Passenger Transport: November 17, 2023

FO EV RT ER NI Y GH T

ISSUE 301 17 NOVEMBER 2023

NEWS, VIEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR A SECTOR ON THE MOVE

Rail industry baffled by Bus operators data sluggish reform plans toforshare BSOG+ NEWS

Rail Reform Bill, aimed at legislating rail reforms, was included in last week’s King’s Speech but concerns linger about the pace of the process The recent King’s Speech has drawn attention to industry frustration with the sluggish implementation of rail reform and the implementation of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail.

While the Rail Reform Bill, aimed at legislating rail reforms and creating Great British Railways, was confirmed to be in progress, concerns linger about the pace of the process. In particular it seems unlikely that the legislation will get anywhere before the next general election.

Richard Bowker, the former boss of the Strategic Rail Authority, the public body that provided strategic direction for

the industry between 2001 and 2005, said he did not understand why major reforms were taking so long to be delivered.

“I am genuinely struggling to see why it is so complex that, two and a half years since the WilliamsShapps plan was announced, we’re still only at this point,” he said.

“Anything that moves us towards a world where government officials have less to do with the day-to-

“What have you been doing for two and a half years?”

Richard Bowker

day running things is good news, but why so slow? Time is really of the essence. What have you been doing for two and a half years?”

Norman Baker, director of external affairs at pressure group Campaign for Better Transport and a former transport minister, said it was not clear why the government had opted for a draft bill route rather than a firm commitment to legislate. “This has already been subject to extensive discussion and is largely non-controversial across all the political parties,” he added.

Andy Bagnall, chief executive of industry body Rail Partners, also expressed concern.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Detailed financial and management info

TRAVEL TEST

FlixTrain offers open access alternative

12

A journey from Hamburg to Cologne

COMMENT

Buses in Wales head in a new direction

16

Jonathan Bray travels on revamped routes

COMMENT

We’ve saved them, now let’s revive them

18

Alex Warner on ticket offices

CAREERS

Women in Bus and Coach HALFWAY THERE HS2 has passed the half-way point of main construction on Britain’s longest railway bridge, it was announced last week. The 2.1-mile-long viaduct near Denham, Buckinghamshire, is one of HS2’s landmark structures

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New network aims to effect real change

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CONTENTS

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

IN THIS ISSUE ‘What have you been doing 14 for two and a half years?’

BIG DATA HELPS TO BOOST PUNCTUALITY

“What have you been doing for two and a half years?” Richard Bowker, who headed the former Strategic Rail Authority, summed up the mood of many last week when he reflected on a King’s Speech that included a Rail Reform Bill Robert Jack BUT only a draft Bill for consultation and Managing Editor pre-legislative scrutiny. There does not now appear to be any chance of essential rail reforms, that enjoy cross-party support, becoming law before the next general election.

It was in September 2018 that the rail review was launched and the railway has spent the half-decade that followed in limbo, a situation that has been aggravated by the pandemic. Dedicated railway managers have become frustrated at the inability to get the basics done and some, like Tim Shoveller (see page 8), sought new challenges.

The railway needs a structure that can enable it to drive down costs, empower local management and grow passenger numbers. After three decades of fragmentation, there is broad agreement that all parties need to be aligned behind common goals and a single guiding mind is required. It is baffling that these reforms are not already in place given that the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail was published in May 2021.

If the polls are correct, the prime minister and his colleagues have surrendered their final chance to carry out these long-awaited reforms.

Let’s hope the next government does not commence another lengthy review process and condemn the railway to further years in limbo.

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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The application of big data and mobility intelligence has helped bus operator East Yorkshire to improve on-time performance up to 10% on some routes. The operator has also been surprised to discover where some of the pinch points actually are.

ORGANISATION

PAGE

Abellio London Bus 13, 15 Arriva 4 Blackpool Transport Services 4 CAF 13 Campaign for Better Transport 1 CitySwift 14 Custom Denning 9 DfT OLR Holdings Ltd 10 Diamond Bus 5 East Yorkshire Buses 14 FirstGroup 4 First Manchester 5 Go-Ahead Group 4 Go North West 5 Heathrow Express 6 Kelsian Group 4 LNER 6, 10, 13 Lumo 6 McGill’s 9 National Express West Midlands 4 Network Rail 8 Northern Trains 10 Nottingham City Transport 4 Office of Rail and Road 6 Rail Partners 1 RATP Dev Transit London 4 Reading Buses 4 Rotala 4 ScotRail 6, 10 Southeastern Trains 10 Stagecoach 4, 5 Transdev Blazefield 4 Transport for Greater Manchester 4, 5 Transport for West Midlands 4 Trentbarton 4 Virgin Group 6, 15 Warwickshire County Council 5 Wrightbus 13

20

CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP RURAL TRANSPORT?

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DRAFT BILL IS BAFFLING BEYOND BELIEF

26

LYNCH NAMED AS CPT PRESIDENT FOR 2024

The Department for Transport’s newlypublished report on how technology can help rural access does little for local bus services. “This report is hopelessly inadequate and if it reflects current DfT thinking then there is a big problem,” says Nick Richardson.

Great Minster Grumbles: Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the DfT. “The government’s reluctance to introduce the legislation for Great British Railways is baffling.”

Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach London, has been appointed as vice- president of the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

He will support and shadow current CPT president Ralph Roberts before assuming the presidency in January.

REGULARS NEWS NET ZERO INNOVATION & TECH COMMENT GRUMBLES CAREERS DIVERSIONS

04 13 14 16 23 25 28

17 November 2023 | 03

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NEWS ROUND-UP

Operators to share data in return for BSOG+ DfT says data gained could play a role in shaping bus policy FUNDING

England’s large bus operators will be required to share detailed financial and management information with the Department for Transport in return for funding from the Bus Service Operators Grant Plus scheme.

The requirement has been revealed in newly published terms and conditions for the BSOG+ scheme. It extends to all subsidiaries of major groups and other large operators that collectively received over £1m in BSOG funding in 2022-2023.

The list of bus operators required to comply with the management information condition includes major

LONDON BUS JV DISSOLVED FOR £1 RATP Dev acquires Kelsian Group stake for token sum ACQUISITIONS

French transport group RATP Dev acquired the 12.5% stake in RATP Dev Transit London that it did not own from Tower Transit in September. This move comes as part of RATP’s broader “strategic reflection process” initiated at the end of 2022 to assess the future of its London bus business.

The details of the acquisition were disclosed in the 2022 financial year accounts of London Sovereign, its North London-based bus operation.

In the strategic report for the business, Federico Tonetti, RATP Dev’s vice president for the UK and 04 | 17 November 2023 PT301p04-05.indd 4

players in the industry like Arriva, Stagecoach, National Express, FirstGroup, Go-Ahead, Trentbarton parent Wellglade, AIM-listed bus group Rotala and Transdev as well as municipal operators Nottingham City Transport, Blackpool Transport Services and Reading Buses.

While other operators have the option to voluntarily submit the data to the DfT, it is not a mandatory condition for all.

The DfT retains the authority to withhold BSOG+ payments if the management information requested is not provided.

Data required includes direct and indirect costs (such as fuel, salaries and maintenance), routes, revenue sources, profitability, and patronage details. The DfT said the information must be submitted in good faith and

in adherence to the BSOG+ declaration form.

The DfT added it holds the right to conduct an open book reconciliation exercise with any operator if deemed necessary for clarity on the financial impact of BSOG+ funding.

The DfT indicated that apart from utilising the management information received to evaluate the long-term funding needs of the bus industry in England, the data could play a role in shaping broader bus policy.

Meanwhile, Transport for Greater Manchester and Transport for West Midlands have been granted devolved commercial BSOG+ funding, providing them with the autonomy to determine their own payment methodology and approach.

South Africa, revealed that Kelsian, the Australian transport group and owner of Tower Transit, sold its stake to RATP Dev UK for just £1 on September 11.

Tower Transit entered the London market in June 2013 through Transit Systems’ acquisition of First London’s operations at Lea Interchange and Westbourne Park.

After the sale of Transit Systems to Sealink Travel Group in January 2020, which later rebranded as Kelsian Group in late 2021, the Westbourne Park operation became part of a joint venture with RATP Dev in September 2021. Meanwhile, the Lea Interchange garage, not included in the joint venture, was sold by Kelsian to Stagecoach London in June 2022.

RATP Dev’s London operations

have faced challenges in recent years and the accounts for the London Sovereign operation reveal widened losses there from £1.6m in 2021 to £4.4m for the year ending December 31, 2022. Tonetti said the increasing losses were largely attributable to a higher cost base resulting from staff pay deals in 2022.

It is notable that the accounts for the main RATP Dev Transit London business for the same period have yet to be filed with Companies House and are now overdue.

In recent months, RATP Dev Transit London has faced a number of operational challenges. The operator has exercised break clauses in respect of several Transport for London contracts. Meanwhile, staff this week staged strike action that affected eight routes.

OPERATOR PROBES COMMUNITY VIEWS Stagecoach East engages with sight loss community ACCESSIBILITY

Bus operator Stagecoach East facilitated a ‘round-table discussion’ engaging representatives from the East of England’s blind and partially sighted community to address key challenges they face when using public transport.

They considered issues such as access, safety, implications of electric buses, and feedback. Plans are underway for drop-in days, allowing individuals with sight loss to engage with Stagecoach East colleagues at bus depots, and ‘swap with me’ days for colleagues to experience life as a blind or partially sighted person.

“I firmly believe that we already do a huge amount of good work in how we welcome people with sight loss onto our services,” said Ian de Chastelain, Stagecoach East training manager. “However, we should always be prepared to listen because there will always be things to learn, and there are certainly some very important messages that I will take away from this discussion.”

NORTH EAST LINCS £1 FARE CAP Christmas fare cap aims to boost leisure travel FARES

North East Lincolnshire Council has announced it will introduce a £1 capped bus fare all-day at weekends and after 6pm, Monday to Friday over the Christmas period. The initiative is being supported by Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding and aims to stimulate leisure travel.

The council has secured funding worth £280,000 for both 2023-24 and 2024-25 as part of the BSIP+ allocation process. www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 16:30

Warwickshire Buses reinvigorates network New brand aims to stimulate growth as part of BSIP plans NETWORKS

Warwickshire County Council has announced the introduction of the Warwickshire Buses brand for bus services in the county, in a move aimed at stimulating growth.

The initiative builds on the Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership that was formed as part of the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan. It aims to foster the continued growth of bus patronage in Warwickshire.

Over the past year, the council says the county has experienced a steady increase in bus use, reflecting the industry’s ongoing recovery post-pandemic.

A recent report presented to the cabinet provides a comprehensive

blueprint for bus improvements.

This includes a seamlessly integrated local network and simplified ticketing with the introduction of user-friendly options such as multi-bus operator tickets, multi-modal tickets, and ‘tap on/tap off’ fare payment, mirroring successful models seen in major urban centres.

Bus priority measures on the local highway network are planned, as is standardised high quality information for passengers. There are also plans for demand responsive transport services, enhanced accessibility

“There is work to do in further increasing bus patronage” Jan Matecki

operators will be responsible FIRST AND GNW BEE two for overseeing all school services NETWORK GAINS within the second phase area.

Two operators win phase two school bus networks CONTRACTS

Transport for Greater Manchester has finalised the selection of two school bus service operators for the second phase of the regulated Bee Network, covering Oldham, Rochdale, Manchester and Bury.

Following what TfGM describes as a robust response from operators during the bidding process, Go North West secured three contracts, while First Manchester secured six contracts, collectively serving 11 schools. The commencement of the second phase of bus franchising is scheduled for March 25, 2024.

With these appointments, the www.passengertransport.co.uk

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In June, TfGM had previously announced that mainstream Bee Network bus services in this area would be operated by Stagecoach, First and Diamond.

“There continues to be a high level of interest in the Bee Network bus contracts and we saw a strong response from operators to run school bus services,” said Anne Marie Purcell, TfGM’s bus franchising director.

“Regular, reliable school bus services are vital for young people getting to and from school and we made performance and reliability a key part of the contract award process to make sure that is the case.”

She added both Go North West and

and behaviour change activities t boost modal shift.

Highlighting the success of these efforts, Warwickshire has achieved a significant 74% increase in patronage of the Stratford Park and Ride Service over the summer months. It suggests this demonstrates there is an appetite amongst the Warwickshire public for bus travel.

“Warwickshire Buses is fantastic news for our residents, businesses and the diverse range of bus operators that we have in the county,” said Jan Matecki, Warwickshire’s portfolio holder for transport and highways.

“Bus passenger numbers have noticeably increased since the pandemic, however, there is work to do in further increasing bus patronage to pre-pandemic levels and beyond.”

First Manchester presented robust submissions as part of the bidding process and said TfGM was looking forward to working with them over the coming months and years as the Bee Network continued to develop.

Nigel Featham, managing director of Go North West, noted that capturing the contracts built on the extensive franchise work already operated from their Bolton and Wigan depots. “We are delighted to be awarded additional work,” he added.

Meanwhile, First Manchester managing director Zoe Hands said her company’s “absolute priority will be to deliver a reliable service in partnership with a best-inclass, customer-first approach” to delivering the schools services.

IN BRIEF SAFETY OFFICER PILOTS Specially-trained transport safety officers (TSOs) will be deployed in four areas across England as part of the government’s anti-social behaviour action plan. With £2.5m in funding from the Department for Transport, the pilots aim to empower local communities to enhance public safety, particularly for women and girls. Officers will patrol targeted routes in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole; Lancashire; Stoke-on-Trent; and Thurrock in collaboration with Essex and Southendon-Sea councils. Working alongside local police forces and the British Transport Police, TSOs will have the authority to issue fixed penalty notices for specific antisocial behaviours.

WEST YORKS BUS SAFETY A dedicated team of 15 full-time Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) is poised to bolster safety on West Yorkshire’s bus network with £1m in funding from the West Yorkshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

The Safer Travel team will patrol bus stations and buses, aiming to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, improve safety for women and girls, and offer reassurance and protection for vulnerable travellers.

LEGAL EXPANSION JMW Solicitors has launched a specialised commercial road transport team with the recruitment of two partners who are highly regarded leading lawyers in the sector. Laura Hadzik and Scott Bell have been appointed as partners and co-heads of the new team which will focus on transport law.

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NEWS ROUND-UP

Rail patronage rising but below 2019 highs UK rail network sees continued recovery as passenger journeys surge 19% in latest quarter, but they are yet to fully rebound to Pre-Covid levels PATRONAGE

New passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road have revealed an increase in patronage on the UK rail network, with 390 million journeys recorded in the quarter spanning April to June 2023.

This represents a 19% increase from the 328 million journeys in the same period the previous year.

Over the 12 months leading up to June 2023, the total journeys reached 1,447 million, marking a 5% rise from the 1,385 million journeys in the preceding year (April 2022 to March 2023).

It means that rail passenger journeys have now increased for seven of the last nine quarters as the industry continues to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, patronage is still well below the 461 million passenger journeys recorded between October and December 2019 before the full impact of the pandemic took hold.

The ORR has reported that the opening of the central section of the Elizabeth Line had a profound effect on rail patronage and service patterns.

In the latest quarter, there were 84,000 Elizabeth Line services planned, reflecting a substantial 38% increase compared to the previous year. This contributed to a significant 134% rise in passenger journeys compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year.

While many of the journeys facilitated by the Elizabeth Line 06 | 17 November 2023 PT301p06-07.indd 6

infrastructure were previously serviced by other modes of public transport in London, approximately 30% of the Elizabeth Line journeys were identified as completely new demand. This suggests that trips are being generated by the line’s existence or a shift from nonpublic transport modes.

Elsewhere, despite Lumo and Heathrow Express experiencing a slight reduction in passenger journeys compared to the previous year, the totals for both operators remained relatively similar. ScotRail, operating on a reduced timetable from May 23 to July 15, 2022, saw a 33% increase in passenger journeys in the latest quarter, partly reflecting the return to regular services.

Examining the sectors, London and the South East recorded the most significant number of journeys, reaching 276 million in the latest quarter - a 24% increase from the 223 million journeys in the same quarter the previous year. The Long Distance sector recorded 33 million journeys, an 8% increase, while the Regional sector saw a 10% rise, reaching 79 million journeys.

For open access operators combined, there were 2.4 million passenger journeys recorded, indicating a slight 2% increase compared to the same quarter the previous year.

In terms of passenger kilometres travelled, the latest quarter saw a total of 14.9 billion in Great Britain, a 10% increase

from the 13.5 billion in the same quarter the previous year.

However, passenger kilometres travelled remain below prepandemic levels, standing at 86% of the 17.3 billion in the same quarter four years ago (April to June 2019).

Despite the increase in journeys, all sectors experienced a reduction in average journey length (kilometres per journey) in the latest quarter compared with the previous year. The London and South East sector exhibited the largest disparity, with a 24% increase in journeys but only a 16% increase in kilometres traveled, partly due to the opening of the central section of the Elizabeth Line.

While East Coast operator LNER recorded a 1% reduction in passenger kilometres, Northern Trains showed the largest increase in average journey length. Lumo reported 158 million passenger kilometres between April and June 2023, a 4% increase from the previous year.

Franchised passenger journeys using season tickets in the latest quarter totalled 49 million, a 5% increase from the same quarter the previous year, perhaps indicating that a wider return to office-working following the pandemic is now filtering down into improved season ticket sales.

Total passenger revenue in GB reached £2.6bn, marking a 10% increase from the £2.3bn in the previous year (adjusted for inflation).

Comeback for Virgin?

VIRGIN REPORTED TO BE PLANNING EUROSTAR RIVAL Group holding talks over cross-Channel proposals INTERNATIONAL

Media reports have suggested that Virgin Group is examining plans to launch a new cross-Channel rail service that would break the monopoly of Eurostar.

The Daily Telegraph reported this week that the group is plotting a return to the rail sector four years after the group’s failure to capture the West Coast Partnership rail franchise. It is the second Eurostar rival to emerge in recent months following the news that the Spanish Cosmen family are behind a potential competitor called Evolyn (PT299).

Former Virgin Trains chief executive Phil Whittingham is reportedly leading discussions with infrastructure officials. He spent 22 years with Virgin Trains but chose to move to Avanti West Coast when it assumed control of the West Coast Partnership contract. He left the business in late 2022 as a result of the train operator’s difficulties.

Industry insiders indicate that Virgin’s extensive UK rail experience positions them favourably to challenge Eurostar, drawing parallels to Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson’s campaign against British Airways in the airline market.

A Virgin spokesperson declined to comment on the speculation. www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 16:31

Inflation erodes CP7 Network Rail spending Less money than expected during next Control Period FUNDING

Network Rail’s projected expenditure for Control Period 7 (CP7), spanning from 2024 to 2029, is expected to be marginally lower than Control Period 6 (CP6) in real terms, primarily due to higher inflation than initially expected when the funding was agreed by the UK and Scottish Governments.

The Office of Rail and Road has revealed the figures in its final determination for CP7, granting Network Rail a network grant of £28.6bn from the UK and Scottish Governments. This figure reflects a 1% decrease compared to CP6’s grant of £28.8bn, both expressed at

BRADFORD PLANS GAIN FUNDING

£400,000 to develop masterplan for new station FUNDING

The government has announced it has allocated £400,000 to Bradford Council to allow it to start work on a masterplan for a new station for the West Yorkshire city.

The work will consider how the new station can best support regeneration in the surrounding area and maximise its potential to create new homes, jobs and local economic growth, as well as significantly improving transport links and cutting journey times.

Once complete, the masterplan will form part of a wider business case for the project. www.passengertransport.co.uk

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2023-24 prices.

Despite the reduction, the ORR has concluded that the overall funding, including track access fees, remains sufficient for Network Rail to fulfil its commitments. The breakdown of expenditure includes £4.4bn for operations, £5.1bn for support, £11.4bn for maintenance, and £19.7bn for renewals.

The final determination sets forth more challenging train performance requirements than initially proposed. The ORR has called for greater collaboration between Network Rail and operators to minimise train cancellations and maintain punctuality, especially with an anticipated increase in passenger numbers.

“The plans are challenging but achievable,” said Will Godfrey,

the ORR director for economics, finance and markets. “Our five-year funding and regulatory settlement provides stability and a platform for the industry to plan and invest. This is important not just for Network Rail, but also for passenger and freight operators and the supply chain.

“Network Rail must now set out how it will deliver on our final determination.”

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said he viewed the final determination as a vote of confidence in the industry’s future.

He continued: “The impact of inflation, tight public finances and the need to invest more to manage the impact of more frequent extreme weather on the infrastructure does mean that our funding will need to go further than ever before.”

RAIL INDUSTRY BAFFLED BY SLUGGISH REFORM Continued from page 1 “The recommitment to establishing Great British Railways with the publication of a draft Bill is a step forward, but it is a missed opportunity to not actually legislate in this Parliament,” he said. “The rail industry has been awaiting progress on reform since the Williams Review started over five years ago, culminating in the Plan for Rail being published in 2021.

“Delivering that plan remains the best foundation to build a better railway for Britain, and not seizing the moment now means continuing uncertainty until after the next general election.”

Jason Prince, director of the Urban Transport Group, was also gloomy in his assessment.

“Many of the much-needed transport laws promised in the current parliamentary session have once again failed to materialise,” he said.

“It is disappointing that the government has only presented a draft Rail Reform Bill, effectively leaving any prospect of reform this side of the general election stuck in the sidings.”

Meanwhile, Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, urged the government to begin the pre-legislative scrutiny process without delay.

GRUMBLES: PAGE 23

“Not seizing the A BIGGER AND BETTER GATWICK A new look Gatwick Airport station is set moment now to open to passengers on November 21, transforming the journey from train to means continuing plane. The expanded station features a new second concourse and entrance uncertainty” that will double the space for the millions of passengers that use the station.

17 November 2023 | 07

15/11/2023 17:13

NEWS ROUND-UP

‘Frustrated’ Shoveller sought new challenge Tim Shoveller tells Calling All Stations podcast about the reasons behind his departure from Network Rail last summer to take charge at Freightliner RAIL REFORM

The railway must unify behind aligned goals and empower its local management. That is the message from Freightliner boss Tim Shoveller, who changed tracks in his career this summer after growing frustrated at Network Rail.

