Passenger Transport: July 29, 2022

JO IN B A SI D DE S

ISSUE 270 29 JULY 2022

NEWS, VIEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR A SECTOR ON THE MOVE

MPs urge rethink of Integrated Rail Plan

Transport Committee says that alternative options, which could transform key Northern cities, have not been properly tested and must be revisited A thorough reassessment of the government’s £96bn Integrated Rail Plan is essential to ensure this once-in-a-generation investment in rail is not a missed opportunity to address regional imbalances, the Transport Committee has urged.

A report published by the committee this week, The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, says that alternative options, which could transform stations and city centres in key Northern cities, have not been properly tested. Leaving out key elements of analysis of the wider economic impacts of the different options set out for Northern Powerhouse Rail means that value for money and economic

return cannot be compared and validated, the report maintains.

While welcoming the scale of the investment, committee chair Huw Merriman pointed out that “many towns and cities are already disappointed by the proposals which have been set out”.

He said: “The prime minister promised that he would, with Northern Powerhouse Rail,

“The government must demonstrate the rationale for its decisions” Huw Merriman

do for the North what he did for Londoners with Crossrail.

Instead, much of the track will be an upgrade of existing line.

“The business case of HS2 was based on it going east to Leeds.

Now, it stops in the East Midlands without any understanding of how much money is saved.

“Those we spoke to from the cities of Leeds and Bradford, in particular, do not recognise that the finalised plans meet either the promises they believe were made or the prime minister’s stated aims. For these cities, and the taxpayer as a whole, the government must demonstrate the rationale for its decisions.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

NEWS

Rotala loses franchising appeal

04

Verdict welcomed

by Andy Burnham

NEWS

‘A giant and a most incredible pioneer’

13

Sir William Wright has died aged 94

COMMENT

Ready for Rishi? Trust in Truss?

18

Norman Baker on the battle for No 10

COMMENT

‘People need to be at heart of the agenda’

20

LONDON’S TRAM BUSES Go-Ahead London has shared images of the sleek, zero-emission electric ‘ie tram’ buses (see visualisation above) that it will soon operate on Route 358 (Crystal Palace to Orpington) for Transport for London

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Alex Warner urges focus on GBR culture

SUMMER BREAK Passenger Transport is taking its annual summer break. There will be no edition on August 12.

The next edition of the magazine will come out on August 26.

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CONTENTS

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

Wright’s legacy should serve as an inspiration Don’t ignore the men and women who start businesses in their sheds because you never know the impact they might have. Could they shape the future of your sector in the same way that Sir William Wright influenced the bus and coach Robert Jack sector, both in the UK and globally? Wright, who Managing Editor died last week aged 94, first began coachbuilding with his father, Robert Wright, in a tin shed behind their family home in Ballymena in 1946. From these modest beginnings, Wrightbus emerged - a global exporter with a strong track record for innovation.

Although the company entered adminstration in 2019, long after Wright had stepped down as chairman, it was rescued by Joe Bamford, who this week hailed Wright’s pioneering spirit and dedication.

“His mind was full of ideas and limitless enthusiasm for progress,” said Rob Shiels, managing director of bus and coach builder Nu-Track.

Wright had acted as a mentor to this Ballymena-based company.

Wrightbus moved into building aluminium bus bodies in the 1970s but the real breakthrough into the mainstream of UK bus building came with the launch of the Handybus model on the Dennis Dart chassis in the early 1990s, quickly followed by a range of full sized bus bodies, taking advantage of the low floor revolution of that decade.

His achievements should serve as an inspiration to us all, but especially those who dare to start up a business in their shed or elsewhere. Our sector needs them now as much as it ever did.

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 OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS Passenger Transport Publishing Ltd PO Box 5496, Westbury BA13 9BX, UNITED KINGDOM Telephone (all enquiries): 020 3950 8000

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Subscription rates per year; UK £140 (despatch by Royal Mail post); Worldwide (airmail) £280 The editor welcomes written contributions and photographs, which should be sent to the above address. All rights reserved. No

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part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the publisher’s written permission.

Printed by Cambrian Printers Ltd, The Pensord Group, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, NP12 2YA © Passenger Transport Publishing Ltd 2022 ISSN 2046-3278 SUBSCRIPTIONS HOTLINE 020 3950 8000

IN THIS ISSUE 17

JOURNEO STEPS BEYOND 21ST CENTURY

Earlier this year, 21st Century Fleet Systems and 21st Century Passenger Systems became a single brand Journeo. It is a move that places the company’s cloud- based products and services at the heart of a revolution that will connect millions.

ORGANISATION

PAGE

Abellio London 6, 15 Arriva South 7 ATCO 12 Avanti West Coast 8 BelleVue Coaches 15 CPT Cymru 15 CrossCountry 8 East Sussex County Council 7 Euro Bus Expo 15 GMCA 4 Go-Ahead London 1 Irizar 1 Journeo 17 London Overground 10 London Underground 6, 15 Merseyrail 26 National Audit Office 11 National Express West Midlands 26 Network Rail 8, 9 Nichols 9 Pelican Bus and Coach 13 Rail Delivery Group 10 Rail Partners 10 Reading Buses 7 RMT 9 Rotala 4 Stagecoach Group 4, 15 Stagecoach Manchester 26 Stagecoach South 26 Ticketer 15 Transport Focus 10 Transport for London 6, 10, 13 Transport for Wales Rail 8 Transport Select Committee 1 Trentbarton 15 WECA 7 Wrightbus 13 WYCA 5

22

CONFERENCES RETURN: IT’S GOOD TO TALK

24

WHAT’S FUELLING YOUR SUMMER HOLIDAY?

25

ALL WE CAN DO IS SIT BACK AND WAIT

Nick Richardson attended the recent Transport Practitioners’ Meeting.

“Online events were held throughout the pandemic, but it’s not quite the same as actually meeting people for the first time or catching up with established contacts,” he writes.

“The fuel market in July continued on its crazy journey to total and complete unpredictability,” writes James Spencer. “This meant that by July, prices were a full 20p per litre lower than they had been in mid-June.”

Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the DfT. “So, who will be our next prime minister?” they ask.

“If you believe the opinion polls it’s a shoo-in for Liz Truss.”

REGULARS NEWS INNOVATION & TECH COMMENT OIL MARKET REPORT GRUMBLES CAREERS DIVERSIONS

03 15 18 24 25 26 28

29 July 2022 | 03

27/07/2022 17:44

NEWS ROUND-UP

Rotala has backed down from any further legal action

Rotala loses appeal over bus franchising ruling Bid by bus group to overturn a High Court verdict has failed, paving the way for bus franchising across Greater Manchester from 2023 REGULATION

Plans to franchise bus services in Greater Manchester appear to have passed their final legal hurdle after a legal challenge by AIMlisted bus group Rotala failed.

In March the High Court determined the region’s decision to implement a franchising scheme, and other aspects of the process, were lawfully carried out by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (PT261).

The original legal bid was brought by Rotala and Stagecoach, with Rotala going on to appeal the decision. Now the Court of Appeal has unanimously rejected the appeal by Rotala and upheld the original decision of the High Court.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester who has made bus franchising his flagship 04 | 29 July 2022 PT270p04-05.indd 4

policy, welcomed the verdict.

“This is brilliant news for the people of Greater Manchester - and for anyone across the UK who cares about having a bus service that puts people ahead of shareholder profit,” he said.

“We were always very confident that GMCA had followed all correct legal processes and that the decision to franchise buses and bring them under public control was lawful and right.

We’re delighted that we have comprehensively defeated the

“This clear and unanimous judgment is another green light” Andy Burnham

last legal challenge in the way of bringing buses under public control. The Court of Appeal’s judgment upholds the original decision of the High Court and unanimously rejects this appeal as without any merit.”

Burnham said that throughout two separate consultations the public had indicated they wished to see local bus services under public control. “It’s frustrating that this legal action has been pursued to prevent this going ahead,” the mayor added. “So I’m delighted that the court has dismissed all the operator’s arguments and has awarded all costs in our favour.”

Burnham said the process to improve bus services had already commenced. From September single bus fares will be capped at £2 for adults and £1 for children

and there will also be a £5 day ticket.

Burham said the latter initiative would “simplify the confusing, complicated and expensive set of tickets and fares we currently have across the city-region”.

He also confirmed plans for 220 zero emission buses, with 50 of those as part of the first phase of franchising in Wigan, Bolton and parts of Salford from September 2023. The second and third phases of franchising will be in Bury, Rochdale and parts of North Manchester in Spring 2024; and the final phase will cover Stockport, Trafford, Tameside and South Manchester by end of 2024.

“This clear and unanimous judgment is another green light which means that we can now power ahead at full speed to deliver bus franchising across Greater Manchester,” he said.

“And I hope that the unanimous rejection of this appeal paves the way for other city regions such as Liverpool City Region and South Yorkshire to progress with their ambitions to bring buses under public control.”

In a statement Rotala said that whilst disappointed with the result, it respects the decision of the court and has resolved to take no further steps. The bus group added the combined authority has already announced mechanisms which cover the acquisition of bus depots and bus fleets under its franchising proposals.

Rotala said it has reviewed these financial arrangements and it is confident that, should it decide to dispose of the Diamond Bus depot at Bolton and fleet to the GMCA, the values which would be realised should meet or exceed their respective book values. They would also be sufficient to pay off the mortgage on the Bolton depot and the hire purchase debts associated with the fleet too. www.passengertransport.co.uk

27/07/2022 16:18

“These investments will be made against the backdrop of significant challenges”

West Yorkshire backs bus partnership plan But concerns remain over future bus funding streams PARTNERSHIP

Members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority have agreed that a formal notice of an Enhanced Partnership scheme with local bus operators can now be published, a key step in the region’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

West Yorkshire’s BSIP seeks to reduce average bus journey times by 5% in the next four years, and by 10% by 2030 by enabling buses to move through traffic more freely. It also aims to improve bus punctuality to 90% by March 2025 (from 82% in March 2019). These improvements are planned to increase bus usage by 6% by 2025.

The BSIP will include a new passenger charter that contains a ‘last journey promise.’ where, if the final bus service of the day on a route is late or cancelled, taxi fares will be reimbursed.

“The Enhanced Partnership plays a vital role and will mean we

MASS TRANSIT INCHES FORWARD Spades in the ground in 2028 but no decisions PROJECTS

Construction work on West Yorkshire’s planned £2bn mass transit network could commence by 2028 members of the region’s combined authority heard last week with Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire, stating she was “determined to deliver” the project.

However, despite the ambitious www.passengertransport.co.uk

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can continue working closely with the region’s bus operators to make these plans a reality and implement cheaper bus fares,” said West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin.

“We want buses to be the first choice for travel in West Yorkshire - not because people don’t have a car, but because buses are more affordable, convenient to use, and better for the environment.”

