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Full steam ahead for rail nationalisation 

A look at the transport industry in May

As the month of the first nationalised train service as part of the Government’s wider public ownership programme, May 2025 was destined to be a historic month for both the rail and wider transport industries. In the event, the first train service departed from London Waterloo on the morning of Saturday the 25th to some fanfare, with the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander MP, and assorted journalists and industry figures in attendance. There was some amusement that the first publicly owned and run service was partially a rail replacement bus.
 
In more exciting news for rail, Alexander unveiled a landmark agreement with her Swiss counterpart, aimed at creating a direct rail link between the UK and Switzerland for the first time. Such a link would, its proponents say, strengthen trade ties and encourage greener travel across Europe, and would take five hours.
 
The strengthening of transport links with Europe did not stop there, with Sir Keir Starmer’s Government hoping to secure access to e-gates across the EU for British travellers as part of a wider resetting of the UK’s relationship with the EU. It has also been reported that the Government wants the UK to rejoin the EU’s ‘pet passport’ scheme.
 
Finally, in a move that is perhaps surprising given recent efforts to combat antisocial behaviour on the public transport network, ScotRail has confirmed that its longstanding ban on consuming alcohol onboard its trains is coming to an end. Originally introduced during the Pandemic, the decision should be viewed in the context of changing habits and the proliferation of rail journeys made for leisure purposes rather than commuting.
 
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. 

