TfL’s future in Khan’s hands November 19, 2021 [Re: “Managed decline”, yesterday] Great front page headline City A.M. “Managed Decline” (18th November). The reality on Transport for London is London’s future is in the Mayor of London’s hands. He can reform the pre 1980’s era style union working practices and pay and conditions which are so generous other public sector workers are envious. [...]
Whitehall should not be able to escape TfL’s case for funding November 18, 2021 There is a brilliant, if possibly apocryphal, anecdote that emerged from the 2000 US election. