Mike Chatterton

📢 This. Is. Not. A. Drill. This is a call to climate action for members of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT). We are delighted today to announce the launch of an important new initiative called ‘CIHT CLIMATES’. I can’t wait for the broad church of our members to step up and engage. Last night I was in London. At 8pm it was sweltering at 28C. I couldn’t imagine being in Delhi where it recently sailed close to 50C …. in 2024. Thanks to the billions of tonnes of CO2 each year still pouring into the atmosphere from human activity, global warming is continuing. New temperature records will be set and broken. Even when annual emissions peak, the CO2 already in the atmosphere will continue doing its work. So where is the world heading? Will global climate action be enough to bend the emissions curve? Or will we follow one of the possible paths depicted by the IPCC that leads towards a catastrophic 4C+ future? What does this mean for the transport sector and the organisations and individuals involved? By exploring possible futures, what insights can we bring back to inform our actions in the present? CIHT CLIMATES – ‘Changing Landscapes for Infrastructure and Mobility: Assessing Transport and Environment Scenarios' – will involve a series of 8 UK workshops from September to December 2024, followed by further online workshops in early 2025. They are open to CIHT members and free to attend – but you need to book a place to secure your spot. Don’t delay! Head to https://lnkd.in/eU2KuhtW The more diverse the attendance at workshops is, the better – whether or not you feel well-informed about climate change and climate action, whether or not you are seriously concerned about the future, whether you are in contracting or consulting, in planning or engineering, or love heavy metal or not – you would be very welcome at one of the workshops. Workshops are day-long allowing participants to fully engage in shared thinking and insights as they explore their views, travel forward as CIHT scouts to 2035, and home in on the priority actions for the different actors in our sector back here in 2024/25. The initiative will later include a survey to gather wider views on where we might be heading and what we should be doing to equip ourselves and our sector for what may be approaching. Please don’t pass this initiative by – spread the word and consider attending. I am looking forward to each and every workshop and can’t wait to see who comes along and what we learn from each other. Thank you Mott MacDonald for sponsoring CIHT CLIMATES and making possible the journey ahead we are about to embark on. P.S. If you're taking part please feel free to bring your authentic self and wear what you like. #climateaction Andrew Crudgington Annette Smith Janice J. Daniel Isichei Andrew Theobald Nikki Van Dijk Sharad D Kerai Swati Mittal Emily See Peter Molyneux Sue Percy Stephen Cragg Thomas Knight Greg Marsden Jillian Anable Kim Yates

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Today was an impromptu #VideoBlog (Vlog) day........ I spent a couple of hours this afternoon with our Network Rail 'Wales and Borders' #IntelligentInfrastructure team in Cardiff. And it was high time that the #SelfieStick and #WirelessMicrophones were put into action! We remotely monitor thousands of railway assets across our railway: Switch & Crossing layouts, track circuits, axle counters, power systems, air conditioning, coolers, points heating, flood risk sites, drainage systems, security systems, cables, track geometry, earthworks, structures and more....... Why do we do this? To keep the railway safer, more predictable, more reliable and to better understand our assets in order to optimise our asset inspection, maintenance and renewals programmes. It was good to meet the team, to chat through the progress being made, to see the latest assets being monitored and to talk through our next trials and future ideas. Nicola, our #ReliabilityImprovementSpecialist lead, and I decided to do an impromptu Video Blog and nailed it in a single take. Thanks to Nicola Morgan and the team for the visit today! Cheers Nick. PS: I have now completed the upload of my whole back catalogue of video blogs (100s of them) here: https://lnkd.in/eXaxy2Hh #RailwayFamily #IntelligentInfrastructure #ReliableRailway #TrackWorkerSafety #PredictAndPrevent #RiskBasedMaintenance #TheNicolaAndNickShow #OneTakeWonders #NetworkRailNick #LifeIsBetterInOrange

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Fascinating insights into the community transport sector this morning at the Community Transport Association's presentation: 'Preview of the 2024 State of the Sector: Empowering Community Transport Operators'. This is presenting the data from the extensive Mapping England Survey. Some key challenges have emerged re. CT to transition to low carbon : ❌ 78% of CT operators use accessible minibuses making 55% of the fleet ❌ Three quarters of the vehicles purchased were diesel ❌ purchases of electric vehicles appears to have stalled ❌ less than 5% of vehicles purchased are 'green fuels' Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations Community Transport Association

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Re-flow – Re-flow: The Conversation – Uncovering the Less-Understood Issues in Highways Episode 8 https://lnkd.in/eTXQ7swW