Dave Pearson, the combined authority’s director of transport and property services, told members that the Enhanced Partnership would run in tandem with longer-term plans to implement a bus franchising scheme in West Yorkshire.

“While bus franchising is a longer-term proposition to enact bus reform in the region, the Enhanced Partnership will, at least until a decision on franchising has been made, deliver benefits to passengers in the short term,” he added.

But Pearson also warned the funding received for the BSIP

was well below the combined authority’s aspirations. He said an indicative settlement of £69.9m revenue funding over three financial years (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25) had been awarded by the Department for Transport.

He continued: “Although this award is one of the highest received by any local authority in England, it does fall significantly short of the West Yorkshire BSIP’s original associated funding ask of £399.6m (£168.8m revenue and £230.8m capital) over five financial years. The combined authority proposes to prioritise 53% of this funding towards subsidising fares and 44% on investing in new routes and enhanced services, radically improving the local bus network.”

Fares will be capped at £2 for a single fare and £4.50 for a day ticket. The combined authority is currently engaging with local operators to develop a suitable mechanism to reimburse operators for these fare caps.

Investments made as part of the BSIP will aim to reconnect

communities. There will also be a focus on better connections to work, education, health and leisure opportunities rather than just supporting travel in and out of major urban centres.

Other prioritised investments include improvements to network travel information, initiatives to support safer travel, and marketing and communications to maximise the benefits.

Capital funding from the combined authority’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) is also expected to support the delivery of the BSIP, including bus priority schemes, new zero emission buses, and integration initiatives.

However, Pearson flagged concerns about future funding and warned there was not an unlimited pot of money.

“These investments will be made against the backdrop of significant challenges for the local bus system,” he said. “Furthermore, the time-limited nature of the BSIP funding (three financial years) means the combined authority must be focussed on supporting the commercial sustainability of these initiatives beyond that period to avoid sudden fare increases and service withdrawals in the future.”

timetable, no firm decision has yet been made about what type of vehicle will be chosen to operate the long-mooted network.

Kevin Murray, the combined authority’s interim head of mass transit, confirmed to members last week that this was the case. He said this had been a deliberate decision as it would allow the business case to be developed further.

“It allows space for that work to progress,” he said. “That will then inform the mode choice that will be appropriate to meet the specific

demands of the [mass transit] corridors. Those choices are still to be made and they will come through that development process.

That’s likely to be in the next eighteen months or so.”

Murray said there was still a lot of work to get through before that decision could taken, but it would allow a strategic case to be made, followed by the business case.

“The ambition is to look to the future,” he said. “We want to look at various modern systems and there are various modes mentioned in the

vision document... it is a case of what suits what route. There’s likely to be a core requirement for a mass transit solution, and then perhaps beyond that other alternative modes.”

Murray said the vision had identified nine corridors which were suitable for some sort of mass transit intervention. “There’s quite a lot of development work to get through,” he added. “There is, as you’d expect, a consultation process planned and we will be looking to progress that at some point next year.”

29 July 2022 | 05

27/07/2022 16:18

NEWS ROUND-UP

TfL still considering long-term funding offer Government offers settlement but no decision as yet FUNDING

Transport for London was still reviewing a proposed long-term funding settlement from the government as Passenger Transport closed for press this week, with the current interim deal due to expire on July 28.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps revealed a long-term settlement had been sent to TfL on June 22. Writing on Twitter, Shapps said the proposal had been made despite London mayor Sadiq Khan “failing to provide required info for TfL finance extensions”.

He continued: “I’ve put a longterm settlement on the table to ensure services are supported and £3.6bn of capital projects take place by 2024. The ball is now firmly in the mayor’s court.”

In response, and writing on

his own Twitter account, Khan welcomed the offer.

“We’ll now need to scrutinise it in detail to understand the impact of it on Londoners and the wider economy,” he added.

“It’s in no one’s interest to have conditions that could damage TfL, unfairly punish Londoners or the economy of our capital city.”

But the mayor warned that unless the deal offered “fair sustainable funding” for TfL, there would be “devastating reductions in bus and Tube services, harming both London’s and the national economic recovery”.

Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, said the long-term funding - if agreed

“The ball is now firmly in the mayor’s court” Grant Shapps

- would provide much-needed certainty for those in the nation’s capital.

He continued: “Since keeping London moving through the darkest periods of the pandemic we have been making the case to government that there can be no UK recovery without a London recovery and that there can be no London recovery without a properly funded transport network.

“We are grateful for the support we have received so far, and maintain we have met every condition that has been set by government as we have worked towards agreeing a multi-year funding settlement that would give certainty to London and to the tens of thousands of jobs across the country that are directly linked to TfL. “Every other major transport system around the world receives central government funding, and London needs the same if it is to

TfL TRIALS TUBE COOLING SYSTEM System aims to reduce platform temperatures INFRASTRUCTURE

ABELLIO OPENS NEW HAYES GARAGE Abellio London has opened a new garage in Hayes, West London, that will house up to 56 buses operating six London bus routes. It also features a wall of historic significance that dates back to the Tudor period, which has been rebuilt using handmade bricks.

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Transport for London is trialling an innovative cooling panel on a disused platform at Holborn station to test its suitability for reducing temperatures on the deep Tube network.

The cooling panel works by circulating cold water around pipework within a curved metal structure to chill it. It then circulates air, using an industrial-sized fan, through gaps in the panel’s structure,

have a transport network that can continue to support homes, jobs, opportunities and economic growth. The importance of a properly funded transport network, which can offer a viable alternative to car use and can play its part in addressing the climate emergency, has again been highlighted in recent days.”

Meanwhile, in a briefing to the TfL board this week, Simon Kilonback, TfL chief financial officer, said it was likely that revenue support of £927m would be needed for the remainder of 2022/23 and that longer-term capital funding would be needed to avoid the full impacts of the much mooted ‘managed decline’ scenario if some sort of sustainable government funding agreement is not forthcoming.

“Aside from funding, we still face a range of risks,” Kilonback said these included cost of living challenges which could reverse growth; inflation in bus operator and construction contracts; increasing interest rates increasing debt repayments; and the savings programme, which commits TfL to delivering £730m of savings to 2024/25.

which in turn is cooled. The panel could also have the additional benefit of halving operational and maintenance costs, compared to existing technology used to manage temperatures on Tube lines.

Following the trial and subject to funding being available, TfL will explore whether the panels could provide a cooling solution for other deep Tube lines. Further testing would need to take place in a station open to customers (Knightsbridge) before TfL could look to potentially introduce them at four additional stations on the Piccadilly line - Green Park, Holborn, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. www.passengertransport.co.uk

27/07/2022 16:19

West of England mayor warns on bus services ‘Big choices’ meetings aim to shape bus policy and spending NETWORKS

West of England mayor Dan Norris has called for community leaders to hold so-called ‘big choices on buses’ meetings with him as part of a wider consultation about the future of bus services in Bristol and the wider city region.

The West of England Combined Authority said the meetings had been convened as buses in the West of England are “facing a toxic mix of challenges”.

“There is a critical shortage of bus drivers, passenger numbers are 25% down on pre-pandemic levels, inflation is spiralling and the Department for Transport has confirmed that all Covid financial

assistance will end in October,” said the combined authority.

However, Norris added that funding secured as part of the region’s Bus Service Improvement Plan means the ‘big choices’ meetings will not only look at individual bus routes, but also explore bigger questions about trade-offs and compromises.

“There are no right or wrong answers here,” he said. “That’s why I need to get a sense of how local people feel, and hear their ideas and wisdom. We need to think how to deploy the limited numbers of bus drivers in the

“I need to get a sense of how local people feel” Dan Norris

region. Do people want more frequent or more reliable services?

Would you use the limited cash available to support the last rural bus in a village or add extra buses on overcrowded city routes?”

Norris added he would not shy away from the very real challenges buses in the West of England faced. He continued: “Without doubt, there will be more cuts as government Covid-support comes to an end in October. I want to be completely up front about that, and this is why I want to have a conversation with local people about the big choices we face now.”

He said the ‘big choices’ meetings would seek to ensure value for money and explore innovative solutions like demand-response services initiated in rural areas.

ARRIVA CELEBRATES SOUTHEND’S CITY STATUS Arriva South has transformed a double decker bus from the operator’s local bus fleet into a moving celebration of Southend and a lasting recognition of Sir David Amess, honouring his tireless work to help Southend gain city status before his tragic death in October 2021 after being attacked at a constituency surgery. The bus was launched by Anna Firth MP and Southend mayor Kevin Robinson. www.passengertransport.co.uk

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IN BRIEF EAST SUSSEX FARE DEALS As part of their Enhanced Partnership commitmentswithin the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, East Sussex County Council has announced a number of bus fare initiatives that aim to rebuild post-Covid patronage. They are a new adult East Sussex Day ticket priced at £5; up to four children can travel for free with an adult at all times; and a special off-peak single child ticket valid during evenings and weekends priced at £1. The council will provide operators with a degree of reimbursement for each journey made under the special offer.

CORNWALL ‘TAP AND CAP’ Transport minister Baroness Vere this week launched Cornwall’s ‘tap and cap’ multioperator contactless bus fares scheme this week. The scheme implements a cap on daily and weekly fares. Regardless of the number of journeys taken in a day customers will not pay more than £5 and no more than £20 for a week. The ‘Tap & Cap’ scheme builds on support that is already in place across Cornwall.

IN-APP AGE VERIFICATION Reading Buses subsidiary Thames Valley Buses has announced an age verification trial for some m-ticketing products.

From next month customers who purchase tickets for use in Maidenhead for young people aged 18 and under 21 through Thames Valley Buses mobile app will need to have their age verified. App users will need to upload their photo ID onto the app for an automated visual check before they are be allowed to buy discounted ‘Boost’ tickets.

29 July 2022 | 07

27/07/2022 16:19

NEWS ROUND-UP

TfW inter-urban rail makes a breakthrough Inter-urban rail patronage at TfW Rail is now what it was prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but concerns are growing over investment priorities RECOVERY

The financial outlook for TfW Rail has improved with inter-urban revenue - the main financial driver of the business - having recovered fully since the pandemic. However, the infrastructure investment under way or planned for this decade is targeted primarily at shorter-distance journeys, where demand and revenue have diminished since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

TfW Rail has revealed that its inter-urban revenue had recovered to about 99% of pre-Covid levels in the first period of 2022/23. In the following period, the halfprice ticket sale increased TfW’s revenue by about 9%, according to initial analysis.

TfW was one of the first operators to restore its entire pre-Covid services, as of the May timetable change. Consequently, its trains shoulder some of the burden previously shared with DfT-sponsored operators which have not yet restored their previous frequencies. The Marches line from Newport to Crewe, in particular, has gained revenue from long-distance passengers who previously would have used CrossCountry services via Bristol Parkway. Avanti West Coast has not restored its hourly frequency between London Euston and Chester, resulting in many long-distance passengers using TfW to travel from Crewe to Chester and beyond.

