Rail services to be axed under Government plans: reports December 28, 2020 Reports have emerged overnight suggesting as many as one in five train services could be axed to reduce financial pressure on the network. The Treasury has been propping up rail services throughout 2020 as lockdown restrictions cut passenger numbers. The Telegraph reports that officials want to bring rail capacity down by a fifth to reduce [...]
Musk claims Apple once snubbed talks to buy Tesla December 23, 2020 Elon Musk has claimed Apple chief executive Tim Cook snubbed talks to buy Tesla back in 2017, when it was going through its “darkest days”. The tech billionaire said he reached out to the iPhone manufacturer in 2017, but CEO Tim Cook refused to take the meeting. Yesterday Musk tweeted: “During the darkest days of [...]
Will take ‘days’ to clear Dover chaos, says minister December 23, 2020 It will “take a few days” to clear the lorry queues at Dover, according to housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. Last night transport Secretary Grant Shapps said an “agreement” had been reached with the French Government on travel across the Channel after around 3,000 lorries have backed up at Dover in the last 48 hours. The [...]
Another month of decline for UK car production as industry calls for Brexit deal December 23, 2020 UK car production fell again last month as the industry urged Brexit negotiators to “seal the deal”. New figures from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), factories produced just 106,243 vehicles, last month. It represents a 1.4 per cent drop year-on-year – a better performance than other months this year – [...]
UK headed for fresh produce shortages if Dover jam is not eased tomorrow December 22, 2020 The UK is heading for fresh produce shortages as soon as Christmas ends if the chaos at Dover is not eased in the next 24 hours. The UK has faced nearly 48 hours of chaos at the port of Dover after France shut its border with the UK, including to those carrying freight to the [...]
Some 1,500 trucks stacked up at Dover as chaos continues December 22, 2020 There are now around 1,500 lorries parked up in side streets, on motorways and in laybys as chaos continues at the port of Dover. On Sunday France made a surprise decision to shut its border with the UK, in an attempt to stop a new, more infectious variant of the coronavirus spreading through the country. [...]
Border closures force Toyota to shut three plants early for Christmas December 22, 2020 Toyota plans to shut production at three plants in Britain and France early for Christmas, due to likely part shortages as a result of border closures. Toyota’s plant in Deeside, Wales, will close from today, and its vehicle plant in Burnaston will close from tomorrow. In France, its site at Onnaing will shut its doors [...]
MPs question government’s 2025 broadband target amid 5G concerns December 22, 2020 MPs have questioned the government’s ability to meet its revised-down target for “gigabit-capable” broadband to be delivered to most of the country by 2025, saying the industry faces serious challenges over such a short time-scale. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee also said the rollout of superfast 5G internet risked creating more “not-spots” in [...]
Exclusive: Siemens UK boss explains why the pandemic has been a ‘helpful’ distraction from Brexit December 21, 2020 Despite the many difficulties, the pandemic also brought some good, such as a distraction from Brexit, Siemens UK CEO Carl Ennis tells City A.M. in an exclusive interview. Read more: Siemens UK chief executive Juergen Maier announces early retirement Brexit The fact that the virus pushed Brexit down the hierarchy of news was helpful, in Ennis’ [...]
New: ‘Health protocol’ to be put in place in hours to get freight moving, says French transport minister December 21, 2020 “A solid health protocol” will be put in place in the coming hours so flows of goods between the UK and France can resume, the French transport minister has said. There has been chaos at Dover this morning after the French government banned all travel from the UK for 48 hours, including freight drivers, prompting [...]