Delays on Thameslink services due to fire at Gatwick Airport December 6, 2016 Thameslink services are subject to serious delays this morning, due to a fire near the train tracks at Gatwick Airport. ⚠We have just had it confirmed that the fault is with the third rail at #GatwickAirport which is blocking platform 1 https://t.co/MHuwsfH5I4 — Thameslink (@TLRailUK) December 6, 2016 The disruption comes as commuters grapple with delays [...]
Planned City skyscraper 22 Bishopsgate taken down a notch over fears of plane crash risks December 6, 2016 A new skyscraper planned for the City has had to knock a few floors off the top, over fears that cranes used to build it could pose a risk to flights over London. New plans have been submitted to reduce 22 Bishopsgate's height by four floors, or 22m, according to Construction Enquirer, meaning the tower [...]
Tube strikes: Piccadilly and Hammersmith and City line driver walkouts cancelled tomorrow December 5, 2016 A 24-hour strike by drivers on the Piccadilly and Hammersmith and City lines from 9.30pm tomorrow has been suspended, the RMT union has said. The suspension follows successful talks at the conciliation service Acas, according to RMT. The union said "all objectives in the Piccadilly line dispute" had been achieved, while the union is "committed [...]
Tottenham Court Road station has been closed due to a power failure December 5, 2016 Services on the Central and Northern Lines are disrupted this afternoon, after Tottenham Court Road was closed due to a power failure. https://twitter.com/centralline/status/805793171288498177 https://twitter.com/northernline/status/805793168256073730 Meanwhile, there are delays on the Circle Line due to an "absence of staff", according to Transport for London. https://twitter.com/circleline/status/805795047933353984 Elsewhere, the Piccadilly Line is still experiencing severe delays – which are [...]
Sadiq Khan has promised to spend £770m on supporting London’s cyclists by 2020 December 5, 2016 London mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed plans for a huge investment in the capital's cycling infrastructure, totalling a mammoth £770m over five years. The plans represent an almost doubling of the spending by Khan's predecessor Boris Johnson, but critics have questioned how the mayor will fund the investment, and why it will not help to [...]
Pret-phobia: Londoners are not happy with the lunch options available to them December 5, 2016 Londoners are not happy with their lunch options. According to research from lunch platform MealFix, 40 per cent of us are getting sick of what's being served up on the high street. Having a Pret on every corner is starting to get Londoners down, with a third of us feeling guilty about buying lunch from [...]
London transport disruption: TfL admits Piccadilly Line delays will likely go on until after Christmas as drivers blame new wheels for problems December 5, 2016 Piccadilly Line commuters could be facing delays and disruption until after Christmas, Transport for London confirmed today. Problems began on the line at the end of November, when around half the Piccadilly Line fleet was taken out of service for repairs, due to damage caused by larger-than-usual quantities of wet leaves on the tracks. A [...]
Homes in Islington have been evacuated due to flooding on Upper Street December 5, 2016 Around 100 people have been evacuated from their homes in Islington this morning, after a burst water main led to flooding on Upper Street. London Fire Brigade said firefighters were dealing with the flood between City Road and Islington Green in north London. Six fire engines and three fire rescue units have been deployed. The water is [...]
Driving down worryingly high youth unemployment is the City’s business December 5, 2016 I attended the London Councils London Government Summit last week alongside leaders from every London borough. It was an opportunity for us to discuss key London issues, including the increasingly urgent problem of high youth unemployment. Youth unemployment rates are still worryingly high, with the capital having a particularly poor record – the second highest [...]
Londoners forced to fork out double the UK average in divorce costs December 5, 2016 The cost of divorce for Londoners is nearly double the average of elsewhere in the UK, thanks in part to the capital’s more expensive living costs, according to research published by law firm Seddons. Average divorce settlement costs from across the UK total £70,243 versus over £134,525 for couples living in London, according to Seddons’ [...]