Government signs controversial East Midlands franchise contract with Abellio May 9, 2019 The government has gone ahead and signed a controversial contract for the East Midlands franchise with Abellio as the war with Stagecoach over the decision intensifies. The signing has gone ahead after the standstill period – the days following the award decision and its official signing expired at midnight last night. Yesterday Stagecoach's sour relations with [...]
Chris Grayling could be forced to take the stand as Stagecoach launches legal action over franchise snubs May 8, 2019 Beleaguered transport secretary Chris Grayling could be called to the stand to defend the government after Stagecoach formally launched legal action over its decision to disqualify it from three rail franchises. After weeks of tension, Stagecoach formally launched legal action against the Department for Transport (DfT) over its decision to disqualify the firm from the [...]
This series of UK politics feels suspiciously like daytime TV May 7, 2019 Last week’s local elections were a democratic amuse bouche. A mere mouthful of popular sentiment, sending a message to the political elite that an offering meant to delight the taste buds has fallen as flat as a soggy souffle. Like a daytime TV rerun of MasterChef, it involved lots of familiar names and tried but [...]
Crossrail: Watchdog blasts bosses for ‘driving up costs’ on London’s £17.6bn delayed Elizabeth Line May 3, 2019 Crossrail bosses took decisions that drove unnecessary cost into the troubled £17.6bn railway, a report by Whitehall's spending watchdog has found. A catalogue of errors including a "failure to change course" when it was clear the project was de-railing, as well as flaws in its own commercial strategy, led to cost increases and the current uncertainty [...]
Mauricio Pochettino must balance Tottenham’s Champions League dreams with importance of securing Premier League top four May 2, 2019 Tottenham could be forgiven for looking past this weekend's trip to Bournemouth to the all more attractive proposition of facing Ajax in Amsterdam next week for a place in the Champions League final. The reality is, however, that Saturday's early kick-off presents Spurs with the chance to seal their position in the top four and a [...]
Reach 4 Entertainment acquisitions boost share price despite dip in full-year revenues May 2, 2019 Shares in theatre marketing firm Reach 4 Entertainment (R4E) ticked up this morning, as investors overlooked a slip in the firm’s revenues for the full year. Read more: Gary Neville nets sale of stake in production company The figures R4E posted full-year revenues of £77.7m, down from £80.2m last year. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, [...]
West End landlord Shaftesbury braced for court row with tycoon shareholder May 2, 2019 A bitter row between a major London landlord and one of its largest shareholders has descended into threats of legal action this morning. FTSE 250 property giant Shaftesbury Group, which owns large parts of the West End including much of Carnaby Street and Chinatown, is braced for a court battle with Hong Kong billionaire Samuel Tak Lee [...]
London Irish will return from exile with move back to the capital as they bid to secure their Premiership status April 25, 2019 After 20 years in exile, London Irish are returning to their roots. The club bounced back into the Premiership at the first time of asking at the weekend with a 46-7 Good Friday win against Richmond, and after a difficult few years they are looking to their past for inspiration as they build for the [...]
Inside Huawei: Spies, spin and billions at stake April 24, 2019 The journey from Paris to Verona takes just two minutes. The small, replica Swiss train trundles past imposing French chateaux and gothic German castles, sliding effortlessly through 12 European cities before ending up, after just under eight kilometres of newly-built track, back in Paris. On Huawei’s new Ox Horn campus, not far from the Chinese [...]
With Crossrail at a standstill, what other London transport projects have been put on hold? April 24, 2019 Last year was a particularly trying year for transport. The botched May timetable change caused widespread disruption across the country, prompting infuriated passengers to lodge 1m claims against train operator Govia Thameslink alone. While the headline that sticks in the memory is the delayed opening of the £17.6bn Elizabeth Line, there are a number of projects [...]