National Express flogs C2C network to Italian firm keen to get foothold in UK rail market January 11, 2017 Transport giant National Express has exited the UK rail market, flogging its final franchise to an Italian firm with grand designs to take control of Britain's rail networks. The C2C franchise, which operates trains in East London and South Essex across 26 stations, has been sold to Trenitalia in a deal worth £70m. Read more: National Express [...]
Volkswagen confirms $4.3bn settlement with US regulators over diesel emissions scandal January 10, 2017 Volkswagen has confirmed it has negotiated a $4.3bn (£3.5bn) draft settlement with US regulators to resolve its diesel emissions scandal. The German car giant said in addition to the fine it will plead guilty to criminal misconduct as part of the civil and criminal settlement. It will face oversight from an independent monitor over the next three [...]
Ryanair knocks Lufthansa off the top spot as Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers January 10, 2017 Aiming to become the "Amazon of travel" may seem a lofty ambition for Ryanair, but the airline has reason to feel confident at the moment. It's just been confirmed that last year the airline was Europe's biggest airline by passenger numbers. It announced last week it carried 117m passengers for 2016 (up 15 per cent) [...]
Gatwick’s airlines are swapping terminals: Here’s where easyJet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will be flying from January 10, 2017 Those heading to Gatwick Airport in the near future will want to double check which terminal they need. A mass airline merry-go-round is taking place this month, affecting thousands of passengers. EasyJet will move to the North Terminal from 24 January, while British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are swapping terminals – BA will move to the South [...]
Sadiq Khan says he’s “worried about industrial relations” as TfL seeks talks with unions to avoid more strike chaos January 10, 2017 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was "always worried about industrial relations" after a 24-hour Tube strike caused havoc in the capital yesterday. He was taking questions from the London Assembly about his prospective Budget for the coming year. Chair of the Transport Committee Caroline Pidgeon asked Khan how concerned he was that significant restructuring and transformational change [...]
British Airways cabin crew start 48-hour strike at Heathrow January 10, 2017 A two-day strike by some of British Airways' cabin staff may cause disruption at Heathrow today and tomorrow, though the airline has put contingency plans in place. The strike, by 2,900 members of the Unite trade union, is over a pay dispute for members of the mixed fleet. They are workers recruited since 2011 and [...]
Three-day Southern rail strike gets underway: Here’s the rest of the industrial action planned for the month January 10, 2017 On the bright side, Transport for London (TfL) has said Tube services are back to normal today after a 24-hour strike caused numerous travel headaches for the capital's commuters. On the not so bright side, the next batch of Southern rail strikes get underway today, as workers of the train drivers' union Aslef start a [...]
Jeremy Corbyn says he’d join Southern rail picket line as next wave of industrial action puts the brakes on services January 10, 2017 Jeremy Corbyn has announced he'd join a Southern rail picket line, saying he felt long-suffering commuters would support his position. Speaking on Radio Four's Today programme, the Labour leader said he would stand in solidarity with those taking industrial action. "Yes I would, because I think Southern rail have behaved in a terrible manner, and [...]
BMW commits to Mexico plant as Fiat Chrysler says it’s ready to take the lead from President-elect Donald Trump’s new rules January 9, 2017 BMW has committed to plans to build a new $1bn (£814m) plant in Mexico, despite recent comments from President-elect Donald Trump that have spooked other car firms. The German car giant's sales and marketing director, Ian Robertson, said the firm was "absolutely" committed to its plant in San Luis Potosi, where it will make its [...]
Fear not commuters: Apparently nearly 70 per cent of Tube stations are open January 9, 2017 Commuters might have battled their way into work this morning due to a 24-hour Tube strike, but Transport for London (TfL) has said nearly 70 per cent of Tube stations are open. Yes, really. TfL has been trying to lessen the chaos, and says it's running a limited service on nine out of 11 Tube [...]