Having devoted his career to the railway, working within both train operating companies and Network Rail, Tim Shoveller was seen by many as a future chief executive of the infrastructure controller. But with government control over the railway tightening further in the wake of the pandemic, he left to become CEO of freight operator Freightliner in July.

Interviewed by transport journalist Christian Wolmar for the Calling All Stations podcast, Shoveller recalled the challenges of trying to bring track and train together in 2012 as managing director of the South West Trains Alliance - a period in which he served as both managing director of Stagecoach’s South West Trains franchise and route director of Network Rail’s Wessex route.

“That was an amazing experience and I lost a lot of hair as a result of that,” said Shoveller.

“I very genuinely came the closest I have ever come to really having a breakdown at work.

“A lot of it was pressure I put on myself because I was so determined to demonstrate how a train company and an infrastructure company working 08 | 17 November 2023 PT301p08-09.indd 8

together was better. And there was there is not a shred of doubt in my mind that that it was better, and we could just see in our people.”

There were problems, but Shoveller says that these did not stem from delivery on the ground.

He explained: “What had problems was that you had an owner in Network Rail and an owner in Stagecoach, each had completely different objectives.

“I couldn’t have asked for more support from Robin Gisby in Network Rail or from Martin Griffiths in Stagecoach, but fundamentally what the alliance couldn’t resolve is that the shareholders had completely different objectives that were set by different organisations.

“Everyone’s trying to do the

right thing. South West Trains is trying to do the right thing ... But everyone had slightly different objectives and those objectives are mismatched. And when you do that, of course, it takes a very long time to achieve something which is actually quite simple.

“That’s the root cause of the problem we’ve got with our railways today.”

Shoveller’s last role with Network Rail was as managing director of its North West & Central region. He learnt a lot from Network Rail chairman Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and chief executive Andrew Haines, and he was excited at the plans to bring track and train together under the single guiding mind of Great British Railways.

“I need to be excited, I need to motivate myself and I was getting frustrated” Tim Shoveller, Freightliner

Tim Shoveller became Freightliner’s CEO in July

But he was growing frustrated in an environment, post-Covid, where increased government oversight meant that the ability to implement urgent things “was effectively zero”.

While acknowledging the need for the government to ensure that value for money is derived from additional funding, the problem is that “it slows everything down”.

“You need to invest power in your frontline teams because they know how the railway runs,” he argued. “They know how to make it better. They know where it’s going wrong ... And of course what we’ve seen was that power and authority being removed because ultimately, of course, levels of governance became much higher.”

He concluded that it was time to seek a new challenge: “I was excited about what I was hoping I would be able to achieve had GBR come about. I could see that was going to be several years away ... I need to be excited, I need to motivate myself and I was getting frustrated.”

Shoveller was immediately energised by his new role, but he remains optimistic about the future of the wider rail industry.

“The need for the railway, I think, is greater than ever,” he said. “The climate emergency moves the railway’s ability to move lots of people in a carbon friendly way or lots of goods in a carbon friendly way from being a nice thing to have to must-have.

“As a society we need that.

We need to maximise its capacity and its potential and we won’t get that if we just have a whole series of random structures that are that are incapable of working efficiently with each other.”

Listen to Calling All Stations with Christian Wolmar, Mark Walker and guests on podbean.com www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 16:31

McGill’s fears ‘sudden death’ from franchising CEO sees benefits of franchising, but calls for a fair transition FRANCHISING

The CEO of Scotland’s largest privately-owned bus operator believes that bus franchising could bring benefits to communities across Scotland - but could also result in “sudden death” for his business if it fails to win contracts.

Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s, elaborated on his concerns after he and the group’s co-owners, Sandy and James Easdale, criticised the intervention of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and threatened legal action to oppose the introduction of bus franchising in Scotland (PT300). This came after regulations were enacted in the Scottish Parliament granting local transport authorities more options to enhance bus services.

“The irritation of McGill’s owners is born from meddling and ignorance about their business,” Roberts told Passenger Transport.

“No one at McGill’s is ideologically or profoundly opposed to franchising or public

AUSSIE E-BUS HEADING TO UK ‘It’s a dream for me,’ says company boss Scott Dunn ELECTRIC BUSES

Australian bus builder Custom Denning is targeting the UK market, and a demonstration electric bus is currently being shipped to the UK. Custom Denning, one of Australia’s oldest bus builders, is now owned by Scott Dunn, who began his career in www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Ralph Roberts, McGill’s

everything that has been invested and through no fault of their own.

“I could imagine that the big bus groups are willing to spread bet and so long as they broadly keep the same market share ...

To a comparatively small, family-owned business with a regional footprint, that ability is severely curtailed. Should the large groups wish to under-bid for those areas, that family business simply goes bust. We see that as immoral and wrong.”

Roberts argues that there needs to be a fair transition to franchising, “with no sudden death for companies who have done nothing wrong”. However, he has not been reassured by his recent conversations with the cabinet secretary and others.

He said: “Some senior people I have spoken to have suggested that we shouldn’t take it personally and that it probably won’t happen anyway. Points of view that I see as incredible.

How do you tell a business owner to not take the sudden loss of decades of investment personally?

Legal challenges to Transport for Greater Manchester’s Bee

Network were defeated, but Roberts believes that Scottish courts might take a different view: “Not only is the Act different in terms of having safeguards that are absent in England (I doubt that TfGM would have got approval in Scotland), but also the law is very different,” he explained.

Roberts believes that there are ways to implement franchising that protect small and mediumsized bus operators. For example, awarding the first franchise in an area to the incumbent operator for a period of 7-10 years would give it time to re-position its business, its liabilities and expectations, and develop franchise bidding skills.

He also argued that Glasgow could quickly deliver the same benefits as Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, including a common ticketing platform and vehicle identity, through a deep partnership with bus operators.

“I know that if the bus operators of Glasgow were to agree a ‘pseudo franchise’ between them, it could be in place in six months, achieve much more than Manchester will achieve in the next five years and cost a fraction of what Manchester will spend.

“There is more than one way to improve public transport, and bus as a mode in particular, but it will take open minds at all levels to achieve it.”

the UK bus industry before moving to Australia in 2014. The company has designed and built a full-size, fully-electric single deck bus, which it plans to export to the UK. The vehicle was on display at last month’s Australian British Infrastructure Catalyst, which took place in Australia. There Dunn spoke with Leon Daniels, the former boss of surface transport for Transport for London, for the Lunch with Leon podcast, which is produced in

association with Passenger Transport.

Built in Western Sydney, Dunn said the 12-metre bus was fully stainless steel with European components and the build quality of an Australian product, where vehicles must be built for a 25-year minimum life.

Custom Denning already competes with Chinese imports, BYD and Yutong, so Dunn is confident that it can compete with Chinese products into the UK. One demonstrator vehicle is already en route to the UK, and is

due to arrive in mid-January. Three more will arrive in mid-February.

“It’s a dream for me to build a vehicle where I live and export it back to my own country,” said Dunn.

“It’s perfect for me.”

He added: “We are going to export from Australia in the short term but my ideal situation is that we build it locally in the UK for the UK market.”

Daniels speaks to a variety of guests on the podcast, including other familar faces from the UK.

ownership or public control. Of course it can work, how foolish it would be to claim otherwise.”

While McGill’s is not opposed to franchising, it is opposed to “business confiscation”. “This is unprecedented in the UK, it has never happened,” said Roberts.

“A business built up over decades, in good faith and according to the laws of the land could vanish overnight leaving the owners with huge liabilities and a loss of

“A business built up over decades, in good faith ... could vanish overnight”

17 November 2023 | 09

15/11/2023 16:31

NEWS ROUND-UP

Operators fight against digital ticketing fraud Unscrupulous passengers found new ways to avoid paying FRAUDULENT TRAVEL

Details have emerged of how some transport operators are tackling a surge in fraudulent travel on the back of digital ticketing technology.

Digital payment has become much more widespread across public transport modes, in recent years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the technology became essential because many operators and customers wished to minimise cash transactions.

However, digital ticketing opened up new ways for unscrupulous passengers to avoid paying for journeys. Millions of pounds per annum were at risk just at Northern Trains Ltd (NTL).

Some bus operators have lost money where customers acquired digital tickets but payment

collection from their banks later failed. Essex-based Ensignbus stopped accepting payment from certain banks for this reason last year, and four months ago seven-day bus tickets in South Yorkshire were withdrawn from sale through contactless channels.

NTL has been providing insights into the scale of the challenge for the rail industry. It set up a Digital Fraud Investigations Team in 2021 in response to surging digital transactions, which now account for 70% of NTL’s ticket sales. The team’s work contributed to investigations into 108,681 reports of attempted fare evasion in 2022/23. NTL’s

“There are people who try to outsmart the system through a complex process”

Surge in Delay Repay compensation Outgoings now amount to 2% of DOHL’s revenue Delay Repay outgoings almost tripled in 2022/23 at the three train operators which were then part of DOHL, rising from £11.5m in 2021/22 to £33.4m.

The increase is partly down to Southeastern Trains Ltd (SET) having transferred to DOHL for only the last six rail periods of 2021/22. However, Delay Repay outgoings as a percentage of DOHL operators’

10 | 17 November 2023 PT301p10-11.indd 10

total revenue also increased substantially, from 1.2% to 2.0%.

Delay Repay is paid to customers who have experienced a delay of more than 30 minutes on LNER services or 15 minutes on NTL or SET services. For accounting purposes, it is treated as a reduction in passenger income rather than an operating cost.

The rail industry’s system for compensation after delays is

in-house prosecutors attended 301 court sittings during the same period, helping to secure 14,072 convictions and recoup £2,851,883 of lost revenue for the taxpayer.

NTL is part of DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL). In DOHL’s recently published annual report, chief executive officer Robin Gisby writes: “Worthy of note is NTL’s efforts to protect revenue and reduce fraud and fare evasion which has resulted in record low levels of ticketless travel. Its team is proud to report that the digital fraud prevention team coupled with strong on the ground deployment is helping to protect over £10m in industry revenue.”

The £10m equates to a quarter of the £40m reduction in the subsidy NTL required in 2022/23.

The subsidy reduction was a result of revenue increase and cost reduction being ahead of forecasts.

ScotRail, another publicly-

more generous than travellers will find on most other modes of transport. The simplicity of digital Delay Repay is a selling point for the rail industry and potentially prevents passengers from turning their backs on rail after being inconvenienced by delays. However, it also exposes the industry to potential fraud. Last year, Greater Anglia said it had recovered £500,000 in the previous two years from people who had fraudulently claimed Delay Repay. One man had used aliases to claim £35,000 over a fortnight.

owned operator, has previously explained why it removed some short-hop tickets from its barcode ticketing offer (PT289). A surge in the number of digital tickets purchased from the last station before major destinations such as Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street was thought to be driven by people travelling longer distances, avoiding ticket checks and buying short-hop tickets to get through gatelines at the end of their journeys.

ScotRail recently released further details, under the Freedom of Information Act, of its work to combat digital ticketing fraud.

Last November, it introduced a 2p commission for on-train and gateline staff for each barcode or smartcard ticket they scan. Data analysis showed that scan activity since October 2022 had increased faster than digital ticket sales, and that barcode refunds had reduced.

Fraudulent refund claims for delays or for digital tickets which have been used but not scanned are another challenge for operators. Refunds can reduce total fares revenue by substantial amounts (see separate article).

