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19 DEC 2016
Engineering work over the holidays is vital to accomplish over £100m of improvements under the Railway Upgrade Plan, addressing capacity issues and supporting economic growth
For most people, Christmas is a time to be spent with family and friends; a welcome
12 DEC 2016
The introduction of smart motorways is the biggest upgrade to motorway capacity in a generation, Jim O'Sullivan describes how Highways England is working to improve driver's knowledge and awareness of them
When the first motorway opened almost 60 years ago near
8 DEC 2016
The people making a real difference to transport across Northern England were recognised at the inaugural North of England Transport Awards at the Midland Hotel in Manchester last night. Hosted by BBC Breakfast Steph McGovern, the awards attracted over 350
7 DEC 2016
All the UK's major cities should have smart pay as you go ticketing within the next two years, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told today's North of England Transport Summit. "There is no reason why only London should have smart ticketing,"
28 NOV 2016
A new grant regime designed to reflect the environmental benefits of moving freight by rail could be a stimulus to the sector that would pay for itself
When you lose 78% of your prime market in a single year, you have
24 NOV 2016
Chancellor Philip Hammond said he faced in his autumn statement the challenge of resolving how to protect the recovery and build on the economy's strengths, while at the same time responding to warnings of a difficult period ahead due to
21 NOV 2016
One of Philip Hammond's first pronouncements on being made Chancellor of the Exchequer in July was to signal that he was open to a "reset" of the economy if post EU referendum conditions demanded it.
Sterling has plummeted since the Brexit
14 NOV 2016
If transport operators can use the potential of technology to forge closer relationships with customers, investment will follow
How can transport attract the investment it needs to provide smart, integrated efficient services? Smart networked places are growing rapidly across the world.
7 NOV 2016
New technology, new vehicles and competition for space demand fresh thinking on provision of roads. The 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize will award £250,000 to the best proposal.
What kind of vehicle will we use in 2030? And what kind of road
28 OCT 2016
Changes on a scale not seen for a century are afoot, if we are ready to grasp the opportunities offered.
A century ago, Henry Ford's Model T heralded a new era of transport. Ford's vision was to "democratise the automobile".
He wanted
25 OCT 2016
The long-awaited Government decision to back a third runway at Heathrow finally arrived as expected this morning. The cabinet committee charged with making a decision followed the recommendations of the Airports Commission from 18 months ago, stipulating that expansion must
24 OCT 2016
In recent years Greener Journeys has built up an extensive suite of evidence on the considerable economic value that bus services provide to their communities and the UK as a whole.
But policy cannot be about economic value alone. Policy must
17 OCT 2016
The Transport Select Committee is conducting five interrelated inquiries into the future of rail with a view to identifying ways to improve capacity, connectivity, affordability and reliability
With the oldest railway system in the world, the UK has a long and
14 OCT 2016
The people making a real difference to transport across the UK were recognised at the prestigious National Transport Awards at the Westminster Park Plaza in London last night. Hosted by comedian Hugh Dennis, the awards attracted over 700 senior transport
12 OCT 2016
"We need HS2 more than ever," said Transport Secretary Chris Grayling "for the capacity it will bring, the space it will create elsewhere on our transport network, the boost it will give to the economy and the jobs it will
Mr Kirby said that as he prepares to move to a new post at Rolls-Royce, his successor would have the job of managing the transition from planning to construction. "The organisation stands ready to deliver HS2," he said.
As an engineer,
9 OCT 2016
Public transport services are often inconvenient, unreliable and unresponsive to local needs. A serious analytical approach can create rational and effective networks instead.
Rail nationalisation is back on the political agenda. How firmly it's back depends on your view of Jeremy
3 OCT 2016
New signalling systems and technology such as traffic management could mean big capacity increases, but the entire industry needs to join forces to make the benefits a reality.
Digital technology has transformed our daily lives. Most notably, a smartphone in your
26 SEP 2016
The rail industry is a complex mix of public and private, and bringing franchises back into the public sector would not make as much difference as its backers claim
Rail has been getting a bad press through the summer. The dispute
21 SEP 2016
Having received over 120 entries for the inaugural 2016 North of England Transport Awards, the judges have made their decision on the final shortlists for 14 categories.
19 SEP 2016
Continuity and decisive action, with the interest of travellers centre stage, will be my watchwords.
After a summer of historic change for Britain and political change in Westminster, the August recess provided a welcome opportunity to focus on my new job. I
12 SEP 2016
After the hiatus of the summer recess, Parliament is returning to work, and the priorities of Theresa May's new administration are becoming clearer.
