‘We run major rail and bus firms, and we’re ready to work with Labour on transport’

SPONSORED POST

What does a private bus and rail operator have in common with the Labour party when it comes to a vision for transport policy? Actually, quite a lot. We believe in public transport and its power to do much more for people, communities, the environment and the economy.

You might expect that two private transport companies would oppose bringing trains and buses under closer control of the public sector? Not necessarily. Our teams at Govia Thameslink Railway and the Go-Ahead Group have run buses and trains for passengers working with national and local governments across England for many years.

GTR, which runs Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern rail services, delivers a fifth of all rail journeys in the UK. Its majority owner, the Go-Ahead Group, began in a Gateshead bus depot and has grown to be one of Europe’s largest bus and rail operators, most recently becoming Andy Burnham’s partner for his new Bee Network in Manchester.

We know from our passengers, stakeholders and staff the challenges that public transport is facing: tight budgets and rising prices; time pressures and fears of delays; too small a network; accessibility. We can’t solve these issues alone, but together with partners in government, we can contribute to a fairer, greener and thriving society.

Britain’s essential vibrancy and success has been as much from its internal contests as its unity. Even the London Underground – for many, the UK’s gold standard for transport networks – started as the disordered dreams of engineers, civic leaders and financiers who took a chance to make a better life. National standards and unions have driven up safety. Local and national debate and action have set a path to accessible services and have amplified the customer voice with transport operators.

But what customers want next year will not be the same as last year. What government and communities need in 2024 or 2034, is not the same as 1994. And we now know, more than ever, that our environment in 2050 and beyond will be shaped by our actions today. 

Go-Ahead is proud of its North East heritage, growing across England, Europe, Singapore and Australia. Within England, it works to meet the local needs of passengers and communities through a partnership attitude towards working with government, local, regional or national.

GTR has run trains under publicly-funded management contracts since 2014, similar to Merseyrail, London Overground and the Elizabeth line. Under this model, government receives all the income, sets challenging performance and operating targets and pays a bonus if and when we hit them. This framework drives accountability, collaboration and performance.

Our rail operations centre at Three Bridges brings the private and public sector of the rail industry together, under a joint lead director, housing GTR and Arriva Rail London operators and Network Rail operators and signallers to deliver an integrated service for our passengers. 

Through franchising, Go-Ahead is the largest operator of buses in London and in Brighton and Hove, under a purely commercial model. As mentioned earlier, under the leadership of Andy Burnham and the wider Greater Manchester Combined Authority, it is running two large contracts helping to recently launch the landmark Bee Network.

We work in partnership with Transport for Cornwall and other bus operators to provide a single integrated service under a Transport for Cornwall brand. Neither directly operated by the council nor franchised, passengers can now travel without having to purchase more than one ticket. It is now fairer and easier for passengers. This has encouraged people to make the switch from private car to a greener mode of transport. Nationally, there has been the nationwide introduction of the £2 fare.

Fairness has to extend to our people too. We are proud that GTR is the first transport company in the UK to achieve the National Equality Standard. The award recognises its diversity and inclusion policies and the support we give to our staff. There is always more to do, but this accreditation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to equality, an inclusive culture and workplace.

Similarly, across Go-Ahead, we hire more than 1,100 apprentices annually. Apprenticeships upskill our current staff and break down the opportunity barriers young people face. The opportunity to ‘earn as you learn’ gives our new employees the best possible start to their careers. 

Many people understand the environmental benefits of public transport, but we have been active to build on that inherent advantage. At GTR, in partnership with the community climate action group Energy Garden at Blackfriars station, 6,000 solar panels will deck the roofs of train depots, transforming them from a cost to sources of renewable energy. Half of the electricity generated will power the depots themselves, the remainder will be used to power organisations keen to improve their sustainability, with all the profits from energy sales being invested in local community development projects.

In London, Go-Ahead was proud to open London’s first electric bus depot in Waterloo. As we have developed engineering and operational expertise in an electric fleet, we have invested in a zero emission centre of excellence in Crawley to ensure that knowledge is diffused to bus companies and local authorities across England.

To deliver a green future, we don’t just invest in pioneering green technologies, but in our people and communities. For instance, we have been working with St Albans council and the green community group Groundwork to encourage active travel options, including cycling.

If we are to realise the potential of transport services, we need the collective energies and investments of government at all levels, passengers, community groups and business. Some private sector involvement in public transport will be a reality in any scenario. So the challenge is for government, communities and businesses to create a durable and desirable vision for the places we want.

We share a vision of a fairer, greener society and of using transport to unlock the UK’s capacity for economic growth. And we’re happy to work with local authorities – and governments – of every political colour to achieve those common goals.

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