Transport Finance

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin has extended the £2 cap on bus fares in the region until at least the spring, but the transport secretary has cast doubt on the long-term future of the measure.

The Department for Transport has announced £955m for bus services next financial year, with a shift in allocations towards more rural authorities.

Bank details of around 5,000 Transport for London customers could have been obtained in the cyber attack on the transport authority, which has had to reset the online accounts of around 30,000 staff.

The transport secretary has pledged to back councils that implement low traffic neighbourhoods and 20mph limits, with the new government ‘absolutely determined’ to end the Tories’ ‘culture wars’ approach.

Passengers may have to be incentivised not to travel by rail because the curtailed HS2 programme will reduce capacity, Parliament’s spending watchdog has warned.

Reform of the Local Government Pension Scheme could unlock £40bn of investment for infrastructure, an insurance company has estimated.

Rail passenger usage in Great Britain has continued to recover towards pre-pandemic levels, but the proportion of journeys made using traditional season tickets has collapsed.

Leeds City Council has proposed reducing transport support for post-16 learners with special educational needs and disabilities.

Councils' plans to spend allocations under the £4.7bn Local Transport Fund will not be subject to much ‘marking’ by central government, a top official has suggested.

Public spending plans beyond the current Parliament suggest that the UK will be unable to afford the infrastructure it needs, the Government’s official advisers have said.

New West Midlands mayor Richard Parker has commissioned a roadmap to replace the region’s ‘broken’ bus network with a franchising model, with a transition beginning next year.

The Government has given Hammersmith and Fulham council nearly £3m to provide a new cycle lane on Hammersmith Bridge but funding for a £250m permanent repair appears to have stalled.

Local authorities in the North and Midlands will be closely scrutinised over their plans to spend cash from the £4.7bn Local Transport Fund announced last autumn, the Government has said.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has named some of the schemes that it plans to take forward with its next £2.6bn tranche of government funding for transport from 2027 with five new routes for the region’s tram and rapid bus network.

Parliament’s spending watchdog has found that ‘astonishing’ delays and blind optimism have blunted the impact of levelling up projects.

Transport authorities have called on the Government to prioritise long-term funding certainty for public transport and active travel in city regions in next week’s Spring Budget.

Two metro mayors from opposing political parties have put forward their own plan to run HS2 trains from Birmingham to Manchester following ministers' decision to scrap Phase 2 of the high speed rail line last year.

Transport for London (TfL) is set to deliver the full programme of improvements and renewals for 2024/25 following 'difficult decisions' and a £250m capital injection from the Government.

Labour will not re-instate plans to take HS2 beyond Birmingham if it comes to power, Keir Starmer has said, as the fallout from the decision to truncate the line continues.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has unveiled a £1bn transport package for the region, funded by City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement cash, with the majority set aside for roads.

'Spiralling’ transport costs for children with special educational needs are threatening the financial stability of England’s largest councils, according to a report.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded Bradford Council £400,000 ‘to kickstart master planning’ on a new railway station.

Bus operators have expressed frustration over the Government’s pledge to allocate nearly £1bn of redirected HS2 cash for bus improvements in the North and Midlands after ministers allocated just £150m of the promised cash.

The Department for Transport has struggled to provide details of nearly £1bn of bus funding for the North and Midlands, announced as part of the decision to scrap HS2 north of Birmingham.

Rishi Sunak has confirmed the cancellation of the HS2 north of Birmingham but has said that the high speed rail line will still go to Euston, albeit with the scheme taken away from HS2 Ltd.

Rishi Sunak will finally announce the cancellation of the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2, with money for local transport projects to soften the blow, reports have suggested.

The transport secretary has announced ‘up to’ £129m to help local transport authorities introduce hundreds more zero emission buses, with a pledge that the first £25m will be prioritised for rural communities.

Behind-the-scenes discussions over cuts to HS2 could see the London Euston terminus scrapped, with cash saved potentially used to upgrade Northern Powerhouse Rail, it has been reported.

Contractors have reacted furiously to reports that ministers are considering cancelling the second phase of HS2, which is due to take the high speed rail line to Manchester.

Insufficient funding from the Government meant that English councils had to spend £452m on the concessionary bus fares scheme last year, the Local Government Association has said.

Ministers will need to find cash beyond 2025 to truly transform bus services in the way envisaged by the National Bus Strategy, the chair of the Transport Committee has said.

Transport secretary Mark Harper has given Transport for Greater Manchester an ‘extraordinary funding settlement’ of £18m to ensure the stability and reliability of the city region’s transport network.

Campaigners have threatened ministers with legal action over the decision to slash spending on walking and cycling for the last two years of the current Parliament.

Ministers have confirmed government funding for a new £210m rail station at Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the south of the city.

Ministers have announced a £500m package of funding for buses, including extending the £2 cap on single journeys outside London until the end of October.

The £2 cap on single bus fares outside London is having a positive impact on bus use and saving passengers money, according to new research from the passenger watchdog.

In the Spring Budget, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced £8.8bn for a second round of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) in a move that buoyed the local sector after recent funding cuts.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled a Budget that has sounded the death knell for Local Enterprise Partnerships, but revived the levelling up agenda.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced that the Government will ‘boost mayors’ financial autonomy’ in his Budget.

The chancellor has announced 'up to' £20bn for carbon capture and storage, alongside a new round of funding for city regions in England and £1bn for Levelling up.

Ministers have announced a further short-term funding package worth £80m to protect bus services, alongside a three-month extension of the £2 maximum fare promotion, at a cost of a further £75m.

Sixteen local authorities are set to benefit from a £56m injection of cash aimed at driving forward the rollout of thousands of new electric vehicle charge points.

Manchester City Council’s leader has welcomed the announcement of a £440m investment into Manchester Airport.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has backed down on a threat of large-scale cuts to the capital’s bus network after finding additional funding of around £25m a year.

The chancellor has abandoned his predecessor’s list of infrastructure schemes slated for acceleration and confirmed that the Government will only build the ‘core’ version of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Campaigners have warned the chancellor that the country ‘cannot afford’ to lose more bus routes and called for more cash support, including targeted funding for councils that missed out on recent funding to improve bus services.

Politicians in the north of England have called on Liz Truss to honour her pledge to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail ‘in full’, including new track and a station in Bradford.

Ministers have announced a £2 cap on ‘almost’ every single bus journey in England for three months next year.

Grant Shapps has launched a new attack on London mayor Sadiq Khan after agreeing a new funding deal to give Transport for London around £1.2bn to the end of March 2024

Ministers have announced a further £130m to continue Covid recovery funding for buses for a further six months, following warnings of massive service cuts across the country.

A multi-million-pound electric vehicle charge point pilot looks set to deliver an estimated 1,000 new chargers across the country.

The withdrawal of vital funding for bus services will only worsen the cost of living crisis, mayors from the North of England have told the Government.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has ‘proposed’ a £2 fare cap for bus journeys in England outside London, but there is no sign the plan, which could cost £260m for a year, has Treasury backing.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has pledged to meet the estimated £9bn cost of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), announced in the wake of HS2 cuts, but critics accused him of pushing for headlines without full Treasury backing.

Around 20% of the £1bn Network Rail has spent on major upgrade work to trans-Pennine rail links has been wasted on 'work no longer needed', Parliament’s spending watchdog has said.

The bus industry in Wales is set to receive a £48m injection to help it recover from the pandemic and cope with the current financial challenges, the Welsh government has announced.

The Government’s policy of asking local authorities to compete for local transport funding is producing the same winners and ‘perennial’ losers, campaigners have said.

Grant Shapps has continued to put pressure on London mayor Sadiq Khan to worsen the employment conditions of Transport for London employees with another short-term funding fix.

The Scottish Government has confirmed an additional £25.7m to extend recovery funding for the country’s bus sector but the current support scheme will end in October.

Place directors have warned of a ‘perfect storm’ as supply chain pressures mount up on local government.

Ministers have announced the end of the plug-in car grant to new orders, which it said was to allow £300m to be refocused towards extending grants for other plug-in vehicles.

Transport for London has dropped a longstanding pledge to run 37 cross-river buses in East London after opening the Silvertown tunnel, with a likely knock-on effect on traffic.

The Transport Select Committee has announced an inquiry into the prime minister’s flagship National Bus Strategy, called ‘Bus Back Better’, one year after it launched. With a key deadline coming up, the strategy now looks more like a way of managing decline.

The Government has published guidance for applications to the second round of its flagship Levelling Up Fund, which could see up to £50m awarded for individual transport projects.

The head of the body that represents rural councils has slammed ministers for pressuring authorities to keep ‘redundant’ plans for bus partnerships with operators.

A senior Department for Transport (DFT) official has played down the possibility that city regions will divert government cash intended for road repairs to pay for their plans to improve bus services.

A senior councillor in Portsmouth has said she is still ‘eagerly’ waiting clarification of possible funding for bus improvements in the city, nearly two months after ministers pledged to fund her council’s ‘ambitious plans’.

Twelve areas in England will share grants totalling nearly £200m to help fund zero emission buses and charging or fuelling infrastructure.

Construction work has started on the new £26.5m White Rose Rail Station in Leeds.

In a sign of the drastic financial situation the bus sector faces, plans to improve services in South Yorkshire alone depend on hundreds of millions of pounds of government funding that the region is unlikely to secure, it has emerged.

A senior council transport boss has warned that inadequate government cash funding for local authority bus service improvement plans (BSIPs) could lead to wholesale changes to public transport in rural areas.

Campaigners have warned that the bus sector is facing another round of big cuts to services or cash earmarked for improving local buses being diverted to prop up services that are not viable.

Local leaders on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have voted unanimously to confirm franchising as its preferred future model for the region’s buses – two years after first backing the move.

HS2 Ltd does not yet know how much the decision to curtail the Eastern Leg of the new high-speed rail line will save taxpayers, its boss has told MPs.

Glasgow City Council has approved unfunded plans to build a City Network of active travel infrastructure priced at nearly half a billion pounds.

Campaigners have criticised the limited ambition behind the Government’s so-called ‘flexible season tickets’ as rail fares rise by nearly 4%, with even higher increases for commuters in London.

Ministers have announced a £150m, ‘final tranche’ of pandemic-related support to bus and light rail operators across England, a month before existing funding is due to end.

Ministers and Transport for London have agreed a new four-month funding settlement but the transport authority has still not secured the longer-term solution that it has sought.

Public transport in some of the UK’s biggest cities is the most expensive in Europe, new research has revealed.

Transport for London (TfL) could 'in effect' declare itself bankrupt if it doesn't secure a long-term funding settlement with the Government, the London mayor's office has warned.

Network Rail has awarded a £130m major design and delivery contract to Alstom as part of a wider £194m investment for the renewal of the signalling systems in the Cambridge area.

North East transport body Nexus has warned that some bus services in Newcastle and North Tyneside will be lost next month, despite a £4.5m rescue package.

Councils have warned that nearly a third of bus services will be axed unless emergency funding is extended beyond the end of March.

Transport for London fares will increase by 1% above inflation next month, mayor Sadiq Khan has announced.

The Scottish Government has said a new grant will help maintain bus services while passenger numbers recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The Government’s announcement of new funding to improve bus services is in tatters after it emerged that no cash has been allocated, even to councils that have been promised funding.

The Department for Transport has said it ‘does not recognise’ a claim that the rail industry has been asked to deliver cuts of 10% over the next financial year, but has not denied the report outright.

Political leaders in the North of England remain hamstrung in their attempts to improve transport and cut carbon emissions as they lack the powers and funding, a new report has argued.

Ministers have faced criticism after it emerged that funding ‘to improve’ bus services in England has shrunk, with half the £3bn pledged being spent on supporting the industry through the pandemic.

With train firms across the UK once again cutting services, it has emerged that Network Rail is not currently attempting to restore the guarantee that timetables will be accurate up to 12 weeks in advance.

Rail fares will go up by 3.8% for next year, with the changes coming into force from March, the Government has announced.

The Government is facing criticism for its decision to cut the plug-in car and van grant by up to £1,000 and change the eligibility criteria.

The Government has confirmed the release of £35m of Local Growth Fund cash for a park and ride scheme and walking, cycling and bus improvements on the A40 in Oxfordshire, which it described as part of ‘plans to build back greener from the pandemic’.

Grant Shapps has announced an ‘interim extension’ of the current Transport for London (TfL) funding settlement after TfL went three weeks past its deadline in providing details of how it would raise up to £1bn.

Taxpayers forked out four-fifths of the £21bn cost of running Britain’s railways as fare revenue fell by £8.6bn from the previous year due to lockdowns and other impacts of the pandemic.

The Scottish Government will struggle to return public transport service levels in the face of uncertain demand following the pandemic, transport minister Graeme Dey has said.

Business and civic leaders in the North have called for metro mayors to be given more powers over transport infrastructure, education and skills to drive the ‘levelling-up’ agenda.

Northern political leaders have suggested that alternative funding streams, such as the capture of land value increases, could bridge the gap between their ‘vision’ for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and ministers’ watered-down plan.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned that London's transport assets, including bridges and tunnels, face closure due to the ongoing multi-billion funding crisis sparked by COVID.

Ministers appear set to ditch both the eastern leg of HS2 and a new Northern Powerhouse Rail line across the Pennines via Bradford.

The Government must fully fund the concessionary bus fares scheme if councils are to decarbonise fleets, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

The Government’s integrated rail plan will be published ‘soon’, the chancellor has said as he announced cash for pay-as-you-go ticketing and the mobilisation of the new Great British Railways, but no new money for rail electrification.

The biggest impact of the Government’s Net Zero Strategy will be from the loss of tax revenues from fossil fuels, particularly as drivers adopt electric vehicles, the Treasury has said.

The technology exists to deliver any system of road pricing that can be delivered politically, a transport policy expert has told MPs.

Campaigners have accused the Scottish Government of ‘a brazen attempt to revive the failed policy of bus deregulation’ by ‘coercing’ local authorities into signing up to bus partnership models at the expense of possible public control.

The Unite union has called off a series of strikes by bus drivers in Greater Manchester after operator Stagecoach made an improved pay offer.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has admitted overpaying Merseytravel by more than £45m in grants over 10 years.

The Scottish Government has approved a further £42m of support for bus operators, to run up to the end of March.

Transport for London (TfL) has published a revised budget for 2021/22, which it said closes the gap between costs and depleted income, but will still leave it needing a further Government bailout of half a billion pounds.

The communities secretary has pledged to reduce the number of funds that councils have to compete for as part of plans to consolidate the sector's funding.

The Scottish Government is to provide a further £5.6m for Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams in response to the ongoing financial impacts of the pandemic.

The Government has announced the latest round of towns deals, which will see 26 towns across England share over £600m.

The Scottish Government has approved additional funding of up to £35.4m to enable bus operators to maintain services.

The Government and London mayor Sadiq Khan have agreed a new £1.08bn funding package to take Transport for London through to December but ministers have insisted on reforms and savings that Mr Khan has said are unlikely to be deliverable.

Ministers appear to be backing away from the idea of electrifying the whole Transpennine rail route, relying instead on bi-mode trains that run on diesel when electric power is not available.

Capacity on public transport has been increased and social distancing relaxed from Monday to coincide with the easing of COVID-19 prevention measures in England.

The Government and London mayor Sadiq Khan have agreed a 10-day extension on the current Transport for London (TfL) funding deal, which was due to expire on Tuesday (18 May).

The complexity of the current structure of the rail industry in England makes it difficult for MPs and the public to understand where public money is going, the National Audit Office has said.

The aviation minister has refused to confirm that the country is ‘on track’ to restart international travel next month or to confirm that he will seek further financial support for the industry if the planned re-opening does not happen.

The Government could face legal action over its ‘troublingly opaque’ allocation of the Levelling Up Fund.

Truro has secured £23.6m from the Towns Fund, which the Government said would boost the local economy, support transport schemes and create jobs and new homes.

The Government has launched a £120m fund to help local transport authorities in England roll out zero-emission buses.

The Government is to draw up a second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, having already fallen behind on the prime minister’s pledge of £2bn central government funding during the current Parliament.

Labour has slammed ministers for ‘announcing then re-announcing the same funding under different names’ after the Government refused to disclose how much of the controversial £3.6bn Towns Fund has been diverted to other cash pots.

Central government cash for buses in England outside London could exceed the £3bn pledged in the Government’s new Bus Strategy, it has emerged.

Coventry is set to become the UK’s first All Electric Bus City after the West Midlands Combined Authority backed the project.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps and London mayor Sadiq Khan have agreed that central government emergency funding for Transport for London will continue for seven weeks on the existing terms.

County councils have welcomed the Government’s National Bus Strategy for England, which they said, ‘puts councils in the driving seat of reforms’.

The Government has given Network Rail £137m to design and deliver the long-delayed upgrade to the Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester.

A national cycling charity has accused the Government of hiding evidence from Parliament by suppressing a report that shows more money is needed to meet its flagship cycling target.

Councils are being urged to enter into a statutory ‘enhanced partnership’ or franchising agreements with bus companies in order to receive new funding from the Government.

Transport for London (TfL) and Siemens Mobility have unveiled the detailed design of the new trains for the Piccadilly Line, which they said will soon be in production.

The new National Infrastructure Bank will be based in Leeds, the chancellor revealed alongside other Budget announcements badged under the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

The transport user watchdog has repeated its call for more flexible rail ticketing as passengers were hit by an above inflation rise in regulated fares, but train operators have insisted that this is dependent on wider fare reforms.

The Government should identify 'priority cities' and set aside £30bn for a pipeline of infrastructure projects by 2040 as part of an expansion of devolution, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has urged.

Local authorities are among the shareholders that have been asked to provide loans to Birmingham Airport as it suffers from COVID-19 restrictions.

Network Rail has said it does not have the funds to electrify two new stretches of the Transpennine Route, despite a promise from ministers last year that £589m to ‘kickstart’ work would see a significant part of the line electrified.

The Government has launched a consultation on ways to improve the consumer experience for electric vehicle drivers at public chargepoints.

The first of 270 trains in Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) £55m fleet modernisation programme has entered service with new features designed to improve passengers’ journeys.

Herefordshire County Council has scrapped plans for two major roadbuilding schemes near the city of Hereford, citing the climate emergency and the need to decarbonise transport.

The transport secretary has insisted that the allocation of three quarters of billion pounds towards a rail scheme in the South is part of the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda, despite providing one twentieth of that sum for a project in the North.

Transport for London (TfL) has made a pitch for £3.1bn government funding for the next financial year as it published details of fare rises and cuts to services.

International train operator Eurostar has warned that its survival is at risk without further financial support from the Government.

The chief executive of Transport for the North has warned that government cuts to its funding will cause a ‘significant scaling back’ of its work, including its ability to progress Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Essential workers risk losing hundreds of pounds on rail season tickets because the Government has failed to progress industry proposals for flexible season tickets submitted in the summer.

Rail services could be cut by half to hit levels seen during the first lockdown as the latest restrictions again significantly cut passenger demand.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has threatened to introduce a charge of £3.50 a day for drivers coming into the capital if ministers do not 'play fair' over Vehicle Excise Duty.

Midlands transport bosses have reacted with dismay to a report that suggests that HS2 could be scaled back to pay for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Ministers have admitted that the cash available for enhancements to the rail network during the current five-year period will be £1bn lower than promised.

The Government has denied that ‘levelling up’ the rest of the UK means ‘levelling London down' as it published the long-awaited National Infrastructure Strategy, which confirms that plans for Crossrail 2 have been shelved.

The chancellor has used the Spending Review to confirm billions of pounds for public transport, low emission vehicles and active travel, including adding more detail to Boris Johnson’s recent ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’.

Transport for London has threatened to mothball Crossrail if ministers do not agree another bailout, according to reports.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce plans to re-write the Green Book in the spending review this week, as part of the Government’s commitment to levelling up infrastructure in the North.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced councils' allocations for the £175m second tranche of the Active Travel Fund.

Capital expenditure by local authorities in England totalled £26.3bn in 2019-20, with highways and transport leading the way at £7.5bn.

The proportion of rail passengers claiming compensation for delayed journeys has risen but is still less than half of all those eligible, according to the transport user watchdog.

