Tag: Department for Transport

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 9 April 2025.

The railway network connects people across the country, fuelling business, growth and opportunity.

Passengers are more likely to take the train for leisure travel while commuters would rather take the train midweek are the key takeaways from a new research report published today (9 April 2025) by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The railway connects communities across the country, moving people to get to work, education, healthcare and leisure. It provides vital infrastructure essential for delivering growth, providing opportunity and raising living standards as part of the Plan for Change.

The government is undertaking a once in a generation overhaul of the rail network, bringing train operating companies into public ownership and setting up Great British Railways (GBR), bringing track and train together to put passengers first.

In order to better understand how passengers use the railway and deliver a network that works for their needs, DfT did an investigation into the reasons passengers take the train. The report found that:

• 54% respondents said they were travelling for leisure
• 30% were commuting for work or education
• 15% were travelling for business
• 61% said they travelled by rail for leisure at least once a month
• 41% said they used the railway for commuting at least once a week, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday being the most popular days

This shows a return to midweek office working, demonstrating how essential the railway is for connecting people to get to work, providing a path for opportunity and catalysing economic growth.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said:

Our railway is the backbone of our economy, connecting people across the country and fuelling business, growth and opportunity, supporting the Plan for Change.

This research shows thousands of passengers choose the train for their leisure travel. To go and see family and friends, go on holiday or go to big events whether its concerts, festivals or a football match, the train is the best way to get there.

Resetting industrial relations has meant there have been no national strikes since 9 May 2024, which has protected passengers from significant disruption and delays, avoiding further impacts to the hospitality industry and wider economy. This has meant the network has been able to start getting its financial footing back, with green shoots appearing in rail revenue with an increase of 8% from the latest quarter (October to December 2024) compared to the same quarter in 2023. Public ownership will turn the page on fragmentation and mean every penny can be spent for the benefit of passengers rather than private shareholders.

A key barrier to more people taking the train is still a lack of consistency in reliable services as delays and cancellations mean people miss days of work, hospital appointments or social events. The latest passenger data shows cancellations in the latest quarter (October to December 2024) was 5.1%, with 70,000 fully cancelled trains across the network.

The government is determined to drive up performance, and the Rail Minister is meeting with all train operators to address concerns and demand immediate action. On top of this, last month the Transport Secretary announced a new era of rail accountability, making performance information available at over 1,700 stations showing the punctuality and reliability of trains visiting those stations.

This year’s rail sale was the biggest one yet, encouraging more people to take the train with over one million tickets sold and top destinations including Manchester, York and London Bridge. Great British Railways will have a relentless focus on putting passengers at the centre of every journey, encouraging more people to take the train by improving standards and driving up performance.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 8 April 2025.

Funding will make bus travel cleaner and more affordable for passengers, while helping the UK to meet its zero emissions goals.

Passengers across England will enjoy greener, smoother and quieter bus journeys thanks to a £37.8 million government investment to propel forward green transport, with 319 new zero emission buses.

Every pound of government funding is set to be topped up by at least £3 of private investment.

The funding has been allocated to 12 successful local authorities across England – following bids to expand their zero emission bus fleets – and will see 319 cleaner, more comfortable vehicles serving passengers by spring 2027.

It comes as the government made changes to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate yesterday, including increasing flexibility of the mandate up to 2030 and allowing hybrid vehicles to be sold until 2035, all with the aim of supporting UK electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers.

Today (8 April 2025), the Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, will visit Hull to see how the funding will bring improved journeys for passengers and discuss how highly skilled engineering and construction jobs will be created locally as electric bus infrastructure is delivered.

Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:

I’m thrilled to announce this £38 million investment, which will deliver 319 new zero emission buses to communities across England by 2027. This funding will not only make bus travel cleaner, greener and more comfortable, but it will deliver on our Plan for Change, creating jobs, supporting local economies and accelerating our journey towards a zero emission future.

By backing local councils and UK manufacturers, we are putting the power in the hands of communities, while helping to deliver on our vision of a sustainable, green transport network.

From Hull to Hove, there’s an electrifying future on the way for our buses.

