Landmark plan sets out the transport investment needed in the South East

Transport for the South East (TfSE) has launched a 12-week public consultation on a £45 billion plan that sets out the steps to decarbonise the transport system across the region, level-up left-behind communities and facilitate sustainable economic growth in the South East. 

Over the last five years TfSE has worked with a huge range of partners including local authorities, local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), district and borough authorities, national parks and other protected landscapes and representatives from National Highways, Network Rail and Transport for London. Together they have investigated the issues, challenges and opportunities identified in their transport strategy (2020) in more detail to identify a shortlist of integrated transport interventions that will make life better for people, for businesses and for the environment.

This plan is the culmination of that work. It recognises a need for greater connectivity between our major economic hubs, the international gateways and their markets, a more resilient and reliable transport network that can better manage demand, incidents and extreme weather and the infrastructure that will support the decarbonisation of the transport system.

The plan proposes, with a total capital cost of £45 billion over 27 years – the transport interventions included in this plan alone will generate 21,000 new jobs; an additional £4.1billion growth in GVA a year by 2050; an additional 550,000 rail trips a day and 1.6 million bus, mass transit and ferry trips a day, and take more than four million car trips a day off the roads of the South East. 

This growth will not come from transport alone, but transport will be a vital part of the jigsaw and an enabler of growth in other sectors. Realising this opportunity will require an integrated approach to investment and delivery. It will require working across institutional, sectoral, and spatial boundaries.

Councillor Keith Glazier, Chair of Transport for the South East said: “Our plan is ambitious, but it is achievable. It is an investment plan that for the first time looks at all modes and goes beyond boundaries to consider connectivity across the whole of the South East.

“We are immensely proud of the TfSE partnership and of the work that has gone into developing this bold and ambitious plan. We believe it truly puts the South East and its communities at the centre, connecting people and business, improving access to education, healthcare, jobs and our green spaces.

“Once finalised, this plan will be the blueprint for future investment in strategic transport infrastructure for the next thirty years. It will support the South East’s economy to more than double over the next thirty years. It provides the potential for new jobs, new homes and new opportunities – all supported by a modern, integrated transport network. Creating a prosperous, confident South East where people want to live, work, study, visit and do business.”

TfSE would like to hear from anyone who lives, works, travels through or visits the South East region. To view the draft Strategic Investment Plan and respond to the consultation visit www.tfse.org.uk or Transport for the South East – Strategic Investment Plan Consultation | Transport for the South East (engagementhq.com)

The consultation will close at on 12 September 2022.