Axe to grind: Taxi drivers slam ‘PR gimmick’ as City launches car-free days August 13, 2019 Taxi drivers have slammed plans to close off key locations in the City of London to traffic during the summer, saying they amount to a “PR gimmick”. Key City hotspots, including St Mary Axe and Chancery Lane, will be closed for days in August and September to allow workers to enjoy traffic-free lunch breaks, the [...]
Rolls-Royce shares drop after ‘hailstorm’ of jet engine fragments cause chaos in Rome August 12, 2019 A “storm of steel and iron” raining down on people in a busy suburb of Rome over the weekend sent engine maker Rolls-Royce’s market value tumbling more than half-a-billion pounds today. Romans were forced to take cover on Saturday as hot fragments of metal fell from a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet flying over the Fiumicino [...]
Scottish Power owner sells £1.6bn wind farm stake August 12, 2019 Scottish Power owner Iberdrola said today it had sold a £1.6bn stake in an East Anglia wind farm as it looks for funds to expand its networks and renewables production. It signed a deal to sell 40 per cent in the East Anglia One offshore plant to an arm of Macquarie Group. Read more: Earnings [...]
Heathrow on track to top 81m passengers after July boost August 12, 2019 Heathrow has said it is on track to top 81m passengers this year after new figures revealed that nearly eight million passengers used the airport in July. The hub airport has already flown 46m passengers so far this year, a near 1.5 per cent increase on the same time the previous year. Read more: Business [...]
Hitachi trials tech for ticket sensors via phone app August 12, 2019 Transport giant Hitachi has said ticket barriers could become a thing of the past as it trails new technology that could scan tickets via a smartphone app. The Japanese firm is currently developing and trialling technology that uses sensors on trains to detect tickets via an app on passengers’ mobile phones. Read more: Commuters braced [...]
Passengers told to avoid King’s Cross on Bank Holiday weekend August 12, 2019 Holidaymakers have been urged to check their bank holiday travel plans as engineering works means there will be disruption across London. There will be no trains in and out of King’s Cross, one of the capital’s busiest stations, on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August. A reduced service will run on Monday 26 August, meaning [...]
Thomas Cook shares plunge on fresh funding talks as it nears Fosun tie-up August 12, 2019 Thomas Cook shares plummeted this morning as investors digested the news the tour operator is in advanced discussions with bond holders for a £150m cash injection, on top of the £750m rescue deal it is already working on with lead investor Fosun, which would nearly wipe out shareholders. The company’s market value dropped 17 per [...]
Cathay Pacific shares tumble after airline suspends Hong Kong protester August 12, 2019 Shares in Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific have fallen over four per cent after the airline suspended one of its pilots who had been arrested for protesting in Hong Kong. Read more: Cathay Pacific sacks staff involved in Hong Kong protests Cathay Pacific said it would bar “overly radical” crew members from working on flights [...]
Southeastern among franchises placed on public takeover watch list August 11, 2019 The Southeastern franchise is one of six that could go the way of LNER and be taken over by the government as sources warned there was little time for a new operator to be appointed by April next year. The bidding competition for the Southeastern franchise, which runs services between London, Kent and parts of [...]
Government launches probe into massive power cut August 11, 2019 The government has launched an investigation into the power outage that wreaked havoc for nearly 1m people across England and Wales over the weekend. People were left stranded after trains were delayed and cancelled, leaving commuters unable to get home from work on Friday. The disruption carried on into Saturday. Read more: UK power cut: [...]