The large increase in diesel and 08 | 29 July 2022 PT270p08-09.indd 8

Passengers wait at Newport to board a TfW Rail service to Manchester Piccadilly

petrol prices and the continuing popularity of “staycations”, day trips and events are also likely to stimulate demand for TfW’s inter-urban services.

TfW’s rail revenue overall in May was 95% of pre-Covid levels, indicating that recovery in the commuter market was lagging behind the inter-urban market. Recently published minutes also reveal that TfW Rail’s board was informed in May that passenger journeys fell below target in the first period of 2022/23, “predominantly driven by differences between budget assumptions on remote working

99%

Inter-urban rail revenue recovery in the first period of 2022/23

and the actual results”.

The contrasting fortunes of the commuter and inter-urban markets may call into question the prioritisation of Wales and Borders infrastructure investment. The UK Government pledged improvements to linespeed and track capacity on the South Wales and North Wales main lines in 2017, when it withdrew the Cardiff to Swansea electrification, but it has yet to reveal firm plans, funding and timescales.

Network Rail is no longer progressing the resignalling of Abergele to Holyhead and the Marches line, where TfW interurban services have suffered delays and cancellations this year because of repeated staff shortages in the many mechanical signal boxes.

Work is proceeding apace,

however, on the electrification and modernisation of the Core Valley Lines, with local train frequencies set to increase by up to 300%. The programme needs additional funding because it is exceeding its £750m budget. The Welsh Government is seeking further funding to extend the lines for on-street tram-train operation in Cardiff.

The Welsh Government is also part-funding construction of the four-platform Cardiff Parkway station, on the eastern outskirts of the city. If the station is a success, significant capacity on eastbound inter-urban services at Cardiff Central could be taken up by passengers travelling for a few minutes to Cardiff Parkway.

Five other stations are planned on the main line to encourage and enable more people to travel by train instead of car into Newport and Cardiff.

Some enhancements are on the cards for inter-urban rail passengers in Wales, driven by investment in rolling stock rather than infrastructure. TfW is preparing to introduce the first of its Class 197 trains this autumn.

When eventually operational, the full fleet of 77 trains will enable South Wales to Manchester Piccadilly services to increase from two or three coaches to five, including a First Class section.

Mark 4 sets, featuring a First Class vehicle and restaurant car, are due to take over some of the Manchester workings in December. They are already in use on direct services between Holyhead and Cardiff.

Between December 2023 and December 2024, TfW will introduce new inter-urban services from Liverpool Lime Street to North and South Wales and make the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury service hourly throughout the day. www.passengertransport.co.uk

27/07/2022 16:52

“Our proposals can deliver millions of pounds in savings”

Network Rail suggests 1,800 jobs could go ‘Restrictive and inflexible’ working practices at NR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

A new independent study by specialist infrastructure consultancy Nichols claims Network Rail suffers from “restrictive and inflexible” working practices and lags behind other infrastructure comparable industries, especially in the way it deploys its teams.

The publication of the report follows no apparent end in sight to the industrial action by rail staff. This week the network was crippled once again when RMT members at Network Rail and 14 train operating companies staged a day of action on July 27.

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines branded the disruption as a “pointless strike” and said the RMT was “hell-bent on continuing their political campaigning, rather

than compromising and agreeing a deal”.

Nichols has concluded the infrastructure controller lagged behind water, aviation, energy and roads. It said improvements could be made, and major efficiencies unlocked, by: Introducing individual rostering to deploy staff more effectively; Upskilling specialist and multi-skilled teams with broader knowledge to enable firstresponse staff to fix most faults and get trains moving faster (see below); and Increasing and accelerating the use of technology to keep employees safer.

“Obstructing vital changes that make the railway and its workers safer, and that improve the reliability of services we provide, is in no one’s interest,” said Haines.

“With common sense and compromise, our proposals can deliver millions of pounds in

Nichols reveals where cuts can be made Reorganising maintenance teams can boost efficiency At present the maintenance responsibility of the Network Rail infrastructure is divided into the 14 routes and then into Maintenance Delivery Units.

These are organised into separate discipline-based maintenance teams: Track, Signalling and Telecoms, and Electrification and Plant.

A standard team for each of

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these disciplines is usually made up of three to four people - a team leader, technician(s) and operative(s) trained in skills only required within that discipline.

Whilst these teams will work together on site as required, they are managed independently with separate rosters and separate transport to the work site. When a team is assigned to a job, the

savings that we can then translate into a better pay offer for all our people. It’s a win-win.”

The study reveals some of the working practices that Nichols believes could be modernised in order to realise efficiencies.

For example, due to existing contractual terms, team managers are required to agree rosters up to 52 weeks in advance, and to roster teams together. In an environment where the workload is variable and unpredictable, Nichols has found it can be

Nichols says Network Rail lags behind other comparable industries

whole team will travel to site; the size of the team is not adjusted according to the complexity of the task.

Where the job requires more than one discipline (for example both Signalling and E&P), more than one team will be in attendance but often working sequentially, resulting in large periods of wasted time where team members are waiting for tasks to be completed before they can start work.

Nichols says there is a more efficient and productive way

challenging to flex rosters, particularly if more than one team is needed for the work.

The current rostering practice was found to be less flexible and more restrictive than most comparative organisations, who typically roster staff individually, have a shorter roster cycle managed centrally, and did not report issues with deploying staff.

Meanwhile, while the study asserts that Network Rail has made significant advances in its use of technology, further improvements are achievable as the deployment of such technology has been slow. It claims almost a dozen key technological improvements have been blocked by the RMT for over two years.

Network Rail claims to be confident that the changes required can be made without the need for compulsory redundancies. Around 1,800 jobs will go in total, but with voluntary severance desired by hundreds of employees, and with natural wastage, redeployment and retraining, the organisation is “confident there will be a job for all who want one”.

of working. By creating joint multidisciplinary teams, as opposed to individual disciplines, the number of employees required to maintain the network, and associated costs, are reduced.

Introducing such teams would also help ensure work can be carried out across geographic boundaries. Current working practices in the rail industry dictate that a team in one route won’t assist another in a neighbouring area even if it has the capacity to do so.

29 July 2022 | 09

27/07/2022 16:52

NEWS ROUND-UP

Rail Partners seeks to modernise industry New trade body sets out five priority areas for successful reform RAIL REFORM

Train operators have set out their plans for rail reform with the launch of Rail Partners.

The new trade body will act as a partial replacement for the Rail Delivery Group, taking over the lobbying and advocacy functions of train operators. RDG’s other functions, such as managing the National Rail website, will move to Great British Railways.

With its launch Rail Partners has published a prospectus: Working Together for a Better Railway, which sets out five priority areas for reform to create a thriving railway that will benefit passengers and freight customers as well as the clients

who commission services and taxpayers.

It outlines proposals which will enhance passenger experience and reduce taxpayer support.

They include the need for Great British Railways to be a guiding mind not a controlling mind; that new rail contracts are key to an effective public-private partnership; transforming the customer experience is vital; ambitious targets to treble rail freight volumes by 2050; and decarbonising the railway.

Rail Partners chief executive Andy Bagnall said the industrial

“The launch of Rail Partners is a key moment” Wendy Morton

turbulence the railways were currently experiencing only highlighted the need to secure a sustainable future for the sector.

He continued: “Our members have previously restored our railways’ finances, driving up passenger numbers, introducing new trains and overseeing a renaissance of both the passenger and freight railway.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, the expertise, innovation, and appetite exist within the private sector to replicate and surpass this previous success.”

Rail minister Wendy Morton said: “The launch of Rail Partners is a key moment in our transformation of the railways and our desire to use expertise and innovation to modernise the industry.”

EASING THE PAIN FOR PASSENGERS

Watchdog advocates boost to rail customer service STRIKES

Transport Focus has made three key recommendations that would improve customer service during rail strikes following reseach with passengers to understand the impact they have had and their experiences of travelling.

Their recommendations are: Consider how to compensate both season ticket holders who do not travel on non-strike days because of a late start to the service, or do travel on a strike day; Clarify that if a passenger is entitled to a refund for their unused outward ticket, they can also have their money back on the ticket for their return leg (or vice versa); and Increase efforts to help passengers understand when the service will start later or finish earlier than normal, including on the day following strike action. This should include publicising last trains.

OVERGROUND EXTENSION OPEN Barking Riverside aims to unlock new homes INVESTMENT

London mayor Sadiq Khan was joined by London’s transport commissioner Andy Byford, and Matthew Carpen from Barking Riverside this week to officially celebrate the opening of the new London Overground extension to Barking Riverside.

The area is one of the fastest growing areas of east London with around 3,000 homes built or under construction, the new railway will help unlock more than 7,000 further homes. The new station sits at the heart of a new town square, just a five-minute walk from the Thames.

10 | 29 July 2022 PT270p10-11.indd 10

Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Matthew Carpen, Sadiq Khan, Jacqui Esimaje Heath from developer L&Q, Tom Copley, deputy mayor of housing and Andy Byford open the station

www.passengertransport.co.uk

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NAO report warns on Transpennine upgrade Government has put the rail upgrade on a firmer footing, but there remains a risk of delays, cost increase and it is unclear how benefits will be achieved INFRASTRUCTURE

The National Audit Office has backed the Transpennine Route Upgrade but in a new report it warns there are still a significant number of major challenges to overcome and it remains unclear how the intended benefits of the project will be achieved.

The publication of the report followed an announcement by transport secretary Grant Shapps that the government was allocating £959m of additional funding to continue to progress the delivery of the ambitious route upgrade. Rather than new money, the cash has been released from funding already announced as part of the Integrated Rail Plan.

However, Shapps said the move was “a significant milestone and another step towards upgrading the key east-west rail artery across the north of England”.

“In addition to progressing the design of aspects of the upgrade, this funding will enable further on-the-ground delivery of electrification and journey time improvement works, mostly west of Leeds,” he said.

The NAO report says the Department for Transport developed a clear case for investment, but it has taken too long to decide how to upgrade it.

In the decade prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, passenger journeys provided by the two main train operators of the route increased from 106 million to 137 million, resulting in overcrowding. Work on the www.passengertransport.co.uk

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“Since 2017, the DfT has repeatedly altered the scope of the programme” programme first started in 2015 but was paused. Since 2017, the DfT has repeatedly altered the scope of the programme to meet differing ministerial priorities and budget constraints, says the NAO. As a result, £190m of the £1bn Network Rail has spent on the Programme has been on work no longer needed.

In May 2021 the DfT forecast that the programme will cost between £9bn and £11.5bn and that it will be completed between 2036 and 2041.

