Department for Transport

The Government recognises the important role of hydrogen in decarbonising the economy, and expects hydrogen and its derivatives to play a role in sectors where there are limited alternative solutions with each transport mode driving progress on the solution that is most appropriate to them.

The Department is supporting the transition to low carbon fuels in surface transport through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, alongside driving hydrogen research, development and deployment through programmes such as the SAF and ZEV Mandates, ZEHID, UK SHORE, the Advanced Fuels Fund, and the CAA’s Hydrogen in Aviation Regulatory Challenge. The Government will also be publishing a renewed Hydrogen Strategy in 2026 to sharpen priorities and deepen industry collaboration, alongside a forthcoming Zero Emission HGV and Coach Infrastructure Strategy.

This Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance for the next four years. Newcastle-Under-Lyme sits within Staffordshire, which is eligible to receive £201,853,000 of this funding.

In addition, in January 2026, the Department released a new rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance. Staffordshire was rated amber under this new system, with individual scorecards showing amber for road condition, green for spend, and amber for the adoption of best practice.

The Government is aware pavement robots are being used in some towns around the country. We are committed to bringing forward legislation to ensure the safe and lawful use of micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows, and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill contains powers for local leaders to control where micromobility delivery vehicles can be used in future.

Safety will remain our top priority whilst considering regulation for new technology, and any new regulations will be subject to public consultation and impact assessment, including on safety, wheelchair users and visually impaired people, before they come into force.

The Government is aware pavement robots are being used in some towns around the country. We are committed to bringing forward legislation to ensure the safe and lawful use of micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows, and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill contains powers for local leaders to control where micromobility delivery vehicles can be used in future.

Safety will remain our top priority whilst considering regulation for new technology, and any new regulations will be subject to public consultation and impact assessment, including on safety, wheelchair users and visually impaired people, before they come into force.

Road safety around schools is a priority for the Government, particularly the safety of children travelling to and from school.

Protection for children is not limited to the immediate school frontage; national transport policy focuses on improving safety along the whole journeys commonly made by children and young people, including routes to school. This approach includes the use of 20 mph limits where appropriate, alongside safer crossing facilities, traffic calming measures, School Streets schemes, enforcement, and school travel planning. The Government supports delivery of these measures through national funding, including £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance between 2026–27 and 2029–30, which local authorities can use to maintain and improve their road networks, including roads in the vicinity of schools.

Active Travel England (ATE) encourages authorities to consider a range of walking and cycling schemes to deal with local needs, including active travel to school. The Department for Transport and ATE have developed and published specific guidance on how to develop an effective School Streets scheme. School Streets can improve the experiences of a school’s pupils, staff, visitors, and neighbours alike at peak school arrival and departure times.

The Department does not set mandatory criteria for the installation of zebra crossings. Local authorities are best placed to decide whether a zebra crossing is appropriate, including outside primary schools, taking into account local traffic conditions, vehicle speeds and patterns of pedestrian movement.

The Department provides national good practice guidance in Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which includes advice on the assessment and design of pedestrian crossings. This is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

Chapter 6 is guidance and it is for authorities to consider how to apply it to their own roads.

The Department does not set mandatory criteria for the installation of zebra crossings. Local authorities are best placed to decide whether a zebra crossing is appropriate, including outside primary schools, taking into account local traffic conditions, vehicle speeds and patterns of pedestrian movement.

The Department provides national good practice guidance in Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which includes advice on the assessment and design of pedestrian crossings. This is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

Chapter 6 is guidance and it is for authorities to consider how to apply it to their own roads.

On 7 January 2026 we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Alongside the strategy, 5 consultations were published, and they will be open until 11 May:

• motoring offences
• introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers (category B driving licence)
• introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers
• improving moped and motorcycle training, testing and licensing (categories AM, A1, A2 and A driving licence)
• mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval

The Strategy sets ambitious targets to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65%, and 70% for children under 16, by 2035. Five consultations were launched alongside the Strategy addressing vulnerable road users, vehicle safety technologies and motoring offences.

