150x150.png)
The Department for Transport has today published Better Connected, its long-awaited strategy for integrated local transport in England. Formerly known as the Integrated National Transport Strategy, Better Connected sets out a clear vision for how transport systems across the country can become safer, more reliable, more affordable, more accessible and easier to use. At its core is a strong emphasis on technology, data and innovation as the enablers of a more joined-up transport experience outside London.
The strategy seeks to replicate the characteristics of successful, integrated transport networks already seen in cities such as London, Liverpool and Nottingham. These places demonstrate how coordination between different modes, consistent passenger information and simple payment systems can transform everyday travel. Better Connected aims to bring these benefits to communities across England by aligning policy, funding and delivery around a shared framework for local transport.
At the heart of Better Connected are forty funded commitments structured around eight strategic priorities. These include simplifying payments and information, providing safe and dependable journeys, making travel accessible and affordable, creating healthier communities, aligning transport and development, championing data and technology, empowering local leaders, and optimising decision-making and appraisal. Together, these priorities reflect a shift away from siloed transport planning towards a more integrated, user-focused approach.
Technology is not treated as a standalone theme, but as a cross-cutting enabler embedded throughout the strategy. From smart ticketing and real-time information to digital twins and artificial intelligence, Better Connected explicitly commits to “embed technology and innovation in transport”. This marks an important signal to industry that digital capability will be central to how the strategy is delivered in practice.
One of the most prominent areas of focus in the strategy is integrated contactless ticketing. Several priority interventions are dedicated to supporting city regions and local areas to roll out simple, seamless payment systems that work across modes. This includes providing back-end tools and capability, developing technologies that offer a menu of choices for implementation, and working directly with city regions as a delivery priority.
The strategy also highlights the development of technology to enable the expansion of Project Coral (a multi-operator tap-and-go ticketing initiative) to rail, signalling an ambition to move towards truly multimodal ticketing that includes bus, rail and other services. For passengers, this approach promises a more intuitive experience, reducing the complexity that can discourage people from using public transport. For authorities, it offers a scalable framework rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
Alongside urban deployment, Better Connected recognises the need to test integrated approaches in less dense areas. A £6 million integrated transport demonstrator programme in the rural Hope Valley region will explore how technology-enabled integration can work in different geographical contexts, ensuring that innovation is not limited to major city regions.
Reliable services and accurate information are fundamental to passenger confidence. The strategy therefore includes additional funding to track bus punctuality and enforce timetables, alongside commitments to improve the quality of real-time information so that digital timetables accurately reflect expected arrival times. These measures underline the role of data in holding services to account and ensuring that information presented to users matches reality.
Better Connected also commits to working with Google to integrate the live location and expected arrival times of local bus services into the Google Maps app. This reflects an acknowledgement that passengers increasingly rely on widely used digital platforms for journey planning, and that public transport data must be available where users already are.
On the rail side, the strategy highlights collaboration with GBRx, the innovation arm of Great British Railways, to create a plan for how artificial intelligence can be used to improve timetabling decisions and network resilience. This signals a growing interest in advanced analytics to support more robust planning and response to disruption.
Accessibility is another key theme running through the strategy’s technology commitments. Better Connected includes plans to publish an improvement plan to increase the data available to help people with accessibility needs plan their journeys. Better information, presented in accessible formats, can play a critical role in enabling more people to travel independently and confidently.
The strategy also considers how digital tools can support better planning and appraisal. This includes examining the role of the Connectivity Tool in national planning policy and guidance, as well as investing £30 million in integrated transport digital twins. These digital representations of transport systems can support more informed decision-making by allowing planners to test scenarios and understand impacts before changes are implemented.
Complementing this, Better Connected sets out a plan to improve and invest in digital connectivity across the transport network. Reliable digital infrastructure is a prerequisite for many of the innovations described in the strategy, from real-time information to connected services and data-driven operations.
Beyond specific technologies, Better Connected places emphasis on how innovation is procured and supported. Commitments include delivering a Transport Innovation Procurement Pathway, exploring options to support knowledge exchanges, piloting an Integration Innovation Fund and developing a Transport Data Marketplace. These measures are designed to create clearer routes for innovation to move from concept to deployment, while improving access to data across the sector.
The strategy also commits to commissioning research into the barriers to, and benefits of, Mobility as a Service, as well as establishing a Mass Transit Taskforce. Together, these initiatives reflect an intention to combine practical delivery with evidence-based policy development.
Commenting on the publication of Better Connected, Max Sugarman, Chief Executive of Intelligent Transport Systems UK, welcomed the strategy’s emphasis on technology. He highlighted the importance of areas such as digital twins, journey planning, smart ticketing and more effective use of data, noting that many of the policies align with recommendations made in ITS UK’s Manifesto for the Future of Transport.
He emphasised that technology has a critical role to play in supporting a safer, more accessible and joined-up transport network, and described the strategy as a strong path forward that industry stands ready to support.
Overall, Better Connected provides a comprehensive framework for integrating transport systems across England, with technology positioned as a central enabler rather than an optional add-on. By combining funding commitments with a clear set of priorities, the strategy sends a strong signal about the direction of travel for local transport policy.
However, as Better Connected deliberately focuses on improving integration, affordability and user experience across public transport and roads, it does not introduce or signal any Road User Charging policy. Road pricing remains outside the scope of the strategy, despite elements such as the National Parking Platform and Electric Vehicle Charging initiatives being included.
For the transport technology industry, Better Connected offers both opportunity and responsibility. Delivering on its ambitions will depend on effective collaboration between government, local authorities and industry to turn policy intent into practical outcomes that passengers can experience in their daily journeys.
Click the buttons below to see more articles:
See all ArticlesIndustry InsightEventsITS Thought LeadershipITS Educational