London Tories call for Waterloo and City Tube line to reopen September 3, 2020 A group of Conservative London MPs and London Assembly members have called for the Waterloo and City Tube line to reopen in a bid to boost the number of people returning to central London. The line – which travels directly between Bank and Waterloo stations – was closed when the country was put into the [...]
City workers slowly beginning to return to office after lockdown September 2, 2020 Commuters are slowly starting to return to London’s business districts after the coronavirus lockdowns, new data from Transport for London has shown. As of last Friday, 17,852 passengers entered and exited Bank tube station in the City, ten times more than the 1,800 who did so at the height of the pandemic. The figure is [...]
Boris Johnson confirms rail industry working on flexible season tickets September 2, 2020 Boris Johnson today said that the government was working with the rail industry on flexible season tickets to encourage commuters to return to the office. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions today, Johnson said: “We are working at pace with rail companies to try to deliver new products in terms of ticketing to ensure not just [...]
Travel sector pleads for government support to stave off sweeping job cuts September 2, 2020 Leading figures from across the UK travel industry have come together in an urgent plea for government support to help stave off hundreds of thousands of potential job cuts. In an open letter to chancellor Rishi Sunak and transport secretary Grant Shapps, which has now been signed by over 10,000 people, the “Save Travel” campaign [...]
Rolls-Royce sales rebound as luxury car firm commits to UK September 2, 2020 The boss of luxury car maker Rolls-Royce today said that the company was committed to a future in the UK, adding that demand for the firm’s vehicles has come back after the coronavirus lockdown. Speaking with Reuters as Rolls-Royce launched a new £250,000 car, Torsten Muller-Otvos described the firm as one of the “crown jewels” [...]
Virgin Atlantic £1.2bn rescue package gets court approval September 2, 2020 Virgin Atlantic’s £1.2bn bailout deal was approved in the High Court this morning, all but sealing the struggling carrier’s survival after months of turbulence caused by coronavirus. The bailout deal was given the backing of an overwhelming majority of Virgin’s creditors last week, with a court sanction needed for the deal to go ahead. Judge [...]
Coach industry warns 27,000 jobs on the line without government support September 2, 2020 Up to 27,000 jobs could be lost in the UK coach industry by April 2021 unless ministers provide extra support, an sector body has warned. In a letter to tourism minister Nigel Huddleston, the Confederation of Passenger Transport has warned that with bookings not expected to pick up until next summer, the UK’s coach firms [...]
Ryanair passenger numbers down 50 per cent amid quarantine chaos September 2, 2020 Budget carrier Ryanair flew 7m passengers last month, nearly half the number it carried in August last year, as demand for air travel continued to grow despite the UK’s quarantine regime. Operating 60 per cent of its normal schedule for the month, the airline said the number of passengers was 53 per cent below last [...]
Tesla seeks to cash in on record run with $5bn share sale September 1, 2020 Tesla today said that it would sell $5bn (£3.7bn) in new shares as the electric car maker seeks to cash in on a record rally which has seen the stock rise nearly 500 per cent this year. According to a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the new shares will be sold “from [...]
AA given takeover talks extension as rivals mull joint bid September 1, 2020 Motoring association the AA has been given an extra four weeks to continue negotiations with potential buyers, it was announced today. The new deadline for its suitors to make an offer for the firm is now 29 September, but there are growing fears that a hotly anticipated bidding war for the company’s stock may be [...]