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February 2026: Steady Progress Ahead of the Spring Statement

A look at the transport industry in February

February was a relatively steady month for the UK transport industry, marked less by major funding announcements and more by incremental reform and delivery milestones ahead of the Spring Statement.

Industry steadiness, however, was contrasted by growing political tension. The Gorton and Denton by-election result delivered a damning blow to the Government as Labour finished third behind the Greens and Reform, but with the Spring Statement and INTS approaching, and May’s local elections on the horizon, February could very much be the quiet before the storm.

Rail reform is moving ever closer to implementation, bus franchising continues to expand beyond London, and major capital programmes proceed under close scrutiny. While February itself brought few headline-grabbing decisions, the sector is clearly in a holding pattern, awaiting clear signals on funding, priorities and growth strategy in the weeks ahead.

Rail reform continued its gradual progression. The Department for Transport confirmed the transfer of West Midlands Trains services into public ownership at the start of the month, adding to the growing portfolio of operators managed directly by government as part of the transition toward Great British Railways. While the primary legislation remains in train, the practical shift of operators into public hands is now well underway.

In freight, the DfT also announced support for the redevelopment of the Barking Eurohub site to facilitate the return of regular cross-Channel rail freight services. The move is framed as a capacity and connectivity measure, aimed at strengthening rail freight’s role in UK-EU trade corridors, and comes at a time the Starmer Government is making increasingly positive noises about closer cooperation with the EU.

Transport for London published its draft Business Plan, approved by the Board in early February. The plan sets out long-term priority areas, from investment in new rolling stock and active travel to proposals for a publicly-owned bus entity, and sets TfL’s strategic direction as it too looks ahead to the Spring Statement and future budget decisions.

Outside the capital, the West Midlands Combined Authority maintained momentum on bus franchising preparations, approving the business case for a new £19.9 million East Birmingham bus depot at Lea Ford Road, a key asset in support of the region’s transition to a franchise model for local buses. The facility, largely funded by Birmingham City Council, forms part of wider preparations for bus franchising and is intended to provide depot capacity under public control, easing market entry for multiple operators once franchising begins.

Taken together, February was characterised by quiet progress rather than eye-catching announcements. Attention now turns to tomorrow’s Spring Statement, where the sector will be looking for political and financial commitment to existing and future projects, and the economic, climate and public health benefits they unlock.

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. 

  • We’re delighted our Founder and CEO, Jo Field, has won the prestigious ‘Public Affairs Woman of the Year’ award at this year’s PRCA Public Affairs Awards. This is the only dedicated awards ceremony in the UK for the public affairs industry and showcases some of the excellent work from the sector over the past year. To be recognised as Woman of the Year, Jo had to demonstrate her achievements in several categories including performance, people and business practices and creativity.

