Virgin Trains Ticketing announced as headline sponsors of Better Transport Week 2024

16 May 2024

Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Sustainable transport does amazing things; it shrinks traffic jams, cleans up our air and tackles climate change, it improves our health and boosts our economy, and it connects us to the things that matter. After the success of the first ever Better Transport Week last year, we wanted to make it an annual event, so we’re extremely pleased to be able to welcome Virgin Trains Ticketing on board as our headline sponsor for Better Transport Week 2024.” 

Better Transport Week 2024 aims to promote the wide range of benefits of public transport, shared mobility, walking and cycling to the public and encourage more people to travel sustainably. This year, the week is being sponsored by Virgin Trains Ticketing.  

Mark Plowright, Director at Virgin Trains Ticketing, said: “Virgin has always been passionate about train travel as a more sustainable form of domestic transport. We are delighted to support Better Transport Week and the important work that Campaign for Better Transport is doing to expedite fares reform. It’s crucial that we encourage more people in the UK to travel domestically by train and we can only achieve that by putting passengers first and making the train the most attractive and rewarding way to travel.”   

Campaign for Better Transport will officially launch Better Transport Week 2024 at the Railway Industry Association in central London, this evening (16 May). The transport charity and Virgin Trains Ticketing will be joined by the representatives from the transport industry, passenger groups and NGOs to unveil their plans for the week which will kick off at Kings Cross Railway Station in London on Monday 17 June. 

Along with Virgin Trains Ticketing, Better Transport Week 2024 is also being supported by AtkinsRéalis and the Rail Delivery Group. 

Rachel Evans, of AtkinsRéalis, said: “Better transport which shapes and engineers a brighter future for communities is in our DNA at AtkinsRealis. We’re proud to be part of this celebration of sustainable transport, from active travel through to very light rail (and everything in between) that, quite frankly, makes people’s lives better. A highlight for us will be hosting an event on Women’s Safety celebration on the 20th June in our Birmingham office, where we will be discussing why we need to consider the safety of women and girls to make sustainable transport initiatives more successful, and showcasing some great examples of initiatives being delivered in the West Midlands” 

Jaqueline Starr, CEO at Rail Delivery Group said: “This week is a fantastic opportunity to showcase sustainable travel and the vital role that rail plays in our transport network. Rail remains at the forefront of sustainable domestic travel, connecting communities and driving us towards a greener future. Our industry is committed to sustainable travel and will continue working with partners and stakeholders to ensure that rail is the most attractive option for domestic travel.” 

As part of Better Transport Week 2024, Campaign for Better Transport and SYSTRA will be hosting the first ever Better Transport Conference at Kings College’s Strand Campus in London. The conference will explore innovative solutions for a greener, fairer transport system and how to implement those changes.  

Chris Pownall, Consultancy Sales Director at SYSTRA, said: “Our clients around the country are now focussing on delivering sustainable mobility for their communities through good quality public transport, walking, cycling and shared mobility, and SYSTRA is committed to providing industry-leading advice to help them find and design the most innovative, cost-effective and impactful ways of achieving this.” 

Mr Tuohy added: “Public transport, shared and active travel can give us a brighter transport future – one that is greener and fairer, that connects people rather than leaving them behind, that helps provide cleaner air and a planet fit for the next generation. This Better Transport Week let’s celebrate the transport that matters.” 

For more information on Better Transport Week 2024, see www.bettertransportweek.org.uk 

ENDS  

Better Transport Week 2024 is being launched on Thursday 16 May 2023, at 18:00 at the Railway Industry Association, 16 Smith Square London SW1P 3JJ. Media are welcome to attend.  

For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk. 

Notes to Editors

1. Campaign for Better Transport operates in England and Wales. Campaign for Better Transport’s vision is for all communities to have access to high quality, sustainable transport that meets their needs, improves quality of life and protects the environment. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929).  
2. Virgin Trains Ticketing is a more rewarding way to book train travel on any train to anywhere across Great Britain. We’re all about saving our customers money and giving them rewards on top. With Virgin Trains Ticketing, you can earn Virgin Points on every £1 you spend on travel. And those points can be used to unlock discounts on future train travel, as well as giving you access to hundreds of different rewards from across the Virgin family and beyond with Virgin Red. (A free Virgin Red membership is required to earn and spend Virgin Points). On top of that there are zero booking fees on all tickets, and split ticket options on many routes to find you the same journey for less.
3. Created by the integration of long-standing organisations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
4. Rail Delivery Group is a membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a simpler, better railway. 
5. SYSTRA in the UK leads the delivery of sustainable infrastructure and environments through specialist engineering and consultancy services. A world leader in mobility and mass transit, we deliver planning and development consultancy, engineering design, project management, and specialist technical services, that enables the safe and efficient movement of people, goods and essential services.