The NAO has warned that negotiations between Network Rail and train operators to agree track access to allow work to take place will be difficult and risk

creating delays.

“Network Rail must gain repeated access to the track for construction, disrupting train and freight operators, and therefore passengers and businesses,” said the NAO. “The programme will also need buy-in from local leaders, businesses and landowners for timely access to land and to agree development.”

It warns the DfT has yet to commit to funding electric rolling stock that will be compatible with new digital signalling systems introduced with the programme.

Until funding is confirmed there is no certainty that rolling stock will be at the required level when the upgrade is completed.

It is also not yet clear how the DfT and Network Rail will manage the cost of inflation and how those cost increases will be funded. The NAO warns it is also not clear how Network Rail and supply chain contractors will address labour shortages.

INTEGRATED RAIL PLAN RETHINK Continued from Page 1

The committee has called for a full analysis of the wider economic impacts, and a full cost:benefit ratio, for the different Northern Powerhouse Rail options.

If the results demonstrate that other options offer better value and outcomes for the taxpayer, economy and the communities directly impacted, MPs say government must make the necessary changes.

Merriman said: “An investment of this substantial sum must be based on the best evidence and the best value for money. It must bring the greatest overall benefit to rail services, the economy, environment and communities across the North and Midlands.

“We ask government to revisit the evidence base for the decisions they have reached. In recommending this reassessment, we are mindful of a previous Transport Committee report which challenged the government on its ability to deliver major infrastructure projects. Ministers must be cautious but transparent about the benefits that can be delivered by the Integrated Rail Plan. It is ambitious and exciting but public and stakeholders, especially in the North and Midlands, must be able to see that the benefits of the current proposals outweigh the other options which have been put forward.”

“An investment of this substantial sum must be based on the best evidence” 29 July 2022 | 11

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NEWS ROUND-UP

The Abergavenny 20mph pilot has included reducing the A40 trunk road through the town from 30mph to 20mph

‘No bus impact from 20mph speed limit’ Welsh Parliament votes for 20mph default speed limit SAFETY

The Welsh Parliament voted on July 12 to make 20mph the default urban speed limit across Wales.

The government does not expect the change to have a significant impact on bus services.

The 20mph default limit will come into force in September 2023 wherever 30mph applies by default now. Local authorities will be able to exempt specific roads.

Bus operators are concerned that the reduced speed limit could affect passenger journey times and scheduling, and potentially reduce people’s willingness to use buses.

The government’s analysis shows that the proportion of route mileage reduced to 20mph will be higher for buses than any other type of vehicle (PT268).

Journey times from many Welsh 12 | 22 January 2012 PT270p12-13.indd 12

towns to other towns or major facilities are already considerably slower by bus than car. The buses run through residential communities while the journey by car uses dual carriageways, bypasses and other main roads where the speed limit will not change in September 2023. For such trips, the 20mph default limit in residential areas could widen the journey time gap further.

Passenger Transport asked the Welsh Government how it proposed to avoid a reduction in bus passengers as a result of bus journey times becoming less competitive with car times. A spokesman responded: “Having

“We do not expect the changes to have a significant effect on bus journeys”

carried out modelling with authorities on the possible impact on bus services during the first phase of the pilots, we do not expect the changes to have a significant effect on bus journeys within peak hours, but further modelling will be carried out. We are working with bus trade bodies to address any issues raised.”

Would the government make additional funding for operators to maintain frequencies, or did it expect frequencies to reduce when operators build the additional journey time into schedules? “It was noted from the research already undertaken that on some bus routes, improvements could be made to scheduling to maximise timing points,” said the spokesman.

“We will be working with the bus trade bodies and local authorities to address service frequencies, including the continued funding for bus priority measures.”

Transport commentator Bob Saxby, a former chair of the Association of Transport Coordinating Officers, agreed with the government’s assessment of the impact on bus journey times - provided that main roads remained at 30mph.

“I’m completely in favour of the 20mph limit. In residential streets, it should be at walking pace, if they had the same sort of safety criteria as they have on the railways,” said Saxby, who was a passenger transport officer at Conwy and Gwynedd councils.

“I wouldn’t expect the main road below where I live to have a 20mph limit because it’s a main road and people don’t cross it as much as they would cross a residential road. If there’s a bit of common sense and local authorities have the option to keep suburban main roads at 30mph if they want to, I wouldn’t have thought it would have a great effect on bus journey times.”

The speed limit was only one of many things which reduced bus speeds in built-up areas. Others included congestion, on-street parking and short distances from one bus stop to the next, he said.

The process of excepting roads from the 20mph default limit is likely to be a political hot potato.

Some opposition politicians say main roads should be exempted, and one section of road in a pilot 20mph area is expected to revert to 30mph after local criticism.

However, modelling by Transport for Wales has suggested that only 15 roads per local authority on average will be exempted, which would be 330 in total across Wales. Climate change minister Julie James said the evidence her government had so far received from local authorities did not suggest that they would be exempting large numbers of roads. www.passengertransport.co.uk

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“He only ever called me ‘boy’. As in ‘Hey boy, come and look at this!’”

‘A giant and a most incredible pioneer’ Following news of his death, Wrightbus founder Sir William Wright was this week hailed as ‘a man who left his mark, not just locally but globally’ OBITUARY

Tributes were made this week to Sir William Wright, founder of Ballymena-based Wrightbus, who has died at the age of 94.

Wrightbus boss Jo Bamford today praised Wright’s legacy, saying he created the platform for a business which is now a world leader in zero-emission technologies.

Bamford purchased the Wrightbus business in 2019 and paid tribute to the vision of Wright, who founded the firm with his father Robert Wright after World War Two. The business initially built bodies for goods vehicles and operated from his father’s tin shed behind their house at Warden Street in Ballymena, County Antrim. Today Wrightbus employs more than 1,000 people at its factory in the same town after Bamford rescued the company from administration in 2019.

“Sir William and his father were pioneers, of that there is no doubt,” said Bamford. “The Wrightbus name is synonymous with everything they stood for and those values - problemsolving, hard work and never giving up - course through the business I run today.

“Sir William was fiercely loyal to this community and the fact his name is still held in such regard is testament to his relentless dedication.”

Throughout his career, Wright was an inspirational leader who believed passionately in the www.passengertransport.co.uk

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future of the bus industry. He was an innovator and under his leadership the business spent heavily on research and development. Wrightbus pioneered aluminium bus framing in the UK in 1976, the first low floor bus in 1992, first British designed and built EV bus in 1999 and finally ensured the future of the business by leading the design of the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell double decker in 2015.

Wright stepped down as chairman in 2001 but continued to play an ambassadorial role with key customers. Even in his late-80s he turned up for work every day in his beloved electric car. He was knighted in 2018 for services to both the bus industry and the UK economy.

Wright was greatly admired by those who worked with him.

Commenting this week, Ian Downie, head of Yutong Bus UK

“His energy, knowledge, humour and charisma was always evident.

He was a legend in the industry”

xxx

Sir William Wright

at Pelican Bus and Coach, said: “It is with great sadness to hear that William Wright has passed away. I worked for many years with William whilst I was at Volvo Bus, and had the great privilege of working with him at Wrightbus.

I spent many an hour discussing the merits of diesel, electric and hydrogen buses in his office in the depths of Ballymena!

“His energy, knowledge, humour and charisma was always evident.

He was a legend in the industry.”

Leon Daniels knew Wright for many years and worked closely with him on the New Bus for London project when he was managing director of surface transport at Transport for London.

“He was a giant and a most incredible pioneer,” said Daniels.

“I was privileged to know him.

“Throughout our long professional life he only ever called me ‘boy’. As in ‘Hey boy, come and look at this!’ Not even a £200m order for buses and the presence of the First Minister and [North Antrim MP] Ian Paisley made him change this normal form of address!!”

In his own tribute to Wright, Paisley said: “Sir William was a giant character. He was one of the last true captains of industry and commerce and a man who has left his mark, not just locally but globally. Everywhere there is engineering or manufacturing or sales of buses his genius will be remembered.”

As well as his role with Wrightbus, Wright also served his local community as a councillor and campaigner.

Jo Bamford added: “Everyone here at Wrightbus should never forget how this business started and the sacrifices which were made to ensure it goes from strength to strength in the future.

“Sir William is an indelible part of this fantastic story.”

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Euro Bus Expo’s 2022 Innovation Challenge New feature will highlight the most significant new initiatives from hundreds of leading and emerging brands exhibiting at the NEC show EXHIBITIONS

The Innovation Challenge will make its Euro Bus Expo debut at the NEC Birmingham on November 1-3. Bringing together the most notable product and service developments from across the industry, it gives visitors the opportunity to quickly and easily discover what’s new and next in the bus and coach sector.

The challenge will highlight the most significant new initiatives from hundreds of leading and emerging brands exhibiting at Euro Bus Expo. Among these, visitors will discover innovations that could be the key to cutting costs, driving productivity, and unlocking future growth for their businesses.

Euro Bus Expo attracts thousands of bus, coach and mini-vehicle operators, local

authorities and stakeholders to find out about new initiatives, from energy-efficient vehicles, through technology, equipment, accessories, and business services.

Exhibiting suppliers are invited to enter their product or service into the challenge launching at Euro Bus Expo, or in the 12 months prior, which they feel deserves recognition for innovation.

“Following its successful launch at Coach & Bus UK in 2019, the Innovation Challenge celebrates new products and services from across the industry,” said event director Helen Conway.

“As well as giving visitors a convenient way to discover all the latest initiatives, the challenge is an extra opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the very best of their work and highlight the importance it has on shaping the future of our sector.”

Entries will be displayed in the Innovation Challenge Gallery, where visitors will vote for their favourites on the first and second days of the show. Suppliers of innovations with the most votes will deliver a 90-second pitch of their product or service to a panel of industry judges and visitors in

“The challenge is an extra opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the very best of their work” Helen Conway, Euro Bus Expo BRIDGE ALERT ROLL-OUT

Stagecoach first to use technology nationwide SAFETY

TUNNEL VISION Access to high-speed mobile connectivity on the Tube took a major step forward this month, with Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 joining BAI Communications’ (BAI) network. Customers of all four mobile network operators - Three, EE, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 - will be able to access 4G and 5G-ready mobile connectivity on the Tube, including within the tunnels. www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Stagecoach has this month announced the successful completion of one of its key safety enhancement projects. In partnership with GreenRoad, the bus operator is the first in the UK to roll out new low bridge detection functionality across its nationwide fleet of double decker buses, equating to more than 4,000 vehicles.

The £4m project will strengthen existing measures in place to prevent bridge strikes and build on

the Masterclass Theatre.

The judges will award bronze, silver or gold award certificates, and winners can relish the moment of having one of the most innovative products or services at Euro Bus Expo.

