Tag: Department for Transport

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 21 December 2023.

Maritime sector working round the clock since September to deliver Christmas to households across the UK.

While the maritime sector is a cornerstone of the UK economy year-round, its significance escalates during the Christmas season. As much of the country gets ready for a break from work, the maritime sector remains in full swing, with vessels arriving at UK ports even on Christmas Day.

Given that 95% of trade volume reaches the UK by sea, it’s no surprise that a considerable share of Christmas merchandise, including gifts, decorations and Christmas trees, is imported. The maritime sector plays a crucial role in ensuring its timely arrival by orchestrating the transportation and logistics of shipments from international suppliers.

Strategic planning is required to deliver the logistical challenge that comes with the festive period. According to analysis by the Department for Transport (DfT), September is the busiest month for the arrival of Christmas decorations into UK ports by container, making their way into shops in good time for Christmas.

Lord Davies, Maritime Minister, said:

As we approach the festive season, I would like to express my gratitude to those sacrificing time with their friends and family – particularly those who are away at sea or working at ports.

Every year, the maritime sector ensures that stockings are full, gifts are wrapped and the holiday spirit sails smoothly into every household across the UK. Their ceaseless commitment ensures the festive season is truly special.

Ports are at their peak in the run-up to Christmas, with the Port of Dover handling twice as much freight and tourist traffic as normal. This often means longer working hours for seafarers and staff over the festive season to ensure operations and journeys run smoothly.

Doug Bannister, Chief Executive at Port of Dover, said:

We’d like to thank all our people, the ferry operators and the lorry drivers who, after making sure everyone else has what they need, will be driving home for Christmas to be with their loved ones.  And we wish those travelling overseas to be with friends and relatives happy holidays.

According to HMRC data, the Port of Immingham also imported a staggering £7.3 million worth of fresh Christmas trees last year. This not only highlights the scale of operations but also emphasises the critical role that ports play in the Christmas narrative.

While every Christmas tree is special, there’s one that is a yearly spectacle in the UK’s capital. The world-famous Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, sitting at 62 feet this year, was imported through the Port of Immingham earlier this month. As a symbol of friendship and gratitude for the support provided during the Second World War, Norway gifts the UK a tree every year – with this year marking the 76th anniversary of the tradition.

Simon Bird, Regional Director at Associated British Ports (ABP) for the Humber ports, said:

It’s been a very long tradition that every year the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree arrives in the Port of Immingham.

Our tenant DFDS has transported this gift for more than 25 years. It’s a great privilege that this symbol of peace from Norway travels through the Humber on its journey to London. We hope this tradition continues. You feel Christmas has started when you know it’s on its way.

In November, the tree was cut down by The Lord Mayor of Westminster Councillor Patricia McAllister and The Mayor of Oslo Anne Lindboe during a felling ceremony.

None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of seafarers, delivering our Christmas presents after weeks, sometimes months, at sea. DfT has implemented a comprehensive programme to support seafarers, working with the sector to improve safety, skills and welfare through the Seafarers’ Charter and the Seafarers’ Wages Act.

Ports are also vital to the sector’s future, which is why DfT is currently reviewing the National Policy Statement for Ports – to support their development.

On top of this, the government has allocated £206 million to the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) to decarbonise shipping. This is the biggest ever government investment to accelerate the technological advancement necessary to decarbonise our domestic maritime sector.

The government will also publish the refreshed Clean Maritime Plan as soon as possible, to deliver an ambitious, action-focused plan to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and reduce the sector’s environmental impact.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 December 2023.

Target will boost economic growth and lead to significant environmental benefits by taking lorries off our roads, cutting emissions and congestion in the process.

Even more vital goods will be transported across the UK by rail, following an ambitious target announced by Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, today (20 December 2023) to grow rail freight by at least 75%.

From delivering food to supermarkets, to transporting building materials to construction sites, rail freight is a vital part of everyday life in the UK, carrying tens of billions of pounds worth of vital goods.

Today’s announcement demonstrates this government’s drive to grow the rail freight industry even further and boost the considerable economic growth it delivers across the country by supporting supply chains and thousands of high-skilled jobs.

Not only does this target provide the sector with certainty by setting a clear pace for growth by 2050, but it will also lead to significant environmental benefits by taking lorries off our roads – slashing emissions and congestion in the process. For example, just one train can replace up to 129 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and a tonne of freight moved by rail produces about a quarter of the carbon emissions it does by road.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

Rail freight helps keep this country moving, ensuring our supermarket shelves are stocked and materials are supplied to our construction workers.