One thing that seems apparent is a determination to finally make a decision in the long-running controversy over
5 SEP 2016
Major transport infrastructure projects create the opportunity to change the game on gender balance in the UK with the support of women engineers from Europe.
Investment in new railways over the next decade will put UK engineering firms and their engineers
30 AUG 2016
Garry Pratt, senior project manager on London Underground's Four Lines Modernisation programme, started his career as an apprentice. Here's his story...
"It all started when I went to my local careers office during the six week holiday in 1998 after my
22 AUG 2016
Transport emissions are rising again, despite strong grassroots campaigning to change behaviour. The trend will only be reversed when it becomes more expensive and less convenient to drive.
The recent progress report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) makes for
15 AUG 2016
Provisions to encourage partnership could allow targets to be agreed to address passengers' top ten priorities as identified by Transport Focus research.
Though the news is dominated by bigger political issues, something significant is happening in the transport world: legislation on
8 AUG 2016
Transport models often discount or ignore the local effects of a new transport project. But in many cases these can form a significant proportion of total demand.
It is a mistake to assume travel patterns are largely fixed, unchanged by infrastructure
1 AUG 2016
As we adjust to Britain's new status outside the European Union, we face challenges but also opportunities. But we do so from a position of strength, after six years in which the economy has been transformed, our deficit as a
25 JUL 2016
The logic behind the Northern Powerhouse remains compelling. Re-balancing the economy will be good for the UK as a whole.
If there's one thing that is certain in the wake of the EU referendum it's that there is going to be
21 JUL 2016
Having received over a record-breaking 385 entries for the 2016 National Transport Awards, the judges have made their decision on the final shortlists for the 19 categories.
18 JUL 2016
A decision on whether to accept the Airports Commission's recommendation on capacity in the South East has been postponed once again. The lack of a decision will only add to the eventual costs.
Almost exactly a year ago the Airports Commission published
11 JUL 2016
Britain urgently needs new rail capacity. The rail industry must be bold in its vision for the digital railway and install it on a busy main line, where its benefits would be most visible. Because the UK has the most
4 JUL 2016
Industry leaders and politicians spoke with one voice at the launch of the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review in Liverpool on Thursday, endorsing continued momentum behind the North's plans for a cohesive programme of economic expansion.
Commissioned by Transport for the
27 JUN 2016
The referendum vote in favour of the UK leaving the European Union puts the economy, the nation and the continent into uncharted waters.
17 JUN 2016
The best of Scotland's transport industry were honoured last night at the 14th Annual Scottish Transport Awards, with 400 industry professionals in attendance. Hosted by comedian and presenter Fred MacAulay, the ceremony was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in
13 JUN 2016
A more diverse workforce would benefit the whole rail industry, A concerted effort is needed to attract the new generation needed to build projects such as HS2.
Too often, it seems to me that the rail industry is stuck in the past.
31 MAY 2016
The latest Transport Focus research offers insight into how bus operators can build better relationships with their passengers, at a time when overall satisfaction has fallen on average.
Does it really matter if bus passengers trust the industry and local authorities to
23 MAY 2016
Passengers' levels of satisfaction with rail fares and services vary widely, and information on claiming compensation is patchy. The Transport Select Committee will be looking into the issue.
The UK has some of the highest railway season ticket prices in Europe. Many
16 MAY 2016
Investment by international companies, liberalised markets making it easy to distribute goods, and influence over European laws are powerful reasons to remain in the EU.
In less than two months, Britain will go to the polls once again.
This time, it's not
9 MAY 2016
Local enterprise partnerships have the potential to play a pivotal role in stimulating economic growth as local devolution progresses. But crucial elements of the strategy are missing
Centralisation has for too long been choking off growth. There is a clear consensus
25 APR 2016
The fundamental principle of getting more people on buses and attracting them away from cars must not be lost in discussions about the best way to provide services.
With congestion estimated to cost the UK £33bn a year by 2030, operating sustainable
18 APR 2016
Thirty years ago, had you asked the board of British Rail for their vision of the railways in 2016, I don't know whether they would have predicted the huge passenger growth we've seen. However, I am certain they wouldn't have
14 APR 2016
Investment in transport infrastructure is higher on the political agenda than it has been for decades. The National Infrastructure Commission has been created to develop long-term plans and encourage political consensus. The Government has pressed ahead with plans for High
11 APR 2016
In advance of tomorrow's UK Transport Infrastructure Summit, experts from KPMG set the scene by looking at key issues.