Among the biggest winners are Nottinghamshire County Council, which will benefit from £2.6 million to launch 42 new electric buses, Hull City Council, where £3.9 million has been allocated to provide 42 vehicles and the West of England Combined Authority, which will receive nearly £20 million for 160 buses.

This funding comes on top of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area 2 (ZEBRA 2) programme, which has funded a further 995 zero emission buses.

Funding will see vital bus routes given a new lease of life, for example in Bristol, where funding will be used to expand zero emission bus services across 22 different routes through the city, connecting passengers with vital services including hospitals and universities.

Matt Cranwell, Stagecoach East Midlands Managing Director, said:

Stagecoach prides itself on the importance of putting sustainability at the core of our business strategy. We’re delighted to be working with local authorities and the government to invest in a further 78 new electric buses to play our part in improving air quality in those regions where we operate.

This new government funding, supported by significant investment by bus operators, will play a key role in Stagecoach’s transition to green bus fleets, helping us to meet our goal of having a zero emission UK bus fleet nationally, by 2035.

The government is encouraged that UK-based manufacturers are well placed to benefit from these new bus orders. 60% of buses funded by previous ZEBRA investments are being procured from domestic firms, supporting highly skilled jobs and growing regional economies to improve living standards, as per the government’s Plan for Change.

Regional leaders and leading manufacturers are also being given a voice on zero emission plans – through the UK bus manufacturing expert panel – which seeks to put local people at the heart of bus building.

The first event was hosted by the Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, in Sheffield last month and saw experts from Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus speak with Metro Mayors Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire) and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire), about how local transport ambitions could link hand in hand with zero emission ambitions.

Matt Carney, CEO, Go-Ahead Bus, said:

We’re very grateful to the Department of Transport for this continued partnership. Together we’re investing in even more zero-emission buses so that customers across the UK can access cleaner, greener public transport. This funding will support new zero-emissions buses in Hull, Salisbury, Brighton and Hove, Plymouth and Isle of Wight.

The incoming Bus Services Bill will not only hand power back for local authorities to operate their own services, but also include a measure to ultimately end the use of new diesel and petrol buses across England. It is expected to progress into the House of Commons shortly.

The Local Transport Minister also visited Wrightbus’ site in Ballymena last week, to continue engagement around the green future of bus manufacturing and mark the significant milestone of their fleet passing 50 million green miles travelled.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 7 April 2025.

The First of a Kind competition boosts innovation on the railways, improving passenger experience through cutting-edge technology.

Delivering on its promise to put passengers first, the Department for Transport (DfT) has made £5 million funding available to winning projects as part of the First of a Kind (FOAK) competition.

Opening today (7 April 2025), in partnership with Innovate UK, the First of a Kind competition offers grant funding for innovative projects to be tested on the railway, to give them a better chance at being bought by train operators, freight companies and Network Rail. This will help to deliver better services for passengers, encouraging more people to take the train and supporting growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

For the first time since starting the competition, Innovate UK consulted closely with industry to identify the top challenges it faces. Given the clear direction of the Transport Secretary to put passengers at the heart of every journey, this year’s competition will be funding projects that focus on:

• passenger experience, particularly improving safety through reporting tools that could help reduce violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour
• accessibility, including level boarding
• artificial intelligence (AI) and data collection, for example, prevention and recovery of rail bridge crash incidents
• greener railways, using AI to drive sustainability and reduce waste

Level boarding – meaning passengers who need assistance can board unaided – is one of the key issues that mean disabled people need assistance to get from street to seat. Accessibility is a core priority for this government and will be a central mission for Great British Railways and FOAK funding will help make these improvements happen.

Everyone should feel confident they will be safe when travelling by train. The government’s Plan for Change commits to cracking down on anti-social behaviour, raising standards and driving up confidence in the police. DfT is driving this forward by funding projects that will address safety on the railways, for example, tools to report anti-social behaviour, or addressing challenges that influence travel choices for example violence against women and girls stopping women from taking trains late at night.

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:

This competition addresses the biggest challenges facing the rail industry, taking cutting-edge technology and bringing it onto the railways by turning ideas into reality.