Not only is it the most efficient and environmentally friendly way of transporting many goods, but it helps grow the economy across the country.

This ambitious plan demonstrates this government’s confidence in the rail freight sector and I hope it encourages businesses to capitalise on the extra opportunities so the industry continues to thrive and deliver for our country.

Today’s announcement delivers on a commitment made by the Transport Secretary in his George Bradshaw address earlier this year, along with fulfilling a commitment in the Department for Transport’s Plan for Rail and Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

The target will encourage further private sector investment in projects that will grow and modernise the industry, such as GB Railfreight’s new state-of-the-art maintenance facility in Peterborough, which was officially opened by the Transport Secretary in September this year.

GBRTT Lead Director (interim), Rufus Boyd, said:

The government’s announcement today for a rail freight growth target of at least 75% growth by 2050 supports what our customers and stakeholders told us in the national call for evidence. That setting a clear ambition for rail freight growth will help bring the sector together, focus minds, break down silos and be a catalyst for private investment.

Rail freight is already a big success story. Moving goods by rail is a greener option and helps cut road congestion, and what we have here is an opportunity to grow rail freight’s modal share. I am convinced that through collaborative working the industry can rise to this challenge.

The Rail Freight Growth Target also forms a key part of the government’s continual drive to improve the long-term capacity of the rail freight network, with billions of pounds of redirected funding from HS2 now further supporting schemes to improve rail infrastructure and services in all parts of the country.

Director General of the Rail Freight Group, Maggie Simpson, said:

We are delighted that government has recognised the economic and environmental benefits of growing rail freight. This target sends a strong message about the benefits and potential of rail freight which will encourage investment by industry and private businesses and attract more customers to move their goods by rail.

As recently announced through the Network North plan, the transformative Ely Area Capacity Enhancement scheme, backed by around £550 million of government funding, will see an extra 6 freight trains per day to and from the Port of Felixstowe – the equivalent of taking 98,000 lorry journeys off the road every year.

The target has been set following a detailed call for evidence with industry leaders, customers and other stakeholders by the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT). Going forward, GBRTT’s recently formed Strategic Freight Unit will spearhead strategic leadership in the freight sector, further unlocking the industry’s potential for growth.

Network Rail Freight Director, Henry Bates, said:

Rail freight has a key role to play in Britain’s economic and environmental wellbeing, keeping supermarkets stocked, builders building and medicine moving. We want to see more freight on rail and having a government-supported, long-term target will support the sector’s ambition to grow and attract investment.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 December 2023.

Funding to maintain the capital’s roads over the next 11 years will improve journey times and save motorists money on damage caused by potholes.

Londoners will enjoy smoother and safer journeys, as the government today (20 December 2023) announces how London boroughs will benefit from £235 million in extra funding which has been redirected from HS2 to resurface roads across the capital over the next 11 years.

Allocations for each London borough and Transport for London (TfL) have today been confirmed, allowing authorities to start spending immediately on vital road repairs, with £7.5 million of this funding set aside for next year.

The allocations are based on the size of the road network that local authorities and TfL maintain respectively. These include funding boosts over the next year of £354,000 for Hillingdon, £455,000 for Bromley and £368,000 for Barnet, with London boroughs immediately receiving around 96% of the £7.5 million first-year funding and TfL around 4%.

Last month, the Transport Secretary announced the total amount of additional funding that will be provided to maintain London’s roads over the next 11 years, which will improve journey times and could save motorists up to £440 in vehicle repairs to fix the damage caused by potholes.

The funding is part of an £8.3 billion plan – enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across England. This is the largest ever investment into road repairs and improvements and part of the government’s Network North pledge to improve journeys for all.

Councils will be held accountable for how they spend the money by being required to publish regular updates on the proposed works and they could see future money withheld if they fail to do so.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

This government is on the side of drivers and is investing £235 million to improve and repair London’s roads, part of the biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements.

This funding is part of a long-term, 11-year plan to ensure road users across London have smoother, faster and safer journeys by using redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.

Londoners will see rapid improvements to the road network with £7.5 million made immediately available between now and the end of March, followed by a further £7.5 million in 2024 to 2025. The remainder of the £235 million boost extends until 2034, helping to maintain London’s roads for the next decade.

This week also saw the government and TfL agree a new £250 million funding injection for 2024 to improve London’s transport system. The government has been clear that this investment is for TfL to continue delivering its investment programme, including new trains for the Piccadilly line, a scheme that will support an estimated 700 skilled rail manufacturing jobs in Yorkshire and up to 2,000 more jobs in supply chains across the country.