The steps we take to improve road safety will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board which I will chair as the Minister for Local Transport.

Road safety is a shared responsibility, and the new strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone.

Travel arrangements with bus operators are typically not in scope for the Department’s rail Public Ownership Programme. Under the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) process, the Department is currently consulting Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) staff affected by the removal of this reciprocal travel benefit arrangement. Current reciprocal travel arrangements between Brighton & Hove and Metrobus and GTR are internal travel benefits provided by Go-Ahead Group. GTR’s successor public sector organisation, Thameslink Southern Great Northern Limited, will not be part of Go-Ahead Group.

Under the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) process, the Department is currently consulting Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) staff affected. Staff at Brighton & Hove and Metrobus are not within scope of such consultations.

Travel arrangements with bus operators are typically not in scope for the Department’s rail Public Ownership Programme. Under the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) process, the Department is currently consulting Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) staff affected by the removal of this reciprocal travel benefit arrangement. Current reciprocal travel arrangements between Brighton & Hove and Metrobus and GTR are internal travel benefits provided by Go-Ahead Group. GTR’s successor public sector organisation, Thameslink Southern Great Northern Limited, will not be part of Go-Ahead Group.

Two officials, one Grade 6 and one SEO travelled to/from Brunei at a total cost of £5,374.73 which was signed off in advance by a Senior Civil Servant, in line with departmental policy. The purpose of the trip was to conduct detailed multilateral air services negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to update air services arrangements. It was not possible to conduct these negotiations remotely.

The Department for Transport does not collect information about MSRS-supported freight movements via stations. The scheme divides Great Britain into 18 zones. Zone 1 covers East Tilbury station. The number of intermodal rail freight flows to and from Zone 1 over the past three financial years awarded at the main February bid rounds are as follows:

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is currently leading a research project, 'Cost Benefit Analysis of Noise Mitigation on the Rail Network', to support the Government's Noise Action Plans and development of future rail noise policy. There are no plans at the current time to commission research specifically on the impact of noise pollution from passenger information announcements.

The only English county that does not have a direct train service from London is Shropshire.

The department requires its operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand and provide value for money for the taxpayer.  Looking ahead to GBR, this offers us the opportunity to go further with optimising train services and driving up utilisation. Through GBR’s directing mind function, services and timetables will be developed in a coherent fashion that drives up network performance and improves the journey experience.

Under the current framework, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is responsible for making access decisions in line with its statutory duties. Moving forward, this will change as Great British Railways takes over responsibility for managing access to the network and ORR takes on a new role to hold GBR to account and ensure fairness and transparency for all operators. ORR will not, however, become part of the Department for Transport – it will remain independent.

All public bodies, including ORR and the future GBR, are obliged to comply with subsidy control and competition legislation across all of their activities, and this will remain the case.

Data on journeys specific to commuting or strictly from Essex into London are not available. However, the Office of Rail and Road collects regional rail usage figures presented below in Table 1.

Table 1: Journeys between London (region) and Essex (million passenger journeys)

Source: Regional rail usage | ORR Data Portal

Ahead of the establishment of GBR, integrated leadership teams are being set up across publicly owned train operators and Network Rail routes to increase collaboration and accountability, in turn delivering improvements for passengers and freight users. Jamie Burles, Integrated Managing Director, will drive this change across the Anglia region.

The Department is exploring a range of financing structures to support investment in rolling stock, in partnership with private finance. The Department remains in active engagement with Eurofima, as one element of this work, to assess how its financing mechanisms could support future investment in the UK rolling stock market. The Government will update the House in due course once decisions have been taken on accession to the Eurofima Convention, to support wider rolling stock investment plans.

