Forest’s Hounslow e-bike contract win sparks concerns over cash-first tender model July 31, 2025 Hounslow Council awarded one of its two e-bike contracts to the operator which offered them the highest fees despite scoring demonstrably lower than rivals on other metrics, City AM can reveal. The move, which has attracted fury from rival operators, lays bare the competing interests of cash-strapped local authorities as they weigh which criteria to prioritise [...]
Aston Martin: Why going private could be the right road for luxury carmaker July 29, 2025 Luxury carmaker Aston Martin could delist from the London Stock Exchange and return to private ownership as a way to boost its balance sheet, according to an analyst. Experts at Third Bridge have said the move could have a number of benefits for the Warwickshire-headquartered brand including “improve agility, attract long-term partners, and reduce the [...]
Stellantis: Vauxhall owner warns of £1.3bn tariff hit after EU-US deal July 29, 2025 Stellantis will have to shoulder a €1.5bn (£1.3bn) hit from President Donald Trump’s swingeing tariffs on cars this year despite the trade deal struck between the European Union and United States earlier this week. The automaker, whose stable of marques includes Vauxhall and Fiat, confirmed in a half-year update that it had already incurred levies [...]
Uber rivals handed major VAT boost by Supreme Court July 29, 2025 Rival taxi operators to Uber will not have to pay 20 per cent VAT on their profits outside London following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The court has decided that private-hire operators do not enter into a contract with passengers and therefore are except from the tax. The ruling comes after US giant Uber brought [...]
Auto Trader: Brits turn to older cars amid ‘economic uncertainty’ July 29, 2025 Brits are turning their backs on new cars choosing to buy more older models amid “ongoing economic uncertainty”, according to FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader. The Manchester-headquartered company said a “standout trend” of 2025 so far is the “growing appetite for affordable used cars”, particularly those aged between five and 10 years old. Auto Trader has [...]
LNER revenue passes £1bn as cancellations cut July 28, 2025 LNER, which operates most services on the East Coast Main Line, saw its revenue pass the £1bn mark as it cut the number of trains it cancelled during its latest financial year. The business, which is owned by the Department for Transport, has seen its revenue increase from £866.5m in the year to 31 March, [...]
Northern: Cancellations rise as train company’s profit grows July 28, 2025 Government-owned train company Northern cancelled more services as its profit rose during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The number of trains cancelled by the business increased from 7.2 per cent to eight per cent in the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The rise in [...]
Great British Railways risk repeating British Rail mistakes July 28, 2025 Plans for the government’s flagship rail reform body, Great British Railways (GBR), risk reviving the failings of the past if urgent changes aren’t made, a leading think tank has warned. A new report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) cautions that the structure of GBR could stifle innovation, reduce accountability, and discourage competition, particularly [...]
Rolls-Royce banking on bespoke cars to attract super-rich July 23, 2025 Wealthy buyers seeking to personalise their new Rolls-Royce helped boost the luxury car brand’s profit in 2024 despite falling sales. The Hampshire-based business, which is owned by BMW, said its bespoke service reached a record level last year with a 10 per cent increase on average per car year-on-year. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars added the rise [...]
Thameslink boss steps down after less than two years July 21, 2025 The chief executive of Go-Ahead, the group which operates London’s Thameslink, Gatwick Express and the Elizabeth Line through a joint venture, has stepped down after less than two years in the role. Miguel Parras has resigned from his role at the Newcastle-headquartered group to “pursue other opportunities” after 20 months. The group has not announced [...]