  • We supported our client, Furrer+Frey, in Glasgow as they launched an AI tool already helping Network Rail cut electrification costs. Our work drew key stakeholders and national media to see Lineform.AI in action, which analyses satellite and other rail system inputs to guide electrification decisions. Keep your eyes peeled for media coverage.
  • Over 700 million active travel trips have been recorded in Greater Manchester in 2025, a rise that has been attributed to major investment in the Bee Network. The latest Active Travel Annual Report highlights that where infrastructure has been completed, active travel rates have surged. This includes a 62% increase in cycle trips on Chorlton Cycle Way in 2025 compared to 2021. On Oxford Road there were 7,000 cyclists a day in October 2025 – up from 2,000 a day before there was a segregated cycleway.  
  • Cyclists account for over 16% of all journeys on Victoria Road in the south of Glasgow, according to a traffic survey conducted by Cycling Scotland. Over the two-day period in September 2025, 5,287 bikes were recorded on the South City Way route on Victoria Road in Govanhill, a 2.5km, fully protected two-way bike lane linking Glasgow’s Southside to the city centre. A total of 32,894 methods of travel were recorded during the same period, meaning that 16.1 per cent of people cycled their journey.
  • Almost half of London’s cyclists still feel unsafe on the capital’s roads despite mass investment in cycle lanes and safety measures, Transport for London (TfL) has been told. New research shows that 43 per cent of riders in London don’t feel comfortable, despite the city’s cycling revolution in recent years. This is a higher proportion than the North West of England, where just over a third feel unsafe. The data, obtained by law firm JMW and seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service shows a little over a third – 36 per cent – of cyclists believe their local area has adequate infrastructure. This is one of the lowest confidence ratings in the UK. As a whole, just seven per cent of London cyclists take to the road every day.
  • Young people in Wales want safer streets, according to research from Cycling UK. The research found that 74 per cent of 16 to 30-year-olds support street redesigns to improve safety for walking and cycling. The findings also showed 60 per cent back allocating 10 per cent of the transport budget to walking and cycling, pointing to demand for more affordable, healthy, and sustainable travel options.
  • Unlimited free travel is now being provided to 1,000 people in Glasgow, as a pilot project gets underway. The city’s free public transport scheme launched earlier this month, giving seven weeks of free journeys on buses, trains and the Subway to participants. Those taking part in the pilot include people who regularly rely on private cars and residents who face barriers to travel, such as patients who struggle to afford the cost of getting to hospital appointments.
  • Pedicab riders will be banned from charging rip-off fares and blaring out music as they are regulated in London for the first time. TfL has announced new rules that mean rickshaw riders will be required to pay for a licence, meet English language requirements, pass a safety test, and hold a driving theory test certificate. The new licensing regime and the maximum journey fares are due to come into force from 30 October.
  • An advance of £50 million has been approved by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority board to accelerate early-stage work on a series of major transport schemes across the region. The funding will bring forward design, surveys and business case development for projects including a new tram extension, railway station upgrades and the continued development of Coventry’s Very Light Rail programme.
  • A £1.405 million investment will help bring 13 electric buses and greener travel options to Oxfordshire’s roads. The funding has been awarded by Oxfordshire County Councilthrough its new vehicle improvement fund for 2025/26. In total, £1.405 million in grants has been matched by £4.056 million in investment from bus operators, bringing the total value of improvements to £5.461 million. The Oxford Bus Company’s parent group Go-Ahead received £1.204 million of the grant to help fund the 13 new single-deck electric buses.
  • TfL is running a 12-month trial on new bus shelter designs to improve accessibility, safety and customer experience. Improvements include better lighting and seating, priority spaces, a more sustainable modular construction approach, a new roof design, more robust anti-vandalism materials and CCTV at selected shelters. Alongside the trial of new designs, additional bus shelters will be introduced at locations that currently do not have one. The trial demonstrates TfL’s commitment to the Bus Action Plan, which aims to encourage bus use and support the Mayor’s ambition for 80 per cent of London journeys to be made using public transport or active travel by 2030.
  • A crucial step has been taken to break ground on a site that will host a new fleet of ultra-modern, electric buses for Hull. Stagecoach East Midlands’ Foster Street Depot, in the city, is set to host a fleet of 42 electric buses, which are intended to begin serving customers in spring 2026, as part of operator’s aim to bring over 120 electric buses to the region.
  • Go-Ahead, the operator of the largest zero-emission bus fleet in the UK, has reached 1,000 zero-emission buses at Go-Ahead London. The zero-emission buses at Go-Ahead London will cut carbon emissions by around 60,000 tonnes each year – equivalent to removing approximately 37,500 cars from London’s roads annually. They have capacity for over 80,000 people.
  • Essex County Council has announced an investment of £1.45m in new schemes to enhance services. The funding comes from the council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan under its research-led Thrive programme, and will support a range of pilot projects including digital-only campaigns, simplified fare structures and increased service frequency.
  • Great Western Railway has introduced the UK’s first battery-only powered train into passenger service. The Class 230 train has been used for a successful trial of fast-charge technology on the Greenford branch line over the past 22 months. Up until now, it has undergone rigorous trials. It has now entered commercial service, with the train making its first appearance on the 0530 departure from West Ealing to Greenford. The train will initially be operated in passenger service on Saturdays, with a view to increasing timetabled services throughout the year as GWR seeks to learn more about how it meets performance expectations.
  • School leavers will soon be able to become train drivers, as the government is set to lower the legal age to be a train driver from 20 to 18 years old from 30 June 2026. The move will open doors for younger people to enter a highly skilled profession at a pivotal time for the industry, when by 2030, a quarter of all train drivers are expected to reach retirement age. This figure rises to 32% in Scotland and the North East, and 38% for Wales.
  • On 10 February, the Planning Committee of the City of London passed a resolution to grant planning permission for the transformation of Liverpool Street station. The station was last redeveloped in 1991, and customer numbers have tripled over the last 35 years. The proposals will futureproof Britain’s busiest station for decades to come, increasing customer capacity and creating a fully connected, accessible transport hub for customers across the capital and beyond.
