A reflection on Enroute and the path ahead

Dear friends and colleagues,

After a great deal of thought and reflection, we have made the difficult decision not to continue Enroute’s activites beyond 2026. In the short term, we will continue to operate, supporting current projects and ensuring that the work produced through Enroute is preserved and remains publicly accessible.

Since Enroute was founded, we have brought together people with a shared interest in sustainable transport and evidence-based research. Over that time, we have produced thoughtful, high-quality work examining some of the most pressing and complex issues facing the UK’s public and active transport system. This has included original research into rail re-openings through our analysis of the Restoring your Railway programme, detailed work on the case for returning international rail services to Kent, in partnership with campaign group Bring Back Euro Trains, and forward-looking thinking on high speed rail, including our open letter to the Secretary of State calling for action on ‘Fixing the Spine’ alongside industry partners.

Alongside this, Enroute has developed a clear strategic voice, most notably through our long-term 2050 Vision for transport and our timely and purposeful responses to government consultations and policy announcements. We have aimed not to just comment on existing policy, but to challenge assumptions and broaden the debate about how sustainable transport can better support communities and the environment.

Enroute has also built strong relationships – through collaborations and events with partners such as the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Campaign for Better Transport, and participation in wider industry discussions, we have reached professional audiences and contributed to informed, constructive dialogue across the sector. The quality, commitment and generosity of those involved – volunteers, partners and supporters alike, but especially those who have given up their time for Enroute – has been a constant strength, and something we are proud of.

Over time, however, it has become clear that the organisational and administrative demands of running Enroute as a formal entity are increasingly disproportionate to the scale of activity we can sustainably support on a volunteer basis. We have explored alternative structures and ways of working, but none offered a sufficiently clear path forward that reduced this burden while remaining true to Enroute’s original purpose.

This decision is therefore considerate of sustainability and responsibility, not a lack of interest or belief in the value of transport research. We intend to protect the quality of what has been achieved, support volunteers to complete and publish their work, and ensure that all of our work remains available through a legacy website.

While Enroute as an organisation is coming to an end, the ideas and new-found interests we helped foster, especially through our volunteers, will continue. We hope that many who have been involved will carry this work forward into their careers or studies, and we are immensely grateful to everyone who has been part of Enroute’s journey.

Thank you for your support, your time, and your belief in what Enroute set out to do.

Yours,

David Frankal and Harry Burr
Joint Chief Executives
Enroute Group CIC