Lunch with Leon

Leon is joined by Peter Campbell, Global Transport Correspondent at the Financial Times. Peter discusses how the Iran conflict has upended aviation, from soaring jet fuel prices to the Gulf carriers’ remarkable resilience, and why the UK’s recent air traffic control outage exposed the cost of running airline networks so tightly. He also shares insights from a two-and-a-half-hour interview with Michael O’Leary, weighs up incoming competition for Eurostar, and explains why he doubts Heathrow’s third runway will ever be built. The pair close with a lively debate on the future of autonomous vehicles, including a radical idea for who should own them.

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Philip Gerhardt, Commercial Director at Arriva London. Philip discusses the pressures reshaping London's bus network – from softening ridership to rising operator costs – and how tools like schedule optimisation and AI-assisted service control are improving reliability. He also reflects on Super Loop's success as a triumph of branding, and champions the career opportunities opening up across transport.

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Lauren Sager Weinstein, Chief Data Officer at TfL. Lauren discusses the rapid rise of AI, the risk of it magnifying human bias, and the ethics of transparency in journey planning tools optimised for commission over commuters. She also reflects on the trust Londoners place in the TfL brand, and the importance of bringing young people, especially women and those from underrepresented backgrounds, into transport and data careers.

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Rose McArthur, Director of Transport, Highways, Infrastructure and Climate Change at Cheshire West and Chester Council. Rose reflects on the recent Rural Bus Conference in Chester and the social value of community transport, traces her career from London 2012 and the Commonwealth Games to 20 years in private consultancy, and shares the financial pressures behind local authority life and ageing road infrastructure.

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Andrew Sherrington, Head of Strategic Development at Go South Coast and General Manager for Swindons own Buses and Salisbury Reds. Andrew reflects on his career spanning First Bus and Transport for Wales before turning to the pressing challenges facing the bus industry today – from electrification and depot power supplies to road congestion, franchising, and the case for buses over rail.

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Geoff Cross, Managing Director of Centrad – the UK's leading telematics and CCTV business. Geoff traces his journey from teenage bus operator to transport technology entrepreneur, and discusses how AI-powered fleet management platforms are helping bus operators tackle rising insurance costs, driver fatigue, and risk management.

Transport may well suffer as the UK Government once again is distracted by internal issues. Is democracy itself even threatened?

This month, Leon speaks with accomplished rail professional Anna-Jane Hunter, Chair of CILT UK's Board of Trustees and Partner at railway consultancy Winder Phillips. Their conversation spans the evolution of CILT and the valuable role it plays for the industry, and gets into the nitty gritty of rail reform, including the movers and shakers behind it and the challenge of fares and public trust. 

Leon delves into the world of active transport in this week's episode, joined by cycling journalist and co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast, Laura Laker. Laura, who has forged a career focused on cycling and urban transport, discusses how she first fell in love with cycling, the success of the cycling lobby in persuading city mayors to allocate road space for cyclists and the challenges of implementing cycling infrastructure, alongside the rise of e-scooters and electric bikes.