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A-Z of Transport Economics: T for TAG This week’s edition is a bit of a love letter to TAG, the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom's Transport Analysis Guidance. For appraisal practitioners in the UK, this is the first point of call for all things modelling and appraisal related (not forgetting that Wales and Scotland also have their own versions of appraisal guidance, WelTAG and STAG respectively). TAG contains a comprehensive set of ‘Units’, which are documents each focusing on a separate area of appraisal – e.g. unit A3 deals with environmental appraisal, A4-3 deals with place-based analysis and so on. These units tackle a given topic in depth, outlining how they should be approached when it comes to producing a transport appraisal. It was great to see updated modelling units released recently, developed by Arup along with partners from AECOM and Systra – especially the new Agent-Based Modelling Unit M5-4, an area that our City Modelling Lab has been championing for years. There are also a range of spreadsheets and workbooks intended to assist with estimating impacts – the TAG Data Book contains loads of information about things like values of time, vehicle occupancy, journey purpose and much more, whilst the Active Mode Appraisal Toolkit can be used to appraise active travel schemes. The DfT’s Transport Appraisal and Strategic Modelling division makes refinements over time to keep it up to date and ensure that it captures the latest findings and research. A welcome introduction in the past couple of years has been the TAG Conference (aka ‘TAG Fest’) which includes a range of presentations on topical issues and hopefully will have the same longevity as Glastonbury! TAG is available from here and is very near the top of my bookmarks bar! https://lnkd.in/eN6qfyuF #WeAreArup #TransportEconomicsAtoZ #transporteconomics #TAG #TPSE #transportanalysisguidance

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Rail, other forms of public transport and active travel should obviously have a central role in enabling net zero without stunting economic growth or social improvement. To play its full part, rail also needs to reduce its own emissions and good progress has been made but more can be achieved through further innovation. So it's good to see this fully updated and refreshed priority of the Rail Technical Strategy on low emissions. #RTSLowEmissions #RailTechnicalStrategy University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN)

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So this could be quite interesting. Analysis I have done (if slightly rudimentary) seems to indicate that successful parking and traffic policy interventions need buy in across the board, so politically, media and sector. See Scotland for a good example of this and 20mph as a bad version. So this Bristol intervention is one to watch. It’s local so allows the rest of England to have a contrary opinion. Politically should be ok, Greens support it, Labour and the Lib Dems probably do too. But messaging worries me. Telling people to reconsider having a car or ‘just walk a bit further’ could easily alienate people. I would urge them to speak to councils in Scotland who have implemented pavement parking recently. They have some great example of how they have managed to implement it and keep residents onside. Oh and if anyone can tell me the mechanism Bristol will use to implement this please do, if successful seems it would negate the need for a centrally legislated order.

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As the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill advances, it’s crucial for the Government to engage with industry.   The only way to ensure a smooth transition to Great British Rail is to thrash out the specifics with all parties involved. Through meaningful dialogue around the practicalities of handover both passengers and workers can be protected.   With thanks to PoliticsHome, you can read my latest opinion editorial in The House Magazine. I explain why – 200 years after the British Government and the rail industry united to launch the world’s first passenger railway – collaboration is key for a smooth transition to Great British Rail. https://lnkd.in/ewitp4zz

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Connecting Communities in action at Taunton. Throughput my transport career being a keen eyed observer is critical to understanding transport patterns first hand that often gets lost in a plehora of data. I understand the benefit of figures to help give a qualified argument for a business case or to augment a service within the funding envelope, but to strengthen it with real live date, ie people moving is also vital. So, I have been at Taunton at 08.00 for the last two mornings to observe the arrival of three trains, one from Penzance, London and Cardiff and the interaction between them and other onward connections. The first thing I notice was the sheer volume of students alighting from the train from Cardiff and filling the stairwell, which then dispersed to both exits, with a large volume heading towards the bus stops near the multi storey car park where several Mini Buses where waiting to take them onto the Sixth Form College (Huish) whilst some headed to Taunton School and the rest walked into town. Whilst on the station there was a quick connection between the arrival from Penzance and the local train toward Cardiff, this slick interchange came about as both trains where either side of the island was platform. In normal operation throughout the day this doesn’t occur and passengers have to navigate stairs or the lifts to interchange. It’s not possible to do this with every train but understanding the key trains that interconnect could we make it easier for those rail users? Having taken the local train to Bridgwater, I observe another group of students (about 40) alight and are heading to Bridgwater and Taunton College, some from Taunton and some from further afield like Tiverton and Exeter that have interchanged at Taunton. The college is just one off the end of the platform (50m) but is not accessible so a 1km walk is required via a rather unattractive route known locally as Piggy Lane. The College and former district council of Sedgemoor could see the value in improving the linkage and work has been ongoing to see the shorter link established. This will have a major impact on access to education via rail and all parties have a part to play in making this happen, as connecting communities (in this case students and staff) to work and education is vital for growth. The Bridgwater College link and the Bridgwater Bus Interchange are important to this connectivity and prosperity. Let’s make it happen!

