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News update 27 June

1. Statistics from the Office of Rail and Road show 990 million journeys were made by rail between April 2021 and March 2022. Income from passenger revenue at £5.9bn equates to 54% of the pre pandemic figure. Season tickets accounted for 16.9% of journeys, half of pre pandemic levels, generating £526m, 24% of two years ago. Journeys made in the regions made up 58.3% of usage relative to pre pandemic figures, 55.9% for journeys in London and the South East.

Ref: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage/

2. The Department for Transport has published a programme update two years after the launch of the Restoring Your Railway Fund, providing an overview of progress made by schemes supported by the Fund, including a further £15m to develop bids announced in June 2022. Ref: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1083756/restoring-your-railway-programme-update.pdf

3. The Confederation of Passenger Transport estimates that the twelve year fuel duty freeze has resulted in an estimated 200 million bus journeys being lost due to the growing cost gap between bus and car.

4. Transport for the North's Connected Mobility Hub will provide non mayoral local transport authorities with specialist support to develop and deliver new ticketing initiatives for passengers. A year's funding from the Department for Transport will provide support for at least five projects.

5. The Department for Transport has awarded a National Rail Contract to Great Western Railway to continue operating the Great Western network until at least 21 June 2025.

6. The Secretary of State for Transport has granted Network Rail the power to close or modify 37 crossings to reduce risk in Essex, Thurrock and Hertfordshire and other authorities.

7. Allendale Borough Council and Carlisle City Council are to subsidise bus service 93 operated by Stagecoach for twelve months that was to be withdrawn between Carlisle and Bowness on Solway. 8. Three stations to be built on the Camp Hill line in South Birmingham are to be named Kings Heath, Moseley Village and Pineapple Road.

News update 20 June

1. A consultation is being undertaken until 4 August by the Department for Transport on primary legislative changes in three areas to reform the railways. These are establishment of Great British Railways, proposed functions and duties and ensuring clear accountabilities through a new governance framework including the regulator's role, reform of industry structures and processes including proposals for open data sharing.

Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/williams-shapps-plan-for-rail-legislative-changes-to-implement-rail-reform

2. The Whole Industry Strategic Plan, to develop a long term strategy for rail - a report summarising the call for evidence has been published. Key themes include decarbonisation, accessibility, the need for a strong customer ethos and financial sustainability as well as the importance of integrating with other transport.

Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/whole-industry-strategic-plan-for-rail-call-for-evidence

3. The Government has announced that the 13 mile Golborne link, a high speed link connecting HS2 to the West Coast Mainline is to be removed from the Crewe - Manchester Bill following recommendations set out in the Union Connectivity Review, but the route will be safeguarded during work on possible alternatives.

4. Transport Focus published reports Bus and Rail surveys on 6 June. The proportion of people using rail services averaged 12% with a peak of 16% over the Easter period. Overall satisfaction was consistent at 88%. Satisfaction with punctuality/reliability was 81% although generally it is around 85%. There was a reduction in other areas e.g. satisfaction with frequency was 68%, previously 72% and journey time 82% rather than 86%. For those who have not used rail 80% said they would feel safe doing so, compared to 68% at the start of April. 14% of people had used bus services, a consistent figure , with overall satisfaction remaining at 86%. Satisfaction with punctuality/reliability reduced to 73% over the last two surveys, previously 78%. Satisfaction with cleanliness inside the bus was 76% a reduction from 83% in mid April. Satisfaction with bus frequency also declined 64% compared to 71%. For those who have not used a bus service 76% said they would feel safe doing so compared to 62% at the beginning of April.

Ref: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/publications/

5. Transport for Wales has trialled providing personalised journey information announcements to passengers with hearing loss on trains on the Rhymney - Penarth route. Passengers connect to the on board WiFi to receive announcements to their smart devices in real time.

6. Go Ahead Group has accepted a £650m takeover bid from a consortium of the Australian bus operator Kinetic and infrastructure specialists Globalvia.

7. Go North East has announced plans to close Chester le Street bus garage.

8. London Overground service will serve the new Barking Riverside rail station on a 4.5km line extension due to open in the summer.

9. All gates at 13 Southern rail stations now have bar code readers as over half of all rail tickets sold now are digital.

