Business Plan 2025-28 update

02 May 2025

Today we’re pleased to share our new Business Plan covering April 2025 to March 2028. This plan sets out how Transport Focus will champion the needs of transport users across Britain’s rail, bus and road network over the next three years.

In our statutory position as the independent organisation representing transport users, we bring together governments, transport authorities and operators to ensure that the passenger and road user voice is at the heart of dec. Our vision is simple: we want a transport network increasingly designed and delivered around the needs of everyone who relies on it.

Our plan:

We’ve built this plan based on what users are telling us matters most to them. In selecting where to focus our efforts, we’ve considered whether:

• the issue is a high priority for most users

• the issue is important to a specific group of transport users, particularly if their needs are significant or often over-looked
• Transport Focus is well placed to influence change on this issue.

The plan reflects our continued commitment to working with elected representatives, operators and infrastructure delivery organisations to provide safe, reliable and effective transport services that users want and need.  By doing this we will play our part in strengthening the important contribution transport makes to economic growth.

Our priorities for 2025-26

For the year ahead, we’ve identified several high priority workstreams:

For roads users:

• improving road user satisfaction on England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads
• enhancing the experience of charging electric vehicles, with particular attention to accessibility
• making things better for lorry drivers and the freight sector.

For bus passengers:

• improving bus passenger satisfaction through our Your Bus Journey survey
• using the results to highlight key themes, emerging trends and best practice.

For rail passengers:

• improving rail passenger satisfaction through quarterly reports and league tables
• enhancing accessibility for rail users, particularly those with disabilities.

Cross-cutting priorities:

• ensuring future investment in transport is user-focused
• working with the Department for Transport to help make the new Passenger Standards Authority an effective independent voice and champion for passengers.

Our priorities for the year ahead:

To help meet our objectives, we’ve identified several high priority workstreams for the year ahead including:

For roads users:

• making sure journeys on England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads improve in ways that matters most to users (e.g. road surface quality), working closely with National Highways and using our Strategic Roads User Survey to measure satisfaction
• enhancing the experience of charging electric vehicles, with particular attention to accessibility, so that everyone can charge with confidence
• keeping government and industry focused on ensuring lorry drivers have the facilities they need to take a break from driving and that National Highways roads meet the needs of the logistics sector.

For bus passengers: 

• working closely with local authorities and bus operators to improve bus passenger satisfaction, using our Your Bus Journey survey to measure progress, share good practice and identify emerging trends
• enhancing accessibility for bus users, developing and sharing good practice.

For rail passengers:

• working with train operating companies to improve what matters most to passengers (e.g. cancellations, punctuality), using published scorecards and on-the-ground experience to drive a more customer focussed culture across the rail sector and support improvements with individual operators
• providing support and challenge to train operating companies so they improve their communication with passengers during disruption
• enhancing accessibility for rail users, particularly focussing on the experience of disabled passengers and services that they rely on (e.g. Turn-up and Go assistance)

Cross-cutting priorities:

• work with the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Office for Rail and Road, and National Highways to make sure key decisions relating to future transport investment and reform are user-focused
• improving how we identify and highlight issues for groups that can be over-looked in service delivery, including the digitally excluded and those who rely on public transport to access essential services
• supporting the development and implementation of the Integrated National Transport Strategy
• working with the Department for Transport to help make the new Passenger Standards Authority an effective independent voice and champion for passengers.

Nations and regions

Our work in Scotland will align with Scotland’s National Transport Strategy’s four key priorities, focusing on improving passenger satisfaction across rail and bus services.

In Wales, we’ll be working to influence bus reform through the upcoming Bus Bill, ensuring passenger priorities are at the heart of the legislation.

Across English regions, particularly in mayoral combined authorities, we’ll focus on improving end-to-end journeys, integration and accessibility, using our insight to influence and drive change.

Looking ahead

As outlined in our response to the recent Railways Bill consultation the transport sector, particularly the rail industry, is at a crossroads. The overall aim of the proposed reforms is to provide a railway that works better for passengers across Great Britain.

As we embark on this journey to deliver our business plan, we remain committed to listening to transport users, sharing their insights with those who can make a difference, and holding providers to account when changes aren’t made.

Our position as the independent watchdog, representing the interests of all transport users, gives us a unique opportunity to bring together stakeholders from across the sector to improve Britain’s transport services.

This isn’t just a document – it’s our roadmap for making transport better for everyone.

Transport Focus – Business Plan Update A4 2025

Transport Focus – Business Plan 2025 – Plain text

Transport Focus – Business Plan 2025 – Easy Read

Transport Focus – Business Plan 2025 – Large Print