253p26-27 27

with reliable bus services.

She tends to work mornings and early afternoons with the operator so she can balance her work with a busy home life which includes looking after her two children and four dogs.

“Leaving the Army was tough

for me and a lot of the work I did will stick in my mind forever,” said Kelly-Parkin. “As a lorry driver, I had several options to return to work, but the jobs available were impossible to fit around my lifestyle. Thames Travel is very supportive and the flexible shift

Claire Kelly-Parkin served with the army until 2012

patterns offered to its employees are a great help.

“Bus driving is far more flexible than most jobs advertised, in my opinion. It’s also easy to transfer key skills developed from former careers such as communication, providing a good service and being responsible. It’s a great career for former Army servants to explore but also civilians too.

There are always challenges to overcome and no two days are the same which is what I enjoy.

“I would recommend bus driving to anyone considering a career change or starting out their professional life.”

Phil Southall, managing director of Thames Travel and sister company Oxford Bus Company, said Kelly-Parkin’s story is a great example of how bus driving provides people with an opportunity to transfer skills established from previous roles.

“She uses her experience and people skills to provide our customers with the best possible service,” he added.

driver exams and become the country’s first black train driver. He later emigrated to Zambia where he taught the locals how to drive trains.

Jackson passed away in 2018.

“This plaque is a fitting tribute to his career,” said Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive.

“I hope it helps to inspire the next generation of train drivers.”

Jackson on the footplate

The plaque aims to inspire the next generation of railway workers from minority ethnic backgrounds

12 November 2021 | 27

10/11/2021 14:22

DIVERSIONS SIGNAL BOX WILL HAVE A NEW LIFE

Stirling’s postcards from the past Treasure trove of papers uncovered at station Work to renew the roof at Stirling station has opened a window to the past when a treasure trove of old railway papers and post cards was unearthed.

Members of the site team stumbled upon a bundle of papers, and further inspection revealed them to be official Caledonian Railway postcards. Several dated from 1916 and requested troops based locally to collect their kit bags and parcels from the station.

All aboard!

‘ROLLER ROY’ IS ON THE BUS

We all remember how Captain Tom did laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS during lockdown, but he wasn’t the only charity superstar

Lost and found

Little is known about the soldiers, but Network Rail is seeking more information about their life stories.

The papers are in a very fragile condition, but it is hoped they will one day be displayed locally.

to raise money last year.

85-year-old ‘Roller Roy’ walked 1,000 miles during lockdown in aid of Dementia UK. He took 2,392,665 steps and burned nearly 78,000 calories during 376 hours of walking, religiously chalking up 10,000 steps a day, even in the pouring rain.

As he clocked up the miles on his daily walk up and down Eastbourne seafront, Roy composed poetry in his head.

This resulted the publication of Poetry in Motion, with all proceeds going to Dementia UK. Roy is

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Train operator Greater Anglia recently completed eight days of engineering works on the Hertford East line to extend platforms ahead of the introduction of new trains.

The work has seen an old signal box at Hertford East station removed as part of the works.

But rather than demolishing the railway relic, it has been carefully catalogued and then dismantled, foundations and all, so it can be rebuilt at Leyburn in North Yorkshire, as part of the heritage Wensleydale Railway.

It rather sounds like the ultimate upcycling project!

now into his second 1,000-mile odyssey for the same charity.

And now Roller Roy, so called because he learned to, erm, rollerblade at the age of 78, has been celebrated by bus operator Brighton & Hove as part of the company’s ‘Above and Beyond’ series featuring 24 community champions who have gone out of their way to make a positive impact on other people’s lives.

“I had tears in my eyes,” admitted Roy when he saw the bus for the first time. “I’m a very, very proud man.”

Tom with his winning design

LOGO CELEBRATES DARTMOOR LINE Teenager Tom Watts is celebrating after winning a competition to design a new logo for the Dartmoor Line which reopens to passengers next week.

The 16-year-old imagined taking part in the Ten Tors Challenge to design the roundel, which will feature on signage, posters, timetables and a train livery.

“I think it is incredible that my logo design will be associated with the Dartmoor Line for many years to come,” said Tom. “The silhouette of the walker in my logo represents me next year, doing Ten Tors with Exeter Maths School. It also represents the freedom given by the moors, welcome both during and after the restrictions of the pandemic.”

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10/11/2021 14:25