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at NTL, said: “Fare evasion hasn’t been as simple as people just not buying a ticket for quite some time. There are people who try to outsmart the system through a complex process of fraudulent refund requests, delay repay claims and a process known as ‘short faring’.

“What those people might not realise is that, as with any electronic transaction, our systems are able to identify suspicious activity and bring it to the attention of our specialist investigators.”

This could result in culprits being prosecuted for historic evasion as well as the journey on which they were caught. www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 16:31

Buses in Wales head in a new direction. Page 16

Pre-franchise bridging period for Welsh buses The Welsh Government expects franchising to revive the Welsh bus network’s fortunes, but some fear the network will decline in the interim FRANCHISING

Details are emerging of how the dwindling Welsh bus network could be supported from the end of the current Bus Transition Fund period until franchising commences.

The BTF replaced the Bus Emergency Scheme in order to continue the Welsh Government’s post-pandemic additional funding until 31 March 2024, but there is no legal route for BTF to continue in 2024/25. Before the pandemic, approximately 80% of the Welsh network was operated commercially, with the help of the Welsh Government’s Bus Services Support Grant (BSSG) for all bus services and community transport. The £25m-a-year BSSG is expected to continue next year.

This year’s BES and BTF funding provide an additional £46m but the government acknowledged this was below the amount needed to sustain the network. Many operators have withdrawn or reduced the frequency of services as a result.

Operators have been providing details of previously commercial services to local authorities, prior to tendering of services which would not cover their costs in the absence of BTF. Some bus companies could lose services which they established and nurtured over many years to rival operators.

One bus company manager estimated that 85% of the previously commercial network could require tendering, because www.passengertransport.co.uk

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passenger numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels and costs significantly higher.

“It’s a massive job for the tender process,” he said.

The government expects franchising to revive the Welsh bus network’s fortunes, but has still not introduced franchising legislation to the Senedd, six years after England’s equivalent legislation was passed at Westminster. One industry source said the Welsh legislation was likely to go to the Senedd early next year and the earliest franchising could begin would be 2026. He feared further decline in passenger numbers and service quality in the interim.

The Association of Transport Coordinating Officers Cymru, representing local authority officers, told Passenger Transport that bus operators should, by now, have informed their regions of the services they would run commercially from April 1.

Chair Richard Cope explained: “Local authorities will then use this information to tender for any services that have not been declared commercial, which could include some services

“Up to 25% of routes remain at risk without further funding certainty beyond April” Aaron Hill, CPT Cymru

that were commercial prior to the pandemic. Local authorities are currently working on the tendering exercise and should have the resources to carry this out where required.”

Aaron Hill, director of CPT Cymru, said operators had worked with the government to protect as many routes as possible. “In recent months, many services have been adapted to reflect changing travel patterns, as operators look to grow bus services and return to being commercially sustainable.

The BTF has meant that the industry can protect many services, but up to 25% of routes remain at risk without further funding certainty beyond April.

“If Welsh Government is to deliver on their aspirations to grow bus services in Wales and improve coverage, they must prioritise investment in both bus services and the infrastructure to support buses. This includes bus priority infrastructure that will help speed up bus journey times for passengers.”

The funding available to support the newly tendered services will not be clear until the government sets its overall budget for next year, which will partly be defined by the chancellor’s Autumn Statement on November 22. The timescale for tendering is short, taking account of notice periods for new service registrations.

Cope said officers did not expect temporary disruption to services in early April, but warned:

“There may be choices to be made of which services to support should funding not cover all tender costs from April 2024, given the tight funding issues currently with government and local authority funding.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said the government had been working with local authorities and operator representatives since the start of the financial year to allow them to plan as best they can for non-commercial services to be tendered in preparation for the end of BTF. “The strategic direction for all public sector procurement in Wales is set in the Wales Procurement Policy Statement.

Local authorities will need to consider how they meet those principles when tendering for services, including looking to maximise the long-term sustainable social and economic value from public spend.”

‘OPPORTUNITY IN ADVERSITY’ “We cannot afford to wait,” said Lee Waters, the Welsh Government’s deputy minister for climate change, in a written statement on bus reform last week.

Referring to co-operation between the Regional Planning Teams and bus operators, he added: “This partnership approach is proof that there is opportunity in adversity, enabling the Regional Planning Teams to make significant progress in reviewing and adapting their networks to better reflect changing travel patterns post-Covid. We will be able to achieve much more when the design of our network is a public responsibility rather than a profit-led exercise, but the Regional Planning Teams can form the basis of a structure to agree a franchised bus network in future.”

17 November 2023 | 11

15/11/2023 16:32

TRAVEL TEST FLIXTRAIN

FlixTrain offers open access alternative FlixBus is best known for the multi-national network of coach services it has created since 2013, including the UK, but it also runs open access trains Riding a FlixTrain service from Hamburg to Cologne was a Rhodri Clark new experience for me. It was my first trip on an open access train outside Britain, and my first experience of being caught ticketless.

My wife and I were returning from a holiday in Scandinavia which involved many trains.

We had booked through a UK travel agency which specialises in holidays by rail, although its default option for Scandinavia is flights there and back. Our sheaf of tickets and hotel vouchers included one sheet covering Hamburg to Brussels, with the first leg on FlixTrain.

When the FlixTrain rolled in to Hamburg Hbf, the company’s coaching ancestry was apparent.

All of the seats faced the centre of the carriage, where the only face to face seats were located.

This being a train, there was no under-floor luggage space.

At one end of our carriage, suitcases were prohibited from a space ideal for luggage but too narrow for a wheelchair.

Our cases in the overhead rack stuck out too far for my liking, and I nervously watched for signs of movement during the journey.

I later noticed several pairs of chained-off seats at the other end of the vehicle, apparently for luggage. Hoisting cases over the chains wouldn’t be a problem for 12 | 17 November 2023 PT301p12-13.indd 12

Our clearly branded FlixTrain

fit young people, but how would others manage?

FlixTrain seems not to be pitched at older people, or its online booking system is a deterrent to them. Our fellow passengers all seemed to be under 40, and mostly in their early 20s.

The six-coach train was less than half full, and I wondered how much more revenue would be available through reaching out to older age groups, net of the cost of reaching out to them.

Our print-at-home ticket did not include FlixTrain seat reservations. There were no digital screens or paper slips in the train to show which seats were reserved, which suggested to me that FlixTrain provides a reservation with every ticket.

It was not a complete surprise when the conductor, dressed in black leggings and a leisurewear jacket in Flix green, informed us that our ticket was only for

the DB train from Cologne to Brussels. She was just as puzzled as I was about the appearance of the FlixTrain departure and arrival times on the A4 sheet.

She appeared not to have a ticket machine. She told us we must book a ticket from the next station to Cologne by the time she returned through the train. I thought this was generous of her, having read about ticketless-travel penalties in Britain.

Connecting to the FlixTrain website using the free Wi-Fi, we were quickly able to navigate (in English) to our train, but tickets from Hamburg were no longer available since the train had already left the city. Tickets from the next station were priced at a bargain €14.99 each.Before purchasing, we contacted the travel agent in London for clarification. The agent was surprised by the error and couldn’t offer an explanation.

Back to the website. Our

intended transaction had timed out but the price remained the same when we found it again.

We paid an extra €2.99 each to choose our seats, there being only a one in five chance of the computer allocating us new seats in our existing coach.

The seating diagram showed spare seats near where we were already sitting. Most of the seats in our coach were shown as booked, but nobody had sat in them by the time we reached Cologne, the train’s destination. British trains are not alone in having large numbers of ghost reservations.

The seats were more comfortable than the seats in our earlier DB train from Copenhagen to Hamburg, but less comfortable than in our DB ICE train from Cologne to Brussels.

We heard no public address announcements in the FlixTrain until we were standing near the vestibule to alight. A crackly announcement was being made through a speaker in that area, but the volume was so low that even fluent German speakers probably couldn’t have followed it.

One awkward feature when boarding and alighting with luggage was the hinged door, sprung to stay shut, between vestibule and saloon. Powered doors have been standard since the 1970s, and I presumed FlixTrain removed them from its vehicles to minimise maintenance.

VERDICT We experienced the good and not so good of open access in our journey. The biggest negative was that it appears to be so far removed from the European rail booking system that even a travel agency specialising in rail holidays was confused and inadvertently advised customers to board a train without tickets.

www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 15:43

NET ZERO

LNER confirms CAF tri-mode trains deal Fleet will be able to operate in electric, battery or diesel mode ROLLING STOCK

London North Eastern Railway has confirmed that Spanish train builder CAF has been named as the successful bidder to deliver a fleet of 10 new tri-mode trains.

Porterbrook has been chosen as the financier of the new fleet. The trains will be able to operate in electric, battery or diesel mode.

Benefits of tri-mode trains range from a reduction in emissions, particulates, noise and vibration, lower maintenance and operating costs and upgradeable technology, with an expected increase in range and performance as technology develops further.

Battery power reduces the need to use diesel traction in areas where overhead powerlines are not available.

Complementing the modern Azuma fleet of 65 trains, the new

ABELLIO’S NEW SINGLE DECK ELECTRIC FLEET Caetano e.City Golds enter service on Route 433 ELECTRIC BUSES

Abellio has introduced a new fleet of single-deck Caetano e.City Gold buses on Route 433.

Route 433 operates on behalf of Transport for London from Abellio’s Beddington depot near Croydon; it runs between Addington Village interchange and East Croydon. The Caetano e.City Gold buses are fully electric zero-emission buses. www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT301p12-13.indd 13

A visualisation of the new CAF tri-mode trains

10-coach trains will help LNER achieve its vision of becoming “the most loved, progressive and trusted train operator in the UK”.

David Horne, managing director at LNER, said: “Successfully delivering this new fleet is an integral part of LNER’s business plan. Our focus is ensuring we create a fleet that truly matches the needs of all our customers, with clear

targets on setting new standards for comfort, accessibility, and exceptional customer service.”

This new fleet of trains will keep LNER on track to reduce its emissions by 67 % by 2035 and be net zero by 2045. LNER has already reduced carbon emissions by 50% compared with 2018/19.

Per mile, LNER trains produce 15 times less carbon emissions than a domestic flight.

The buses are fully EV

WRIGHTBUS WINS ARRIVA ORDER 34 more StreetDeck Electroliners for London ELECTRIC BUSES

Wrightbus has secured a new order to deliver 34 more vehicles to Arriva in London. The StreetDeck Electroliner buses will be rolled out across the capital next year and takes the total number of vehicles on order with the bus operator to over 100.

Deliveries of the Electroliner from previous orders are already under way to London where a total of 50 will be delivered this year, with a further 24 being supplied to Leicester.

Marcos Hart, operations director for Arriva UK Bus, said: “We are delighted to once again be partnering with Wrightbus to welcome a further 34 zero-emission electric vehicles into our growing electric operation. These state-of-the-art, high-spec buses will arrive at our Enfield depot in early 2024 and will serve passengers on Route 279, taking our London fleet to over 100 electric vehicles across our four electrified garages.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Wrightbus, said: “Our continued partnership with Arriva is hugely significant in the drive to zero-emission public transport. Seeing the impact our fleet is having on communities is incredibly gratifying and we must continue to strengthen the case for further support for zero-emissions transport to ensure net zero targets are met.

