Insight Articles: Our Blog
A series of articles analysing and commenting on the passenger transport scene.
A desire to explain
The plain man's guide to the bus industry
Chris Cheek writes about his best-selling book on the bus industry and his desire to explain how it works. It's especially useful for people who are new to the business and want to gain a better understanding of the industry.
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- By: Chris Cheek
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Rail subsidies top £12bn again despite 13% revenue growth in 2023/24
TOCs get £4.1 bn and Network Rail £8.4 bn as bill falls less than 1%
Government support for the rail industry at constant prices fell by less than one per cent during 2023/24 and stayed above £12 billion, according to figures published recently by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
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- By: Chris Cheek
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Passenger rail subsidies stay above £4bn
Revenue grows 13% but costs rise by more than inflation
The passenger rail industry’s finances continued to improve in 2023/24, according to figures published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). However, there was still a deficit on the passenger business requiring taxpayer support of £4.1 billion.
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- By: Chris Cheek
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DfT stats show slowdown in new vehicles
ZEBs reach 8.3% but average fleet age increases
New figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of the Annual Bus Statistics show a slump in the delivery of new vehicles during 2023/24, as the average fleet age increased again. The statistics, based on operator returns, show that just 1.35% of the fleets were delivered during the year - representing 467 buses of various sizes. This compares with 1,582 in 2022/23 and an average of 2,500 plus between 2012 and 2018. As a consequence, the average fleet age stayed above 11 years and edged up once more.
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- By: Chris Cheek
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Bus demand grows by 7.7% in 2023/24
Recovery in all areas, but Wales lags behind badly despite strong growth
Bus patronage in Great Britain grew strongly during the last financial year, but numbers remained well short of pre-Covid levels, according to the latest bus statistics published by the Department for Transport (DfT). They show that demand rose by 7.7% during the year end compared with the previous period. You can read more detail and analysis in our article "Overall bus demand up 7.7% in varied picture".
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- By: Chris Cheek
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NTS 2023 shows huge change in rail use
Analysis of journey purpose, demographic profile and frequency of use reveal radical shifts
The latest full version of the National Travel Survey, published by the Department for Transport at the end of the summer, offers further confirmation, if it were needed, of the radical changes imposed on the market for rail services by the Covid-19 pandemic almost five years ago. Patterns of use by journey purpose and demography have been radically altered, and almost two decades of steady growth in rail trip making reversed. More details can be found in NTS Rail Analysis 2023.
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- By: Chris Cheek
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