Monthly Archives: January 2024

Efficiency First: The Road to Electrification

Electrification is at the heart of net zero planning for many energy intensive businesses across the UK. Switching power generation from fossil fuels to renewable sources allows businesses to unlock lower energy costs and reduced carbon emissions, in line with their corporate commitments. Yet, according to On-Site Energy, companies would be best served by considering the multiple renewable routes to…

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It’s Not About The Politics (Part 2)

Member of Parliament’s Master Plan The MP for Rother Valley wants to improve public transport in his constituency. He has clearly caught the “MPs disease” which makes them feel thy understand the bus business and with just a snap of the fingers can make it all lovely.  Alex cites Manchester (the jury’s out) and London (poor an VERY expensive taxation…

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Out now: Issue 304 of Passenger Transport

Issue 304 of Passenger Transport is published on January 12. Contents include:    LEAD STORY Stagecoach boss keen to lose ‘baggage’ of pastClaire Miles, who took over as CEO last October, says: ‘I am absolutely determined, going forward, we will show up as a different type of company’  NEWS PR battle as West Yorks bus consultation closesBoth sides claim public…

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First plans Sheffield open access service

New service aims to woo motorists to rail with faster journeys  FirstGroup said the venture would form part of its Hull Trains open access business   FirstGroup has revealed it has submitted an application to launch a new, faster open access rail service between London and Sheffield via the East Coast Main Line. It plans to operate two daily return…

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Stagecoach pledges new ways of working

Claire Miles has indicated a new approach to bus franchising and wants to turn the page on ‘cultural and political baggage’ of Souter years  Claire Miles is keen to cast aside Stagecoach’s “cultural and political baggage”   The recently appointed chief executive of Stagecoach has expressed regret over the group’s confrontational approach to bus franchising in the past and indicated…

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My hopes and fears for the New Year

  Happy New Year to you all. To ring in the new dawn, here are some of the things I hope to see or fear we will see in 2024  Bring back NRPS! Remember the National Rail Passenger Satisfaction Survey (NRPS)? It was a very simple, quarterly customer survey with a decent sample size. It asked logical questions and was…

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Five brakes on rail’s growth potential

  The latest ORR figures on rail usage are surprisingly good because the railway suffers from brakes on progress. Here are five of them  Rail usage is up 14% year-on-year   Industry, politicians, and civil servants will doubtless be taking some quiet satisfaction from the upward trend in rail usage reported by the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.…

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Day Travelcards – Their History, Importance, & Salvation (Ticketing Part 2)

Digital is the mainstream now in fare payment, but it does little for those like the elderly, recent immigrants, those without bank or Oyster cards, and some international visitors. Increasing digitisation saves public transport agencies considerable money and effort, and provides them with reams of travel, payment, demographic, and station data points to optimise and plan services. Unfortunately, this digitisation…

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It’s Not About The Politics (Part 1)

So Says Alex Stafford. One of his currently promised “more action” concerns buses in his constituency; hence his photograph at a Bus Stop. Young Aex wants to sort out the buses in the Rother Valley and see significant improvements. I am aware that the Labour Party in Rotherham are currently churning out literature that puts their spin on the woeful public transport…

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Various roles – Arriva

  It’s an exciting time to join Arriva and we have a number of opportunities available. Join Arriva now and do more of what you love.  Area Director, Midlands Responsible for delivering the strategic direction and performance of the Midlands business. Assumes full P&L accountability and operational control, drive performance and growth to increase profitability. Network Manager, Wakefield Responsible for…

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