Integrated transport A new generation of interchanges www.bettertransport.org.uk Contents Executive summary Executive summary 3 Transport networks should be efficient, affordable, Funding and support accessible and comprehensive. Good modal Introduction 4 A Bus and Coach Investment Strategy is long overdue. interchanges are central to creating such networks. The Government should develop a multi-year bus Planning and interchanges 6 and coach investment strategy to sit alongside other That much of the country lacks such systems is the Case study - Thurrock 12 transport investment, such as the Road Investment result of disjointed and reductive transport planning Strategy and rail’s High Level Output Specification. Case study - Catthorpe Interchange 16 and investment. Despite in-principle support and a number of small national initiatives, there has been Case study - Luton North 19 A joint Department for Transport (DfT), Department a widespread and ongoing failure to link transport for Housing, Communities and Local Government Other opportunities for improved connectivity 23 networks and modes. The resulting over-reliance on fund should be established to support the delivery cars is engendering negative social, economic and Conclusions and recommendations 26 of national priority interchanges and to fund regional environmental ramifications. These consequences assessment of interchange opportunities. Cross- References and image credits 30 unfairly disadvantage those who do not have a car government working should also examine how better and lead to perverse spending decisions to address interchanges can contribute to policies such as the the resulting congestion. Industrial Strategy. We need a better way forward. This report makes the Infrastructure schemes funded via the Road Investment case for a new generation of transport interchanges. Strategy (RIS) and all future rail franchises should be Taking account of technological, administrative and required to actively deliver better modal integration. social developments, it looks at both strategic and local opportunities for transport modes and services. Devolution Planning reform The creation of Combined Authorities and Sub- National Transport Bodies (SNTB) should be used The National Planning Policy Framework should be to significantly expand the integration of transport explicit in setting out the benefits of good modal planning and deliver the interchange facilities via a interchanges and their potential as hubs for sustainable review of opportunities to develop rail, bus, and coach development. There should also be detailed guidance interchanges. on planning and locating of interchanges. Goodwill toward joined-up transport provision is not The National Policy Statement on National Networks enough – more and better interchanges combined with should be amended to include passenger transport better joined-up services are required. interchanges alongside the existing information on rail freight interchanges. The National Infrastructure Commission should undertake a comprehensive assessment of appropriate locations for major interchanges. Transport options in the West Midlands 2 www.bettertransport.org.uk www.bettertransport.org.uk 3 In addition to these benefits, there are new reasons to Introduction focus on multi-modal travel. While currently loosely defined, the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) An efficient transport system should be easy has the potential to transform travel. MaaS foresees and affordable to use, accessible to all, and a move away from car ownership and towards a comprehensive in the destinations it serves. model where people purchase a journey by whichever This requires well-planned infrastructure and services. mode is most efficient. Thinking has so far focused Yet too often our transport networks fail to deliver on technology needed to achieve this through better such a network. journey planning and autonomous vehicles. If it is to transform how we travel for the better, however, MaaS The reason for this is clear. Planning, operation will need to be supported by greatly improved physical and investment in individual transport modes is connections between modes. Because national and undertaken in isolation. This means much transport local government, transport operators and the bodies planning remains reductive. For example, if there is a responsible for managing our road and rail networks budget for roads then the response to a congested road rarely work together, this essential element is both will be to add more road capacity. It will not generally long overdue and requiring of urgent attention. be to identify the wider causes of the congestion nor contemplate the best transport solution to resolve it. Good interchange facilities do exist in the UK. The most well-used of these are in major conurbations where A principal casualty of the current approach is mainline rail termini meet local transport for onward interchanges. By definition, interchanges require a travel. Cities with light and suburban rail systems also joined-up approach to transport. Despite some recent often have interchange stations specially designed to attempts at more creative planning, opportunities to bring services together. link up road and rail infrastructure and services are routinely missed and often undervalued. While the above examples perform an important function, all too often they represent the full extent of Good interchanges can greatly influence the travel planned support for multimodalism. In smaller cities choices people make. Existing interchanges have and towns informal interchanges have evolved between developed for many reasons including facilitating easier Stratford Interchange, London rail and bus networks. The usefulness of these, however, access to networks, taking advantage of co-located is frequently undermined by poorly coordinated and Without planning and investment in better So, there is a clear and pressing need for better transport infrastructure, making the most efficient integrated timetabling and promotion. Rural areas fare interchanges, the absence of affordable, efficient and integration of our transport systems. If our networks use of available capacity and to support new retail and worse, often relying on sparse and slow bus networks easy to use alternatives will mean those with access to are to become more efficient and easier to access, we housing development. the funding for which is under annual pressure. a private car continue to rely on them. Those without need to move beyond a small number of showcase them will continue to be doubly disadvantaged by examples and develop many more interchange points. Depending on their location, capacity and design, Away from major cities, public transport is regularly the negative social and environmental impacts of Some of these will be strategic pieces of infrastructure, a good interchange can offer: planned as a series of independent routes, not a our over-reliance on private cars, and the inefficient bringing together major roads and rail lines. Others ● Links to a wide range of destinations employing cohesive linked network. This approach infects not only planning and spending decisions that attempt to will be simpler, offering local interchanges designed to several modes planning between modes, but planning within modes. accommodate them. meet urban, suburban and rural needs. ● Integrated travel information for ease of use For example, rail franchises rarely consider links with ● Access to good quality transport services with clear services offered by other franchises. Development and investment in existing infrastructure This research highlights why and where better routes between modes is rarely planned in ways that promote efficient use of interchanges are needed. It considers the benefits ● Local benefits such a more attractive, visited and Addressing these lost opportunities requires door networks overall. The absence of integrated planning of specific locations and looks at the role different more accessible public realm. to door planning of the type the Government and facilities causes congestion and leads to perverse organisations and policy initiatives should play in envisaged in its ‘Door to Door’ strategy of 2013 (now public spending decisions. It is the travelling public bringing more such developments about. withdrawn). More and better interchanges are a part who pay the price for this in wasted time, long or of this along with other initiatives such as integrated difficult journeys, with some even prevented from fares and ticketing. travelling at all. 4 www.bettertransport.org.uk www.bettertransport.org.uk 5 Context operations. While effective at facilitating access to The UK lacks a proactive and strategic approach to public transport, the contribution to sustainability that Example: transport integration. Despite in-principle support and such operations make is hampered by the continued Rail-based park and ride interchanges reliance on private car that they engender and their much lip service, there are often siloed structures in In recent years, a number of smaller interchanges It is also connected to the Cambridgeshire Guided limited impact on overall road mileage. coach, bus and rail industries, a lack of clear guidance based around new railway stations have been Busway. Other stations such as Edinburgh Gateway from national government and a shortage of skills and built. These have the potential to be multimodal have been conceived primarily as interchanges with We can