The DFT Operator (DFTO), on behalf of the Secretary of State, meet with Avanti West Coast (AWC) regularly to discuss services for passengers, including onboard Wi-Fi connectivity.

AWC is upgrading its onboard Wi-Fi system which is intended to improve connectivity speeds and performance. Additionally, AWC previously completed a positive trial using laser window etching technology to improve connectivity and will be undertaking further testing with the view to roll out across its Class 390 fleet. These projects will improve connectivity for passengers across all AWC services but particularly those operated by Class 390 trains, including the London to Manchester route.

More generally, services on the West Coast Main Line will benefit from the Spending Review funding to deploy low earth orbit satellite connectivity, to significantly improve the on-train Wi-Fi. The DfTO Telecoms Policy team is currently working through the procurement strategy and business case process and further details will be announced in due course. Also, Project Reach will improve the mobile signal in 57 tunnels on the three mainline routes on the East Coast Mainline, West Coast Mainline and Great Western.

Operators are required to achieve challenging customer experience targets across a range of measures, including Wi-Fi connectivity. These standards are regularly and independently inspected via the Service Quality Regime and there are accountability and financial consequences for failure.

The Government is working with mayoral combined authorities and local partners to implement improvements to passenger fares and ticketing, with work accelerated in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. With initial delivery of schemes in the West Midlands by spring 2027, and Manchester later this year. We are also exploring options for further improvement with smarter ticketing to passengers in the North and East Midlands, with cutting-edge digital trials.

The Department has committed to creating an Accessible Travel Charter. This will set out commitments for participating transport providers and authorities to sign up to, which are clear to passengers and move us closer to the Department’s ambition for a barrier-free transport system.

We remain fully committed to working with operators across all transport modes, local government, regulators, disabled people, and their representative organisations. 160 organisations have been invited to contribute to the development of the Charter to date, either through a written survey, participation in workshops to frame our approach, or meetings with officials. We are also grateful for the ongoing scrutiny provided by the Department’s Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), which provides independent expert advice.

We want to continue to engage as widely as possible as we develop the Charter principles. We will continue this work by organising further targeted sessions as the work evolves, including through direct engagement with people who have lived experience, to ensure this is fully embedded.

The Charter will set out outcome-focused commitments across the emerging themes of culture shift, accessible information and transport providers working together better locally in disabled passengers’ interests. Setting out what passengers should expect across all modes of transport, these principles will provide a clear and practical framework for improving the accessibility of our transport network.

Our aim is to publish the Charter before the end of 2026.

The Department for Transport currently has no plans to re-instate the Freight Facilities Grant in England or offer interest free loans to support the cost of new siding connections.

The Department has committed £20m in 2026/27 to the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme, which assists companies with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive.

The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (AIR) require the provision of audible and visible route and location information on board most local bus and coach services in Great Britain. The regulations have been applied on a phased basis; local services subject to the Regulations must comply with them by October 2026, with the last tranche of partially compliant vehicles needing to comply by October 2031. We expect operators to ensure this happens on time.

The Government understands and recognises the specific challenges to comply with AIR within some parts of the sector, for example the rail replacement sector. We continue to work closely with partners to assess the sector’s readiness for full compliance and to provide support to help them achieve this. This includes the development of new technological solutions for providing information on board coaches, funding for smaller operators, alongside the existing time-limited exemption from the technical requirements of AIR, which is due to end on 31 July 2026.

“Better Connected: a strategy for integrated transport” sets out this government's vision for a transport network that works well for people so they can make the journeys they need to easily. It supports the creation of unified and integrated transport systems at the national and local level, including by improving integration between modes and empowering local leaders to make decisions that are right for their areas.

In terms of connections between ferry terminals and rail services, we would expect Local Transport Authorities to identify any gaps and discuss potential solutions with the appropriate train operator.

The Government knows the importance of reliable bus services in enabling people to stay connected and access vital services, as well as for allowing people to reach other modes of travel, including ferry terminals. We are committed to delivering better bus services and the Bus Services Act 2025 puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

Transport is devolved so the provision of public transport to ferry ports in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be for the devolved administrations to consider.

