10.02.20
Transport for the South East welcomes new partners
Network Rail, Highways England and Transport for London (TfL) have agreed to join the board for Transport for the South East, whilst working together with civic and business leaders representing more than 7.5m people and 300,000 businesses to form investment plans for the South East’s transport network.
The sub-national transport body, Transport for the South East, was created back in 2017 by bringing together local authorities, business groups and the transport sector to speak with one voice on the region’s strategic transport priorities.
The addition of Highways England and Network Rail is intended to strengthen joint working with the infrastructure owners responsible for operating, upholding and developing the region’s strategic road and rail links.
The support of TfL highlights the importance of the relationship between the capital and the South East region, not just in terms of transporting people and goods but also new housing and employment growth.
On the daily, more than 350,000 people commute between the Transport for the South East area and London by road and rail and forecasts predict that number to grow significantly in the years ahead.
This summer, Transport for the South East will publish a thirty-year transport strategy for the region which sets out how targeted transport investment can more than double the South East’s economy, create an additional 500,000 jobs, boost quality of life and access to opportunities for everyone and help cut the region’s carbon emissions to net-zero.
Chair of Transport for the South East, Councillor Keith Glazier, said: “Transport for the South East has quickly emerged as a strong and effective partnership, bringing together leaders from the public and private sectors to speak with one voice on our region’s transport needs.
“We are already working closely with Network Rail, Highways England and Transport for London as we develop our transport strategy and investment priorities for the South East. It makes sense to formalise those relationships, adding considerable technical expertise and strategic insight to our partnership board.
“Bringing Transport for the South East and these key partners closer together will help ensure we're best placed to deliver investment in the South East's most important strategic transport links while also working together to improve connectivity with the wider region and the UK.”