Buses Conference: Public Transport North 2025

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BUSES magazine is once again joining forces with sister journal, Modern Railways, organiser of the UK’s highly regarded regional Fourth Friday Club railway conferences to host our sixth Buses event. Returning to Manchester we turn our attention to the North of England and the regions plans for the bus industry.

Day one, Tuesday, chaired by Robert Montgomery focuses on the bus industry and the opportunities and issues within the region. The conference opens with an address by Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, welcoming our delegates to the conference and discussing his plans for route franchising in Merseyside. Our guest speakers will discuss a number of topics including route franchising, policies allowing local authorities to run their own buses and what do bus users want? On the technological front we’ll discuss zero emission, hydrogen and electric developments and technological opportunities.

Day two, Modern Railways focusses on rail matters.

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Order of Speakers Bus Day - Public Transport North Conference

08.30 Coffee

09.20 Welcome from Bob Montgomery

09.30 Kara Wood, Head of Franchising, Liverpool Combined Authority

Bus Franchising in the Liverpool City Region: Progress, Challenges and the Path Ahead

09.50 Jane Cole, Managing Director, Blackpool Transport Services A Municipal Operator in a Franchising World

10.20 Anne-Marie Purcell, Director, Purcell Advisory Ltd (formerly Chief Transformation Officer, Bus Franchising and Bee Network, TfGM)

UK Wide Bus Reform

10.40 Janette Bell, Managing Director, First Bus 'Driven by People: Building Bus Success Through Collaboration'

11.00 Discussion

11.20 Coffee, Networking and visiting the trade stands

12.00 Ben Wakerley, Managing Director, Warrington’s Own Buses Update on running their electric fleet

12.20 Simon Cubbitt, Commercial Director Bus and Coach VEV, Jack Abbot, Engineering Director Stagecoach Bus Yorkshire Delivering cleaner air, lower costs and smarter fleet operations through innovative energy management and collaborative delivery

12.40 Torbjorn Krovel, CEO, Tenix

Lessons in Reliability from 1000+ eBuses in the Nordics

13.00 Discussion

13.15 Lunch, Visiting Trade Stands

14.30 Charlie Hamilton, Partner, Grant Thornton

14.50 Stevie Collins, Social Value Manager Go North West (Go Ahead)

The purpose of social value and how Go North West have delivered this as part of the franchised network

15.20 Graham Vidler, Chief Executive & Andrew McGuinness, Regional Manager Northern/Northwest/Yorkshire, Confederation of Passenger Transport Meeting passenger priorities: lessons from the south

15.40 Discussion

16.00 Anna-jane Hunter, Chair of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

16.20 Laura Hadzik, JMW Solicitors, Head of Commercial Transport Division and a Director of Women in Bus and Coach

16.40 Mellor

17.00 Discussion

17.15 Conference Closes