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February 2025: Rail Continues To Take Centre Stage

A look at the transport industry in February

Rail has taken up much of the transport industry’s bandwidth in February, with many of the government’s reforms reaching key milestones this month.

The Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) Call for Ideas, which launched late last year, closed on the 20th of February. Inviting submissions from customers, frontline transport workers, operators and other industry stakeholders, the INTS will help to inform the Government’s high-level 10-year strategy for the design, building and operating of transport in England.

In other consultation news, the Department for Transport opened a consultation for “A railway fit for Britain’s future”, seeking views on policies to form part of the Railways Bill which will, in turn, allow for the creation of the much-vaunted Great British Railways. The consultation closes on the 15th of April and will, among other things, inform the establishment of a robust passenger watchdog, to be known as the Passenger Standards Authority.

If Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander didn’t already have enough in her in-tray, further strike action beckons after Elizabeth line drivers rejected a 4.5% pay rise. She has vowed to face down the unions, putting the passenger first in any negotiations.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Government announced nearly £300 million of investment in active travel schemes across England, with the lion’s share of the funding going to combined authorities – i.e. those areas with Metro Mayors. The funding will go towards the creation of 300 miles of new walkways and cycle paths and will fund cycle training for hundreds of thousands of children.

Below we take a look in more detail at what’s been happening in our core policy areas of transport, decarbonisation and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Follow us on X and LinkedIn or sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with our analysis of key industry topics. 

If you need help with any of these policy areas, or anything else, email us at info@jfgcomms.co.uk. If you would like to shape the content you read about in future monthly transport roundups, please take a moment to complete our poll.

This month we were back in Parliament with Women in Transport for the inaugural meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Women in Transport.  We’ve kickstarted an exciting programme of work aimed at inspiring the next generation of women transport professionals.

With cross-party support reaffirmed for the 9th year running, we’re committed to making meaningful progress on key issues such as improving women’s representation in the workforce, tackling violence against women and girls on public transport, and embracing new opportunities through transport devolution. Newly elected members include the Chair, Elsie Blundell MP, Vice Chair, Catherine Atkinson MP, and Officers Baroness Pidgeon and Lord Moylan, with continued support from Ruth Cadbury MP.

At JFG Communications we’re delighted to continue providing the secretariat for the APPG, and we’re excited to see what we can achieve together going forward.

