Passenger Transport: February 9, 2024

FO EV RT ER NI Y GH T

ISSUE 306 9 FEBRUARY 2024

NEWS, VIEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR A SECTOR ON THE MOVE

‘Tap-in, tap-out’ train travel trial for 2025

NEWS

£10m mayoral precept for Cambs buses

Over 90 rail stations in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester will be included in ‘pay as you go’ schemes, moving towards a London-style system

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planned to cover 75 stations across the Transport for West Midlands area (including five currently under construction), and use existing ‘Swift’ smartcards, meaning passengers can travel seamlessly on local bus and tram services as well.

Greater Manchester’s pilot includes 17 stations on the Glossop to Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge to Victoria lines.

It will use contactless bank cards and devices, and will support the wider ambition to deliver full multi-modal fares and ticketing integration across bus, Metrolink, rail and cycle hire as part of the Bee Network by 2030.

NEWS

Rail users in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester will benefit from simpler, more flexible travel from next year, under new pilot schemes confirmed last week.

Stations across the West Midlands and selected routes in Greater Manchester are set to be fitted with technology allowing people to simply tap in and tap out of their local network knowing they will pay the best fare.

The project is part of the government’s plans to reform the railways, while also delivering on Trailblazer devolution deals aimed at giving local leaders a bigger say in how the network is run.

The Department for Transport

says that these trials will pave the way for the future rollout of similar technology to more stations across the North and Midlands.

“We want to encourage more people back onto our trains, with tap-in technology meaning using our stations couldn’t be easier,” said rail minister Huw Merriman.

The West Midlands pilot is

“We want to encourage more people back onto our trains” Huw Merriman

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Combined authority backs income stream

HS2 of little value unless extended

06

Jim Steer makes case for investment

COMMENT

Let’s have some detail from Labour

14

Norman Baker is waiting for answers

APPRENTICESHIPS 2024

Transport is providing ‘Skills for Life’

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Marking National Apprenticeship Week

SPECIAL REPORT

DRIVING CHANGE To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (February 5-11), First Bus revealed that it has teamed up with transport training provider Realise to launch its first ever apprenticeship programme for bus drivers (pictured is driver apprentice Carlos Correia). See further coverage in our Apprentices 2024 section on pages 20-23

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Ukraine’s ‘Iron People’

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Arriva’s David Brown on his recent trip

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07/02/2024 16:39

CONTENTS

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

The metro mayors are shaping the future This year will see the 10th anniversary of the announcement that Greater Manchester would get its directly elected city-wide mayor. The measure was part of chancellor George Osborne’s plan to create a “Northern Powerhouse”. The transport Robert Jack elements of the Northern Powerhouse have fallen Managing Editor short, with Boris Johnson and then Rishi Sunak each rowing back on commitments to invest in the region’s railways.

In contrast, the mayor of Greater Manchester is very much in place, with Andy Burnham occupying the post since its creation in 2017.

Along with his fellow metro mayors Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region) and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire), it was Burnham who captured the imaginations of those who attended this week’s Transport for the North conference in Liverpool. Rail minister Huw Merriman faced a tougher task as he defended policies forced on him

by Downing Street. The government has broken promises to the North, but the mayors are pushing ahead with ambitious plans.

Following the decision to scrap HS2 north of Birmingham, it is Burnham and his opposite number in the West Midlands, Andy Street, who are exploring private finance options for improving rail connections between their two cities. Even if no options are found, it’s a way of keeping the conversation alive during an election year.

The rise of the metro mayors is perhaps the most significant change in UK transport of the last decade. They will shape the future.

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IN THIS ISSUE 16

‘THEY WOULDN’T BE SEEN DEAD ON A BUS’

18

WHERE NOW FOR THE HS2 PROJECT?

28

AN UNEVENTFUL YEAR ON THE OIL MARKETS

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HARSH REALITY AWAITS LABOUR’S RHETORIC

There are times in the bus sector when some organisations and individuals appear embarrassed to be associated with bus travel, says Alex Warner. “There are times when it can appear as though we’re not proud to be running buses,” he adds.

ORGANISATION

PAGE

ALBUM 8 Arriva 8 Arriva Midlands 8 ASLEF 11 Bee Network 1, 5 Cambridgeshire & Peterborough CA 4 City of Edinburgh Council 9 Docklands Light Railway 9 Edinburgh Trams 9 First Bus 1, 5, 8 First Cymru 10 First West of England 5 GBRTT 11 GMB 8 Go North West 5 HS2 7 Metrolink 1 Network Rail 7 Northern 6 Nottingham City Council 5 Nottingham City Transport 5 Rail Delivery Group 11 RMT 11 Siemens Mobility 9 SIPTU 8 Stagecoach East 4 Stagecoach East Midlands 8 Transdev Blazefield 8 Translink 8 Transport for Greater Manchester 5 Transport for London 6, 9 Transport for Wales 10 Transport for Wales Rail 11 Transport for West Midlands 1 Unite the Union 8 Warrington’s Own Buses 8 West of England CA 5 York Pullman 8

With much of the scheme cancelled by the government, HS2’s function will be very different from the original high speed vision, “The problem is that an even shorter HS2 would have even less purpose, especially if it never reaches Euston,” says Nick Richardson.

Oil Market Report: Portland was one of very few companies to forecast oil prices falling in 2023. “The reason so many analysts got their 2023 price predictions wrong was their continued preoccupation around supply security,” says James Spencer.

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

“The Labour ministerial team may find life rather more complicated than their current political rhetoric suggests.”

REGULARS NEWS NET ZERO INNOVATION & TECH COMMENT GRUMBLES CAREERS DIVERSIONS

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9 February 2024 | 03

07/02/2024 17:35

NEWS ROUND-UP

Mayoral precept to be invested in buses Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority confirms plans for mayoral precept for bus funding and warns against short-term decisions FUNDING

The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has given the green light to a mayoral precept that will be ploughed into local bus service funding.

The move follows an increasingly constrained funding environment for many local authorities which has led to some taking the axe to their supported bus service networks. Last month Hampshire County Council announced plans to scrap the 58 local bus routes it subsidises in a bid to balance its books (PT305).

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s new mayoral precept, which amounts to a £36 annual increase for a council tax bill for a Band D property translates, overall, to a monthly contribution of £3 per household.

The funding it raises will be invested in new routes, increased frequency on existing ones, and the implementation of three demandresponsive transport schemes.

Approval of the plans follows a public consultation exercise that drew responses from 450 residents. Of those 52% said they supported paying the precept of £36, while 70% were willing to pay something towards better buses.

Meanwhile, the bus routes that will be funded by the precept have been selected based on insight from over 700 survey responses.

The suggestions have been assessed against the combined authority’s adopted bus strategy and discussed by members. The 04 | 9 February 2024 PT306p04-05.indd 4

Johnson: ‘Collective benefits of a better bus network vastly outweigh the modest cost to households’

suggested routes will now undergo further assessments ahead of final decisions being taken later this year.

Routes proposed include a new orbital bus service to key destinations around Cambridge, improved Busway frequencies betweeen the Trumpington park and ride site, railway station and Addenbrooke’s hospital; and frequency improvements on a large number of services.

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said it was no secret that public services up and down the country are under enormous

“I do believe that we can’t afford to do nothing. That’s not responsible government”

financial pressure.

“For us here in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough it comes down to either leaving things as they are and watching a broken system fall apart or begin to build up our abilities to deliver the types of enhanced services that a huge majority of residents have made clear they support,” he said.

“My argument is that for less than 10p a day per average household the combined authority can invest £11m per year in our bus network, enabling more routes and more frequent services, serving far more people more conveniently than is currently the case. I believe that we can’t afford to do nothing. That’s not responsible government. As I see it, the collective benefits of a better bus network vastly outweigh the modest cost to households.”

Johnson added that reducing

services would be a “net nil sum gain” and he did not believe it would be fair or equitable to cut services in one area while improvements are made elsewhere.

He continued: “While it would be possible to provide some of the proposed investment in bus services in 2024-25 through a range of cuts to existing and proposed combined authority commitments and the use of oneoff reserves, both these responses are inherently short term - they would provide funding in 2024-25 but do nothing to enable the combined authority to continue those services in 2025-26 and beyond. Recent examples of a number of councils across the country have given stark examples of the dangers in taking shortterm solutions for long-term problems.”

Instead Johnson proposed the mayoral precept in order to invest in the future of the local network.

However, he added that while he supported moves to franchise the local network - the decision on whether to adopt a franchise or enhanced partnership will be decided later in the year - none of the funding presupposes either a franchise or enhanced partnership solution for the bus network in the future.

Johnson’s plans for investment have been welcomed by dominant local bus operator Stagecoach East. “We welcome these improvements to the network and are working with the combined authority to understand the detail,” said managing director Darren Roe. “There are important questions around what the new timetables will look like, so we can then figure out how many drivers and vehicles will be required. But, in general we are very supportive of all such initiatives to encourage increased bus usage.” www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 16:11

NCT concerns over council spending cuts A grave step backwards says MD David Astill FUNDING

The managing director of Nottingham City Transport has branded plans by Nottingham City Council to close two bus-based park and ride sites and switch off the real-time passenger information display system as disappointing.

David Astill also described the cuts to public transport services as a grave step backwards for public transport provision.

Last month the council announced a number of emergency cost saving plans in response to effectively declaring itself bankrupt in November (PT305). It led Nottingham City Council to issue a Section 114

BEE NETWORK FAILS ON TARGET Punctuality improved but still falls short of threshold PERFORMANCE

Transport for Greater Manchester has launched regular reporting on the performance of the franchised Bee Network.

The weekly post on social media site X, formerly Twitter, reports ontime bus punctuality and compares and contrasts it with the same period pre-Bee Network as well as non-Bee Network bus service punctuality.

In addition to the weekly posts, TfGM has committed to releasing a more comprehensive monthly performance report.

The initial report, spanning from January 21 to January 27, 2024, www.passengertransport.co.uk

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notice and announce a raft of cuts in a bid to fill a £53m hole in its budget for 2024-25.

The bus operator is owned by the council and Astill told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the impact of the pandemic had led the business to report a near £1m loss when government support is excluded for the year ending 2023.

However, Astill revealed NCT’s losses now sit somewhere between £500,000 and £1m and there was cautious optimism about its future prospects, adding that patronage had returned to about 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

“Yes they [the council] are in difficulties, but we are independent of that,” he added.

“It only affects us if they do things like turn off the real-time system,

which is one of the things on their list of savings, or if they shut park and ride sites.

“Queens Drive [park and ride] has been well-used both for people coming into the city and for people going, crucially, to the Queen’s Medical Centre.

Obviously it will mean Queens Drive would cease to be used as a park and ride, which would be disappointing and a retrograde step, but they have got a financial crisis and we have got to respect they have got to make some difficult decisions.”

On plans to switch of the realtime information system, Astill said NCT knew from research that bus stop real-time displays gave passengers confidence that the bus is coming. “It would be a grave retrograde step if that was turned off,” he added.

WECA AND FIRST BID FOR ZEBRA2

First West of England aims to buy 74 electric buses ZERO-EMISSION

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and First West of England have submitted a bid to the government’s ZEBRA2 zero-emission scheme, aiming to bring 74 new electric buses to Bristol.

The proposal, totaling £44.1m, seeks £6.7m from ZEBRA2 funding, with First Bus committing the remaining funds. The investment would upgrade First West of England’s Hengrove depot, facilitating the introduction of a zero-emission electric bus fleet with new charging infrastructure. A total of 67 double deckers and seven single deckers would be acquired and enter service in late 2025.

The scheme has a Benefit Cost Ratio of 2.05 and WECA reports the scheme offers ‘high’ value for money.

Confirmation of the bid outcome is expected in March 2024 with vehicles ordered in April.

reveals that, on average, 71.7% of Bee Network buses were punctual (see table). In comparison, the preBee Network period had an on-time percentage of 64.5%, while non-Bee Network operations achieved 67.2%.

These figures fell short of the 80% on-time target.

In late January TfGM implemented service changes within the first phase of the Bee Network, affecting Bolton, Wigan, and parts of Bury and Salford. The adjustments, involving timetable changes on 44 bus routes, aim to enhance reliability, with particular focus on improving early morning connections at Wigan.

Further changes are planned in April when Go North West will introduce additional buses to further improve punctuality and reliability as well as providing extra capacity.

9 February 2024 | 05

07/02/2024 16:11

NEWS ROUND-UP

Figures illustrate stark increase in rail subsidy Rail subsidies remain higher than at any time since 1986 FUNDING

The substantial increase in rail industry subsidy since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has been illustrated starkly in new figures published by the Department for Transport on January 25.

The figures reveal (see table) the net subsidy paid to train operating companies in 2023 prices between the year ending March 1986 and March 2023.

Between March 2011 and March 2018, TOCs were paying a net premium to government.

Then the pandemic struck and net government subsidy hit at an all-time high in the year to March 2021, but this has since decreased.

In the year ending March 2023,

KHAN TO LAUNCH OFF-PEAK TRIAL Move aims to tackle lower patronage on Fridays FARES

London mayor Sadiq Khan has asked Transport for London to run a three-month trial of off-peak fares on all Tube and rail fares in the capital on Fridays.

The move aims to help TfL and rail operators gain a greater understanding about how offpeak fares on Fridays could help drive patronage growth and boost London’s wider economic recovery.

The trial is expected to begin in March and last for three months.

Sample peak Tube fares are £5.60 for a journey from Zone 6 to Zone 1.

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government subsidies to train operators totaled £4.2bn, marking a 42% decrease from the previous year. Meanwhile, Network Rail’s grant increased by 4.1% to £7.5bn, with an additional £8.9bn

allocated for enhancements to Network Rail and HS2, representing a 17.8% increase from the previous year.

Despite the decline in net subsidies to TOCs, the figures

NET SUBSIDY TO TOCS 1986 TO 2023, £BILLIONS IN 2023 PRICES Source: Department for Transport

be reduced to £3.60. Someone commuting from Richmond (Zone 4) to Hammersmith (Zone 2) currently pays £2.80 for the trip. This fare would be reduced to £1.90 under the proposals.

Peak fares apply between 06:30 and 09:30 and between 16:00 and 19:00 on both TfL and National Rail services in London. Making Fridays off-peak all day would make it cheaper to travel, potentially supporting economic growth by encouraging more people back onto public transport and into the office on a day that is currently quieter than other weekdays.

Midweek patronage on the Tube is now up to 85% of pre-pandemic levels, with weekend patronage now averaging 100%, but Fridays are consistently lower at around 73%.

City Hall said making fares more affordable on Fridays could give patronage the boost it needs and support TfL’s and London’s recovery from the pandemic. Off-peak fares on Fridays could also help London’s night life and hospitality sectors.

“London has really bounced back since the pandemic, but the lack of commuters returning on Fridays is a clear exception - with a major knockon effect on our shops, cafes and cultural venues,” said Khan. “That’s why I’ve asked TfL to trial off-peak fares on Fridays, and I encourage Londoners to get involved.

“A trial will help us to see if it’s an effective way of increasing ridership and giving a welcome boost to businesses as we continue to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”

remain substantially higher compared to pre-Covid-19 years due to reduced fare income since the pandemic. From March 1986 to March 2019, the average net subsidy to TOCs in Great Britain stood at £1.3bn. However, in the last three years, the average soared to £7.7bn.

According to the Rail Factsheet: 2023 release, rail patronage has yet to fully rebound since Covid, there are more services arriving late or cancelled and passenger complaints are increasing.

Regional disparities in rail expenditure also persist. London and the south of England received a disproportionate share - despite having 36% of the UK population, the region secured 47% of rail expenditure. Conversely, the North, representing 23% of the population, receives only 18% of the expenditure.

Scotland receives 8% of funding, matching its population share, while Wales, with 5% of the population, receives a mere 3% of rail expenditure.

NORTHERN’S DROP IN PENALTY FARES

Penalty fares down 20% since fine increased to £100 FARES

Northern has said the number of penalty fares it issued in 2023 to passengers travelling without a ticket has fallen by 20%.

The train operator issued 41,234 penalty fares between January 23 and December 23, 2023 compared to 52,394 for the same period in 2022.

Northern raised the penalty fare from £20 to £100 a year ago.

“The appetite for ‘risking it’ has clearly taken a hit in the past 12 months - and the increase in the penalty fare is no doubt a factor,” said Mark Powles, Nothern’s commercial and customer director. www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 16:11

‘Let’s have some detail from Labour’. Page 14-15

Labour must extend ‘face up’ to HS2 - Steer Government has axed ‘the most critical section of the route’ HS2

A key proponent of HS2 says that if Labour forms the next government it must extend the project to Crewe and Manchester or the country will be left with a £67bn white elephant.

Jim Steer, is founder and director of high-speed rail consultancy Greengauge 21, and a well known advocate of high speed rail. Speaking last month to Christian Wolmar on the Calling All Stations podcast, Steer was asked what he would do about HS2 if had just been appointed secretary of state for transport for a new Labour government.

Steer said he would reverse the government’s decision to scrap HS2 north of Birmingham and seek to extend it to Crewe by “2030 or very soon thereafter”.

And he would extend the line from

MAYORS LOOK AT PRIVATE FINANCE TO REPLACE HS2 Andy Burnham and Andy Street met Mark Harper HS2

The mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have met with transport secretary Mark Harper to talk about how private funding can be harnessed to improve rail connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester.

Andy Burnham and Andy Street have jointly commissioned a group of private sector partners www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Old Oak Common to Euston.

“Build that because if you do you can create a coherent step forward for the national rail network,” he said. “The key message I would have as secretary of state [for transport] is that ... this will bring about transformational benefit to rail travel in Britain. It’s a step worth taking. Unfortunately the last government made the mistake of chopping off really probably the most critical section of route.”

Steer pointed out that Phase 2a between Handsacre and Crewe has a very strong business case and would cost £6bn-£7bn to build.

“Think of it as spending a billion pounds a year over the next six or seven years, which is what it will take,” he said. “In transport

budget terms it’s not huge.”

He continued: “All the alternatives have been looked at and dismissed. Even arch opponents of Phase 2a like Jack Brereton [MP for Stoke-on-Trent South] have said we will need to widen that section of route.

You can’t widen that section of route without causing huge local adverse impacts. So we get on and do it, get it to Crewe.”

Steer argued that the Phase 2a was vital in order to unlock the full value of Phase 1, which is now estimated to cost up to £67bn to complete. He suggested that fulfilling the potential of the line could enable a future government to sell it off as a long term concession to a private investor.

“You might as well talk about the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch [railway] for its relevance to the national economy Jim Steer

to look at options following the government’s decision last year to cancel the extension of HS2 north of Birmingham.

The group is chaired by Sir David Higgins, the former chairman of HS2 and chief executive of Network Rail.

Arup is a lead player in it, along with EY, Arcadis and Mace.

Giving evidence to MPs on the Transport Select Committee last week, Burnham said: “We have had some serious buy-in to what we are doing, and we have had a constructive discussion with the secretary of state about the work. It is good that the government are at least listening to what we are saying.

The outputs of the work that the group is doing will become more known in February and March.”

He continued: “If we do nothing about improving connectivity between the country’s second and third cities ... we will have a major transport headache. You could argue that we have that now anyway, but

“It is good that the government are at least listening to what we are saying” Andy Burnham

The government received £2.1bn for the 30-year HS1 concession when it was sold off in 2010, a high speed route that is relatively short and lightly-used. He added: “That £6bn or £7bn [to build Phase 2a] probably will pay for itself even in cash terms to the Treasury.”

Regarding the extension of HS2 to Euston from Old Oak Common, he said: “It is essential, obviously, to make HS2 work.

There’s been talk of huge private sector contributions for the development of Euston - they are, I’m afraid, fanciful ... So you have to face up to it. This is a piece of national infrastructure.”

Steer was asked what would happen if HS2 was left as a line linking Old Oak Common and Birmingham, with a spur to Handsacre. He responded: “I’m not even prepared to think about it ... It’s completely ridiculous isn’t it. You might as well talk about the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch [railway] for its relevance to the national economy.”

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW christianwolmar.co.uk/ category/podcast

when 2030 and 2040 come round, there is no way on God’s Earth that the M6 and the West Coast Main Line will be capable of servicing the growth that we are seeing in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

“There has to be another option for rail connectivity between the two cities. We are looking at the possibilities - a more modest upgrade to the West Coast Main Line or something more substantial - and how private finance might play a role in that.

Burnham pointed out that the high speed TGV network in France has been extended using privately financed approaches.

9 February 2024 | 07

07/02/2024 16:12

NEWS ROUND-UP

First snaps up ‘high performing’ business FirstGroup to acquire 130-vehicle York Pullman business ACQUISITIONS

FirstGroup is finalising a deal to acquire the 130-vehicle York Pullman Bus Company business from its family owners.

The current company was established in 2007 when Tom James revived the name of the historic York Pullman name which had been established in 1926 and passed through a number of owners before disappearing in the early 2000s.

Since then the business has grown to its current scope with a large fleet comprised of vehicles with varying passenger capacities, enabling the company to build a broad customer base.

Although predominantly a

York Pullman has built a diverse portfolio of work

provider of home-to-school and college contracted services, York Pullman is also active in the private hire and rail replacement markets. It also operates a small number of subsidised bus routes.

First described the business as “high-performing” and said its

operations are complementary to those of First York. It added the acquisition will both enhance FirstGroup’s operational footprint in North Yorkshire and provide growth opportunities in adjacent markets and development of its private hire capability.

Improvements launched to Market Harborough PARTNERSHIP

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ALBUM BOOKINGS OPEN Bookings have opened for this year’s ALBUM Conference which will be hosted by Warrington’s Own Buses and held at Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire on April 22-24. Themed ‘Moving On Up’ the conference will bring together industry leaders to discuss trends, innovations, and challenges in the bus industry.

For more details and to book visit conference.albumbus.co.uk.

AIRELINE BUS BOOST Transdev Blazefield subsidiary Keighley Bus Company has announced it is to increase the frequency of its Aireline route bertween Keighley and Leeds to run every 20 minutes. The move has been made after timetable improvements and lower fares delivered a double digit increase in passengers.

Extra buses will also operate in the morning and evening peaks.

ARRIVA’S DUTCH DEAL Arriva has won a new 10-year contract to continue serving the West Brabant region in the Netherlands, following a competitive tender process.

The deal calls for timetable improvements and the introduction of over 200 zeroemission vehicles from July 2025.

JOINT SERVICE INTRODUCED Arriva and Stagecoach have joined forces to streamline and enhance buses between Leicester and Market Harborough as part of the Leicester Enhanced Bus Partnership, Passengers can now use tickets from either operator on both the Arriva X3 and Stagecoach X7 routes, eliminating confusion about service options. Routes X3 and X7 will offer a joint timetable with departures every 30 minutes between Market Harborough and Leicester on weekdays and Saturdays, with the X7 maintaining an hourly service on Sundays.

IN BRIEF

FLIX HEADS TO INDIA FlixBus this week launched a network in India that will connect 46 cities with Delhi as a hub. The German-based coach giant said the Indian express coach market is worth £26m and is the second largest in the world, offering FlixBus huge opportunities for future expansion.

TRANSLINK STRIKE OFF Members of the GMB, Unite and SIPTU unions at state-owned Northern Ireland transport operator Translink have suspended strike action to give political leaders at Stormont time to make an improved pay offer. The move follows the reestablishment of power-sharing in Northern Ireland and aims to offer a chance for a deal to be reached.

www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 16:12

Lord warns on TfL capital funding issues London transport commissioner calls for long-term deal FUNDING

Transport for London has revealed it is on course to achieve financial sustainability this financial year, boasting a £144m surplus and independence from government funding to support day-to-day operations.

However, London transport commissioner Andy Lord has warned about the severe limitations on capital funding due to lower-than-anticipated government allocations for the 2024-25 financial year.

In his commissioner’s report, published ahead of this week’s TfL board meeting, Lord expressed gratitude for the £250m of capital funding announced by the

TfL PROBES DLR TO THAMESMEAD Cross-river extension could support 30,000 new homes INVESTMENT

Transport for London has launched a public consultation into plans for a new cross-river extension of the Docklands Light Railway from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside.

Supported by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Newham, the plans aim to facilitate the development of 25,000-30,000 new homes and regeneration projects in Thamesmead and Beckton.

TfL, along with project partners, presented a strategic outline case in 2023, detailing the potential positive www.passengertransport.co.uk

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government in December, but noted it fell short of the £500m TfL projected for 2024-25 in its draft business plan.

“With funding confirmed, we worked hard to assess the options and identify a number of measures to enable us to deliver the plan,” said Lord.

Some of the measures undertaken to balance the plan include rephasing the timing of payments and delivery under the contract with Siemens Mobility, who are delivering the new Piccadilly line train fleet.

Along with no inflation support in the funding allocation, Lord said capital enhancements expenditure has had to slip for 2024-25 and this was now expected to end the year around £80m lower than projected in the draft business plan.

Lord continued: “The shortfall in government capital investment has only been mitigated in the near term and will reduce the amount of valuable investment we can make in future years, unless further funding is agreed.

“That is why it is still vitally important that we agree a sustainable long-term funding settlement from the government that enables us to plan and invest for the infrastructure London will need over the coming decades.”

Meanwhile, Lord also updated board members on TfL’s patronage. He revealed that there has been cumulative journey growth of almost 7% in the year to date with a target of 6% over the full year. Passenger journeys are relatively steady at 90% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 85% at the end of 2022-23.

impacts of extending the DLR in the area. Identifying funding options and improving efficiencies are crucial, but given the project’s scope, it is likely external support will be required.

Funding for feasibility work has been secured through public-private partnerships focused on local regeneration efforts. The goal is to identify and finalise an affordable solution by 2025, with construction potentially commencing in 2028 and the new extension opening to passengers in the early 2030s.

The consultation period is open until March 18, with public feedback shaping the scheme and influencing design decisions and subsequent actions. TfL stated that the next step following public consultation will involve advancing the scheme towards an outline business case.

