Mayors and Ministers back British manufacturers and greener buses
Greener journeys, skilled jobs and stronger UK manufacturing were all on the agenda today as government ministers and metro mayors came together in Westminster to commit to greener transport and greater job opportunities across the regions. The fifth meeting of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel was chaired by the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, and Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, with […]
Government announces over 50 road and rail upgrades, supporting more than 39,000 new homes and 42,000 jobs
Millions of commuters and businesses are set to benefit from quicker journeys, as more than 50 road and rail upgrades are given the green light – including the long awaited A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route and Portishead to Bristol city centre rail line, the government has announced today. Working people will also gain better access to […]
38,000 new jobs on the horizon as pilots of self-driving vehicles fast-tracked
Nearly 40,000 jobs could be created, roads could be safer, and billions could be added to the economy as self-driving vehicle pilots are set to start in England from spring 2026. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that the government will fast-track pilots to spring 2026, introducing self-driving commercial pilots on England’s roads. Firms will […]
National Highways lifts more than a thousand miles of roadworks for Easter
As normal for major holiday getaways, National Highways is lifting 1,127 miles of roadworks over the bank holiday. The government says around 97.5% of major roads across England will be completely free from roadworks, “speeding up millions of journeys and boosting connectivity across the country to drive growth – the key priority in the government’s […]
“No war on motorists” insists Alexander
There is “no such thing as a war on motorists”, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander insists. The Cabinet minister said “no serious person” is suggesting tradespeople should “swap their van for a bus”. Under Rishi Sunak’s leadership, the Conservative government accused the Labour Party of engaging in a “war on motorists”. “No serious person is proposing […]
National Infrastructure Commission approves Lower Thames Crossing Development Consent Order
The government has announced that a Development Consent Order for the Lower Thames Crossing project has been approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP. Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: “Improving connectivity is vital to the government’s mission of sustainable, long term economic growth. This green light […]
Transport Secretary announces near-£5 billion National Highways investment
Local highway authorities will receive £500 million to fix potholes and £4.8 billion investment for National Highways to keep the strategic road network working. Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander MP announced two key measures to boost funding for transport as part of the government’s commitment to renew national infrastructure, improve England’s road network […]
Approval given to £290 million M3 improvements to support over 2000 homes in Winchester
Winchester is set to see faster, safer journeys and 2000 new homes, as ministers approve the M3 J9 scheme in South Hampshire. Backed by £290 million of government funding, the road scheme will significantly speed up journey times, reducing the current bottleneck and saving commuters, businesses and tourists hundreds of hours each week. Peak time […]
A1 dualling project cancelled due to spiralling costs
On what has proved to be a poor day for A-road dualling projects, it has been revealed that plans to dual the A1 in Northumberland have been cancelled by the government due to projections which suggested the scheme would cost upwards of half a billion pounds. The scheme to upgrade the 13-mile (20km) section of […]
Heidi Alexander appointed new Transport Secretary
Heidi Alexander has been appointed the new transport secretary after Louise Haigh resigned. The Swindon South MP who was a justice minister until her promotion today, and previously worked as Sadiq Khan’s deputy transport mayor between 2018 and 2021. Ms Haigh resigned after it was revealed she pleaded guilty to an offence related to incorrectly telling police that […]