This funding builds a platform for boosting innovation on the railway, giving new technologies a chance to succeed, supporting economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.

We are creating a railway that works better for the people who use it and making lasting progress for passengers and freight by improving accessibility, safety and reliability to prevent disruption before it happens.

This £5 million of government funding will help to address one of the key challenges organisations with new innovative ideas face, which is securing funding and being able to demonstrate that their projects work. The First of a Kind competition, over the 8 years it has been running, has provided £58 million of funding to 179 successful projects.

For example, one successful project that’s already been widely taken up on the railways is Trains with Brains, an AI sensor onboard trains that monitors where maintenance on the tracks is needed and reports on infrastructure defects that need fixing, making the network safer, more efficient and more reliable.

Another project, One Big Circle, using AI allowing users to monitor things like track conditions and electrical faults online, won the King’s Award for Innovation.

The Secretary of State has also made strategic innovation one of the 5 areas of focus for Shadow Great British Railways, bringing together leaders of DfT, Department for Transport Operator and Network Rail. Work has already started with GBRX, an innovation body sitting under Network Rail challenging and changing the historically slow adoption of new innovations. GBRX is already convening industry and academia to collaborate more effectively and embrace new technology.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, said

The innovations sought through this competition will help create a more accessible, safer and efficient railway system throughout the UK.

The competition highlights the importance of collaboration with industry partners to deliver high-maturity demonstration to ensure seamless integration into the existing railway infrastructure.

Delivered by Innovate UK on behalf of the Department for Transport, the competition aims to identify and support outstanding, innovative solutions. In previous rounds, companies from across the UK have demonstrated the creativity and impact of their ideas through live demonstrations.

The competition opens today and organisations will have until 28 May to submit their projects.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 3 April 2025.

The London Luton Airport Expansion application has today been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Transport.

The application comprises the expansion of London Luton Airport from its current permitted cap of 18 million passengers per annum (mppa) up to 32 million mppa, including: new terminal capacity; additional taxiways and other transport infrastructure; the construction of landside support buildings; surface access adjustments; mitigation works and other associated development.

The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by London Luton Airport Limited on 27 February 2023 and accepted for examination on 27 March 2023.

Following an examination during which the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, recommendations were made to the Secretary of State on 10 May 2024.

This is the 57th transport application out of 152 applications examined to date and was again completed by the Planning Inspectorate within the statutory timescale laid down in the Planning Act 2008.

Local communities continue to be given the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in this six-month examination.

The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State.

The decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State for Transport and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation are publicly available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 1 April 2025.

We want the UK to have an advanced aviation ecosystem where everyone can benefit from new technology while tackling emissions.

Drone services at a commercial scale and flying taxis could soon be a reality as the Aviation Minister confirms over £20 million funding today (1 April 2025) to launch new flight technologies.

The new funding will unlock barriers to growth – which is the priority of the Plan for Change – and maximise opportunities for better and cheaper public services while cutting carbon emissions.

It is designed to advance aviation tech to support healthcare for the NHS, assist police forces in combatting crime, help inspect and survey critical infrastructure and unlock delivery services for businesses and communities across the country.

As part of this, both the Aviation Minister and Science Minister have today also set out how the Department for Transport (DfT), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will streamline regulatory processes to support the commercialisation of the industry

Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, said:

I want the UK to have the most advanced aviation technology ecosystem in the world.

That means creating a nimble regulatory environment and a culture of innovation so everyone can benefit from cutting-edge transport while tackling emissions, traffic and potentially saving lives.

Our investment alongside the new Future of Flight industry group will bring together tech experts, drone operators, flying vehicle manufacturers and local communities to identify where change needs to happen.

With safety at the heart of these advancements, the RIO is driving smarter regulation to cut red tape while ensuring high safety standards. It will support DfT and CAA in enabling faster, integration of drones and flying taxi industries, helping businesses grow and innovate.

This includes consulting on the mandatory use of new electronic conspicuity standards and technologies, which allow aircraft to share their location electronically, helping drones and crewed aircraft fly safely alongside each other. By making approvals quicker and operations more efficient, this will open new opportunities for the industry while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:

These regulatory reforms for drones – requiring all aircraft to share their location – will make drone operations safer and therefore speed up approvals, allowing them to operate near airports and simplifying their use for delivering medical supplies – while unlocking further commercial opportunities.

This is a practical step to cut red tape and a great piece of progress for the Regulatory Innovation Office, growing the UK’s position as a world leader in emerging technologies and helping drive the growth that will deliver our Plan for Change.

In addition, as previously confirmed by the Chancellor, plans are now underway to simplify regulations to enable 2-year airspace change for drone operations. This will enable operators to fly safely for longer and gather data to inform future services.

Other changes will simplify regulations to enable emergency services including firefighters and paramedics to use drone services, as well as noise exemptions for drone trials within the Airspace Change Process, and simplifying the drone operational application process to enable them to get flying faster and easier.

Furthermore, the regulator, drone operators, flying vehicle innovators and local authorities will come together with government at the Future of Flight industry group to help guide the government on its mission to transform technology in aviation.

Part of the government’s Plan for Change, the group will focus on how to unlock the benefits of future aviation technologies to propel the country’s economic growth forward. It will look at how government can harness the potential of technology and create a culture of innovation, with the aim of improving everyday challenges like emergency across the public sector face, while helping cut carbon emissions.

The Minister for Aviation will co-chair the group, alongside Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports.

Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports and Co-Chair of the Future of Flight industry group, said:

This additional government funding is a vital boost for the UK’s leadership in next-generation aviation. This investment will accelerate the development and deployment of innovative flight technologies, from complex drone operations to advanced air mobility solutions.

I welcome this commitment, which will not only drive progress towards a more sustainable and connected future but also deliver significant economic benefits, high-value jobs and export opportunities across the UK. I look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with government and the regulator to turn these opportunities into reality.

The funding will be divided between the CAA, receiving £16.5 million in 2025 to 2026, to deliver a regulatory programme to enable drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and progress toward routine use of air taxis (eVTOLs) in UK skies.

This includes publishing a piloted eVTOL ‘roadmap’, development of ‘drone pathways’ for industry to follow and consulting on concept of operations for uncrewed traffic management (UTM) and Detect and Avoid (DAA) technology. This will make it quicker and easier for industry to prove the safety of these new technologies, deliver the necessary digital infrastructure and make sure that people, property and other aviation remain safe and secure when these new technologies fly in our skies.

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said:

Flying taxis will transform the way we move — making it quicker, quieter and cleaner to travel while connecting communities and supporting essential services.

The UK has an incredible opportunity to lead the world in this new era of aviation, delivering not just greener transport but real economic growth and skilled jobs.

This latest funding is another welcome step towards seeing that ambition realised and our world-leading aircraft flying in British skies from 2028.

In addition, the Future Flight Challenge will receive up to £5 million from DfT and Innovate UK, to support industry to turn these new technologies into profitable business that benefits communities and support growth. This will include regional demonstrations and supporting development of commercial drone and air taxi solutions.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director of Net Zero, Innovate UK, said:

Innovate UK is excited to build on the highly successful work of the Future Flight Challenge by working in partnership with DfT through this joint funding. We look forward to working with industry, end-users, DfT, DSIT and the CAA as we accelerate the transition from innovation to commercial operations.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 7 March 2025.

New chargepoints will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives in the Midlands and beyond.

Drivers across the Midlands will benefit from more than 16,000 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers as the region secures over £40 million in government investment.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has today (7 March 2025), confirmed that 13 local authorities across the Midlands, supported by Midlands Connect, have received £40.8 million from the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to roll out thousands of chargers across the region.

While the charging network continues to grow – with over 10,000 public chargers already available across the Midlands – today’s announcement will provide many more drivers across the Midlands easy access to charging near their home.

The funding comes on top of over £2.3 billion to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs. This is creating high paid jobs, supporting businesses up and down the country and tapping into a multi-billion pound industry to make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver the Plan for Change.

Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

Making charging as seamless and as easy as possible is crucial to making the switch to electric a success and rolling out over 16,000 chargers across the Midlands will make driving an EV cheaper and easier, especially for those without a driveway.

