London’s super sewer Thames Tideway Tunnel facing cost pressures November 24, 2018 The construction of London’s super sewer has hit cost problems due to a catalogue of engineering challenges, the project’s holding company has confirmed. Several cost pressures have been identified on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, with total project costs for the six months to the end of September hitting £325.3m and bringing the total cost [...]
Thousands of Volkswagen cars sold with ‘potentially lethal’ seat belt fault , according to Which? November 24, 2018 Thousands of Volkswagen cars with a "potentially lethal" seat belt fault were sold to customers following the discovery of the issue, a consumer group has claimed. In May an investigation by a Finnish car magazine found that the centre-rear seatbelt failed when the back seats were full and the vehicle turned sharply. Volkswagen sold nearly [...]
Vauxhall cuts 241 more jobs at Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant in Cheshire November 23, 2018 Car maker Vauxhall is to slash 241 jobs at its Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant by the end of 2019, in a move it claims is “critical” to the competitiveness of the site. Owner Peugeot's (PSA) shares dipped this afternoon as Vauxhall said it planned to reduce headcount without having to utilise compulsory redundancies, instead trying to [...]
Rail union set to cause disruption with fresh Northern and South Western train strikes November 23, 2018 Trains coming in and out of London Waterloo are expected to be disrupted tomorrow, as disputes between railway operators and drivers' unions continue to rage on. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have said they will strike on both Northern and South Western railways tomorrow in protest over a reduction in the amount [...]
Spark Energy becomes seventh energy provider to go bust this year, leaving 290,000 customers without a supplier November 23, 2018 Spark Energy is the seventh energy provider to go out of business this year, citing "tough trading conditions" as the reason behind its collapse. The company supplied around 290,000 customers across the UK but has today announced that it will cease trading. "The part of our group which supplies gas and electricity to homes across [...]
Commuter chaos: Extinction Rebellion protest creates central London gridlock for third straight day November 23, 2018 Protesters once again blocked rush hour traffic in central London this morning as members of environmental action group Extinction Rebellion took to the streets to cause chaos for commuters. A small number of activists blocked traffic at West Cromwell Road, Elephant and Castle, Victoria Street and Tower Hill for seven minutes, as their protests stretched [...]
Renault interim boss vows to safeguard Nissan alliance after Carlos Ghosn arrest November 23, 2018 Renault's interim boss has assured shareholders he will safeguard the company's interests and its alliance with Nissan following the arrest of chairman Carlos Ghosn. The Nissan board voted to oust Ghosn on Thursday after he was arrested in Japan over financial misconduct allegations earlier in the week. But Renault has decided not to dismiss Ghosn for [...]
Embattled budget airline Flybe’s shares take off as it confirms Virgin Atlantic talks November 23, 2018 Struggling low cost airline Flybe’s shares soared 23 per cent this morning as it confirmed reports that Virgin Atlantic is in talks to buy it. Billionaire Sir Richard Branson’s airline began talks to buy the company after the Exeter-based airline put itself up for sale earlier this month, Sky News reported last night. Shares later [...]
Watchdog announces investigation into Crossrail delay November 23, 2018 The National Audit Office (NAO) is set to investigate Crossrail after it was revealed that London’s high profile transport project will be delayed by almost a year, amid rising costs. “Our investigation will examine the causes of the cost increases and schedule delays, the terms of the additional funding, and the governance and oversight of [...]
Outsourcer Interserve’s share price falls as debts pile up November 23, 2018 Embattled outsourcing company Interserve will next year aim to quickly sell off assets to reduce its debt, amid concerns raised this month about its financial situation. Shares dropped again this morning by as much as eight per cent as the group said it would dispose of non-core businesses while considering options to “bring new capital [...]