Ministers have agreed to extend Transport for London’s (TfL) emergency funding for a further two weeks amid claims that they are pressing City Hall to extend the Congestion Charge and cut back on concessionary travel.

The Scottish Government has approved new spending of up to £52.6m to help bus operators maintain services during the pandemic.

The Government's top infrastrucure adviser has called on ministers to speed up the devolution of funding and powers to city leaders so they can develop ‘transformative’ local infrastructure strategies.

Local authority leaders in the Midlands have called on ministers to provide £20m for a regional smart ticketing platform.

A transport consultancy has warned the Government that there could be a reduction of bus services of between 30% and 40% if financial support is withdrawn from local public transport services.

The Welsh Government transport minister has criticised his Westminster counterpart over a claim that the country’s rail network was to benefit from £343m of investment, arguing instead that it was suffering a £2.4bn funding gap.

The Welsh Government has announced a further £84.6m for the country’s bus industry, which it said will help companies ‘meet the challenges of coronavirus and run more services’.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has made a new pitch for government funding for the capital’s cash strapped transport services, warning that jobs across the country are at risk.

Gatwick Airport made a loss of £321m in the first six months of 2020, with a 66% fall in passenger numbers and a consequent 61% fall in revenue.

Train companies have called for a shake-up in transport tax policy that would see taxes on air travel rise to make long-distance rail fares cheaper.

Ministers have announced the 300 schemes that will receive a share of the £900m Getting Building Fund and confirmed £360m for mayoral combined authorities to fund homes on brownfield land.

Transport for London has hailed ‘a successful decade of cycle hire in the capital’, ten years on from the launch of the flagship scheme officially known as Santander Cycles.

Two public sector frameworks totalling £13bn have been launched aimed at providing direct support to local economies and the green recovery.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has ‘confirmed’ £589m to ‘kickstart’ work on the Transpennine main line through Huddersfield, which is the first part of a £3bn upgrade package announced back in 2017.

A major rail operator plans to bring in a season ticket giving passengers cut-priced travel three days a week, to reflect changed working patterns following the pandemic.

The South East of England has won the largest chunk of a £900m cash pot for ‘shovel ready’ projects aimed at giving the economy a quick boost as part of the prime minister’s ‘New Deal'.

Transport for the North has appointed Jeremy Acklam as the new director for its struggling Integrated and Smart Travel (IST) programme.

Scottish ministers have urged residents and businesses to ‘grasp a chance to change the daily commute for good’ as the country begins to re-open.

Campaigners have called on ministers to accelerate the shift to sustainable transport by introducing new charges for drivers and improving public transport, walking and cycling.

The Welsh Government has announced a further bailout for the bus industry that it says will ‘rescue’ operators but also lead to public sector funders beginning to regain control of the industry.

A leading sub-national transport body has expressed disappointment at the lack of new infrastructure spending in the chancellor’s economic statement.

Leaders of all 15 local authorities in Lancashire have voted for the principle of a combined authority and an elected county mayor.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street has called on the prime minister to accelerate £4.2bn of transport funding to help combined authorities re-boot the economy after the lockdown.

support package to maintain services, with the UK’s enroute air navigation service provider, NATS, in line for up to £92m.

The Government is in discussions about a financial support package to help Transport for London, which was experiencing financial difficulties even before the coronavirus hit its fare income.

The trade body for bus and coach operators has given a cautious welcome to the Government’s measures to support jobs but said it is seeking clarification.

The head of the body representing the bus and coach industry has warned that the closure of UK schools from tomorrow could put coach firms out of business if councils stop paying them.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that ministers will be sympathetic to pleas for financial help that could run into billions of pounds from sections of the aviation industry at risk from the coronavirus pandamic.

The Government has launched a multi-million pound fund to trial new technology aimed at making journeys ‘easier, smarter and greener’.

Balfour Beatty has announced a pre-tax profit of £138m, up from £123m in 2018, as it continues to see growth during its 'Build to Last' transformation programme.

A new report has shed more light on the controversial competitive bidding processes where local authorities fight for a share of central government funding pots, highlighting the barriers it presents to achieving best value for the taxpayer.

The Scottish Government has published its National Transport Strategy (NTS), but arguments over its wider road spending plans could derail the country’s budget.

Two years after his predecessor announced plans to reverse some of the massive Beeching cuts to rail lines, Grant Shapps has invited local authorities and community groups to bid for schemes.

Non-residents could be charged £2 a day to drive into Cardiff after the city council unveiled a £2bn vision to transform the transport network in the city and South East Wales.

Ministers have announced ‘steps to pilot’ new flexible rail fare systems but the announcement is short on detail.

Rail fares will go up on average by 2.7% next month, the body that represents train firms has announced.

City leaders have put transport at the top of their agenda for additional spending, driven by concerns over climate change.

Council place directors have joined with their social services and public health counterparts to call for better overall funding and prevent infrastructure cash being repeatedly raided.

The Conservative Party has pledged £2bn over the next four years for filling potholes and hinted at restricting the right of transport sector workers to strike.

Investment models used in the energy sector to help limit risk and co-ordinated national policies could help lay the groundwork for a new era of mobility, according to a new report from Amey.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), an aircraft integrator in green commercial aviation, has received a £9m UK Government grant for a project to develop electric aviation.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that some Transport for London (TfL) fares will be frozen again next year despite a budget deficit of around £500m.

VolkerWessels is set to complete a private buyout early next year with its largest shareholder, Dutch investment firm Reggeborgh, offering around £575m for the remaining public shares.

Councils in the North and Midlands will be able to apply to be reimbursed for costs incurred as part of their response to the heavy rainfall that has hit the regions in recent days.

Ministers have ‘launched’ a £400m fund to accelerate electric vehicle charging, nearly two years after the cash was first announced and over a year since bids for the fund went live.

Bus operators have set out a strategy to help tackle climate change and get a billion more passenger journeys by bus by 2030.

Key figures in the local authority and transport sectors have declared themselves to be underwhelmed by the chancellor’s promise of an 'infrastructure revolution'.

The boss of Lothian buses has warned that there is no guarantee that the council-owned company will provide a £20m contribution to Edinburgh’s planned tram extension.

Leaders from across the North have today called on the Government to commit to multi-billion pound infrastructure pledges to boost the region’s economic fortunes.

The Scottish Government has published a new National Transport Strategy for consultation, which it described as a step-change in the country’s approach to transport for the next 20 years.

The City of Rome has launched a new scheme where residents can trade plastic bottles for travel on its public transport system.

The Government has launched a call for evidence on offsetting carbon emissions produced by transport, which accounted for approximately one third of UK carbon dioxide emissions in 2018.

The Government has ‘no real understanding’ of the impact which the Local Growth Fund has had on local economic growth despite investing £12bn of taxpayers’ money, MPs have said.

Chesterfield Borough Council has decided to relinquish its membership of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) following the government's insistence that all councils only belong to one such body.

The number of rail passenger journeys in Great Britain rose by 3% to a record high in 2018-19, while total passenger revenue increased 6% to more than £10bn.

Housing is expected to overtake highways and transport as the largest area of local authority capital spending in 2019/20, according to official statistics.

The planned tunnel at Stonehenge, which could now cost £2.4bn, risks costing more to build than the economic benefits it is expected to provide, the National Audit Office has said.

A House of Lords committee has called on ministers to rethink HS2 after finding evidence that the costs of the high speed rail link ‘appear to be out of control’.

National Infrastructure Commission chair Sir John Armitt has outlined four key tests for the Government's national infrastructure strategy, expected to be unveiled at this year's Spending Review.

London’s local authority budgets have dropped by nearly a fifth - or 17% - per head over the last eight years, a new study has revealed.

The Government tried to put proceeds from Network Rail’s controversial sale of its commercial property portfolio towards cutting the Government’s fiscal deficit, despite assurances to the contrary – but failed to do so.

London Assembly members have accused the charity behind the Garden Bridge project of an ‘an outrageous evasion of scrutiny' after it failed to turn up to a hearing on the fiasco.

Gordon Mackay’s two-year term as chair of the Society of Chief Officers of Transport in Scotland (SCOTS) comes to an end in May. Transport Network catches up with him to talk winter service, collaboration and all things transport.

The Government has published a consultation on how best to support private investment in infrastructure, including an alternative to PFI.

A study on behalf of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has found a 'compelling case' for a £4bn autonomous underground metro scheme.

Interserve’s subcontractors will not be affected by its ‘pre-pack administration' last week, a minister has told MPs.

Kier Group plc has announced the appointment of Andrew Davies as its chief executive from 15 April 2019.

Transport and infrastructure - focused on housing - announcements made in cautious budget placeholder.

Halton BC has insisted it is ‘business as usual’ at the Mersey Gateway despite a tribunal decision that the bridge’s crossing charge is 'not a tolling scheme’.

Infrastructure firm Kier's net debt is £50m higher than announced in statements last year, it has confirmed.

With the rail industry and its customers facing ‘another difficult year’, passengers with disabilities continue to be let down by government and the industry, MPs have said.

MPs have called for clarity over funding for two major road projects after the Government confirmed that the schemes ‘sit outside’ the second Road Investment Strategy.

It's not been a good week for Chris Grayling. The transport secretary has more egg on his face after hailing transport ‘investment’ in the South West 'more than £2bn', despite the majority of the spending – the £1.6bn Stonehenge Tunnel – currently being unfunded.

Blurred responsibilities, constant reorganisation and five-year funding models - all provoke debate about Transport for Wales.

Leaders across the North of England have officially approved a £70bn transport plan for the region and will now take steps to submit a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) to Government for rail investment.

The government has awarded more than £6m to support ultra-low emission taxis across the country, with a further £14m in support for hydrogen refuelling.

The UK is set to miss out on €7.6bn profit share from losing access to the European Investment Bank due to Brexit, a House of Lords committee has warned.

New data from the rail regulator has cast further light on the rail industry’s financial woes, with costs rising as income falls.

Future transport projects in London could be undermined if politicians fail to engage with the public, a major infrastructure firm has warned in the wake of the Crossrail debacle.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling has insisted ministers remain committed to building Phase 2 of HS2 but campaigners have accused him of writing a blank cheque.

This week the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) will discuss plans to invest £350m in transport over the next 20 years, as well as currently unfunded plans for a mass transit system.

Ministers have given two key cities more time to draw up plans to tackle air pollution from road vehicles, despite warnings of ‘serious consequences’ after both missed earlier deadlines.

Following the explosive claims at last week's London Assembly meeting about the delays to Crossrail, Chris Ames asks whether politicians' claims that they did not get a clear picture deserve any credence.

HS2 could run fewer and slower trains in order to remain within its £56bn budget, the boss of the firm building the high speed rail link has admitted.

HS2 Ltd has rejected renewed claims that it misled MPs over the cost of its land acquisition programme for the first phase of the high speed railway.

A Scottish local authority is to consult on a possible tourist tax to help pay for local infrastructure.

Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises.

A row has broken out over local government funding in the Scottish Government’s proposed budget, which includes more than £5bn capital spending 'to grow and modernise infrastructure'.

Labour’s shadow roads minister has accused the Government of a record of failure on road safety in the ongoing row over the unspent £75m for improvements to local roads.

New technology and innovation needs real-world application to succeed, writes Steve Birdsall, chief executive of Gaist.

London Assembly members have warned mayor Sadiq Khan that he should publish the cost of a new fare freeze as Transport for London (TfL) faces ‘unprecedented’ financial pressure.

District councillors and the local metro mayor have hailed the continuation of a rural bus service after they provided £10,000 in emergency funding.

The Chancellor will announce a £30bn investment package for the country’s transport network in Monday’s Budget, including a £29bn National Roads Fund created by ringfencing Vehicle Excise Duty.

Crossrail’s chief executive Simon Wright is to step down and will be replaced by Mark Wild, the managing director of London Underground, following further government cash injections into the delayed £15.4bn project.

Key industry figures have called for the Government to do more to improve the condition of local roads, despite the chancellor’s Budget announcement of an immediate cash boost of £420m for maintenance.

The chancellor has announced £25bn for the second Road Investment Strategy, although a large chunk of this may now be needed to pay for two Highways England projects costing over £8bn after Philip Hammond banned new PFI schemes.

Transport secretary, Chris Grayling has said that Transport for London is in 'deep financial difficulties' in large part due to the mayor's policy of a fare freeze and issues around Crossrail.

Council budgets will be cut by a third next year, causing 'dramatic' reductions in services, local government leaders have warned.

Bristol City Council has published a draft transport strategy that includes a mass transit scheme, as well as possible congestion and workplace parking charges.

Councillors in Edinburgh will this week consider a £3.3m plan to introduce a ‘strategic, citywide network of electric vehicle (EV) charging points’.

The West Midlands will pioneer new transport schemes to make journeys ‘quicker, cheaper and cleaner’ following a £20m funding announcement.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said the rail industry would be completely renationalised within five years, at no up-front cost, under a Labour government.

Local authorities have welcomed recommendations to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.

An emerging sub-national transport body has called for a groundbreaking National Policy Statement for its region as part of a list of demands to speed up the delivery of infrastructure.

Ministers have published plans to ‘super charge’ the performance and accountability of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) following a review.

Ministers have promised a new era of cleaner, greener flight, including electric planes, backed by £343m of industry and government investment in the aerospace sector.

Scotland is set to host Britain’s first spaceport, with ministers awarding two firms £29m funding to establish vertical launch operations and develop other innovative technologies.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has called on government to take a ‘golden opportunity’ to switch to greener energy generation and a more rapid take-up of electric cars.

Contractors and politicians have called on ministers to back the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission, which has published its first complete assessment of the country’s infrastructure needs.

Local government leaders have warned that subsidised bus routes are under threat because of funding cuts.

The HS2 project has been hit with further allegations of cost overruns, this time to the tune of £2bn on property acquisition costs.

This week's Talking Transport podcast, brought to by our sister site SMART Highways, discusses two forthcoming major events for the ITS sector; one on each side of the Atlantic and neither to be missed.

The new president of the Local Government Technical Advisers Group (LGTAG) began his premiership with a call for radical resilience, tapping into a restlessness in the highways sector and a desire to end the ‘we have always done it this way culture’.

Welsh councils will receive £2.5m government funding to offset costs incurred in dealing with the recent severe weather.

Labour has announced a plan to fund free bus travel for under 25 year olds across the country, where councils implement bus franchising or run publicly owned bus companies.

The chairman of England’s first sub-national transport body (STB) to achieve statutory status has hailed ‘a watershed moment for devolution’ and a once in a generation opportunity to improve transport in the North.

The chancellor will make his Spring Statement at lunchtime on Tuesday and is predicted to offer a more optimistic view of the state of the economy and the public finances than in the Autumn Budget.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report into the financial sustainability of England’s local authorities has revealed that around 30 county and unitary councils are now facing such severe financial pressures that they will have no reserves left by 2022 at current spending rates.

Budget cuts have hampered collaboration between Scotland's highway authorities while financial pressures are likely to make the structure of 33 separate authorities unsustainable, transport bosses have said.

The largest rail fare increase in five years has come into force as season ticket journeys fall by almost 10%.

Rail companies have faced a barrage of criticism after announcing that unregulated fares will rise faster than inflation next month.

Councillors in Norfolk have voted to allocate a further £19.25m to cover the rising cost of the troubled Norwich Northern Distributor Road - including more than £1m for 'unseasonal rainfall' - but the current projected cost of £205m may still rise.

Ministers have been accused of disguising the early ending of the struggling East Coast rail franchise in yesterday’s launch of the Government’s Strategic Vision for rail, a move that could cost taxpayers millions of pounds.

Glasgow City Council has insisted that it and its City Deal partners are committed to taking forward ‘a surface access project’ to Glasgow airport, but is rethinking its current plans following a consultant’s report that cast doubt on the scheme.

A senior figure at the Department for Transport has refused to rule out the use of competitive bidding when it comes to local or regional funding allocations around the proposed major road network (MRN).

Chancellor Philip Hammond is set to boost transport technology in today's Autumn Budget, with support for driverless and low emission vehicles, as well as cash for 5G mobile networks and digital skills.

The chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission has called for billions of pounds of infrastructure investment in the Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge ‘brain belt’, which he said could add hundreds of billions to the national economy.

A council has had to step in to organise alternative transport after a local bus company ceased to operate at short notice, reportedly after its managing director told staff he could no longer work with them.

Britain’s railway industry has launched a plan for a ‘partnership railway’ that it says will transform services in the next 18 months, while providing almost £85bn of economic benefits in the long term.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed that the Government has agreed to Highways England’s plans to re-profile the current Road Investment Strategy (RIS), with some schemes brought forward, some delayed and six schemes shelved.

The transport secretary has hailed the launch of new bi-mode (diesel/electric) Intercity Express trains on the Great Western Railway route, but the trains’ inaugural journey was marred by a late departure, an even later arrival and faulty air conditioning.

The Government will give Network Rail a funding boost from 2019, according to reports, as the rail regulator said the infrastructure operator has become less efficient, with nearly £4bn worth of improvements being deferred for lack of cash.

The North’s sub-national transport body has called the chancellor’s announcement of funding to 'future-proof' the region’s railways a significant step forward to full Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Conservatives have announced a spending boost for transport infrastructure in the North of England, with £300m for improvements to the rail network and £100m from existing budgets for roads.

The leader of Bolton Council has defended plans to borrow £100m to fund a £1bn regeneration project.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has agreed a £3.4bn transport blueprint for the coming decade, with an additional, albeit currently unfunded, £165m programme to deliver new cycle networks.

The Government must maintain a ‘laser-like’ focus on infrastructure investment to deliver post-Brexit growth, including upgrades to major roads under the ‘High Speed North’ plan, civil engineering contractors have said.

A council is saving thousands of pounds and generating extra income by removing pay and display parking machines and shifting to cashless payments.

The transport watchdog has called for ‘a fairer deal’ for rail passengers after rising inflation is set to trigger a 3.6% increase in fares in England and Wales from January.

A leading industry figure has warned that local authority roads will go ‘from bad to worse’ after official statistics revealed that councils’ spending on transport and highways will fall by £162m (3.7%) in the current financial year.

Highways England is performing well against most of its performance targets but has areas for improvement, according to the latest report from its regulator.

The communities secretary has launched the Government’s £2.3bn Housing Infrastructure Fund, aimed at unlocking up to 100,000 new homes in areas of high demand.

Key figures in the sector have backed the Government’s new Transport Investment Strategy but called for fair funding and rapid action to make the plan work.

The Local Government Finance Bill has been dropped from the legislative programme, leaving plans for business rates retention in limbo and some councils disappointed.

A new report has accused ministers of lacking an overarching strategy for cutting emissions from road transport, with a potential £23bn annual hole in tax receipts by 2030.

Labour has promised to save commuters £200 a year on their season tickets if it wins the general election – compared to what it claims is the potential cost under the Conservatives.

The Green Party has pledged to create ‘a people’s transport system’ that makes it easy for people to choose to leave the car at home – ‘or not have one at all’.

Delivering billions of pounds of nationally-funded and local transport investment in the West Midlands will require a level of inter-agency cooperation that has rarely been seen before, as well as new powers, according to the region’s transport body.

Fresh research has highlighted the debilitating cost of bidding for work in the construction sector, suggesting the annual total hits almost £3bn a year, in an industry where profit margins are often between 1-3%.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Oxbotica has announced an ambitious new project that will deploy fully autonomous vehicles in urban areas and on motorways in the next 30 months.

Ministers have published a new Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) setting out £1.2bn of funding, including nearly £900m that they expect councils and Local Enterprise Partnerships to spend over the next five years.

The National Audit Office (NAO) is to publish a report on the Government’s South East Flexible Ticketing (SEFT) programme that is expected to set out how the programme achieved ‘very little’ with nearly £40m of public money.

Ministers have announced funding worth nearly £80m for projects to develop low carbon and low emission vehicle technology, including a high-powered battery for high-performance vehicles.

The controversial Garden Bridge across the Thames should be scrapped if a capital funding gap of £70m cannot be filled, a highly critical independent review has recommended.

The Scottish Government has announced a further £3m funding towards the purchase of low carbon emission buses.