Electric vehicles will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives in the Midlands and beyond as we continue to deliver our Plan for Change.

The new chargepoints will boost charging infrastructure across the Midlands, including in smaller towns and rural areas, ensuring that EV owners and those looking to switch can drive with the confidence they will always be close to a chargepoint, no matter where they live.

The announcement follows a particularly positive week for electric vehicles, with £120 million confirmed to help drivers and businesses buy zero-emission vans, taxis and electric motorcycles Last week, the department also announced it has rolled out more than 1,400 chargepoints at schools and over 59,000 chargers at offices and workplaces across the country, improving access to chargepoints and fitting charging an EV around people’s everyday lives.

The UK’s public chargepoint network continues to grow every day, with over 74,000 public chargers now available across the country and a record of nearly 20,000 added last year alone.

With £200 million announced at 2024 Budget to continue powering the chargepoint rollout and £6 billion of private investment in the pipeline, the UK’s charging network will continue to see hundreds of thousands of chargers added in the coming years, delivering resilient infrastructure so that EV owners can drive with the confidence that they’re always close to a chargepoint.

With over 382,000 EVs sold in 2024 – up a fifth on the previous year – the UK is the largest EV market in Europe. There’s never been a better time to switch to EVs, with one in 3 used electric cars under £20,000 and 21 brand new electric cars RRP under £30,000.

Owning an EV is also becoming increasingly cheaper, with drivers able to save up to £750 a year compared to petrol if they mostly charge at home.

The average range of a new electric car is now 236 miles – that’s about 2 weeks of driving for most people – all the while emitting just one-third of the greenhouse emissions of a petrol car during its lifetime.

With 24/7 helplines, contactless payments, and up-to-date public chargepoint locations, charging has now become easier than ever.

Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said:

We are delighted that our collaboration with local authorities has resulted in a significant funding boost for electric vehicle infrastructure across the region.

This is a great step in moving towards a reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure network across the Midlands, which will become increasingly important as we move closer to the 2035 ban on diesel and petrol vehicles.

We will continue to work with local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure across the Midlands.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:

I’m pleased that Worcestershire, alongside other local authorities, has been successful in this bid for significant funding towards boosting electric vehicle infrastructure.

It’s hoped, that installing more public charge points , will not only support those who already have an electric vehicle, but also encourage others to make the move towards purchasing one.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 March 2025.

Display screens at stations will help rebuild trust with passengers as we tackle root causes of rail delays and cancellations.

Passengers across England can now see how reliable their local train services are, as performance data goes live at over 1,700 stations from today (6 March 2025).

The data, broken down by operator, shows the percentage of trains cancelled and how punctual trains are at each station, marking the first time that station-level data has been available in the history of the railway. It is now live at major stations through digital screens, where possible, and at most smaller stations, passengers will be able to scan a QR code to see the data online.

This fulfils a commitment made by the department to be fully transparent with passengers, demonstrating how the railways are working and allowing the public to hold train operators to account as we bring services into public ownership.

As well as delivering more reliable, better-quality services, these reforms will catalyse economic growth through improved connectivity, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. By holding operators to account, they will be encouraged to drive up efficiency and productivity – providing better value for money for passengers and driving forward the government’s growth mission by delivering better connectivity.

The government is determined to drive up performance, and the Rail Minister is meeting with all train operators to address concerns and demand immediate action. In response, the industry has set out a framework with clear areas of focus, including timetable resilience and staffing, to recover performance to acceptable levels.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, will visit Reading station today to mark the launch of the displays.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

Today marks the beginning of a new era of rail accountability.

These displays are a step towards rebuilding trust with passengers using our railways as we continue to tackle the root causes of frustrating delays and cancellations.

Through fundamental rail reform, we’re sweeping away decades of dysfunctionality – putting passengers first, driving growth through connectivity as part of this government’s Plan for Change.

Each station’s data can also be found on the ORR’s new data portal, which contains punctuality and reliability information for all stations in Great Britain. The online data is also screen reader compatible for those with accessibility needs.

