routeONE

1 week ago | route-one.net | Tim Deakin

Bus franchising in the West Midlands will proceed after Mayor Richard Parker formally decided that it will be the avenue of reform for service delivery across the conurbation. That makes the West Midlands the sixth area in England to select bus franchising. It follows Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The first franchised services in the West Midlands are expected to start rollout from late-2027.

1 week ago | route-one.net | Tim Deakin

RHA has set out 14 recommendations to help the coach industry to deliver economic growth via a report that was published four days before the start of National Coach Week 2025 on 12 May. That document, Coaches – A Clear Route to Growth, was presented at a roundtable on 7 May. The gathering brought together industry members and Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood and All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism Chair Chris Webb MP.

1 week ago | route-one.net | Paul Halford

Alexander Dennis has announced it has delivered 12 new Enviro400EV to Arriva London for use on Transport for London’s (TfL) SL6 route. The double-decker buses, which are part of a larger order of 30, are the first examples of the manufacturer’s latest-generation battery-electrics to enter service in London. The new Enviro400EV will travel between West Croydon and Russell Square on the limited-stop, peak-hours service, of which Arriva London took over operation in March.

1 week ago | route-one.net | Paul Halford

Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel will mark Mental Health Awareness Week by bringing back its Chatty Bus initiative. In partnership with the charity Restore, volunteers will be on board Oxford Bus Company’s 5A service from 0900hrs to 1500hrs on 14 May. The aim is to encourage social interaction and tackle loneliness during Mental Health Awareness Week on 12-18 May.

1 week ago | route-one.net | Tim Deakin

National Coach Week 2025 opens on 12 May. With it will come an opportunity to publicly celebrate and promote the sector. Central to those efforts as chosen by organiser RHA is the contribution that coach makes to society – well-known among those that deliver services of course, but not always so beyond. Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood has already visited Star Coaches of Batley to underline government support for the sector and for National Coach Week.