It was a great privilege to chair the Buses day of the two-day Public Transport in the North 2023 Conference held in Manchester in September. You can read much more about the conference elsewhere in this edition of Buses as well as sister magazine Modern Railways. I’d like to offer a few observations on what we heard across the two days from the 23 speakers, not least from Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and the launch of the Bee Network.
A contrast in optimism
The first conference day was devoted to rail and it was interesting to note the marked contrast between the current state and future prospects for the two modes across this significant geographical area of the country.
Significant investment in rail infrastructure across the north is very welcome, not least the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme and work to restore passenger trains to the Ashington line in Northumberland, but there was a noticeable air of malaise and stagnation permeating the day’s discussions. Longstanding proposals for rail reform, as proposed in the 2018 Williams Review, seem permanently stuck in the political long grass and industrial relations are in stalemate, with no sign of a resolution of the continuing disputes.