  • Halfords is partnering with Sustrans to launch the first-ever Children’s Walking and Cycling Index, a report that examines the habits, challenges, and opportunities surrounding children’s walking, wheeling, and cycling experiences. This marks the first time a report will focus on the unique travel needs of children. The report launched in parliament to a small restricted audience on the 24th February and to the public on 26th February.
  • 24% of Transport for London’s Cycleway network has been found to be ‘socially unsafe’ after dark. This finding comes from the ‘Women’s Freedom after Dark’ report published by London Cycling Campaign’s Women’s Network which finds that 52 of Transport for London’s 89 Cycleways (58%) have at least one section that is socially unsafe after dark.
  • A funding package of almost £300 million in funding to boost walking, wheeling and cycling in England was announced earlier this month by the government and Active Travel England. It will also allow the construction of improved crossings and junctions to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier, safer and better across the country. The investment will also help fund cycle training for hundreds of thousands of children.
  • Glasgow is to incorporate 270km of cycleways into the city. The announcement is part of the council’s plans to meet Glasgow’s sustainable travel goals. Currently, Glasgow City Council has completed several projects that make the city’s travel greener. Some of the schemes include South City Way – a major new cycling link between Queens Park and the centre of Glasgow – and a leg of the Connecting Battlefield project – linking South City Way and New Victoria Hospital.
  • Investment by Transport for London (TfL) through its UK-wide supply chain continues to support growth and opportunities right across the UK, a new independent report has shown. The report produced by Hatch, a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm, shows how investment by TfL into London’s public transport network has huge benefits for its UK-wide supply chain. This in turn delivers wider benefits for the economy of the local areas where the suppliers are located, supporting jobs and economic growth across the country.
  • People in Glasgow are to be offered free public transport in the first trial of its kind in Scotland. Councillors have signed off £225,000 to offer the concessionary travel to 1000 residents as part of its budget for the upcoming year. A study looking at the possibility last year found a smart card ticket for the bus, train and subway would be a feasible way of rolling it out and the pilot could run for nine weeks. The study recommended that people aged between 22 and 59 be included, but the council has yet to release exact details on how and when it would happen.
  • The Bee Network has reached 100 million bus journeys since coming under local control in September 2023. The buses were first rolled out in Bolton as part of plans to create a London style transport network. This milestone comes as Greater Manchester became the first area in 40 years to franchise buses, allowing the region to set routes, fares, and standards.
  • The UK’s new bus, coach and minibus market has strengthened its recovery, recording a second consecutive year of growth and the best annual performance since 2008, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. A 70.1% increase in registrations saw 8,390 buses join Britain’s roads in 2024 to become the largest overall European bus market, reflecting growing operator confidence in ridership levels and substantial government funding for zero emission technologies.
  • The Welsh Government has unveiled a new initiative allowing young people across Wales to travel by bus for just £1 per journey. The £15 million pilot programme, set to launch in September 2025, will enable those aged 21 and under to travel anywhere in Wales for £1 per trip.
  • Buses across Greater Manchester will see contactless ‘tap and go’ payments introduced in a month. Launching on March 23, the change will mean that passengers pay the best price for their journey. Contactless ‘tap and go’, which is already available on Metrolink, will expand to buses, enabling bus passengers to benefit from the scheme by simply tapping on a bus without needing a ticket. Passengers still wanting to pay cash or purchase tickets can still do so, with tickets also available for purchase via the Bee Network app.
  • Plans for a landmark bill to rewire Britain’s railways, including setting up a powerful passenger watchdog to give passengers a voice and hold train operators to account, have been unveiled by the government this month. This once in a generation overhaul will establish Great British Railways, a new body bringing track and train together, delivering reliable services for passengers and catalysing growth across the country. Through this consultation, the government will be working with industry to rewire the railways and unite train and track, putting an end to outdated and inefficient processes which have resulted in poor performance, timetable chaos and complex fares and ticketing.
  • Southeastern is to use Artificial Intelligence to help with level boarding on a new fleet of trains. Level boarding allows train carriages to align perfectly with the platform at the same height and can assist passengers with wheelchairs, mobility issues, pushchairs or luggage. The rail operator plans to replace rolling stock which is over 30 years old and still in use.
  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority has signed off £34 million for improvements to rail stations across the city region, including work to improve accessibility at four Stockport stations. Work to build a more inclusive and accessible rail network in Greater Manchester will see twice as many rail stations becoming step-free in the next three years than in the preceding decade ahead of eight lines being brought into the Bee Network by 2028.
  • HS2 has completed the heaviest and longest single-stage viaduct deck slide so far in the project. The 4,500-tonne deck was slid across a road and railway line near Wendover in Buckinghamshire, near the Oxfordshire border, during a four-day operation which was finished on February 2. The Small Dean viaduct, stretching 345 metres, is one of 50 major viaducts on the HS2 project.
  • New research from Network Rail to mark National Apprenticeship Week has revealed over half of all respondents (51%) would consider an apprenticeship if they were to restart their career. The findings highlight the appeal of apprenticeships as a valuable pathway into the workforce, with over three quarters of all adults (86%) believing that apprenticeships are a great way to kick-start a career.
