EEH Chair Responds to the Publication of DfT 'Better Connected'

The Chair of England's Economic Heartland and the Chair of the Integration Taskforce have responded to the publication of the Department for Transport's 'Better Connected' Transport Strategy

Insight: Why region is Better Connected trailblazer

What makes our region uniquely well positioned to be a trailblazer to deliver the aspirations of today’s Better Connected strategy for integrated transport?

Insight: Innovation as a tool for Integration

Transport networks work best when different modes, buses, trains, walking, cycling, and new mobility technologies, connect seamlessly. Across the England’s Economic Heartland (EEH)region, local authorities are continually exploring innovative ways to make everyday travel easier, more reliable, and better connected.

EEH Integration Work at Board

EEH's integration work was on the agenda at England’s Economic Heartland’s Board last week.

Members heard about the launch of the Integration Taskforce, which will provide expert, independent guidance on opportunities for better integration in the region.

They also received an update on our transport opportunity plans (TOPs) which will increase connectivity and support multimodal journeys in specific places. TOPs are being developed and brought forward through collaboration with local authority partners and key stakeholders.

EEH is currently progressing a TOP for Bedford and the opportunities associated with the Universal Studios resort. Members heard that EEH is also in the early stages of assessing a potential TOP at Silverstone, aligning with the ‘Silverstone 2035’ ambitions.

Insight: My top ten integration stats

March 2026: From accessibility gaps to the rapid rise of micromobility, these stats from evidence submitted to the Transport Committee show how better planning, smarter connections and strong digital tools can transform everyday journeys.

Insight: EEH DRT guide will inform integration work

March 2026: EEH has published a comprehensive overview of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) schemes across the region: illustrating how flexible, technology‑enabled services are helping local authorities address rural accessibility challenges, support essential travel, and strengthen the wider public transport network

Insight: What Transport Committee evidence says about integration

March 2026: The Transport Committee’s recent inquiry on ‘joined-up’ journeys offered a treasure trove of evidence and viewpoints on integration. I reviewed the more than 100 submissions as part of EEH’s evidence-based approach on integration to help inform our major programme of work going forward.

Integration Taskforce launched!

March 2026: England’s Economic Heartland has launched its Integration Taskforce, a panel of nationally renowned experts who will drive forward innovative approaches to transport integration in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. Founding members of the taskforce were unveiled at the national Interchange Conference. It will be chaired by Stephen Joseph, a visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire’s Smart Mobility Unit and chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport from 1988 to 2018.

Meet some of our taskforce members

Phase One integration report published

December 2025: Game-changing opportunities to create a truly integrated transport system in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor have been set out by EEH as the first phase of a major programme of work.

Integration and Bus Symposium 2025

November 2025: “EEH can become the model region where integration is not an aspiration, but standard practice.” That was the view of the Campaign for Better Transport's Michael Solomon Williams, one of several brilliant speakers at our Bus and Integration Symposium.

Multi-billion pound value of buses revealed

November 2025: Bus services within the Heartland region generate billions of pounds in economic benefits and deliver more than a four-fold return on public investment, according to new research by England's Economic Heartland.The report, developed in partnership with KPMG, provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the economic, social, and environmental value of bus services across the region, and within each local authority area.

An integrated 'corridor of corridors'

March 2025: The opportunity East West Rail presents is about so much more than new train services on 80-odd miles of track. It can transcend expectations of what infrastructure can unlock for our economy, environment and society: but only if we – collectively – enable this to happen.
East West Rail must be the catalyst for a far wider integrated, connected transport corridor, offering superb door-to-door connectivity to and from stations.