Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have about the effects of co-ordinating bus and rail services on the use of public transport; and whether they provide funding to promote such co-ordination.

Decisions on how best to co-ordinate bus and rail services are best tackled locally. The needs of all public transport users must be taken into account when considering how to manage the different public transport networks. Changes at one station or location may benefit passengers there but may be a disadvantage to passengers further along the route.

Through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, the Department for Transport has provided funding for measures to improve integration between bus and rail services. A report on some of the lessons learnt from this Fund includes information on the effects on patronage of improved modal interchanges and is available on the Government’s website at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-sustainable-transport-fund-what-works.