Rephonic
Artwork for The Freewheeling Podcast

The Freewheeling Podcast

Thomas Ableman
High Speed 2
Public Transportation
Public Transport
Virgin West Coast
Transport Infrastructure
Labour Party
Budget Management
Railway Industry
Innovation
Transport Policy
Passenger Transport
Covid-19
Entrepreneurship
Sustainability
Very Light Rail
Decarbonization
Public Transport Accessibility
Public Spending Cuts
Transport Law
West Coast Main Line

The Freewheeling Podcast is all about moving forwards faster.

Each week, I’ll bring you fresh voices, new ideas and unconventional thinking.

With a bias towards transport and mobility, we also span entrepreneurship and politics.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes81Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessMarketingManagement

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Freewheeling Podcast

Latest Episodes

This year, Denmark will replace all its public transport ticketing systems with a new fully pay-as-you-go digital app.

Customers will get a transformationally better service; operators get a cost saving. What’s not to like?

This is all being delive... more

This edition looks back at the themes that emerged from the 2025 episodes of The Freewheeling Podcast.

We look back at inspirational city leaders who have transformed places for the benefit of their residents (and faced death threats for doing so), ... more

Jane Cole is MD of the best bus company in Britain, at least according to the judges of the UK Bus Awards. In fact, that’s not all: she also leads the best tram company in Britain, according to the judges who awarded them Tram Operator of the Year.

more

Caroline Seton is the co-founder of the London bike share firm Forest.

They’re in unambiguous second place to Lime, the great global bicycle behemoth - but, famously, being second makes a firm try harder.

In today’s episode, we talk about the chall... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Caroline Seton
Co-founder of Forest, an e-bike sharing company
Forest
Episode: Bike Sharing with Caroline Seton
Sir Michael Holden
Formerly the Chairman of Directly Operated Railways
Episode: BUDGET SPECIAL with Sir Michael Holden
Filip Watteeuw
Alderman of the City of Ghent responsible for transportation and public works.
City of Ghent
Episode: The Great Ghent Renaissance with Filip Watteeuw
Dan Garrett
Founder of Farewill, the UK's largest Deathtech company
Farewill
Episode: Risk-Taking, Rules and Death With Dan Garrett, Founder of Farewill
Clyde Loakes
Deputy leader of Waltham Forest Council
Waltham Forest Council
Episode: Mini Holland and The Transformation of a London Suburb with Clyde Loakes
James Dick
Innovation leader at RATP focusing on autonomous vehicles
RATP
Episode: Autonomous Public Transport with James Dick of RATP
Gian-Mattia Schucan
Founder of Fairtiq, a revolutionary mobile ticketing startup
Fairtiq
Episode: Gian-Mattia Schucan Ends Season 4 with a Vision of Seamless Travel
Jonny Mood
Director of the National Audit Office
National Audit Office
Episode: Jonny Mood on Value for Money
Olly Glover
Member of Parliament and former railway operator
Liberal Democrats
Episode: Olly Glover MP on Innovation, Elections and Electrification

Host

Thomas Abelman
Host of discussions focused on urban mobility, transport policies, and entrepreneurship, providing thought leadership through expert interviews and fresh insights.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 26 ratings
  • People inrerviewing for a job

    Love it. But sometimes it sounds like people interviewing for a job rather than a real conversation. Thanks

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    oddknackj
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Thought-provoking and insightful

    A really interesting podcast. Well worth your attention.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    moose44444444
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Always thought provoking

    This podcast and Thomas’s accompanying freewheeling blog should be essential listening for anyone involved in influencing car drivers to try something else. It covers a wide range of mobility issues, generally all inter-connected and (with one or two common exceptions) gives fresh insight to the discussion. That’s what this blog does best - public transport is a fairly inward looking place and here we get some provocative debate on some of that embedded thinking, whether it be from perspective o... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Leeds Bus User
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Engaging and thoughtful - entertaining listening whether you're in the sector or not

    Great commentary and searching questions spanning the sector, pitched perfectly by experts who know the subject inside out.

    Love the presenter's style. He obviously cares deeply about what he's talking about! Always great to hear that.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dad1278
    United Kingdom5 years ago
  • Unmissable

    Only two in but already a great insight into our transport world and what the future might hold in these very uncertain times. A wide ranging and thoughtful podcast from someone who actually understands the constraints and opportunities and the movers behind them.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    phil2hoots!
    United Kingdom5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The discussions are praised for being insightful and relevant, contributing to valuable debates on mobility issues.
Listeners find the content to be engaging and thought-provoking, with many appreciating the variety of expert perspectives offered.
There are comments highlighting the host's effective interviewing style, which maintains listener interest while delivering in-depth information.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Stephen Bush on the Politics of Transport
Q: Is there something almost to reverse what you said a moment ago around, you described the one time when you got sort of someone being basically unreasonable, but in general, public transport people, that's not the case?
You are reducing down the number of people who are going to go into politics and not necessarily staring down a good place at the moment, even in what we already have.
Stephen Bush on the Politics of Transport
Q: So how do we get out of this then?
The political opportunity is also going to be the moment of political risk, right?
Gian-Mattia Schucan Ends Season 4 with a Vision of Seamless Travel
Q: How do you get high-level advocacy for your startup in the public transport sector?
It's essential to have a high-level supporter in the client organization. Finding ways to demonstrate your product quickly can generate interest and support from key decision-makers.
Gian-Mattia Schucan Ends Season 4 with a Vision of Seamless Travel
Q: What would your advice be to people trying to achieve real meaningful change in the transport sector?
Understanding the drivers of both users and public transport operators is crucial. You need to clearly differentiate value propositions for each side to achieve product-market fit.
Bike Sharing with Caroline Seton
Q: What consistency of parking changes would you like to see?
We need uniformity in parking rules across boroughs to eliminate confusion for users and increase bike usage.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Freewheeling Podcast

What is The Freewheeling Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focusing primarily on transport and urban mobility, this podcast presents conversations that challenge conventional thinking while addressing critical issues within the industry. Discussions feature prominent experts and thought leaders who share their experiences, insights, and innovative ideas on topics like public transportation, urban planning, and the future of mobility. Additionally, themes around entrepreneurship, community engagement, and political frameworks related to transport policies are often explored, making it a nuanced source of information for listeners interested in the evolution of these sectors.

The podcast stands out for its emphasis on real-world applications and the integration of expert knowledge across different di... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Freewheeling Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Freewheeling Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Freewheeling Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Freewheeling Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Freewheeling Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Freewheeling Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Freewheeling Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Freewheeling Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Freewheeling Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Freewheeling Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Freewheeling Podcast:

1. The Rest Is Politics
2. Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast
3. The News Agents
4. The Rest Is Politics: US
5. The Rest Is History

How many episodes of The Freewheeling Podcast are there?

The Freewheeling Podcast launched 5 years ago and published 81 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Freewheeling Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Freewheeling Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Freewheeling Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Freewheeling Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Freewheeling Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Freewheeling Podcast?

Recent guests on The Freewheeling Podcast include:

1. Caroline Seton
2. Sir Michael Holden
3. Filip Watteeuw
4. Dan Garrett
5. Clyde Loakes
6. James Dick
7. Gian-Mattia Schucan
8. Jonny Mood

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days