Episodes

  • 119: Sam Mullins

    119: Sam Mullins
    Apr 7 2026

    In the latest episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks to historian Sam Mullins, the former director of the London Transport Museum and author of the new book Every Journey Matters, which commemorates 25 years of Transport for London (TfL). Sam shares his career journey from curating community museums to transforming the London Transport Museum, with the conversation also exploring TfL's history since its formation in 2000 - highlighting key events like the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square, the congestion charge and transport planning for the 2012 London Olympics.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • 118: Laura Laker

    118: Laura Laker
    Mar 24 2026
    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.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • 117: Gareth Williams

    117: Gareth Williams
    Feb 24 2026

    Leon’s guest is Gareth Williams, General Secretary and Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer at Eurostar. After a twenty-year career in government, including prominent leadership roles at the Department for Transport, Gareth joined Eurostar almost fifteen years ago. In this episode, he and Leon discuss how Eurostar bounced back after COVID (despite a lack of government funding), its upcoming double-decker trains designed to reach Germany and Switzerland by the early 2030s, and the extraordinary business costs behind the cost of a Eurostar ticket.

    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • 116: Marie Daly

    116: Marie Daly
    Jan 27 2026
    This week, Leon Daniels speaks with Marie Daly, Chief Operating Officer for Transport for Wales and Chair of Women in Rail. Marie covers a range of topics, from her non-traditional career path into transport from telecomms and energy, to crisis management during severe weather and the "one network" vision for Wales. The pair also discuss the upcoming transition to Great British Railways, and the evolving landscape of gender diversity and representation within the industry.
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • 115: From Freewheeling: a discussion with Thomas Ableman

    115: From Freewheeling: a discussion with Thomas Ableman
    Jan 13 2026
    Previously broadcast on Thomas Ableman's Freewheeling podcast, Leon and Thomas discuss progress towards the Buses Policy document originally announced by Boris' government
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • 114: Leon Daniels OBE

    114: Leon Daniels OBE
    Dec 16 2025
    In a special Christmas edition of Lunch with Leon, Leon Daniels is in the hotseat! Guest host Simon Lederman grills Leon on his 40+ years in the transport industry, with Leon sharing some stories from throughout his career and his hot takes on topical transport issues. He also answers some listener questions (some of whom have been special guests on the podcast themselves!).
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • 113: David Leeder

    113: David Leeder
    Nov 18 2025
    Ahead of the UK's Autumn Budget, Leon explores the UK's somewhat gloomy economic situation with eminent transport expert David Leeder. With soaring national debt squeezing essential transport budgets, David shares his insights on the potential impact on the transport industry and his crucial advice for local authorities on quickly securing promised settlements and tapping into private sector funding.
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • 112: Karen Dee

    112: Karen Dee
    Nov 4 2025
    In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Karen Dee, CEO of Aiports UK, the trade association representing the interests of UK airports. The conversation covers growth in the aviation market, the challenge of decoupling emissions from demand, tackling the transport-wide skills crisis, leveraging high-value air freight and the critical role of retail revenue in supporting low-cost carriers.
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins