Out now: Issue 308 of Passenger Transport

Issue 308 of Passenger Transport is published on March 8.
Contents include:

 

 
LEAD STORY

Tackling ‘a stronghold of gender imbalance’
Women in Bus and Coach founder Louise Cheeseman joins others in setting out the diversity challenge and the initiatives that can help to fix it

 
NEWS

Speculation mounts over Tranche 3 winners
Stagecoach could face major upset in final franchising phase

Wrightbus owner in ZEBRA challenge
Procurement process at the centre of bus manufacturer dispute

HS2 funds redirected to new £4.7bn fund
Government redirects funding planned for HS2 towards ‘unprecedented’ fund aims at creating transport improvements in smaller towns and cities

Research suggests rail patronage could double
Pre-Covid patronage to be surpassed within four to seven years

Green shoots after Stormont restoration
The restoration of the power sharing government has seen deal with trade unions and new investment in cross-border trains. Rhodri Clark reports

Khan launches off-peak pay as you go Fridays
Move aims to stimulate patronage and economic growth

Buses could be axed where they parallel rail
Welsh Government could use bus franchising to end competition with rail, but bus operators believe the proposal is flawed. Rhodri Clark reports

Welsh bus franchises expected in 2026-28
Government has published its bus reform roadmap

Public transport is in ‘a precarious position’
Urban Transport Group report reveals transport trends

South Yorkshire bus franchising decision
Combined authority will take over operation of Supertram this month and mayor Oliver Coppard is keen to bring bus services under public control

 
NET ZERO

Lumo makes carbon case and eyes Glasgow
FirstGroup open access operator shares data on economic contribution and emissions saved and reveals plans to extend London-Edinburgh route

Lumo makes carbon case and eyes Glasgow
FirstGroup open access operator shares data on economic contribution and emissions saved and reveals plans to extend London-Edinburgh route

 
INNOVATION & TECH

INIT wins £160m deal to upgrade TfL’s iBus
New contract will enhance reliability and accuracy of real-time passenger information and increase information on disruptions and diversions

FlixBus launches first electric coach service
Newport Transport will operate zero emission vehicle

 
COMMENT

Norman Baker: Rolling stock has remained in sidings
Rolling stock issues have been surprisingly neglected in debates about the future of the railway, but there are big problems to solve

Jason Prince: Devolution seeds will bear fruit
Against the precarious backdrop of public transport, mayors and local leaders in our city regions are planting seeds of optimism

Alex Warner: The world is open to connecting with us
My recent experiences of field marketing for a bus service in a seaside town showed me that businesses are ready to collaborate

Nick Richardson: What attracts new customers to trains?
Changes in travel behaviour have widened the market but problems persist. How do we encourage more people onboard?

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

 
WOMEN IN PASSENGER TRANSPORT

Breaking down barriers
March 8 – International Women’s Day – is an opportunity to consider our journey to gender equality

Driving forward diversity
The Women in Transport Diversity & Inclusion Bus Group can look back on five years of progress

10 women who are making a difference
Many inspirational women are contributing to the bus and coach sector. We asked 10 of them about their lives in the industry

Empowering diversity
The Women in Bus and Coach initiative has emerged as a powerful force. Here are seven compelling reasons behind the pressing need for such initiatives

Transport UK: Diversity will drive improvements
We’ve come a long way in recent years but there’s still more to do – and it matters, because true diversity brings better everything

Go-Ahead Group: Go-Ahead sets stage for equality
Go-Ahead Women campaign aims to recruit 1,500 new women bus drivers, with 50% goal by 2035

 
CAREERS:

Social mobility action plan
New report by Southeastern probes rail industry’s key role in enabling social mobility

 
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The post Out now: Issue 308 of Passenger Transport first appeared on Passenger Transport.

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