February 2021 ciht.org.uk transportation professional Futuristic tram taken forward for Coventry winter service graphic design active travel digital roads Call for UK Transport sign Old rail tunnels Better public to follow doyenne shows converted for engagement Canada’s lead off her work cycling in Wales encouraged p7 p11 p16 p22 Visit CIHT’s official jobs website: cihtjobs.com contents transportation transportation consultants directory 2021 professional Supplement to Transportation Professional, June 2021 Transportation Professional, February 2021 ciht.org.uk Welcome to our seventh digital issue: BBA, 7 Linden Close, Tunbridge Wells, transportation Kent TN4 8HH T: 01892 524468 professional Once again, Transportation Professional is provided as both an Editor: Mike Walter 01892 553148 electronic version and as a printed magazine. Readers who receive [email protected] a copy in the post may also like to browse this digital version to gain News Editor: access to additional content, such as videos. Steve Dale 01892 553146 Look out for the hand icon against some of the photographs [email protected] in this issue which will direct you to further content. Certain articles Consultant Editor: Nick Barrett 01892 524468 also contain interactive links highlighted in blue which will take you [email protected] to documents providing extra detail. Production: We welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have about Alastair Lloyd 01892 553145 [email protected] Futuristic tram taken this current digital format. forward for Coventry Andrew Pilcher 01892 553147 winter service graphic design active travel digital roads Call for UK Transport sign Old rail tunnels Better public to follow doyenne shows converted for engagement Canada’s lead off her work cycling in Wales encouraged [email protected] p7 p11 p16 p22 Mike Walter, Editor Visit CIHT’s offi cial jobs website: cihtjobs.com Commercial Director: Fawad Minhas 01892 553149 [email protected] 4 news & analysis: Strong case offered for more rail spend; Fears for public transport as car use spike expected; Call to follow overseas Sales Executive: 4 Kirsty Barrett 01892 524468 approaches to winter and streamline communications [email protected] 8 debate: Could electric scooters be a realistic mode of transport for CIHT’s Transportation Consultants Directory is most people taking short trips in urban areas within five years? the only source of information devoted exclusively working life: Paul Tuohy of the Campaign for Better Transport to transportation specialists in the UK. Building on 9 tales from the past: The Highway Engineer the formula which has established the directory as Proprietor: The Chartered Institution of the definitive source of information on firms, their Highways & Transportation, 119 Britannia just one more thing: Rail debate rumbles on Walk, London N1 7JE T: 0207 336 1555 transportation skills and their specialisms, the [email protected], ciht.org.uk, @CIHTUK 10 letters: Airport expansion and Covid; Electric vehicles and the planet; 2021 directory will include: TP Editorial Panel: Nick Boyle, John Amos, Bridge maintenance and active travel; Cycle priority at junctions Lynn Basford, Peter Dickinson, Jo Field, Billy 11 transport sketch: Taking a virtual tour of sign exhibition > A comprehensive listing of UK firms McCoubrey, Chris Menzies, John Paterson, Joanna Sammons, Dana Skelley 11 Novel public transport scheme gathers Barrett Byrd Barrett Byrd 12 very light rail: cover story – Associates Associates > A detailed breakdown of each firm’s areas of momentum in Coventry; Trams to be tested at Dudley innovation expertise centre; Cirencester looks to introduce lightweight rail project > In depth analysis of the economic prospects for 16 active travel: Green routes give deserted rail tunnels a new lease of Barrett Byrd Barrett Byrd the sector Associates Associates life for cyclists and walkers in south Wales Publisher: Barrett, Byrd Associates, 7 Linden 18 road maintenance: Pothole funding challenge continues to frustrate > What transportation consultants think in our Close, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8HH business trends survey T: 01892 524455, barrett-byrd.com and a profile of the new Midlands Highway Alliance Plus group The views expressed in Transportation 22 future mobility: Discussion hears of drive towards digital roads and Professional are not necessarily those of a look at research to ensure autonomous cars meet people’s needs Published on 14 June with the June 2021 issue the Chartered Institution of Highways & of Transportation Professional, the directory Transportation or Barrett, Byrd Associates. 24 technical paper: Realising cost and efficiency savings from precise will be delivered to every CIHT member plus key asset condition measurements transport clients. 