  • Network Rail has begun the first stage of electrification on the Borders Railway. The work follows the Scottish Government’s announcement in September last year of a £342m investment to electrify routes in Fife and the Borders and introduce new battery‑electric trains. Electrification will help cut carbon emissions, improve air quality, enhance the passenger experience and reduce operating costs.
  • Transport for London has awarded TotalEnergies a contract to deliver up to43 rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the capital. The charging infrastructure will allow drivers to recharge within 30 minutes and is expected to be located near key routes used for essential road journeys typically made by high mileage, commercial users – including taxis and freight – as well as near high streets and local amenities.
  • Scottish Local authorities say constrained budgets and slow access to government funding are the biggest barriers to installing public EV charge points, according to a new national survey. The research, based on responses from a total of 101 local authorities across England, Wales and Scotland, found the overwhelming majority (92%) of Scottish councils interviewed  cite pressure on council budgets as their main obstacle to expanding public EV charging. Nearly seven in ten (69%) also say central government funding is a significant barrier, while 38% say a lack of local demand for EV charging in Scotland is a major hurdle. Nearly a third (31%) say logistical and delivery challenges, including grid capacity and site constraints, are holding projects back. The survey results are published in ‘Accelerating the UK’s EV future’, the latest Local Authority Insight Report produced by charge point operator Believ.
  • The number of people being seriously injured while cycling in London is set to reach a high of about 1,200 a year – with almost a fifth of injuries happening on hired e-bikes. The proportion of cyclists killed or seriously injured while hiring an e-bike increased from one per cent of all cyclist injuries in 2017 to 17 per cent by May last year. The figures – believed to be the most comprehensive injury data ever published on the capital’s e-bike hire industry – were part of a private presentation by London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman to TfL’s safety panel. It came as TfL reported a 14 per cent year-on-year increase in serious injuries to cyclists riding all kinds of bikes, up from 773 in the first nine months to 2024 to 878 in the same period last year. If the injuries continued at the same rate in between October and December, the total for 2025 could exceed 1,200 – the worst annual figures since TfL began publishing comparative figures in 2017.
  • Edinburgh’s cycle hire scheme has expanded again, with more bikes and bigger boundaries. Another 100 e-bikes have been added to the hire fleet, and the area covered has been enlarged to include Stockbridge, Inverleith , Craigleith and part of Ravelston. The council said in the five months since the trial scheme has been operating, 185,000 trips have been made by over 26,500 riders, covering a total of more than 450,000 kilometres, equivalent to 11 laps around the Earth.
  • About a third of collisions between pedestrians and cyclists in London involve a hired e-bike, it can be revealed. At least 335 pedestrians were injured in collisions with cyclists in 2024, with two suffering fatal injuries and 99 serious injuries, according to Transport for London. The toll of pedestrian casualties is projected to increase to about 400 for the whole of 2025, after 256 were hurt in bike crashes – including 77 who were seriously injured – between January and August last year.
  • Targeted training and confidence building can significantly increase the use of shared e-bikes and e-scooters by disabled people, a pilot project has found. The trial in Salford, Greater Manchester, found that more than 50% of participants went on to ride independently within a month of it concluding. The initiative was funded by the Motability Foundation, delivered by Cycling UK, and led by shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK. It focused on how targeted engagement and skills-building can boost awareness of shared micromobility and support disabled people to use shared e-bikes and e-scooters, which are available as part of the UK’s current on-street fleet. Working with local operators Lime and Beryl, as well as Transport for Greater Manchester and Salford Council, the project delivered 15 in-person training sessions to 41 participants.
  • Last year saw a 15% increase in the number of drivers suffering pothole-related breakdowns, new RAC Pothole Index data shows. The RAC’s expert patrols attended a total of 26,048 breakdowns in 2025 – the equivalent of 71 every day – where damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels were the cause, up 3,345 from the 22,703 logged in the previous year. When comparing the number of such breakdowns during the last three months of 2025 to the same period a year earlier, an increase was also observed – 4,999 between October and December 2025, which is 290 more instances of drivers needing assistance from the RAC compared to 2024, an increase of 6%.
  • New data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority shows rising passenger numbers are expected to continue this year with nearly a third of consumers (31%) planning to fly more in 2026 than they did last year. The survey suggests that a desire to continue flying in 2026 is especially strong among younger consumers. Nearly half (47%) of 18-34s plan to take more flights this year – against 29% of 35-54 year olds, and those aged 55 and over remaining steady at 22%. Overall satisfaction with the air travel experience is at an all-time high with 88% saying they are satisfied with their experience, the highest levels since tracking began in 2016.
  • Britain’s railway stations where the highest numbers of sexual assaults, violent attacks, robberies and drug offences took place, have been disclosed by police. Figures from British Transport Police reveal which stations experienced the most criminal activity – with the worst recording over 1,000 offences in the past year. London’s major transport hubs witnessed the highest crime rates, alongside significant stations beyond the capital such as Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. Euston Station in London topped the list with the most serious crime record, logging more than 1,500 offences during the previous year.
  • New findings released by Europcar highlight safety as a key factor in where women choose to charge their electric vehicles. 70% of female EV drivers say they consider personal safety when choosing where to charge; 54% avoid certain charging locations altogether. The Europcar research underlines the importance of the location and design of EV charging infrastructure to make all EV drivers feel safe when charging their vehicle. The research highlights a clear age divide, with younger women EV drivers far more concerned about safety when choosing where to charge.
    • 75% of those aged 35–44 say personal safety influences their choice of charging location
    • 65% of 55–65 year olds consider safety when choosing a charging location
    • 63% of 25–34 year olds steer clear of specific locations, versus just 44% of those aged 55–64

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