A new Transport Knowledge Hub promises to equip Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), councils and others with the tools and expertise to make 'cost-effective and impactful' decisions on local transport.

The Welsh Government has announced grants to local authorities worth £31.4m for transport schemes that aim to improve safety, create economic growth and promote active travel.

The Government is giving England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance £625,000 to help shape its priorities and address inadequate transport infrastructure across the region.

Midlands Connect and the Government have released two major reports on the region's transport strategy, with the sub-national transport body outlining £30bn worth of potential improvements.

Today’s Budget for ‘the post Brexit future’ has been criticized for a lack of significant announcements on infrastructure projects such as Crossrail 2.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has ‘fired a warning shot at diesel drivers’ with his hint of a new tax regime by the end of the year, the RAC has said.

The chancellor will put an emphasis on cutting transport emissions in his upcoming Budget, Transport Network understands.

The Government has asked spending departments to plan cuts of up to 6%, with a view to annual ‘savings’ of £3.5bn by 2020.

Millions of drivers could see insurance premiums rise by more than 10% following a Government decision to change the way personal injury compensation is calculated.

Over a third of the local transport authorities in Britain have cut subsidised bus services during the current financial year, despite a long-term fall in contract prices.

Four councils in Essex have set up an arms-length company that could see them borrow around £480m to develop new ‘garden communities’.

HS3, Northern Powerhouse Rail, or Crossrail for the North? Whatever you call it, it's got to be paid for.

A new standardised approach to measuring housing need will be used to reform the NPPF and create a key metric in secondary infrastructure spending in areas like transport, the Government's Housing White Paper has established.

Councils across the ‘Greater South East’ are working together to lobby for strategic transport schemes and considering a joint infrastructure funding bid for this year’s Autumn Budget.

The RAC is backing a Bill that would require the amount of money generated by fuel duty and VAT to be shown clearly on petrol and diesel receipts.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has joined councils in the South East of England in calling for the devolution of stamp duty and other revenues to pay for new infrastructure.

The American engineering consultancy giant CH2M has approached Atkins about a possible £3bn-plus merger, according to reports.

County councils across England have continued to push for county-wide unitary status, in the face of opposition from smaller councils.

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that it will not be ordering any more New Routemaster 'Boris Buses' after spending scores of millions on the controversial project.

Two publicly-owned transport providers have announced new lower emission bus services, cutting pollution and costs.

Campaigners have begun two days of protests at rail stations to highlight new fare increases on commuter lines that cost as much per minute as ‘calling a premium rate number’.

Transport for London (TfL) has denied any ‘improper involvement’ after it emerged that a senior official was involved in authorising payments for the Garden Bridge having accepted a job with an engineering firm linked to the project.

The Scottish Government’s budget for 2017/18 represents a cut to the local government funding that will impact on services, Scottish council leaders have warned.

The heated debate over light rail in Leeds has been reignited after local politicians criticised the city council for giving up and allocating £270m to other transport projects.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has promised the ‘the biggest ever overhaul’ in the history of Transport for London (TfL), cutting billions of pounds of waste to fund record investment in the transport network.

Campaigners have described a new ‘smart card’ for rail commuters as a waste of money, despite the card receiving backing from the transport secretary.

Ministers have announced funding totalling £2.5m for companies, individuals and academics to ‘make travelling safer, quicker and more reliable’ including a £1m challenge fund.

London mayor Sadiq Khan plans to spend £875m over five years improving the quality of the capital’s air, including £610m on the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and a further £200m boosting step-free access on the Tube.

Taxpayers face a skyrocketing bill to compensate passengers on Southern rail for failed services after ministers today announced more than 84,000 are in line for payouts.

Local enterprise partnership (LEP) officials have overseen hundreds of payments to companies in which they or their colleagues have an interest, according to reports.

A new Oxford to Cambridge Expressway could cost up to £3.5bn, it has emerged.

Council leaders have welcomed the chancellor’s promise of new spending on infrastructure to close the regional productivity gap and his recognition of the benefits of devolution.

Key figures from the transport sector have disagreed about the chancellor’s pledge to spend more money on roads while freezing fuel duty.

Ministers are set to propose reforms to rail fares that will require ticket machines to make passengers aware of the cheapest fare for their journey, it has emerged.

The environment secretary has announced that £15m will be spent specifically on natural flood management (NFM) measures, following criticism earlier this week that the Government had not honoured pledges to fund NFM.

With rail connections to the South West disrupted again this week, an alliance of councils and businesses has demanded billions of pounds of resilience measures and connectivity enhancements to the region’s rail network.

Philip Hammond has told MPs he will borrow to provide £23bn of ‘highly targeted’ funding for innovation and infrastructure over five years and signalled increased infrastructure investment from 2020.

Chancellor Philip Hammond continued the Government policy of investing in transport networks to help lay a foundation for increased growth and productivity, with billions being released for road and rail as well as a continuation of the fuel duty freeze.

Council leaders and industry figures have declared themselves willing to play their part in delivering the £1.3bn worth of improvements and maintenance on the transport network pledged by the chancellor, but called for more detail.

Spending by English local authorities on highways and transport fell by 4.6% in 2015/16, new Government statistics have confirmed.

Councils are expecting to fork out an extra £337m a year after the minimum wage was increased to £7.50 an hour in today’s Autumn Statement.

Local government has reacted with fury after the chancellor failed to address cross-sector calls to plug the soaring social care funding gap.

Council bodies have used their submissions for Wednesday’s Autumn Statement to restate demands for more devolution and funding for transport.

Philip Hammond will use his first Autumn Statement to announce measures aimed at improving the living standards of ‘ordinary working class people and their families’, as well as pledging billions of pounds for infrastructure and housing.

The Autumn Statement will include an extra £1.3bn to improve Britain’s roads and public transport, including backing for an expressway connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge, and ‘billions’ for other infrastructure projects.

Campaigners have accused ministers of failing to deliver on promises to put funding into natural flood management (NFM) techniques.

One of the country's most important public sector transport groups, England’s Economic Heartland (EEH), has set out its priorities for investment ahead of the Autumn Statement next week.

Cambridgeshire County Council has postponed a meeting to discuss a devolution deal with Peterborough until next week, to allow members time to ‘digest’ the deal.

A local government-backed agency aims to issue the first of a new kind of municipal bond – or ‘munibond’ – before Christmas, allowing councils to borrow more cheaply to pay for transport and other infrastructure projects.

A leading infrastructure firm has added to the chancellor’s suggestion that he will back ‘modest, rapidly deliverable investments’ with a call for a new, broader type of economic modelling for infrastructure projects.

Birmingham City Council is on course to overspend by £49m this year, but has been praised for making progress since Whitehall’s intervention.

A new £400m container port capable of handling the biggest cargo ships in the world has opened in Liverpool, with the potential to take the pressure off the country’s road network.

Breaking county councils up into smaller unitary authorities would fragment key services, including transport, while county based unitaries could save hundreds of millions annually, the County Councils Network has said.

With the chancellor’s Autumn Statement due next month, a leading industry figure has warned of the danger of ‘a local road network that is not fit for purpose’.

A former Conservative transport minister has accused the Government of failing to divulge the cost of new transport links to an expanded Heathrow airport, according to the Guardian.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), which will be set up as an executive agency without statutory status from January, has begun the next phase of developing a National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA).

A new survey has found that while 76% of the public agree investment in infrastructure is vital to economic growth, fewer than half think the UK is getting it right.

Conservative Zac Goldsmith has resigned as an MP over the Government’s backing for an expanded Heathrow airport, while local politicians including London’s mayor have said they are considering challenging the decision in the courts.

Ministers have announced an expansion of the Plug-In Van Grant, with electric trucks above 3.5 tonnes now eligible for grants of up to £20,000.

The Welsh local government secretary has announced over £4bn of funding for councils in a bid to provide ‘stability’.

Chief executive of Next, Lord Wolfson, has launched a competition with a £250,000 prize for the best idea for funding improvements to the road network.

The DfT has suffered significant delays on a £20m low-emission scheme but commits a further £15m UK-wide.

The Welsh Government has warned that full devolution of business rates would leave 18 of Wales’ 22 unitary authorities worse off than under the current pooling arrangement.

A top council leader has said regions such as the West Midlands should use their assets to supercharge investment in infrastructure, following reports ministers are planning radical reforms to get pension funds investing in building projects.

Devon County Council is committing £100,000 to train volunteers to repair potholes in their local areas due to budget reductions.

Councillors in Lothian have expressed concerns about the potential impact of Edinburgh Council’s request for a dividend of £20m from the publicly-owned Lothian Buses.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has backed plans for a new road tunnel at Silvertown, East London, including a user charge that he once said could be seen as ‘a tax on East and South East Londoners’.

Ministers have signalled that they could step in to subsidise the Londonderry to London air route, albeit ‘with a value for money check to ensure the best outcome for taxpayers’.

Council directors have questioned the adequacy of the Government's cash boost for housebuilding and supporting infrastructure, suggesting it will do little to tackle underlying issues.

Ministers have announced a £5bn package of measures to increase the rate of housebuilding, including £2bn long-term funding for infrastructure and action to increase housing on brownfield land, particularly around transport hubs.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is proposing major changes to its transport scheme appraisal guidance - known as WebTAG - with plans to make the system more flexible and to integrate wider economic analysis.

Network Rail is still considering how to raise £1.8bn to fill a hole in its finances, as set out in last year’s Hendy review, with ‘no firm decisions' made, Transport Network has learned.

Any boost in transport spending should focus on fixing existing transport and on local schemes, ahead of big, ‘totemic’ projects, campaigners have said.

The prime minister has promised to put ‘the whole machinery of government’ behind the Northern Powerhouse and said she is ‘absolutely committed’ to devolution.

Newcastle City Council will shortly begin a pilot using new technology that will tell drivers approaching urban junctions how long a current traffic signal green phase will last, enabling them to adjust their driving patterns accordingly.

The chair of a key Commons committee has written to ministers demanding clear answers on the economic case for airport expansion and describing HS2 as having the weakest economic case of the projects in the Government’s infrastructure programme.

Capital expenditure by local authorities in England rose by 5.2% to £22.6bn last year, with highways and transport spending making up the bulk of the increase.

Ministers have announced £2m to provide minibuses to community transport schemes in England.

The communities secretary has declared the North East devolution deal is ‘off the table’ after leaders this week voted against taking it forward.

The chancellor has indicated that infrastructure such as roads and railways could be in for a spending boost in his Autumn Statement, with an emphasis on ‘modest, rapidly deliverable investments’.

Council directors and politicians have criticised the Government’s National Flood Resilience Review for a lack of new funding and long-term planning.

Network Rail cannot continue to rely on public funding to invest in rail improvements that drive regeneration, the organisation’s chief executive has warned.

Spanish tolling integrator SICE has confirmed a four-year contract with the Humber Bridge Board for the maintenance of the hybrid tolling system that it recently installed on the key east coast road link.

Top cyclists have written to the prime minister asking her to create ‘a legacy of everyday cycling’ as the extension of London's north-south cycle superhighway gets the go-ahead.

Council leaders have warned of the need to plug further funding gaps after analysis suggested that spending on transport fell by 28% since 2010.

The Go-Ahead group, which co-owns the troubled GTR rail franchise and beleagured Southern Railway, has announced statutory pre-tax profits of nearly £100m, a day after ministers announced a £20m fund to bail out Southern.

Wales is about to lose its third bus company in as many months, leaving two further local authorities to find emergency replacement contractors.

IPPR calls for a 'North first' infrastructure investment policy from the new Government, after revealing London gets six times more cash than the region.

Infrastructure bosses must act now to protect themselves from supplier challenges

John Fox, managing director of Lucy Zodion, explains why local government needs top-down support for smart city delivery.

Council chiefs have called on the Government to release billions of pounds of EU regeneration funding that could finance infrastructure projects including new roads and bridges.

Copeland Borough Council has backed plans for a new £10bn nuclear power station in West Cumbria, but joined the county council in calling for investment in infrastructure in return.

The UK’s devolved nations could lose anticipated EU funding for transport projects over the next four years as a result of last week’s referendum result.

Swansea City and County Council has not given up on a planned air pollution advisory system, despite years of delay.

English councils’ budgets for highways and transportation are set to take another major hit in 2016-17, with net expenditure falling by 10.6% compared to last year according to new official statistics.

The HS2 project is already forecast to be running behind schedule and hundreds of millions of pounds over budget for Phase 1 alone, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.

Combined authorities and new transport bodies should be given greater access to flexible financing streams, engineers have said, as they laid out proposals for a revamped model of devolution.

The transport secretary has re-iterated ministers’ commitment to infrastructure projects such as high speed rail and airport expansion in the wake of the referendum result.

Council leaders have called on ministers to protect billions of pounds of European regeneration funding in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

Leaders in the transport and engineering sectors have stressed the importance of maintaining stability following the vote to leave the European Union, amid fears that turmoil could undermine investment in infrastructure.

Dundee City Council is proposing to spend at least 5% of its annual roads and transportation budget on cycling as it aims to double the number of journeys made by bike in five years.

The Government has admitted it needs to improve its understanding of the capital resourcing issues facing English councils, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.

Campaigners have called for action beyond the Bus Services Bill to reverse declining use after estimated journeys in England fell again, while price rises once more outstripped inflation.

Council directors have raised ‘serious concerns’ over any potential capital revenue division to the cash devolved to local government under chancellor George Osborne’s business rates plan.

The transport secretary has hinted that duty on diesel may rise to combat the fuel’s contribution to toxic air pollution, while a decision on a new runway in south east England may be delayed again.

The Department for Transport has denied a Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) claim that its bid for sustainable transport funding failed because it does not have a devolution deal.

Ministers should consider broadening the way public transport is financed and learn from innovative schemes like Nottingham’s workplace parking levy, campaigners have said.

A Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has claimed that its £2.4m bid for Government sustainable transport funding was turned down because the area does not have a devolution deal.

The leader of Hampshire CC has warned of the danger of splitting the county’s highways and transport functions in half under proposals – which Hampshire rejects – for two separate combined authorities in the county.

Funding for a proposed ‘Major Road Network’ (MRN) from the future National Road Fund (NRF) should not simply replace existing money given to councils, the architects of the MRN have warned.

Ministers have launched a £2m fund to encourage public services and businesses to switch to hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.

The UK has moved up four places to ninth since 2012 in the latest Global Infrastructure Investment Index from consultants Arcadis, which ranks the markets that are most attractive to both public and private investors.

Workloads are falling in the roads sector and the number of projects in progress still does not reflect the Government’s major investment plans, according to civil engineers.

Businesses and politicians in the North are calling for new tax-raising powers for the region's local authorities and for the rail network to be transferred to Transport for the North (TfN).

The Government-commissioned report that recommended a new runway at Heathrow significantly underestimated the costs of improving surface transport access, which could exceed £18bn, according to Transport for London (TfL).

Buckinghamshire CC is consulting residents during a ‘root and branch’ review of its transport services, as it looks to save £2.3m.

Highways England will give emerging sub-national transport bodies ‘a prominent role’ in drawing up the next round of route strategies, which will in turn feed into the Government’s second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2).

The Government is inviting Local Enterprise Partnerships to bid for a share of a further £1.8bn Local Growth funding.

The final local government finance settlement 2016-17 has been unveiled by communities secretary Greg Clark, featuring sweeteners to help those councils facing financial losses.

The regional transport body Midlands Connect has appointed Sir John Peace - chairman of the global luxury brand, Burberry Group plc - as its independent chair.

Engineers say a new approach to funding is needed, including a review of road user charging, to ensure that London ‘gets the infrastructure it needs’.

Council chiefs have vowed to crackdown on spurious pothole compensation claims after paying out £8m in two years.

Simon Corbett of Siemens on how smart city ambitions can be a reality for councils even in times of austerity.

London, Nottingham, Milton Keynes and Bristol have each been awarded millions in government funding to promote the use of plug-in electric cars, with drivers set to win special 'privileges'.

Transport for the North (TfN) should become the central devolved decision-maker for the Northern Powerhouse, leading engineers have said, after criticising the Government’s appraisal system.

The Welsh Government plans to roll-out a new funding and standards system for bus operators, warning companies that it could result in 'the withdrawal of journeys or routes'.

The Passenger Transport Executive Group, known as pteg, has re-launched itself as the Urban Transport Group boasting major new members including Transport for London.

A third of major government projects due in the next five years, including flagship transport schemes such as HS2 are ‘at risk’ of failure Britain’s public spending watchdog has said.

An expert from infrastructure giant AECOM takes us through the issues highlighted by its recent survey of business with the CBI, including the potential for road user charging in the UK.

Competing light rail options for Glasgow airport will be explored as part of a £67m package of City Deal funding for infrastructure.

Transport for London (TfL) boss, Mike Brown, has cautioned mayoral candidates against promising a fares freeze due to the multi-billion pound cuts announced in the Spending Review.

The Government should not approve Heathrow expansion until the airport can demonstrate it will comply with key environmental conditions, an influential group of cross-party MPs has said.

Transport Network spoke to one of Tarmac’s board directors and the managing director of Readymix, Jeremy Greenwood, about where we stand and what we are facing.

Every day transport has been let down in the Spending Review according to local government and transport campaigners, however business leaders celebrated the extra capital investment.

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce a swathe of investment for major transport projects in today’s Spending Review, although revenue spending is in the firing line.

Leaders in the West Midlands have signed a provisional £1bn devolution deal with government that brings a directly elected mayor to the region from 2017, responsible for a raft of new transport powers.

Civil engineers have called on government to provide a delivery route map for the Northern Powerhouse, after a recent BBC survey found the majority of Northerners know nothing about it.

Transport minister Andrew Jones talked to ADEPT directors about his plans for buses, highways, lobbying for cash and Stonehenge.

After winning a contract to help create a masterplan framework for the UK’s first 21st century Garden City, an expert at infrastructure giant AECOM takes us through the issues around building a modern city designed to stand the test of time.

Four government departments including the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have provisionally agreed to cut spending by up to 30% over the next four years.

Council directors’ body ADEPT has warned local services will be ‘severely compromised’ as a result of the latest round of heavy government cuts.

Chancellor George Osborne announced the National Infrastructure Commission senior team today, as he pledged £100bn in infrastructure spending by 2020.

Transport Network caught up with Transport for the North's incoming chief executive, David Brown, to talk about his priorities for this waking giant.

Almost three quarters (72%) of businesses are ‘open to the idea of road charging’ and 70% of infrastructure firms are prepared to pay higher fees for quicker planning decisions, a major new survey from the CBI has revealed.

The Midlands Connect Partnership has taken another step forward with a £5m investment from government to help develop a regional transport strategy.

A devolution deal has been signed with the shadow Tees Valley Combined Authority, providing a £450m boost to investment in the region as well as a devolved multi-year transport budget.

The North East Combined Authority has signed a devolution deal with government that will see major transport powers and £900m handed over in return for a directly elected mayor.

Local authority alliances will be given powers to establish statutory regional transport bodies under forthcoming amendments to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill.

A major new alliance dubbed the Northern Gateway Partnership aims to unite the North and the Midlands regions in boosting economic growth through better transport links such as HS2.

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have proposed a joint combined authority with an elected mayor as part of the area’s devolution negotiations with government, it has emerged.

The original author of the independent National Infrastructure Commission, which was launched by the Government this month, believes ‘there is no way to take politics out of infrastructure’.

The Government will not step in to tighten Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) governance structures despite fears of a ‘democratic deficit’ within the key bodies, it has emerged.

London Underground is planning to cut its energy bill by 5% - saving up to £6m every year - by systematically harvesting the waste energy created by tube trains as they brake on entering stations.

The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, is now leading the South East Wales Metro programme, following complaints about slow progress and lack of clarity on delivery.

Councils have accused the Airports Commission of ‘burying doubts’ about expanding Heathrow and ‘deliberately underselling’ a rival scheme to develop Gatwick.

Concerns raised by senior figures, as further details emerge over business rates devolution.

Transport for the North (TfN) has appointed a new chief executive, as the body gears up to deliver key advice to government on the Northern Powerhouse agenda.

Local highways and transport services in England saw a second year of solid growth in capital expenditure, although councils’ debt levels are also on the rise.