TfL said it had considered various transport alternatives for Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside, including enhancing local bus services. However, it determined that this approach alone would not offer the required connectivity or capacity to support the planned number of housing developments and new homes in the area.

Move would unlock new homes

New route would cross the city centre

EDINBURGH SETS OUT TRAM PLANS Proposed £2bn route could open in 2030s LIGHT RAIL

The City of Edinburgh Council has voted to put a proposed £2bn extension of the Edinburgh Tram network from Granton in the north of the city to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in the southwest via the city centre out to public consultation.

This consultation will shape the strategic business case with hopes for the new line could open to passengers in the mid to late 2030s.

North of the city centre the socalled Roseburn Option has emerged as the council’s preferred route as it would enable the tram to also serve the Western General Hospital.

However, the chosen route is already generating local opposition.

Edinburgh’s transport and environment convener, Scott Arthur, noted widespread public backing for extending the tram network. He highlighted that the proposed route would connect vital areas of growth and development.

He continued: “We’re already engaging with Transport Scotland to explore financial options, and it’s encouraging that mass rapid transit in the area has been highlighted as an investment priority by the Scottish Government. We’ll continue to work closely with them and other stakeholders as we look to progress this major project.”

9 February 2024 | 09

07/02/2024 16:12

NEWS ROUND-UP

Wales funds work on circuitous rail service Welsh Government doesn’t have enough money to sustain bus networks, but is still exploring plans for costly new rail link. Rhodri Clark reports PROJECTS

Funding which could have prevented some of the major cuts to South West Wales bus services this financial year has been spent on developing plans for a circuitous new train service between Pontarddulais and Swansea via Neath.

Last summer, the Welsh Government said it did not have enough money to sustain the existing Welsh bus network this financial year. Many services in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire were subsequently reduced or withdrawn, reflecting lower passenger numbers than before the pandemic and significant growth in operating costs.

First Cymru’s changes included reducing the cross-city route 4 between Morriston, Swansea city centre and Singleton to three buses per hour instead of four (PT299).

Transport for Wales, the Welsh Government’s transport company, expects to spend £494,000 by the end of 2023/24 on developing the half-hourly Pontarddulais to Swansea rail service, following £516,000 already spent on the project.

Swansea station is less than 3.5 miles from Morriston, but the proposed trains would travel about 20 miles: east to Briton Ferry, then north to Neath, west to Landore and south to Swansea station, which is peripheral to the city’s main commercial area.

The project is based on using the Swansea avoiding line through 10 | 9 February 2024 PT306p10-11.indd 10

Morriston, which was purposefully engineered to keep east-west trains out of Swansea. It would require construction of a sharply curved chord, limited to 25mph or 30mph, between the avoiding line and main line near Briton Ferry.

The Morriston to Swansea train journey would be slowed down further by calling at three existing intermediate stations and three proposed ones.

TfW’s responses to Freedom of Information requests indicate that the scheme’s capital cost

would exceed £200m, including construction of six new stations.

The Welsh Government has been unable to afford construction of a new railway station at St Clears, Carmarthenshire, after costs doubled to about £12m, despite the UK Government having offered £4.7m through its New Stations Fund 3. The station should have been completed by April 2024 but construction did not commence.

Recent studies by consultants for TfW estimate that building

“Swansea station is less than 3.5 miles from Morriston, but the proposed trains would travel about 20 miles”

Frequency on the direct bus route between Morriston and Swansea city centre was reduced on October 29

Morriston station would cost £24m to £33m. Two other stations for the new service would be even more expensive.

A study in 2021 calculated a Benefit:Cost Ratio of 2.9 and said the proposed train service would attract so many passengers that revenue would cover the operating costs, something no local train service in Wales currently achieves. The strong BCR was generated partially by the service’s “journey time” benefits, which indicates that TfW’s consultants may have been unaware the journey would take much longer by train than road.

In its FoI responses, TfW was unable to provide any post-2021 work to update the BCR and the forecast passenger numbers.

TfW also had no information about the expected journey times and fare structure or whether it had assessed any alternatives to the project.

On January 25, Welsh ministers told a Senedd committee why TfW needs £125m of additional rail subsidy this year and £110m in 2024/25, on top of previously planned annual rail subsidy of about £250m. Deputy climate change minister Lee Waters said rail was a huge liability and “every time you add an additional service, we’re adding an additional subsidy demand”.

In July, Waters said bus investment could deliver a faster carbon return per pound than rail investment. “But we’re locked in to rail spend because it has so many sunken costs,” he said.

“It’s very difficult to pull out from that, and then we are trapped into constantly putting more money in.”

Last year, TfW revealed that its £10.54m development costs for an aborted train stabling line near Newport had been written off as “irrecoverable”. www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 17:05

TfW brings Sundays into working week Pay agreements have been reached without any industrial action INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Transport for Wales Rail says it is proud to have secured significant changes to working practices without suffering disruptive strikes in the process. One of the main benefits is that Sunday will be a part of the working week for train crews from June.

The pay deals for each grade of employee are based on a threeyear agreement, in which the first two years include productivity improvements and year three reflects RPI (Retail Prices Index).

The productivity element of the pay deals for year one was circa 4.0%, with circa 7.9% for year two. The RMT and ASLEF unions have both accepted the deals.

The productivity improvements come from a range of changes to terms and conditions. The productivity element of the payment for Sundays in the

TAP IN, TAP OUT TRAIN TRAVEL

Continued from Page 1 In preparing the pilots, the DfT, Great British Railways Transition Team and Rail Delivery Group have worked closely with Transport for the West Midlands, the West Midlands Rail Executive, Transport for Greater Manchester and train operators. Work will continue to finalise plans for the pilots ahead of launch in 2025.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Our www.passengertransport.co.uk

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working week (SIWW) will take effect when train crews commence working these new arrangements. For drivers, this will commence on June 2. As part of TfW’s Conductor Restructuring initiative, the pay relating to SIWW for conductors will be implemented in April 2024.

Marie Daly, TfW’s chief customer and culture officer, said: “The pay agreements we have reached with our drivers and conductors are the result of five years of hard work and a strong commitment to partnership working by Transport for Wales and the trade unions.

“The transformation of the Wales and Borders network, particularly the ambitious South Wales Metro project, would not

be possible without the changes which have now been agreed as part of these negotiations.

“Working in social partnership with the trade unions has taken a great deal of commitment and trust from both sides but has been made easier by both working towards a common goal of transformation and improvements to benefit our customers.

“We’re proud that throughout this period we have managed to avoid any industrial action, and while there are still challenges ahead as part of our transformation programme, we remain confident we have the foundations to work together to address these.”

The new agreements will be particularly important as the Core

“The pay agreements we have reached with our drivers and conductors are the result of five years of hard work” Marie Daly, TfW

Swift smartcard already enables passengers to transfer seamlessly between our various local bus operators and Metro tram services whilst guaranteeing they get best value fares. Now thanks to this pilot scheme, we will now add rail to our offering - making Swift truly multi-modal and bringing us much closer to a London ‘Oyster card’ style system.

“This is a practical example of how the Deeper Devolution Deal we agreed with government is delivering tangible benefits for local people right across our region.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “We are transforming how people travel in Greater Manchester, with the aim for people to pay for journeys easily and seamlessly across buses, trams, trains and cycle hire.

“We look forward to progressing with these new contactless rail pilots and working together to develop a more meaningful and accountable partnership that allows us to integrate local rail services across the city-region into the Bee Network by 2030.”

With plans already in motion for industry to expand pay as you

Valley Lines (CVL) pivot from diesel operation to tram-trains and tri-mode units, following the current £1bn modernisation programme. In May 2025, CVL services will intensify as four trains per hour operate from each northern terminus, instead of two or one per hour. The unions have accepted revised door operation procedures.

Conductors will be renamed train managers. TfW Rail will enhance Sunday timetables in the future, to reflect the new agreements and more of TfW’s new trains being in service, but not in June. However, TfW expects an immediate revenue benefit from better Sunday performance from June, leading to reduced compensation payments.

TfW is continuing to recruit more train crew to cover timetable enhancements. This includes 85 more drivers in June and a further 60 (full time equivalent) in May 2025.

The agreements also end the long-standing practice of no trains operating on the CVL on New Year’s Day, despite all other TfW routes having services that day.

TfW will operate no services on Boxing Day, however.

go in the South East later this year, the pilot stations confirmed today will see the total number of tap in, tap out stations in England surge to around 500 in 2025.

The news comes as the RDG and industry partners - supported by £16.4m DfT funding completed the final phase of rolling out barcoding technology, which allows customers to scan digital tickets at the gate. As a result, passengers at every station in Great Britain (outside devolved Merseyrail and TfL) will have greater flexibility around how they buy train tickets.

9 February 2024 | 11

07/02/2024 17:05

NET ZERO

Council for Net Zero Transport formed Convened by Zemo Partnership and chaired by Lord Deben, the Council for Net Zero Transport aims to accelerate UK transport decarbonisation ADVOCACY

A new Council for Net Zero Transport, convened by Zemo Partnership, comprising senior stakeholders will help steer UK transport’s decarbonisation transition as it moves into the crucial delivery phase.

The council will be chaired

by Lord Deben, formerly UK environment secretary and chair of the Climate Change Committee. It will engage senior figures from government, industry, environment and academic sectors to help focus Zemo Partnership as it works together to forge a clear, strategic direction for road transport decarbonisation.

Lord Deben said: “Our generation faces no greater challenge than that of tackling climate change.

“With transport responsible for over a quarter of the UK’s

GTR’S CARBON REDUCTION PLAN Initiatives include cooperative solar project STRATEGY

Environment experts at the UK’s largest train operator, Govia Thameslink Railway, have launched a roadmap to become carbon ‘net zero’ for all its energy needs by 2050.

GTR’s carbon footprint is already small, with electric trains used on 97% of its services. Most trains also regenerate energy when they brake and all the electricity supplied by Network Rail to power them already 12 | 9 February 2024 PT306p12-13.indd 12

greenhouse gas emissions, if we’re going to solve this problem we have to effectively decarbonise transport. We must do this for our environment, and we will reap rewards both politically and economically from doing so.”

Zemo’s new executive director, Claire Haigh, said: “Decarbonising transport is a vital - and particularly challenging - element of the UK’s legally binding net zero targets.

“The policy prescriptions needed to do this are complex, nuanced and cross-sectoral, and achieving a successful outcome will be of huge benefit to the UK’s environment, society and

economy. This is too vital a task for us to be distracted by over-simplifications and the short-term vagaries of our political system.

“We have some world-leading targets but we’re at a key moment in the transition and what we need now is a laser-like focus on delivery. To achieve this, we’ll need the full participation of government (nationally and locally - to the level of each town and parish council) industry, consumers and operators.”

Zemo Partnership has also announced a trailblazing new project on behalf of the

“If we’re going to solve this [climate change] problem we have to effectively decarbonise transport”

Lord Deben, Chair, Council for Net Zero Transport comes from a clean source.

Jason Brooker, head of environment at GTR, said: “We’re in the middle of a climate crisis and everyone has a job to do to minimise their carbon footprint.

“Our electric trains are already the most sustainable way to get around on public transport but as the UK’s largest operator, we want our customers to know that we’re committed to doing even more.

“This raft of initiatives will cut our carbon footprint still further in the short to medium term and in the long-term help eradicate it altogether.”

Welsh Government. The Welsh Commercial Vehicle Decarbonisation programme will deliver a bespoke strategy for Wales covering heavy and light-duty commercial vehicles, with focus on sustainable fuels, electrification and the potential role for hydrogen. Zemo will be working closely with the Welsh Government to develop the strategy and routes to delivery.

Commenting on the project, Lee Waters, the Welsh deputy minister for climate change, said: “We’re excited by the potential of this project to stimulate and accelerate the decarbonisation of commercial vehicles in Wales which we view as a key challenge on our path to net zero.”

Zemo Partnership’s chair, Philip Sellwood, said: “The new Council for Net Zero Transport along with the invitation to work alongside the Welsh Government come at a key time in transport’s decarbonisation transition.

“We’ll be working even more closely with our wide-ranging membership to focus on what we need to do together to deliver the targets in the best interests of our environment and the UK’s industrial future.”

Govia Thameslink Railway’s NET ZERO STRATEGY aims to: work with Network Rail and government to replace what few diesel trains are in use, possibly by electrifying the last two sections of Southern Rail track or introducing battery-powered units; replace gas with air or ground source heat pumps or equivalent as a source of heating at train depots; generate energy from more than 6,000 solar panels being installed on the rooftops of train depots in Bedford, London and Sussex in a partnership with not-for-profit Community Benefit Society Energy Garden; change air conditioning systems to limit the damaging impact caused by any loss of refrigerant into the atmosphere; replace fossil fuel equipment with zero carbon systems when it needs replacing, if not sooner; continue sourcing certified renewable electricity for its offices, depots and stations; install smart meters.

www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 16:37

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

CitySwift raises £6m funding for solutions New investment ‘will help us to nurture and grow our partnerships’ INVESTMENT

CitySwift, an intelligent transport data platform that increases the performance of public transport networks using smart analytics and optimisations, has raised an additional €7m (£6.0m) in funding. The round was led by new investors Gresham House Ventures, which has invested €5m (£4.3m), with existing investors including ACT Venture Capital, Irelandia Investments, and the Western Development Commission.

