As we look back on 2025, one theme stands out at CitySwift: growth powered by exceptional people, smarter technology, and deeper collaboration across the industry. This year, our platform reached new markets, our insights shaped high-stake network decisions, and our team expanded to support a rapidly growing customer base. 

From breakthrough product innovation to major deployments with some of the world’s largest networks, 2025 marked a transformative step forward in our mission. The momentum behind data-driven public transport has never been stronger, and we’re proud to be leading that shift.

Looking back on 2025

Scaling impact

• In 2025, CitySwift processed the equivalent of 565 years of enriched network performance data, powering over 9,300 optimisation outputs, a 320% increase on 2024.
  
  
• Our platform now analyses over 3.3 billion passenger journeys annually.
• We reinforced our sustainability commitment with our Climate Action Policy, and our platform now helps cut over  13.4 million kgCO₂ emissions annually across global public transport networks.
  
  
• For the first time, CitySwift was named as one of Sifted’s Top 100 UK & Ireland and Top 250 Europe Startups, a proud milestone for our fast-growing company.

A growing team and expanded footprint at the PorterShed

We welcomed a diverse group of new hires across all teams, growing our headcount by 50%. To support our bigger team, we extended our presence at the PorterShed in Galway, creating more room for collaboration and innovation. Our people remain at the heart of CitySwift’s success, and 2025 marked a major step forward in building the team for our next chapter of growth.

Product innovation: Smarter tools for smarter networks

Launching CitySwift Headway

A major product milestone this year was the launch of CitySwift Headway, giving operators clear visibility of headway consistency and opportunities to improve reliability. Headway makes it easier to spot issues, understand the root causes, and make confident operational decisions. With more enhancements on the way, we continue to build tools that make managing network performance simpler, smarter, and more efficient.

Joining the Crown Commercial Service Transport Technology Framework

CitySwift became an approved supplier under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Transport Technology Framework (RM6347), giving public sector organisations across the UK a compliant and efficient route to procuring our performance optimisation platform.

Customer success in action

Performance transformation: Go-Ahead Group 

We partnered with Go-Ahead Group to deploy CitySwift across seven operating companies, helping the UK’s largest regional bus operator achieve a 4% improvement in networkwide punctuality and deliver gains of up to 11% in pilot regions. This deployment also accelerated decision-making by giving teams faster, clearer access to performance insights. 

At Busworld 2025, Go-Ahead Group’s UK Regional Bus MD, Martin Dean, highlighted how CitySwift is driving performance improvement, enabling data-driven operations, and supporting collaboration through innovation.

Driving reliability: Reading Buses

Reading Buses delivered exceptional improvements, including a 14% increase in punctuality on previously underperforming routes and wider network gains, helping restore passenger confidence.

Smarter BSIP delivery: East Riding of Yorkshire

East Riding used CitySwift to strengthen clarity, agility, and evidence-led decision-making across its rural network, supporting more targeted service changes and faster responses to community needs.

Stronger collaboration: North East Combined Authority

CitySwift provided a shared KPI framework across North East Combined Authority operators, bringing clearer performance insight, improved transparency, and more aligned regional decision-making.

Growing our customer community

Transforming London’s bus network with TfL

In March, CitySwift deployed its AI-powered optimisation platform across the entire London bus network - nearly 9,000 buses on 675 routes - partnering with Transport for London (TfL) and London’s operators to deliver more efficient scheduling and improved disruption response. At UITP Summit 2025 in June, TfL’s Head of Bus Performance, Philp Gerhardt, shared insights and quick wins CitySwift has already delivered for London’s bus network, including reducing route review time by over 50%.

Deepening our partnership with TfGM

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) renewed its partnership with CitySwift after seeing strong Bee Network improvements, including a 10% boost in punctuality on key routes, smarter vehicle allocation, and a 15% rise in patronage since franchising. Groupe TF1 highlighted how CitySwift is supporting TfGM in optimising Manchester’s public transport system in a special tech-innovation report, and UITP awarded our partnership a Special Recognition Award for the positive impact on Manchester’s bus network performance.

Global expansion with Citybus

We entered the Asia-Pacific region, partnering with Citybus Hong Kong to launch an AI-driven Operations Control Centre supporting more reliable, customer-focused services.

Delivering on-the-road results: Blackpool Transport

Blackpool Transport achieved a major performance milestone of 90% network-wide punctuality, and renewed and expanded its partnership with CitySwift through to 2031. CitySwift’s platform will be extended to Blackpool’s tram network, following a successful pilot, building on the success of the bus network improvements. 

Leading transport tech industry thinking

In 2025, we published frameworks, checklists, and webinars to help teams turn complex data into meaningful action. Highlights included:

• Bus network data audit checklist: This checklist helps to identify which data sets are currently accessible, uncover any gaps in visibility or data quality, and lay the foundation for confident, data-led decision making.
  
• Network performance assessment guide: This guide helps identify under- or over-utilised resources, uncover opportunities to reduce delays and improve reliability, and establish clear, evidence-based KPIs.
• Transport group performance management: Discover how leveraging historical network performance data, and guiding your teams to use it effectively, can unlock a better passenger experience and maximise network performance.
  
• Framework for using data to drive franchising success webinar: Watch our on-demand webinar as CitySwift’s Kate Hamblin and Carl Ogden reveal why top franchised networks start preparing early, the risks of ignoring performance data, and how to take a data-led approach at every stage.

Celebrating excellence: UK Bus Awards

CitySwift partners stood out at the 2025 UK Bus Awards, sweeping three of four “Operator of the Year” spots - Reading Buses, Diamond Bus North West, and winner Blackpool Transport. Go-Ahead Group’s Martin Dean was celebrated with the Lifetime Contribution Award. And CitySwift was proud to sponsor the Environmental Innovation award, won by Global, with Stagecoach Yorkshire and First Bus close behind.

Looking ahead to 2026‍

As we look ahead, we’re excited to deliver even more platform capabilities. We're laser-focused on bus network performance improvement, underpinned by large volumes of high-quality data, along with simulations to help customers plan with greater confidence.

At the core of everything remains our mission: empowering public transport teams with the data and tools to deliver better services for communities.

To our customers, partners, supporters, and the entire CitySwift team - thank you for an incredible year. We're excited to build on this momentum, so here’s to an ambitious and impactful 2026!