Now Sussex bishops call for an end to “cycle of blame” in Southern rail strikes December 6, 2016 The Southern rail situation just took a rather bizarre twist. Bishops in Sussex have now stepped into the long-running dispute between the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the train operator over the role of the guards. Writing to Southern's parent owner Govia, union leaders and the Department for Transport (DfT), the church leaders [...]
“A slippery slope to privatisation”: Network Rail shake-up draws mixed reactions December 6, 2016 Chris Grayling's plans to shake-up Network Rail's monopoly on track maintenance have already caused quite the stir. Service operators will be given a role in managing the tracks and Grayling wants the firms operating services to form a joint management team with bosses from state-owned Network Rail. He said on BBC's Today programme that he [...]
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 [...]
Southern rail strikes by drivers and conductors cause fresh travel disruption for long-suffering commuters December 6, 2016 London Underground passengers might have got some respite after today's Tube strikes were called off yesterday, but there was no such joy for Southern rail commuters. They're facing yet more delays today as the latest three-day strike got under way: with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walking out at midnight over the ongoing [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Network Rail pays £316m in penalties for planned engineering works over the last year December 2, 2016 Network Rail has revealed which rail companies benefit the most from penalty payments for planned engineering works. And London's commuters may be shocked to hear the name that isn't at the top… No, neither Southern nor parent company Govia top the pile of operators which receive handouts from the publicly funded body in charge of Britain's rail infrastructure. [...]
Tube ticket offices were closed prematurely but don’t need to be reopened, says independent review by London TravelWatch December 2, 2016 A review into the impact of Tube ticket office closures has found offices were shut prematurely. It doesn't though, call for the reopening of ticket offices. The independent review by travel watchdog London TravelWatch was commissioned by mayor Sadiq Khan after Tube ticket offices were closed under his predecessor Boris Johnson's tenure. The decision did not [...]
Tube delays: What exactly is going on with the Piccadilly Line? December 2, 2016 Commuters using the Piccadilly Line are still experiencing severe delays – and they're set to continue for the foreseeable future. https://twitter.com/piccadillyline/status/804592078017675264 The disruption on the line started a week ago, with Transport for London blaming a shortage of trains. TfL later revealed that the train shortage was caused by the fact that around half the [...]
Train fare rises 2017: Here’s how much train ticket prices are going up next year December 2, 2016 Brace yourselves commuters, for train fares are set to go up next year, rail industry leaders have confirmed. On average, train fares will increase by 2.3 per cent (and that covers all national rail fares from 2 January 2017). Firms can increase regulated fares – including season tickets – each year by no more than [...]