10. The Welsh Government has announced the air service between Cardiff and Anglesey Airport suspended in March 2020 will not restart saving £2.9m per year.

News update 13 June

1. The Department for Transport has issued statutory guidance for local authorities on applying for and using civil enforcement powers for bus lane and moving traffic contraventions. Authorities can apply to the Transport Secretary for an order designating themselves as the enforcement authority in their area. Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-lane-and-moving-traffic-enforcement-outside-london/traffic-management-act-2004-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities-outside-london-on-civil-enforcement-of-bus-lane-and-moving-traffic-contravention

2. Rail passenger journeys were between 86% and 92% of pre Covid levels in the week ending 22 May.

3. Wiltshire plans to introduce a £1.2m on demand bus service funded by the Department for Transport across the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. Passengers will be able to book by phone or app and travel anywhere in a defined service area.

4. Transport for London is undertaking a six week consultation on the proposed reduction or withdrawal of 78 of the 620 routes in central London.

5. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is proposing to introduce a £2 single adult fare for all bus services. The Young People’s day ticket would be retained until 2025 at £2.20. The £12m Bus Service Improvement Plan allocation will be used to fund this reduction for three years.

6. A West Yorkshire Combined Authority report states the final decision on franchising would be made by the Mayor in 2024 with arrangements introduced in phases between 2025 and 2027.

7. Approval has been given for the first phase of the Fife rail electrification project between Haymarket and Dalmeny at an estimated cost of £55m.

News update 6 June

1. The Office of Rail and Road has produced statistics on passenger rail performance for the period January to March 2022. 72.4% of trains arrived on time, 89.1% within five to ten minutes of the scheduled arrival time and 3.9% of trains were cancelled. Over half of cancellations were attributable to train operators and around a third were the fault of track or signalling issues. Ref: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/

2. Research from Aston University, studying passenger flow on the concourse of Birmingham New Street station has made three recommendations - rail companies should encourage passengers to purchase train tickets on smartphones rather than at ticket machines or offices, replace ticket gates with sensors to automatically detect passengers through smartphones and provide one way systems. Ref: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35582430/

3. TransPennine Express is offering schools a 20% discount on the price of advanced purchase tickets for groups of pupils to travel on days out.

4. West Midlands Combined Authority is trialling a journey planning app aimed at enhancing accessibility on public transport for those with disabilities.

5. Greater Anglia Railway is offering a flexi season ticket providing 8 day passes for a specific journey between two stations in a 28 day period available from ticket machines.

6. Swansea Council offered free bus travel in the city from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June. West Yorkshire offered free travel on Sunday 5 June.

7. Nottingham City Transport is introducing a flat fare of £1 after 7pm on all services during June and July.

8. Stagecoach has expanded its London operation buying Kelsian Group's East London bus operations for £20m.

9. Welsh coach operator Bella Road Services is operating for Flixbus a service between London, Heathrow Airport, Newport and Cardiff from 27 May.

News update 30 May

1. Rossendale Council has secured £150k funding from Restoring Your Railway Fund and Lancashire County Council to produce a Strategic Outline Business Case on the Rawtenstall to Manchester travel corridor. Rawtenstall's rail link closed to passengers in 1972 and freight in 1980, the proposal would provide a rail link to central Manchester in 50 minutes.

2. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has published its annual report covering the period 1 January to 31 December 2021, which summarises operational and investigative activity undertaken that year. Ref: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1076675/AR2021_220519.pdf

3. The first class 398 tram train for Transport for Wales has been delivered for testing. 36 three car units will operate on the Core Valley Line routes to Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Cardiff Bay, with on street running on a new line to Flourish.

4. Work is to start on a £145m upgrade of the Hope Valley rail line between Sheffield and Manchester which will include allowing passenger trains to pass slower moving freight trains.

5. The Dartmoor line linking Exeter and Okehampton has an hourly service operating from 15 May.

6. East Midlands Railway has begun a programme to refresh the interiors of its class 222 intercity trains.

7. Thameslink has introduced a half hourly peak service across London linking Welwyn Garden City and Sevenoaks.

8. Flixbus is collaborating with McGill’s Buses to provide a new Glasgow Manchester route from 28 April serving Preston and Lancaster.