Councils will not be given the option to resubmit devolution bids in light of the chancellor’s announcements at the Conservative Party conference, government officials have confirmed.

The Welsh Government appears to have relaxed funding rules for local authority transport grants without informing local authorities, Transport Network can reveal.

Failing central government agencies should be shown a ‘red card’ and have their services brought under local control, a top think tank has said.

Councils will retain all local taxes including the total £26bn from business rates, while areas with elected mayors will be able to set an additional infrastructure levy, under plans announced by chancellor George Osborne today.

The Sheffield City Region has agreed a devolution deal with government that will bring major transport powers and potentially some £900m to the area in exchange for an elected mayor.

Transport for the North (TfN) has been set a timetable for progress in this week's budget with the ultimate aim of a prioritised list of scheme options to be produced by budget 2016.

While the infrastructure sector appears mostly positive about the devolution of business rates and the creation of a National Infrastructure Commission, key figures have warned of the risks attached.

Chancellor George Osborne plans to establish a National Infrastructure Commission to help advise the government on which projects should be prioritised.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans to boost infrastructure investment by £5bn through selling off national assets.

A strategic transport alliance of three major county councils together with four unitary partners is set to establish a high level transport forum to advance plans to integrate services and collaborate on projects across the region, Transport Network can reveal.

The electrification of the TransPennine and Midland Mainline railways will resume after the controversial ‘pause’ of the projects this summer, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

London Assembly members welcome Mike Brown as new TfL commissioner but raise concerns over his pay and the nature of the selection process.

The Government has kicked off the bidding process for some £11.8bn of contracts for phase 1 of the £50bn HS2 programme.

David Brewer, executive director of delivery and development at Highways England, talks to Adrian Tatum about the future of the strategic network.

Welsh councils are pleading for the transport funding system to be reformed, after having to bid to government for cash to carry out such minor schemes as installing individual crossings.

Transport infrastructure investment should be the top priority for the next London mayor, according to a survey of London businesses.

Councils across the country are rushing to submit devolution plans to the Treasury, as chancellor George Osborne’s deadline for deals looms large.

In an exclusive interview with Transport Network, interim mayor of Greater Manchester Tony Lloyd talks about highways alliances, bus franchising and what London can learn from Manchester.

Local transport faces disproportionate budget cuts in the upcoming spending review, transport groups have warned, as ministers scramble to prepare savings of 25% or 40% by 2020.

Three major counties have unveiled a groundbreaking plan to work across their borders and develop an integrated approach to transport and highways planning and delivery.

New cross-boundary 'total transport authorities' should be set up in towns and rural areas to provide integrated delivery solutions and take control of devolved powers and funding, a leading economic think tank has urged.

The Department for Transport has unveiled a shortlist of 15 proposed airline routes that are in line for a share of £56m start-up cash, under its Regional Air Connectivity Fund.

A £1bn City Region bid developed for Edinburgh and South East Scotland will see transport playing a key role in delivering economic growth, Transport Network understands.

Councils in Scotland have forked out close to £90m on taxis in the last three years, new figures have revealed.

Greater Manchester has terminated its smart ticketing contract with Atos over 'considerable delays' in the rollout of the flagship scheme.

Increased investment in transport infrastructure is one of the central planks of a devolution bid from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight issued to government on behalf of 15 local authorities.

Researchers have called for ‘urgent’ work to develop new methods of evaluating infrastructure projects, after questions have been raised about the impact of transport and highways spending on economic growth.

Cities around the world are attempting to recreate the commercial successes of Transport for London. Yet the rest of the UK missing out on these multi-billion pound innovations, Thomas Bridge reports.

Transport bosses in west Yorkshire have signed a three-year research deal with Leeds University that could help the region unlock further funding.

A new transport investment fund could be established in the West Midlands through local business and other levies, as part of a £6.5bn 20-year plan outlined by regional bosses.

Local authorities can achieve up to 20% greater traffic flow and 30% more rail capacity using smart city integrated solutions, but new finance models may be needed to obtain the right investment.

Costs have dramatically escalated by hundreds of millions of pounds on a major London Underground upgrade project that is suffering years of delays after the failure of the initial contract.

Transport leaders in the North intend to move past the Government’s traditional appraisal system as they look to deliver on regional strategies, including Greater Manchester's vision for the next 25 years, Transport Network can reveal.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has been asked to prepare for further budget cuts of up to 40% by 2020, in a move that could add to the mounting pressure on highways and transport revenues budgets.

A £3.3bn investment strategy to maximise the benefits of HS2 when it arrives in Birmingham in 2026 has been outlined by the city’s local business and council leaders.

Local authority highways and transport budgets in England have plummeted by more than a third since 2009-10, finance bosses have revealed.

Each of the seven councils in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are poised to take responsibility for different portfolios including transport, as they decide on power sharing arrangements for the body.

The North East Combined Authority (Neca) is set to enter into talks with government over a directly elected mayor for the region, as part of a devolution deal likely to include extra transport powers.

Thanet DC has agreed to seek legal and financial advice over issuing a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the Manston airport site, reversing a decision taken last December.

Cornwall is the first county to gain ‘historic’ new powers under the Government’s devolution agenda, with control of bus services, adult skills and regional investment handed to the unitary council.

Councils stung motorists with at least £30m in fines last year for bus lane infringements alone, according to new figures.

A total of seven councils are now piloting greater community and business involvement in highways and place management, including low-level road maintenance and infrastructure development, Transport Network can reveal.

The Government committed to a raft of regional transport projects in the Budget this week, including a further round of the New Stations Fund with up to £20m for new projects.

By introducing emissions-based vehicle exercise duty on new cars that will go towards the funding of roads, the Chancellor is sending all the right messages to the highways and transport sector. But what about local roads?

City Deals have proved key for urban areas looking to win further funding for transport even outside of the initial agreements, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.

Chancellor George Osborne today announced further devolution to Greater Manchester and a raft of new negotiations with combined authorities.

Councils hoping to create the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) outlined plans to jointly tackle infrastructure, transport and boost economic growth this week.

Funds raised through London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) should be ring-fenced for use on improving air quality across the capital, councils have said.

The UK needs to spend more than £10bn by 2050 on public refuelling infrastructure in order to meet carbon emission targets for transport, a new report has claimed.

Council officers have welcomed an apparent Welsh Government u-turn over their role in the Cardiff city region Metro project to create an integrated public transport system.

Communities secretary Greg Clark has announced that no devolution deal will be done without the backing of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), in a move likely to prove controversial with some in the local government sector.

Local government highways and transport departments in England showed the largest increase in capital expenditure of any local service sector in 2014-15 with spending up £1.6bn (25%) to reach £8.26bn overall, government figures have revealed.

Local Enterprise Partnerships are keen to take on more transport powers, while being reluctant to enter the planning arena, according to a new report.

A government minister has disputed claims by the Local Government Association (LGA) that councils are facing £3.3bn in funding cuts as ‘unsubstantiated and premature’.

The Passenger Transport Executive Group (pteg) has called on the Treasury to recognise the unique benefits of local transport ahead of the July Spending Review.

Swansea Council has been hit with a legal bill that could run to around £200,000 after the authority was found to have acted unlawfully in trying to withdraw free buses for pupils at faith schools.

Policies to devolve transport powers and build links to the North must go ‘further and faster’ if cities are to support growth, a report has claimed.

Three county councils have joined forces to demand devolution of more power over taxes and transport to south east England.

There are ‘no plans’ to reduce the number of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) the Government has confirmed.

There should be no re-run on referendums over whether local areas should have directly elected mayors, local government minister Baroness Williams has said.

Senior local government figures in Conservative heartlands have bemoaned the lack of a proper funding mechanism to support strategic infrastructure for new developments.

The secretary of state for Wales is holding a summit for council leaders in the Cardiff capital region to help thrash out a City Deal plan.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is facing a further £545m spending cut this year the chancellor has announced, as part £4.5bn of new measures to reduce public debt.

A £1bn ten-year transformation plan for Manchester Airport has been unveiled, designed to double capacity and provide a direct linkage between Terminals 2 and 3 without expanding the size of the site.

A group of key South London borough councils have launched a bid for more devolution in their area, with a focus on greater transport powers.

City leaders across the country have given a mixed reaction to chancellor George Osborne's conditional offer of devolution based on directly elected mayors, with at least one city region reconsidering its position.

The Welsh Government’s habit of announcing annual transport grants far into the financial year is forcing local authorities into focussing on smaller projects, council chiefs have warned.

Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled plans for legislation today to help enshrine the devolution of powers, including transport controls, to major cities that agree to take on elected mayors.

Local authorities in Wales are up in arms over delays in notifying them of their grant funding levels, giving councils less than a year to implement transport projects.

Front-runner in the Labour leadership contest, shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, has set out his stall calling for ‘massive devolution’ and public sector reform exemplified by forward thinking bodies such as Transport for London (TfL).

The 26 councils in the Key Cities group should be handed ‘fully devolved local transport funds' and control over bus and local rail regulation a leading think tank has suggested.

Highways England has thrown its weight behind a groundbreaking event this autumn bringing together strategic roads chiefs, council directors, contractors and the industry’s leading trade bodies to transform the way the local and national elements work in unison.

The constituency in which I live in the outer suburbs of west London is a deep blue, so blue that even if a monkey were the Conservative candidate it would still win by a landslide (mind you it worked in Hartlepool with an elected mayor).

Liberal Democrats have unveiled their General Election manifesto with plans to force the country’s most polluted areas to launch Low Emission Zones.

The Labour Party has been accused of U-turning on a key plank of its devolution agenda, with new manifesto proposals that could provide less guaranteed cash for local transport.

Councils budgets will be left vulnerable due to protected defence spending, the former head of the civil service has warned.

Labour has today pledged to target devolution and put ‘public interest first’ on transport, among a range of fully funded manifesto commitments.

The umbrella body for the capital’s local authorities, London Councils, plans to focus on improving the day-to-day management of older and disabled persons’ Freedom Passes and Taxicards, under its business plan for 2015-16.

Highways England plans to develop a ‘multi-layered’ relationship with local authorities centred on individual strategic memorandums of understanding (MOU) with key councils or groups of councils, Transport Network can reveal.

Labour has launched its local election campaign pledging to end deregulation and hand control over local bus and rail networks to the regions as part of a £30bn devolution package.

One of the UK’s biggest growth areas, the east of London, is being held back by a ‘disconnect’ between officers and local politicians and a lack of sub-regional representation, Transport for London (TfL) has warned.

Security staff at 11 regional airports operated by the Scottish government are due to take part in a 48-hour strike from midday today in a battle over pay and conditions.

Six Scottish regions are launching a bid for £1bn of city deal cash, with transport and infrastructure improvements emerging as central to the plans.

Transport staff at a pair of London boroughs have revealed they are to strike in the coming days over pay and condition fears.

Two bodies have questioned the Welsh Government’s commitment to its much-vaunted South Wales Metro plan.

Dominic Browne talks to the director of transport policy and strategy at Atkins, Greg Hartshorn, about how the sector is entering a new era with more and more complex challenges.

ADEPT's planning chair Simon Neilson argues Budget 2015 does not go far enough.

Scottish councils have defended the use of borrowing to fund infrastructure projects, despite warnings from auditors over the management of their £15bn debt.

Our editorial director Mike Burton looks behind the headlines to analyse what this Budget really means.

Chancellor George Osborne announced major transport investment strategies for the North, the South West and London in his Budget today, alongside a range of wider infrastructure plans.

A repeat of the West Coast Mainline debacle, which cost the taxpayer up to £45m, is ‘unavoidable’ unless civil service skills shortages are addressed, MPs have warned.

Chancellor George Osborne is widely expected to move the 'Northern Powerhouse’ plan a step closer to reality in his Budget today.

Liberal Democrats have backed plans for a Green Transport Bill, that would hand councils the power to cut speed limits outside schools to 10mph and would ban high emission vehicles by 2040.

Transport leaders were notably vociferous at this week’s Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) National Conference, unafraid to take the Coalition to task over funding, devolution, leadership and maintenance.

Birmingham City Council is set to release a city-wide public realm strategy this June that will outline plans for major pedestrianisation schemes and be backed by tens of millions of investment, Transport Network can reveal.

Local authorities and train operators have been invited to bid for a £60m government fund that could see them retain revenues from projects that boost the commercial potential of stations.

Kent CC has been taken to task by an influential group of MPs for not supporting Thanet District Council enough over the compulsory purchase of Manston airport.

Evidence that central Government provides ‘little oversight’ over more than £500m spent every year on departmental travel is ‘deeply concerning’, according to a senior MP.

The Government is investing £5m in adding a further 140 ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) to its departmental fleets - including cars and vans to be used when transporting staff and equipment.

Democratic accountability has become a key issue for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) after the Government ran foul of European rules on managing cash streams.

Pressure is mounting for a £15bn Government investment in a Transport for London (TfL) style body to ‘fire up’ the Northern economy.

The connection between Ukrainian separatists and potholes in England may seem tenuous to say the least but sometimes international events can have local impacts.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has claimed the Department for Transport (DfT) could have ‘no day-to-day budget left at all’ after the election, under Conservative spending plans.

Struggling to turn that graph of doom around? Our expert suggests ideas for working smarter not just harder.

Lord Shipley has suggested England’s 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), which handle billions in transport cash, might benefit from elected chairs.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is under pressure to explain its attempts to ban Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) from lobbying government, after receiving widespread criticism from the sector.

How will the relationship between local authorities and LEPs develop to ensure vital transport projects are not forgotten? Jon Masters reports.

All transport capital and revenue funding should be brought into a single pot that could eventually be devolved to sub-regions and groupings of boroughs, a new report argues.

The Welsh Government will receive a range of transport powers including control over bus service registration and speed limits, with potentially more in the pipeline, under the St David's Day devolution deal outlined by Westminster.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles’ plans to prevent Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) lobbying government has been called ‘barking mad’ by the chair of one of England’s most senior LEPs.

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) could boost English growth figures by £144bn by 2020 if handed greater powers and funding from Whitehall a new report from a leading think tank suggests.

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will soon be banned from hiring lobbyists to win government grants, after communities secretary Eric Pickles claimed the practice ‘undermines transparency’.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has suggested the number of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) could fall after the election, with a wave of mergers on the cards to help the bodies better reflect ‘real economic areas’.

Parking costs are likely to rise in the coming year as councils look to cover spiralling budgets, a poll has revealed.

Plans for a potential rise in Mersey Tunnel toll prices are expected to be opposed by Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson.

A further £1bn has been allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) through local growth deals, despite growing concerns over accountability arrangements.

Three city region leaders have presented their major transport regeneration projects in a Downing Street ‘beauty parade’ to 50 UK and international investors with millions of pounds to spend in the UK.

Former Conservative transport minister Stephen Hammond has called for a Department for Infrastructure to help improve project delivery, oversight and coordination.

Two of the UK’s largest local authority pension funds have teamed up to create a £500m infrastructure investment platform.

Education ministers should consider intervening in local transport policy if it is a ‘significant barrier’ to 16- to 18-year-olds staying in education, employment or training, an influential group of MPs has said.

Homeowners in Whitechapel, East London, could see their house price rise by more than 50% in the next five years as a result of the ‘Crossrail effect’ a new study claims.

A council's decision to close its passenger transport unit and make alternative arrangements has been upheld in the Court of Appeal.

Combined authorities planned for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire would operate under a ‘single appraisal framework’ for infrastructure, Transport Network can reveal.

Large-scale developments in the North could be hit with greater local levies as councils seek to divert more cash towards transport infrastructure to support billions of pounds of investment, Transport Network can reveal.

Road congestion is hampering the UK’s economic growth, while inadequate infrastructure investment continues to damage business – a rating agency claims.

Manchester City Council’s leader has defended plans to establish an elected mayor for the city region without a public vote, after facing a public backlash over the proposal with a campaign already launched against it.

Transport for London (TfL) has won ITS (intelligent transportation systems) industry support for its new technical specification for a management information base (MIB) covering remote monitoring of traffic control equipment.

Glasgow and Renfrewshire councils are currently establishing a project team to begin work on a Glasgow Airport rail link under the £1.13bn long-term infrastructure investment bound for the region as a result of its 2014 City Deal.

Leicester and Nottingham city councils have celebrated a partnership arrangement over bus lane enforcement, which has delivered savings and paved the way for further potential cooperation across the sector.

George Osborne has called for falling oil prices to translate to lower petrol pump and air fare costs however public transport users are unlikely to benefit.

Cameron and Osborne keep up momentum on Northern Powerhouse plans as Pennine road tunnel feasibility study begins with officials predicting 30 minute cuts in travel times.

Around 50 jobs are to be axed at the top transport authority in south Yorkshire after local leaders agreed on a 10% cut to its budget next year.

London travel fare rises could be reversed and prices frozen using Transport for London (TfL) underspend and additional income, a report claims.

Regulated rail fares rise by 2.5% today across England and Wales prompting anger from the unions and renewed calls from Labour for customers to be given a legal right to the lowest fares.

A community in Wales plans to launch a crowdfunding appeal in the New Year to try to raise money for a railway station feasibility study.

Up to four cities could win a share of a £35m government fund to support the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs).

Communities secretary Eric Pickles today announced an average 1.8% cut to council finances under the provisional 2015/16 local government settlement.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority will be raising passenger transport levies to help support a £1.4bn investment in 36 new projects to be completed by 2025.

International accountancy giant KPMG talks to Transport Network about the groundbreaking finance model behind the Northern Line extension.

What is noticeable now about the documents accompanying the finance settlement is how much focus there is on councils being self-sufficient

A new ‘social innovation’ model for delivering transport services across Northamptonshire is being considered by the county council, in a groundbreaking move that officers hope will save millions within the first two years.

Train fares will rise by an average of 2.2% from January the rail industry has said, after chancellor George Osborne confirmed in Wednesday 's Autumn Statement that regulated fares will rise by 2.5%.

Transport bosses have welcomed chancellor George Osborne’s pledge to develop multi-year funding settlements for local government, suggesting it could help the sector retain much needed skills.

Chancellor George Osborne failed to announce any further devolution deals in today’s Autumn Statement.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, told local government his door was ‘open’ for more devolution as part of the Autumn Statement announced in Parliament today.

Chancellor George Osborne today told Parliament the deficit had been halved since 2010 and is falling, despite recent concerns the Treasury’s grip on retrenching public finances had been loosened.

Roads of the future could repair themselves, be made of plastic or solar panels, and could re-charge automated vehicles as they drive to automated car parks. In fact some of this is already happening.

The Government’s £15bn for the strategic road network appears to have shifted the political middle ground with Labour’s new shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher suggesting his party would be more pro-motorist with a localist slant.

A measured approach is needed when discussing the future of the UK's infrastructure needs according to Adept's annual policy prospectus. Dominic Browne reports.

Local government transport, highways and infrastructure services have suffered some of the most extensive cuts over this parliament according to a new report from national auditors, which paints a grim picture of councils’ future financial stability.

The franchise for the state-run East Coast main line has been awarded to a consortium of Stagecoach and Virgin, in a move slammed by Labour as selling the public 'down the river'.

Cardiff councillors have approved a Local Transport Plan which includes light rail as well as bus priority measures on suburban corridors into Cardiff – a topic which previously proved too contentious for the council.

The central organisation for coordinating the work of England’s 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) is due for showdown talks with growth minister Greg Clark over its limited resources, as it faces the possibility of closing down from 8 December, Transport Network can reveal.

Campaigners for disabled transport access have won a fight to ensure all 40 Crossrail stations are stepfree when the line is fully operational by 2019.

Council directors have called for an ‘urgent review’ of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and the ‘cumbersome, restrictive and inappropriate‘ transport assessment methodology used in their strategic economic plans.

Business leaders in Birmingham have warned against including a workplace parking levy in the additional ring-fenced business taxation needed to implement the city's £4bn transport plan - announced last week by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP.

Bus and rail fares will not be reduced to reflect falling fuel prices for motorists, operators have told Transport Network.

Experts in Wales have outlined a vision of how the next generation’s transport systems could look, predicting that by 2035 driverless vehicles will be on the roads and road user charging could be taken forward under a new Welsh Highways Agency.