Official assessments undertaken at UTAC using the ZEMO-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test showed that the Electroliner achieved a result of 0.69 kWh/km around half the energy consumed by its closest electric double deck UK rival and significantly better than all other electric single deck bus results published on the ZEMO website.

According to ULEB calculations, the StreetDeck Electroliner also produces 86% less CO2 per km than the ZEMO Euro6 Diesel baseline.

17 November 2023 | 13

15/11/2023 15:43

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

Big data helps to boost East Yorks punctuality Bus company says Evolve module has delivered results BIG DATA

The application of big data and mobility intelligence has helped bus operator East Yorkshire to improve on-time performance up to 10% on some routes.

At the start of this year, the Go-Ahead-owned operator revealed that it would be working with CitySwift (PT280), a decision intelligence platform renowned for harnessing big data to improve public transport.

Like many bus operators, East Yorkshire grappled with punctuality challenges. The 250-vehicle company’s decision to partner with CitySwift was fuelled by the challenges they encountered with its bus schedules. These challenges became glaringly apparent as traffic congestion increased, causing a significant decline in punctuality.

MILTON KEYNES SELF-DRIVING BUS City is hosting major self-driving vehicle trial AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Milton Keynes has been selected to trial a new self-driving shuttle as part of a Europe-wide research project that’s the longest and most geographically complex of its kind.

The LivingLAPT project is funded

by EIT Urban Mobility and led by University College London.

The autonomous shuttle uses five lidar sensors and seven cameras to create a full 360-degree view around the vehicle and navigate safely along 14 | 17 November 2023 PT301p14-15.indd 14

Soon afterwards the 250-vehicle company embarked on its first project using CitySwift’s Evolve module, which seamlessly integrates GPS, scheduling, and ticketing data to deliver AI-powered runtimes, ensuring the punctuality and reliability of every bus journey. The results of this initiative were rolled out on limited parts of the bus operator’s network in Hull in April.

“On some of the routes we’re seeing something between a 7% to 10% increase in on-time performance,” revealed Stuart

Fillingham, East Yorkshire’s head of commercial.

What has surprised Fillingham is discovering where the pinch points are on the network.

He continued: “It has surprised us where the actual delays are when compared to where we thought they were. That’s now backed up by some very interesting on-time performances at certain stops that we’ve never been able to get right before.”

Managing director Ben Gilligan also finds the results intriguing. “What piqued our

“On some of the routes we’re seeing something between a 7% to 10% increase in on-time performance” Stuart Fillingham public roads. It has an ‘operator’ on board, capable of taking control at any time. The trial follows similar successful trials in Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic in 2023 and in other locations in 2022. However, in Milton Keynes the shuttle will navigate multiple stops and carriageways for a far longer period.

Operated by the UK-based transport technology specialist Aurrigo, the fully accessible electric shuttle will carry up to 15 passengers throughout November. It is running a city centre loop connecting Santander’s new UK HQ at Unity Place with centre:mk, the Theatre District and Station Square.

interest was that the areas that hadn’t seen improvements were juxtaposed with those that had, which ... taught us a valuable lesson,” he noted. “It highlighted the importance of having confidence in the data rather than prematurely dismissing the notion that certain timings could never be optimised. It gave us confidence to make those quite vital changes.”

“We are 15% up on commercial passengers year-on-year,” he added, although the introduction of the £2 fare cap across England may be partly responsible for this.

A distinctive aspect of this first phase was the inclusion of East Yorkshire’s bus drivers in the process. Engaging these colleagues allowed Fillingham and his team to provide them with insights into how the Evolve platform operates and harnesses data. He says the feedback from drivers was remarkably positive, as they found themselves comfortable with the predictions generated by the system and, in many cases, agreed with the results.

Subsequently, a second phase was launched, concentrating exclusively on services in the vicinity of Bridlington.

The electric shuttle will carry up to 15 passengers

www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 15:45

Abellio puts an end to frontline worker gap Blink ‘super-app’ reconnects Abellio London’s deskless workers and management to foster a more inclusive culture thoughout the company COMMUNICATION

Abellio, which operates bus services on behalf of Transport for London, will connect its 2,800 employees across six depots and Transport UK Rail Replacement services through Blink’s ‘super-app’. Employees can connect, share information and communicate with each other wherever they are which, until now, had been impossible.

Abellio’s investment in Blink gives every worker digital connectivity to the organisation and each other, improving convenience, flexibility and inclusion. This investment forms part of Abellio’s ongoing initiatives to support inclusion within the business and tackle the national bus driver shortage.

TfL recently revealed they were operating with a shortage of 2,510 drivers, and nationwide, many operators are still experiencing significant staff shortages, with bus vacancy rate at 6.8%, resulting in recent calls for bus drivers to be added to the Shortage Occupation List so operators can recruit drivers from abroad.

Due to the nature of their work, frontline teams - such as bus drivers - are often subject to manual processes and paperwork.

They might not have immediate access to some of the tools or information that support them to deliver a positive experience to customers. Across the UK, frontline teams can feel disconnected from the rest of the workforce and, in some cases, www.passengertransport.co.uk

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undervalued: Abellio cites recent research that found only 39% of frontline workers feel heard, and that 42% are considering quitting their job.

Blink addresses these issues.

Beyond communication, the Blink app provides seamless, always-on access to external applications across any device. Abellio’s bus drivers only need to sign into Blink once via secure Single Sign On in order to gain access to all the key systems and information needed for their roles, including the driver allocation system (DAS); payslip information and payslips; and company updates and information that have traditionally been shared by depot notice boards, social media groups or via their line managers.

Previously, drivers needed to access multiple systems to complete certain aspects of their role which was timeconsuming and required different passwords and/or access to a computer. Mobile-first with desktop capabilities, Blink brings everything together in one super-app for Abellio’s drivers and management team. Drivers can complete their day-to-day tasks

“It enables two-way conversations and brings connectivity to everyone in the business” Lorna Murphy, Abellio

or reports via their phones in realtime and are kept in the loop at the same time as everyone else in the organisation. Crucially, they are able to directly communicate and share feedback with their senior leadership team, giving them a greater say in what’s happening.

“Abellio actively champions inclusivity, as a business that employs 43 different nationalities, we have always prided ourselves on our inclusive culture,” commented Abellio operations and HR director, Lorna Murphy.

“Differences are very much valued, and our company’s success depends on it. We needed an inclusive and simple way to bring our teams together and wanted to offer greater access to information and process for our frontline drivers.

“Blink fosters inclusiveness because everyone in the organisation has a mobile phone, meaning they can log in and access everything they need from wherever they are. It enables two-way conversations and brings connectivity to everyone in the business.”

The Blink app will also replace all the paper-based forms that currently require drivers to return to depot to complete.

Blink has been proven to reach 95% of employees and reduce employee turnover by 26%. It also triples response rates, sees five times the number of adoption of tools thanks to its single sign-on, and gets a nine out of ten ‘ease of use’ rating from end users.

VIRGIN TRAINS TICKETING WINS ‘APP OF THE YEAR’ Success at this month’s UK eCommerce Awards APPS

Virgin Trains Ticketing was awarded ‘App Of The Year’ at the UK eCommerce Awards 2023 on November 2. The judges praised Virgin Trains Ticketing’s creative elements, branding and quality of the product. The judges said: “We were particularly impressed by the creative elements woven throughout this app. Notably, the team has made significant, wellexecuted decisions when facing challenges, and the integration of the branding is commendable and the products they are offering on the app are highly beneficial to customers.”

Virgin Trains Ticketing is a rail ticketing app helping people save money on their train travel. Travellers can book train tickets to anywhere across Great Britain and earn three Virgin Points for every £1 spent on the app - these points can then be used to unlock discounts on future train travel. On top of this, Virgin Trains Ticketing offers zero booking fees across all tickets, split ticket options and a cheap fare finder.

The UK eCommerce Awards recognise and celebrate eCommerce across multiple online retail sectors.

Categories celebrate website creativity and technology, software and innovation, eCommerce campaigns and the teams and individuals that are setting the benchmark in the industry.

Mark Plowright, director of Virgin Trains Ticketing, said: “Our mission is simple: to make train travel easier and more affordable for our customers, so it’s an amazing achievement to be recognised for our hard work and brilliant product. What an accolade after launching just 16 months ago!”

17 November 2023 | 15

15/11/2023 15:45

COMMENT

JONATHAN BRAY

Buses in Wales head in a new direction Progressive and coherent in its approach to transport policy, the Welsh Government has plans to transform public transport As you’ve probably noticed, it’s all happening in Wales. Of the four nations of the UK, Wales is taking by far the most progressive and coherent approach to transport. Making pretty speeches about climate is easy. Taking bold action at scale is what real leadership looks like. So when you hear transport organisations talk green it’s always good to check the annex of their documents to find out what they are actually spending their money on. Often those annexes are full of sprawl distributing road schemes. Not in Wales. Not anymore.

And whilst some back off when the going gets tough Wales has stuck with its plan for a default 20mph speed limit - keeping its eyes firmly on the prize of cutting the carnage hidden in plain sight that fast moving cars and lorries can cause.

But, if you are going to tackle car dependency you need a public transport network that people see as a serious proposition. So as well as pledging a planned and integrated bus network (of which more later), Wales is taking a rail network that had languished for years in do-minimum Pacer purgatory and is giving it a comprehensive upgrade. The Valleys will have a modern electrified rail service whilst a new fleet of smart and comfortable Class 197 diesel units will give longer distance routes a shot in the arm. In a story that says a lot about the change that’s afoot, when one of the new trains pulled in at a Valley line station for the first time passengers stepped back because they thought it couldn’t be their train as it was too good for them.

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There’s always a but though and this ‘but’ is that Wales is facing a financial crisis. The Welsh Goverment’s annual budget is £20bn - and more than half of this goes on health and social care. This overall budget (which is set by the UK government) hasn’t kept pace with inflationary pressures. This problem got far worse when the UK spring budget lopped a further £900m off its value in real terms.

Transport (to keep the rail network going) and health were the only two budget heads to escape cuts in the resulting emergency budget in October. But with so little wriggle room on budgets rail poses an ongoing conundrum.

Anything to do with rail is rarely cheap. To cut costs on rail on the revenue side it’s hard to make really significant savings without

dramatically shrinking networks and getting rid of associated infrastructure costs altogether.

And on the capital side we are in the middle of a network overhaul with all its attendant day to day operational problems (TfW has tumbled to the foot of the GB rail passenger satisfaction league) as well as the risks of cost overruns.

It’s in this context that Welsh Government support for bus services has been feeling the squeeze. No doubt at this point many of the dwindling number of deregulation fans will be besides themselves with excitement that this shows why franchising is too risky when public authorities can be subject to periodic funding scares and alarms. But they say that because they never acknowledge one of the key arguments for bus franchising which is that it’s a mechanism for ensuring more efficient use of whatever public funding there is. One way (not the only way) it can do this is by turning ‘plate of spaghetti’ networks, which reflect the competing ambitions and interests of different operators, into more coherent networks.

In other words: same number of vehicles, same budget, enhanced networks, simpler to understand, more passengers.