We have also announced tough regulations earlier this year to crack down on utility companies causing pothole pain with botched street works, through stricter inspections and costs for the worst offenders – backed by further measures in our Plan for Drivers, announced in October.

These include a £70 million fund to keep traffic flowing, updating 20 miles per hour zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use and measures to speed up the rollout of electric vehicle charging.

The Department for Transport is also carrying out a review of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). As set out in the Plan for Drivers, once this is complete we will consider new guidance on LTNs with a focus on the importance of strong local support and how to address existing LTNs that have not secured that support.

A recent survey from the AA shows that fixing potholes and investing in roads maintenance is a priority for 96% of drivers. These funds can also help boost road safety and encourage active travel, as smoother road surfaces will make it safer and easier for cyclists to use roads with greater confidence.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 13 December 2023.

The UK leads the transition to net zero and is on target to install 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints by 2030.

The UK has taken another step on the road to zero emission driving as new statistics out today (13 December 2023) show over 50,000 public chargepoints have been installed across the country, making it easier and quicker for electric vehicle owners to recharge their cars.

Charging options for drivers continue to grow at pace with today’s stats, produced using data supplied to the department by Zapmap, also showing there are 44% more public chargepoints (52,602) than this time last year.

Today’s figures come as the UK’s world-leading path to reaching zero emission vehicles by 2035 is set to come into effect next year. The zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030.

The mandate ensures the country will have the most ambitious regulatory framework for the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) in the world and the 2035 end-of-sale date puts the UK in line with other major global economies, including France, Germany, Sweden and Canada.

This mandate is providing the certainty needed to safeguard skilled British jobs in the car industry and is allowing the private sector to scale up investment in charging infrastructure, helping more drivers make the switch and ensuring the country remains on track to reaching 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said:

Passing 50,000 public chargepoints is a key milestone in our journey to zero emission driving and shows the incredible progress we’ve made to provide the infrastructure for drivers to go electric.

With government and private sector investment, we are backing drivers by expanding our charging network – creating jobs and putting us well on the way to our target of 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

The UK continues to be a leader in the transition to net zero, with EVs making up 16% of the car market – one of the highest shares in Europe and higher than the EU average of 13%.

Our approach has already attracted record investment in gigafactories and EV manufacturing, including:

• Nissan’s recent investment of over £3 billion to develop 2 new electric vehicles at their Sunderland plant
• Tata’s investment of over £4 billion in a new 40 GWh gigafactory
• BMW’s investment of £600 million to build next-generation MINI EVs in Oxford
• Ford’s investment of £380 million in Halewood to make Electric Drive Units
• Stellantis’ £100 million investment in Ellesmere Port for EV van production

As part of our Plan for drivers, we intend to consult on ways to make installations cheaper and quicker for chargepoint operators, review the grid connections process for chargepoints, and also consult on the expansion of permitted development rights to make installations easier. Additionally, the government’s Connections action plan will overhaul the way projects access the electricity grid and reduce delay time, positively impacting all types of connection customers including EV chargepoint operators.

The government also continues to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in local areas. Applications for the first round of the £381 million Local EV infrastructure fund are currently being assessed. This funding will deliver tens of thousands more chargepoints and transform the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking.

In addition, the On-street residential chargepoint scheme (ORCS) is open to all UK local authorities. Grants are also available to help businesses make the transition through the government’s Workplace charging scheme (WCS), as well as people in flats and rented accommodation through the Electric vehicle chargepoint grant.

Additionally, new laws recently came into force to provide EV drivers with easier and more reliable public charging, mandating that prices across chargepoints are transparent, easy to compare and that a large proportion of new public chargepoints have contactless payment options.

The regulations also require that providers open up their data, so drivers can easily find an available chargepoint that meets their needs. This will make it easier for drivers to locate chargepoints, check their charging speeds and determine whether they are working and available for use.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 12 December 2023.

New dual carriageway to reduce congestion and improve journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

Upgrades to the iconic Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet route on the A428 started today (12 December 2023) following £1 billion of government investment to reduce congestion and improve journey times, boosting economic growth across the region.

The £1 billion transformation will create a new 10-mile dual carriageway and numerous junction improvements, transforming journeys between the A1 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire and A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire. Walkers, cyclists and horse riders will also enjoy better footpaths and safer crossing points.

The scheme will help grow the economy across the region and ensure that jobs in Milton Keynes, Cambridge and everywhere in between are far more accessible.

Once complete, journeys at peak times are expected to be cut by a third, saving businesses and road users an average of an hour and a half over a working week.