The screens also display a short commentary on work underway by the operators and Network Rail to improve performance, informing and assuring passengers of the ongoing work across their area to improve the reliability and efficiency of services.

Jacqueline Starr, Chair and Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group, said:

We know how frustrating it is for customers when their train is cancelled or delayed. By being transparent with this data and the positive actions we’re taking, it shows how serious the industry is in putting this right by continuing to strive for improvements.

This sends a clear message to customers the rail sector is committed to improving punctuality and to find solutions to make train services more reliable.

Natasha Grice, Director at the independent watchdog, Transport Focus, said:

Passengers tell us they want a reliable, on-time train service and will welcome improvements to information about the punctuality of their service and cancellations being shared more transparently. It’s important that the industry uses this information to drive up performance.

This forms part of a wider overhaul of the railways, which will establish Great British Railways (GBR) as a new body to bring track and train together, to end years of fragmentation and waste. GBR will relentlessly focus on driving up standards for passengers and proposals for how it will run, including plans for a powerful new passenger standards watchdog, are currently under consultation.

Separately, the landmark Public Ownership Act will improve services and save taxpayers up to £150 million a year that was previously given to private shareholders, with the first services being brought in as soon as May 2025.

The government will deliver change that can be felt, driving growth across the country by ensuring passengers can use the railways to get to work, school, appointments and see friends and family with ease.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 28 February 2025.

Home and workplace charging schemes extended for another year to support jobs and help make the UK a clean energy superpower.

School teachers and EV drivers can charge their electric cars more easily with 1,407 sockets now outside schools and colleges in the UK.

Today (28 February 2025), Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, has confirmed the landmark number of chargers that have been fitted at UK schools since March last year, thanks to £3 million from the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).

It marks a crucial milestone in the government’s mission to boost charging infrastructure across the country. The new chargepoints at schools follow over 59,000 workplace charging sockets that the scheme has funded since 2016. In addition to schools, the workplace charging scheme supported a further 6,500 sockets in workplace car parks in 2024.

Sitting at the heart of communities, schools can also open the chargepoints to local residents and visitors, helping to fit charging around people’s daily lives and providing an additional revenue stream to schools.

The Workplace Charging Scheme, alongside the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant, has also been extended for another year, the government confirmed today. This provides the certainty needed to continue rolling out chargepoints to flats, rental properties, schools, offices and workplaces so that drivers can charge in more and more places.

Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

Schools are the beating heart of our towns and communities and rolling out chargers here shows we are building a practical and reliable charging network designed around people’s daily lives.

Reaching 1,000 sockets at schools is a particularly significant milestone and builds on a record January for electric car sales, as consumer confidence in the electric transition grows every day. This is helping support jobs, make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver our Plan for Change.

Education Minister, Stephen Morgan said:

We are determined to break down the barriers to opportunity to ensure every child can get the best start in life – and that includes educating the next generation about climate change and ensuring schools are sustainable.

By making EV charging ports readily available, schools can lead by example, encouraging greener travel options and expanding the community’s charging network.

While the government is investing almost £300 million to build 300 miles of new cycle and footways to encourage more children, parents and teachers to cycle, walk and wheel to schools, today’s announcement will also make greener journeys easier and more accessible for those who need to drive.

The UK’s public chargepoint network continues to grow every day, with over 74,000 public chargers now available across the country and a record of nearly 20,000 added last year alone.

With £200 million announced at Budget 2024 to continue powering the chargepoint rollout and £6 billion of private investment in the pipeline, the UK’s charging network will continue to see tens of thousands of chargers added in the coming years, delivering resilient infrastructure so that EV owners can drive with the confidence that they’re never too far from a socket.

Chris Norwood, Headteacher of the Northfleet School for Girls, said:

Developing an environmentally friendly site is an important part of our school vision and practice. We have been able to play our part in reducing emissions whilst working with students to educate in creating a more sustainable future. Through installing solar panels, LED lighting and car chargers, we have been able to save over £500,000 in energy costs (since 2017), funds which are directed back into ensuring the best possible education for our students.