It’s important to rattle round on the actual buses themselves rather than just do the meetings and read the papers about them, so I went to see this for myself as part of a north-south traverse of Wales by bus from Bangor to Carmarthen. A trip that took me to Snowdonia on a misty October day where its mountain path access points and honeypot attractions were still busy with walkers and with more sedentary tourists having a ride out.

Although it was busy it was nothing like as bad

Revamped: The Snowdon Sherpa network

www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 15:48

“The going has got tough.

But Sherpa and T1 showed what this future looks like” The high-spec, all electric, TfW-liveried T1 (Aberystwyth to Carmarthen) shows the level of ambition

as it can get at its peak with police called in to tow cars and enforce some kind of order on out of control roadside parking.

All of which helped in rallying support for the revamped Snowdon Sherpa network which I used to get out and about in the National Park as well as to meet some TfW colleagues who had helped make it all happen. Sitting in a cafe in lovely Beddgelert they explained how the network had been redesigned based on a systematic analysis of the journeys people were making. The end result was taking a complex and uninspiring network of three tenders for nine routes (where services duplicated and didn’t connect) and turning it into a simplified five-route network through a single tender, where services do connect and do run at regular headways. It’s worked. Patronage has gone up by a third between ‘21/22 and ‘22/23.

Travelling on it you can see why. This isn’t a typical rural bus service - where you feel like you are on your own to contend with a ghost of a service - more symbolic and residual than a realistic proposition for anyone other than stubborn diehards like me. This was a confident and assertive network doing a job well - giving locals access to opportunity and visitors a green way to get into the mountains as well as to the visitor attractions. A similar rigorous process is taking place to shape the future of bus networks across Wales: it is looking at how the resources which are currently employed on www.passengertransport.co.uk

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local bus services could be more efficiently used to create better integrated, simplified and more attractive bus networks.

Given the bus reform legislation will take time to go through the Senedd this is being implemented (as far as it can be within a deregulated environment) with local authorities via a ‘bridge to franchising’ approach in North Wales - where the vast majority of services are franchised on a route basis anyway. All of this will help pave the way for comprehensive roll out of the approach elsewhere in Wales when the powers are enacted.

After my Sherpa side mission I was back on the TrawsCymru network to get to Carmarthen. When combined with the rail network, the TrawsCymru network creates innumerable options and connections criss crossing the country (there just isn’t an equivalent in, admittedly, much larger England, though there is in Northern Ireland and to some extent in Scotland). But good as the TrawsCymru network coverage is - some of the fleet that provides it is overdue replacement.

The high-spec, all electric, TfW-liveried T1 (Aberystwyth to Carmarthen) shows the level of ambition. Compared with the other buses at a drizzly Aberystwyth bus station it looked like a spaceship had landed.

There’s deep rural and then there’s some of the parts of Ceredigion and Carmarthen that the T1 passes through. In many parts

of GB this kind of territory would be lucky to have much of a bus service at all. But here the launch of the new T1 bus fleet was accompanied by a rethought and enhanced timetable and fares offer as well as ongoing promotion and marketing. The result: nearly 40% more passengers in April to September 2023 compared with the corresponding period in 2022. Alongside Sherpa it’s another example of how public sector innovation can do what can often seem impossible: grow bus patronage dramatically in rural areas. All based on coming up with a well thought through service that passengers have confidence in.

There’s a long and arduous journey ahead to give Wales the modern, integrated and accountable public transport it needs.

The going has got tough. But Sherpa and T1 show what this future looks like. I couldn’t be more on board for it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR For decades Jonathan Bray has been at the forefront of making progressive change happen on transport - from stopping the national roads programme in its tracks in the 1990s to getting buses back under public control in the 2020s.

He is an advisor to the Welsh Government on bus franchising and an independent advisor. www.jonathan-bray.com

17 November 2023 | 17

15/11/2023 15:48

COMMENT

ALEX WARNER

We’ve saved them, now let’s revive them Closing ticket offices was a terrible idea that no-one wants to own.

They should remain, but there are things we can do differently I said shame shame shame shame shame shame shame.

Shame on you.

It’s one of my favourite musical quotes and it’s from the song Shame, Shame, Shame by Shirley and Co - one of the best hits of all time, particularly as I’ve become addicted to ‘Heart 70s’ whilst working from home. The lyrics chimed last week stronger than ever, a description that could be levied at those with their paws on the ticket office closure charade.

The problem is that it’s impossible to know who Shirley and Co are pinpointing their ire on if there was a re-release of this song today to describe the ticket office farce. Rishi Sunak?

The Treasury? The Department for Transport?

The Railway Delivery Group? Train company top brass? Who knows? In a real world of accountability, it would be easy to deduce who was responsible and they’d be fired for presiding over such a mess, but the structure of the railway is such a labyrinth, devoid of consequence, that your guess is as good as mine.

Everyone is also keeping their head down.

The rail industry got its comeuppance. Some claim the operators were stitched up by the DfT, dishing out orders then saying they were content with the proposals and then stepping back when it hit the fan. Whatever, it’s an unedifying spectacle, epitomising a dereliction of duty towards customers. Years in which parts of the sector - but not all - took customers for granted, failed to engage with communities, 18 | 17 November 2023 PT301p18-21.indd 18

over inflated fares and didn’t have the collective strength and nous to take on a government with zero interest in transport, came home to roost.

This was Transport Focus’ finest hour. What a performance by their dynamic chair Nigel Stevens and an impactful swansong for their legendary outgoing CEO Anthony Smith. I have always admired consumer groups but admit to each year getting just a little frustrated at them for not railing more effectively against the January fares hikes. Not this time, as

“The failure of the ticket office proposals was the railway’s poll tax riots”

Thankfully, plans to close ticket office have been abandoned

Transport Focus set off a process that was well managed by them, probing, interrogative and demanding. Then they collated it effectively and fed back a masterpiece - ‘get knotted, this isn’t good enough at all’, they indicated to operators. Not just one, two or a majority - but the full trainset!

The failure of the ticket office proposals was the railway’s poll tax riots - a defining moment when the people said, ‘enough is enough’.

There’s been anger in the shires, towns and villages across England and the people rallied around with unity and impassioned, deeply emotional pleas. I saw this on a late-night train from Manchester to Leeds when a blind man with a dog handed me a petition and explained he wouldn’t be able to travel any longer. And my wife, normally not one to get worked up about decisions in transport, was moved by a similar tale from a blind woman who phoned in to LBC Radio to share her deep worry.

The train operators have been noticeably quiet since the decision. As I mentioned last time round, Robin Gisby of Directly Operated Railways bravely mused at the Transport Select Committee that the ideas came from the industry managers. There are some in the sector who I’ve heard pontificating about the wonders of technology and it being a catalyst to a far easier world, with fewer staff - those horrible dinosaurs who just want more money or they’ll strike. They say it as though they are trying to prove they are cool and in touch with market needs, even if, classic railway-style, there is limited, if any, lens shone on outcomes for customers - particularly when analysing this from the perspective of the full panoply of customer types. These same folk love posting selfies on the patch with people they would happily see “displaced from the organisation structure” if it made their “scorecard” cosmetically better and their bonus bigger.

There are talented TOC top dogs who privately think the ticket office closure proposals constituted buffoonery on an unprecedented scale. They are pig-sick of being told how to run their railway. If there’s mutiny among customers, there’s a building rebellion within the train operating company community. I wish you well. These managers are those who will be picking up the mess when the loonies have long exited transport, having manipulated the flaws of the industry as a leg-up to create a narrative in a job www.passengertransport.co.uk

15/11/2023 15:57

“It would be great if communitybased entrepreneurs took over the running of their local station” interview where they describe the amazing, transformational job they did in adversity.

It’s impossible to believe that this was anything but a cost saving exercise. That those corporate comms clowns genuinely thought that we’d swallow the line that this was about revolutionising staff to be more customerfacing is incredulous. Has there ever been an instance of where this has happened to positive effect for customers?

The TOCs didn’t help themselves. There were some, I gather, whose submissions to Transport Focus somehow got worse, second time round, having been told to go back and up their game. There were others who, I sense, were just plain awkward.

The role of the DfT is interesting. They clearly were under intense pressure from the Treasury. It’s a lazy headline to suggest that the DfT doesn’t understand the railway. There are enough excellent people there who actually get the industry and care intensely about its role in the community. Yes, they micro-manage, but from passionate and impressive Pete Wilkinson down, the railway is in the blood of many, and they do try to understand customer needs.

The ticket office debacle was a watershed moment, reinforcing, with a few exceptions, how disconnected some parts of the industry have become from customers, particularly around community engagement. Over the years, the railway has retreated in this area, with TOCs pruning back stakeholder teams or making those in them so junior they just pay lip service. Back in the day, station managers had a remit to be big in their communities, now this has been taken off them and shoved to someone in the centre who makes the right sound bites but has no authority or tools to improve the experience at the local station.

Many rail industry managers turn their noses up at a lot of the volunteer community groups as though they are ‘has beens’ or like me, ‘weirdo anoraks who spot trains and have too much time on their hands’. I was at a packed event organised by a Community Rail Partnership on Bolton station last December to dream up a future model for railway stations. Transport Focus were present, so too Transport for Greater Manchester, and there were interesting speakers. Volunteers gave up their time on a freezing Friday afternoon because they cared and yet there was not a single attendee from any train company - not www.passengertransport.co.uk

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even those in whose own backyard this event was happening! We got an audience after the event with Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, chair of Network Rail, and he appreciated the outputs even if the TOCs couldn’t deign themselves to turn up.

Strategically, the government, wealthy businesses, and us mugs it expects to do their dirty work, need to rethink the whole approach to ‘society’. From doctors’ appointments and dental care to having enough police on the streets, or rampant shoplifting partly because self-checkouts replaced staff, or the closure of youth clubs - all these so-called drains on financial resources have been obliterated by smart-arse, bean-counters who salivate over their spreadsheets that show an impressive number in the bottom right hand corner.

Excessive cost-cutting measures are a false economy, though, because people fail to reflect on ‘what is the point of life?’. Okay, that’s an existential, philosophical debate for the future, but we only live once and we’re here to have fun and everything should be an enabler to achieve this - education, safe streets, healthcare and amenities that encourage social enjoyment and interaction. I’m here to run my model railway, watch Crystal Palace win the Champions League, travel on scenic bus journeys, sit at county cricket matches in blissful solitude and eat Wimpy Benders in a Bun with cheese every day. There’s nothing wrong with that, even if it doesn’t make an impressive read on a spreadsheet or swanky PowerPoint presentation in PLC World.

We should re-evaluate the role of the ticket office. Instead of looking at it panic-stricken as a burdensome, cost-sucking scourge on the industry, we should view it as a positive hub - a beacon of social value to the community, in the absence of shops and other amenities.

We see so much mumbo-jumbo spouted by senior professionals about ‘innovation’; isn’t it time to start ‘doing as we say’.

The concept of a ticket office doubling up as a tourist information centre or drop-in facility for healthcare, a place for community-based meetings, somewhere that folk meet to pick up shopping or goods they’ve ordered online, or just somewhere they can meet and chat over coffee, is nothing new. I’d love ticket offices to be the home for craft or antique fairs, model exhibitions, floral displays, whilst showcasing the history and legendary tales of

the community with compelling imagery and information. It’s a blank sheet of paper.