  • Earlier this month we worked with our client, micro-mobility provider Voi, to host a successful launch event for The London Boroughs of Ealing and Kensington and Chelsea e-bike pilot scheme. The launch event, held at Ealing Town Hall, was attended by local politicians including Rupa Huq MP (Ealing Central and Acton) and Bassam Mahfouz AM (Ealing and Hillingdon). Also present were representatives from the London Borough of Ealing Council, journalists and members of the community. The pilot will provide residents and visitors with access to a fleet of 800 e-bikes, supporting active travel goals, reducing congestion and improving air quality.
  • Cycling in the City of London has soared by more than 50% over the past two years, according to newly released figures. Official counts reveal a record 139,000 people cycled daily across 30 monitoring locations in October 2024 – a dramatic rise from 89,000 in 2022. The City of London Corporation, which governs the Square Mile, said this marks the steepest jump since it began recording cyclist numbers in 1999.
  • A new 5km active travel route has opened to multiple locations in the West of Scotland. The walking and cycling route connects Paisley town centre to Renfrew,  Clydebank, and Yoker. It offers a safe travel option away from main roads, linking Paisley Gilmour Street train station to the new Renfrew Bridge – connecting the towns with Clydebank and Yoker across the River Clyde.
  • Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it will be employing more investigators as part of what it calls “a bold new strategy to crack down on fare evasion”.  The investigators will concentrate on identifying and targeting persistent and high-impact offenders.  TfL says that the most persistent of these cost it thousands of pounds in lost revenue each year. The investigators have been working on London Underground, and will now extend its remit to cover the Elizabeth line and London Overground, and will then extend further to cover all other rail modes.
  • The new tap on, tap off system on the Edinburgh tram network went live earlier this month. The system, similar to the one already in operation on Lothian Buses, registers where passengers have got on and off the network and calculates the cheapest fare. The service is integrated with Lothian Buses to cap bus and tram travel across the city at the day ticket rate.
  • Rural sixth form students have complained a lack of public transport is threatening their education because getting to college is difficult. The concerns were raised after Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury, discussed the issue in Parliament and called for funding rule changes to allow more rural colleges to offer travel bursaries. West Midlands Railway and Transport for Wales said they were looking to improve their performances.
  • First Bus is investing £70m in a further 160 zero-emission buses in the West of England, growing the First Bus zero-emission local fleet to over 250 vehicles.  In partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, an additional £20m has been secured through the latest round of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding scheme.  
  • Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, has given the green light to proposals that will bring the regions bus network back under public control for the first time in almost 40 years. The landmark decision has kickstarted the transition process towards franchised bus services – replacing the current private operator-led network. The first public controlled services are expected to start rolling out in late 2027, with the whole process finished during 2029.
  • Only one in ten blind or partially sighted people can make all their necessary journeys in Wales by bus, according to a report by RNIB Cymru. The ‘All Aboard’ report highlights the importance of buses for accessing work, healthcare, education, and community activities. Almost half (43 per cent) find familiar journeys difficult, and this rises to 87 per cent for unfamiliar routes. The report identifies challenges at every stage of the journey, from planning to boarding. Only two per cent can access bus stop timetables, and 27 per cent struggle to identify their local stop. Audio announcements are often absent, and 71 per cent believe drivers lack suitable training.
  • Bus passengers in Blackpool are set to benefit from a £4m investment designed to encourage more people to use public transport. Planned improvements include a major upgrade of bus shelters in the town, and installing more real-time information screens. The work will go ahead after the spending plans were approved by Blackpool Council’s executive committee.
  • Night buses will continue to be available in Newquay, North Devon and Torquay, plus on new routes in Plymouth and Exeter on Saturday nights until the end of the year. Following the success in the summer and Christmas of 2024, Devon & Cornwall Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office are working with partners to continue running night buses across the two counties, providing seven new routes in addition to the four existing routes from last year. Night bus services, provided by Stagecoach in Devon and First Bus in Newquay, will operate on Saturday evenings from May throughout 2025 in a bid to reduce drink and drug-related incidents. The buses will also be available in Devon on Friday, December 19, and New Year’s Eve. The North Devon, Torquay, Plymouth and Exeter buses will run between May 31 and New Year’s Eve 2025, and a longer Newquay service until September 6.
  • A giant HS2 boring machine has broken through to complete the first section of a 3.5-mile tunnel on the route’s approach into Birmingham. The tunnel is the first of two bores of the Bromford Tunnel, running from the village of Water Orton in North Warwickshire to the Birmingham suburb of Washwood Heath, and passing under the area’s motorway network and the River Tame.
  • The Government has announced that it will provide £800,000 of funding for new rail technology innovations – including a 3D animated avatar that allows passengers to ask questions through voice interaction or access audio via apps or QR codes. The Government also added that the funding would “break down barriers to opportunity” as part of its Plan For Change, improving accessible travel on rail replacement coaches for disabled people.
  • Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to drive trains after the minimum age was lowered from 20 in a bid to tackle driver shortages. The government has said UK rail services are frequently disrupted due to a lack of drivers being available, and the problem is set to get worse with companies struggling to replace a growing number of people retiring with new recruits. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the change as “bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs”.
  • Passengers in Bradford are now benefiting from improved, increased rail journeys thanks to a multi-million-pound government boost. Earlier this month saw the opening of a brand-new platform at Forster Square Station, which is already facilitating 5 additional services a day between Bradford and London. The new platform and improved station infrastructure will ease congestion and increase access into the city for passengers, commuters and tourists. 
  • Bolton is set to benefit from a major green transport push as part of a £17.6 million electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure rollout across Greater Manchester. The council has formally agreed to join a region-wide partnership to deliver the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure programme, which aims to install up to 4,500 charging points by 2027.
  • As one of the first of its kind in the UK, the Ancoats Mobility Hub in Manchester has now opened to the public. With facilities for EV charging, electric bikes, and car sharing, the facility is set to promote e-mobility across the wider area. The facility will be managed by European parking management firm, APCOA.