Based in Galway, Ireland, CitySwift works with transport authorities and bus operators to break down the barriers to accessing and interpreting transport data. Its clients include National Express, Go-Ahead Group, Transport for Wales, Metroline, East Riding

WHIPPET ‘TAP ON TAP OFF’ LAUNCH System has been quickly embraced by customers TICKETING

Bus operator Whippet has recently launched Tap on Tap off ticketing and is already seeing great results - with a third of its adult customers using it after just two days.

Delivered in partnership with Ticketer, the system promises to always charge the cheapest fare for bus journeys, and includes automatic fare capping for daily, weekly and four-weekly tickets.

Ed Cameron, commercial manager www.passengertransport.co.uk

PT306p12-13.indd 13

of Yorkshire Council, East Yorkshire Buses, Translink and Blackpool Transport.

The investment will be used to accelerate CitySwift’s platform development, providing both authorities and operators with intelligent data solutions to future-proof transport networks.

These funds will also enable CitySwift to provide dedicated, specialised ‘customer success’ supporting every stage of the customer journey.

Benjamin Faulkner, associate director at Gresham House Ventures, said: “CitySwift’s growth in recent years has

been impressive, and the team’s knowledge of both bus networks and data science makes this a compelling and unique proposition. With our experience working with other transport and mobility data businesses, we look forward to supporting CitySwift.”

Brian O’Rourke, co-founder and CEO at CitySwift, said: “Public transport services have to be reliable and efficient to drive passenger growth, and key to this is leveraging quality data to ensure the transport networks of the future meet ever-changing passenger needs.

“This investment is a massive vote of confidence in CitySwift’s platform and people. It will help us to nurture and grow our partnerships with authorities and operators, supporting them to build data-driven, widely used, and resilient transport networks of the future.”

“This investment is a massive vote of confidence in CitySwift’s platform and people” BRIAN O’ROURKE ON AI: Brian O’Rourke

at Cambridgeshire-based Whippet, commented: “Tap on tap off is the easiest way our customers can ensure they get the cheapest fare for their journey. We offer a range of great-value tickets, but we recognise that not everyone knows how many journeys they’ll be making when they first get on the bus. By using tap on, tap off it doesn’t matter whether they make one journey or one hundred journeys a month - we’ll always charge the cheapest adult fare.”

The system launches as Whippet is embarking on a transformation, including newer buses, improved driver pay and staff facilities and a fresh, new look rolling out in 2024.

PAGE 26

Tap on Tap off has been delivered in partnership with Ticketer

INCLUSIVE CAB SUMMIT

Event will seek to improve working environment DESIGN

A research event will be held next month to help inform and develop a new Inclusive Cab Design Charter, led by Women in Transport’s D&I Bus Group and First Bus. The initiative intends to create “the gold standard for bus driver cab design, improving the working environment for all, and ensuring that a career in bus driving provides a safe, comfortable and inclusive space to work from”.

Bus operators have been invited to attend the Inclusive Cab Summit, which will be hosted by First Bus Leicester in March. They have been asked to bring a bus driver colleague who may have faced their own challenges, or be involved in driver training.

A number of leading bus manufacturers have already confirmed their attendance. They will be bringing along demonstration vehicles and they will be joined by their ergonomic designers.

The event will feature a keynote address from Mike Adams, founder and CEO of Purple, a not-for-profit organisation supporting disabled people to realise their potential and supporting businesses to understand the commercial opportunities disability offers.

Following a RMT union survey last year of its bus driver members, Pailton Engineering estimated that inadequate cab design could be costing the bus industry more than £10m a year in England alone (PT302).

“This initiative will create the gold standard for bus driver cab design” 9 February 2024 | 13

07/02/2024 16:37

COMMENT

NORMAN BAKER

Let’s have some detail from Labour

While Labour’s intention to repeal the minimum service levels legislation is clear, not much else is. We’ve heard little of substance

I see that Germany has been hit by a wave of strikes by 90,000 transport workers affecting rail, bus and air services. Workers are demanding improved conditions, specifically reduced hours and longer holidays.

For those who regularly hear the refrain: “Why can’t our railways be as efficient as they are in Germany?”, the German word Schadenfreude comes to mind - deriving pleasure from someone else’s misfortune.

Actually, the performance of Deutsche Bahn (DB) has for some time no longer been as punctual as a Swiss watch. In 2023, 88% of trains arrived “on time”, which for them means within five minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled time - not very different from our own performance.

In Switzerland itself, 93.5% of trains ran on time in 2022, with the Swiss blaming trains originating in Germany and Italy for the bulk of late running. For example, the Munich to Zurich service, due to arrive at 18.27, was on average 22.5 minutes late throughout the year.

DB blamed the delays on the fact that the service has to use a single track line for some of the journey. Presumably that was also the case when it was running to time in previous years.

As it happens, I will be travelling on German trains next month so I will have a chance to see for myself. Mind you, last time I rocked up for a German train, I was instead faced with... a rail replacement bus.

So it seems that industrial unrest on the railways is not unique to us. Not that that is 14 | 9 February 2024 PT306p14-15.indd 14

much comfort for those unable to catch their train. I myself lost out on a relatively lucrative speaking slot recently as the rolling ASLEF strikes meant there was no way of getting up to London from Lewes, short of getting out my 1971 Triumph Herald convertible (my only car) and doubtless being caught in mega traffic jams.

In my last column for Passenger Transport, I predicted that the government’s new minimum

“It seems to be the case that Louise Haigh favours the full-throated new British Rail option” Louise Haigh, shadow transport secretary

service levels legislation simply would not work, a message I had been privately giving to the DfT ever since the idea was mooted.

We now have proof that the legislation is dead on arrival. LNER put their toe in the water but quickly discovered that the water was far too hot and pulled it out. Specifically, ASLEF had signalled that using the legislation would result in a five-day strike exclusive to LNER, and doubtless on top of that other steps would follow to make normal operation impossible. It is difficult to think of a quicker capitulation. And if a government-run arm of the railways runs up the white flag, there is zero chance of anyone else using this flawed legislation.

Furthermore, the Scottish government, run by the SNP, has said it will not use the legislation, and Labour, which looks on course to win the general election later this year, has said it will repeal it.

Behind the scenes, I detect that the government is pretty angry with the rail companies. I am told that the legislation was only brought forward by the Conservatives because the industry lobbied for it, and they have now been left standing when the music stopped. The government even produced guidance for the train companies on how to implement the legislation, guidance now gathering dust on a top shelves everywhere.

Following on from the botched ticket office closure consultations, where industry and government each pointed the finger at the other for the failure, it seems relations between the Tory government and the industry are at an all-time low.

Meanwhile, the companies are paying out big bonuses to their top employees.

For example at FirstGroup, chief executive Graham Sutherland received a whopping £682,000, while the chief financial officer Ryan Mangold was handed an extra £650,000.

At the same time, the companies seem less concerned with the day-to-day bread and butter matters that should occupy them, such as train punctuality. Fare evasion in particular has become a major problem across the network, especially since Covid, and with the government now taking the fare box, the train operating companies seem largely uninterested in tackling this, unless they have a financial incentive specifically to do so.

I have even been told by some who are www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 15:31

“Behind the scenes, I detect that the government is pretty angry with the rail companies” in a good position to know that the TOCs, anticipating the end of the line for them when Labour get in, are cleaning up as much as possible before then.

Yet while Labour’s intention to repeal the minimum service levels legislation is clear, not much else is. We have heard very little of substance. Perhaps they have fully worked out coherent plans and are keeping their powder dry. Perhaps they have not yet formulated fixed policies. Or perhaps they are arguing with each other over what to do. I suspect the latter two explanations.

Is it in fact Labour’s policy to eliminate the private sector entirely from running trains?

The shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, told GB News the other day that there would be renationalisation without compensation, and that this would be achieved by the end of the next parliament.

This suggests two things. The first is that existing contracts will be honoured but not renewed, thereby avoiding the need for compensation. This has one obvious drawback. Any company faced with no future in the industry is not going to be terribly keen to help the new government. Rather, it would have nothing to lose by putting its own narrow interests first. That, as I indicated, may be starting to happen now.

The second is the implication that we are to see the recreation of a sort of British Rail, responsible not just for track and signals as is Network Rail, but day to day operation of the trains as well. Labour has supported the creation of something like Great British Railways but for them, is this the whole building or merely the foundations of something bigger?

There is an alternative scenario open to Labour, that might be called the London Buses option. Here, the bus routes, timetables, fares and even the livery of the buses are decided by a public body, but contracts are then let on a tender basis to private companies like Go-Ahead and Stagecoach to run the services. Labour seem happy with that approach for the buses, not just in London, but in Manchester and elsewhere too, so why not apply it to the railways?

It seems to be the case that Louise Haigh favours the full-throated new British Rail option, but is that the view of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves? It would not surprise me www.passengertransport.co.uk

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Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the duopoly at the top of Labour

if the duopoly at the top of Labour modified their position, which they have noticeably been doing on a range of issues, not least their promised £28bn green investment plan.

There was a sharp cartoon in The Guardian the other day by the talented Ben Jennings.

Under a “dig for victory” banner, it showed Keir Starmer having finished digging a grave.

The headstone read “Labour Pledges”.

So we need clarification on whether Labour have in mind a new BR or a London Buses model. In the meantime, it would be prudent for the TOCs not to behave in such a way as to drive Labour towards the former.

Even for Louise Haigh, however, renationalisation has its limits. In response to my query, she said Labour did not want to touch the privately owned ROSCOs. I just observe neutrally that they are the part of the industry that has produced the bumper profits since privatisation so ought, for those with a Labour mindset, almost be first in the queue for renationalisation.

Moreover, while Labour is promising to “fix” the railways, I doubt very much that Rachel Reeves is going to find any money to freeze rail fares or introduce changes to the ticket structure in any way that the Treasury would conclude will lose income, and the Treasury generally is wary of the idea that reduced fares can drive patronage up to a degree that losses per ticket sale are covered.

Then there is the uncertainty over their position on HS2. The prime minister may

have announced the cancellation of the leg north from Birmingham, in a move to throw some red meat to the fanatical Farage-types occupying the right wing of his party, but the DfT seems in no hurry to close and lock the door. Indeed, the rail minister Huw Merriman said this in a parliamentary debate last month: “The choice will be quite clear for the Labour party ... No land will be sold off until we are ready. It is perfectly feasible for the Labour party, if it supports HS2 going ahead, to say that it will put the safeguarding [of land] back on, which would be relatively straightforward. As none of the land will have been sold, it can just continue.”

I doubt if No 10 was best pleased by this contribution, though apart from making clear that HS2 need not be dead, issuing a challenge like this to Labour looks like good politics to me.

And while I understand that Labour will not want to commit to anything much without seeing the books, there is absolutely no reason why they cannot say they will, without committing themselves to reversing the cancellation of Phase 2, look at it all again if elected. Will they now do so?

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

9 February 2024 | 15

07/02/2024 15:32

COMMENT

ALEX WARNER

‘They wouldn’t be seen dead on a bus’

There are times in the bus sector when some organisations and individuals appear embarrassed to be associated with bus travel It’s rare to stumble across a business or sector where you get that disconcerting vibe that those at the helm would deep down rather not be doing what they’re doing and would prefer to be elsewhere. One example close to my heart is the English Cricket Board (ECB), a governing body that seems intent on reinventing our summer sport to the point where it is unrecognisable from the game for which they are supposed to be its custodians.

Any fan will tell you that the ECB actually thinks cricket is boring, staid and something it’s frankly embarrassed to be associated with.

However, there are times in the bus sector when it can appear as though we’re not proud to be running buses and we’d actually rather not to be associated with bus travel. I’m not talking about the MDs of bus companies - those individuals rooted in the culture of the bus sector and totally obsessed with the industry, immersed in their local markets. At weekends if they’re not at work, they are at a bus rally or on their sofa doing a network review or dreaming up a new brand or customer proposition. They are the bread and butter of this industry, the foundations on which buses keep turning up every day and it is they who keep the show on the road in adversity.

The challenge we have is to successfully juxtapose that mix of local passion and pride for the sector with the very valuable innovation and welcome fresh expertise provided by newcomers and those functionally positioned away from the delivery coalface in the local 16 | 9 February 2024 PT306p16-17.indd 16

markets. In each owning group, there are many examples of this having been achieved, but it is increasingly clear to me, despite some success in parts, that a not insignificant gap has emerged between the teams on the ground and those who enter the industry with no bus background and who see the product as they would any retail investment, not ‘getting’ those essential components that we find in every successful bus business! This can only end in tears - for politicians and communities whose bus networks lose that local touch, which is just so essential, for customers whose service may not work for them anymore and therefore for those investors who do not enjoy the profits they expect from their business plans.

