Transport East News: January
Transport East
A partnership promoting transport improvements to better connect the East of England and support sustainable growth.
In this edition:
Leaders?set out the case for greater investment at our?Transport Summit
On 16 January, we held our Transport East Summit in Ipswich, which provided a fantastic day of insights and showcased the strength of the region’s partnerships. This year’s event focused on Transport for a Thriving East, emphasising how investment is essential for driving economic growth, improving regional connectivity, enhancing places for people, and supporting national ambitions.
The Summit welcomed the Minister for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood MP,?alongside Sarah Howard MBE, Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce,?senior government officials, local leaders, business representatives, and transport experts. Together, they shared their vision for unlocking the East’s true potential.
A special thank you to our speakers for sharing their valuable expertise, and to everyone who attended to support our vision for a thriving East.
We also extend our gratitude to our sponsors - Greater Anglia and Arup - and to the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce?events team?for their support in making the?Summit?possible.
Find out more, along with presentations and photos from the day, by clicking below.
East’s first travel behaviour survey uncovers how and why people make journeys in the region
This month, we published the results of the region’s first-ever travel behaviour survey! This landmark survey reveals how residents across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend-on-Sea, and Thurrock regularly travel, their reasons for choosing particular modes of transport, and the barriers preventing them from considering alternative options. Key insights include:
We also asked about thoughts on the environment, social issues and transport funding options.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences. The feedback provides invaluable insights into current travel patterns and highlights opportunities to improve transport across the region.
We plan to publish individual reports for each local transport authority in the near future. If you have any enquiries about the survey or its results, please contact [email protected].
Reflecting on 2024
2024 was a landmark year for Transport East, as we championed better transport and travel across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend-on-Sea, and Thurrock. In a video, our Chief Executive, Andrew Summers, shares his highlights from the year, including:
Don't miss our next webinar for local authority partners!
Would you like to hear how the East’s transport body is working to support our local authority partners?
In our next webinar, we’ll outline our asks for the Government’s next Comprehensive Spending Review, including the schemes that could deliver benefits locally and regionally if they receive investment.
We’ll also provide an overview of our Connectivity Studies—a suite of work designed to help us and our partners make better decisions on transport priorities.
Local authority members and officers are invited to attend our webinar on Wednesday, 12 February, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
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If you’d like to attend, please contact [email protected].
Responses to?inquiries?and consultations
Integrated National Transport Strategy: The Department for Transport is developing a strategy which will set the high-level direction for transport. The aim is to put the needs of people at its heart and empower local leaders to deliver integrated transport solutions that better serve their local communities.
Our response highlights opportunities to improve integration between transport, land-use planning, other infrastructure delivery to maximise value and outcomes for people. We also raise opportunities for better use of data, digital tools, new transport solutions and integrated ticketing to make it easier for services to connect and for people to make sustainable journeys.
East West Rail Consultation:?We responded to the non-statutory consultation on the proposals for the section between Bedford and Cambridge.
Our response supports the overall EWR proposals but specifically asked that the detailed designs ensure opportunities for improved rail services to the east of Cambridge are protected and calls for full electrification of the route.
Buses connecting communities:?The Transport Select Committee are examining the role of buses in connecting rural communities with nearby towns and suburban areas.
Our submission used evidence from our Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence to stress the challenges of operating buses in rural communities, the impact poor services has on people’s life chances and experience, and how future funding and operating models should take better account of the needs of rural areas.
Our response to the Chancellor's recent announcement
Andrew Summers responded to the recent announcement from the Chancellor:
"We welcome the Government’s ongoing commitment to East West Rail (EWR). However, to fully realise its transformational ambition, it is essential that onward connections to the East are considered as the section to Cambridge is designed and delivered – including links to Ipswich, Norwich, and Stansted.
"Our recent discussions with partners and business leaders from the East highlighted a strong appetite for enhanced growth along key rail corridors in the region, as well as a clear case for addressing the pinch points that currently constrain services.
"With this in mind, we also remain committed to making the case for the Ely and Haughley Rail Capacity upgrades, where increased passenger capacity and improved rail freight connections are crucial. These enhancements will support the transport of materials vital to infrastructure projects and business investment across the UK.
"We also note the commitment to securing private funding for the Lower Thames Crossing. This nationally significant project aims to reduce congestion on important corridors to facilitate national and regional growth, but more needs to be done to support local connections, mitigate the environmental impact and ensure new sustainable transport services are planned, which we can support through our evidence and tools.
"We look forward to working with Government and our partners to ensure that the investment committed by the Chancellor today delivers the widest possible impact across the East".
There's still time to apply for 'Love your Bus' grant funding in Essex
Travel Essex have extended the deadline for the Love Your Bus Grant Fund - parish and town councils now have until 21 February to submit their applications.
This initiative will provide Parish and Town Councils with the opportunity to secure grants of up to ￡50,000 for projects aimed at increasing bus patronage and enhancing local services.
The fund will support innovative projects that increase passenger numbers, improve service frequency and coverage, and attract new users through community engagement and marketing.
Don't miss the opportunity to take part in the free BetaStreets Engage 360 Trial
BetaStreets Engage 360, an innovative street design and visualisation platform, is now free to access as part of the Rural Transport Accelerator by Connected Places Catapult and Suffolk County Council.
From now until the end of February, users can explore active travel concepts, collaborate on designs, and engage communities using 360° road and street view imagery. The software is perfect for placemaking and active travel projects, with the trial is open to all. Sign up today and help shape the future of street design!