A new live, virtual work experience programme inviting students from Year 7 through to university to solve real-world transport data challenges – from bus routes to autonomous vehicles – has gone live!

Project ROUTE, a new industry intiative promoting digital skills in transport, has kicked-off, with a series of free, live career challenges built around one of the UK’s most data-rich sectors: transport.

The programme is endorsed by the Department for Transport (DfT), alongside a number of corporate partners, in order to support students in exploring how data and digital technology keep road, rail, aviation and maritime networks running safely and efficiently.

The Student Challenges

The three challenges that have been launched are:

• First Step: Bus Route Detective — Choose the Smartest Route. The challenge, for Year Groups 7–9; Year Groups 8–10 in Northern Ireland; S1–S3 in Scotland, invites students to join a transport planning team to analyse how bus routes are used and recommend the smartest option for passengers.

• Next Step: The Journey to Your Future — Can Rail Get You There On Time, On Budget, On Track? This challenge, for Year Groups 10–13 and Further Eduation (FE); 11–14 + FE in Northern Ireland; S4–S6 in Scotland, invites students to join a rail planning team to recommend a journey that gets passengers to a critical appointment on time and within budget.

• Step Up: Can We Trust the Ride? When Autonomous Vehicles Take the Drive This challenge, for University + Higher Education students, asks them to choose one of three analytical pathways — Excel data detective work, GIS mapping, or data science and AI modelling in R or Python — to investigate the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles.

Every student that completes a challenge will receive a certificate, demonstrating their dedication and ability in digital transport. Parents and teachers are also welcome to register and attend any of the sessions.

What is Project ROUTE?

Project ROUTE is an industry-wide skills initiative designed to inspire the next generation to explore careers in digital, data and technology across the transport sector. Led by ITS UK and DigData, and backed by industry and the Department for Transport, the programme aims to engage 10,000 students through real-world challenges, virtual work experience, industry engagement and work placements, helping young people understand the breadth of opportunities available across road, rail, aviation and maritime transport.

Project ROUTE is supported by Lead Partner Arup, Platinum Partners Amey and Kainos, Silver Partners CGI, Q-Free, The Traffic Group, Ridango and Bronze Partners RTA Associates and Verra Mobility. It will run from September 2026 to July 2027.

Reaction

Max Sugarman, Chief Executive of Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK), said: “Transport is becoming increasingly digital and data-driven, and we need to make sure we have a new generation of people who will design, build and operate that future network. Project ROUTE is about showing young people that transport offers exciting careers in data and technology, while giving them the opportunity to work on real-world challenges facing the sector. With the first challenges now live, we’re looking forward to seeing thousands of students get involved over the coming year.”

Rachel Keane, Founder of the Data Inspiration Group, said: “Project ROUTE brings transport careers to life by giving students the chance to work with data on challenges they can immediately understand and relate to – from planning a bus journey to exploring whether we can trust autonomous vehicles. By connecting young people directly with real industry challenges and the organisations tackling them, we can build their confidence with data and open their eyes to career opportunities they may never previously have considered. We’re incredibly excited to see Project ROUTE now go live and to welcome our first students.”