9. Six local libraries in Blaenau Gwent can now help passengers to book a journey on the demand responsive service Fflecsi which is averaging 1000 journeys per week. 80% of bookings are made via the app.

10. The Transport Bill announced in the Queen's Speech will create a legal framework for the safe and responsible deployment of driverless road transport.

11. Reston station in East Berwickshire reopened on 23 May.

12. The Mayor of London is proposing to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone to the whole of Greater London from August 2023.

News update 23 May

1. The Mayor of West Yorkshire has announced that passengers using bus services will pay no more than £2 per journey which will be negotiated with bus operators through an Enhanced Partnership. The total cost of a day's bus travel in the County would be £4.50 with the introduction of a tap in tap out fare capped scheme. £25m will be spent on developing routes to reconnect communities left isolated by recent service changes.

2. Transport Focus published Bus and Rail User Surveys on 10 May. 14% had made a rail journey in the last four weeks, higher than throughout February and March. Rail journeys for leisure reasons increased to around 55%,with overall satisfaction at 88%. Satisfaction with punctuality averaged 84%. Satisfaction with train frequency remains at 72%. 15% had made a bus journey, an increase from 12% in February. 57% of bus journeys were made for leisure, overall satisfaction remains at 88%. A slight increase to 78% in satisfaction with punctuality/reliability was identified, satisfaction with frequency was 71%, an increase from 64% in March. Reports are also available of satisfaction scores for journeys made by rail and bus between 5 January and 3 April. Rail satisfaction is highest in the weekday off peak, 90% , and lowest in the weekday evening peak. Passengers using long distance trains are least satisfied with their journey on Friday and Sunday. Bus satisfaction is highest in weekday off peak and weekend, 88%, and lowest in the weekday evening peak, 82%. 60% of commuting journeys were in the peak period and 80% of leisure journeys were in the weekday off peak or at weekends.
Ref: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/publications/

3. East Midlands Railway has launched an SMS text service to provide customers with personalised journey updates including platform information as well as delayed and cancellation notifications.

4. Rotala has been granted leave to appeal the decision to reject its application for Judicial Review of elements of the process surrounding the franchising of bus services in Greater Manchester. Rotala and Stagecoach submitted claims on the grounds that the second consultation did not meet legally required standards.

5. Chiltern Railways has introduced a Delay Repay scheme if a journey is delayed by more than 15 minutes for whatever reason.

6. The High Speed Rail Group has produced a report - How to Win Air Travellers to Rail, setting out the scope to attract passengers to rail from short haul flights.
Ref: https://www.rail-leaders.com/publications/how-to-win-air-travellers-to-rail/

7. From 15 May Greater Anglia increased frequencies and capacity on a number of services. Passenger numbers across the network are around 77% of 2019 levels, reducing to 60% for commuting to London.

8. Network Rail will undertake the final phase of the Dawlish sea wall construction from June.

News update 16 May

1. The Queen's speech on 10 May included a Transport Bill for the rail industry, legislation to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers.

2. The Great British Rail Sale sold 1 million tickets at an average price of £7.50 with the most popular routes being Newcastle to York, London to Nottingham, Oxford to London Paddington, London to Sheffield, Cambridge to London.

3. Train operator Northern introduced a new rail timetable on 15 May to maintain service levels as at December 2021 with some routes seeing increased seating capacity and frequency.

4. Two direct trains an hour have been reintroduced between Weymouth and London from 15 May. 5. The Office of Rail and Road has produced a business plan for 2022-3 to provide scrutiny of Network Rail and National Highways.

Ref: https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/regulator-ramps-holding-account-network-rail-and-national-highways

6. First York buses is offering ten independent owners and small firms £2000 to develop their eco-friendly practices and products that directly appeal to customers.

7. Train operator Northern is to partner with Newcastle Gateshead Initiative focussing on activity to boost the region's tourism offer, inward investment credentials and ease of access to the late night economy.

8. A Brighter Journeys Campaign, with flowers on the concourse of Rail stations is being undertaken as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

News update 9 May

1. National rail timetables change on 15 May. Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink will be providing more weekday trains targeted at commuters returning to work.