I’m frequently struck by the vigour shown by organisations such as CPT, Bus Users UK and other consumer bodies and trade organisations proudly promoting fab initiatives such as ‘Catch the Bus Week’. But I wish that bus companies themselves would be equally, if not more, vocal. A glance at social media feeds from transport professionals and their organisations sees a predominance

“The eccentricities of the bus industry can culturally be at odds with the clinical, dispassion of venture capitalists”

of rhetoric around important generic good causes. However, these appear to be uttered with more conviction and frequency than the simple joys of providing a bus service that is a lifeblood to communities and has a bright future. I want the currently bashful industry to shout this from the rooftops, to ooze pride at being entrusted with the stewardship of a sector that has been part of the fabric of the UK’s society and landscape for centuries. And social media should be awash with discussion around patronage, customer satisfaction and providing inspiration to travel.

The situation is possibly more challenging in that many of the large owning groups are owned by private equity firms. Whilst their investment is welcome and could be positively game-changing, there is a danger that the bus sector is, for them, just a commodity, a money-making (or losing) machine, statistics on a graph, rather than representing history, tradition or being a deeply complex beast serving micro communities each with their own subtle nuances and behaviours.

Heaven knows what those at the top of these companies make of those quirky folk in their subsidiaries that know and care about the intricacies of route brands, vehicle types and fare stages - the eccentricities of the bus industry can, culturally, be at odds with the clinical, dispassion of venture capitalists, but there’s a place for both, and there must be!

With a few exceptions, I see little let up in the age-old tensions that exist between the shires and the centre and paymasters above.

“They wouldn’t be seen dead on a bus,” is a statement frequently made by a cynical bus MD about those higher up the tree, including private owners, and colleagues in central functions. I take these remarks with a pinch of salt, but deep-down suspect that there’s still not enough travelling on buses by those who make a living out of them.

Sometimes, initiatives foisted on those locally or concepts dreamt up elsewhere can come across as far removed from the realities of bus travel and they can, to a cynic, give off the vibe that those who conceived them are trying to imagine they are not actually working in the bus sector. It can occasionally feel as radical and perplexingly self-destructive as the English Cricket Board insisting its traditional long form of the game is played in April and late September, without a single game in the www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 15:42

“Bus networks are sometimes an unedifying and startling glimpse of ‘Broken Britain’” height of the summer.

I think the industry has in some cases lost its way in terms of knowing where it wants to be collectively, with different owning groups each going in their own direction, or some themselves struggling to understand what they want to be. Wouldn’t it be great for every single bus company and employee to have signed up to a single vision and strategy for the industry?

This shouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility with conviction and collaboration.

It may not be fashionable to suggest this, but in rail, there feels like there is agreement on the vision and purpose of the sector and where it needs to get to (articulated by the shadow Great British Railways Transition Team), even if there is uncertainty around when the starting gun will be fired and who will pick up the baton and in what way exactly.

In trying to reinvent themselves as ‘anything but a bus company’, I do wonder whether there’s a tendency at times within the sector to be slightly reticent to come to terms with the harsh reality that the landscape served by buses isn’t glamourous (scenic journeys aside, of course!). Bus services are very much a shop window to the blight that characterises everyday life. Wonderful it might be to tell the tale of a career spent working in a sector, for instance, that supplies luxury holidays to the rich and famous or to work at the top end of showbiz or professional sport, but that’s not what we signed up for. In the past few weeks, on my travels, I’ve been reminded of the heart and soul of British life and its reliance on bus services and the fact that in terms of glam, it’s not a marketing agency’s dream picture.

Spend some time at Workington, Hanley or Kirkby bus stations as I have done recently watching and talking to customers and you’ll witness folk on the breadline, teetering on the brink, or those with such a wide range of debilitating physical ailments, including very visible under-nourishment and mental health challenges, utterly dependent on their local bus just to be able to continue life as they know it. The rush for the bus in the cramped Workington bus station last Friday evening was a giddying sight of kids pushing and shoving in between puffing on vapes, of elderly folk bandying their walking sticks in the air pleading for peace. It’s a landscape the local Stagecoach management team live and breathe every day, such is their immersion in their www.passengertransport.co.uk

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market - so too bus operators everywhere, the length and breadth of the country.

Bus networks are sometimes an unedifying and startling glimpse of ‘Broken Britain’.

Anti-social behaviour isn’t quite rampant, but it’s never far away if you hang around for long.

This is not picture-postcard stuff and it’s not a sector for the faint hearted, nor one that can be easily articulated in the foreword to the annual accounts, their business plan or in LinkedIn posts.

I was reminded though recently of the power of bus in the lives of many. As some will know I’ve almost daily been producing in my Great Scenic Journeys business, blogs showcasing routes and destinations served by bus across the UK. Many readers have contacted me with kind comments saying that my posts have rekindled nostalgic memories of travelling to school on these routes, before moving far away. Others talk of happy family trips out on some of our featured scenic trips, of holidays and special days. I have long felt that the bus industry doesn’t do enough to recognise and celebrate the place that their routes have in the lives of so many - witness the opprobrium when route numbers are changed, and tradition broken.

Many customers with limited social mobility aspirations have spent their entire lives living and travelling on one bus route. It has been a mainstay of their existence, the one constant that has facilitated their lives.

The problem is that it’s not fashionable to look back, as an industry we should be looking forward, to wonderful days when buses won’t look like buses, where routes won’t exist, everything will be on-demand and drivers will be an anathema. But even today’s generation is still developing affinity for the routes that are the gateway to the trip out with mates or to school, college or university. My youngest daughter won’t profess to being a bus nerd, but she knows all the local routes, times and stops and respects the fact that the bus is an enabler for her. In years to come, she’ll talk fondly of the 458 to Staines. And, whilst we’re remembering, let’s not lose sight of the fact that buses haven’t been obliterated. Fewer and fewer youngsters are clamouring to learn to drive when they hit 17 and whilst Uber is popular, it’s not the answer - fares have increased, driver margins have reduced causing a shortage, it’s less available and remains largely

unprofitable. Spread the word and say it loud - we’re actually winning the battle, against the so-called odds.

However, before those in charge accuse me of being a one-sided bus spotter with my head in the sand, I accept that some refresh and reinvention is needed and that not everyone gets excited by the sight of a bus as I do.

When my teenage son started working for me at Great Scenic Journeys, he was absolutely adamant that all marketing material should show people (happy customers and employees) or scenery, not buses. The ‘know it all’ proved his point quickly by posting on Instagram two near identical pictures of a clifftop view - one with an open top bus and the other without it.

The latter got 10 times more ‘likes’.

Nonetheless, it’s a lazy and unfair narrative to think that those who care deeply about buses are incapable of realising that it is important to take a step back from the bus and see things from the lens of someone who really just wants an experience and to get from A to B. The sector needs to keep encouraging those with affection for buses and a deep understanding of their markets and realise they do ‘get it’ - if we lose these people from the industry, then it will be hugely detrimental.

It’s unnerving to think about who, in 10-15 years will replace the current generation of those in the subsidiaries who clearly care and believe so much in the bus sector and see the value in conscientiously devouring the minutiae of their local markets and trends and who don’t think the solution is pretending that they’re working elsewhere or that we’d be better off just ripping it up and starting from scratch. We need more and more people to ooze with pride at running buses for a living - it’s what will keep the sector alive so that it can not only fight another day but make the transformational progress that we all yearn for.

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.

9 February 2024 | 17

07/02/2024 15:42

COMMENT

NICK RICHARDSON

Where now for the HS2 project?

With much of the scheme cancelled by the government, HS2’s function will be very different from the original high speed vision Much has been said about High Speed Two with considerable fallout following the decision not to complete the scheme to Manchester after the eastern arm to Leeds had been abandoned earlier. High speed rail to all parts of Britain remains a valid aspiration if it were not beaten by engineering challenges and successive cost increases. Inevitably, any major engineering project will suffer from rising costs but for HS2, the cost was high to start with and it was never going to be an easy project.

The reality is that lopping off large sections has muted its ability to deliver very many benefits. The value of the rump of the project is questionable given the swathes of land and protected areas that it has cut through and the huge quantity of carbon that it embeds in its creation.

Reduced scope What is left is far removed from the vision that was a prime mover for levelling up as an alternative to long road or rail journeys or worse, reliance on domestic air travel.

As it now stands, HS2 is not what transport planning reasoning would promote. Key to this is the West Coast Main Line (WCML) which at its last re-vamp spent £10 billion but did not include some of the larger improvements that would have raised the line speed to match the capabilities of the trains. Hence we have Pendolinos that are capable of 140mph but are restricted to a maximum of 125mph. However, we do have a lot of fast services when Avanti is 18 | 9 February 2024 PT306p18-19.indd 18

working as intended and if the infrastructure is intact after extreme weather events. The WCML has a lot of competing demands given its function as a core north-south route with local and inter-urban trains plus freight trains which are slower than passenger services, and the mixture is far from ideal, requiring careful timetabling.

What tends to be forgotten in the levelling up debate is that while people can get from London to Birmingham quickly, they can also get from Birmingham to London. Providing better connections may have beneficial impacts for the West Midlands but it may have the unintended consequence that Birmingham becomes a more regular commuter base for London. There is the added complication

that it seems that the southern terminus will be Old Oak Common, six miles from Euston, somewhere that the majority of travellers will not want to go. Depending on the pricing of tickets for HS2, many users might prefer to stay on their Avanti or Chiltern service.

Journey time isn’t necessarily the prime driver and the cost of rail travel has reached such a high that it is prompting changes in when people travel and if they even use trains at all.

Having cleared all the buildings across a large tract of land adjacent to Euston, creating a terminus there is far from certain. If private sector investment is assumed then it needs to be explained why there will be good returns for a service that may not attract sufficient users to cover anything like the costs.

Beyond the West Midlands Then we have the section beyond Birmingham to Handsacre where HS2 will connect into the WCML. Here the strange situation occurs in which HS2 trains delay all the established services because they will be non-tilting and hence cannot travel as fast as Pendolinos.

Perhaps the route should end at Birmingham.

Redesigning HS2 trains is unlikely given that contracts have been awarded to train builders, but integrating old and new networks presents challenges to which there are no easy solutions. It appears that HS2 provides neither speed for a relatively short route or capacity because it consumes WCML capacity rather than adds to it – it needs re-defining as something credible.

In looking for a silver lining to the very big cloud, government directs us to Network Work progresses on HS2’s mammoth Colne Valley viaduct

www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 15:22

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

North, a means of redistributing the HS2 budget to worthwhile schemes elsewhere. As I have pointed out previously, many of these won’t happen for a variety of reasons even if money is available. With a vast budget, HS2 in its original guise was dropped because it was unaffordable so it remains to be seen how spending the same amount of money on other things becomes affordable. The conclusion must be that Network North is unaffordable as well, largely because much of the HS2 budget was borrowed and didn’t exist as ready cash anyway. So much for the silver lining.

Birmingham’s new Curzon Street station is taking shape

Redirection In Birmingham, the new Curzon Street station is taking shape as a massive edifice.

If the project ends here it would reflect the aspirations of the original London to Birmingham Railway of the late 1830s. The section beyond is still being constructed though, not helped by bad press concerning land and property acquisition and environmental destruction.

The problem is that an even shorter HS2 would have even less purpose, especially if it never reaches Euston. The business case for the scheme was always poor but now will vanish, unless government’s creative accountancy ignores all the money spent to date. Even then it won’t be brilliant because of poor revenue and rising costs. Perhaps the decision not to connect HS2 to HS1 should be revisited with a view to providing direct services between Birmingham and the Continent which would certainly provide some competition for airlines and be more convenient than journeys involving a ferry crossing. This could re-purpose the whole project and avoid the Euston conundrum altogether.

Originally there was limited opposition in principle to the concept of HS2 and the idea of spending heavily on rail was welcomed.

Ever since, as the project has been diluted and the damage has increased, it has become apparent that it was going nowhere useful.

Rail definitely needs a large budget but only if directed towards schemes that make a difference in terms of speed, capacity, resilience or quality. The legacy of HS2 may be a large debt associated with a project that delivers remarkably little with a vast opportunity cost of not doing rail schemes www.passengertransport.co.uk

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“The problem is that an even shorter HS2 would have even less purpose” that would have wider benefits.

Now it is reported that the secretary of state for transport, Mark Harper, is open minded about any proposals for private funding to pick up where government left off, referring to the efforts by the mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester to revive the scheme.

Meanwhile, HS2 safeguarding is being withdrawn so the land required to resurrect the scheme will no longer be available. Harper refers to ‘rebalancing a little where we spend the money’ given that a proportion of the funding in Network North would be spent on roads. His justification is that 60% of journeys are made by car, 4% by train and 2% by bus; here our collective experience of many decades goes out the window because “we are spending some of it improving our roads, enabling people to use buses”. What he seems to be missing is an understanding of how to achieve a modal shift away from car-

dependency and why this is essential. Harper’s view is that spending reflects a situation in which “everything should feed into each other as a system”: this is fine unless that system is hopelessly unbalanced. Also, it needs each mode to be coherent within itself which the connections between HS2 and the WCML show is not the case.

Pressing on with a bit of the original HS2 concept is never going to be satisfactory, not least because one end of it doesn’t go where most people want to go. A pause would provide an opportunity to re-think what the scheme could achieve or at least find ways of mitigating the problems that will result from the current scope. Otherwise, it will be an unsatisfactory but massive opportunity lost.

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.

9 February 2024 | 19

07/02/2024 15:22

APPRENTICESHIPS 2024

Go-Ahead Group

Zack Cross is pursuing a Bus & Coach apprenticeship at Go East Anglia

Providing ‘Skills for Life’ The passenger transport sector has showcased its success in delivering apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week

The Go-Ahead Group is the UK’s largest employer of transport apprentices. The bus and rail group aims to recruit 850 apprentices during 2024 to train as bus drivers, rail drivers, engineers and in a variety of administrative roles. The new recruits will all be taught functional skills, including English and maths, while working in Go-Ahead’s depots, stations, and offices. This year’s intake will bring the total number of apprentices hired by Go-Ahead since 2019 to 6,000.

Over the year ahead, Go-Ahead London, responsible for a quarter of London’s buses, plans to hire 500 apprentice bus drivers, most of whom will be on the road driving within six weeks of recruitment. Drivers are trained at Go-Ahead London’s Camberwell academy - the industry’s largest in-house apprenticeship centre.

Meanwhile, Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express trains, is set to welcome 220 apprentice engineers and train drivers. Go North West, the Manchesterbased bus company known for launching Greater Manchester’s Bee Network public transport service, aims to add 100 apprentice bus drivers. Additional apprentices will be recruited across various roles at Go-Ahead’s regional bus companies and in head office positions in London and Newcastle.

Go-Ahead has recruited apprentices of all ages and backgrounds - the youngest hired by the group has been 16 (although 18 is the minimum age for bus and rail drivers). The oldest apprentice to join Go-Ahead was 65.

Some join straight from school, while others are career switchers.

The Go-Ahead Group ranked 5th last year in the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer listings (see panel opposite), the highest ranking in the passenger transport sector.

Govia Thameslink Railway Key players in the passenger transport sector have used National Apprenticeship Week to showcase the work they are doing to attract new talent and develop their skills.

This special section of Passenger Transport is devoted to that work. It includes articles from the Department for Education and First Bus. To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, which this year has the theme ‘Skills 20 | 9 February 2024 PT306p20-23.indd 20

for Life’, First Bus launched its first ever apprenticeship programme for bus drivers.

The aim of the new pilot is to potentially provide the bus firm with a pathway to create hundreds of new bus drivers every year, whilst also enhancing driver retention rates.

Here is a summary of how some other players in the passenger transport sector marked National Apprenticeship Week:

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has revealed a sharp increase in the number of females starting an apprenticeship. GTR welcomed a total of 176 new starters in 2023, with 60 of these coming from female applicants, representing a 50% increase from the previous year.

The data comes after 2022 saw the highest number of female applicants for train driver www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 16:30

NAW2024 National Apprenticeship Week February 5-11, 2024 amazingapprenticeships.com

roles in five years, revealing a growing interest in the industry. The numbers are a positive reflection of rail becoming more inclusive and demonstrates GTR’s commitment to diversify its workforce.

There are a total of 14 apprenticeship courses on offer at GTR, and the rail operator supports employees to study alongside their day jobs in order to aid development and upskill. As well as an increase in females starting apprenticeships, the overall number of employees taking on an apprenticeship increased by 22% last year.

One woman now reaping the benefits of GTR’s apprenticeship programme is Wioletta Kuszyk, who graduated to become a qualified train driver in 2023. She said the training programme served as a practical introduction to rail after she swapped careers aged 39.

“After making a big decision to change career paths from a chef to train driver post Covid, the GTR apprenticeship was a great introduction to the industry. It gave me all the skills and support I needed in those early years of my new career, and a thorough understanding of what my short and long-term opportunities were.

“There are so many apprenticeships on offer at GTR to suit different people’s needs, so if you’re interested in the rail industry, it’s a great way to get started.”

business and industry.

Support and mentorship are provided on an ongoing basis by the learners’ managers, training provider-allocated coaches and skills tutors. It means that anyone who completes it will gain a nationally recognised qualification, along with useful transferable skills.

Since it was set up in 2017, Greater Anglia’s apprenticeship scheme has trained over 265 employees from all areas of the business including operations, customer service, and office-based roles. Among them is John Smith, a former apprentice who currently works as a lead driver manager at Greater Anglia.

He commented: “There is a false perception that apprenticeships are only accessible to those fresh out of school, but that is simply not the case - apprenticeships are open to anyone and provide a wealth of new skills, all the while giving support and guidance so that staff can reach their full potential.

“Initially I was apprehensive as to what the benefits of the apprenticeship would be. As it went on, I found that the course was excellent for my professional development and it has equipped me with skills and knowledge to excel within my role.

TransPennine Route Upgrade Network Rail revealed that the Transpennine Route Upgrade is close to reaching the halfway mark of its aim to take on 590 apprentices across the rail upgrade between Manchester and York, via Leeds and Huddersfield. The number of apprentices on the multi-billionpound programme has reached 264, primarily recruited from locations along the route and amounting to £14.3m in value to society, according to the Rail Social Value Tool.

Apprentices on TRU identify the cost of living crisis, tuition fee debt, career prospects and enhanced hands-on learning as reasons for choosing apprenticeships. Bethany Draper, TRU commercial apprentice based in Leeds and York said: “I was accepted into two Russell Group universities but if I were to have gone to university, I would have been in a lot of debt.”

MORE ON APPRENTICESHIPS DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION: Gaining from apprenticeships FIRST BUS: Building a more diverse team

22 23

TRANSPORT’S TOP APPRENTICESHIP EMPLOYERS: RANKINGS 2023 Source: Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, Department for Education

Greater Anglia Train operator Greater Anglia, part of Transport Group UK, chose to highlight that it offers fully funded apprenticeships to all of its employees, regardless of their age or the stage of their career, giving them the chance to develop and improve their skills to reach their full potential. There are currently almost 200 Greater Anglia employees undertaking qualifications. They sit in all areas of the company from administration, engineering, and customer service, to on-board roles such as conductor and train driver.

The scheme offers fully funded apprenticeships in levels two to five, starting at an intermediate level up to a higher apprenticeship level, the equivalent of a foundation degree. It provides tutor-led training but also provides crucial on-the-job development, allowing the apprentice to improve and gain skills from communication and teamwork to problem-solving, leadership and even learning about other areas of the www.passengertransport.co.uk

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The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers celebrates England’s outstanding apprenticeship employers in 2023, recognising their commitment to creating new apprenticeships, the diversity of their apprentices, and the number of apprentices who successfully achieve their apprenticeships.

The rankings are produced annually by the Department for Education, in partnership with High Fliers Research, who independently assess and rank the nation’s top apprenticeship employers.

Entries for the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in 2023 were open to apprenticeship employers in England with a minimum of 250 employees and 25 apprentices.

The Top 100 included six employers from the passenger transport sector, with The Go-Ahead Group achieving the highest ranking (5th). Between them they took on more than 3,000 new apprentices in 2023, with apprentices accounting for between 5% and 10% of their employees.

Employer The Go-Ahead Group Stagecoach Transport UK Group Network Rail South East Trains Cross Country Trains

Rank 5 42 56 57 68 94

Apprenticeships1 2345 7 234 6 234567 234567 2345 7 2345 7

% of employees2 5.6% 6.3% 5.5% 4.7% 7.3% 9.3%

New starts3 1,029 888 509 436 133 94

Level of apprenticeships provided in 2022-2023 Percentage of employees that were apprentices in March 2023 3 Number of apprentices that started an apprenticeship between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 1

2

9 February 2024 | 21

07/02/2024 16:30

APPRENTICESHIPS 2024 Department for Education

Gaining from apprenticeships Kate Ridley-Moy, director of apprenticeships and skills bootcamps at the Department for Education, explains how transport sector employers can benefit from apprenticeships This week is National Apprenticeship Week, a moment dedicated to championing technical qualifications and celebrate the value, benefit and Kate Ridley-Moy opportunity they bring to employers and individuals.

To coincide with this, the Skills for Life campaign has just launched the Skills Horizon 2024 Barometer which found increased confidence amongst SMEs for utilising technical education. This comes following widespread success stories as nearly 74% reported seeing other businesses benefit from such training schemes.

It is hugely encouraging to see this positive move forward as different sectors, including the transport industry, use opportunities, such as apprenticeships, to kickstart futures and address skill gaps.

Apprenticeships There are many routes into the transport sector through apprenticeships, from transport drivers to transport planners, rail infrastructure operators to project management. These give driven individuals of all ages the opportunity to enter their chosen industry and gain valuable experience, whilst also earning money.

Not only can apprenticeships help grow a businesses’ own talent pool and fill skills gaps, they can also develop skills the organisation needs to meet business objectives in the short and long term. Consilium Technical Services is an example of an organisation in the transport sector that has used apprenticeships to find new talent, boost business productivity and future proof.

Michael Lysaght, business and compliance manager at Consilium Technical Services says: “Currently, 15% of our productivity stems from the work of our apprentices, a clear 22 | 9 February 2024 PT306p20-23.indd 22

demonstration of the scheme’s business value.

We started our scheme in 2021 and have since found it a great way to attract driven, capable individuals into the business, which is useful for our talent pipeline planning. This year, we plan to increase investment within our apprenticeship scheme, which will play a key part in supporting the business’s growth.

“Apprentices have a structured training programme to enable career development whilst gaining the qualification. During an apprentice’s time with a business, they’re able to get a strong understanding of its functions and operations, making them a strong candidate for a full-time member of the workforce, who is able to hit the ground running.”

“We have found it a great way to attract driven, capable individuals”

Lou Irie, an apprentice bus driver at Go-Ahead London

T Levels National Apprenticeship Week will also celebrate T Level Thursday, championing and raising further awareness of this high-quality technical qualification, which was introduced in 2020. T Levels are equivalent to three A Levels and enable young people to gain their qualification through 80% classroom-based study and 20% industry placement with an employer, for a minimum of 45 days, gaining hands on experience in the workplace.

Those in the transport sector may be particularly interested in construction and engineering T Levels, which offer students firsthand experience of working in the sector. These subjects include Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction, Design & Development for Engineering and Manufacturing, Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing and Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control.

The Midland Metro Alliance, which is designing and building a number of light rail extensions on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, has also been working since 2016 to deliver career opportunities in a range of roles, via differing routes and at varying levels, including supporting local young people with T-Level qualifications.

Rose Rees, head of engagement and skills, Midland Metro Alliance, comments: “We’ve got some fantastic people retiring but they’re taking with them their skills, knowledge and experience, so we need to encourage new talent to come into our sector. Particularly young people who bring fresh ideas and can share good practice with well-established colleagues currently in the sector.”

T Levels provide employers with opportunities to shape the future of their workforce by gaining early access to the newest talent in the sector whilst also feeding into the curriculum. This ensures T Level students have the skills businesses need and can quickly become strong assets for employers.

Celebrate the value, benefit and opportunity apprenticeships bring and get behind National Apprenticeship Week 2024 - visit: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/ national-apprenticeship-week. To find training and employment schemes for your business, as well as support on how to implement these, visit: find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 16:30

APPRENTICESHIPS 2024 First Bus

Building a more diverse team

At First Bus we are helping to futureproof the industry with a diverse apprenticeship programme From the granite streets of Aberdeen right down to the Cornish coast, First Bus is proud to be one of the UK’s largest bus operators, carrying over a million customers a day up and down the country. Serving two-thirds of the UK’s 15 largest conurbations, including Glasgow, Bristol and Leeds, we understand the pivotal role we play in our local communities.

As such, we want to make sure that our colleagues - the backbone of our business - truly reflect the communities we serve. One way to address this is through our apprenticeship programmes - a hugely important platform for us to attract and build a more diverse team.

A more gender-balanced industry It’s no secret that the transport industry is male dominated, with just 20% of the workforce being women. Beyond this, just 16.5% of engineers in the UK are female.

These are disappointingly low figures and ones that we’re taking active steps to help address within our own business.

Apprenticeships can be a powerful way of creating routes into the industry for female talent. One of our apprentices, Maddi Simmons, joined our engineering programme after her daily bus commute to and from college sparked an interest in the sector.

Commenting on her journey to becoming a fully qualified bus engineer, Maddi said: “As a young woman, I was really nervous to begin my apprenticeship as I didn’t know what to expect. However, First Bus has ensured that it’s a really inclusive and welcoming environment and it felt like everyone was on a level playing field from the offset.”

Steering the future of bus travel Apprentices like Maddi also have the opportunity to be at the forefront of change and help steer the future of bus travel. On the topic of future technologies, Maddi said: “Working with buses is a really interesting place to be right now, and the technology is constantly evolving. For example, First Bus now has a huge fleet of electric, hydrogen and hybrid buses as part of its decarbonisation www.passengertransport.co.uk

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strategy. It’s exciting to think that the other apprentices and I are helping one of the country’s biggest operators become a leader in low-carbon transport!

“Naturally, the new technology means that our roles as engineers and the skills we need to have will keep changing. However, First Bus is helping us with this by ensuring that we are multi-skilled. We aren’t funnelled into a specific type of engineering like mechanical or electrical, meaning that we are more wellrounded and can cover more bases.”

This future-focused lens is at the heart of our programmes, as is continuous learning. We want to create opportunities for our people to learn new skills, expand their knowledge, and advance their careers within First Bus.

“First Bus has ensured that it’s a really inclusive and welcoming environment and it felt like everyone was on a level playing field from the offset” Maddi Simmons

Long-term careers for young people Alongside our engineering apprenticeship, we’ve recently teamed up with a leading transport training provider, Realise, to launch our first ever apprenticeship for bus drivers.

The inaugural cohort of 13 apprentice drivers have already begun their training at our Chelmsford, Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield depots, and we are excited to see the results of this pilot with a view to expanding the programme further in the future.

Apprentices will complete the Bus Driver Level 2 Passenger Transport Apprenticeship over a 13-month period, with a mix of practical bus driving training, customer service training and functional skills in English and Maths.

The launch of this apprenticeship is a significant milestone for First Bus, as we strive to be more representative of the communities we serve and encourage more young people to build long-term careers in the sector.

Empowering role fluidity for all While apprenticeships can provide a valuable springboard for young people, and have long been associated with this demographic, they can also be a great option for people of all ages looking to try something new.

This is the case for one of our engineering apprentices, Thang Tang, who started his career with First Bus in 2005 as a bus driver.

In 2022, he made the decision to pivot his career path and become an engineer at the age of 45. Tang’s experience so far has proven that one is never too old to embrace a new challenge, having received a special award at the 2023 IRTE Skills Challenge.

As we continue to develop our apprenticeship offering in the future, fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce will be our North Star. We know that diversity is needed to achieve an impactful apprenticeship programme, so offering a diverse range of roles and learning opportunities is key.

However, it’s also important to remember that apprenticeships can be a critical tool for driving diversity in the transport industry as a whole.

9 February 2024 | 23

07/02/2024 16:31

SPECIAL REPORT UKRAINE

Ukrzaliznytsia and its ‘iron people’ On a recent visit to Ukraine I was inspired to meet so many brave, committed and talented people, who believe in the power of rail I recently had the honour of visiting Ukraine as part of an international delegation working with the Global Ukraine Rail David Brown Taskforce in partnership Arriva UK Trains with the taskforce, the UK rail industry has so far raised over £106,000, providing more than 7,000 food parcels to help support Ukrainian railway workers and their families.

Over the course of our time in Ukraine, I never once heard people talk about ‘if’ they would win the war, only ‘when’. This sense of resolve and togetherness has come to define the Ukrainian resistance. It’s a large reason why the country is still standing, continuing to defy the odds nearly two years since Russia launched an invasion that was meant to be over in a matter of days.

The Ukrainian railway, or Ukrzaliznytsia, has fast become a symbol of this resilience.

From the moment the war broke out, the Ukrzaliznytsia has played a vital and varied role in the conflict.

In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, the railway was a lifeline for people fleeing the Russian advance. To put the scale of the challenge into perspective, the United Nations estimates that as many as eight million people were initially displaced by the conflict, representing the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two. The Ukrzaliznytsia was responsible for transporting more than half these people away from the fighting, and towards the relative safety of Western Ukraine and its neighbours.

Early on in the trip, it was sobering to be

“It was sobering to be shown a wagon riddled with bullet holes”

This shell-damaged wagon was carrying civilian evacuees

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shown a wagon riddled with bullet holes. We were told that this had been carrying civilians, many of them children, at the time it was attacked. Miraculously, nobody was killed.

And as the war has evolved, so too have the demands on Ukraine’s railway. As you’d expect, there is a heavy reliance on rail for moving troops, supplies and military aid.

But, remarkably, the Ukrzaliznytsia is still delivering on its peacetime objectives driving growth, supporting the economy and connecting friends and families.

It was an enormous privilege to speak directly with some of the frontline staff, managers and trade union representatives, and to learn more about how they have kept their railway running in the face of unimaginable challenges.

Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Ukrzaliznytsia board member for passenger services, explained how, especially in the early months of the war, Russia would target rail infrastructure, attempting to disrupt supply lines and cut off troops serving on the front. Rail workers would have to be dispatched quickly, often in the middle of the night, to repair bombdamaged rails and equipment.

In peacetime, these jobs might take days, even weeks, to complete, but the war effort can’t afford to wait that long. In response, rail engineers have been forced to innovate, coming up with new ways of working to get the line back up and running within hours, all the while, having to stay alert for the ever-present threat of further attacks.

That’s what makes it all the more remarkable; against the backdrop of a war that has turned the lives of the Ukrainian people upside down, there is still such a commitment to delivering ‘business as usual’.

In a room in Kyiv station, Oleksandr told us how passenger numbers have already recovered to pre-war levels and are even expected to hit a record high in 2024. All of this has been achieved through an unwavering focus on operational performance, and a determination to provide a service the country can rely on.

And it’s a similar story for freight, where the railway carried an all time high of 141 tonnes of food and goods in November 2023, responding to the opening of the Black Sea corridor and the ending of the Russian blockade.

But on top of these incredible achievements, www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 15:09

Ukrzaliznytsia trains at Kyiv station

Presenting Oleksii Semerun, Leader of the Trade Union of Railway Workers a cheque

Ukrzaliznytsia sleeper train at sunset in Chelm

“As part of the wider railway family, we should all share a sense of admiration and pride for what our colleagues in Ukraine are achieving” it was the determination to continue improving and modernising the railway that I found most striking. The Ukrzaliznytsia has a clear long-term vision and steadfastly refuses to allow the Russian invasion to distract from it.

As we were being shown around the busy Kyiv railway station, Oleksandr told us how successful the recent roll out of a digital ticketing system has been with passengers, making it more straightforward to purchase tickets online. He drew our attention to a popular, newly-built play space in the central lobby, commenting that the area would previously have been crowded with people queueing for the limited number of ticket booths.

Nowhere is the Ukrzaliznytsia’s commitment to growth better demonstrated than through its plans to expand its network.

We heard how they’re aiming to build on their domestic routes and introducing new fleet.

But more than that, they’re even mapping out what they want to achieve when the war is won, with plans for new direct international services to Vienna and Warsaw.

And there is a real awareness amongst www.passengertransport.co.uk

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the railway’s leadership that they must do more to make their railway accessible.

Accessibility should always be a priority, but the influx of veterans returning home with terrible, debilitating injuries means there is an urgent need for action. In the brief time I spent travelling on the Ukrainian railway, I saw first-hand how much work will be required, with many stations lacking step-free access, and significant drops-offs between train and platform.

Progress is already being made through the Ukrzaliznytsia Barrier-Free Railway program.

We heard from Yevhen Lyashchenko, CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia, how they are moving at pace to make physical station alterations and introduce staff training programmes, as first steps in making the network easier for people with disabilities to navigate.

Yevhen also told us about their Back to Work initiative, which has set up a dedicated veterans’ centre to help reintegrate men and women returning from the frontline - ensuring they have access to appropriate and rewarding careers on the railway. One of the centre’s flagship schemes has seen the creation of a

brand new team, which is staffed by wounded veterans and tasked with using drones to monitor and protect railroad infrastructure.

I only had the honour to be in Ukraine for a short visit, but it’s an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime. It was truly inspiring to meet so many committed and talented people, who believe wholeheartedly in the power of rail to help their country through one of its darkest periods. It’s no wonder that the Ukrzaliznytsia’s workers have earned themselves the title ‘the iron people’.

As part of the wider railway family, we should all share a sense of admiration and pride for what our colleagues in Ukraine are achieving.

We have a shared responsibility to support them, particularly as the conflict progresses and their needs evolve. Moving forward, we must continue to help them, whether that’s through further financial aid and food parcels, or through sharing our experiences and expertise as the country strives to rebuild.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR David Brown joined Arriva in September 2017 as Managing Director of Arriva Rail North and then as Arriva’s Group Communications Director before being appointed Managing Director UK Trains in October 2020. Prior to joining Arriva, he was Chief Executive of Transport for the North.

9 February 2024 | 25

07/02/2024 15:09

SPECIAL REPORT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Why AI isn’t a silver bullet for buses The true measure of success of the latest transport technologies lies in the hands of the people who know the industry best From self-driving cars to artificial intelligence (AI) - we’ve been through the tech hype cycles that were big news when they broke, Brian O’Rourke and then just faded away CitySwift or never came to pass.

Only a few years ago articles were predicting that autonomous vehicles were the future of transport, and the rise of self-driving cars would be fully rolled out promptly.

Taking a look on the streets today, I don’t see a self-driving car in sight.

Complex operating environment First and foremost, the complexity of the bus industry’s operational environment poses significant challenges for AI integration.

Unlike some sectors where data is neatly structured, the bus industry operates in a dynamic and multifaceted landscape. From route optimisation to passenger management, bus systems are influenced by a myriad of real-world factors including traffic patterns, weather conditions, and unforeseen events.

While AI excels in processing large volumes of data, its effectiveness is contingent upon the quality and relevance of the information available. In the absence of clean, comprehensive and accurate data, AI algorithms will struggle to deliver meaningful insights and recommendations, and could possibly deliver misleading outputs.

experience, intervention and adaptability.

As such, the role of technology and data in the bus industry should be viewed as complementary rather than substitutive.

By empowering bus operators with intelligent tools and insights, technology can enhance efficiency and responsiveness while allowing schedulers to focus on the more important commercial tasks that require human ingenuity and intuition.

Social concerns Furthermore, the implementation of AI in the bus industry raises important ethical and societal considerations. As AI systems become increasingly used, questions surrounding algorithmic bias have come to the forefront.

The indiscriminate deployment of AI solutions could exacerbate inequalities and undermine public trust. In an industry that champions its role in serving diverse communities with unique needs and sensitivities, a one-size-fits all approach to AI implemented transport

Experts are indispensable Moreover, the human element remains indispensable in the bus industry. While AI can streamline certain processes and augment decision-making, it will never replace the nuanced judgement and empathy that schedulers and wider industry experts bring to the table. Understanding passenger behaviour, commercial trade-offs, and unforeseen contingencies demand scheduler 26 | 9 February 2024 PT306p26-27.indd 26

Bus systems are influenced by a myriad of realworld factors

networks is neither feasible nor desirable.

We need to continue to strike a balance between social equity and maximising efficiency when employing any of these systems.

Cost considerations Additionally, the financial implications of AI adoption cannot be overlooked. While AI holds the promise of long-term cost savings and operational efficiencies, the initial investment required for implementation and infrastructure upgrades could be prohibitive for many bus operators, particularly those on tight budgets.

Benefits of technology Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of data, technology and AI (in the right context) in the bus industry are evident.

From predictive maintenance to more dynamic scheduling and data-powered solutions, these offer the promise of enhanced safety, reliability, and improved passenger experience. The core benefit for operators and authorities is that these systems have the potential to superpower existing experts. By taking away the more mundane, cumbersome data manipulation processes, these technologies give industry experts more time to collaborate, internally and externally, and use their years of experience to execute on their chosen commercial strategy, which should only result in improved bus services for cities and passengers.

While data and technological advances hold great promise for the bus industry, AI is not a silver bullet. As we journey forward, let us remember that the true measure of success lies not in the sophistication of our technologies, but in our ability to ensure that the people within the industry harness them for the greater good of public transport.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian O’Rourke is CEO and co-founder of CitySwift, an Irish-based intelligent transport data platform that helps public transport authorities and operators to deliver dynamic services that are ultra-efficient and reliable.

CitySwift’s customer base features some of the world’s largest public transport bodies, including Go-Ahead Group, Transport for Wales, National Express Group, Translink, Oxfordshire County Council, and East Yorkshire Buses

Brought to you by Passenger Transport

07/02/2024 15:45

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07/02/2024 15:10

COMMENT

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

OIL MARKET REPORT

£

PORTLAND FUEL ANALYTICS - FEBRUARY 2024

An uneventful year on the oil markets?

Portland was one of very few companies to forecast oil prices falling in 2023. This year we expect to see prices trending sideways This time last year, UBS predicted that prices in 2023 would “likely soar past $100 a barrel”. At the same time and in a similar style, James Spencer Goldman Sachs saw Brent Portland averaging $98 a barrel, with prices in excess of $105 in the second half of the year. Dow Jones Group predicted an average price for 2023 of $96 per barrel, whilst JP Morgan were slightly more prudent with a forecast of only $90 per barrel. Even the US Department of Energy (which has all the available data for US shale production - see below) predicted an average price of $95, whilst the World Bank joined the party in the second half of the year, predicting that prices could top $150 on the back of Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Meanwhile, a tinpot outfit in York going by the name of Portland, was one of the very few companies last January to forecast oil prices falling in 2023 - which meant for the ninth year in a row we got our annual oil price prediction correct! On January 1, 2023, the Brent Crude price was $82 per barrel and by the mid-point of the year, this had dropped to $75 per barrel.

On the last working day of December, the price had risen slightly to $77. The average price for the full year was $82.16 (versus an average of $104.28 in 2022) and this is relevant when we consider just how far off the mark the aforementioned 2023 predictions really were.

