A post-industrial Britain has stark lessons for net zero July 22, 2022 LAST week our cities were hotter than they have ever been, and many people suffered. On average they were 3-4 degrees hotter than the surrounding countryside. Had more people commuted into workplaces, it would have been worse. But why are London and cities across the UK so hot? There are three connected explanations. First, they [...]
Chaos after TfL backtracks on early closure of Central Line due to staff shortages July 21, 2022 Confusion reigned for Londoners this afternoon following TFL’s announcement the Central Line would close early due to staff closures – before uturning on the decision shortly after. Thousands of commuters were concerned as to how they might get home from the City, after an announcement by Transport for London (TFL) the line would shut by [...]
Sigh of relief for Londoners as ALL long-running strikes on Night Tube suspended July 21, 2022 Long-running strikes on London’s Night Tube have been suspended. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have been taking industrial action over weekends in a dispute over shifts. “We are pleased that after our strong industrial campaign, we have made significant progress on the Night Tube dispute,” said RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch. [...]
Chaos-stricken Heathrow dealt kerosene blow as refuellers plan to walk out from tomorrow 5am July 20, 2022 Heathrow will need to brace itself for further chaos as refuellers are set to go on a three-day strike starting tomorrow. Around 50 members of the union Unite working for Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) announced the decision yesterday, after they rejected a 10 per cent pay increase. The walkout will begin at 5am tomorrow and [...]
Londoners heed call not to travel in extreme heat with near 50 per cent drop in Tube use from pre-Covid July 19, 2022 Londoners are heeding the government’s advice and staying at home due to the extreme heat, with entries and exits on the train network down almost 50 per cent. During the morning rush-hour on Tuesday, there were 1.03 commuters using the Underground, marking a 47 per cent drop on pre-pandemic levels. This was also 30 per [...]
Rail network unable to cope with extreme heat as track hits 62C: ‘Just not built to withstand this temperature’ July 19, 2022 The hottest railway track reached a scorching 62C on Monday, as the Transport Secretary admitted it will take decades to upgrade existing lines to be more resilient. Grant Shapps conceded the UK’s transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat, saying that the Victorian-era infrastructure “just wasn’t built to withstand this type of temperature”. On [...]
Heatwave continues: Britain prepares for scorching temperatures as rail, retail and airports face disruption July 19, 2022 Brits are set to face temperatures of up to 41c today which is likely to be the hottest day on record. The country is struggling to cope with the extreme temperatures, with Luton Airport temporarily grounding all flights yesterday due to the heat, which melted a part of the tarmac. London’s transport network continues to [...]
Nearly 900 Tube journeys delayed in three years due to late drivers July 18, 2022 Almost 900 Tube journeys were delayed between 2019 and 2022 as a result of drivers turning up late to work, new Transport for London (TfL) figures have revealed. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request, made by the free market TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) think tank, found 894 Tube rides were late by at least two minutes [...]
What a new world order might mean for the global economy July 18, 2022 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has opened fault lines between nations which will affect trade relations and investment for years to come. The war in Ukraine is already having a significant effect on inflation and activity in the world economy as commodity prices have soared and supply chains have been disrupted. Inflation in the G7 was [...]
Heatwave: Severe delays on almost all tube lines as journeys down by 18 per cent from last week July 18, 2022 Londoners have stayed at home to avoid the extreme heat and travel disruption, with a marked decline in the number of journeys made today. London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned the train network would be operating with speed restrictions, which may cause delays, and commuters should consider working at home. On Monday morning, a number of [...]