A new coach network for the north of England
Our new report sets out a vision for reinvestment in coaches across the UK, including a proposal for a new network of coach routes for the north of England.
This will cut private car use while increasing connectivity and lessening social exclusion among the country’s most badly affected residents.
Over three million people in the north of England live in areas characterised by transport related social exclusion (TRSE), according to Transport for the North.
This means not being able to access key services and opportunities as needed due to poor public transport, whether due to limited coverage, unreliability or cost, and unfavourable conditions for active travel.
This exclusion disproportionately affects older, young and people with disabilities, those on low incomes, with caring responsibilities or in insecure work, especially those needing to travel different routes and times to main commuting flows.
Despite this being a relatively quick, easy and cheap way of cutting transport emissions while bringing a range of social and economic co-benefits to the north of England, not a single manifesto from any of the main parties contesting the 2024 general election makes reference to coaches in their transport policies.
Successive governments have promised the Earth to the people of the north of England, only to let economic inequality, connectivity and social isolation get worse and worse and worse.
We’ve dragged our feet for long enough. We’re calling on the next government to deliver a connectivity revolution for the north with an extensive luxury coach and bus network, linking everyone from the cities of Scotland to the capitals of mainland Europe.
This should be complemented with a commitment to rolling out 300 miles of bus lanes and 30 interchanges on England’s Strategic Road Network by 2030.
Coaches will cut carbon and increase connectivity, but most importantly - we can do this cheaply and quickly.
No more delays. No more excuses. Let’s reconnect the north of England.