Since the start of the new year, the team at Intuitive has been very busy indeed. We’ve been getting out and about, mixing with transport industry leaders, and keeping our ears close to the ground for the latest developments.
There’s no doubt that the rail, bus and coach sectors are hugely exciting places to be right now, with some amazing opportunities for talented leaders to make their mark – although, of course, we would say that! Here’s more about what the Intuitive team have been up to over the last few months.
George Bradshaw Address 2024
I was among those in attendance at this year’s George Bradshaw Address on February 20th. With a general election expected later this year, rail minister Huw Merriman delivered a keynote speech at the event, as did shadow rail minister Stephen Morgan.
Both keynote speakers concurred that there was a pressing need for reform in the rail industry, and the event coincided with the publication of the new draft Rail Reform Bill by the Department for Transport. Labour, meanwhile, is proposing to take the rail system into government ownership as existing contracts expire, with a new overarching public body to run the network.
An informed audience of industry insiders subjected both speakers to some perceptive and challenging questions. There was relatively little detail from either, however, about how UK rail might address its burgeoning skills shortage and recruitment crisis.
Southeastern Social Mobility Action Plan launch
Also in February, I attended the launch of Southeastern’s new Social Mobility Action Plan at the Houses of Parliament. Created in collaboration with the Purpose Coalition, the plan outlines Southeastern’s plans to promote social mobility across the area it serves.
Southeastern is the UK’s first rail operator to publish its own plan for boosting social mobility. The report outlines a range of measures to promote better support for mental health, neurodiversity and wellbeing, and new outreach initiatives in schools and colleges to drive recruitment.
Speakers at the event included Southeastern’s managing director Steve White, Chris Loder MP and Purpose Coalition chair Justine Greening, formerly Secretary of State for Transport.
Confederation of Passenger Transport annual conference
On January 18th, Caroline Wilson, our Head of Client Engagement, took a trip down to London for this year’s Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) annual conference. The CPT, which represents bus and coach operators across the UK, is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the conference was an interesting and highly topical event.
Evolving customer expectations were among the main topics of conversation at the CPT’s annual conference. With the bus and coach sector subject to tight budgetary constraints, attendees and speakers discussed how the industry might get true value for money from its investments.
Partnership was the word of the day, fostering closer collaboration to ensure that transport sector budgets are able to go that bit further. The bus and coach industry is crucial to keeping Britain moving – and though there is ample space for innovation, it was widely agreed that it is vital to get the basics right.
Port of Tyne site visit
On February 6th, Caroline visited the Port of Tyne, near Newcastle, with our Engagement Partner Mel Hodgson. One of the UK’s most innovative ports, the Port of Tyne has big plans for the near future – including becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and doubling the diversity of its workforce over the same period.
The visit provided a great opportunity to learn more about the port and its important role in the UK economy; for example, it holds 40% of the UK’s tea and is responsible for providing one-eighth of its electricity supply. Caroline will also be attending the UK Ports Conference in May.
Transdev York depot grand opening
On March 14th, Transdev opened its brand-new depot in York – and our colleague Caroline Wilson was among those in attendance for the grand opening. Leaders from across the transport industry and York itself were present to meet the Transdev team and explore this impressive new facility.
The new depot is designed with the environment in mind, offering state-of-the-art facilities as well as deriving its energy from solar power. It even has bat and bird boxes so that local wildlife can enjoy a safe and secure home on the site!
This is, of course, just a sample of what the Intuitive team has been doing in recent months. I took part in a host of other events – in January alone, for instance, I attended the Railway Industry Association Parliamentary reception, the official opening of the Kents Bank Railway Library in Cumbria alongside Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and the Recruitment Network Conference.
I also joined Stephen Morgan for the Wolmar Transport Lunch on February 6th and attended the Rail Partners Parliamentary Reception for Freight with Huw Merriman. I also enjoyed a day on the iconic British Pullman with Nigel Harris, former managing editor of Rail magazine and co-host of the Green Signals podcast.
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