The car chargers have created over £2,000 in additional school funding, which has helped to create an additional farm classroom for all students to utilise. We expect that by modelling the best environmental practice possible, we are supporting our students to be proactive in this area in their adult lives.

With over 382,000 EVs sold in 2024 – up a fifth on the previous year – the UK is the largest EV market in Europe. There’s never been a better time to switch to EVs, with one in 3 used electric cars under £20,000 and 21 brand new electric cars RRP under £30,000.

Owning an EV is also increasingly becoming cheaper, with drivers able to save up to £750 a year compared to petrol if they mostly charge at home.

The average range of a new electric car is now 236 miles – that’s about 2 weeks of driving for most people – all the while emitting just one-third of the greenhouse emissions of a petrol car during its lifetime.

With 24/7 helplines, contactless payments and up-to-date public chargepoint locations, charging has now become easier than ever.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 27 February 2025.

Road scheme will speed up journeys and revive economic growth across Norwich.

Norwich residents are set to see faster journeys and thousands of new homes and jobs in the region as ministers approve the long delayed A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction scheme, the government has announced today (27 February 2025).

Backed by over £200 million, this road development will significantly speed up journey times, reduce pressure on the junction and save commuters, businesses and freight hundreds of hours off journeys each week.

On the eastbound A11 to A47, drivers will save 3 to 4 minutes off journeys in the morning and afternoon travel peaks. Along the A11, the route will also shave off 2 to 3 minutes in the morning and afternoon peaks.

The scheme is supporting the Greater Norwich City Deal, attracting more businesses to operate in Norwich and is expected to create over 44,000 homes, 33,000 new jobs and 360 additional hectares of new commercial land by 2038.

Today’s announcement follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to ‘clear the path to get Britain building’ by overhauling rules that allow vital infrastructure projects including the A47 to be challenged in courts 3 times – causing years of delays and costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.

The A47 is an example of an infrastructure project which has been delayed by over a year due to expensive legal challenges which have been dismissed by the courts as having ‘no logical basis’ – preventing areas like Norwich from unlocking their full potential.

Ministers have now finally given the go ahead to the project as part of a wider drive to unblock vital transport infrastructure development. Since entering office, the government has approved the A130 Fairglen Interchange, the A647 scheme in Leeds and is supporting expansion of Heathrow Airport.

This is an important milestone for this pro-growth and pro-infrastructure government, cutting the red tape which has for too long held up vital schemes and cost the taxpayer millions as part of the Plan for Change.

To mark this significant milestone for drivers in Norwich, the Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, has visited the A47 to mark the approval of the scheme and understand its impact on the local economy.

The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

This scheme is finally getting to go-ahead it deserves, after years of expensive legal blocks, as we are now able to unlock this vital scheme that Norwich has waited long for. We are determined to get Britain building again as this scheme is set to not only improve journeys but create thousands of new homes and jobs.

To help deliver our Plan for Change, we’re investing in more vital road schemes such as this over £200 million funding for Norwich, and the recently announced £90 million for other schemes across England, to renew our national infrastructure, speed up journeys and revive economic growth.

The upgraded junction will also improve links between Norwich and Peterborough, expanding job opportunities and better connecting communities, and is also a key route to Norwich University Hospital.

The new design will also improve safety, with rerouted traffic and safer pedestrian and cycle routes, projected to save as many as 26 fatal or serious injury collisions over the next 60 years.

The plans include the construction of 2 new free-flowing slip roads that will connect the A47 with the A11, re-routing traffic away from the junction and flowing it under new underpasses.

The government is providing over £200 million for the scheme which is expected to generate millions more for the local economy of Norfolk. It is part of the government’s Plan for Change to renew infrastructure and grow the economy.

With the aim to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure across the UK, the government is focused on improving the UK’s road network to increase economic growth.

As well as faster journeys, drivers in Norfolk are also set to benefit from improved road surfaces, thanks to a recently announced £56 million uplift in highway maintenance funding for Norfolk. This is part of the government’s record £1.6 billion investment to fill the equivalent of 7 million potholes and repair roads across England.

Nicola Bell, Executive Director of Major Projects at National Highways, said:

Getting the green light to improve the junction at Thickthorn is great news for local people and those who regularly work or travel in and around Norwich.

