I appreciate how important having reliable and accessible public transport is. Giving communities power to take back control of local bus services is something that I wholeheartedly support – as does the new Labour government.
I am a regular bus user myself too and so I know we have had challenges with a number of our bus services locally in recent years. The last Conservative government left a legacy of local authority cuts and piecemeal and patchy devolution deals, leading to local people understandably feeling that they don’t have a say in how their local services are run. Since 2010, we saw bus miles across our region decline by 20% with many people in our communities being cut off from vital services.
I have raised a number of the challenges we face locally with Transport Ministers, including the Secretary of State, in relevant meetings and will continue to, as needed. While the metrobuses are good locally, I’m very conscious that – depending on the part of our big constituency people live in – it can be more straightforward to get into the city centre than it is to get across our community – to see friends, family and to get to appointments and work. Other regions benefit from better transport already and are flying ahead, and I’ve long been calling for us to get what we need here too, including in a recent speech on buses in the House of Commons. I also met with the Chancellor ahead of the Spending Review to push for more on transport for our area. I’m very glad that this was successful and to see this action.
In excellent news, the Labour Government announced in the Spending Review that £15.6 billion will be invested in local transport projects across England’s city regions – including £0.8bn for the West of England. This represents the biggest ever national investment in local transport. This is huge for our area as it includes 150 million for rail infrastructure to connect the new Brabazon development with Bristol City Centre with services every 15 minutes, and £200 million for developing a much-needed new mass transit system.
Our new Labour Government has also provided significant funding for the day-to-day running of our local buses, including nearly £15 million for the West of England Combined Authority. I also voted on new legislation – the Bus Services (no.2) Bill, to give local authorities more control over their local bus networks and put them back in the hands of the communities who rely on them.
On trains, railways have been at the heart of our transport network for 200 years. They have played an essential role in enabling people to travel across our country, visit loved ones and seize economic opportunities. I’m committed to getting our railways back on track.
Travelling by train should feel straightforward, not confusing. I’m proud to be supporting the Railways Bill in Parliament, which will seek to deliver all of this. This Bill represents the biggest shake-up of our railways in a generation. It will create Great British Railways (GBR), bringing together track and train operations under one banner.
Many in our area want to see an improved ticketing system. There are many different train operator websites and ticket types, which can confuse passengers and cost more. The Railways Bill will combine all train operator websites and apps into one GBR system. In the future, GBR will sell tickets directly to customers, both online and in person, at ticket offices, via machines, and on trains.
This Bill has been combined with Ministers announcing the first freeze in rail fares for 30 years. This will ease the pressure on household finances and make travelling to work, school or to visit friends and family that bit easier. Commuters on some of the busiest routes will see significant savings, for example, a typical commuter from Bristol to London on an annual season ticket, will save £892.
Investment in the rail network is essential and well overdue. By bringing train operations into public hands, Ministers can save £150 million a year in management fees, which can be reinvested in our services.
The 2025 Spending Review pledged £92 billion of funding for road and rail projects. This includes £150 million for rail infrastructure to connect the new Brabazon development with Bristol City Centre with services every 15 minutes.