2. Leicester City Council has launched the Leicester Buses Partnership setting out a detailed eight year plan for transport development with a three year programme of fully funded transport improvement projects. The plan includes electric buses, new bus lanes, co-ordinated timetables, improved passenger information ticketing and waiting facilities.

3. Johnsons Bus and Coach Travel of Henley in Arden is to sell its operation of 18 buses to Rotala where it will become part of Diamond Bus West Midlands, in order to concentrate on its coach operations. Transition of buses to zero emission technologies formed a major part of the decision.

4. The Chiltern Railways new timetable from 15 May includes changes to the number of carriages on some departures.

5. Network Rail has completed upgrades on the West Coast mainline, £41.1m has been invested in the North West and Central Region to improve passenger and freight services.

6. Sixteen rail stations across the North of England served by TransPennine Express now offer a British Sign Language interpretation service via a video link.

7. The Abbey Wood to Paddington section of the Elizabeth line will open on 24 May, trains will not call at Bond Street.

8. The Rail Social Value Tool has been launched to assist the rail industry measure the social value of its investments, infrastructure projects and day to day operations. It is provided by RSSB and Loop (formerly Social Profit Calculator), co-founded by Network Rail and has 500 indicators across 12 social impacts.
Ref: https://www.rssb.co.uk/sustainability/social-sustainability/the-rail-social-value-tool

News update 3 May

1. Guidance on the bus network review process in England, required by the terms and conditions of Bus Recovery Grant Extension funding have been published. Each Local Transport Authority must produce a network review in collaboration with all bus operators in the area and submit it to the Department for Transport by 1 July. A route by route assessment should be undertaken to categorise each service as viable, marginal or non-commercial.

2. Train companies have reduced the amount of time to book Passenger Assist from six hours ahead to two.

3. Bus operators Arriva Midlands, First Leicester and Centrebus have launched multi operator contactless payments with daily £5, or weekly £19.50 capping valid in the Leicester Flexi Zone.

4. RSSB is undertaking a consultation until 15 July on the Sustainable Rail Strategy Prototype, an initial plan for a cleaner and greener railway. Ref: https://www.rssb.co.uk/sustainability/sustainable-rail-strategy

5. Stagecoach have started on road testing of a full size autonomous single deck bus.

6. ScotRail is to reduce off peak fares by half for outward travel between 9 and 31 May with return travel to be complete by 30 June.

News update 25 April

1. Applications can be made for medium term exemptions to the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations on rail replacement and in scope home to school services from 1 July 2022 until 31 July 2026 and replaces all existing short term special authorisations. Vehicles must be fully or partially compliant by 1 August 2025 and must fully comply by 1 August 2026. A percentage of an operators fleet should be compliant by 1 August 2023 depending on fleet size.

Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exemptions-to-the-public-service-vehicles-accessibility-regulations-psvar-2000

2. The Office of Rail and Road has advised Network Rail and the Department for Transport that decisions are now required to deliver new and efficient timetables on the West Coast and East Coast rail lines. New timetables are planned for the West Coast for December 2022 and the East Coast in May 2023.

3. Over 1 million rail tickets have been reduced in price by up to 50% for off peak tickets available on journeys from 25 April to 27 May.

4. An app is available to provide updates on the railway upgrade works on the Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield.

5. The Department for Transport has advised that hydrogen combustion as a bus power source will not be regarded as zero emission for the purposes of grant and incentive funding streams in England as it is not zero emission at the tailpipe.

6. The TrawsCymru bus network in Wales is to be converted to zero emission vehicles by the end of 2026.

News update 19 April

1. 31 Bus Service Improvement Plans have received funding from over 70 submitted, with an allocation of £1.08bn. The investment is targeted at making buses more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, cheaper or greener. The Department for Transport says the chosen areas have received funding "because of their ambition to repeat the success achieved in London".

2. The Government has confirmed £5.7bn City Region Sustainable Transport settlements for the eight city regions across England from 2022 to 2027.

3. From 10 April bus fares were reduced between 20% and 40% in Cornwall in a pilot scheme for four years, following a £23.5m grant from the Government.

4. The Government has pledged £7.6m to trial and launch innovative technology that will help improve rail travel in this year's First of a Kind competition which seeks to improve the passenger experience and decarbonisation. Last year 33 projects received grants up to £400k.