This will help support economic growth in the area, significantly reduce congestion, improve journey times, and make the road safer.

Councillor Graham Plant, Cabinet member for Highways Infrastructure and Transport, Norfolk County Council, said:

We’re thrilled that this long-anticipated project has received approval. Thickthorn Junction has been a persistent bottleneck and we’ve been pushing for these improvements for a number of years.

This scheme will unlock significant economic growth, helping to supercharge the vital connection between the A11 and the nationally significant businesses that have found a home in Norfolk. Norfolk residents will benefit from safer and more reliable journeys as they make their way to Norwich and beyond.

Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, said:

The Norfolk business community has long campaigned for improvements to the whole of the A47, our main route from east to west and a key part of this route is the Thickthorn Junction, which connects the A11 to the A47. As a result, they welcome the allocation of much needed funding for the Thickthorn Junction scheme. Businesses are looking forward to seeing safety improvements and the reduction of congestion and journey times.

The ability to deliver further housing, jobs and new commercial opportunities, as a result of this junction upgrade, will make a significant difference. This infrastructure investment will give more businesses confidence to invest in their own growth and thus, help unlock wider economic growth for our region.

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 26 February 2025.

Contactless will offer simpler ticketing and a better experience for rail customers.

Plans to trial simpler and more flexible ticketing across the North and Midlands have taken one step closer this week with trials on track for later this year.

The government is kickstarting the procurement process to find the suppliers who will run the technology for the trials across the East Midlands and Yorkshire. The successful bidders will work alongside Northern and East Midlands Railways to deliver the trials.

Unlike the previous roll out of pay as you go, these trials will use Global Positioning System (GPS) based technology. This will track your location on your train journey, ensuring you pay the best fare for the journey you take. For ticket inspections and to go through ticket barriers, a unique bar code will pop up in the app to be scanned.

The use of contactless ticketing offers passengers simpler, more accessible and more flexible train travel as well as a guarantee of the best value ticket on the day. By saving both time and money on a number of journeys, the trials will help to improve living standards and make working people better off – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

Backed by government funding, the trials are part of plans to modernise our transport system, put passenger experience at the heart of the railways and drive more people back onto trains building on the government’s mission to deliver growth.

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:

We’ve seen the success that contactless ticketing has on making journeys easier to navigate and attracting more people to our railways.

It’s only right that we now look to expand contactless ticketing to other major cities across the North and Midlands, ensuring they can reap the economic benefits that simpler ticketing offers and that passengers are having a better experience.

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group, said:

We are proud to support the pay as you go trials in Yorkshire and East Midlands. This is another step in making fares and ticketing easier for everyone.

We are committed to developing a simpler fare system that not only meets passengers’ expectations but also supports the long-term growth of rail travel making customers experience of the railway better.

This follows the roll out of contactless ticketing at 53 stations across the South East. In the first 6 months of contactless ticketing being available at the first 6 stations, more than 268,000 entries and exits were made using contactless cards or mobile devices – showing how popular the system is with customers using those stations already.

The department is also working closely with Greater Manchester and the West Midlands to develop their proposals for rolling out contactless ticketing even further.

Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern, said:

Historically, ticketing across the rail industry has been far too complicated and so anything that makes the customer experience simpler has my vote.

We’ve already seen a huge swing away from physical tickets to digital alternatives, which now make up over 80% of journeys on our network. The option to pay as you go is a development of that trend which we’re looking forward to introducing on selected routes very soon.

Oli Cox, Head of Commercial Strategy and Business Planning at East Midlands Railway, said:

We’re excited to be trialling digital pay as you go between Derby, Nottingham, and Leicester, making rail travel simpler and more convenient for our customers.

We know that complex fares can sometimes be a barrier to travel, and this trial will help to remove that uncertainty – allowing customers to simply tap in and out via their phone – confident that they’re getting the best value fare for their journey.

Last week, the government launched a consultation on a landmark bill to rewire Britain’s railways, including committing to a further overhaul of ticketing and setting up a powerful passenger watchdog to give passengers a voice and hold train operators to account.