As we know, many suggestions for better ticket office utilisation have been adopted in parts of the UK, inspired and run by volunteers.

The challenge is how the industry’s mindset can change and this lateral approach become normalised, rather than viewed as ‘quirky’. How do we ensure that those innovators involved aren’t ground down by the intricacies of the industry processes and procedures? We must encourage local identity and innovation but within a governance framework that ensures that basics, like selling tickets, giving correct information, getting assets fixed in a quick and timely manner as well as other elements involved in running a station, such as dealing with anti-social behaviour, fraudulent travel and car parking issues, are able to be managed, as well as the fun stuff like selling tea and scones or hosting the local school choir.

It would be great if community-based entrepreneurs took over the running of their local station - they would need training in serving tickets and all other aspects, but remain emancipated and not driven into complete despair by onerous bureaucracy or the inability of the railway to provide them with a facility that is fit for purpose.

Before the trade unions get sniffy, I’m not advocating booting out existing railway employees. Among many of them, there are entrepreneurs staffing their local station who have great ideas for doing a better job than the TOC that pays their wages. If they could be re-engaged either as part of a community trust or given grant funding to establish themselves as independent self-employed individuals or within their own limited company or maybe as franchisees, I think you’d find they would be more impactful and the experience for customers and the local area enhanced. These folk currently are the eyes and ears of their community and know the key stakeholders in any case as well as the intricate needs of their customers and market trends. They ooze ideas but are supressed by the constraints of their employment status, the workings of their company and sometimes poor leaders who don’t understand their community like they do. Many are also entrepreneurial and have small sideline family businesses in any case.

It would be good to see this model sponsored CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 17 November 2023 | 19

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COMMENT

or franchised to a community-type organisation or social enterprise that is already the heartbeat of villages and towns across the UK, particularly remote locations. This might be the Post Office or Co-Op, for instance - they would invest in facilities, create a national structure, framework and foundations that would enable the individual ticket offices to flourish but provide support to those running them locally as well as ensure consistency of core standards.

They would also have the clout to challenge the train operator, Network Rail or Great British Railways (in the future) to make it easier for the station team and its customers, be it avoiding pointless bureaucracy, simplifying ‘railway procedures’ and ensuring that faults were fixed to a high quality and in a timely manner.

The railway businesses could be called upon to provide ‘tools for the job’ industry training, including conflict avoidance, ticket selling, basic railway operations and so on. It could be that the Post Office or Co-Op win franchises on a subsidy or revenue risk basis, for a certain part of the UK railway, that they then franchise out to willing and suitable individuals on either a profit share basis or for a fee, ‘sub-postmaster style’. They would be bequeathed with subsidy from UK Rail plc (or whatever it is called).

Stop treating ticket offices as though they’re a noose around the railway’s neck, a disease to be obliterated. Stop being defensive, risk averse in the way of the UK rail industry of the last decade and start being creative, looking at opportunities. My love of 70s music may hint I’m in a time-warp, harking back 40 years when ticket offices were in their pomp.

‘Living in the past’ is often seen as shameful - I couldn’t give two hoots. Was the past that bad? I tell you one thing - it was miles more innovative back then in the rail industry. This current set-up couldn’t be less innovative if it tried. Shame on you. Whoever you may be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alex Warner has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of recruitment business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys).

He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration and chair of Surrey FA.

20 | 17 November 2023 PT301p18-21.indd 20

NICK RICHARDSON

Can technology help rural transport?

The Department for Transport’s newly-published report on how technology can help rural access does little for local bus services The Department for Transport has made a habit of sitting on reports for a long time with evidence gathered, views sought and drafts written well before publication. One that emerged recently but was overshadowed by other events, is grandly called Future of transport - helping local authorities to unlock the benefits of technology & innovation in rural transport and brings together information from the 2020/21 call for evidence. It sounds exciting but it is something of a disappointment and the budget associated with it, £3m, won’t stretch very far.

Where are bus services?

Despite being an important component of rural access, bus services get scant attention and the tone of the document seems wide of the mark. For example, in trumpeting achievements to date, the £25m for electric buses targeted at rural areas (of the £129m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas 2 scheme) doesn’t help any of the many rural services that are vulnerable. More capital spend on vehicles doesn’t make a lot of difference if there is no service to operate. The balance of the content is telling - electric cars seem to be more important than public transport on the grounds that most rural journeys are made by car. This reflects the views of the secretary of state in that because car journeys form the majority, they should be supported and perpetuated.

Once again we have the claim that demand responsive buses are a new form of mobility.

Perhaps this reflects the fact that they are new to ministers even though they have been around for decades; adding ‘digital’ to DRT doesn’t change the type of service about which we have learned quite a lot over many years.

On the theme of DRT - “an exciting and practical addition to fixed-route bus services” monitoring of current projects is helping local authorities “learn what works best, in which circumstances and why”. Presumably evidence gathered over the past 30 or so years doesn’t count. Similarly we are told that local rail and bus services should be integrated. Then we find out that roads are really important.

Where has DfT been for the past 50 years?

However, it appears that helping towards the cost of electric car charging points will somehow benefit rural communities whereas realistically it simply helps a handful of individuals perpetuate their travel habits.

Failing to understand Having got that out of the way, the report turns to mainstream rural passenger services. We then have another claim: “Local authorities need to plan, manage and fund services in ways that deliver good outcomes for users.” So there we have it - local authorities have to conjure up revenue support funding for the services they plan, presumably referring to a franchise scenario although most of them don’t have that option due to legislative constraints. Maybe this isn’t what is meant in which case report writers really www.passengertransport.co.uk

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

ought to understand the context in which they are working, especially after two years of drafting. The £2 fare cap is mentioned but no evidence is offered regarding the uptake among rural residents who would not previously have travelled by bus. Apparently, timetable information and real time location (although not available in many rural areas) is helping people reduce their waiting times.

Attention then turns to community transport services while conveniently overlooking the parlous financial situation of many community operators and the lack of volunteer drivers.

Also, the valued role of community transport does not substitute for mainstream services.

Side shows While what is described as ‘micromobility options’ such as electric scooters (currently illegal) could substitute for car use, they are assuming that rural roads are safe for such wheeled mobility aids, that the micromobility in question is available and legalised and that people will voluntarily elect not to use cars. E-cargo bikes are proposed to replace vans presumably in rural areas without hilly topography and hopefully buses wouldn’t get stuck behind them.

There is passing mention of mobility hubs which have greater potential than some of the other suggestions. Linking rural services to an appropriate hub for seamless transfer to a core bus route or rail station could be really helpful.

Mobility as a Service could be ideal for such arrangements but again, it has been with us for years and doesn’t really qualify as ‘innovative’.

However, the adoption of smartphones and the internet doesn’t work in many rural areas where adequate communications do not exist and many people are not minded to use them.

Under a heading of ‘Roads in the sky’, the concept of ‘personal air mobility’ appears i.e. drones and electric vertical take-off and landing services (VTOLs). We are told that this could be applied to emergency responses ‘as well as rapid access to hospital appointments, scans, or treatments, especially beneficial for those living in particularly remote areas’. Presumably Mrs Miggins can look forward to getting into a flying pod to get to the hospital because it is better than waiting for the bus, possibly because there isn’t one.

Down on the ground, self-driving vehicles (SDVs) are mooted as low cost, door-to-door www.passengertransport.co.uk

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“This report is hopelessly inadequate and if it reflects current DfT thinking then there is a big problem” mobility even though “people in rural areas have more reservations about SDVs than those in urban areas”. The example of Alnwick in Northumberland is quoted for which SDVs “could reduce the number of cars on rural roads” but it isn’t clear how replacing vehicles with other vehicles helps. Alnwick residents (some 8,000 people) were the subject of public engagement events in 2022 focusing on public perceptions of SDV technologies, cheerily named the Great Self Driving Exploration; having ‘Great’ in the title bigs it up somewhat.

Imaginary funding To support all these concepts, government has committed funding, some of which applies to rural communities including £20m for DRT (so exciting that it appears twice in the same graphic) and various budgets which apply to all areas, not just rural areas and for some reason mentions Future Transport Zones in various cities. In fact looking at the examples provided in the report, there is very little

that is aimed at rural areas alone although there is something described as “continued support and funding for the rural transport network today”. Bus Service Improvement Plans certainly cover some rural areas but the associated funding has been far short of what was promised.

There are nine rural principles provided, most of which are not worth repeating because they are too vacuous or irrelevant, the most enlightening being “Affordable and accessible public transport and shared mobility must be fundamental to an efficient rural transport system”. A number of “pledges” also feature including one for “Sharing best practice in communities” with the example of Transport East’s Centre for Excellence to better understand rural mobility challenges.

The pledged support for local authorities to increase capability and capacity contrasts strongly with the reality of local authorities’ dire finances and mass redundancies.

Lacking credibility All in all this report is hopelessly inadequate and if it reflects current DfT thinking then there is a big problem. The absence of any meaningful statements about how technology can be applied to rural bus services is regrettable and dressing up well-tried solutions as innovation is disingenuous. There are opportunities to improve rural transport but, as the Total Transport experiment showed, many of the problems stem from lack of communication between the different agencies that influence or provide transport which continues to hinder integration. It would have been good to include a reasoned analysis of why people in rural areas travel and to explore genuine opportunities to support bus and train services, helped by technology as appropriate.

Instead we have been offered truisms and a lack of real evidence while deliverable technology solutions remain as elusive as ever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nick Richardson is technical director at transport consultancy WSP and chair of CILT’s Bus and Coach Policy Group and is a former chair of the Transport Planning Society.

In addition, he has held a PCV licence for over 36 years.

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15/11/2023 15:33

“There is no need for a further round of consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny”

GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES

Draft Bill is baffling beyond belief

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

So we are, finally, to see a Rail Bill to implement the rail reforms set out in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, published as long ago as May 20, 2021 - a Plan for Rail that was in turn published 32 months after the rail review was established in September 2018. There’s merely one snag: It will only be a draft Bill for consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny.

Why on earth do we need another period of navel-gazing on all of this given that the rail review was subject to extensive consultation and emerged with proposals which were generally supported across the rail industry and wider stakeholder interests? It also has cross-party support, as I understand it.

There is no need for a further round of consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny.

This government’s reluctance to actually introduce the necessary legislation to create Great British Railways is baffling beyond belief. It’s incomprehensible. Following the King’s Speech on November 7 we have one of the lightest legislative programmes for this new parliamentary session for about a decade, yet there is no room for a Bill that is short and has Labour’s broad support, so could whistle through its parliamentary stages in no time at all. Yet when the rail review was announced back in September 2018 the political noise was that reform of the railways was urgent, that franchising was no longer fit for purpose.

In that context the delay to actually legislating on the rail reforms makes no sense at all.

And let’s remember that when the rail review www.passengertransport.co.uk

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was announced our then secretary of state, Chris Grayling, said it would be the most comprehensive review since rail privatisation.

So comprehensive, and reform that was apparently so urgently needed, that five years on all we have done is prepare a draft Bill for consultation. Ministers are, of course, always quick to point out that many of the rail reforms that were proposed by the Plan for Rail don’t require legislation, so what’s all the fuss about?