Councils in the West Midlands have announced plans to form a regional combined authority designed to improve transport links as it seeks to boost inward investment and create jobs.

Workers in and around London are in line to save up to £600 a year on transport costs from 2015, after mayor Boris Johnson announced a lower cap on daily Oyster card pay as you go fares.

Greater Manchester will be handed landmark powers over transport and planning, under an historic devolution settlement agreed upon today.

Over 500,000 people across Greater Manchester will from today be able to use smart ticketing, as phased roll out of ‘touch in’ travel cards continues.

Ed Miliband will today pledge a Labour government would grant cities and counties power over public transport routes, local fares and integrated services.

Plans to create a 'Northern Powerhouse' through an HS3 link from Leeds to Manchester have been backed by the Government after the release of a major report from the boss of HS2 Ltd today.

Road user charging could be back on the political agenda in London after the mayoral election in 2016 with the Greater London Authority in a potential race with the Treasury to introduce it first, the capital’s head of transport has said.

Transport Scotland has won a £3.2m legal battle with a road salt business, Nationwide Gritting Services (NGS), which claimed procurement law had been breached during two historically cold winters.

Evidence is emerging of local authorities turning their backs on reverse e-auctions for home-to-school transport services.

A legal battle over planned local cuts to wheelchair bus services for day centres has been won by Salford City Council.

Local highway authorities could be required to publish weekly congestion reports under plans being considered by transport minister John Hayes.

Council chiefs have called on chancellor George Osborne to use his Autumn Statement to end the ‘costly bureaucratic hoops’ local authorities have to jump through to win infrastructure funding.

Leading transport campaigners have called for regional decision-making on strategic highways services suggesting it could replicate local authority developments in rail.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has failed to publish accountability arrangements for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) months after the 39 local bodies were allocated billions of pounds of taxpayers' cash and despite a departmental promise to do so, Transport Network can reveal.

Crewe is set to win the recommendation of HS2 Ltd's chairman Sir David Higgins in his eagerly anticipated report on Monday (27 October) instead of its rival Stoke-on-Trent, Transport Network understands.

A major 12-month study lead by some of the country’s top economists has called for a ‘super-connected’ North, with a ‘Northern Oyster card’ and wider London-style transport powers.

Traffic commissioner for Wales and the West Midlands, Nick Jones, has acknowledged local authorities’ use of e-auctions for school transport could impact the quality of service provided.

Improving transport in the largest cities outside London, with a focus on Manchester to Leeds rail, should be a key national growth priority, a government commissioned report has found.

Blackpool Airport closed this week after making a loss of around £2m a year, amid bitter recriminations between those involved.

Public investment could see a shift away from transportation towards major house building programmes under Labour with the proposals outlined in the Lyons report today.

Croydon LBC has called for new financial powers to help it deliver a £5.25bn regeneration programme by 2031 that would see a major infrastructure boost for the area.

An HS2 director has called for simpler consultation processes and for political parties to unite behind the controversial high speed rail line in order to protect costs as much as possible.

Welsh council chiefs have warned the ‘broken’ system of local government funding is a threat to key transport services, after the Welsh Government announced a further cut of 3.4% in council funding next year, totalling almost £146m.

The Government has started seeking buyers for its 40% stake in Eurostar, the cross-Channel train operator, with interested parties given until the end of the month to notify the Treasury.

Stoke-On-Trent City Council has made its biggest push yet to win a place on the HS2 line with a new report stating it is the ’technically superior, cheaper and faster’ option compared to its arch rival Crewe and 'saves the tax payer at least £2bn’.

Major councils from the East of England have announced a second round of bidding for developers to access low interest rate loans from the region’s £20m Local Infrastructure Fund.

New tax powers for London that could boost the city’s transport war chest by billions have been backed by chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, it has emerged.

One of the UK’s leading highways and transportation groups has launched a manifesto calling for a major shake-up in finance and strategic planning to avoid creating isolated communities left in ‘economic vacuums’.

Capacity issues in local government transport supply chains could lead to ‘inflationary pressures’ on pricing, senior council directors have warned.

In an apparent snub to austerity transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin boasted to today's Conservative Party conference about the level of the government’s transport infrastructure spending.

Stoke-on-Trent’s dreams of hosting a high speed rail station have taken another blow today with reports that HS2 Ltd chairman, Sir David Higgins, will favour Crewe instead when he makes a progress report next month.

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) approach to road maintenance funding is ‘ludicrous’, with decades of ‘unpredictable and fluctuating budgets’ putting value for money at risk, an influential group of MPs has claimed.

Key English councils have called for reforms to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) - which help deliver transport policies through strategic economic plans - as part of wider attempts to create a new deal on devolved powers to drive growth.

The UK’s car insurance sector is set for a major overhaul as exclusive price deals between motor insurers and price comparison websites could be banned as early as the first half of next year the UK competition regulator has said.

Major ‘free flow’ changes to how drivers pay for using the Dartford Tunnel are set to come in during ‘late November’ the Highways Agency has announced after delaying the new system by a month.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has suggested Scotland could be in line for more transport controls while fractious arguments between the UK’s leading political parties have led No 10 to reaffirm its commitment to further Scottish devolution.

Councillors in Merseyside have announced plans to develop a detailed investment strategy for delivering £15bn worth of improved transport infrastructure for the North.

Labour has vowed to honour devolution pledges that would hand regions power to invest in ‘trams, buses and railways’ if it takes power in 2015.

International construction giant Kier has announced an increase in pre-tax profits of more than 50%, together with a change of personnel at the top with the firm winning a finance director from rivals Balfour Beatty.

Top accountants have warned the next stage of Scottish devolution, which could hand major financial and infrastructure controls to Holyrood, will not be easy given there is ‘no true picture’ of the devolved nation’s financial situation.

The United Kingdom is set for a radical wave of devolution, as powers over local finances and infrastructure could be handed down from Westminster in the wake of the Scottish ‘no’ vote for independence.

A group of leading academics have backed Boris Johnson’s plans for a massive extension of London’s cycle superhighways, including an 18-mile ‘Crossrail for the bike’, while criticising current transport modelling for cycling.

Transport for London (TfL) today started accepting ‘contactless payments’ on Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services that accept Oyster.

Government officials are developing monitoring frameworks for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) that could see all 39 partnerships signing up to an ‘evaluation plan’ by next spring, Transport Network can reveal.

The Government’s £317m ‘pinch point’ road improvement programme has cut congestion at 39 bottlenecks since its launch in 2011, according to the Highways Agency.

The Liberal Democrats have adopted a scheme to help young people with their transport costs as part of the party’s manifesto for the next General Election.

A majority of the public agree that fuel duty should be reinvested into local areas and spent on repairing roads, a poll reveals.

Council chiefs have labelled the current systems for transport funding and decision-making ‘wasteful and ineffective’ and called for five-year funding horizons and the removal of ringfencing.

Manchester High Court has decided in favour of a judicial review of Salford City Council’s decision to cut subsidised transport for hundreds of adults with disabilities.

The UK’s first municipal bonds agency could be issuing debt securities by as early as next April after raising more than half of the required capital.

Unions have said the re-privatisation of the East Coast Mainline ‘defies all economic logic’ after the state-owned company operating the line revealed it returned £225m to the Treasury in 2013-14.

Local government lobbyists have called for new powers, including potential control of transport taxes, in the wake of offers made to Scotland to coax it away from independence.

Lloyds Banking Group has launched a specialist transport and construction team designed to provide industry-specific support for small and medium enterprises across London.

Research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found only 31% of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) publish annual accounts and less than half produce annual reports, it has emerged.

Road schemes designed to tackle some of the UK’s ‘most notorious and long-standing hotspots’ are likely to be announced later this year, ministers have revealed.

England's councils budget to almost double their use of cash reserves this year with a £2.1bn draw down, as Tube upgrades take the lion's share.

Two West Midland councils and the region’s transport authority are pushing for changes to the London Midland franchise after helping increase revenues on certain evening and weekend services by 70%, Transport Network can reveal.

Manufacturing bosses have thrown their weight behind a key Labour policy calling for an independent infrastructure authority.

The Liberal Democrats would scrap tolls on the Severn crossings if they won power at the next election, in a move designed to save the average commuter around £1,500 a year.

Balfour Beatty and Carillion are still locked in merger wranglings, with a dispute over the potential savings of the deal threatening to derail discussions with just three days left until the City’s deadline.

The majority of council staff have suffered changes to their terms and conditions as a result of efficiency savings with travel-related benefits the most affected, according to a new survey.

A £10m Government funding package has been announced for road, sea-link and harbour improvements in Cornwall and the Islands of Scilly.

Transport is the major winner from the UK Construction Pipeline - with the sector making up £66.2bn or 57% of its total £116bn value.

The Government is considering a u-turn on reclassifying Network Rail as a public body from next month in order to avoid adding its £34bn of gross debts to the national deficit, it is understood.

The Government has raked in more than £17m in the past four months from foreign truck drivers after closing a double standard in international road haulage charges.

A leading political think tank has warned major cities in the North will not reach their full potential and become major technology centres until improvements to road and rail links are made.

More than £8m to be spent on Bristol Airport's eastern terminal as part of a wider £150m expansion.

Emergency cash has been offered to Scottish councils as severe weather and flooding continues to batter the country.

A five-year planning dispute over a local airport is thought to have cost a council almost half a million pounds in legal costs alone.

Pressure is mounting for a major boost to transport spending in the North, as new figures suggest the North East receives the least infrastructure funding in England.

Five cities have unveiled a £15bn plan to improve inter-city rail and road connections across the north of England.

Transport minister Baroness Kramer has announced seven local authority sustainable transport schemes will benefit from share of a £9000,000 in the wake of last month’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) allocations.

The running of Gloucester Airport by local councils Cheltenham BC and Gloucester City Council is under the spotlight after an independent review suggested it needs major reform.

Can we ever achieve true transport integration across different modes and between cities and towns? Adrian Tatum reports from the latest in a series of Surveyor and TEC round table debates which took place at Intertraffic in Amsterdam, Holland.

Boris Johnson has drawn up ambitious plans for a massive expansion of London's transport infrastructure by 2050 including proposals to increase its rail and tube capacity by 70%.

Tens of thousands of streetlights could go off in Northern Ireland this winter due to budget cuts.

Expert calls for tram investment to end rail electrification row between Westminster and Cardiff.

Balfour Beatty has terminated discussions with Carillion over a possible merger.

The Government has announced Local Enterprise Partnerships’ (LEPs') first cash allocations from the Local Growth Fund, with £6bn of the minimum £12bn pot now earmarked for major transport, housing and other growth projects.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has vowed to enforce a tougher price cap on rail fares if his party wins back power, as part of wider reforms to the rail network.

England’s largest cities outside London have teamed up with eight Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to boost national business outside the south east, with a view to improving transport links.

Campaigners for better transport connectivity in the South West have handed a shopping list to the Department for Transport (DfT).

Council directors have backed recommendations from a government review into national transport resilience, which calls for a shake-up of local highways funding arrangements.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has called for a ‘plethora’ of new river crossings in London following Transport for London’s (TfL) recently launched plans for new Thames crossings.

Councils and Local Enterprise Partnerships must be ‘front and centre’ in unlocking the benefits of HS2 by becoming 'magnets for growth' the Government said today in response to a key report from the HS2 Growth Taskforce.

Rail workers have warned that cuts to Network Rail’s budget are ‘putting lives at risk’ and have created an industry culture where safety has been relegated to a lesser priority than meeting budgets and performance targets.

The Government has announced that all of its car fleets will introduce electric cars from later this year, after an exclusive by Transport Network revealed the Department for Transport (DfT) had no electric vehicles (EV) in its ministerial fleet.

A guide to investing in UK infrastructure has today been launched by chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.

Crossrail has been labelled a ‘textbook’ example of how to deliver infrastructure projects, with MPs calling for the same approaches to be applied in High Speed 2 (HS2).

The Government has proposed a range of amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) – requiring road transport fuel suppliers to provide a proportion from renewable sources – in order to boost investment in emerging renewable transport technologies.

Transport bosses in London could face a probe over their pay from London Assembly members it has emerged.

MPs have called for testing of a ‘total transport’ solution in isolated communities that are faced with declining access to bus and rail services.

Wiltshire councillors are pressing for a countywide smartcard to cover public transport and parking as well as council services.

More than 35 councils from up and down the UK have joined together with local transport bodies to call for significant upgrades to the East Coast Mainline, in a bid to boost the UK economy by up to £9bn a year.

Network Rail is facing the ‘largest equal pay claim in rail history' in what has become a troubled year for the national rail infrastructure operator.

New figures suggest the Government has achieved more than £3bn in annual cost savings on infrastructure projects since 2010.

Council transport schemes up and down the country will benefit from a £440m investment following the latest allocations from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) announced today.

Transport for London (TfL) is considering making all the capital’s black cabs accept cash card payments from 2016, in a move that could see another major section of the capital’s transport network become cashless.

Approaches to growth must consider the importance of regional transport in supporting businesses, local government leaders have been told.

Thanet DC is considering a compulsory purchase of Manston Airport after a petition of almost 8,000 signatures was presented to the local authority calling for the airport to move into public hands.

An inquiry into the economic case behind the controversial £50bn HS2 line has been launched by an influential group of Lords.

Regions were told to prove they are worthy of more powers, as the devolution agenda continued to build momentum at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference.

Car sharing schemes could ‘revolutionise’ transport Baroness Kramer said today, although industry insiders suggest a range of policy initiatives are needed to help the concept move past the ‘early adopters stage’.

Influential local transport groups have united to support local bus services with a new brochure setting out the case to local politicians and decision makers for bus priority schemes.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has rejected plans to limit speeds on key motorways to 60mph between 7am and 7pm seven days a week.

The leader of Kent CC has criticised the localist credentials of the Local Growth Fund following the Government's announcement of cash allocations this week.

Transport minister Keith Brown has announced a second £3m bidding round for the Bus Investment Fund, with transport authorities across Scotland able to apply for up to £500,000 over two years.

Council chiefs have slammed the Government over the difficulties local authorities have to surmount as they bid for local infrastructure and growth cash, claiming that ‘the public purse is having to spend tens of millions on bidding for its own money’.

David Cameron has confirmed £500m of new money for Glasgow's City Deal, which will see Scotland’s biggest city create a £1.1bn infrastructure fund focused on transport.

From this Sunday (6 July) London buses will stop accepting cash payments meaning passengers boarding buses need to have a prepaid or concessionary ticket, Oyster or contactless payment card.

Chancellor George Osborne has revealed a £34.4m transport investment for Liverpool as part of his plans to create a ‘Northern Powerhouse’.

Labour has floated plans for a £30bn devolution package, in a move that could see Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) given even more control of transport spending.

Improved urban transport is key to local economic growth yet is not given the priority it requires, a think tank has warned.

Leading transport union, RMT, is set to hold summit talks with MPs this month as it launches an 'all-out' fight against the Government’s plans for Northern Rail and the TransPennine Express.

Landowners have called on HS2 Ltd to provide ‘common sense settlements’ for businesses affected by the planned high-speed rail route.

Council chiefs have warned that local authorities will need to slash spending by 12.5% before next April after identifying a £5.8bn 'black hole' in council finances next year.

Engineering consultant,Parsons Brinckerhoff, has appointed Martyn Brooks as director for local government services within the company’s expanding UK highways, transportation and asset management business. Mr Brooks has 30 years of experience and joins from CH2M Hill, where he held a range of management positio

East Sussex CC, together with its highways contractor Kier, has launched a 'Community Self-Serve' scheme allowing community groups to control small-scale highways projects.

Labour has vowed to abolish the Single Local Growth Fund's competitive bidding process and replace it with a £30bn devolution package that would boost Local Enterprise Partnerships’ (LEPs) transport funds.

Prime minister David Cameron celebrated this year’s armed forces day with the start of a new transport benefit for servicemen and their families.

Leading engineers sent out a grave warning this month on the state of the local transport network, giving it a Grade D or ‘at risk’ status.

The European commissioner for transport Siim Kallas has announced major plans for ‘EU-wide multimodal travel information, planning and ticketing services’, while maintaining that the ‘market’ must lead the way on innovation.

The new president of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), David Gibby, has pledged to keep transport ‘high on the political agenda’.

Carers working for Birmingham City Council are taking part in a six-month electric car trial to measure the impact of the green vehicles compared to the town hall's current fleet.

The UK boss of international engineering firm Atkins has called for the Government to appoint an infrastructure minister at cabinet level.

The Government’s replacement for the beleaguered Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding model for major public infrastructure works, including highways schemes, has no test to ensure taxpayers get value for money influential MPs have warned.

A group of councils in the North East are set to tender a highways surfacing contract framework worth at least £30m - with some estimates reaching as high as £100m over its potential five-year term - as part of the wider NE Highways Alliance project.

Prime minister David Cameron has celebrated the ‘political consensus’ surrounding Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), despite continued criticism from MPs and within the local government sector.

The Canadian owners of the Channel Tunnel rail link are interested in bidding for the HS2 line - which has a construction budget of £50bn including contingencies and rolling stock - it has emerged.

The Midlands Highways Alliance (MHA) has revealed the contractors appointed for its £261m transport infrastructure framework.

To the highway engineer, slurry surfacing offers a quick, efficient and cost effective way of maintaining skid resistance and protecting roads.

Full year results for Network Rail this week revealed the operator struggled to cope with a surge in passenger numbers and poor weather resulting in an increase in delays, despite a record annual investment of nearly £7bn.

Transport minister Baroness Kramer has officially marked the completion of more than £40m of construction and engineering projects in Portsmouth, including the new £12.6m Northern Road Bridge.

Transport for London (TfL) has celebrated record results in its draft 2013-14 Annual Report, which shows customer satisfaction rising to an all time high despite more passengers than ever using the network.

Transport Scotland has named Connect Roads as its preferred bidder for the historic £745m Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) road construction project.

The Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal is officially launched today, with work set to start on £430m of infrastructure improvements including new roads and other transport schemes designed to boost economic growth.

The Scottish Government has unveiled a £15m greener travel funding package for the next two years to deliver a fleet of electric cars, new cycling infrastructure and social programmes to help modal shift.

East Sussex CC has backed Gatwick Airport's bid to expand in advance of the Airport Commission's recommendations on the future of UK airport capacity.

Birmingham City Council has released a 25-year Mobility Action Plan (BMAP), outlining proposals to challenge the historic car culture of the city.

There are big disparities in transport infrastructure investment across the country. By some measures, up to 500 times more is invested in transport infrastructure for London compared with other parts of the country.

Highways Agency reforms will not be enough to address the problem of unpredictable funding for roads maintenance, government auditors have warned.

Heathrow opened its new Terminal 2 without a hitch this week after learning the lessons from the 2008 Terminal 5 opening debacle when thousands of bags went missing and more than a hundred flights were cancelled.

Her majesty the Queen has launched the Coalition Government's final legislative programme before the general election, with the Queen's Speech 2014.

The Transport Select Committee has released a damaging report on the Government’s local transport spending strategy, highlighting inequalities across the country and warning against treating the regions as ‘second class’.

London’s productivity could increase by £12.5bn a year by 2030 with the right transport spending on schemes such as Crossrail 2 according to engineering giant Siemens.

The Asphalt Industry Alliance’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey is seen by many as the national benchmark for highway maintenance performance in the UK. Its chairman Alan Mackenzie talks to Dominic Browne about the need to push for a long-term approach to highways maintenance.

Kent and Medway councils have poured more cold water on Boris Johnson’s ambitions to have a £148bn Thames estuary airport, with a new survey showing scant support for the scheme.

Major transport operator FirstGroup has announced that it will not pay a dividend to shareholders for the second year running, with severe weather affecting various arms of the business.

Motoring taxation should be radically reformed to establish a ‘progressive’ road user charging system that would make richer drivers pay more per mile, according to a leading think tank.

The House of Commons transport select committee has quietly put a bomb under key elements of the Government's transport policy.

Investment in roads will have to ‘substantially’ increase over the next decade with the Government having to find 'new funding streams' to support increased demand, MPs have said.

The competition between Heathrow and Gatwick's expansion plans has hotted up with both airports announcing revised proposals to try and win permission to build the UK’s next runway.