The Chair terminated Chris Gibb’s employment following a breach of his terms of appointment.

The government is taking forward the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill to deliver the Northern Powerhouse Rail route into Manchester via Manchester Airport. We have not reversed the previous government’s decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2 and will adapt the bill to deliver only the section of route necessary for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Government engaged closely with Mayors across the North of England during the development of the Northern Growth Strategy. Compact agreements with each Mayoral Combined Authority show the support for the Programme and the approach and are available online within the Rail Network Correspondence section of the Government's website.

We will continue to work in close collaboration with Mayors and partners across the North throughout the development and delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Aspects of the proposal have been analysed for their technical feasibility and how they would support passengers on HS2 in the long term. The Department is working with industry on potential interventions to further improve journeys for Northwest passengers when high-speed services operate on the West Coast Mainline.

In addition, the Northern Growth Strategy announcement of January 2026 set out the Government’s intention to ultimately deliver a full North-South new line between Birmingham and Manchester. This will enable the Government to safeguard future growth for the long term by ensuring the West Coast Main Line corridor offers sufficient capacity and good connectivity.

Holders of a valid European Union or European Economic Area (EU/EEA) licence can drive in this country using that licence until they reach the age of 70 or for three years, whichever is longer. After this time, they must exchange their EU/EEA licence for a GB one.

Drivers from countries with which there is an agreement for licence exchange can drive here for 12 months before exchanging their foreign licence for a GB one. Driving licence exchange agreements are currently in place with:

Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

The licensing authority seeking an exchange agreement must provide the information needed to assess whether its driver licensing and testing standards are equivalent to those in GB.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been approached by the following countries seeking a driving licence exchange agreement: Albania, Argentina, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Georgia, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, San Marino, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Israel and Tunisia. Work on these agreements is in various stages of development.

Holders of a valid European Union or European Economic Area (EU/EEA) licence can drive in this country using that licence until they reach the age of 70 or for three years, whichever is longer. After this time, they must exchange their EU/EEA licence for a GB one.

Drivers from countries with which there is an agreement for licence exchange can drive here for 12 months before exchanging their foreign licence for a GB one. Driving licence exchange agreements are currently in place with:

Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

The licensing authority seeking an exchange agreement must provide the information needed to assess whether its driver licensing and testing standards are equivalent to those in GB.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been approached by the following countries seeking a driving licence exchange agreement: Albania, Argentina, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Georgia, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, San Marino, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Israel and Tunisia. Work on these agreements is in various stages of development.

Holders of a valid European Union or European Economic Area (EU/EEA) licence can drive in this country using that licence until they reach the age of 70 or for three years, whichever is longer. After this time, they must exchange their EU/EEA licence for a GB one.

Drivers from countries with which there is an agreement for licence exchange can drive here for 12 months before exchanging their foreign licence for a GB one. Driving licence exchange agreements are currently in place with:

Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

The licensing authority seeking an exchange agreement must provide the information needed to assess whether its driver licensing and testing standards are equivalent to those in GB.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been approached by the following countries seeking a driving licence exchange agreement: Albania, Argentina, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Georgia, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, San Marino, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Israel and Tunisia. Work on these agreements is in various stages of development.

Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will receive c£7.7bn of transport funding through their integrated settlement over the Spending Review period from 2026/27 to 2029/30 (to 2028/29 for Resource Funding).

Mayoral Strategic Authorities with a mayor in place will receive c£4bn of transport funding through the Mayoral Transport Fund over the same period.

All other local transport authorities will receive c£9.6bn of local transport funding over the Spending Review period, via the Integrated Transport Fund and Bus Services Fund. This includes c£1.2bn for Foundation Strategic Authorities (combined authorities without an elected mayor) and c£2.9bn for local authorities that are part of the Devolution Priority Programme and are due to be established as Mayoral Transport Authorities.