Judges include Phil Hitchen, MD of Belle Vue Coaches; Chloe Leach-O’Connell, MD of LeachO’Connell Consultancy; Jon Eardley, MD at Abellio London; Tom Morgan, group commercial director at trentbarton; and Josh Miles, director CPT Cymru at Confederation of Passenger Transport UK. John Clarfelt, former CEO at Ticketer, recommends entering the challenge. “We were excited to be involved in the Innovation Challenge at Coach & Bus UK 2019,” he said. “It was a chance to get in front of the whole exhibition audience and showcase something we are proud of, which could really benefit the industry. Reaching the finals and winning the gold award was naturally a bonus.”

FREE REGISTRATION To register to attend, visit eurobusxpo.com

Stagecoach’s industry-leading use of the GreenRoad driver safety and fuel efficiency system.

Using a simple traffic-light-like LED system on the dashboard, the GreenRoad system gives drivers instant feedback about their driving manoeuvres, encouraging smoother, safer, more fuel-efficient driving that is more comfortable for passengers.

The intelligent GreenRoad system will use GPS vehicle location data and mapping services to alert the driver to nearby low bridges. If the technology determines that the bus is heading towards a low bridge, it will sound an in-cab alert, allowing a safe exit route that avoids the bridge.

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27/07/2022 15:43

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l

JOURNEO SUPPLIER FOCUS

Journeo steps beyond the 21st Century Journeo enhances support for connected journeys with revolutionary cloud-based products and services that will connect millions of journeys Earlier this year, 21st Century Fleet Systems and 21st Century Passenger Systems became a single brand - Journeo. It is a move that places the company’s cloudbased products and services at the heart of a revolution that will connect millions of journeys.

“Our innovative solutions are developed hand-in-hand with customers”, explains Russ Singleton, Journeo’s CEO. “It was important to us that our company identity reflects the work we have undertaken, and continue to do, with our customers as we develop new products and services that meet their changing needs.”

21st Century was established in the early 2000s and grew into one of the leading installers of CCTV and safety systems on buses in the UK, France and Sweden. Russ took over in 2013 with a plan to form a larger, broader technology group serving transport operators, networks and hubs.

He saw a fragmented market with disparate technologies and service providers, and systems that were costly to maintain or upgrade.

“Many were proprietary, so unable to communicate with each other and there was a clear opportunity to bring these together for the benefit of both passengers and operators.

“21st Century was a great starting point as the business had a lot of experience installing and maintaining safety critical onvehicle systems,” Russ adds. “But we needed R&D and software capabilities so acquired the RSL Brought to you by Passenger Transport

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Russ Singleton, Journeo’s CEO

Group in 2015 and formed 21st Century Fleet Systems, focusing on the needs of transport operators, and 21st Century Passenger Systems, focusing on the needs of local authorities and transport executives.”

Russ’s vision was to create an intelligent transport platform using the combined expertise of both businesses and apply new technology in innovative ways.

“The Internet of Things (IoT) was not a term that you heard frequently back then, and when you did, you did not associate it with cost efficiency and legacy systems integration.

“We were determined to change this and convinced that with targeted development work, we could extend the life and performance of customers’ existing assets while assimilating the latest technologies.

“Our CTO, Dr Andy Houghton established an R&D team in 2016 and things moved quickly as we adopted an open-platform, standards-based approach. It really felt like ourselves and the whole industry was on a journey towards more converged solutions.”

Key to this process was the launch of the cloud-based Journeo Portal, a solution designed to bring together systems used in everyday operations by public transport operators and networks. A simple, intuitive interface allows vehicles and other assets to be tracked and monitored. Meanwhile, video, and other data can be securely accessed and stored for incident investigation or analysis.

“What we’re doing is taking legacy systems and leveraging IoT technology and cloudbased applications to improve performance and reduce costs

for the service providers,” Russ explains.

“We are focused on delivering a highly secure and scalable solution that can adapt as the customer needs evolve. We are also keen to ensure our solutions can deliver the same level of cost and efficiency benefits for a small, targeted project in the same way they do for a city or large-operator rollout.”

“Since we launched the Portal in 2019 it has grown rapidly and by the end of 2022 over 10,000 buses, trains and coaches will be connected. Most are vehicles already in service that we’ve been able to integrate and cloud-enable, delivering a significant return on investment for the customer.”

Russ believes this is just the beginning. “While Journeo’s technology can count passengers at a bus stop or on a vehicle, manage on-street passenger information or connect vital on-board systems, much of our R&D is now focused on new software, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).

“There’s a whole raft of systems and services that we can monitor which generate enormous amounts of data” he explains. “For example, our software manages vehicle operations at large international airports, ensuring passengers get to the terminal as quickly and safely as possible. Using the insights provided by AI from the large data sets these services generate, we are developing new automated vehicle dispatch software to reduce the carbon footprint and improve sustainability.”

Russ believes public transport is an exciting place to be right now. “With some of the projects we’re rolling out right now, the bus is easily the most intelligent and connected vehicle out on the road,” he adds. “That process will continue and with Journeo Portal, we’ll be at the heart of those developments.”

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COMMENT

NORMAN BAKER

Ready for Rishi?

Trust in Truss?

The race to become the next PM is down to the final two.

So what do we know about them and their views on transport?

So, we are to have a new prime minister. As to whether that will be Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss, we will have to wait for the electorate to decide.

The electorate in this case are the paid up members of the Conservative party, estimated to total around 180,000 or 0.003% of the population of the UK. It is called democracy.

It is not very different from the percentage who decided matters after Simon de Montfort and the other barons defeated King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes in 1265, a battle that led to the creation of the first English parliament.

We do not seem to have come a very long way in almost 800 years.

Still, from the sidelines we can assess what approach each of these candidates might take towards transport if they cross the threshold of No 10.

You might expect me to be enamoured of Liz Truss, given that she was once a Lib Dem activist. Indeed, we once spoke on the same party platform back in 1994 to call for the abolition of the monarchy. Here’s the clip: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNfo12nG I cannot say I am enamoured. The foreign secretary appears to have decided to say whatever is necessary, to make whatever promises are required, to persuade the Tory party members to vote for her.

Tastelessly, this involves attacking the EU and the French in particular, including over the long queues at the port of Dover. While it is true that the French might have moved up a gear, the primary reason for the long queues is Brexit 18 | 29 July 2022 PT270p18-19.indd 18

Would PM Liz Truss park her tanks on HS2’s lawn?

“She publicly suggested back in 2019 that HS2 might have to be abandoned, calling it a vanity project”

paperwork. Politicians finding foreigners to scapegoat has a long and unpleasant history in our world. The last refuge of the scoundrel.

Truss has promised a bonfire of EU “red tape”, blissfully unaware it seems that the Brexit she supports has created the biggest ever increase in red tape and pointless form-filling. Look out for the weakening of workers’ rights and environmental safeguards in this cull of “red tape”.

Liz Truss likes to portray herself as a reincarnation of Margaret Thatcher (who by the way was the leading instigator of the EU single market), yet her economic approach is the antithesis of the sound money philosophy that Margaret Thatcher aspoused.

The British economy post-Covid and postBrexit is not in good shape. The government’s debt interest payments soared to £19.4bn last month alone, and the budget deficit for the year will easily top £100bn. Faced with this, Liz Truss has promised an emergency budget which will cut taxes and so cost the Treasury a further £30bn. At the same time, she is promising massive increases in spending on areas like defence.

No wonder Rishi Sunak has described this as a “something-for-nothing” approach, or cakeism, as the press now describe it.

Economic experts, including ones she relies on, have warned that this approach will fuel inflation and could lead to interest rates at around 7%, which would be devastating for those with mortgages. And runaway inflation will impact very badly on debt repayments, as well as stoking further unrest amongst the working population.

Truss told GB News last week that her favourite 80s song is I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston. I suggest the Bucks Fizz number, The Land Of Make Believe, might be more appropriate.

As for transport, this has hardly featured on our Liz’s radar, and where it has the signs are not good. When chief secretary to the Treasury in a previous ministerial role, she publicly suggested back in 2019 that HS2 might have to be abandoned, calling it a vanity project. She said that the public wanted to focus on “core public services”, one of which was “roads” (note: not transport).

“They [the public] want the local roads fixed and not to have to sit in a traffic jam. They want a less crowded commute into work.” www.passengertransport.co.uk

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More on the race to become prime minister. Page 25 She also at the time - more cakeism endorsed transport investment in the north but refused to back proposals for a high speed line from Liverpool to Hull via Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. We now know of course that the eastern leg of HS2 has been cut right back.

Her intention as PM, it seems, is to cut fuel duty again, which not only reduces income for the Treasury but encourages modal shift to carbon-unfriendly road transport. And her stated intention to cut the green levy will curtail the installation of energy efficiency measures in poorer households.

All of this of course runs contrary to the government’s Net Zero strategy, and indeed a commitment to Net Zero had to be squeezed out of her during the leadership hustings.

Slightly more encouraging, in her own constituency of Norfolk South West in the 2019 general election, she called for the introduction of 10-carriage trains on the King’s Lynn to Ely line, and for the upgrading of Ely North junction, which indeed is pivotal to any major improvements in East Anglian rail services.

Rail does not in fact feature heavily in her constituency. There are direct trains from King’s Cross to Downham Market, and Thetford can be reached with a change at Ely. Swaffham, however, lost its station in 1968.

The bus service is the usual inadequate and dispiriting option all too often found in shire areas these days.

Incidentally, if you will allow me the diversion, her constituency also includes Feltwell. When I was an MP, I discovered there were actually no RAF personnel at RAF Feltwell. So I asked the Ministry of Defence “for what reason are there no RAF personnel at RAF Feltwell?”. The answer? “There is no requirement for any RAF personnel at RAF Feltwell.” There you go.

If I have spent a disproportionate amount of this article on Liz Truss, it is because I predict she will win. For the Tory members, it is heart versus head, and for them heart will always win (as indeed it did on the Brexit vote).

How else can you explain a decision to choose, for example, Iain Duncan Smith over the electorally appealing Ken Clarke?

But let us have a look at the former chancellor, Rishi Sunak. He is equally determined to describe himself as a Thatcherite, and even went as far as making his first speech after the short list of two had been decided in Grantham, Margaret www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Rishi Sunak cut fuel duty for motorists

“At the Treasury, he came to the conclusion that the finances of the railway were out of control” Thatcher’s home town.

Quite what the Iron Lady would have made of being hijacked by both candidates is anyone’s guess. I suspect she might have been rather scornful.

Of the two, Rishi Sunak has probably more claim to the label, and is making a virtue of his financial prudence. I fear however his electorate want irresponsible jam today, not responsible jam at some distant point in the future.

Having said that, the rise in National Insurance looks like a mistake, and the big increase in corporation tax certainly eyebrow-raising, but he cannot with credibility u-turn, so he has little choice but to argue that those are sensible measures.