Welsh transport minister Edwina Hart has announced a £15.4m boost for 41 projects to improve public transport, walking and cycling facilities and traffic flows across the devolved nation.

Homeowners located around Heathrow’s proposed third runway will be offered over half a billion pounds in compensation as part of a range of measures designed to win over local communities.

Local authority pension funds (LAPFs) can get a ‘pretty tasty cherry’ on top of their usual returns if they invest in local infrastructure projects, a think tank has claimed.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released an improvement plan conceding an 'urgent need' to increase its commercial skills and vowing to develop a stronger integrated national strategy.

The Department for Transport has announced a £100m cash boost to help 42 train stations in England, Scotland and Wales to improve access for disabled passengers.

The chief executive of transport infrastructure giant Balfour Beatty has resigned ‘with immediate effect’ as the firm issued a profit warning and announced it is considering the sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Major cities need greater freedoms over local fundraising if they are to make transport networks grow the local economy, a think tank has warned.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has insisted English councils bidding for a share of a £168m pothole give away must sign a pledge setting out the number of potholes they will repair.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin today officially approved plans to transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company in less than a year.

London's Heathrow Airport is considering doubling the length of its Ultra driverless ‘pod’ network, directors have revealed.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has outlined how a £500m fund will help boost the UK’s ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV) industry, which he says has the potential to be a ‘world leader’.

Bus travel in Scotland will be ‘transformed’ by new technology giving passengers real time information on services, local transport authorities have announced.

Attempts to tackle global warming have backfired and made the European Union reliant on Russian diesel, warns an expert on low-emission vehicles.

A multi-million pound court case against Transport Scotland will be heard next month with an English gritting company claiming the Scottish Government breached procurement rules in the ordering of salt.

Two local authorities will be given £100,000 by the Welsh Government to launch trials to find new ways of co-ordinating bus and community transport services, particularly in rural areas.

London Underground is set for at least five days of major disruption as a result of a wave of planned strike action announced by the RMT union.

Prime minister David Cameron and chancellor George Osborne today jointly kicked off a year of major infrastructure investment, with £36bn of spending planned across 200 projects.

Transport experts from different sides of the fence debate the Treasury’s economic analysis of fuel duty freezes. Are they good for the everyday taxpayer and the wider economy or are they short-sighted drains on our country’s transport potential?

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced £2m in top-up funding for nine previous winners of Local Sustainable Transport Scheme funding to help develop their successful work.

Stephen Joseph OBE looks at new figures from the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) examining the finances of the rail network.

Local transport minister Norman Baker has given the first major details of what local authority transport professionals can expect from the new legislation of signage coming into force from 2015.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin today confirmed a £2.7bn finance deal has been made to bring 500 new trains to the UK network.

After suffering a withering condemnation from MPs over its safety record on level crossings, Network Rail suggested the UK cannot afford to eliminate accidents at these locations but refused to rule out awarding its bosses bonuses.

Warrington BC has announced a £40m invest-to-save programme of highways re-surfacing, to take place over the next three to five years.

Deputy chair of HS2 Ltd Sir Howard Bernstein has said councils need to consider using framework agreements to help maximise the local growth potential of the planned £50bn new rail line.

A London City executive who managed to dodge paying rail fares worth up to £43,000 on his daily commute, has finally been caught it has emerged.

Council chiefs have defended their use of CCTV and ‘spy cars’ in parking enforcement, with campaigners claiming town halls used the technology to rake in £312m in fines over five years.

For Dr Daniel Ruiz, managing director of Imtech Traffic & Infra UK, the world of traffic and transport is changing rapidly and the industry must raise its game to keep up. Adrian Tatum reports.

The Treasury has claimed that its real terms cuts to fuel duty have helped grow GDP by between 0.3% and 0.5% in the long-term, meaning it could eventually recover a large chunk of the £22.5bn in lost revenue over the parliament.

Bristol has launched a £500,000 journey time monitoring system (JTMS) designed to tackle congestion in the city, with the help of cross-departmental and cross-agency funding.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has sounded out his party's leadership on creating a Cabinet ‘superpost’ for him in the form of an infrastructure secretary responsible for transport, business and housing, it has emerged.

The Government has failed to provide proper environmental protection against HS2's impacts, which could endanger areas of ancient woodlands and the rare species MPs have warned.

Infrastructure costs for major transport schemes like HS2 are set to grow over the next five years as projects face rising labour and material prices, an industry body has forecast.

Cheshire East Council has announced plans to convert its transport department into a wholly owned council company, under wider plans to become a strategic commissioning council.

'Highways investment planning could be integrated with growth plans so that they help facilitate and accelerate growth.'

Public subsidy for the air service between North and South Wales is costing taxpayer's £184 per passenger, it has emerged while the Welsh Government has not evaluated the service since 2008.

Halton BC and the Merseylink consortium have reached financial close on the Mersey Gateway project, a new six-lane toll road over the River Mersey, with the bridge expected to be open by autumn 2017.

Gatwick Airport bosses have launched a new campaign as part of their ongoing battle with rivals Heathrow over expanding the nation’s airport capacity, suggesting their bid could deliver more connections, more quickly with less environmental impact.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has put the brakes on plans for London to push ahead with the proposed £12bn Crossrail 2 scheme from south west to north east London.

Parking penalty charges have been frozen under new Government plans to ease parking restrictions to help support town centre high streets.

Lawyers acting for Stagecoach have written to almost half of Wales’ unitary authorities to warn that the Welsh Government’s cut to concessionary travel reimbursement could violate EU law.

Three new bodies with responsibilities for regional transport and development are set to be launched on 1 April after MPs approved the creation of Merseyside, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire combined authorities.

A government HS2 taskforce has said the controversial £50bn project needs a dedicated minister to ensure maximum local regeneration and growth.

A senior Transport for London (TfL) official has used a national conference speech to highlight schemes used overseas to help support continued investment in urban transport, suggesting our funding mechanisms are behind international gold standards.

A £1.8m transformation fund for London has been launched to boost sustainable transport and test new street layouts and alternative ways that roads can be used.

Cambridgeshire CC is set to copy the groundbreaking work of New York transport commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who transformed the Big Apple developing 26 acres of pedestrian space, including 2.5 acres in Times Square.

The green light has been given to a project that could save local authorities more than £1bn in borrowing costs for infrastructure schemes including highways schemes.

A cyclist who suffered serious injuries after he hit a pothole has been awarded almost £70,000 in compensation from Hertfordshire CC.

The Welsh Government could start raising its own taxes for infrastructure and transport spending by 2018, with new business rates in place next year, following the Treasury’s publication of the Wales Bill in the wake of the Budget.

Chancellor George Osborne played it safe in today’s budget with transport and infrastructure spending focussed on protecting the burgeoning recovery and the resilience of UK networks, including a much-needed £200m giveaway to councils for pothole repairs.

Transport Scotland chief executive David Middleton has announced plans to speed up the dualling of the A9 central spine route from Perth to Inverness to complete the project by 2025.

Labour has accused the chancellor of using ‘smoke and mirrors’ in today’s budget announcement to hide the fact disabled people and working families are worse off under the current government.

Chancellor George Osborne confirmed the austerity drive in public finances would have to continue through to the end of the next Parliament.

A recent study looked into the distances that commuters travel to work and whether the area that they lived in had a vital part to play.

Police forces around the UK have cost the taxpayer more than £600,000 in the past four years by filling their cars up with the wrong fuel, new figures show.

The 2014 Budget speech held no great surprises for local government, with extra cash for flooding, roads and housing taking centre stage.

Chancellor George Osborne’s understated Budget has provoked accusations of a missed opportunity from economic and transport experts.

The Treasury has unveiled plans for major changes to local government borrowing and planning procedures in its Budget document, including boosting prudential borrowing capabilities by £25bn.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced £140m of new funding to repair and maintain flood defences in his 2014 Budget.

England’s core cities have joined calls for chancellor George Osborne to use today’s Budget to devolve property taxes to boost local transport and business infrastructure investment.

Council transport directors are set to join forces with the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) to address the skills ‘crisis’ in the local transport sector, Transport Network can reveal.

Chancellor George Osborne is not expected to break the bank in today’s Budget with infrastructure spending likely to be linked to ‘quick-win’ shovel ready schemes such as road and house building that can bring jobs and early revenue streams.

Council directors have called on chancellor George Osborne to make financial devolution and local fiscal freedom a major plank of his Budget on 19 March, Transport Network can reveal.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced major changes to HS2 following a report released today by the new head of the controversial £50bn line.

Transport campaigners have called on George Osborne to end his fuel duty freezes in this month’s Budget, suggesting the money is needed for local public transport improvements.

Birmingham City Council’s transport boss has been told to refund more motorists who have received bus lane fines since last Autumn despite the council looking set to repay 18,000 fines after conceding its approach to bus lane enforcement was wrong.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced the winners of the £100m ‘mini Holland’ fund for councils to improve cycle safety and road-design across the capital.

Northamptonshire CC has agreed to spend up to £100,000 to hire a parliamentary specialist to lobby Westminster for the best deal over HS2, including a possible new by-pass for the county.

What does the industry gain from paying more attention to the social and economic benefits of investment in local infrastructure? And how can we use this to influence future funding? Dominic Browne reports from the latest in a series of round table debates.

Ben Lucas outlines the scope of the City Growth Commission’s examination of what can be done to give ‘metros’ the fiscal and revenue powers needed for urban areas to achieve their growth potential - taking in the importance of transport and infrastructure

Transport campaigners and trade unions have urged chancellor George Osborne to end the ‘crisis’ in bus funding with this month’s Budget.

More than 20 councils have committed to launch a municipal bonds agency later this year to help boost local transport infrastructure investment, the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed.

The Department for Transport has been hit with a £400,000 fine by the Treasury for having paid senior staff on off-payroll arrangements for longer than six months.

A leading BBC broadcaster and economist has called for major transport investment to help create a 'megacity' of the North to rival the success of London.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking evidence for a major report into the impact of transport infrastructure investment on economic performance.

Britain’s leading business lobby has called for more integrated infrastructure services that take account of 'wider social contributions'. The call was made as part of a push for greater outsourcing that bosses say could save billions.

Two different sides to the HS2 programme: Birmingham City Council revealed its HS2 masterplan, including the new Birmingham Curzon station, while Camden LBC launched a war of words over the redesign of Euston.

A High Court case could force councils to refund millions of pounds in driving fines, as one motorist argues that 'No u-turn' signs do not prohibit drivers from doing three point turns.

As we slowly emerge from the grip of a flooding crisis, James Evison gives a personal account of his experiences and suggestions for how communities can move forward.

Council chiefs and business leaders have sent a clear message to George Osborne ahead of this month's Budget, calling on the chancellor to protect highways and infrastructure spending.

Cancelling the controversial £50bn HS2 project would be ‘catastrophic’ for the UK economy, costing the country billions and leaving it with congested networks, according to an industry report.

A raft of major transport powers should be transferred from Westminster to the Welsh Assembly, according to the final report from the Government’s Silk commission on Welsh devolution.

Traffic wardens in Peterborough are to be fitted with body cameras to help keep them safe as officers report serious attacks of violent physical and verbal abuse on a regular basis.

A UK pension fund is investing in a £500m project to improve central Scotland's motorway links, in a UK first for highways finance.

Cardiff City Council cabinet has approved plans for a £4bn regional transport system that could be built by 2030.

A lack of investment in urban transport has resulted in the UK’s economy falling way behind European rivals costing the country billions of pounds, a new report suggests.

Newcastle Airport has unveiled plans for a major business park on its site, which could create up to 7,000 jobs and provide much-needed transport links to businesses in the north east.

Liverpool City Council is set to launch a cycle hire scheme in April after appointing UK supplier HourBike Ltd to run the project.

The last two years of ‘unprecedented’ rainfall in North Yorkshire has increased the region’s highways backlog to £322m and left it pleading for urgent road maintenance cash before this summer's Tour de France.

Downing Street has vowed to review the resilience of the transport network as the prime minister sends out the first signals that Britain could emerge stronger after this catastrophic period of storms and flooding.

Northamptonshire CC has agreed to carry out a review of its pothole-fixing processes, as a result of losing a court case and paying out more than £300 in compensation to a couple whose car was damaged by a road defect.

Police in the North West have raided three homes as part of ongoing investigations into financial irregularities in the tendering of contracts, including fleet services deals, by Lancashire CC.

An east London borough has defended its unique use of automated CCTV to capture traffic offenders, after being accused of ‘harvesting’ cash from motorists.

Upgrades to 56,000 streetlights and green improvements across Manchester are expected to cut carbon emissions by 36% over the next three years in the city.

The damaged Dawlish railway line and communities in areas including Somerset have been left without planned flood defences due to government funding cuts it has emerged.

Liverpool City Council is set to invest £80m over the next eight years in its highways network, in a move set to significantly cut Liverpool’s £256m highways maintenance backlog by 2022.

Transport chiefs in the West Midlands have slashed £7.3m from Centro’s budget for 2014-15.

Roads minister Robert Goodwill says 'capacity will be a problem' in delivering the Government’s £24bn highways investment commitment by 2021.

Replacing the Hammersmith Flyover with a tunnel could take just three years and in theory might be self financing by releasing around £1bn worth of former highway land, according to the local council's latest study.

The prime minister has promised to look at restoring train lines and transport links hit by the flood crisis as ‘a matter of urgency’.

Less than half the cost of the proposed £12bn Crossrail 2 development might need to come from central government, meeting key Treasury demands.

The Government has released eligibility criteria for councils bidding for a share of the £6.7m local flood relief cash pot, which includes dedicated highways funding.

Scottish independence would benefit the nation’s transport infrastructure, Holyrood ministers claimed today as they confirmed plans for the sector in an independent Scotland.

London buses will stop accepting cash fares from the middle of this year, in a move expected to save £130m by 2023.

A City Deal for Oxford and the surrounding area will provide £55m of government funding for projects including local road and transport improvements.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has conceded it is likely to run a large underspend this year, with scores of millions set to be lost from transport schemes and returned to the Treasury.

The theme of this year’s annual ADEPT conference was ‘Localism and Growth’ with an emphasis on growth - described by president Steve Kent as ‘the word of the day and what we are about’.

What should your future transport strategies be and how can our transport systems be more effective and efficient?

Councillors and local MPs have heavily hit back against the loss of bus services in rural locations across the North of England, following the latest round of cuts to subsidised bus routes.

Transport authorities in the north of England have been given a formal role in the renewal of the Northern and TransPennine rail franchises, after signing an agreement with transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

The Government has put itself on a collision course with local authorities over parking policy, following the release of a damning report that calls for fines to be reduced.

Production of cars in the UK has reached its highest levels since the economic crash, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Transport for London (TfL) has been plunged into difficulties as multi-million pound contracts for the Tube and issues over Thames cable car crossing funding have left project management at the body under scrutiny.

New analysis has suggested the average yearly travelcard cost in London has risen by £509 since Boris Johnson became mayor.

The European Union (EU) is set to abandon specific targets on cutting transport emissions this week when it publishes its climate and energy strategy for 2030, it has emerged.

The Government is releasing a further £6.7m for councils to support clean up operations following the recent flooding and severe weather.

The RAC has recorded a 67% rise in vehicle related pothole damage last year, with motorists spending £100m repairing the damage.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson's £1bn plans to build 420,000 new homes in the capital over the next decade have raised congestion and parking concerns.

Green party members on the London Assembly have accused the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, of endangering lives unnecessarily due to an underspend in the cycling budget.

MPs have been warned over the danger of transport cuts to rural communities, with campaigners claiming less than half of households in the most rural areas have a regular bus service.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has told the Yorkshire Post the county's £1bn plan for a combined transport fund will still go ahead despite concerns over forthcoming Whitehall legislation.

CIHT The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) is holding its first national conference of 2014 on 19 March at the CBI Conference Centre, Centre Point Tower 103 New Oxford Street, London. The conference is entitled ‘Routes for Growth – ho

Teesside’s biggest taxi firm appears to have backed down in a dispute with Middlebrough Council over an alleged ban on disabled people using its taxis.

London Underground faces widespread disruption after leading tube workers’ union RMT, confirmed today members voted 77% in favour of both strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over jobs, services and safety.

Wolverhampton City Council and West Midlands transport authority Centro are set to launch a £1.4m package of transport along Stafford Road between Wolverhampton city centre and i54 in South Staffordshire.

Millions are due to be spent on improving flood defences across south-east England’s rail and airport networks, leading figures in the industries have told MPs.

China has offered to help finance and build High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) connections between London and Birmingham it has emerged.

Essex CC has undertaken an ‘amnesty’ on bus lane penalty charge notices (PCNs) following their reintroduction in Colchester.

Motorists could see their insurance premiums reduced by up £15 a year under ongoing moves to transfer all driving records online.

London could have missed out on millions of pounds of central government funding to support a cap on transport fare rises, a minister has indicated.

Council must support wider local growth strategies in their bids to win a slice of the fresh £78.5m of Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) cash to be released in 2015-16, the Department for Transport (DfT) has said.

The UK’s new car market recorded its best performance since 2007 last year, recording a 10% rise on 2012, according to industry figures.

Flood recovery minister Brandon Lewis has activated the Bellwin scheme providing emergency financial support for local authorities in the wake of the last few weeks of severe flooding.

Rail firms have increased car parking charges at stations by as much as 9% at the same time as rising ticket prices, it has emerged.

The New Year rail fare rises have been slammed by transport campaigners as a new survey suggests UK rail commuters are among the hardest hit in Europe.

The severe storms that brought transport chaos and misery to many over Christmas show no signs of letting up as forecasters warn of fresh flooding dangers.

Councillors in Birmingham have criticised the local authority’s bus lane enforcement policy after figures revealed 80,000 penalty tickets have been issued since the controversial scheme came into force last September.

Local government is set to see the Whitehall grant fall by 8.5% in the next two years, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has confirmed.

English councils made a record haul of almost £600m from parking charges in 2012-13, according to a report from the RAC Foundation.

Rail minister Stephen Hammond has defended the New Year’s rail fare rises despite the widespread public anger, claiming it is the lowest in a decade.

One-third of embassies in the capital have refused to pay the congestion charge in the last ten years creating £74m in unpaid fines, it has been revealed.

Value-for-money assessments for major local transport projects should take account of ‘a wide spectrum’ of impacts not just money and time, the Department for Transport (DfT) has said.

Ministers look set to u-turn on a proposed raft of measures to improve the safety of young drivers as a result of cabinet divisions it has emerged.

The UK needs an extra airport runway in the South East by 2030 with another likely to be needed by 2050, the Government’s independent review into airport capacity has claimed.

The Government has published its draft Wales Bill setting out plans to give the devolved nation new powers to tax and borrow.

Congestion in the UK’s 18 largest urban zones is costing car commuting households £4.4bn a year, according to estimates from a new economic study.

An alliance of transport and technology experts have called on the Government to embrace more smart travel technology such as real time information, smartcards and data collection.

Total bus usage in England fell by 1% in the year to September 2013 while bus fares increased by 1% above inflation, according to figures released by the Department for Transport today.

Ministers have revealed the winners of the latest tranche of local pinch-point funding, releasing £49m for 25 schemes designed to tackle congestion hot spots, alongside announcing a raft of major road and rail works.

Dedicated traffic courts handling cases including speeding and parking offences are set to be established across all 42 police-force areas by next April as part of the Government’s flagship justice policy for traffic.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has confirmed transport cash for the capital's councils will be spared cuts over the next three years, as the Local Implementation Fund (LIP) will be held at £148m a year up to 2016-17.

Reports have claimed the transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has attempted to ban the publication of a 2011 report into High Speed Rail 2 (HS2).

The Treasury has vowed to continue its £38bn rail investment plans even if Network Rail’s £30bn debt mountain is added to the Government’s books next year.

Local government is expected to freeze council tax in return for protection from additional £2bn cuts to Whitehall budgets over the next two years, chancellor George Osborne warned in today’s Autumn Statement.

The chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne, has outlined his plans to invest in infrastructure as a key part of the coalition government’s strategy for economic growth.