  • Drivers, taxi drivers and businesses are set to benefit from £120 million in government funding to make the switch to cleaner vans, wheelchair accessible vehicles and taxis easier, faster and cheaper. The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, has confirmed the department is extending the Plug-in van grant for another year, to help van drivers and businesses transition to zero emission vehicles. The extension will mean businesses and van drivers can receive grants up to £2,500 when buying small vans up to 2.5 tonnes and up to £5,000 for larger vans up to 4.25 tonnes.
  • The UK’s electric vehicle (EV) market has kicked off 2025 with a resounding success, recording its highest-ever January share of new car sales. New data fromNew AutoMotive, a UK non-governmental organisation, reveals that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for over one in five new car registrations last month, a significant 34% increase compared to January 2024, when EVs held a 15% share.
  • Analysis of the 2024 Europcar Mobility Group UK EV barometer reveals that, across the year, the cost of purchasing and maintaining an EV is a growing concern amongst private motorists. Quarterly averages reveal costs are a barrier for more drivers today than 12 months ago, while charging infrastructure, knowledge about EV ownership and vehicle models and availability have each decreased as concerns in the past 12 months.
  • Data from the Automobile Association (AA) shows that 56% of prospective EV buyers say better signage would boost the prominence of the public network. Of 8,268 drivers polled, 51% felt totem pole pricing boards like those used at fuel forecourts (51%) would help chargers stand out, as would “subtle tactics” like including chargepoints in built-in sat-navs in petrol and diesel cars (52%).
  • Industry experts are calling on the government to introduce more initiatives to encourage drivers to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) after a new survey revealed that two out of three drivers have no immediate plans to make the switch. The study, conducted by Zenith, the independent leasing, fleet management, and vehicle outsourcing business, highlights significant barriers preventing consumers from embracing EVs. A major deterrent for many drivers is the cost of EVs. According to the survey, 41% of respondents stated they would be more inclined to switch if more affordable options were available. Additionally, 33% indicated they would consider transitioning if the government provided more financial incentives to offset the higher initial costs associated with EVs.
  • Transport for London is working with the construction industry on a pioneering new trial of zero emission construction vehicles, which involves a UK first method of mobile recharging. TfL and FM Conway have partnered with Volvo Construction Equipment and SMT to deliver the trial, with an electric excavator and wheel loader replacing equipment traditionally powered by fossil fuels. New advances in technology such as those being trialled at the site could play a vital role in reaching the Mayor of London’s target for London to be net zero carbon by 2030.
  • Britons have been warned that e-scooters could be permitted to travel on UK pavements at lower speeds to help increase mobility options for disabled and vulnerable people. The recommendation comes from a comprehensive study which detailed how allowing e-scooters to use the pavement would provide clear accessibility benefits for those with mobility impairments. However, the reportby Transport Research Laboratory did acknowledge legitimate concerns about potential conflicts between e-scooters and pedestrians, particularly affecting visually impaired people and older people. To address these safety concerns, the study recommended that if e-scooters were permitted on pavements by the Department for Transport, they should be forced to adhere to lower speeds of 4mph while on footways.
  • E-scooters are to be available day and night throughout the week as part of a pilot project in North Northamptonshire. The extended operating hours will be trialled for six months and the council and police officers will meet regularly during the trial to assess its success. The electric scooters were launched in North Northamptonshire in March 2021. The operating company, Voi, said three million journeys had been registered across the county by March 2023.
  • Almost 200 car parking spaces in central London are to be permanently converted into parking bays for dockless e-bikes in a bid to improve parking. Westminster council began converting the on-street bays in 2023. It has now decided to make the move permanent as it revealed how often dockless bikes are being used – and how often riders end up being fined for leaving the bikes outside designated parking locations. According to council documents, there were 664,000 e-bike and e-scooter hires from the parking bays in Westminster last October, the most recent month for which figures have been made available.
  • The Aviation Minister has launched the latest round of funding to encourage more young people into a career in aviation, helping to secure long term economic growth and ensuring the sector has the workforce needed for the future. Now in its third round, the government’s Reach for the Sky programme will see £810,000 awarded to 16 organisations across the UK, from Cornwall to Newcastle. The successful scheme, which totals £2.3 million, has now delivered funding to 37 outreach organisations and reached 100,000 people across the country.
  • Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood has announced the appointment of 13 new members to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee. The independent committee provides advice to the Department for Transport (DfT) on the transport needs of disabled people – particularly on ministerial policy priorities and areas they think need urgent attention. Their work helps DfT stand by its ambition to ensure transport is accessible for all, including keeping it at the heart of bus and rail reform, as well as the establishment of the Passenger Standards Authority.
  • Top British companies are continuing to lead the way for gender equality in boardrooms with women occupying over 43% of roles on company boards according to a new report published this month.   The FTSE Women Leaders Review report for 2025, backed by the government and sponsored by sector giants Lloyds Banking Group and KPMG LLP, shows that women now occupy 1,275 or 43% of roles on company boards and 6,743 (35%) of leadership roles at the 350 FTSE companies. 

We hope you found this roundup interesting and informative.  Follow us on twitter and LinkedIn or sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with our analysis of key industry topics. If you need help with any of these policy areas, or anything else, email us at info@jfgcomms.co.uk. If you would like to shape the content you read about in future monthly transport roundups, please take a moment to complete our poll.

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