The reason so many analysts got their 2023 price predictions wrong (apart from the obvious 28 | 9 February 2024 PT306p28-29.indd 28

fact that Investment Banks do better in bullish markets) was their continued preoccupation around supply security. This was a subject that had dominated the energy picture in 2022 (on the back of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine) and although a reasonable position to take going into last year, it overlooked two key factors.

Firstly, that oil supplies in 2023 would be more robust and secondly, that the global economy was sickly, thus suppressing oil demand.

On the supply front, way too much focus was placed on the actions of OPEC+ (OPEC Members plus Russia), as they desperately tried to force prices upwards via continuous announcements of production cuts. Not only did this dissatisfy its own members (such that Angola resigned from OPEC at the end of the year), but 2023 actually saw the cartel’s activity playing second fiddle to rapidly increasing oil production in other parts of the world. The US shale industry had already added one million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2022 and was more than happy to keep pushing volumes up to fill the gaps left by the withdrawn OPEC barrels. At the same time, Guyana’s new Stabroek field came onstream (+500,000 bpd), whilst further largescale production increases were also seen in Brazil, Argentina and Canada.

“On the demand side, China’s economy did not rebound as expected”

At the same time on the demand side, China’s economy did not rebound as expected, after Beijing’s panicked dismantling of its Covid restrictions in December 2022. In fact, the Far-Eastern economic giant saw fairly moribund growth levels throughout the year.

In the West at the same time, inflation and high interest rates kept most economies either flatlining or sent them into mild recessions, further limiting demand for oil products.

What of 2024 then? Unlike this time last year, few analysts are predicting significant spikes in the price of oil. This is remarkable considering that we have ongoing wars in Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Palestine, plus a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea. However, such is the confidence in growing oil supplies from the Americas, matched with an equal lack of confidence in economic growth, that geo-political concerns are now seen as less important than the basics of supply and demand.

There might be two possible situations that send oil prices skywards. The first is a full escalation of the military activities in the Red Sea and a possible spill-over into the Arab Gulf.

Remember that around 50% of the seaborne oil trade passes through or near these waters and whilst traders have been remarkably sanguine about the burgeoning conflict so far, waking up to the news that a super-tanker has been commandeered or sunk would swiftly send oil markets into panic mode. Later in the year, we might also see Russian interference in November’s US presidential election. Do not underestimate the desire that exists in Russia for a Trump victory, as the Republican candidate has already indicated he will end military support for Ukraine and push for a negotiated settlement, should he get elected (presumably he won’t dispute the outcome if he wins…). The one thing that Joe Biden would not want in the run-up to an election is high gas(oline) prices and thus Russia may aim to derail the Democrat campaign by manipulating oil prices upwards. This would involve the further withholding of Russian oil and gas.

However, both of the above scenarios seem to lie at the more fanciful end of the scale.

More importantly, even if these events did come to pass, the impact on oil prices would be short-lived. Therefore, Portland’s 2024 prediction is for a fairly uneventful year on the markets, with Brent Crude trending sideways and staying in the $70-$80 price bracket. www.passengertransport.co.uk

07/02/2024 15:13

COMMENT

GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES

Harsh reality awaits Labour’s rhetoric

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

As I mentioned in my last column our minister of state, Huw Merriman, told us at the Railway Industry Association’s recent parliamentary reception that the draft Rail Reform Bill would be published “very soon”.

But in an answer to a parliamentary question from the Lib Dem transport spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse, all Huw Merriman said was that the draft Bill would be brought forward “in this session” [of parliament]. That seems to me to fall well short of publishing the wretched Bill “very soon”. The mystery over this government’s reluctance to publish a pretty harmless draft Bill deepens as each day passes. Or perhaps it doesn’t - perhaps it’s simply a continuing reflection that No 10 doesn’t really care about the railways, and certainly doesn’t see them as a priority.

Meanwhile, Labour’s transport spokesperson, Louise Haigh, has told us that she will set out the party’s plans to fix our “broken” railways within two or three weeks, claiming that these plans will lead to “significant savings”.

I can’t wait. Given that the cost of running the railway is pretty much a fixed item, I’m slightly puzzled as to how she thinks a Labour government can make “significant” savings.

Perhaps it depends on what she means by “significant”. I look forward to reading all about Labour’s plans when they are published.

Meanwhile, despite the cancellation of HS2 Phase 2b, HS2 continues to get considerable media and political airtime. Perhaps that’s no surprise given the controversy over the prime www.passengertransport.co.uk

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minister’s decision. Debate about the merits of cancelling the project and the credibility of the alternative investment proposals in the Network North prospectus gets regular coverage in the media, and is the subject of near constant parliamentary questions and debates in parliament. And both the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and the mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, are keeping the HS2 flame burning by seeking to find alternative options which would attract private sector funding. So just as the Labour Party is trumpeting its plans to renationalise the already-renationalised railways, so a Labour mayor, working with a Conservative mayor, is developing plans for private sector funding for a railway project. That’s the topsy-turvy world of railway politics for you!

On the buses front, when asked how a Labour government would expect cashstrapped local authorities with few resources and little expertise to develop bus franchise proposals, Labour’s shadow buses minster, Simon Lightwood, told the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s annual conference that

“The Labour ministerial team may find life rather more complicated than their current political rhetoric suggests”

this department’s buses team could play a role in ensuring there is more centralised support for authorities that don’t have the capacity or the expertise. Two things struck me about this. First, I’m far from clear how this would be consistent with the Labour Party’s plans to devolve powers away from Whitehall back to local government under a “giving back control” agenda. The idea of Whitehall civil servants working closely with local authorities to develop local bus franchise plans surely doesn’t fit comfortably with this. I can’t see how officials in Whitehall would have the necessary local knowledge to know what kind of franchise would work for a particular area.

Second, Simon Lightwood also told the annual conference that the franchising process would be open to “every community”.

So if this department is to help “every community” develop local bus franchising powers our buses division is going to have to expand very substantially indeed, to have the resources to help “every community”.

Evidence, if ever you wanted it, that the Labour Party, or at least its shadow transport team, hasn’t really thought through all of this too carefully. That doesn’t surprise me, nor am I wanting to be too critical, because life as a shadow opposition spokesperson is far from easy, and parties in opposition are understandably driven as much by political belief and aspiration than by the art of the possible. But, as I suggested in my last column, when a new Labour government’s aspirations and theoretical plans to “fix” our “broken” bus and rail systems crash headlong into harsh reality, the Labour ministerial team may find life rather more complicated than their current political rhetoric suggests.

I’ve not actually had the privilege of commenting on the performance of a Labour government or on the quality and delivery of its public transport policies, given that I first started contributing to this magazine shortly after the 2010 general election when David, now Lord, Cameron became prime minister.

I’m rather looking forward to it. Down the years this government has certainly given me no shortage of issues to grumble about, and I suspect a Labour government will be no different as I compare and contrast the delivery of a Labour government’s public transport polices against its stated objectives and aspirations!

9 February 2024 | 29

07/02/2024 15:13

CAREERS

Stagecoach seeks leaders Group launches 2024 graduate scheme which aims to train its industry leaders of tomorrow Stagecoach has launched the search for new graduates to join its business from September.

The group is inviting individuals to participate in its comprehensive two-year graduate training programme. Successful candidates will gain valuable insights into the bus and coach industry through rotations in various departments including operations, engineering, human resources, finance, marketing, and commercial, across different locations spanning from Inverness to Exeter.

In addition to the existing programme, Stagecoach now offers an engineering graduate scheme, tailored for aspiring leaders with an engineering

background. Participants in this programme gain hands-on engineering experience while developing leadership skills.

Many members of Stagecoach’s senior leadership team began their careers on the graduate scheme.

Matthew Cranwell, for example, joined in 2004 and now serves as managing director of Stagecoach East Midlands.

“This is an excellent programme that really provides you with the knowledge of how our business works,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to have a go at all the jobs and get insight into what our staff have to do on a daily basis to keep over 8,300 buses, coaches and trams running reliably for our customers.”

Tasker returns to group in interim role Elisabeth Tasker takes Stagecoach West position Stagecoach has announced that former Stagecoach Manchester managing director Elisabeth Tasker is to return to the group to take on the role of managing director of Stagecoach West on an interim basis.

Tasker retired in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic led to her rethinking her priorities surrounding work and family.

She had joined the group in 2000 as an operations director.

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Elisabeth Tasker

Now Tasker is to return to fill the vacancy at Cheltenhambased Stagecoach West following the departure of Rachel Geliamassi to a new role with Great Western Railway.

APPOINTMENTS SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY FirstGroup has announced the appointment of Stuart Meek as interim managing director of train operator South Western Railway.

Meek (pictured) takes over from Claire Mann, who will be leaving SWR to take up the position of chief operating officer at Transport for London.

Meek is currently chief operating officer at SWR, a position he has held since August 2022. Prior to that he held roles with Govia Thameslink Railway, Southern, London Underground and Transport for London.

At SWR he has led the operations team as well as championing SWR’s diversity and inclusion agenda.

NORTHERN Train operator Northern has announced the appointment of Jason Wade as its north east regional director.

Wade (pictured) is currently the train operator’s head of retail operations and he succeeds Kerry Peters who has moved to lead Northern’s services in Yorkshire, Humberside and the East Midlands.

Wade started his career as a graduate trainee for Regional Railways North East which was then part of British Rail. He is currently the north east chair of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators and has previously held roles at Northern covering station management, control, safety, performance, operations, customer and commercial.

VELOCITI GROUP Velociti Group has announced the appointment of Adrian Hipkiss as its new chief executive officer.

Hipkiss (pictured) has held several executive leadership positions with organisations that have included Ceragon Networks, Tata Communications and ShoreTel. Velociti, which owns bus industry software service suppliers EPM and Omnibus, said Hipkiss brings “his exceptional leadership, strategic planning, and a commitment to driving the innovation that will help Velociti succeed in its mission to deliver fast and lasting digital transformation in passenger transport”.

LONDON TRAVELWATCH London TravelWatch, the statutory transport watchdog for the capital, has announced the appointment of Tricia Hayes as its new chair.

Hayes (pictured) has been appointed following a recruitment process led by the London Assembly’s transport committee and subsequent confirmation by the transport secretary.

A former permanent secretary in Whitehall with 35 years’ public policy experience, predominantly in transport, Hayes’s term of office runs for four years and she will also sit as a board member on sister watchdog Transport Focus.

She succeeds former Virgin Trains executive Arthur Leathley who has been chair of London TravelWatch since September 2017 and whose term of office has now come to an end.

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07/02/2024 15:16

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07/02/2024 15:16

DIVERSIONS ARRIVA BACKS DJ ROTHERAM

Posh’s card-tapping London bus mishap Former Spice Girl makes a blunder when paying Victoria Beckham recently took a trip on a London bus as part of a promotion for British Vogue.

The fashionista former Spice Girl is seen carrying oversized shopping bags as she boarded a bus, tapping her card for payment. Upon stepping onto the bus, she’s greeted by London mayor Sadiq Khan.

However, there was a mishap as Posh Spice inadvertently tapped her payment card on the cash tray

Round the houses

SITE OFFERS UP MYSTERIOUS FIND

Whenever the railway industry undertakes excavations, it often uncovers historical treasures, as is evident on the ongoing Transpennine Route Upgrade

Card clash?

instead of the Oyster reader. The incident evoked memories of Rishi Sunak’s famous struggle to pay for fuel at a Sainsbury’s petrol station.

Perhaps Posh was more comfortable on the Spice Bus...

project. Recent excavations near Ravensthorpe have revealed traces of a potential ancient settlement dating back to Roman times.

Initial excavations at Heaton Lodge and Thornhill Lees Farm yielded typical postmedieval industrial artifacts, with no significant remains.

However, it was the excavation in Ravensthorpe that unveiled intriguing archaeological finds.

The first discovery was an irregularly shaped cropmark initially believed to be prehistoric.

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Bus operator Arriva offered free travel to anyone in Liverpool going to the clash of the titans last weekend - a toe-to-toe DJ battle between ‘metro mayors’ Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham.

The event was the third DJ face-off between the two mayors in a move that aims to raise money for local charities by spinning the decks.

Richard Hoare, area director for Arriva North West said: “This is the third time the mayors have clashed on the decks, but the first time it’s happened in Liverpool, so naturally we’ll be supporting DJ Steve...”

Subsequent geophysical surveys suggested it might be an Iron Age or Romano-British enclosure.

Further evaluation then revealed the enclosure’s considerable size, leading to the uncovering of ceramics, flint, glass, and animal bones at the site.

“We have a possible small-scale settlement with round house-like features,” said site supervisor Catherine O’Doherty. “This is interesting as sites such as this are limited in West Yorkshire, making this site an exciting discovery.”

Prepare for a project delay!

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A Scottish primary school has been brightened up thanks to Network Rail.

The partnership with Keir Hardie Memorial Primary School in Motherwell was forged with the local rail maintenance delivery unit as part of a pilot programme.

The latest phase of the partnership has seen Michael Corr, a graffiti artist from Alloa, paint a mural in the school’s sensory garden that mimics the shape of the school’s badge.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide such a beautiful piece of art,” said route director Jeremy Spence. “Michael has created such a clever and intricate design.”

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07/02/2024 17:30