RMT confirms Tube strike for August July 27, 2021 The RMT union has confirmed for four days of strikes on the Tube in August in protest over plans to abolish the Night Tube train drivers’ grade. Having first called the strike earlier this month, it confirmed it would go ahead after failing to make any progress in talks with the London Underground company. The [...]
Train passengers braced for pingdemic chaos amid restaurant closure threat July 24, 2021 British rail passengers are braced for a summer of travel chaos after a string of operators prepare for mass cancellations due to the so-called pingdemic. At least seven train networks have been granted government approval to impose emergency timetables as a result of a severe shortage of drivers and crew. The measures could reportedly last [...]
Bus privatisation a ‘masterclass in how not to run a public service’, report finds July 19, 2021 The privatisation of the UK’s bus industry three decades ago has proved a “masterclass in how not to run an essential public service”, a new report into the sector has found. Philip Alston, a law professor and former UN special rapporteur for poverty, said that since Margaret Thatcher’s reforms in 1985, the country had been [...]
Face masks to remain compulsory on London Tube and buses July 14, 2021 Face masks will remain compulsory on London Tube and bus services despite the wider easing of lockdown measures under new plans unveiled by mayor Sadiq Khan. While the legal requirement to wear face masks will end on 19 July, the mayor said he was “not prepared to stand by and put Londoners, and our city’s [...]
Exclusive: Business chiefs call for long-term TfL funding to support return to work June 25, 2021 The government must agree a sustainable long-term funding deal for Transport for London (TfL) to help support the capital’s post-pandemic recovery, business chiefs have urged. In a new report seen by City A.M., lobby group London First said maintaining public transport services in the capital was “vital” in rebuilding confidence and supporting the shift to [...]
Rail industry puts service and job cuts on the line amid warnings that government support ‘not unlimited’ June 15, 2021 The rail industry is taking steps to trim services and cut jobs in a bid to save £2bn a year as it warned that the government’s current support for the sector was “not unlimited”. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March last year, ministers have spent over £10bn – £800m per month – propping [...]
Transport for London secures £1.08bn emergency funding deal June 1, 2021 Transport for London has secured a £1.08bn emergency funding deal with the government to provide financial support during ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. The latest cash injection, agreed with the Department for Transport, will cover the period from 29 May until 11 December. The funding package is designed to contribute to the organisation’s revenue loss due to [...]
Flexible season tickets on sale from 21 June under new rail plan May 20, 2021 Flexible season tickets will go on sale from 21 June as part of newly announced reforms that represent the most comprehensive overhaul of the UK’s railways in decades. The long-awaited Williams-Shapps review, which was first mooted nearly four years ago, has finally been published by the Department for Transport (DfT). The paper proposes a number [...]
London buses to double passenger capacity from Monday May 13, 2021 Londoners will soon face fewer capacity-related bus frustrations, as from Monday social distancing measures on buses across England will be eased. In London capacity on double decker buses will be doubled to around 60 passengers from Monday. For single decker buses capacity will be increased to 28, up from between 11 and 14 currently, depending [...]
Re-elected Khan already caught in the middle as RMT union threatens tube strike over Night Tube jobs May 10, 2021 The RMT union is raining on Sadiq Khan’s re-election celebrations with threats of industrial action if Transport for London doesn’t back down over scrapping Night Tube jobs and merging roles with regular Tube drivers. Transport for London, which is in a dire financial state after more than a year of Covid-19 lockdowns and remote working [...]