After decades of underinvestment, the UK has grasped the importance of infrastructure investment to our economic future. This government has big plans to
7 APR 2016
Having received over 100 entries for the 2016 Scotland Transport Awards, the judges have made their decision on the final shortlists for 17 categories.
4 APR 2016
Rail North is set to become the franchising arm of Transport for the North. Director David Hoggarth tells Jeanette Bowden about the "transformational" changes about to be introduced across the northern rail network
Rail services across the North of England will
21 MAR 2016
Published as the Chancellor completed delivery of his 2016 budget speech, the Shaw Review addressed questions of funding and organisational arrangements at Network Rail (disclaimer: Steer Davies Gleave acted as advisers to the Shaw Report Team).It will be seen
17 MAR 2016
Business wanted a steady, workmanlike Budget, and that's what we got. The Chancellor listened to our calls to avoid higher business taxes and costs – and indeed moved to lower them in a number of areas. He has finally taken
Motorists might be forgiven for heaving a sigh of relief yesterday after the Chancellor resisted the siren calls to hike fuel duty and limited the increase in insurance tax to a modest 0.5 %, and those who regularly cross the
With so little strategic planning for transport in the North for years, suddenly, like buses, three reports come along at once.
Transport for the North's spring update to the Northern Transport Strategy provides plenty more detail on its main priorities and
This Budget wasn't focussed on big giveaways, but it contained some clear and important commitments on transport.
At Alstom we warmly welcome the Chancellor using this opportunity to back both Crossrail 2 and HS3. These are important projects, supported by the
This was the week that the rookie National Infrastructure Commission earned its spurs. The Chancellor embraced the NIC's reports on Crossrail 2 and transport in the north, and so Andrew Adonis has succeeded in making more progress with government in
Transport investment continued to be blessed in the Spring 2016 budget, with development funds for Crossrail 2 and rail & highway schemes in the north. Both had just received the thumbs up from Lord Adonis' National Infrastructure Commission.
With £300m going
The most important transport announcement in the Budget was arguably what the Chancellor chose not to do - raise fuel tax. In so doing, he failed to make the cost of driving more representative of the costs in imposes, or
14 MAR 2016
The chancellor is due to address an unusually large number of transport issues in this week's Budget, from priorities for the north of England to the future of Network Rail, says Mike Indian
When George Osborne leaves 11 Downing Street on Budget
7 MAR 2016
Britain has a long history of rejecting plans for major new infrastructure. Intensive work from the outset is helping to minimise the risk of projects failing, says Patrick McLoughlin
Nine months into the new parliament, and the Department for Transport is
4 MAR 2016
The people and organisations that make a real difference to transport across London were recognised at the 13th annual London Transport Awards last night. The London Borough of Camden picked up the top award of the night for Transport Borough
29 FEB 2016
In January the Scottish Government published a "refresh" of the National Transport Strategy for Scotland. The big announcement was that the process had been more helpful in asking big questions than answering them. Minister for Transport and Islands Derek Mackay
22 FEB 2016
London's ticket system evolved over many years. Expectations for rapid progress in the North must be tempered by the knowledge that there are numerous hurdles to cross
Londoners are stunned when they realise that other parts of the country don't have Oyster,
12 FEB 2016
The overriding aim of the Buses Bill is to increase bus passenger numbers, transport minister Andrew Jones told yesterday's Transport Times UK Bus Summit 2016.
Mr Jones confirmed that the Bill, due to be introduced to Parliament in the near future,
5 FEB 2016
The Transport Times UK Bus Summit may only be in its second year, but it is already established as a key event in the transport calendar – and one the Department for Transport is delighted to support.
The bus industry today
1 FEB 2016
Stuart Ross, Transport for London's Director of News, lost the bravest of battles with cancer on Friday 22 January. He was 42.
No words can really do justice to Stuart's contribution to London and making TfL a world-leading organisation. A deluge
25 JAN 2016
The UK is in the vanguard of the manufacture and adoption of green buses.
In the past decade there has been a green revolution in the UK bus market. Lower carbon, low emission Euro VI buses are running in most of
18 JAN 2016
2016 will be a year of great opportunity for transport infrastructure but it will also be a year of great challenges. If it fails to make the most of the opportunities then it risks the major investment and projects that
11 JAN 2016
How should we organise the railway so that it is safe, cost-efficient, innovative and ready to meet future challenges?
Two days spent in Brussels talking to other European infrastructure managers has given me valuable insights into the parallel challenges facing our colleagues
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