5. From 11 April a contactless multi operator tap and go scheme was introduced in Nottingham on City Transport Buses, trams and link buses operated by CT4N, allowing passengers to use contactless bank cards or phones throughout the day and pay one daily charge capped at the best fare.

6. Traveline Cymru is now part of Transport for Wales to create an integrated public transport information centre.

7. Passengers can now purchase a rail and Plus bus ticket by smartphone for a complete journey with Great Western Railway and First bus for travel to and around Weston Super Mare using a single electronic ticket.

8. TransPennine Express is offering groups of ten or more 20% off the price of Advanced Purchase tickets when travelling together on the same train.

9. Reston rail station on the East Coast mainline in Berwickshire is to open on 23 May.

News update 11 April

1. The Welsh Government has published a consultation white paper One Network, One Timetable, One Ticket : Planning buses as a Public Service for Wales. This proposes a franchising model to build a network of bus services that tie in with the wider transport system, enabling co-ordinated network planning between the 22 local authorities through 4 regional Corporate Joint Committees with a centralised franchising team within Transport for Wales. Local authorities could also create new municipal companies.
Ref: https://gov.wales/one-network-one-timetable-one-ticket-planning-buses-public-service-wales

2. Transport Focus published weekly rail and bus user satisfaction reports on 18 March. The proportion of people using rail services remained stable at 11% with around a third of journeys for commuting remaining similar over the last six months. Overall satisfaction with the train journey was 90% and satisfaction with the frequency of trains remains stable at 74%. The proportion using bus remains stable at 13% around half of the journeys were made for leisure and a third for commuting. Overall satisfaction with the bus journey was 90% with punctuality/reliability satisfaction at 77%. Satisfaction with the frequency of bus services was 70%.
Ref: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/publications/

3. On 18 March national rail passenger numbers reached 80% of pre pandemic levels.

4. 124 hydrogen fuelled buses are to enter service in the West Midlands following a Department for Transport £30m grant. 24 will be articulated to operate on the Sprint rapid transport routes between Walsall Birmingham and Solihull.

5. From 1 April changes have been made to the Delay Repay Compensation claim process for rail passengers. Train companies are required to provide clear information before and during journeys about the entitlement, and improve how claims are processed. Only 37% of passengers entitled currently make a claim.

6. Research by the Centre for Cities shows that more than 4 million people living in Manchester Leeds Sheffield Liverpool and Newcastle are unable to travel to their city centres by public transport within thirty minutes, restricting them from employment and educational opportunities. European cities have more people living in well-connected mid-rise suburbs close to the city centre whereas northern cities have millions living in low rise car dependant districts.
Ref: https://www.centreforcities.org/publication/mapping-30-minute-city-uk-and-european-case-studies/

7. The Welsh Government has published the findings from the Learner Travel Measure Review undertaken in 2021 into school transport.
Ref: https://gov.wales/learner-travel-wales-measure-2008-review-2021-html s

8. Regional transport body Midlands Connect has published its Strategic Transport Plan for the Midlands - Fairer, Greener, Stronger. It sets out the key challenges and identifies the major investment needed in the rail and road network. Rail priorities include direct passenger services and journey time improvements and a tap and cap smart ticket for use on buses, trams, trains and bike hire.
Ref: https://www.midlandsconnect.uk/publications/stp-summary-document/

9. Great Western Railway has extended pay as you go contactless ticketing on services to Windsor and Eton Central, and Henley on Thames.

10. Chelmsford City Council is undertaking a consultation until 20 April on proposals for a new rail station at Beaulieu Park. The three platform station would also have a bus interchange and spaces for 700 cars and 500 cycles.

11. A further £32m is to be spent on the rail line between Dawlish and Holcombe.

12. DWS Infrastructure has purchased 16.99% of Stagecoach's issued ordinary share capital from Threadneedle Asset Management at a price in accordance with its final offer.