As for transport, his record is not encouraging. At the Treasury, he came to the conclusion that the finances of the railway were out of control, pointing to overruns on

budgets for schemes like HS2, and that the Department for Transport was not getting a grip. Unfortunately, there was more than an element of truth in his conclusions.

In the 2021 Budget, he imposed a straitjacket on infrastructure spending equivalent to 3% of GDP. Given that such spending is genuine investment that will create jobs and improve GDP, this decision seemed unnecessarily restrictive, not to say arbitrary. Moreover, it is a target far too tight for the investment needed to deliver reductions in carbon in line with the government’s own targets, and we know it is the transport sector, along with housing, where the biggest carbon reductions are needed.

There were of course welcome decisions taken on rail and bus while Rishi Sunak was chancellor, but these largely came as a result of pressure from No 10 and from the Department for Transport, rather than any enthusiasm from the Treasury.

When Sunak did take action was to cut Air Passenger Duty, and fuel duty for motorists, thereby giving a further financial edge to the most polluting forms of transport when set against bus, coach and rail.

Nor can we gain much comfort from his own Richmond constituency, a sprawling area in Yorkshire where buses are largely absent and trains too, with Northallerton the only station on the map. To get to Richmond itself requires a bus connection from Darlington.

On a positive note, the former chancellor has from the start seemed the most committed of all the leadership candidates to Net Zero, though to be honest, there was not a great deal of competition for this accolade.

So we wait until the Tory members, who are predominantly well-off, elderly, and living in the south, make up their minds. I predict Truss to win, Sunak to be offered the position of foreign secretary to get him out of the way, and a chill wind to blow over the public transport sector.

But hey, have a good summer. If you are planning to leave the country, I suggest you avoid the airports and Dover as well. Try Eurostar, or the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Norman Baker served as transport minister from May 2010 until October 2013. He was Lib Dem MP for Lewes between 1997 and 2015.

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COMMENT GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS

ALEX WARNER

People need to be at heart of the agenda

Great British Railways will be a vast organisation that will shape the future of our railways. It’s vital that we get the culture right ‘Career crossroads’ is how I’d describe the perspective of many rail industry professionals right now. A number of folk have taken me aside as an independent ‘outsider’ and in my headhunting capacity, sought advice or merely poured out their feelings. Of course, at any point in their career navigating a junction will be required, but the current uncertainty in the sector and the most likely future structure going forward has brought this to the fore.

It’s always tricky giving career advice - there’s a danger in imparting your own personal inclinations and experiences to others, thinking that what works for you will be the panacea for others. A wise HR bod once told me to always go with gut instinct. If I’ve ever made wrong career choices it has been when I’ve fought my gut instinct. Nonetheless, when evaluating what decision to take, I still also do a point scoring exercise for each component.

It’s difficult to go on gut instinct or point score when there is the unknown around how things might pan out in the world of Great British Railways (GBR). We can only go on experiences of large, monolith organisations of contemporary and previous eras.

I oscillate between positivity and caution about the future in a GBR environment. Many senior managers and rising stars froth out the usual banal grovelling platitudes on social media and in meetings about how excited they are about the future, but privately, they’ll admit to not being joyous. Some confess to realising their time, after all these years in the rail 20 | 29 July 2022 PT270p20-21.indd 20

industry, is coming to an end and their skills and creative juices will be fulfilled and appreciated elsewhere. From a customer perspective, I buy into the prospect of GBR - it makes sense and well, let’s be blunt, anything is better than the unwieldy, costly current set-up and the inconsistency of customer service delivery.

If I were weighing up the opportunity to join GBR, I would be gleeful at having the chance to re-shape the industry at a pivotal time, to be part of something that intends on a major scale to correct the wrongs of the past and set a structure in place that, once and for all, will create a legacy that will not need tampering with for generations. That would be the ‘pull’.

But I always advise folk to think beyond the thrill of the wider strategic picture or the glow

If Andrew Haines heads GBR it will be in fantastic hands

of being approached and maybe chased to take on a role or the pleasure of telling your current employer (who you may well feel has neglected or ‘wronged’ you), that you are clearing off.

Think of that wet February afternoon at 16:00 as the dark winter night draws in and the honeymoon period of the job has long since dissipated. It’s an unnerving prospect.

My fear for GBR initially is how do they manage the energy and expectations of everyone who is joining, thinking they have been the chosen one, handpicked to be in the camp of the organisation that is seen to represent the ‘future? They may believe they are the golden generation, leaving behind those who are at the so called franchises or other bodies that represent the ‘past’ and are synonymous (wrongly so, in many cases) with failure and denigrated as such - the errant, greedy and incompetent TOCs, bureaucratic Rail Delivery Group, moaning watchdogs/ consumer bodies and meddling Department for Transport. When these bright-eyed folk all start their roles at GBR around the same time, they will share feelings of self-worth and an expectation of making a difference, rather than being one of many and without the seniority and freedom to create a change.

Excitement and anticipation will turn to competitiveness within peer groups, everyone will vie for attention and recognition, trying to get off the blocks fastest. Quite possibly negative behaviours will emerge, fairly quickly.

Of course, it may be that GBR will be a fluid organisation, where everyone feels like they are adding value and their career aspirations are being fulfilled and experiences enriched. My worry, based admittedly on long ago experiences of the Strategic Rail Authority (a not dissimilar but smaller equivalent of GBR) and in large organisations with their roots in the public service, such as British Airways and Royal Mail, is that their gargantuan size prevents anyone feeling they are making a difference.

At Royal Mail, fortunately, the businesses that I ran were stand alone P and Ls, left largely outside the corporate machinery and we were often the company’s entrepreneurial laboratory. However, my time spent in the mainstream made me conclude that nothing happened quickly, many folk prided themselves on being obstacles to progress and customer centricity was a concept little understood. There were so many people doing www.passengertransport.co.uk

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“GBR must learn from the mistakes of comparable organisations” the same or similar jobs that they could make it look on their CV or LinkedIn that they were the ‘commercial director’ or ‘operations director’ for the whole of Royal Mail, when really they were one of many and knowing this enabled many to coast. Keith Williams, the architect of the planned new structure for the rail industry has had a stellar career, including at British Airways and at Royal Mail, where, however, ultimately, as deputy chairman and then chairman, he presided over this culture.

If I were appointed to a commercial role at GBR, I’d be cock-a-hoop initially, but within a few days of starting it would be clear that I would be one of many in a commercial department and my life might consist of shuffling proposals and business cases around among fellow commercial folk, each irritatingly sticking their oar in, such that I’d never really make an impact. Our commercial function would be so sizeable that we’d be spendour time annoying equivalents in external organisations with comparably threadbare set-ups. Could you imagine, for instance, being the lonely, overworked and under-supported head of concession management at any new Passenger Service Contract operator? Your entire day would be filled with demands for information from a multitude of folk at GBR, each with the same or similar job title.

It’s also possible that the really exciting big jobs are going to be a shoo-in for those already on the ‘inside’, such as those in Network Rail.

Many suggest that the only really exciting roles are the five regional MDs and these are the only posts in terms of clout and scope that probably compare with those currently undertaken by TOC MDs. However, the bookies have probably long ceased to take odds on who might fill these roles. I make this comment not because I’m suggesting it is a stitch-up, but because there are household names already in similar roles at Network Rail.

Culture will be key. If Sir Peter Hendy and Andrew Haines are the duo leading GBR, then I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that the organisation is in fantastic hands, culturally and from a capability perspective. However, no one should take for granted they would wish to be in situ forever. The risk of having the wrong leader in charge of a huge organisation is frightening.

We’ve seen how quickly big companies and indeed nations become toxic when the person www.passengertransport.co.uk

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at the very top exhibits the wrong leadership values and behaviours - be it in business or in government! Railtrack and Network Rail in their infancies, are classic examples.

In terms of leadership, I shudder at the influence that one person can have in terms of bringing down a company through making it behave poorly (generally with arrogance) or grinding down the rest of the industry because of the impact of its behaviours. The problem is, of course, the subservience we have as employees to our leader. It always alarms me in organisations and I see it in places across transport - where in every conversation, the CEO’s first name is mentioned so frequently, that it is clear that she or he alone is theguiding mind who matters in terms of decision making. I wince in meetings when the top dog cracks a rubbish joke and the whole room of fawning executives erupts with side-splitting guffaws. These mugs will let their leader lead them to do anything and be shorn of any selfrespect in the process.

GBR must learn from the mistakes of comparable organisations, not least because the industry has no dosh. It must not create bloated central ‘support’ functions that overly engineer processes and sap any creativity or will to live from those tasked with serving customers. Just because other organisations do it this way, it doesn’t mean GBR needs to - it has a blank sheet of paper after all. It’s vital that GBR doesn’t lazily lapse into mirroring the template for other large companies just because that’s the way it’s always done. This includes everything from the way it engages its employees and stakeholders, through to the way in which support functions, such as procurement, HR and finance among others, interact with those in delivery roles as well as externally. There’s an unprecedented opportunity at the outset to get buy-in from everyone internally and across the industry around its intended values and behaviours.

It’s also really important that there is clarity sooner rather than later around the dynamics between ‘central’ and ‘local’. The Williams/ Shapps Review and subsequent consultation paper issued in May is still light on this. There are statements - dare I say ‘platitudes’ - around the importance of a localised approach but this seems token in the mass of words around a centralised, consistent and unified set-up. Rail reviews have sought a state of

perfection whereby national and local have equal prominence and reside in harmonious bliss, but it’s never really been achieved and the White Paper doesn’t properly outline the mechanics to do so. It just assumes it will miraculously happen itself.

With the question still unanswered, it’s impossible for GBR to know how to establish itself and behave externally and internally, including how it will interface with train operators? Will those running trains be reduced to a state of total subservience and automation that they won’t be bothered to capture customer and employee insights from the coal-face of the railway and feed them upwards? Who will want to work for an operator? Where will the inspirational, leaders and entrepreneurs be?

There’s a danger that the operators will, at best, attract second-rate managers, and GBR may appeal only to a certain type of person.

Its ability to pay the kind of salaries that the heavy-hitting TOC senior leaders have enjoyed has also been shown to be not unreasonably stymied. With all this in mind, the only depot left for the crème de la crème in the TOC community may be within the supply chain.