Chancellor George Osborne kept true to form in today’s Autumn Statement, with tax relief for motorists forming a central plank of the Government’s transport announcements.

Chancellor George Osborne announced an increase in the Housing Revenue Account borrowing limit in today’s Autumn Statement.

The Government has outlined a massive shopping list of around £375bn worth of planned infrastructure works up to 2030 and beyond, in a new national infrastructure plan published today.

Bus and rail users in the Midlands can put questions to officers on Twitter this week as part of transport authority Centro’s consultation on proposed £14m funding cuts.

The M6 toll road has provided little benefit to road users and caused irreversible environmental damage, a new report claims.

Chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, confirmed today the Government is abandoning plans for a new tolled A14 link road.

Local MPs and business leaders have welcomed reports the A14 toll road will be scrapped leaving the Government to fully fund the project.

As little as 3% of the UK population believe the High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) line will be delivered on time and to budget, according to a new poll.

Concerns over the delivery of the National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) have been raised as the prime minister attempts to drive investment in big projects such as High Speed 2 (HS2), with Chinese capital.

Transport investment has fallen to a five year low with London still coming top of the regions, Treasury figures have shown.

Transport experts have warned that many more households in England and Wales risk falling into transport poverty due to a combination of ‘soaring costs’ and a decline in real wages.

Council directors have called for chancellor George Osborne to help fast-track local infrastructure projects through funding reforms in the Autumn Statement, as part of eight key asks to Government.

The Government has announced the winners of the annual Air Quality Grant Programme, which this year awards £1m to local authority schemes tackling nitrogen dioxide levels normally associated with road transport.

London mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled plans for a £6bn rail “super-hub” that would see links for Crossrail and High Speed Rail 2 converge on a proposed north west London development dubbed ‘mini-Manhattan’.

New figures released by the Home Office this week show early signs of success in the clampdown on metal theft, with police recording a decline in offences in each quarter of 2012/13.

Tube operators will strike at noon on December 4 for 24 hours, following an overwhelming 88% vote in favour.

The transport infrastructure in North Wales is ‘creaking at the seams’, according to Labour MP, Mark Tami.

Bus operators are preparing to reduce services and staffing after the Welsh Government said this week it would pay 23.4% less from 1 April in reimbursement per person carried under the nation’s concessionary bus fare scheme.

Plans to ballot workers on job cuts on the London Underground have been signed off by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

Plans to cut three-quarters of a million from Cambridgeshire CC’s annual winter service budget have been criticised by opposition councillors and the AA.

Infrastructure consultants, WSP, have called on chancellor George Osborne to outline a longer-term approach to local funding for High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) connectivity in his Autumn Statement.

The City of York Council looks set to formally endorse and join the West Yorkshire Combined Authority next week, creating a new body to manage a £1.5bn transport and economic infrastructure investment fund.

More than 60% of public sector bodies in Scotland do not have plans to reduce their transport use and should be given a year to implement a Travel Plan, according to a new report.

Financing plans for transport networks under a potential independent Scotland have been set out in a special white paper released by the Scottish National Party (SNP).

UK ports are at a ‘competitive disadvantage’ due to differences in UK funding policies compared to the rest of Europe, the transport select committee has warned.

The Government's environmental impact document for the controversial High Speed Rail 2 project (HS2) could be so long it breaks international law, campaigners have claimed.

The Government’s flagship High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project starts its parliamentary journey is earnest today, with the publication of the Hybrid Bill for Phase One between London and Birmingham of the controversial £50bn line.

The Highways Agency could slash procurement costs by 20% and make savings by laying and maintaining some stretches of road to lesser standards, the non-executive director, Alan Cook, has told the transport select committee.

The Government has committed to maintaining a substantial national strategic salt reserve, local transport minister Norman Baker told Surveyor’s Cold Comfort 2013 event.

High-speed rail needs to be delivered quicker and stretch further, the Core Cities group has said as the first HS2 legislation passes through parliament.

The boss of Atkins’ UK division has backed calls to devolve more infrastructure powers and funding to cities.

Radical plans to overhaul the London Underground (LU) network have been announced, including 24-hour weekend services and 750 job losses.

Seven west Midlands district councils have asked the local transport body Centro to consult on options to deliver 10% savings in its budget.

The net debt associated with Network Rail has reached more than £30bn – a rise of 10% on the previous year’s figures.

Gritters have been out in force on roads across the country as temperatures dropped across the UK in the last week, council chiefs have said.

Transport projects in the capital have been saved from a potential 25% cut, London Councils has said.

Councils will receive devolved Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) payments every April from next year, equivalent to the amount claimed from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013, Department for Transport (DfT) officials have revealed.

Future peer review processes under the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) look set to be funded by up-front contributions from the local authority involved, Transport Network can reveal.

Council chiefs have called for an end to the nationally-set alcohol licensing system, claiming the costs incurred by councils over the last eight years could have paid to fill 2.8m potholes.

The High Speed Rail (HS2) Growth Taskforce is due to meet with local leaders in the East Midlands today to promote local growth opportunities, particularly around the proposed HS2 hub in Toton.

2013 is poised to be a record year for transport infrastructure deals, according to leading infrastructure consultants KPMG, following major UK deals such as Manchester Airport Group’s acquisition of Stansted airport.

Swansea CC has committed to developing plans for a Quality Contract Scheme (QCS) following complaints about local bus services, but warned it would be no quick fix.

The Treasury has published a new guidance document using lessons learned from the Olympics on driving down infrastructure costs through better budgeting and management of projects.

Dominic Browne talks to Henk Landeweerd, managing director of Aebi Schmidt UK about that and the changing face of winter service.

The HMEP Standard Contract for HMS will be a key enabler to help facilitate other aspects of good practice promoted by HMEP such as greater client contractor collaboration, supply chain integration, LEAN, innovation and incentivisation.

Former deputy prime minister and Conservative grandee Lord Heseltine has dismissed criticism of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail network as ‘daft’.

The Highways Agency has unveiled plans to bring smart motorways – formally known as managed motorways – to Greater Manchester, creating an extra lane in busy sections of the M62.

Around two thirds of councils have made cuts to streetlighting by either dimming lights or switching them off altogether, it has emerged.

Academic experts have rubbished a report produced for HS2 Ltd in front of MPs today, which suggested the controversial project would bring an annual £15bn in additional benefits to the UK.

Prime minister David Cameron will use a speech today at the CBI annual conference to call for ‘national unity’ on High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) as he orders a review into cutting the costs of the £50bn project.

The UK’s first new deep-water port for more than two decades opens for business this week when the MOL Caledon, a 58,000-tonne container ship from South Africa, docks at the London Gateway.

Surrey CC has completed 40 miles of major road repairs over the last six months, equivalent to £14.7m of maintenance work.

Prime minister David Cameron and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg have jointly announced the Welsh Government will be given more financing powers, which could contribute to major infrastructure works.

The Government’s analysis of the benefits of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) found it offers worse value for money than alternative plans to upgrade the existing rail network it has emerged.

Prime minister David Cameron will use a speech today at the CBI annual conference to call for ‘national unity’ on High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) as he reveals he has ordered a review into cutting the costs of the £50bn project.

The global infrastructure software and services company Yotta DCL has re-launched itself to market as Yotta following its acquisition of Mayrise Systems earlier this year.

The Department for Transport has released an updated best practice guidance for tendering road passenger transport contracts.

Network Rail has been tasked with a major clampdown on late trains and told to close high-risk level crossings alongside making £1.7bn in savings, the national rail watchdog announced today.

Influential MPs have slammed the Department for Transport (DfT) over the £6bn Thameslink upgrade programme, lambasting slow decision-making, poor procurement practices and questionable financing models.

The transport select committee has called for evidence on local decision-making on transport expenditure and would like to receive written submissions by 13 December.

The Government's business case for High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) released today, claims the UK's rail network will cease to function without the controversial £50bn project.

Ministers have announced a further five local authorities will receive £1.4m of Government funding to help cut pollution from buses and improve air quality in towns and cities.

Lorry drivers' representatives have voiced frustration at the growing lack of new designs aimed at making Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) safer.

Jobseekers in Glasgow have seen their bus fares cut by more than half over the Christmas season, by bus operator First.

Transport experts have criticised Crossrail’s ‘crude’ funding structure after claiming taxpayers will see only a fraction of the increased value of property along the London route.

Road surfacing contractors have renewed pressure on chancellor George Osborne to announce immediate investment in road maintenance in his upcoming Autumn Statement.

A combined £73m of coastal defence contracts have been awarded by Blackpool Council and Wyre Council to infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty.

Get a first look at ADEPT's 2013 report on the Government's agenda, exclusive to Transport Network and our sister titles, The MJ and Local Government News.

An investigation by Corporate Watch and The Independent newspaper has claimed major transport companies are using a legal tax avoidance scheme to escape millions of pounds of taxes.

The Labour leader Ed Miliband is reported to have given shadow chancellor Ed Balls a personal veto over the controversial £50bn High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project, preparing the ground for a potential Labour rejection of the scheme.

The Department for Transport (DfT) today released competition documents for the controversial East Coast Mainline franchise process.

Drivers are seven times more likely to have a collision on an A-road than on a motorway, according to new figures.

Scores of traffic wardens in the London borough of Ealing are set to create ‘motoring heaven’ by going on strike as the chances of receiving a parking ticket are heavily reduced, trade union Unite has warned.

Councils have lost public trust on parking and must justify how the revenue is raised with mandatory annual reports, chair of the Commons transport committee Louise Ellman has warned.

Motorists could see driving costs slashed under a package of measures announced by the Government today, including action on high insurance premiums.

Network Rail has awarded two major Crossrail contracts worth a combined £162m to VINCI Construction UK Ltd and Balfour Beatty.

The Government has named 16 projects totalling £33bn that are in line to be underwritten through the Treasury’s infrastructure guarantee scheme.

Atos, the private contractor responsible for running disability benefit assessments for the Government including mobility payments, has been slammed in Parliament and stung with a ‘no-confidence’ vote from Islington LBC.

Newly formed local transport body, Transport for Lancashire, has committed more than £100m to a major package of road and rail improvements to boost economic growth over the next decade.

Liverpool City Council has launched a controversial nine-month experiment to suspend the operation of all bus lanes in the city.

Infrastructure firm Mouchel has won a highways contract worth up to £60m with Norfolk CC.

Concern has been raised about the long-term sustainability of London’s ‘Boris Bikes’ scheme after new figures show users have declined by almost a third.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles returned to concerns about the ‘war on the motorist’ this week, telling MPs that councils should offer 30 minutes free parking to shoppers in town centres.

Councils have lost public trust on parking and must justify how the revenue is raised with mandatory annual reports, chair of the Commons transport committee Louise Ellman has warned.

Newly appointed transport minister Baroness Kramer has offered a ringing endorsement of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2), stating the economic case for the line ‘remains strong’.

The Government has announced funding allocations for 2013 and 2015 to help local authorities extend rights to free travel for school children as well as promote sustainable travel.

A leading transport think tank has independently thrown its support behind HS2, stating the project can be 'a catalyst for regional development' given sufficient local investment.

A railway line operating between Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine requires around £17m of major upgrading work, despite being opened only five years ago.

Cities across England could lose out on hundreds of millions of pounds as a result of not being connected to the Government’s flagship HS2 rail link, previously unseen research has suggested.

The Government has pledged greater transparency over infrastructure ownership in public private partnerships, as it outlines plans for PF2.

All of Hartlepool’s street lights are to be replaced with new LED lights at a cost of £5m.

Ten new towns in the UK are in line to benefit from a Government-funded fuel rebate scheme that could save local motorists five pence per litre (ppl), ministers revealed today.

An alliance of South East councils representing 9.5 million residents have called for a major expansion of more than one UK airport and connecting surface transport capacity to maintain global competitiveness.

Pressure is growing on the Government to reverse plans to re-privatise the East Coast Mainline with campaigners due to hand transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin a 23,000-person petition today.

The Labour Party together with leading transport experts have called on the Government to scrap its trial of longer freight lorries on safety and sustainability grounds.

Residents in Doncaster are being asked to air their views on a newly proposed cycle strategy across the local authority area.

A British-Chinese joint venture has won an £800m contract to develop an ‘Airport City’ in Manchester, in one of the largest ever project partnerships ever carried out by the two nations.

Reforms to Central Bedfordshire Council’s home to school transport policy have been opened to public consultation, including plans to widen eligibility.

An alliance of ten local authorities is taking the case against High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) to the Supreme Court this month and has written an open letter outlining the argument against the scheme.

The London Assembly has called on mayor Boris Johnson to not increase fares by more than inflation during the rest of his term, following 33% price rises during his time in office so far.

The Government has announced the creation of four new Better Bus Areas (BBAs), with York, Merseyside, Nottingham and Bath and greater Bristol set to benefit from £16.5m of investment in services.

Commuters are set to save hundreds of pounds a year on train fares after the Government announced it is limiting the power of train operators to increase fare prices above inflation.

Recent reports suggest car use in decline. Is the king of the road over the hill or is the reality more complicated? James Evison investigates.

The Treasury should put High Speed Rail 2 on hold until it can address concerns over the project's cost-benefits, MPs have warned.

Key infrastructure projects in Wales have been given a £617.5m boost, under the draft budget announced this week.

While pollsters will tell you no one votes on the basis of transport policy, transport related issues are at the centre of much which will decide the outcome of the next General Election.

Scotland’s transport heavyweights will be in attendance at this year’s Road Expo exhibition on the 6 - 7 November in Edinburgh, including Keith Brown, minister for transport and veterans.

The new shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh has already hit out at the cost for High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) in her first comments since obtaining the brief yesterday.

A social enterprise could be established in Northamptonshire to manage the provision of passenger transport services currently procured by the county council and others.

Councils across the country are on alert for potential gritting runs at the end of this week as the first cold snap of the winter season is expected to hit the UK.

The Government's proposals to pay for improvements to the A14 by introducing tolls would create unfair competition and impact on economic growth, according to two West Suffolk councils.

The south east of England does require another runway according to the provisional conclusions of the Government's Airports Commission, the chair of the body has revealed.

Multi-national giant Siemens have strongly indicated that if it secures a contract for the new generation of driverless Tube trains they will be built in the UK.

The Government has unveiled £100m of funding to help enterprise zones complete key infrastructure projects such as road construction.

Wandsworth Council has repaired more than 6,500 potholes in the last seven months, as part of an extensive highways repair project that is close to its end.

Further indications have emerged that HS2’s London hub could be moved from Euston station as originally planned, after scores of Camden residents are told they no longer face moving home.

The Government and Lancashire CC have won a High Court battle with a local campaigning group over a £124m planned link road between the M6 and the port of Heysham on Morecambe Bay.

A Labour councillor who sits on the local committee overseeing parking issues, has been forced to quit as a parliamentary candidate after reportedly failing to pay £2,000 in parking fines.

The extension of First Great Western’s Paddington route franchise is a 'scandal', according to the shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle.

Local transport minister, Norman Baker, has called on all English traffic authorities to make greater use of restricted parking zones and ditch yellow lines.

Hackney Wick station in East London is set for an £8.5m upgrade, designed to improve journey times to iCITY and the Olympic Park and help free up land for up to 2,000 new homes.

Half-a-million more penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued on private land this year as a crackdown on clamping has lead to more ticketing.

Natural England has committed more than £2m towards access improvements for local public pathways since May 2012, the Government advisory body announced this week.

Plans to terminate the new High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) line at Old Oak Common instead of Euston in London have been cautiously welcomed by the Hammersmith and Fulham LBC.

Councils in communities secretary Eric Pickles’ backyard are defying Government calls to end the use of so-called spy cars in parking enforcement.

Heathrow Airport has warned that proposals for new price controls on the annual fees it can charge airlines could restrict investment, causing problems for passengers and airlines.

Plans to axe a range of bus services and around 50 jobs in the Aberystwyth and mid-Wales area have been described as a ‘body blow’ likely to cause to 'bedlam' according to campaigners.

The Government has released a further £3.4m towards 'greening' the nation's bus fleets, adding 55 extra low carbon buses to the roads alongside plans to upgrade existing vehicles.

The Government has awarded £165m for a new relief road between the M56 and the A6, to improve access to Manchester airport.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has repeated calls for councils to reduce parking charges in his speech to this year’s conservative party conference.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has signed off a £40m cash injection for new bus stations and improvements across the Pennine Reach bus network.

Government ministers have cut red tape surrounding the creation of local business improvement districts (BIDs), which support high street regeneration with the offer of free parking.

The creation of a combined authority in Liverpool with the ability to sign off transport and economic programmes moved a step closer this week with official plans submitted to Government.

Building a new runway at Heathrow Airport will cause misery for millions of Londoners Boris Johnson told delegates at today's Conservative Party conference.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has released £80m of further ‘pinch point’ funding to remove bottlenecks on the UK’s road network, with £25m of the cash dedicated to local schemes.

Plans to invest more than £20m in transport throughout Croydon have been put forward by the London borough.

Chancellor George Osborne has vowed to try and freeze fuel duty until May 2015 using more public sector savings to pay for it.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has criticised London-based ‘moaners’ who complain about the costs of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2).

Prime minister David Cameron has sent his strongest warning yet to Labour over High Speed Rail 2 (HS2), saying that opposing the scheme would be a betrayal of the north.

The first commercially-sponsored community transport service in the UK has been launched by Plymouth City Council.

Local councillors have backed plans for the biggest expansion of Cardiff for more than 50 years but the scheme could still stumble over a lack of transport infrastructure critics say.

Ministers have revealed plans for a major overhaul of town parking rules in a move set to slash the amount of revenue councils raise from fines.

The CBI has called for local and national infrastructure plans to be ‘integrated’ and local transport teams to engage more with business as part of a series of measures designed to rejuvenate the high street.

Local transport bodies (LTB) are mainly spending cash on road schemes but are also investing significant amounts in sustainable transport programmes, according to new analysis.

Powys CC has dropped plans to cut 12 bus routes to save £500,000, in a move that would have left some communities with no public transport promising a fairer service reduction.

Highways and transport services accounted for 17% of all local authority charging income last year, according to figures from the Audit Commission.

The first tenders from the new rail franchising schedule have been published by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The current chief executive of Network Rail has been confirmed as the new chair of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2).

Local authorities are in line for a major cash boost as a result of the purchase of land for High Speed Rail 2 (HS2), chief executive of the scheme, Alison Munro, has told Transport Network.

Chief secretary to the treasury, Douglas Alexander has told Transport Network that the Government’s A14 tolling plans could serve as a test case to base future tolling plans on.

Tunnelling for roads can happen in London with the new structures likely to be paid for through overland development and even tolling, Transport for London's (TfL's) commissioner has hinted.

Passenger figures for the mayor of London’s flagship cable car crossing on the Greenwich peninsula have been criticised by the London Assembly.

Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle departed from the script of her speech to the Labour Party conference this year – appearing to back High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) in the process.

Plans for a new collaborative development framework have been put forward by the Highways Agency for investing £5bn-worth of projects across the country’s motorway and trunk road network.

Final work on the Hammersmith Flyover is to begin next month as the structure’s life looks set to be extended for several more decades.

The director of leading transport body the RAC Foundation, Professor Stephen Glaister CBE has called for a major expansion of London’s congestion charge, Transport Network can reveal.

The Luton-Dunstable guided busway has been opened by local transport minister Norman Baker ahead of services commencing tomorrow (25 September).

Three board members have been appointed to the new transport systems catapult centre set-up by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, it has been announced.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has seriously questioned Heathrow’s expansion plans for one or even two more runways, it has emerged.

Political heavyweights and transport experts will be in attendance at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) conference UK Transport, the Engine for Growth taking place tomorrow at the ICE’s headquarters in Westminster.

Essex CC has warned that proposals for a new super airport at Stansted are ‘unwanted and unviable’ in a new report.

Labour’s shadow chancellor Ed Balls has accused the Government of ‘totally mismanaging’ the controversial High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project and even questioned its £50bn costs.

Concern has arisen among campaigners about transport poverty following new data showing bus patronage has fallen by 2.5% outside of London.

Plans have been put forward by the new local transport body (LTB) in Lancashire to improve infrastructure across the county.

