A London bus burst into flames in Kingston half-way through the morning commute December 2, 2016 Two fire engines attended after a London bus burst into flames in the centre of Kingston – in the middle of the morning commute. The London Fire Brigade said two fire crews had been called to a bus on fire on the high street just after 9am. "A double decker bus is currently well alight," it said. "The [...]
Chanel kicks up a stink over a high speed train planned to run through its perfume field December 2, 2016 Picture the scene: fragrant lavender fields, hill sides blooming with wild flowers and.. a train plundering through at high speed. Well that's what's planned for the Provencal fields of Grasse and one rather big business isn't too happy about it. Chanel's kicking up a stink and has threatened to quit Grasse – often referred to [...]
G4S sells Israeli arm as part of wider rationalisation push December 2, 2016 Security giant G4S has flogged its Israeli business to a local private equity firm in a cash deal worth £88m. It did not, however, mean the London-listed firm was walking away completely from Israel. G4S will continue to have a footprint in the country through its police training facility called Policity. Read more: Here's why [...]
It’s not all bad: UK construction output grew more than expected in November December 2, 2016 Output in the UK's construction sector grew faster than expected in November, figures published today showed – suggesting things might not be as bad as they seemed in the sector. Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the construction sector rose to 52.8 in November, above expectations of 52.2 and above October's figure of 52.6. Any figure [...]
Tube ticket offices were closed prematurely but don’t need to be reopened, says independent review by London TravelWatch December 2, 2016 A review into the impact of Tube ticket office closures has found offices were shut prematurely. It doesn't though, call for the reopening of ticket offices. The independent review by travel watchdog London TravelWatch was commissioned by mayor Sadiq Khan after Tube ticket offices were closed under his predecessor Boris Johnson's tenure. The decision did not [...]
Boris Johnson: The UK is not a nation hauling up the drawbridge December 2, 2016 Boris Johnson has signalled the government's intention to ensure Britain remains a powerful force in global politics after Brexit, saying the UK is "not a nation hauling up the drawbridge". In one of his most forward-looking speeches since the Brexit vote, Johnson said Brexit "emphatically does not mean that Britain turns in on itself". "There [...]
Tube delays: What exactly is going on with the Piccadilly Line? December 2, 2016 Commuters using the Piccadilly Line are still experiencing severe delays – and they're set to continue for the foreseeable future. https://twitter.com/piccadillyline/status/804592078017675264 The disruption on the line started a week ago, with Transport for London blaming a shortage of trains. TfL later revealed that the train shortage was caused by the fact that around half the [...]
Berkeley Group’s shares leap after announcing in-line performance and solid cash foundations December 2, 2016 Shares in property firm Berkeley Group jumped over four per cent in trading this morning after revealing an "outstanding" balance sheet. The figures Half year revenue to the end of October leapt from £1.1bn to £1.4bn, with gross profit jumping from £391m to £504m. Profit before tax was £393m, up from £293m last year. The coffers at [...]
Newspaper group chairman to leave, with former News International executive taking up interim role December 2, 2016 The chairman of newspaper publisher Johnston Press is stepping down due to an “acute illness in his family”. Ian Russell will depart the company, which owns more than 200 local newspapers and the i, from 31 December. Read more: Johnston Press confirms late-stage discussions to sell East Anglia papers The company has begun searching for [...]
Train fare rises 2017: Here’s how much train ticket prices are going up next year December 2, 2016 Brace yourselves commuters, for train fares are set to go up next year, rail industry leaders have confirmed. On average, train fares will increase by 2.3 per cent (and that covers all national rail fares from 2 January 2017). Firms can increase regulated fares – including season tickets – each year by no more than [...]