News update 4 April

1. Twelve areas in England are to receive grants for electric or hydrogen powered buses from the Zero Emission Buses Regional Area Scheme. £198.3m will provide 943 buses in Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Portsmouth, Blackpool, Nottingham, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, South Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, West Midlands, York and West Yorkshire. The Government has also launched a public consultation seeking views on setting a specific date between 2025 and 2032 for ending the sale of non-zero emission at the tailpipe buses. A call for evidence has been launched on ending the sale of new non-zero emission coaches and minibuses.
Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-on-track-to-reach-4000-zero-emission-bus-pledge-with-200-million-boost

2. The County Council's Network has produced a report, Home to School Transport: The challenge in Counties, which analyses pressures in home to school transport provision. 28 County Councils spent £555.6m on free school transport last year, in 2016-7 £472.6m was spent. 41,185 pupils were provided with special educational needs transport in 2016-7 which rose to 51,558 in 2020-1.
Ref: https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/advocacy/publications-and-research/

3. Research undertaken for the Confederation of Passenger Transport shows 54% of the general public support bus priority schemes while only 15% oppose them: support rises to 62% amongst businesses. A toolkit has been launched to help local authorities communicate the benefits of bus priority.
Ref: https://www.cpt-uk.org/news/new-research-shows-councils-can-be-bold-with-plans-to-improve-bus-services/

4. The Department for Transport is undertaking a consultation on a new best practice guide for taxi and private hire licensing authorities until 20 June.
Ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-best-practice-guidance

5. McGills Buses in Scotland is rethinking bus procurement plans due to increasing electricity costs.

6. As part of the Inclusive Transport Strategy, the Government is to provide £1.5m to support thirteen mobility centres across England provide a Hubs Mobility Service to help people unable to drive due to disabilities, by offering advice on alternatives. £1m is also being provided for ferries and seaports serving the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly to improve accessibility. Accessibility audits have been completed at 1000 of the 2565 rail stations.

7. Rotala has lodged an application to the Court of Appeal against the judgement to allow franchising to proceed in Manchester.

8. A report by Stagecoach - Road map to zero: the transition to Zero Emission Buses, what it means to people and how to get there, sets out an ambitious national vision for achieving the introduction of 100% zero emission buses across the United Kingdom.
Ref: https://m.stagecoachgroup.com/media/news-releases/2022/2022-03-29.aspx

9. Govia Thameslink Railway, 65% owned by the Go Ahead Group has been awarded a contract to continue operating the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Rail services.

10. On Saturday 26 February bus usage in London was 89% of pre pandemic levels.

11. Greater Anglia Railway has now created ten virtual tours of its busiest stations, the latest being Stansted Airport.

12. Grand Central Railway is to provide six return journeys on weekdays and five on Sundays from 15 May between Sunderland and London Kings Cross.

13. A panel of independent commissioners is to be appointed to recommend how to build a sustainable and integrated transport system in North Wales. Lord Burns will chair the commission following his work in South East Wales.

14. A new station building has been opened at Coventry rail station costing £82m.

News update 28 March

1. The National Infrastructure Commission has made ten priorities for the year ahead including to achieve tangible improvements in local transport Government must move away from competitive bidding for multiple centrally controlled funding pots, and make fast progress towards devolving five year integrated funding settlements for transport spending to local authorities outside the city region combined authorities.
Ref: https://stories.nic.org.uk/infrastructure-progress-review-2022/index.html

2. 42 towns and cities have launched bids to become the headquarters of Great British Railways. Applications will be measured against six criteria with a public on line vote forming part of the process.

3. First Group is to be given a direct award for the continued operation of the TransPennine Express rail service. The contract is for four years with the following four flexible and based on the Secretary of State for Transport's discretion.

4. Transport for London has published it's long term plan for buses. The Bus Action Plan will focus on five areas - safety and security, an inclusive customer experience, faster journeys, improved connections, decarbonisation and climate resilience.
Ref: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/the-mayors-transport-strategy#:~:text=This%20plan%20aims%20to%20make,a%20zero%20carbon%20travel%20choice.

5. The Office of Rail and Road reports that rail passenger journeys increased to 285m between October and December 2021, the highest since January to March 2020, and were 62% of pre pandemic numbers. The recovery is stronger across long distance journeys compared to regional journeys and journeys made in London and the South East.
Ref: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage/

6. Gatwick Express direct rail service to London recommences on 3 April. Gatwick Airport rail station is to be rebuilt to improve accessibility and reduce passenger congestion.