  • Greater Manchester has less than half the number of EV chargers per person than the England average, government data shows. The region has just 53.8 publicly available electric vehicle chargers per 100,000 people, while the average for England as a whole is 115.4. Greater Manchester also has the second lowest number of public EV chargers per person of any of the English areas included in the official breakdown – with only Essex below it, with just 48 EV chargers per 100,000 people. In terms of English regions, London ranks the highest with 262.2 EV chargers per 100,000, and Yorkshire and the Humber lowest with 66.2.
  • Hackney Council has launched an electric car club pilot across the borough, which includes 15 new EVs from Zipcar and 70 on-street fast chargers from Zest Charging. The on-street fast charging sockets are being installed in 35 different locations, each with two parking bays – one for public EV charging and another for electric car club use. Also, Zipcar has partnered with the Zero Emissions Network to offer local businesses free membership for the first year. The project is being supported by more than £1m in combined funding from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot fund and Zest.
  • The Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation is seeking evidence from stakeholders involved in the planning, funding, deployment, or use of EV charging infrastructure. This call for evidence is part of a wider research project aimed at understanding the issues and challenges associated with rolling out EV charging infrastructure across the UK.  The end report aims to be a one stop information point for those rolling out EV charging infrastructure. You can access the full call for evidence here. The deadline for submission is Friday 13th June.
  • A third of London’s boroughs now host e-scooter trials, TfL has announced, with Wandsworth being the latest to join. The trial offers the only legal way to drive electric e-scooters on the capital’s roads. The trial is contracted to run until 25 September 2025, with potential for extensions of up to one year. New data from TfL reveals more than five million trips have been taken on rental e-scooters across the capital, covering over 10 million kilometres, since the trial’s launch in June 2021.
  • Greater Manchester’s Starling Bank Bike hire scheme has expanded its fleet with the arrival of 300 new electric bikes, making half of the city-region’s hire bikes now electric. The latest additions are part of a broader push to boost sustainable transport across the region, as Greater Manchester targets one million more sustainable journeys every day by 2040.
  • Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airports group, has launched a new five-year Sustainability Strategy titled ‘Creating a sustainable future for all’, outlining bold plans to inspire 70,000 young people about careers in aviation. The initiative aims to create a diverse pipeline of talent while driving environmental progress across the Group’s operations. The new Strategy focuses on two core pillars: Protecting our Environment and Community at our Core. Under the latter, MAG will engage with thousands of young people through education programmes and career events. Over £84,000 has been awarded to MAG from the government’s ‘Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund’ to help deliver a series of inspiring career festivals.
  • A small, electric passenger ferry is beginning a three-year trial in Orkney. The vessel uses new hydrofoil technology and could cut travel times between islands significantly. The ferry has been built by Artemis Technologies in Belfast and the £15m trial is part of the Electric Orkney project – funded by the UK government’s Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure (Zevi) fund. If it is approved to carry passengers, the ferry will operate from Kirkwall to the islands of Shapinsay, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre.
  • The A40 Llanddewi Velfrey to Redstone Cross road scheme in Pembrokeshire has been opened thanks to a £60 million joint investment by Welsh Government and the EU. The scheme, which was officially opened this month by the First Minister, Eluned Morgan will improve connectivity, reduce journey times, provide extra resilience and reliability, and enhance road safety. It delivers a new 6km upgrade to the old road, a new carriageway, new roundabouts, 2 new bridges, 22 culverts, a new active travel route and environmental landscaping with over 450,000 plants and trees.
  • A new bridge across the River Clyde has opened to traffic. The Renfrew Bridge connects Meadowside Street in Renfrew and Dock Street in Yoker, with the ability to open for passing ships as required. It marks the completion of the £117m Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project, and authorities believe it will bring huge economic benefits to the area. The 184-metre, twin-leaf bridge provides a two-lane crossing for vehicles, pedestrians and active travel.
  • Compelling new TfL research shows the number of people killed and seriously injured on borough roads in London reduced by 34 per cent following the implementation of the 20mph speed limit between 1989 and 2013. The report, the first of its scale in London, analyses more than 150 20mph schemes between 1989 and 2013, examining the three-year periods surrounding the implementation of each 20mph scheme. The report shows that, with the exception of motorcycle fatalities, which did not change, 20mph schemes led to fewer fatalities and less severe injuries across every mode of travel.
  • Electric vans and trucks will no longer be exempt from London’s congestion charge, under proposals put forward by TfL. TfL is proposing the current 100% discount for electric vans and HGVs be replaced with a 50% discount, which would kick in from 2 January 2026. From 4 March 2030, the 50% discount would be reduced to a 25% discount for electric vans and HGVs, under TfL’s proposals. TfL is seeking views on a number of changes to the Congestion Charge, under a public consultation launched this month. The new proposals aim to cut the capital’s pollution levels even further and include a new Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD), from January 2026. In addition, the Congestion Charging Scheme, which has remained the same since 2020, will increase from £15 to £18 from 2 January 2026, under the proposals. This would be the first increase in five years.
  • The free Snowball app described as ‘TripAdvisor for the disabled community’, is using TfL data to integrate all the accessible stations on the London transport network into its mobile app, making it easier for disabled people to plan outings in the capital. Through TfL’s open data policy, a step-free station map now shows in all London search results in Snowball, allowing users to plan a trip from start to finish in just one app.
  • RNID, the national charity for people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, has launched a major new research project– funded by the Motability Foundation – aimed at understanding the barriers faced by people from these communities when using public transport. The 18-month study will gather in-depth insights from people across the UK who are deaf or have hearing loss with the aim of developing new ideas and technology to improve accessibility in travel. To help inform the work, RNID will conduct a national survey and use focus groups to understand real-life travel experiences. 
  • Over 800 women were sexually assaulted on the London Underground last year, with TfL saying that tackling violence against women and girls on public transport remains a longstanding priority. The data was shared in the response to a Freedom of Information request. The transport authority confirmed that 856 sexual offences were committed against women and girls on the London Underground in the year leading up to April 2025. This was an increase of 56 assaults when compared to the previous year, with 745 occurring between April 2022 and April 2023.

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