26 ciht news: Qualified members celebrate success, Entries open for transportation professional annual awards ceremony, Governance changes at Council, Details of Questionnaires have been sent out. If you wish to – Journal of the CIHT Spring Conference set out secure an entry, please make sure you complete 2021 Subscription rates: 29 events: A round up of webinars taking place over the coming months, (January to December only, 10 issues) and return your forms by Friday 26 March. UK – £103 per year plus details of how to listen again to CIHT webinars held recently. International – £111 per year 30 directory If your firm was not listed in 2020 and you want ISSN: 1478-4467 16 31 recruitment to be in the 2021 directory, call 01892 524468 or © The Chartered Institution of Highways email [email protected] & Transportation 2021. Incorporated by Royal Charter. CIHT is a charity registered in England (1136896), Scotland (SC040873) This issue’s cover: Officials from For advertising opportunities contact commercial and the Republic of Ireland (20103989). Coventry visit a factory to see progress director Fawad Minhas on 01892 553149 or email Transportation Professional is with building the city’s first ever ‘very available online in the ‘My CIHT’ light rail’ vehicle (see page 12). [email protected] section of ciht.org.uk COVER IMAGE: MARK RADFORD February 2021 3 news & analysis news & analysis Strong case offered for more rail spend Fears for public transport Britain’s railways could soon see a “very Passenger numbers may substantial bounceback” in passenger as car use spike expected bounce back numbers, assuming the Covid vaccination A LLOYD programme continues to be rolled out at pace, according to National Infrastructure Commission chair Sir John Armitt. Werrington’s new rail tunnel NETWORK RAIL Speaking to an All Party Parliamentary Rail Group meeting the other week Sir John Peterborough push added he did not believe that long term changes in passenger behaviour will be Delays to passenger trains near Peterborough significant enough to undermine the case for caused by slower moving freight traffic should more investment in greater rail capacity. ease by the end of the year when a new ‘dive He also said it would be “foolish to bet under’ opens beneath the East Coast Mainline. against the historic resilience of larger towns A 155m long curved concrete box tunnel was and cities” in recovering from the pandemic. I do not believe there is evidence to stop major He predicted that passenger volumes will slowly pushed beneath railway tracks at a junction TFGM Sir John spoke of the rail investments.” likely return within the next three to four near Werrington over nine days in January using Public transport use has been hit hard by the pandemic, including on Manchester’s Metrolink continuing “strong case” Later in the session, economic advisor years, but added that the customer market is four hydraulic jacks. Work was carried out by for rail investment in the Oxera’s partner Andrew Meaney gave his likely to be different with more long distance Morgan Sindall Infrastructure. Transportation professionals face a major Sustainable modes including public Midlands and the north of thoughts on the future of rail travel post leisure journeys. The grade separation will allow slower freight challenge to ensure the eventual easing of transport must be “marketed in the right way England and commented Covid. It would seem “fanciful” to consider “I am almost certain there trains serving a line to Spalding to cross the main Covid restrictions does not signal an with the right pricing and flexible ticketing”, that the health crisis a return to people pressed up against each will need to be some sort of East Coast route without disrupting services, and explosion in car traffic following behavioural she said, noting that the move to more home and economic downturn other on the Tube any time soon, he said, incentivisation to encourage forms part of a wider £1.2Bn upgrade to the line. shifts seen since the start of the pandemic, a working will mean people are less willing to Sir John Armitt give “ever more reason adding that while recession and lockdown will people back onto rail and Network Rail’s principal programme sponsor webinar has heard. invest in season tickets. for work to go ahead and for a core set of end one day, reversing new trends like the use public transport,” he added, Ed Akers described the current East Coast Transport for Greater Manchester’s head of Nicola suggested that car clubs and the recommendations to be set and stuck to”. of video conferencing may be hard. “something akin to ‘Eat Out programme as “the biggest investment