7. The High Speed Rail Group has published a report High Speed Rail: Net Zero Voices, which shows that high speed rail has environmental credentials as much as providing a transport and economic solution.
Ref: https://www.rail-leaders.com/publications/high-speed-rail-net-zero-voices/

8. Consultation has begun on White Rose rail station in Leeds between Morley and Cottingley, on the Transpennine route.

9. The Government has issued a penalty notice of £23.5m to London and South Eastern Railway for a serious breach of the company's franchise agreement. The former Southeastern operator had been found to have concealed £25m of historic taxpayer funding relating to HS1, which should have been returned.

10. Operators of scheduled bus and coach services in England are providing a countrywide scheme to offer refugees arriving from Ukraine free travel to their sponsors home.

News update 21 March

1. The Transport Select Committee has announced an inquiry into the Bus Back Better National Bus Strategy, one year after it was launched.

2. A High Court judgement has ruled that the decision and process by which the Greater Manchester Combined Authority recommended a franchising scheme was lawful. Bus operators Stagecoach and Rotala had submitted a legal challenge.

3. The Scottish Government plans to commence powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act for local authorities to operate their own bus services by July 2022. Secondary legislation to enable bus franchising and partnership options will also be introduced before the end of 2023.

4. Baroness Vere, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, has announced that the home to school Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations will be derogated until 2026.

5. £84m is to be spent on rail projects in the North West of England including improved passenger facilities at Manchester Piccadilly, Victoria and International Airport stations; resignalling the Castlefield corridor and remodelling Manchester Oxford Road station; work on upgrading the TransPennine line and platform extensions on the Cumbrian line.

6. Transport Focus published reports on 11 March - Travel during Covid 19 survey, Rail and Bus User Weekly Survey. A quarter of the population had used public transport in the previous seven days. 53% of those who have used a train and 63% of those who have used a bus said they had worn a face covering for the whole journey. 67% agree they feel safer using public transport with people wearing face coverings. 87% of those who have used a train and 90% of those who have used a bus outside London say they felt safe doing so. 68% of those who have not made a journey by train and 62% of those who have not made a journey by bus say they would feel safe doing so. 27% do not think enough is being done to ensure Coronavirus safety on Public Transport. On train overall satisfaction was 88%, bus 87%. Satisfaction with the frequency of trains is around 75% satisfaction with value for money fell to 57%. Satisfaction with the punctuality and reliability of bus services remained relatively stable at 74%. This is the final Travel during Covid report.
Ref: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/publications/

7. A new initiative Wales on Rails , brings together the rail network, heritage rail operators, and Transport for Wales bus routes to promote the use of public transport to link key tourist attractions.

8. Greater Anglia now provides an on line virtual tour of Norwich rail station to help people travel with confidence enabling them to check how accessible their journey will be.

9. New Zealand is halving public transport fares for three months due to increasing fuel costs.

10. 91 of the 272 London Underground stations now have step free access.

News update 14 March

1. The extension of Bus Recovery Grant beyond 6 April for six months will initially be on the current basis, but financially sustainable and passenger friendly networks are to be designed. £150m has been allocated to the bus and light rail sector.

2. The Department for Transport, having set out in October 2021 a policy on concessionary fares reimbursement has issued an alternative, but compliance with either arrangement is not mandatory.

3. Stagecoach has withdrawn its support for a planned merger with National Express whose bid was £470m, having received a bid from a German infrastructure fund managed by DWS of £595m.

4. Liverpool City Region has confirmed franchising as the preferred future model for the bus network. Council leaders in South Yorkshire have also agreed to assess franchising.

5. Bus Users UK is undertaking an Accessibility Audit for bus and coach operators in partnership with Disability Rights UK and the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

6. All six stations on the Newcastle Ashington rail line have been approved. The scheme will provide 18 miles of upgraded track providing a half hourly service.

7. The Rail Industry Association, representing the supply industry has set out Five Tests for Great British Railways - no hiatus in current work, be clear and transparent, partnership working, productivity to ensure the industry is able to thrive, ambition leave a positive legacy.
Ref: https://www.riagb.org.uk/RIA/Newsroom/Press_Releases/Five_Tests_PR.aspx

8. The Welsh Government is to make £60m a year available from 2023-4 to help bus operators to transition to zero emission fleets.

9. The Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister has agreed to freeze public transport fares.