In a significant milestone for the project, Transport Minister, Anthony Browne, broke ground on the project today to mark the main start of construction.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

I’m delighted we have marked the start of works on the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet project, a huge investment by the government to grow the economy in the region and reduce congestion for drivers.

This government is backing drivers by investing in much-needed road projects like this, using savings from HS2 to resurface roads across the country, and introducing a long-term Plan for Drivers to slam the brakes on anti-car measures.

Nicola Bell, National Highways Executive Director for Major Projects, said:

It’s a pleasure to welcome Minister Browne to the site this afternoon for what is a momentous occasion. As we break ground today, we embark on a journey that will transform transport in this region, easing congestion, improving connectivity and fostering economic growth.

This project highlights National Highways’ commitment to delivering major projects that make lasting impacts for people, communities and businesses. The start of construction represents a culmination of meticulous planning, collaborative efforts and a steadfast commitment to enhancing the nation’s infrastructure.

We are proud to be part of a project that will lay the foundations for a more resilient and connected future.

Plans from National Highways will see the creation of a new 10-mile dual carriageway linking the A1 and A421 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire to the A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire. Both existing roundabouts will be upgraded into modern, free-flowing junctions with a new junction added at Cambridge Road, improving access to St Neots and its train station.

The new dual carriageway will also remove the temptation for drivers to use local roads to avoid delays, removing up to 4,000 vehicles from these routes. The scheme is expected to open to traffic in spring 2027.

Lee Galloway, A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements Project Director, said:

Today marks a pivotal milestone for everyone connected with this much-needed and wanted scheme. To get to this point would not have been possible without the dedication of our team, the support of our partners and stakeholders and the invaluable input from local communities.

This project is about connecting communities and leaving a positive legacy in the region. Throughout construction, we are committed to bringing the community on the journey with us, minimising disruption and ensuring that local people and businesses remain an integral part of the process.

Charlotte Horobin, Chief Executive Officer, Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, said:

Fostering the A428 development marks a pivotal stride towards unlocking further economic growth in our community. By enhancing connectivity, we unlock opportunities for local businesses, driving productivity, innovation and prosperity across Cambridgeshire.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 8 December 2023.

New laws to reduce the impact of industrial action on rail, border security and ambulance services while balancing the ability of workers to strike.

The government is taking strides towards ensuring key services remain accessible during strikes, as the first minimum service levels (MSL) regulations came into force from today (8 December 2023). Following Parliamentary approval, the regulations are set to apply in the rail sector and border security and ambulance services.

For the rail sector, MSLs will provide an additional tool for train operators to reduce the impact of strike action, meaning that rail operators can aim to run 40% of their normal timetable during any strike.

For a strike affecting infrastructure services, certain key routes will also be able to stay open and for longer than is normally the case during strikes.

MSLs are already in force in countries such as France, Spain and the US, and the new UK regulations have been carefully designed to help reduce the impact of industrial action by balancing the ability of workers to strike and the rights of the public to get to work and access key services.

The statutory code of practice has also come into force, which sets out the reasonable steps trade unions should take to ensure their members comply with work notices and help ensure minimum service levels are met, following a public consultation. Where MSL regulations are in place and strike action is called, employers can issue work notices to identify people who are reasonably required to work to ensure MSLs are met.

The law requires unions to take reasonable steps and ensure their members who are identified with a work notice comply and if a union fails to do this, they will lose their legal protection from damages claims. Last year, we raised the maximum damages that courts can award against a union for unlawful strike action. For the biggest unions, the maximum award has risen from £250,000 to £1 million.

Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, said:

Strikes cause stress and disruption to passengers and businesses and, while there is no silver bullet to mitigating the disruption from strikes, these regulations deliver a manifesto promise and will enable employers to reduce the impact from strikes.

As the government, we have a duty to ensure the public can access key services and, while it is important workers maintain their ability to strike, this must not come at the cost of people getting to work, accessing healthcare or education.

Strikes have had significant impact across industries and the economy. To date, over 1.1 million appointments have been rescheduled by acute NHS Trusts due to strike action since December 2022. And since 2019, there has not been a single day without either a strike happening on the railways or mandates for strikes outstanding.

This is why the government is delivering on its 2019 manifesto commitment through these MSL regulations to help protect the public from unnecessary disruption.

The government will continue to work with industry, and today the Department for Transport published non-statutory guidance for train operators on how to implement the regulations. This supplements existing non-statutory guidance for employers, trade unions and workers on the issuing of work notices.