For GBR to attract, excite and retain folk it needs to clearly defineits values and behaviours and ensure that its structure and approach shines a light on local regions. It may claim it has the intention to do so by creating five regions, but within these there should be a further layer of divisions and sub-brands - just as sectorisation managed to achieve in the autumn of British Rail. That will not only appeal to the rightly animated local stakeholders and their markets but it will also shine a light on and give an outlet to those selfobsessed senior managers that need their egos massaged and believe they are indispensably at the centre of the railway. If we curb their sense of self-importance and influence, we will also lose their experience and more positive attributes. It’s a delicate path ahead and like that trite job interview presentation - people need to be at the heart of the agenda.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Warner has over 29 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector

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27/07/2022 16:07

COMMENT

NICK RICHARDSON

Conferences return: it’s good to talk With the pandemic receding, in-person conferencing has returned. There’s lots to discuss and it has reawakened debate After the hiatus, conferences are once again appearing in diaries, providing opportunities to meet with other practitioners and exchange ideas and experiences. Online events were held throughout the pandemic, but it’s not quite the same as actually meeting people for the first time or catching up with established contacts.

Gathering transport planners The Transport Practitioners’ Meeting is an annual event which returned to an in-person format this year. As usual, there was a wide range of attendees from across the transport planning spectrum and related interests. The event combines established commentators with younger professionals, providing multiple opportunities to learn, discover and investigate all round. The format is multi-stream under different themes so there is a wealth of information to find. Some observations from this year included the fact that most attendees are already converts to new mantras in that there is widespread support for road user charging in some form and for ‘decide and provide’ rather than ‘predict and provide’.

What is also clear is that current targets to reduce emissions will not be met with current policies, not by a long way. There is much to be done but so far, progress is poor. The inference is that we would rather act at the tipping point rather than plan to avoid it.

There is a tendency among transport planners to assume that everyone else shares their views but the harsh reality is that some 22 | 29 July 2022 PT270p22-23.indd 22

cling to the policies of the 1970s and maintain that building roads relieves congestion - it doesn’t in the longer term, something we have known since the 1980s. It’s frustrating that a view persists that we should plan for vehicle movements rather than plan for people movements. The concept that people must drive everywhere without restraint persists in populist thinking but transport planning has been dealing with other approaches for decades, promoting mass transit and sustainable personal travel. It seems incredible that we have to teach people how to walk instead of driving short distances and that making provision to cycle is often manifest in useless schemes. Passenger transport still struggles to make it to the top of the priorities list and remains an afterthought for some.

Think of new housing developments with poor walking routes, long distances to a bus stop and cycle routes that compete with traffic and it becomes evident that we have a long way to go before common sense prevails.

This type of argument came to a head during the pandemic when the Department for Transport awarded funding to temporary

“Climate emergency and the route to zero emissions don’t have the emphasis they should”

schemes that enabled more walking and cycling. Some schemes were rushed and had negative impacts on buses such as the closure of selected city centre streets to all motorised traffic, while others such as closing off residential streets to traffic had their widely publicised detractors. Noting that those opposed to particular schemes were very vocal, many people loved the idea.

Those shouting the loudest were people for whom any restraint on car use is an outrageous infringement of liberty. For children who could play in the street and breathe cleaner air (and their parents), for residents who were not confident to cross the street because of traffic and for businesses wanting more footfall, the schemes were a resounding success. There were some messaging lessons – rather than saying no access for cars (big red no entry signs), some adopted a positive tone of allowing access for anyone walking or cycling (with welcoming green signs). Sadly, even DfT succumbed to the shouty types who overshadowed progress. There is a role for compromise though, with deliveries, rubbish collection and bus access being necessities; the role of engagement with those affected is key when ideas are generated. This is not a referendum on a scheme but helps make it as effective as possible.

Spreading the word Some of the key conference speakers presented rational, evidence-based arguments to support the views held by the professional community. Emeritus Professor Phil Goodwin has been a mainstay of policy advice for a long time and put forward the entirely reasonable argument that scheme appraisal favours road schemes because the methodology adopted was designed to expound the benefits of road capacity and associated time savings for road users. Despite many attempts to reshape government guidance to take everything else into account, appraisal methodology remains based on this principle. In other words, climate emergency and the route to zero emissions don’t have the emphasis they should.

Scheme appraisal remains rooted in the past and often works squarely against passenger transport schemes. For example, introducing a light rail route may disrupt traffic flow so, according to the appraisal process, has to take into account cumulative disbenefits to road www.passengertransport.co.uk

27/07/2022 17:33

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

users set against the benefits to light rail users.

Goodwin has been advising on this subject for decades and while receiving widespread support among transport planners is less warmly received by some decision-makers.

Poundbury in Dorset - many new housing developments have poor walking routes, long distances to a bus stop and cycle routes that compete with traffic

Linking policy I learned that the DfT has a whole team of civil servants to help line up housing and planning policies with transport decisions.

This sounds promising and the views it generates are entirely reasonable although the team’s influence is rather limited, being confined to an advisory role. I asked how presenting an integrated policy approach fitted in with a department in which the majority of funding is allocated for road improvements.

The response was that they weren’t going to talk about roads, full stop. In other words, while DfT has a toe in the water of enlightened thinking suitable for the 21st century, it continues to perpetuate the disastrous policies of the past. Of course the direction of government is set by political masters but clearly they need educating in how to meet their policy goals rather than succumbing to the populist press. This is a serious problem that lies behind the public face that supports sustainable transport on the one hand but undermines it on the other.

Future mobility Transport professionals love to discuss future scenarios, particularly to deliver ‘decide and provide’, because that is what planning is about. My colleague Glenn Lyons is Mott MacDonald Professor of Future Mobility at the University of the West of England (long title, big remit!). He is a strong proponent of dealing with deep uncertainty and ,as the last couple of years have shown, change is often unpredictable and having resilience in transport systems is vital. This embraces the concept of Triple Access Planning. This may sound academic but is rooted in the realities we face in that future sustainable urban accessibility can be achieved through the transport system (physical mobility), the land-use system (spatial proximity) and the telecommunications system (digital connectivity) all working together. All the unpredictable change dynamics such as demographics, economic developments, locational choices, the regulatory context, www.passengertransport.co.uk

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“Passenger transport still struggles to make it to the top of the priorities list” technological breakthroughs, travel demand and stakeholder behaviour can be explicitly taken into account in planning, in terms of development and implementation. This matters because for a very long time, decisions have been taken in a different context in which none of the above fit together. When large scale infrastructure is involved, the consequences are long-lasting and often devastating. Examples include the re-casting of inner ring roads that are now being removed in some cities in favour of public space and productive activities. Ironically, major roads have been a barrier to movement for many and their function as movers of traffic has faded as congestion has increased. Inevitably this puts a spotlight onto passenger transport because while all the hype is about personal mobility

(electric cars, scooters etc.), the reality is that the scale of demand lends itself to mass transit in urban areas. More recently, the spread of peak travel means that the passenger transport capacity needed is reduced so it should be even more attractive to provide. One day this may even be reflected in appraisal guidance.

We can conclude that dialogue and debate are good and that evidence is vital if policy is to be steered in an appropriate direction. Change generally takes time but with looming climate and energy crises, policy needs to change sooner than ever.

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.

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27/07/2022 17:33

COMMENT

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit Portland’s fuel forum page: portland-analytics.co.uk/fuel-forum

OIL MARKET REPORT

£

PORTLAND FUEL ANALYTICS - AUGUST 2022

What’s fuelling your summer holiday?

Most of us now need a break and what better way to kick off the holiday season, than by dissecting Portland’s holiday fuel usage!

The fuel market in July continued on its crazy journey to total and complete unpredictability, with prices at the beginning James Spencer of the month falling over 10 Portland pence per litre in two days.

This meant that by July, 8 prices were a full 20ppl lower than they had been in mid-June.

However, as the value of the pound continued to free-fall against the dollar and OPEC failed to come up with any meaningful production increases, these losses were soon wiped out and prices inevitably ticked back upwards thus keeping their vice-like inflationary grip on industry, governments and consumers.

Most of us now need a decent break and what better way to kick off the holiday season, than by dissecting Portland’s holiday fuel usage!

Portland will be taking two holidays this summer - firstly to Spain and then to the more familiar shores “north of the border”.

Quite frankly a point had been reached where choosing between the Med and a camping midgefest in the rain was increasingly difficult, so Spain and Scotland was the compromise.

The trip to Spain means a flight from Leeds-Bradford Airport. Unlike the London Airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) and Manchester Airport, Leeds-Bradford is not connected to the UK’s oil pipeline system. This means that all fuel must come by truck - normally a full load articulated lorry carrying around 38,000 litres of Kerosene Jet 24 | 29 July 2022 PT270p24-25.indd 24

Fuel (known in the trade as Avtur = Aviation Turbine Fuel or Jet A1). The vast majority of jet fuel for Leeds-Bradford comes direct from the Humber refineries and product is then stored in the airport tank-farm (this is a valuable “spot” in your airport i-spy book) before being transferred to planes by on-tarmac fuel bowsers. My journey will involve either an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, both of which have a fuel capacity of around 27,000 litres. This will get the plane over to Spain, where refuelling will take place in advance of the return trip.

On arrival, we will pick up a hire car. Being used to the UK’s high fuel prices, there shouldn’t be too much of a wince factor when we come to fill up at a Spanish service station.

In fact with petrol duty in Spain at 50 euro cents per litre (cpl), we might almost enjoy paying the lower price (this versus 53 pence per litre in the UK - equivalent to 61cpl). Even better news will come if we get to hire a diesel car, because diesel incurs even less duty (37cpl versus 61cpl/53ppl in the UK), which means the pump price is likely to be in the range of 190 cents per litre (~165ppl).

As a non-Spanish resident however, we will not be able to benefit from the recently mandated

“The fuel market in July continued on its crazy journey to total and complete unpredictability”

20 cpl fuel price reduction. This was put in place by the Spanish Government in the Spring, in an attempt to deal with the cost of living crisis now pummelling all European economies.

Post-Spain, there will be a few days back at work and then it will be off to Scotland, once again driving but this time in our own diesel car. Now we definitely will feel the pain of £2 per litre fuel and it’s worth noting at this point that Great Britain is the only country in Europe where diesel duty is the same as petrol. All other countries have lower duty for diesel (in an attempt to support local trucking industries) and this is sometimes up to 30 cents per litre (25ppl) lower than petrol. As an interesting historical anecdote, these materially lower duty rates for diesel was one of the main factors behind the buoyant growth in diesel car sales across Europe in the 2000s and 2010s.

Anyhow, back to the holiday. Once we get to the ferry port for our island destination, it will be time to change the transportation fuel one more time. Small and mid-sized ships tend to use Marine Gasoil, which is no more than a type of diesel similar to the fuel put in cars, trucks and buses. But larger ships and ferries use a different type of fuel called Heavy Fuel Oil. This (as its name suggests) is a much heavier grade, “gloopy” in appearance and much closer in its characteristics to crude oil than other refined petroleum products. This of course means that when burned, Heavy Fuel Oil gives off significantly more emissions than lighter grades of fuel. At the same time though, Fuel Oil does pack a heavy punch when it comes to power generation and if you are moving a 5,000 tonne vessel carrying over 100 cars and trucks, then efficient power transmission is what you need.

