Union reps and Tube bosses get talks underway to try and stop a repeat of last week’s Tube strike chaos January 16, 2017 Commuters, keep your fingers crossed for talks today aimed at avoiding the Tube chaos of last week, when a 24-hour walkout shut down numerous Zone 1 stations. The talks, at conciliation service Acas, are taking place to try and hash out a resolution to the dispute over staffing levels at stations. Officials from the Rail, [...]
The UK is testing Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep Grand Cherokee model after US emissions accusations January 16, 2017 The Department for Transport (DfT) said it will be running tests on the Fiat Chrysler's Jeep Grand Cherokee model in the wake of emissions accusations from the US. "We are pressing Fiat Chrysler UK for more information about emissions from the 3,700 Jeep Grand Cherokee cars that have been registered in the UK," said a [...]
End of the (railway) line? The Canadian pension giants that own HS1 have brought in Bank of America to explore a £3.6bn potential sale January 15, 2017 The two Canadian pension giants that own the high-speed railway connecting London to the Channel Tunnel have appointed a US investment bank to explore a sale of the line. The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Borealis have brought in Bank of America Merrill Lynch to handle a £3.6bn potential sale of the 109km HS1 line that [...]
Passport queues at airports could soon become longer (you can probably guess why) January 15, 2017 Queues at Britain's airports could soon become longer as a harder border between the UK and Europe after Brexit could increase the time it takes for passengers to pass through border control. The warning of potentially "severe disruption" comes from the Airport Operators Association which represents more than 50 airports in the UK. The UK Border [...]
Employers must act early when strike action looms: Industrial action and what can be done January 13, 2017 Strike action is continuing to cause significant disruption for commuters, business travellers and holidaymakers in early 2017 – but could it have been prevented? Southern Rail has announced that it is going ahead with three-day stoppages of its train services this month – the first started this week – and British Airways’ cabin crew held a 48-hour strike [...]
Indian airline SpiceJet has made a deal to buy up to $22bn worth of planes from Boeing January 13, 2017 SpiceJet today announced it would buy 100 new 737 Max aircraft from Boeing with an option for 50 more in a deal worth up to $22bn (£18bn) in total. The deal for a total of up to 205 planes also includes an agreement for 55 jets that was previously announced in 2014. SpiceJet is an all-Boeing operator, and this [...]
Government is trialling a “pot-hole spotter system” to identify the pesky problems before they develop January 13, 2017 The government has revealed further detail of £1.2bn road funding for councils to slash congestion and tackle pesky problems like potholes. The Department for Transport (DfT) is also starting a new trial in partnership with Thurrock and York councils in an effort to identify potholes quicker and combat them faster. A "pothole-spotter system" will be mounted [...]
Foundations of the housing white paper are still being laid as Prime Minister Theresa May asks for more meat on the bones January 13, 2017 The long-awaited housing white paper is still weeks from publication as the government looks for ways to beef it up so that it passes muster with the Prime Minister Theresa May. The flagship policy document was originally pencilled in for publication late last year. Several key industry figures had expected the white paper to be published [...]
Canary Wharf station reopens after flooding trouble causes more travel headaches for the capital’s commuters January 12, 2017 The capital's commuters have been given yet more travel headaches for the week, after flooding caused station troubles during rush-hour. Canary Wharf was evacuated due to flooding, while westbound services weren't stopping at Mansion House and Victoria station also because of flooding. Bank was also closed due to overcrowding. Trains are now stopping at Mansion House, though Circle [...]
Fiat Chrysler has been accused by US regulator over emissions cheating – sending shares plummeting January 12, 2017 Fiat Chrysler has been accused of installing software to cheat emission tests, by US regulators. The car company's Milan-listed shares dropped 16.1 per cent on the news, after America's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused the firm of fitting around 104,000 of its cars with software which cheated pollution tests. “Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in [...]