We were grateful to have Declan Kelly and Olivia McCombie recently join the Western Gateway STB team to support us through a range of projects. During their time with the team, they have gained valuable insight into everyday life at Western Gateway STB and how we support urban and rural connectivity in sustainable, climate conscious ways. Both students worked alongside many workstreams within the organisation, and participated in Programme team meetings.
Declan, a recent graduate of Human Geography from the University of the West of England, supported a range of projects from: important evaluation of the Tisbury Loop Strategic Outline Business case, to a Multi-modal study for Dorset and Electric vehicle infrastructure work. These opportunities allowed Declan to create professional strategic recommendations, develop his skills in data analysis, and critical thinking, and clarified his long-term career interests in transport planning and sustainable mobility.
Declan said: “My internship allowed me to gain confidence working in a professional policy and transport planning environment, applying academic knowledge to real-world regional projects. I improved communication and collaboration abilities by working with professionals and learned how to present data clearly to stakeholders. The experience on the whole has really strengthened my development.”
Olivia, a third-year student of Human Geography from the University of the West of England, developed a rural mobility pilots directory, delivered a coach industry update for our coach forum, and coded survey responses to improve rail accessibility. Supporting our team in the delivery of these projects gave Olivia the opportunity to learn new skills in excel coding, data analysis, professional presentation, and engagement with stakeholders.
Olivia said: “Working with Western Gateway STB has been incredibly inspiring. This internship has strengthened my skills across a range of projects and given me a genuine understanding of what it means to contribute to strategic transport planning. Being part of work that shapes how people travel, and supports Western Gateway STB’s mission to build resilient, inclusive, and future-proof transport networks, has been especially motivating. Seeing these goals reflected in the team’s day-to-day commitment has reinforced my desire to support communities, accessibility, and sustainable planning in my future career.