The Government’s policy is that all official travel must be efficient and cost-effective. The Department does encourage the use of electric vehicles for vehicle hire. However, short-term vehicle hires can happen at short notice and are subject to vehicle availability at the time and the policies of the hire company.

The Department expects National Highways to carry out appropriate consultation where changes to the strategic road network may impact local communities. Where a proposal to remove lighting would directly affect a local community, National Highways would seek residents’ views through stakeholder consultation.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government is committed to taking advantage of vehicle technologies to make our roads safer. The Strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, acknowledging that vehicle technologies can significantly reduce risk when they function as intended, and that responsibility for safety is shared across government, manufacturers, repairers and the wider transport sector.

My Department is currently exploring options for future policy decisions to maximise the benefits of vehicle technologies. This includes engagement on a wide range of issues related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including vehicle maintenance. My Department is also consulting on mandating a range of ADAS in new vehicles, alongside a call for evidence seeking views on the ongoing maintenance of these systems.

Given the importance of properly maintained vehicles for road safety, the Government keeps the MOT under continual review to ensure it remains effective as vehicle technology evolves. This includes considering how increasingly sophisticated systems, such as ADAS, can be appropriately monitored as part of wider vehicle safety assurance. Officials continue to gather and assess evidence to inform any future changes.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government is committed to taking advantage of vehicle technologies to make our roads safer. The Strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, acknowledging that vehicle technologies can significantly reduce risk when they function as intended, and that responsibility for safety is shared across government, manufacturers, repairers and the wider transport sector.

My Department is currently exploring options for future policy decisions to maximise the benefits of vehicle technologies. This includes engagement on a wide range of issues related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including vehicle maintenance. My Department is also consulting on mandating a range of ADAS in new vehicles, alongside a call for evidence seeking views on the ongoing maintenance of these systems.

Given the importance of properly maintained vehicles for road safety, the Government keeps the MOT under continual review to ensure it remains effective as vehicle technology evolves. This includes considering how increasingly sophisticated systems, such as ADAS, can be appropriately monitored as part of wider vehicle safety assurance. Officials continue to gather and assess evidence to inform any future changes.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government is committed to taking advantage of vehicle technologies to make our roads safer. The Strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, acknowledging that vehicle technologies can significantly reduce risk when they function as intended, and that responsibility for safety is shared across government, manufacturers, repairers and the wider transport sector.

My Department is currently exploring options for future policy decisions to maximise the benefits of vehicle technologies. This includes engagement on a wide range of issues related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including vehicle maintenance. My Department is also consulting on mandating a range of ADAS in new vehicles, alongside a call for evidence seeking views on the ongoing maintenance of these systems.

Given the importance of properly maintained vehicles for road safety, the Government keeps the MOT under continual review to ensure it remains effective as vehicle technology evolves. This includes considering how increasingly sophisticated systems, such as ADAS, can be appropriately monitored as part of wider vehicle safety assurance. Officials continue to gather and assess evidence to inform any future changes.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government is committed to taking advantage of vehicle technologies to make our roads safer. The Strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, acknowledging that vehicle technologies can significantly reduce risk when they function as intended, and that responsibility for safety is shared across government, manufacturers, repairers and the wider transport sector.

My Department is currently exploring options for future policy decisions to maximise the benefits of vehicle technologies. This includes engagement on a wide range of issues related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including vehicle maintenance. My Department is also consulting on mandating a range of ADAS in new vehicles, alongside a call for evidence seeking views on the ongoing maintenance of these systems.

Given the importance of properly maintained vehicles for road safety, the Government keeps the MOT under continual review to ensure it remains effective as vehicle technology evolves. This includes considering how increasingly sophisticated systems, such as ADAS, can be appropriately monitored as part of wider vehicle safety assurance. Officials continue to gather and assess evidence to inform any future changes.