TO BE PUBLISHED February 2027
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This conference will consider policy priorities and next steps for improving regional transport connectivity and local integration in England. It takes place in the context of the Government’s Better Connected: a strategy for integrated transport published in April 2026, ongoing reform to transport governance, including the Bus Services Act 2025, English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, the Railways Bill and preparations for the establishment of Great British Railways, alongside wider changes in planning, investment and infrastructure delivery.
Multi-modal integration - alignment with growth, housing & the environment
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine practical implications of Better Connected, and what they mean for the future planning and delivery of England’s transport network and for the people who use it. Delegates will consider the role of national and regional transport bodies in supporting multi-modal integration and cross-boundary planning, including the practicalities of simpler payments and ticketing across services.
Discussion will assess the alignment of transport policy with wider goals for economic growth, housing delivery, access to employment and services, and environmental sustainability, in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 and UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy.
Devolution, local delivery capacity & access to public transport
The role of devolution in supporting local leaders to address transport priorities will be examined, with discussion on how consolidated, multi-year funding arrangements are working in practice for city regions and other local transport authorities, alongside requirements for strengthening local capacity to plan and deliver transport schemes. Strategies for addressing regional and rural inequalities in access, reliability and affordability of public transport will also be considered, looking at the reduction of the national bus fare cap in England to £2 from January 2027, and opportunities from the Bus Services Act 2025 to support service reform and multi-modal connectivity.
Data, digital tools, climate resilience & environmental outcomes
Further sessions will assess the role of data, modelling and digital tools in supporting planning, performance monitoring, demand management and passenger experience, and barriers to wider adoption by local authorities. Delegates will examine approaches to strengthening infrastructure resilience in the context of the Climate Adaptation Strategy for Transport. Discussion will also consider progress on transport decarbonisation, and how regional planning and investment decisions can support nature recovery and wider environmental outcomes.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy, strategy & governance:
- Better Connected - people-centred, place-based and partnership-driven principles - governance across national, regional and local levels
- accountability and transparency - implications of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 for local transport investment and decision-making
- Transport for City Regions - £15.6bn multi-year settlements for 2027/28-2031/32 - Local Transport Grant for smaller cities, towns and rural areas - capacity for transport planning and delivery
- Bus Services Act 2025 - franchising and enhanced partnerships
- Railways Bill - preparations for GBR - interface between GBR and mayoral strategic authorities
- connectivity & accessibility:
- multi-modal integration and cross‑boundary planning - operator coordination for end-to-end journeys - cycle-rail integration - pedestrian and cycle routes
- transport poverty, affordability and unequal access - £2 national bus fare cap from January 2027 - rural connectivity - development and future adoption of the Accessible Travel Charter
- monitoring passenger experience - passenger watchdog proposed in the Railways Bill - rail consumer standards and complaints - wider public-transport advocacy
- aligning transport & development:
- alignment of transport and housing in local and national capital investment programmes, including RIS3 - UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy - long-term investment certainty
- appraisal and decision-making - the new Appraisal, Modelling and Evaluation Strategy - capturing place-based and wider outcomes
- connectivity and place-based approaches - implementation of the April 2026 statutory Local Transport Plan guidance
- innovation, data & digital tools:
- open data and accessible information for passengers - reliability of journey information and timetables - digital connectivity on the transport network
- role of AI in timetabling decisions and transport resilience - data sharing between transport operators and transport authorities
- fares and ticketing simplification - innovation in payments - supporting local authorities in delivering integrated contactless ticketing - 2030 ambition for major city regions
- planned transport innovation procurement pathway for local authorities - £40m funding for local trials of digital technologies - procurement barriers, regulatory uncertainty and scaling up adoption
- decarbonisation, resilience & environmental outcomes:
- Climate Adaptation Strategy for Transport - risks, vulnerabilities and interdependencies - embedding climate resilience in planning and appraisal - climate resilience standards by 2030
- net zero alignment - vehicle decarbonisation and zero-emission vehicle transition across cars, buses and fleets - nature recovery and wider environmental outcomes