New guidance to help local authority highways departments work across the private and public sector divide has been published by the Government-sponsored Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP).

An alliance of 19 councils has called on ministers to put High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) to a national vote with citizens deciding between the controversial rail scheme and alternative spending plans.

Listed status has been given to Preston bus station in a bid to stop the 'Brutalist' structure being demolished.

Labour could reverse the Highway Agency’s £1.5bn plans to create a new toll road to ease congestion on the A14, shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle has revealed.

Peterborough City Council has signed a new highway maintenance contract worth up to £152m with Skanska, covering design, street lighting and drainage cleansing.

All long-distance rail tickets could be sold on a single-leg basis should a pilot scheme prove successful, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

Revised information on practical guidance for winter services (Appendix H) of the Well-maintained highways document has been released by the UK Roads Liaison Group.

The Transport Committee has announced a review of winter resilience – the third major study in four years - for the next session of Parliament.

Labour has unveiled a raft of new national transport policies following the results of the party’s long-running policy commission - due to be announced at the party conference next week.

Leeds much-delayed £250m trolleybus project has moved a step closer as local authorities apply for the key powers to build project.

In an exclusive piece for Transport Network, president Steve Kent takes us through what we can expect at this year's ADEPT conference.

Ticket prices for the troubled Edinburgh tram service have been announced, revealing the cost to the city airport will be similar to the bus route offered.

Plans to ‘decarbonise’ the transport sector have been signed off by the Liberal Democrats at the party’s annual conference in Glasgow.

Cold Comfort this year was launched with a round table hosted by Aebi Schmidt (ASH) and Surveyor on the challenges and opportunities that managing winter in and around airports bring for airport staff and local authority officers.

The European Parliament has backed proposals to limit the use of biofuels in transport, after fears have been raised over the amount of food crops being used.

Greater Manchester is backing a major international campaign supported by transport operators and authorities across 30 countries aimed at raising awareness of the social, economic and environmental benefits of public transport.

Leading consultants Atkins have appointed Adam Street from multinational giant General Electric to lead the asset solutions section of its highways and transportation business.

Powys CC is considering cutting 40% of its tendered bus services, less than a year after awarding operators four-year contracts.

The national rail watchdog has issued a stark warning to Network Rail over unacceptable levels of 'punctuality and reliability’ this spring, stating it would demand a better performance in future.

Business leaders have warned the UK’s dilapidated infrastructure is one of the biggest threats to the country’s fragile recovery as two thirds of bosses suggest the situation could get even worse.

What some might call a typical Daily Mail online story this week raised a few chuckles in Transport Network towers, but also an important issue.

Thousands of residents living close to the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing are set to recieve unlimited trips across the Thames for £20 a year, it has been announced.

Plans to deliver £8bn in infrastructure spending over the next two years were outlined by the Scottish Government in its budget this week, with commitments to transport schemes despite swingeing cuts.

The government has continued its charm offensive on High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) by outlining compensation for residents along the route.

Local leaders in the north west have signed off on a City Deal to deliver growth to the region, with more than £200m worth of major transport projects planned.

The Government has refused to act on key recommendations from MPs to help improve transport accessibility for disabled and vulnerable residents.

Corby in Northamptonshire is set to have one the UK's most extensive electric vehicle charging networks, under plans announced today.

British Gas has teamed up with Thriev to put 1000 electric cars on the road by the end of 2014 to capitalize on major Government investment in the sector.

Transport expert Stephen Joseph OBE looks at the Government's £1.5bn A14 plans and finds little to please him.

The High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project will add £15bn a year to the national economy and have a particularly significant impact on northern city regions, according to new research.

Mary ‘Queen of shops’ Portas has launched a strident attack on the Government for failing UK high streets, stating systems such as parking controls and out-of-town planning are ‘fatally flawed’.

More new developments near motorways and trunk roads in England will be granted planning permission under new Government guidelines for the strategic roads network.

Prime minister David Cameron has welcomed Jaguar Land Rover's plans to create 1,700 new jobs with a £1.5bn injection into its Solihull production line.

A motion has been tabled by Bristol City Council calling for a vote of no confidence in bus operator First, following alterations to services by the firm.

A transport service run by volunteers has been set-up in Swindon to help the vulnerable and elderly to get around town.

Influential MPs have labelled the Government 'out of touch and out of date' on HS2, as transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin admits the focus on speed was a mistake.

Hounslow Highways has embarked on a collaborative working agreement with utility companies to share road space and carry out works at the same time to try and minimise disruption to residents and businesses.

The Highways Agency has published £1.5bn plans to upgrade the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon, including the possibility of local toll roads to ease congestion on the major route.

Pressure is growing on the Department for Transport (DfT) to change the way highways maintenance funding is allocated to councils after concerns have been raised in the North over a possible £125m shortfall in cash.

Plans to develop an extension to the Reading cycle network in Wokingham have been put forward by officers at the borough council.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has written in the Financial Times today to stress the importance of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) for the nation, stating without it London risks losing its status as an ‘economic global powerhouse’.

Concern has been raised about a £500m blackhole in the cost of five major transport projects in Scotland.

An independent national infrastructure commission needs to be set-up to ensure continuity of major projects for the next 25 years, according to a Labour review on the issue.

A seminar is due to be held at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation on the shared service arrangements in the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP).

Local transport minister Norman Baker today unveiled the Government’s strategy to remove petrol and diesel vehicles from UK roads by 2050, including providing ‘tax-free’ electric motoring until at least 2020.

Conservative Grassroots - a body representing dozens of Tory association chairmen - has come out against the High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project, describing it as ‘a hugely expensive white elephant’.

More than £1.5bn has been driven into the Scottish economy due to the impact of the First ScotRail service, according to a new study.

Highways maintenance in Derby has moved back in-house in a move expected to save the city council approximately £300,000 a year.

Government plans for a time-based road user charging system for foreign heavy goods vehicles (HGVS) took a step closer today with the appointment of Northgate Public Services to develop and operate the system.

There is no ‘blank cheque’ for High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) according to the most senior civil servant in the Treasury who suggested to MPs the scheme could still be scrapped.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) have announced major plans to improve cycle safety in London including a crackdown on dangerous Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers.

Local transport minister Norman Baker has pledged at least £8m into improvement plans for the harbours connecting Cornwall with the Isles of Scilly.

A university research group has called for private train operating companies to be abolished as part of radical reforms to the management of the rail network.

Chancellor George Osborne has defended the Government’s commitment to the controversial High Speed 2 (HS2) project against accusations of spiralling costs.

Labour has called for English councils to be legally obliged to plan fully integrated networks of cycle routes and footways under the party's new ‘cycling manifesto’.

Swansea CC has been advised to consider a Quality Contract Scheme after an inquiry found ‘little or no competition’ in local bus service provision.

Romaquip with the latest in our series of articles from winter service experts, looking ahead to Surveyor magazine's Cold Comfort conference on 17 -18 September.

Derbyshire CC has called on the Government to do more to increase rail capacity to help boost the UK economy.

Payment by motorists for parking charges and fines has increased by 10% in the last five years, according to data obtained by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Leading highways contractor Ringway has pledged to create 21 local job opportunities in road worker positions for its client Cheshire West and Chester Council.

More than six in 10 drivers admit to driving over the speed limit, despite most drivers agreeing streets need to be safer for children, according to a new survey.

Dorset CC and West Dorset DC have added electric cars to their vehicle fleet to reduce carbon emissions and save money on fuel costs.

Cambridgeshire CC has accepted a £33m payout from contractor Bam Nuttall to settle a long-running dispute over the cost of building the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.

Vaisala provides the latest in our series of articles from winter service experts, looking ahead to Surveyor magazine's Cold Comfort conference on 17 -18 September.

The Government is investing nearly £3m in a trial of smart card technology to allow paperless ticketing for rail passengers across the south east.

Entries have now opened for the 2013 National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) Awards, which rewards utility companies and contractors.

The majority of local authorities in the UK have adopted progressive pothole repair strategies in the wake of last year’s Pothole Review document, according to a recent survey.

More than ten councils and transport authorities across England will benefit from a share of £5m of funding to reduce pollution from local buses, local transport minister Norman Baker announced today.

Infrastructure services company FM Conway has received planning consent for a £10m state of the art asphalt plant in Heathrow.

Ministers are considering major changes to traffic regulations to allow UK streets to undergo cycle-proof redesigns, the Government revealed today.

Siemens has completed supply and installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across 12 London Underground car parks.

Councils have been pushed to support car drivers in town centres by creating more parking spaces and restricting use of road humps.

The first critique of the High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) scheme by a large-scale business group has been issued with the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) claiming the business case ‘is simply not there’.

Campaigners are developing a ‘visual map’ of the High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) line in order to illustrate the environmental impact of the scheme.

Customers using ticket office for rail services are facing fare hikes of around 11% in a deliberate attempt to drive customers online, according to the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA).

Kent CC has begun preparations for winter with the storage of 19,000 tonnes of salt in depots across the county - and more deliveries coming.

Lancashire CC’s chief executive, Phil Halsall, has been suspended after suspicions were raised over a fleet services contract he was closely involved in.

Rising costs and skill shortages are the greatest challenge to the infrastructure sector, civils contractors have warned.

Exclusive comment from Nottingham City Council on why its controversial workplace parking levy is the right move for the city's transport.

Britain’s roads are going to go through changes as radical as those when the motorway network was first built.

Nottingham City Council has hit back at claims its workplace parking levy scheme – the first in the country – has caused ‘chaos’ as workers try to duck the charges.

A new organisation called Transport for Edinburgh is being set up to integrate bus and tram services across the city.

A ‘Park & Go’ system, which includes automatic number plate recognition, is being trialled in a Bedford car park by First Capital Connect (FCC).

The Labour Party has promised to tighten up regulations on rail fares after it was announced passengers face an average 4.1% price hike from January next year.

Fuel retailers in remote areas of the UK are being asked to let the Government know how much they charge for petrol and diesel as ministers plan a potential roll out of their fuel rebate scheme.

A new Government report has calculated the social value of return bus trips at some £8.17 or nearly nine times the value of the average UK bus journey based on 2010 prices.

Drivers could be given a 15-minute ‘grace period’ on double yellow lines under plans floated by the Conservatives today - allowing shoppers to park on high streets and quickly use shops without fear of being fined.

Prime minister David Cameron today unveiled a £150m funding boost for cycling schemes across the country as part of a national drive to improve local infrastructure for bikes.

Merseytravel looks set to be scrapped as an integrated transport authority under plans to create a new combined authority (CA) in the region.

Low uptake of electric vehicle charging points in London proves greater focus must be given to converting buses and taxis, a minister has said.

A concept for a new type of transportation system has been unveiled by Paypal founder Elon Musk, who developed the idea for an 800mph, near-supersonic 'Hyperloop' system to link Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Every ticket office on the London Underground (LU) network could be closed by 2015, according to leaked documents.

Nine councils are looking to create a combined authority in South Yorkshire to streamline the decision making process in areas such as transport.

Transport minister Patrick McLoughlin has unveiled a £16m programme of rail upgrades which could see electric trains serving stations across the Lake District.

The new code of practice on CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems to ensure ‘open and proportionate use by local authorities’ comes into practice today.

A new joint venture company is to supply building materials on the Isle of Wight while servicing the region’s £750m highways Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

The Department for Transport (DfT) has set out the strategic platform behind the Spending Review’s major transport investment, designed to ‘help transport planners to make the case for joined-up planning’.

The Liberal Democrats have launched radical plans to decarbonise transport including proposals to ban all but the lowest carbon-emitting vehicles from the roads by 2040.

Peterborough City Council has named Atkins as its preferred bidder to deliver a ten-year highways contract worth up to £150m covering road maintenance, street lighting and gully cleansing.

Transport for London (TfL) has called on the Government to change the status of its pension scheme in order to make budget savings it has emerged.

Camden LBC is calling for a ‘forensic audit and full parliamentary investigation’ into High Speed 2 (HS2) compensation payments, saying it has ‘no confidence’ in the Government’s figures.

Leading infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has been appointed to extend the Midland Metro through Birmingham’s city centre in a deal worth £18.6m.

Plans to create more prosperous high streets in London by devolving transport powers have been laid out in a new report.

The Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) has launched a new leaflet aimed at local politicians, explaining how asset management in highway maintenance can ensure the ‘best use of available funds’.

The Department for Transport has launched a £25m capital fund to support the construction of waste-to-fuel plants that can be used to produce road and aviation transport fuels.

UK councils have spent £7.2m on electric car charging points in the past three years but many have not been used, with take up of the low emission vehicles still sluggish.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has rejected accusations of profiteering following the release of an RAC Foundation report on local authority parking income, which has led to claims councils are using it as a way to boost revenue.

The majority of the public want the East Coast mainline to remain in government control, according to a new poll.

Drivers in remote areas will be offered a cut in fuel duty by the Treasury under plans announced today.

Chiltern DC is joining with Hillingdon LBC and North Warwickshire BC to take their appeal against the Government’s decision to proceed with HS2 to the Supreme Court - the highest court in the land.

New government figures have revealed the total number of UK transport trips across all modes has fallen by 12% since the mid-1990s - with car travel still the dominant mode.

The Court of Appeal today dismissed all four appeals brought against the Department for Transport’s (DfT) decision to progress with High Speed 2 (HS2) by an alliance of 15 local authorities, HS2Action Alliance and Heathrow Hub Limited.

Slowly but surely, the Government's road building plans are taking shape. After a three-year phoney war over what they were planning and how they were going to pay for it, we are beginning to get an idea about what is really on the table.

The Government today released initial guidance to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) on bidding for the Single Local Growth Fund - which pools transport, housing and skills cash - calling on them to integrate plans with Local Transport Bodies.

The Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) is set to launch a new product on client-provider collaboration this summer, using UK case studies to help establish current good practice.

Local authorities in the capital do not run parking enforcement regimes with the sole purpose of being a revenue generator, London Councils has claimed.

The district of Woolwich in south east London will have its own Crossrail station when services start running on the line from 2018.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has approved a joint roadworks permit scheme between Surrey and East Sussex county councils, which will ‘save millions by cutting traffic jams’ the authorities said.

Local authorities across the Merseyside region are to discuss plans to create a combined authority this month in an attempt to bid for more government funding and boost transport infrastructure.

Transport chiefs in the North East of England are set for a crucial vote this Friday to decide whether to bring services back under council control in the face of potential swingeing cuts.

Ministers must develop a comprehensive transport strategy to ‘reverse the trend of declining accessibility to key services in rural areas’ a cross-party group of MPs has warned.

The Tyne Tunnels' charging system is set for a major overhaul from 2014 with plans to reclassify vehicles by height rather than weight.

The Government are still falling short on roads investment despite outlining £28bn of cash for roads up until 2020-21, according to the leading trade association for the road surfacing industry.

Councils will not be able to use parking charges to raise revenue for other unrelated purposes, according to a judicial review against Barnet LBC.

Gatwick airport has unveiled proposals to expand its capacity with a £9bn second runway to the south of the current site, in its submission to the Airports (Davies) Commission.

Council employees in Croydon will now be able to benefit from a pay-as-you-go drive service following a deal between the local authority and a network provider.

Plans for a decade of major transport projects across Sheffield have been put forward by the city region’s local transport body (LTB).

Britain’s aging rural population is being ‘stranded at home’ new figures suggest, as 25% of people over 60 state a lack of public transport is the biggest challenge to living in the countryside.

Councils in the South East led by Buckinghamshire CC have called on the Government to bring forward cash earmarked for future road repairs, stating they are ‘shovel-ready now’.

Surveyor's Cold Comfort 2013 conference and exhibition has been awarded Continued Professional Development (CPD) status by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation for the first time.

An alliance of 20 councils calling themselves the 2M Group have joined together to campaign against proposals to expand Heathrow with a third or even fourth runway.

The Government's new command paper on roads has been welcomed and criticised in equal measure by the transport industry following the announcement of £28bn of highways investment.

Heathrow Airport has released three options for a new runway and outlined an action plan of promises to the Government in return, as it bids to maintain its position as the UK’s major airport.

For the fourth consecutive year, Freight Transport Association (FTA) has brought together leading a varied voices from across the transport sector to host the Transport Hub events at the 2013 party conferences.

Council chiefs have criticised the Government for its decision to cut the local major transport schemes budget by a third for 2015-19.

The Government has launched a public consultation on the route for Phase two of its controversial High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project, which would take the line from the West Midlands to Manchester and Leeds.

Southwark LBC in partnership with highway technology and survey company Yotta DCL is developing a comprehensive capital investment programme for network repairs and maintenance.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has outlined plans to legislate for an overhaul of the Highways Agency (HA) and the delivery of extensive roads investment

Funding levels for local major transport projects from 2015-2019 will be 33% less than initially suggested by the Department for Transport (DfT), transport minister Norman Baker has revealed.

The mayor of London has proposed three potential locations for a new airport, as part of a transport vision for the capital.

Questions are being asked about the level of debt loaded onto Network Rail following reports it could be £50bn in the red by the end of the decade.

Transport Scotland is being sued for close to £1m by a leading gritting company over claims the transport authority did not tender for salt supplies properly between 2009-11 and ended up being overcharged.

Eight million parking tickets were issued last year, generating around £270m for councils across the country.

The Government’s planned transformation of the Highways Agency into a publicly owned corporation will save at least £600m by the end of the decade, roads minister Stephen Hammond has claimed.

A Welsh local authority has saved close to a million pounds through changes to its school transport contracts, it has emerged.

An update on the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme’s (HMEP) Pothole Review has been released by the Department for Transport (DfT), as best practice from the project begins to be embedded across the sector.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans for hundreds of billions of investment in capital spending to ensure the ‘infrastructure needed to win the global race’ in 2015/16.

The Government reiterated its commitment to rail devolution this week as it outlined its ‘significant progress’ on the recommendations of the independent Brown Review into rail franchising.

The Government and automotive industry have announced plans to invest £500m each over the next ten years in an Advanced Propulsion Centre to research, develop and commercialise vehicle technologies.

Improvements to the M4 and possibly a £1bn relief road for the motorway could be financed by tolls on the Severn crossings if the bridges are devolved to the Welsh Government, Welsh finance minister Jane Hutt has revealed.

London mayor Boris Johnson's eponymous Boris Bikes scheme has been slammed after figures show sponsor Barclays only pays a sixth of the annual £11m costs leaving taxpayers with the tab.

Local authority responses to proposals for free-flow road user charging regimes - which operate without barriers or booths - have been revealed by the Department for Transport (DfT) today.

Responses to the mayor of London’s roads task force are broadly positive as the industry offers its opinion on the future of the capital’s network.

Plans for the future of London’s roads include the possibility of roofing arterial roads, tolling new infrastructure and enhancing place-making opportunities in the capital, the Mayor’s roads task force (RTF) announced today.

Westminster City Council has praised drivers in the city after seeing 40,000 fewer traffic tickets given out by civil enforcement officers in the last financial year.

Aviation and rail experts have called for a ‘Heathrow Hub’ - connecting the airport with the M25 motorway, Crossrail, the Great Western Main Line and potentially HS2 - to help tackle the South East’s shortage of airport capacity.

London’s Conservative mayor Boris Johnson has launched an outspoken broadside against his own party’s figures for its flagship High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) project, claiming the controversial scheme could cost almost twice as much as predicted.

Kier’s takeover of support services provider May Gurney has started as 6,000 staff transfer over to the company.

Manchester City Council has announced plans to extend its free WiFi access on public transport as part of £11m plans to roll out superfast broadband across the city.

With little in the way of new spending to announce, inevitably much of the focus around the Spending Round has been on presentation and framing of the debate by the Coalition.

The Government’s Spending Round commitment to boost flood protection funding will not be enough to defend the nation against the rising risks - with threats to roads and food production of particular concern - MPs have warned.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has mocked calls from council chiefs to create a ‘Department for England’ that would merge six Whitehall departments including transport.

Coalition growth guru Lord Heseltine today gave hope that the modest £2bn annual size of the single local growth fund – which pools transport, skills and housing cash - could increase in the next spending review period.

The ADEPT transport board has drawn up an action plan to help embed joint working on the public health agenda following it’s return to local government in April this year.