Well, many of the reforms proposed didn’t actually need a lengthy rail review in the first place. And five years on, have rail passengers the customers whose interests were meant to be at the heart of the reform proposals - actually noticed any difference? I very much doubt it.

So I repeat, none of this makes any sense.

COMMENT

Seeing is Bee-lieving Meanwhile, up in Manchester I hear that the Mayor’s bus franchising plans haven’t got off to a great start. Buses are late, cancelled or even just vanish off the timetable without explanation. There were always going to be teething problems, I’m sure, but Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, has been repeatedly telling us that franchising was the only way to improve the quality of service, so the public’s expectations will have been high.

More to the point, these franchising proposals have been in development for absolutely ages, so having promised so much for so long, the fact that things have not got off to a flying start will have surely led to some disillusionment among Manchester’s public.

Andy Burnham will need to move fast if he is to demonstrate that all the cost of developing and implementing bus franchising was worth it. Perhaps there were always going to be hiccups in the early days but, as I say, the transition to franchising has been years in the planning which makes it doubly disappointing.

Moreover, franchising must deliver step change in performance and service quality if the cost of developing and implementing franchising is to be justified. If service performance and reliability aren’t noticeably better compared to service quality in the previous deregulated market, then one has to ask whether this was really worth it.

I’m sure my bus policy colleagues will be watching developments with close interest, and hoping that Andy Burnham sorts things out and delivers the step change in performance that he has promised, otherwise our conversion to the cause and benefits of franchising, initiated when Boris Johnon was prime minister, will start to look a bit silly.

OK, we have never said that franchising is the right option for all parts of the country, but the National Bus Strategy certainly promotes the concept of franchising much more strongly than has historically been the case, and we’ve certainly given the impression that we would look more favourably on franchising proposals than we might have done in years gone by.

Let’s see what happens over the coming weeks and months. Of course, there are further franchise contracts yet to be introduced, so it will be interesting to see if, when these start, the same teething problems are experienced.

Lessons will need to have been learnt.

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15/11/2023 15:35

CAREERS

Women in Bus and Coach network launch Network will work with operators, manufacturers, community associations and other stakeholders in the bus and coach industry to effect real change DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The first national network to support women in the bus and coach industry launched at an event in Birmingham this week.

Representatives from across the bus and coach industry came together on November 8 to celebrate the launch for the launch of the network which celebrates and encourages women and allies working in the bus and coach industry across the whole of the UK. The national launch follows on from the success of the London launch of the network earlier this year at an event hosted

by Transport for London.

The ‘Women in Bus and Coach’ initiative will work with operators, manufacturers, community associations and other key stakeholders in the bus and coach industry to effect real change that will encourage, represent and support more women to work in the bus and coach industry at every level. This will help deliver a bus and coach services that better meet the needs of women.

The initiative is made up of industry leads and will provide a collaborative forum to share expertise and develop solutions to make sure a career in the bus and coach industry is attractive to women of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities.

Women in Bus and Coach will also work with bus and coach companies to challenge and eliminate barriers currently faced by women in the profession, creating a more inclusive service www.passengertransport.co.uk

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that is representative of bus users.

It wants women, whatever their background, to have equal access to a career in the industry and a workplace designed around their needs.

At the launch of Women in Bus and Coach, key stakeholders

signed up to the charter - agreeing to challenge industry policies and practices that do not adequately support women, and to set, review, and publish targets for women in all roles throughout the industry.

“The bus and coach industries provide incredible opportunities

“All women should have equal access to these opportunities and a workplace designed around their needs” Louise Cheeseman

The launch of Women in Bus and Coach

KEY OBJECTIVES Actively work with businesses in the industry, that are traditionally male dominated, to encourage them to think differently and to recognise the important role they play in bringing women into the industry and removing the barriers to women joining and staying in the industry.

Support women in the industry to progress in their careers and to encourage women at all stages of their career to join the industry.

Build a workforce that better reflects the diversity of the communities the industry serves.

for a varied, challenging and rewarding career,” said Louise Cheeseman, director of buses at TfL and chair of Women in Bus and Coach. “All women should have equal access to these opportunities and a workplace designed around their needs.

“We’ve made significant progress in recent years in recruiting more women into the industry, and I can’t wait to continue working with stakeholders to launch this charter and achieve both a professional environment and culture, and a bus and coach service that works for women.”

The group’s corporate members are: Abellio, Alexander Dennis, Arriva, Brighton & Hove, BYD, Dawson Group, First Bus, Global, Go-Ahead, Lothian, McGill’s, MCV Bus and Coach, Metroline, National Express, RATP Dev, Stagecoach UK Bus, Transport for London, Uno, Volvo and Wrightbus.

Janette Bell, managing director of First Bus commented: “Traditionally, women have been hugely under-represented in the transport industry but I’m happy to say that’s changing, thanks in part to the work we are doing to address the gender imbalance within our own company.

“The positive action we’re taking is beginning to make a difference, but we recognise that there is still more to do, and ‘Women in Bus and Coach’ is a great example of how the industry can support progress in this area.

At First Bus we’re on a journey to a place where everyone is welcome, can be their true selves and succeed.”

Find out more, including how to get involved, at: www.womeninbusandcoach.org.uk You can follow Women in Bus and Coach on LinkedIn and X/Twitter at @WminBusandCoach 17 November 2023 | 25

15/11/2023 15:36

CAREERS

Lynch named as CPT president for 2024 Stagecoach London boss takes on key role with trade association Natasha Grice

TRANSPORT FOCUS GAINS DIRECTOR Grice brings customer insight experience to role Natasha Grice will join watchdog Transport Focus’s senior management team next week after a period as interim head of customer strategy at Chiltern Railways.

Transport Focus said Grice brings a wealth of senior management experience to her new role as a director of the organisation. With over two decades of experience on the West Coast Mainline, the majority of which was with Virgin Trains, she has held diverse roles from frontline positions to executive level, consistently focusing on customer and employee engagement.

During her time at Virgin Trains, Grice served on the executive team for four years, holding key positions as executive director - people and culture, as well as executive director customer experience.

Grice’s appointment is part of a broader restructuring of Transport Focus’s senior leadership team, led by new chief executive Alex Robertson. The team includes Louise Collins as director, David Sidebottom as director for nations and regions, and Nigel Holden as chief operating officer.

Commenting on her appointment, Grice said: “This role is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to meet the team and help shape the future of Transport Focus.”

26 | 17 November 2023 PT301p26-27.indd 26

Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach London, has been appointed as the inaugural vicepresident of the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

In this newly established role, Lynch will support and shadow current CPT president and McGill’s chief executive Ralph Roberts before assuming the presidency in January.

Lynch started his career in the industry in 1984 when he joined London Transport. Since joining Stagecoach in 1994, Lynch has held a number of director roles including as operations director for Swebus in Sweden, MD roles in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, as well as regional

director positions for Wales and the North of England.

His career highlights also include leading the integration of a newly acquired company, driving commercial and operational improvements, fostering groundbreaking partnerships, and effectively managing scheduled coach and local bus services in both deregulated and regulated

Paul Lynch

New boss for Arriva’s Overground operator Steve Best takes charge at Arriva Rail London Arriva Rail London, the operator of the London Overground, has announced the appointment of Steve Best as managing director from the start of 2024.

Best is currently finance and commercial director of the train operator and brings over 10 years of experience with the London Overground network to his new role. He initially joined as finance director of London Overground Rail Operations Ltd, the previous London Overground

Steve Best

concession operator, in 2013 before transferring to Arriva Rail London in November 2016. He will succeed Paul Hutchings, the outgoing managing director, who is set to take on a new role at Arriva UK Trains.

“I am delighted to be stepping into

markets.

During his tenure at Stagecoach London, Lynch successfully navigated the challenges posed by the pandemic and he has also played a pivotal role in the significant introduction of electric vehicles at scale, managing the largest fleet of zero-emission buses in London.

His first public appearance in this capacity will be at CPT’s Annual Conference and Dinner in London on January 18.

“I’m delighted that Paul has agreed to be our president for 2024,” said CPT chief executive Graham Vidler. “His extensive experience in the transport industry will be a real asset, further helping demonstrate why bus and coach is the answer to many of the UK’s environmental and socio-economic issues.”

the role of managing director next year,” said Best. “I have watched the London Overground grow and evolve over the past decade into not only a fast and reliable service, but a high-quality network that cares and connects for the communities it serves.”

Hutchings added: “Having worked closely with Steve over the past three years, I have seen firsthand his ability to lead the business in delivering strong performance and exceptional service for our customers.

Steve has made an outstanding contribution to the success of the London Overground and I am delighted that Arriva has made this appointment.”

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15/11/2023 15:40

DIVERSIONS

Sting rides the Metro for date with freedom

In a twist of fate, his journey even hit a minor chord when Sting and his entourage initially found themselves on the wrong train, but fear not, they still hit the right notes and arrived at the award ceremony location in North

Shields unharmed.

Sharing the highlights on social media, Sting made public his Metro adventure. The post spilled the beans on the hiccup, proving that even music legends occasionally miss a beat, but in the end they reached the venue in harmony.

Delighted that the Metro was the chosen mode of transport for this grand occasion, Huw Lewis, customer services director at Nexus, said: “It was fantastic to see that Sting chose Metro on his most recent visit. He may even have noticed he features in the Famous Faces artwork at Monument Metro station alongside other iconic figures from the region.”

Corkickle and Whitehaven, only occurs after heavy rainfall and for decades excess water has drained from the railway into Whitehaven harbour via a culvert without an issue. However, the plot thickened in late 2022 when the water draining into Queens Dock switched to an ominous rusty, orange-toned colour.

The culprit is suspected to be iron ochre, potentially stemming from undiscovered historic mine workings in the vicinity. Network Rail has now forged an alliance with the Environment Agency, the

Coal Authority, and Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, pooling their expertise to chart a longterm solution.

Testing will be ongoing for several weeks and the results will be shared with all partner agencies as soon as possible. The hope is the findings can inform next steps and reveal the scale of what can be done to either mitigate, reduce, or in the best case scenario, stop the water from entering the tunnel.

In the grand scheme of things, let’s hope for clarity on all fronts as the investigation unfolds.

Music legend catches the Metro to ceremony In a rock and roll rendezvous with public transport, legendary musician Gordon Sumner - better known as Sting - recently hopped aboard the Tyne and Wear Metro, not for a message in a bottle but to collect his Freedom of North Tyneside award.

The Wallsend-born icon, famed for walking on the moon (metaphorically, of course), took the Metro round the Toon, gliding from Monument to North Shields.

Ochre intrusion

UNRAVELLING AN ORANGE RIDDLE

Railway engineers are diving into the vibrant mystery of how orange-hued water is infiltrating a Cumbrian Coast line tunnel.

The enigma, 1km beneath

Sting: Metro maestro?

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Arriva Midlands driver Domingos Correia has become a local hero for going the extra mile - literally. Earlier this month 11-year-old Codey found himself on an unintended journey almost all the way to Bridgnorth after getting on the wrong bus at Telford bus station.

Luckily Domingos spotted his distress and took the schoolboy back to Telford - even though he wasn’t scheduled to do a return trip - where he was reunited with his mother.

“There’s no way I’d leave a youngster by themselves when they’re lost,” said Domingos.

“I was only doing my job.”

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15/11/2023 17:09