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🚄 Update on HS2 Hybrid Bill: Select Committee Instructions 🛤️ ▪️Next Tuesday (21st May), the Select Committee handling the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill will receive new instructions, as published in today's Order Paper. This is happening due to the HS2 hybrid bill being repurposed for Northern Powerhouse Rail. Here's what this means: 🔻 Amendments to the Bill: The Committee will be instructed toremove certain provisions, specifically: ▪️The railway segment from Phase 2a of High Speed 2 south of Crewe to near Millington and Rostherne in Cheshire. ▪️The segment from Hoo Green in Cheshire to the West Coast Main Line at Bamfurlong, south of Wigan. 🔻 Petition Restrictions: ▪️The Committee will not consider petitions challenging the necessity of these railway segments. 🔻 Focus of the Bill: ▪️The Bill's focus will be on the high-speed railway from near Millington and Rostherne in Cheshire to Manchester Piccadilly Station, with no new stations except Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. 🔻 Amendments by the Bill's Sponsor: ▪️The Committee can consider further amendments proposed by the Bill’s sponsor, as long as they align with the Bill's principle. These changes aim to streamline the process and ensure the NPR project's alignment with redefined objectives following the cancellation of HS2’s Northen Legs. Link to Order Papers⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e7mug6wa #HS2 #HighSpeedRail #UKInfrastructure #Transport #Manchester #Crewe #NorthernPowerhouseRail #OrderPaper #Westminster 🚆🏗️🌍

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We have updated our transport insights document for Q4 2023 Context: each quarter, the transport sub-section of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Policy & Insight Team publish a slide pack which seeks to summarise how transport and mobility is recovering / has recovered from the impacts of Covid-19. This includes metrics relating to strategic road usage, local road usage, footfall levels, air quality, car park usage and levels of active travel. Headlines from Q4 2023: Park & Ride passenger numbers overall continue to exceed 2019 levels. Vehicular flow recovery on the strategic road network continues to progress – and is now 6% ahead of 2019 levels. Multi-storey car park use is 11% below 2019 levels. This is the closest to pre-Covid since the Park Street facility closed for redevelopment in early 2022. Retail footfall in central Cambridge has dropped to 15% below pre-Covid levels, although weekends (-8%) are far closer to recovery than weekdays (-25%). https://lnkd.in/gN5A9Sbb

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Are you wanting to equip yourself with new knowledge and skills to contribute to changes ahead in the transport sector but wondering about how to fund taking steps to to do so? If so perhaps the new RJRF scheme "Ready for the Future" can help.... #continuingprofessionaldevelopment

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In the rail industry safety always comes first. The latest edition of Rail Director has some excellent articles to keep you up to date and learn from what other are doing. Enjoy

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Here is a case study of TfW's Climate Change Adaptation Plan. A year on from the plan's first publication, we are now working on our annual update providing progress against our strategic objectives stated within the plan. #climateadaptation #transport #climatechange

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https://lnkd.in/emCcb6_n This is *exactly* the kind of forward-thinking strategy that is required for #Manchester and the wider #NorthernPowerhouse. We need a long-term vision with key milestones and requirements. Andrew Dixon is absolutely on the mark here, especially in regard to Piccadilly requiring a new through-station for NPR. Whilst the government has committed to a route via #ManchesterAirport, personally I don't see that materialising until and unless #HS2 to Manchester is re-instated to make the business case stack up. Without that such a route won't get off the starting blocks as no business case has been developed with HS2 removed from scope. As long as a new route through Manchester is provided, and an underground through-station at #ManchesterPiccadilly, everything should be up for re-consideration, including the demands of one-seat-rides to the airport. If trains run every 5mins from Piccadilly (which only takes 15-20mins) a direct connection shouldn't be a requirement. People should be able to treat the rail system as a network, not a set of individual point-point lines. This is the case in #London as well as most major cities and agglomerations in continental Europe. Manchester should be no different. #Rail

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📌 New Report Shows Alternative to Cancelled HS2 Route 🚄 A recent #report commissioned by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands explores a new rail line as a cost-effective substitute for the cancelled #HS2 extension between the West Midlands and Manchester. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 - 🚄 Route Details: A proposed 50-mile railway line between Staffordshire and Cheshire would connect to the Northern Powerhouse Rail. - 💰 Cost Efficiency: Estimated to be 60-75% cheaper than the original HS2 segment. - 🚦 Journey Time: Would result in a 15-minute longer travel time from London to Manchester compared to the scrapped HS2 section. - 🛠 Savings: Reuse of existing land and design work could save £2 billion. - 📈 Financing: Should leverage private sector investment with government partnerships. Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester #Mayor, emphasized that the lack of connection between major regions of the UK will soon hamper economic growth due to the already congested West Coast Main Line. Source: Independent.co.uk #HighSpeedRail #Investment #Transport #EconomicGrowth _ _ _ 👍 Like if you find value, re-post ♻️, and follow for more interesting tech, and innovation insights.

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My view of the wonderful architecture of London St Pancras Starion obscured by a presenter at the innovateUK BridgeAI conference today. 😊 Excellent presentation, discussion and demonstration of AI in the transport sector through the High Growth AI accelerator programme. I was particularly interested to hear Robert Smith author of many books on the subject explaining the key challenges for the current AI boom. Essentially finding what decisions are best made by AI and how this can support us humans in fulfilling our overall responsibilities in the human-machine relationship. #transport #rail #AI

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