The government has also launched a consultation on introducing MSLs to cover children’s education. The planned measures will provide greater reassurance and certainty for children and parents.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 7 December 2023.

The transport secretary has announced new measures to better connect Scotland including plans for improvements to the A75 between Gretna and Stranraer.

Improvements to A75 among of measures announced to better connect Scotland and the UK.

• Scotland will see a range of initiatives to support transport projects which will boost the economy and spread opportunity across Scotland and the UK
• Includes £8 million to develop plans for improvements to the A75 between Gretna and Stranraer
• Strengthening transport connections will enhance business, leisure and tourism – making it easier to trade, create jobs, and ensure shared economic growth across the UK

Work on road improvements and rail upgrades will boost business and improve connectivity across the UK, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced today (7 December) in his response to Lord Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review.

The UK Government has committed funding to deliver targeted improvements to the A75 between Gretna and Stranraer, starting with providing £8m to the Scottish Government to support their business case development.

The Government’s response also includes actions to protect vital domestic air routes, alongside ways to boost overall connectivity between Wales, Scotland and England.

These projects will explore options to improve transport links which strengthen connections between communities and across the UK, helping to drive tourism and grow the economy.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:

“We are committed to delivering growth opportunities across all corners of our United Kingdom, including looking at ways to improve the A75.

“Today we are announcing more investment into projects that will boost connectivity and enhance transport connections across Scotland. These projects will identify schemes that can bring economic benefits to people across the UK.

“I’d like to thank the Scottish Government for working collaboratively with us on these projects and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them on improving UK transport connectivity.”

Improved connectivity across the UK will promote economic growth by increasing access to a wider pool of skills and opportunities.

Projects dedicated to enhancing connectivity across Scotland include:

• Providing £8m to the Scottish Government to develop options to improve the A75 and committing funding to deliver targeted improvements, such as alleviating pinch points, following the Scottish Government’s identification of a preferred option – bypassing the villages of Springholm and Crocketford.
• Committing funding for dualling the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham, helping to improve an important route between England and Scotland, as was previously announced in Network North.
• Funding Network Rail to study options for enhancements to improve capacity and journey times on services between England and Scotland.
• Reforming domestic aviation policy by updating Public Service Obligation (PSO) policy to include routes that operate to and from different regions of the UK, rather than just into London as is currently the case. This means routes throughout the UK will be protected by the UK Government’s PSO policy to ensure minimum levels of air services that are socially and economically vital for the region.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

“The UK Government is spreading opportunity and prosperity to all corners of our country and I’m pleased to see plans for delivering improved transport connectivity taking huge strides forwards.
“Hauliers, commuters, leisure travellers and communities will be delighted to see UK Government funding to kick-start work by Transport Scotland to identify improvements on the A75, the main artery linking Northern Ireland to the north of England through south-west Scotland.

“The UK Government is also committing funding to explore ways to boost rail connectivity between Scotland and England. And we’re investing in upgrades to the A1 and protecting vital air routes throughout the UK.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government on this ambitious package of proposals to link up the UK much more effectively – boosting our economy, creating jobs and levelling up opportunities around the country.”

The response to the Union Connectivity Review marks an important step in increasing UK connectivity and delivering the strong, reliable transport connections people depend on every day. The review was conducted by Lord Peter Hendy as he called for improved transport connectivity across the UK. The review was the first UK-wide multi-modal strategic transport assessment in a generation.

Lord Hendy has welcomed the Government’s response and said:

“I welcome the Government’s response to my review and the announcements in it. My recommendations outlined the next steps that the government should take to identify investments that will improve connectivity and support economic growth, job creation, house building, social cohesion and sustainability. The government’s response shows that they are taking the necessary actions to move this work forward and demonstrates their commitment to improving UK connectivity.

“I am also pleased to see that partnerships between the UK government, and each of the Scottish government, Welsh government, and Northern Ireland Executive have underpinned this work and I look forward to seeing them continue in the future.”

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 7 December 2023.

Government response to Union connectivity review includes multimillion-pound funding to improve transport links across UK.

Work on road improvements and rail upgrades will boost business and improve connectivity across the UK, Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced today (7 December 2023) in his response to Lord Hendy’s Union connectivity review.

Projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will explore options to improve transport links that strengthen connections across communities and the UK, helping to drive tourism and grow the economy.

The measures lay the foundations for stronger UK connectivity and economic growth by increasing access to skilled labour and opportunities. They will be supported by significant long-term work through other government investment including Network North, which has already made a £1 billion commitment to electrify the North Wales Main Line and fund upgrades to the A75 in Scotland.

