Local Transport Today is the authoritative, independent journal for transport decision makers. Analysis, Comment & News on Transport Policy, Planning, Finance and Delivery since 1989.

LTC completion delayed until 2034
Deniz Huseyin

The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) will be fully sold to private investors while the completion date for the project has moved from 2032 to 2034, the Government has confirmed.  Last year the DfT appointed senior civil servant Kate Cohen to oversee the £10bn project, shifting responsibility away from National Highways (LTT925). According to an appointment letter published last month, Cohen will remain in post until the project concludes in 2034. In the letter DfT said Cohen’s responsibilities would include “delivering the transaction for the sale” of the project and “developing an economic regulatory framework and legislation to achieve a successful transaction”. The route will feature two tunnels underneath the Thames between Tilbury and Gravesend, as... continue

8 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Tyre, brake and roadside technologies could reduce impact of PM2.5 emissions
Deniz Huseyin

A range of new technologies could potentially reduce the impact of PM2.5 particulate emissions, concludes a new report for the DfT. The study by consultancy Ricardo says that the technologies fit broadly into four categories: brakes, including brake design and materials, and the use of regenerative... continue

8 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News
Uber and Lyft join Waymo in starting Robotaxi services in London this year

Uber and Lyft join Waymo in starting Robotaxi services in London this year
Peter Stonham

Testing has begun to bring London a global profile for the introduction... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

TfL shapes position to feed into government approvals
Peter Stonham

Though the Government will make the final decision on any driverless vehicle operations in London under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, the views of Transport for London (TfL) and the boroughs will need to be taken into account. In a document describing its approach to automated vehicles published... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Lower Thames Crossing completion target slips until 2034

The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) will be fully sold to private investors while the completion date for the project has moved from 2032 to 2034, the Government has confirmed. Last year the DfT appointed senior civil servant Kate Cohen to oversee the £10bn project, shifting responsibility away... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Lazards get £20m contract to find £7.5bn private finance for Thames Crossing company
Peter Stonham

Lazard & Co. Limited, the global financial advisory and capital funding and asset management firm, have been awarded the £20m government contract to be Strategic Sale Advisor in the quest to secure private sector investment to build the new Lower Thames Crossing (LTT928 18th December... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News
‘Poor value’ Tees Flex DRT service to be replaced with fixed routes

‘Poor value’ Tees Flex DRT service to be replaced with fixed routes
Peter Stonham

The Tesside on-demand DRT service is to be scrapped because of... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Universal Bedford theme park plans approval will trigger transport upgrades

Universal Studios’ new UK theme park in Bedfordshire has been given planning permission by Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed, which will trigger a number of transport upgrades to handle the expected 8million plus annual visitors. The new theme park in... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Rural Mobility Fund DRT trials report published

In 2021, DfT provided £20 million through its Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) to 15 local authorities in England outside London to trial DRT in rural and suburban areas, which schemes would be participating in an ongoing monitoring and evaluation process. An interim evaluation was published in... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

DfT publishes best practice guidance on DRT guidance
Peter Stonham

The DfT has published new best practice guidance on demand responsive transport (DRT) for local transport authorities in England The guidance aims to help the authorities implement “ flexible, on-demand shared transport that fills gaps, reduces social isolation, and serves as an alternative... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Impressive local area bus ridership recovery illustrates positive policy benefits
Peter Stonham

Nine local authority areas now have higher average bus passenger journeys per resident in 2025 than, pre-COVID, in 2019, concludes a new analysis of bus use data by consultant Steer. Author Stephen Bishop describes it as a ‘phenomenal outcome’ for these places. The analysis is based on... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News
DfT aims to save up to 70% by using AI to process consultations

DfT aims to save up to 70% by using AI to process consultations
Deniz Huseyin

An AI-powered system designed to respond to consultations... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News
9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

DfT ‘lost’ 73% of the GBR consultation responses

The DfT has reissued the Government’s response to last year’s public consultation on establishing Great British Railways to reflect the omission of more than 6,000 responses from supporters of We Own It, which campaigns for public ownership of public services. The group  claims the... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

GBR ‘should take account of more than LTPs’

GBR should take account of all appropriate transport strategies in each Mayoral Strategic Authority rather than only Local Transport Plans (LTPs), Midlands Connect has suggested in its submission to the Transport Committee. The Bill sets out that GBR and the Office of Rail and Road should have... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Transport for All wants ORR to be GBR’s licensing authority

Transport for All, representing disabled people, is concerned by the power the Railways Bill proposes to give the Secretary of State, who will become “the sole grantor and modifier of the GBR licence”, in its words. Currently, the ORR independently  issues licences but the Bill... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Vertical integration ‘aids retention of rail skills’

Closer integration of track and train, which GBR should achieve in England, has helped to retain skills and experience in Scotland, Fiona Hyslop told the Transport Committee.  Scotland’s Railway, combining Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail, has reduced electrification costs through a... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Scottish Transport Minister happy with government discretion in Railways Bill
Rhodri Clark

Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop has defended the degree of prescription in the UK Government’s Railways Bill, which many believe does not place adequate safeguards around future actions by Great British Railways or Secretaries of State. The UK Government will agree Memorandums of... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

GBR will be ‘vertically fragmented’ unions and Mayoral authority warn

The UK Government’s contrasting models for funding GBR’s infrastructure and train operations will retain vertical fragmentation within what is meant to be an integrated organisation, the Transport Committee has been told in two evidence submissions. In November, the Government said that... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Wales MaaS project aims ‘to deliver improved digital experience’ this year
Rhodri Clark

Transport for Wales and Hitachi Rail are close to starting tests of a multi-modal journey planner under their Mobility as a Service (MaaS) initiative. TfW says digital experience will start to improve for customers this year. In summer 2024, TfW awarded Hitachi Rail a five-year contract, valued at... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Multi-year funding for Welsh RTPs unlocks local road building possibilities
Rhodri Clark

Corporate Joint Committees in Wales will be able to spend large shares of their Regional Transport Fund allocations on road building if they wish, the Welsh Government has said. It also admitted that the RTF will not be enough to deliver  the priorities identified in the new Regional Transport... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

New tyre, brake and roadside technologies could reduce impact of PM2.5 emissions
Deniz Huseyin

A range of new technologies could potentially reduce the impact of PM2.5 particulate emissions, concludes a new report for the DfT. The study by consultancy Ricardo says that the technologies fit broadly into four categories: brakes, including brake design and materials, and the use of regenerative... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Wales MaaS project aims ‘to deliver improved digital experience’ this year
Rhodri Clark

Transport for Wales and Hitachi Rail are close to starting tests of a multi-modal journey planner under their Mobility as a Service (MaaS) initiative. TfW says digital experience will start to improve for customers this year. In summer 2024, TfW awarded Hitachi Rail a five-year contract, valued at... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Multi-year funding for Welsh RTPs unlocks new local road building possibilities
Rhodri Clark

Corporate Joint Committees in Wales will be able to spend large shares of their Regional Transport Fund allocations on road building if they wish, the Welsh Government has said. It also admitted that the RTF will not be enough to deliver  the priorities identified in the new Regional Transport... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

Transport Committee launches new inquiry in bid to accelerate EV transition
Peter Stonham

The Commons Transport Committee has launched a new inquiry into how the Government can accelerate the country’s transition to widespread use of electric vehicles (EV). The inquiry comes against the backdrop of manufacturers being mandated to end the sale of new pure petrol or diesel cars by... continue

9 Jan 2026Local Transport Today News

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