On top of that, ferries of this size will be relying on engines with 10,000+ horsepower, and these beasts drink engine oils, lubricants and greases to ensure smooth running and engine longevity.

So in addition to the 15-20 million litres of Fuel Oil that a large Hebridean ferry will annually burn for the purposes of propulsion, you can add in a further 300-400,000 litres per annum of lubricant usage. The very definition of a “hard to abate” carbon intensive sector…

That’s a problem for another day though.

Now it’s time to slap on the (petroleum based) suncream, crack open a few (CO2 infused) cold beers and relax. For those of you lucky enough to get away, we hope you have an absolutely great holiday! www.passengertransport.co.uk

27/07/2022 15:55

COMMENT

GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES

All we can do is sit back and wait

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

So, who will be our next prime minister?

If you believe the opinion polls of the Conservative Party membership it’s a shoo-in for Liz Truss. I would imagine that her commitment to £30bn of tax cuts is giving our colleagues in the Treasury sleepless nights! In my last column I suggested that HS2 - or at least Phase 2 of HS2 - might be a casualty to help pay for this, so I looked back to see if Liz Truss had made any public comments on her position on the project. This reminded me that she has actually been chief secretary to the Treasury so she will have - or should have - some idea of what spending commitments could be ditched, and I came across plenty of press reports saying that she was far from committed to HS2. She has actually said she would not fund her £30bn tax cut by spending cuts but by paying back the Covid debt over a longer period of time. I wonder. Seems to me spending cuts would be inevitable.

Liz Truss has substantially more ministerial experience than Rishi Sunak, having been a secretary of state for four government departments as well as chief secretary. Rishi Sunak, in contrast, was plucked from obscurity from the local government department when he was made chief secretary in the summer of 2019 when Boris became PM, and then promoted to chancellor when Sajid Javid resigned. So in terms of sheer experience you would have to say that Liz Truss has the advantage. But there’s no doubt that Rishi Sunak is the more polished performer in front www.passengertransport.co.uk

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of the media and has bags more charisma, while Liz Truss is wooden - she doesn’t strike me as a good communicator which is something of a handicap in this media age.

Liz Truss is clearly positioning herself as the heir to Margaret Thatcher, which probably plays well to the party membership, but something tells me she has nothing like the intellect nor the strong political philosophy and sheer drive that seemed to serve Mrs T so well. Indeed, Liz Truss was once a member

“Sometimes it’s hard to believe they are actually in the same political party!”

of the Liberal Democrats and gave a speech advocating the abolition of the monarchy. Mrs T would be appalled at the idea of a former Lib Dem claiming her legacy! Rishi Sunak has also claimed he would govern as a Thatcherite so the ghost of Mrs T still haunts us all!

This contest looks like it could get pretty nasty and personal with both candidates already openly critical of the other’s tax and economic policies. If Liz Truss wins it’s hard to see Rishi Sunak serving in her cabinet, and vice versa. Sometimes it’s hard to believe they are actually in the same political party!

Of course, the only question in our minds here in Great Minster House is who will be the next secretary of state for transport? Nobody knows of course, probably not even Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, at this stage anyway. But I’m rather hoping it might be Kemi Badenoch, one of the contenders in the leadership contest before she got knocked out.

Before the leadership contest started nobody knew much about her. But she’s held a handful of ministerial positions, including exchequer secretary, and I thought she came across really rather well in the two TV debates that took place before she got knocked out. There seems to be a growing consensus that she could get promoted into the cabinet whoever wins the contest. Not a really senior position, but one of the more junior departments, and I reckon transport would be perfect for her. More to the point she strikes me as a decent sort who treats officials with respect, although I suspect she is as hard as nails when needs be. There just seems to be something about her, and as she is only 42 she has a long and successful political career beckoning if she wants it. Indeed, some in the media are already marking her down as a future leader of the Conservative Party.

Perhaps she is the real heir to Mrs T! Then we also have the junior ministers to think about. I hope one or two of them might stay put, as breaking in a secretary of state and a clean sweep of new ministers is awfully tiresome, as I’ve said before. The whole process of bringing them up to speed with the issues is just so tedious, even if it’s all part of the job.

While this leadership contest plays out, not much is going to happen here in Great Minster House, or indeed in most other departments.

All we can do is dust down those “briefs for incoming ministers”, bring them up to date, and sit back and wait.

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27/07/2022 15:55

CAREERS

Dave retires after 40 years on the road

APPOINTMENTS

Well-respected Birmingham bus driver retires A West Midlands bus driver has retired after 40 years of loyal service. National Express West Midlands employee Dave Butler has driven buses serving the Coventry Road for the past four decades. Due to his local expertise, Butler also became a road representative for his Birmingham Central garage, based in Digbeth. By working closely with colleagues he helped to improve drivers’ rotas and also bus customers’ experience through better bus service running times.

Through being a force for positive change across the years, Butler built a reputation for being a well-respected driver. Colleagues and close friends describe him as someone who “looks out for fellow drivers” and is always “up for a bit of banter”.

Reminiscent of when Butler was on-site at the garage, close friend Martin Baker, who also recently retired from National Express, said: “Dave is a big fan of the Nolan Sisters and the (1970’s) comedy show On the Buses.

THORPE 30 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS Stagecoach marketing officer’s milestone

Stagecoach South marketing officer Steve Thorpe has celebrated a 30 year career with the company.

Thorpe joined Stagecoach South’s Basingstoke depot in July 1992, shortly after leaving school, 26 | 29 July 2022 PT270p26-27.indd 26

Dave Butler also worked as a road representative at Birmingham Central garage

“When in the garage together, many of us would sing “I’m in the mood for dancing” or shout “I’ll have you Butler”, to which Dave always replied “In your dreams!”.

“Dave loves a good laugh and was a diligent bus driver. He’s known for being as sharp as a tact.

Nothing gets past him.”

Although reluctant to retire from the job he loved, Butler is now spending time focusing on his health, family and friends after being diagnosed with cancer.

working on a variety of commercial assignments. He passed his PCV licence in 1996 and this provided a long awaited opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive the bus routes that he had been planning and scheduling. Thorpe then moved into a marketing role in 2002.

“I am so proud to have played a part in the continued development of the business,” he said.

Joe Khan, NXWM’s operations manager at Birmingham Central said: “The knowledge Dave has acquired over his many years in service has been a great asset to the company and our customers.

“On behalf of the Birmingham Central team, I would like to thank Dave for all of the contributions he’s made during his time at National Express West Midlands. He will be greatly missed here in the garage and we wish him all the best.”

Steve Thorpe

STAGECOACH MANCHESTER Stagecoach has announced the appointment of Rebecca Rathore as operations director at Stagecoach Manchester. She succeeds Matthew Kitchin who has taken up the role of managing director at Stagecoach Yorkshire.

Rathore (pictured) has an extensive career in the transport sector, serving as head of ground transport and landside support at Manchester Airport for four years, as well as holding positions at Transport for Greater Manchester, Southern Railway, The Go-Ahead Group and National Express.

Commenting on her new role, Rathore said: “I’m incredibly excited to join the Greater Manchester team and begin working with them at such a pivotal time of change for the transport sector. I’m grateful for the opportunity to apply the knowledge I’ve learnt over the years to a new area and I can’t wait to get started.”

MERSEYRAIL Merseyrail has announced the appointment of James Connor as corporate communications manager.

Connor has joined the train operator from the Federation of Small Businesses, a lobbying and membership organisation, where he was publications manager from 2013, overseeing all customer communications via print, online and social media. Prior to working for the FSB, Connor worked as a sub editor for several regional and national publications.

At Merseyrail he will lead on all aspects of media and day-to-day stakeholder relations.

www.passengertransport.co.uk

27/07/2022 15:56

MORE JOBS ONLINE Find more vacancies at passengertransport.co.uk

www.passengertransport.co.uk

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27/07/2022 15:56

DIVERSIONS

Life at the rail station can be a real drag GTR recruits Lola Lasagne and Miss Jason for Pride To add some pizzazz to travel messages ahead of next weekend’s Brighton and Hove Pride, Govia Thameslink Railway has enlisted the help of two of the south coast city’s most iconic drag queens.

Stephen Richards and Jason Sutton - better known as Lola Lasagne and Miss Jason - have both been part of the UK drag scene for over 25 years, performing regular shows in Brighton and beyond. With such unique and

All aboard!

A GRAND DAY OUT IN SCOTLAND

Summer is here and it’s time for a grand day out! At Passenger Transport we’re about to embark on our annual summer break and there’s plenty of things to see and

What could go wrong?

recognisable voices, the rail operator snapped them up to record specialedition station announcements that will grab attention in the week leading up to Pride.

Lola and Miss Jason act as a

do in the transport world while we’re away.

In Scotland The Bus Collection at Alford will be having an open day on August 14, between 11am and 4pm in the grounds of Grampian Transport Museum. A range of vehicles will be on display, some dating to the 1930’s, and there will be vintage bus rides too.

Come along and have some fun and, in these times of a cost of living crisis, it’s pleasing to see the entire event is FREE! More details will be posted at thebuscollectionatalford.co.uk.

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reminder that the event is taking place, whilst encouraging people to check before they travel. During Pride in particular, there will be specific messages about the rainbow queueing system at the station to help those leaving the event find the right queue for their journey.

“Well you know us drag queens – never ones to turn down an opportunity to get on the mic!” said Miss Jason. “It was so much fun running riot at Brighton station for the day and recording our own announcements. Huge thanks to GTR for letting us do our thing and for all their help in getting people to and from Pride.”

IT’S NOT EMMA Emma Hignett is well known as the voice of Transport for London and in a recent interview, she revealed there are announcements that have never been used.

“A lot of the announcements initially referred to Crossrail, so I had to re-record those,” she revealed. “I actually did the whole of the Tube network too.”

And there’s one voiceover job she’s asked about all the time but it isn’t actually her - no, she isn’t the voice of Amazon’s Alexa.

JIM’S SLEEPER TRIP TO NOWHERE Charity chief executive Jim Metcalfe took to social media to reveal how he had recently boarded the Caledonian Sleeper service at Glasgow and woken up the next morning to find himself in... Glasgow.

Jim has been using the sleeper service for many years, but said he was left speechless after waking to find the train had not even left the Scottish city.

“In 15 years of using this train, and through many bizarre twists and turns, this has to be the strangest,” he tweeted. “Wake up, and the train never left Glasgow.

It was just sat here all night, and now we have been thrown off it at 5.30am in the wrong city.”

The strange journey to nowhere followed days of severe rail disruption as engineers worked to repair the effects of an unprecedented heatwave.

Kathryn Darbandi, Serco’s managing director for Caledonian Sleeper, said the service was cancelled as a result of the disruption. We made all efforts to support guests impacted,” she added.

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