The government’s response includes actions to enable protection of vital domestic air routes, alongside a series of studies to explore options to improve rail travel in Northern Ireland and Wales and road travel in Scotland, and enhancements to overall connectivity between Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

We are committed to delivering growth opportunities across the United Kingdom.

Today we are announcing support for projects that will boost connectivity and enhance transport connections across the UK. These projects will identify schemes that can bring economic benefits to people across the UK.

I’d like to thank the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive for working collaboratively with us on these projects and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them on improving UK transport connectivity.

Initiatives across the UK announced today include:

• providing £8 million to the Scottish Government to kickstart the development of options to improve the A75, in addition to the funding committed in Network North to deliver targeted improvements following the Scottish Government’s identification of a preferred option through the business case process
• providing £3.3 million of funding support to Translink to deliver a study on the cost, feasibility and value for money of electrification of the railway in Northern Ireland from Belfast to border
• improving domestic aviation route support policy by updating Public Service Obligation (PSO) policy to include routes that operate to and from different regions of the UK, rather than just into London, as is currently the case. This means qualifying routes throughout the UK that are in danger of being lost will be protected by the UK government’s PSO policy – to ensure minimum levels of air services on routes that are socially and economically vital for the region

These complement existing recent investments from Network North to:

• provide an unprecedented £1 billion investment to fund the electrification of the North Wales Main Line, bringing parts of North Wales within an hour of Manchester and providing more punctual and reliable journeys on the 105-mile route between Crewe and Holyhead, alongside connections to Liverpool, Warrington and Wrexham
• delivering the Midlands Rail Hub in full, by investing £1.75 billion to improve journey times, increase capacity and boost frequency of services, including between Cardiff and Birmingham

A better-connected UK brings communities closer to opportunities that support levelling-up and unlock economic growth. Our response to the Union connectivity review marks an important step in increasing UK connectivity and delivering the strong, reliable transport connections people depend on every day.

Lord Hendy has welcomed the government’s response and said:

I welcome the government’s response to my review and the announcements in it. My recommendations outlined the next steps that the government should take to identify investments that will improve connectivity and support economic growth, job creation, house building, social cohesion and sustainability. The government’s response shows that they are taking the necessary actions to move this work forward and demonstrates their commitment to improving UK connectivity.

I am also pleased to see that partnerships between the UK government, and each of the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive have underpinned this work, and I look forward to seeing them continue in the future.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, said:

Improving connectivity across Northern Ireland and the UK is a priority of the UK government, and I am pleased that these feasibility studies will support that aim in Northern Ireland for the benefit of businesses and people living and working here.

Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, said:

The UK government is spreading opportunity and prosperity to all corners of our country and I’m pleased to see plans for delivering improved transport connectivity taking huge strides forward.

Hauliers, commuters, leisure travellers and communities will be delighted to see UK government funding to kickstart work by Transport Scotland to identify improvements on the A75, the main artery linking Northern Ireland to the north of England through south-west Scotland.

The UK government is also committing funding to explore ways to boost rail connectivity between Scotland and England. And we’re investing in upgrades to the A1 and protecting vital air routes throughout the UK.

We look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government on this ambitious package of proposals to link up the UK much more effectively – boosting our economy, creating jobs and levelling up opportunities around the country.

Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies, said:

The UK government has invested millions directly in Wales’s transport infrastructure, speeding up journeys for travellers. Following the Hendy review, we are committed to making further significant improvements, leading to better-connected communities and greater opportunity for people across the country.

The planned £1 billion electrification of the North Wales Main Line, £50 million for Cardiff Crossrail, £141 million for the Valley Lines and £11 million for the A4119 road upgrade are just some of the improvements the UK government is delivering in infrastructure in every part of Wales.

Declan Pang, Road Haulage Association (RHA) Director of Public Affairs and Policy – England, said:

The RHA welcomes today’s announcement of an £8 million investment from the UK government to Transport Scotland to kickstart the development of options for upgrades to the A75.

The upgrade of this important route is vital in creating a quality link from Northern Ireland to southwestern Scotland and onwards to the rest of Great Britain. The economic benefits of this investment are substantial and the upgrade of this road will enable greater economic opportunities across all 4 nations of the UK.

Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, said:

Domestic air travel enables all parts of the UK to connect with each other in ways other modes cannot replicate, as well as facilitating onward international travel and connections through the country’s larger airports.

Developing connectivity within the Union is, therefore, an essential component in rebalancing the economy and investing in the regions, increasing prosperity for people and businesses across the UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 December 2023.

