Supercar maker McLaren denies Apple takeover talks September 21, 2016 British supercar maker McLaren has denied it is in talks with Apple after it was suggested the Californian tech giant had made a takeover approach for all or part of its business. The Financial Times reported today the tech giant had approached McLaren Technology Group about either an acquisition or to take a strategic investment in [...]
Londoners will pay a £30,000 premium to live in the congestion charge zone September 21, 2016 Londoners are happy to pay extra for a home just inside the congestion charge zone, new research has revealed. According to research from the London School of Economics (LSE), homes inside the zone are £30,000 more expensive than the houses on the other side of the congestion charge boundary. Read more: House prices rebounded this month, hitting first-time buyers [...]
Easyjet pilots have voted to strike over fatigue dispute September 21, 2016 Pilots at Easyjet have voted to strike because of a dispute over fatigue, a union said today. The pilots voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of industrial action, but talks are planned to try to resolve the row, said Balpa. In a ballot which closed today 96 per cent voted for some form of industrial action on a turnout [...]
The mayor’s making a serious push for TfL to take over London’s suburban rail routes September 21, 2016 The Mayor of London is stepping up his push for Transport for London (TfL) to take over the capital's suburban rail routes and turn lines run by troubled Southern and other operators into Overground routes. Sadiq Khan will make the business case for rail devolution ahead of the Autumn Statement. Read more: Southern Rail commuters take on Department [...]
Firms call for infrastructure spend before the beginning of Brexit talks September 21, 2016 London businesses want increased infrastructure spending before the beginning of Brexit negotiations, according to a new survey. More than four in five London businesses say increased investment in infrastructure is important for the UK economy in the period between the referendum and the start of Brexit negotiations, according to a ComRes poll on behalf of the [...]
Barack Obama just welcomed driverless cars September 20, 2016 The US President Barack Obama is on board with driverless cars, welcoming the technology's potential for increasing safety and reducing pollution on roads across the US as the country announces new rules for the vehicles. "In the seven-and-a-half years of my presidency, self-driving cars have gone from sci-fi fantasy to an emerging reality with the [...]
Severe delays on Central Line after person hit by train at Bethnal Green Tube station September 19, 2016 There are severe delays on the Central Line this afternoon, following a customer incident earlier. A person was killed after being hit by a train at Bethnal Green Tube station, which was subsequently closed. The station has since reopened. Transport for London said there were severe delays on the entire Central Line. https://twitter.com/centralline/status/777866520722538496 British Transport [...]
Govia is embarking on a timetable shake-up to win back support from disgruntled passengers September 19, 2016 Govia Thameslink Railway is planning a timetable shake-up with the aim of providing new connections and faster journeys. Govia has been beset by problems recently due to a dispute with train guards on its Southern railway service, but is now trying to win back customer loyalty with its plans for new services. Read more: A (partial) defence of [...]
Air Astana to outline plans for London IPO September 19, 2016 Kazakhstan flag carrier Air Astana will detail plans for its initial public offering today, with London in line to be chosen for a secondary listing. In a presentation today it’s expected the company will outline how much of it will be sold. The IPO is currently scheduled for between October next year and October 2018. [...]
Chinese group gatecrashes National Grid’s £11bn gas pipeline auction September 18, 2016 A group of Chinese investors are eyeing a bid for National Grid’s gas pipelines that supply nearly 11m homes and businesses. The group is targetting a majority stake in the key national infrastructure. It’s thought the consortium includes Fosun and the state behemoth China Gas. “Regardless of their identity, all bidders will have to go through [...]