EV chargepoint pilot scheme at motorway service areas to support government’s vision of transition to electric vehicles.

A £70 million pilot scheme launched today (6 December 2023) will power up motorway service areas to pave the way for ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.

Speaking on COP28 Transport Day in Dubai, Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, laid out plans for up to 10 trial sites in England with boosted electrical network capacity – ensuring electricity network capacity is future-proofed for at least 10 years, to 2035.

COP28 marks a pivotal moment in addressing climate change, with the UK having decarbonised faster than any other major economy and committed to the fastest reduction in emissions between 1990 and 2030 on current pledges.

Today’s rapid chargepoint announcement, part of the government’s ambitious rapid charging fund (RCF), will cover a portion of the costs of upgrading the electricity grid at successful motorway service areas, ensuring that the private sector can continue to expand the charging network and providing consumers more confidence to choose EVs.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

This government is on the side of drivers and working with the private sector to provide robust chargepoint infrastructure is part of our Plan for Drivers, with today’s announcement paving the way for more ultra-rapid chargepoints.

This £70 million pilot scheme is the starting point and sends a message to consumers and industry that we are investing wisely and rapidly to grow the future of transport in the UK.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said:

This is an important next step in our journey to net zero and demonstrates the government’s commitment to help the private sector expand our charging network.

The scheme follows our world-leading zero emission vehicle mandate, meaning we are truly supporting drivers and industry in making the switch to electric.

Motorway service areas are strategically important as regularly spaced stopping points along the motorway. Investment here addresses the need for a highly visible and dependable longer-distance charging network to support drivers and accelerate future EV purchases. The pilot, which is being delivered by National Highways, will help gather evidence to inform the design of a full fund.

Today also sees the launch of a 10-week rapid charging fund consultation seeking views from a range of stakeholders, including chargepoint operators, motorway service area operators and electricity suppliers, on where chargers are needed most and how best to design the RCF.

Alongside the pilot launch, the UK and the US are teaming up to announce a competition to develop green shipping corridors between both countries. The US is the UK’s second-largest direct partner when it comes to international maritime trade – with over 40 million tonnes of maritime trade carried out last year. Launching next year, the initiative builds upon the UK’s successful partnerships with the likes of Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, solidifying the journey towards zero-emission shipping.

When the UK hosted COP26 in 2021, it announced the Clydebank Declaration for green shipping corridors, where signatories declared ambitions to implement zero-emission shipping routes. Today, it was announced that new shipping corridors will be forged between the Republic of Korea, Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates, taking its membership to 27.

UK Chamber of Shipping CEO, Sarah Treseder, said:

Green shipping corridors will play an important part in decarbonising shipping, especially on major routes such as the UK and US.

To be successful, they require dedicated infrastructure across the corridor to ensure that vessels can access low and zero emission fuels, as well as facilities such as shoreside power. We look forward to working with the UK and US governments, as well as those involved in the competition, to turn this project into a blueprint for how to create a successful green corridor.

Yesterday (5 December 2023) also saw the launch of the world-first global zero emission vehicle (ZEV) transition roadmap, designed to improve understanding and accessibility around the international push to decarbonise road travel and to more clearly lay out the financing available to developing economies and new markets. It commits to an annual update at future COP events, helping to map the transition to cleaner travel on a global scale and ensure no country is left behind.

It comes in the same week that the House of Commons agreed (4 December 2023) the percentage of new zero emission cars and vans that manufacturers will be required to produce each year up to 2030. By safeguarding investments made by the car industry in the UK and protecting skilled British jobs, this complements the Prime Minister’s proportionate and pragmatic decision to delay the ban on new petrol cars from 2030 to 2035 to support families making the switch.

This has also been backed by over £2 billion government investment and rapidly expanding charging infrastructure, which has already grown 42% on last year – a rate that puts us well on the way to 300,000 by 2030.

COP28 UAE takes place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 at Expo City, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The United Nations climate change conferences are yearly conferences and serve as the formal meeting to negotiate and agree action on how to tackle climate change, limit emissions and halt global warming.

Thursday’s Transport Day comes just a week after the first-ever transatlantic 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) flight from London to New York. The Transport Secretary has a full schedule for the day, attending Pavilion events and other engagements discussing the ZEV mandate, zero emission shipping, sustainable aviation and climate-resilient transport.

At this year’s COP, the UK is focusing efforts on:

• tackling deforestation: supporting countries to tackle deforestation through Forest Country Packages and £576 million new International Climate Finance (ICF) programming, £465 million of which is new and additional funding since Glasgow, aimed at supporting companies, communities, smallholders and governments to tackle forest loss and protect nature
• green finance: endorsing the new Global Climate Finance Framework to champion reform of international financial institutions to make them bigger, better and fairer, and pledging up to £60 million for loss and damage, including up to £40 million for a new fund to ensure that finance can flow to the poorest and most vulnerable to climate change

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 4 December 2023.

Passengers will benefit from a fully-electrified line, accessible stations and more frequent services.

One of Britain’s largest rail projects is on track to deliver better journeys, more quickly for passengers and freight in the North thanks to a £3.9 billion funding boost announced by Rail Minister Huw Merriman today (4 December 2023).

Work on the Transpennine Route Upgrade will be accelerated through the cash injection, leading to quicker journey times, reduced carbon emissions and more reliable services between key northern cities. It marks the latest move in the government’s ambitious plans to make the right long-term decisions for UK transport infrastructure.

Once complete, the full route will offer significantly improved services on the route between Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds-York with rail users benefiting from a fully-electrified line, accessible stations and more frequent services.

With work already well underway on the project, today’s announcement means government has invested a total of £6.9 billion into the upgrade, with the initial £3 billion funding work to deliver early benefits by the middle of the decade, such as the electrification of tracks.

Further funding will be confirmed by the department as the project progresses to support the overall cost of up to £11.5 billion. This takes the total investment from central government above what was provided for Crossrail, reflecting the scale of what’s being delivered for northern passengers.

The project also underpins the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), which the government recently strengthened its support for by pledging a further £12 billion into its delivery to better connect Liverpool and Manchester.

On top of this, we are bringing in Bradford and Hull into the NPR scheme, using savings from HS2. The new Bradford station will support regeneration efforts in the UK’s seventh-largest city and facilitate a new rail connection to Manchester via Huddersfield – almost halving journey times while enabling us to double the frequency of services and double the capacity with up to an extra 1,000 seats per hour.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade followed by NPR demonstrate the government’s commitment to investing in infrastructure to improve rail connections right across the North of England.

As part of the department’s commitment to working with local leaders on the successful delivery of both these schemes, the Rail Minister will also host a roundtable in Manchester today. He will hear views from stakeholders and businesses to ensure the country’s transport schemes in the Midlands and North benefit the communities they serve.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said:

The Transpennine Route Upgrade represents the first major step in delivering transformed east-west connectivity in the north and I’m delighted to announce this multi-billion-pound funding boost to move to the next stage of delivery.

Today’s announcement demonstrates this government’s commitment to delivering its Network North plan which will improve journeys, help to level up regions and grow the economy.

The funding announced today will be invested in doubling the number of tracks from 2 to 4 between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe, allowing faster trains to overtake slower stopping services and freight journeys.

Once complete in the mid-2030s, the upgrade will offer up to 8 trains per hour, hundreds of extra seats and cut journey times between Manchester and York by 10 minutes.

The investment will also support digital signalling along the route to allow trains to run closer together, leading to more frequent and reliable services.

It will support TransPennine Express in engaging with manufacturers on options for up to 29 new trains to replace the existing diesel fleet, in addition to new trains for local stopping services operated by Northern, ensuring trains along the line are suited to the modernised tracks.

Neil Holm, Managing Director for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said:

Transpennine Route Upgrade is well underway with building the infrastructure that bring passengers more frequent, faster, greener trains, that run on a better, cleaner and more reliable railway for generations to come.”

This commitment by the government to our programme allows us to move two of our largest projects from design into construction and delivery. It brings us one big step closer to delivering the future of rail travel in the North of England.

The regional economy will also benefit from the project, with thousands of jobs and apprentice roles created, carbon emissions reduced by 108,000 tonnes a year and up to 15 extra freight trains able to travel per day – taking more lorries off the road and delivering people’s goods quicker.

Darren Oldham, Transport for the North’s Director of Rail and Road said:

This is a major milestone for the TRU project as it upgrades a key rail corridor across the North, bringing improvements for passengers and extra capacity for freight. TfN has been working with partners for some years to bring forward these benefits, which will lay the foundations for further transformational development from Northern Powerhouse Rail.

We fully welcome the investment in this corridor as it will improve journey times, reliability, capability and capacity between Manchester and York via Huddersfield and Leeds. It will also reduce the pressure on the road network, particularly the M62 between West Yorkshire and Manchester.

The continued support for the Transpennine Route Upgrade underpins the government’s Network North Plan – a £36 billion long-term scheme to improve the country’s transport in the North and Midlands across roads, buses and railways, through unprecedented levels of investment.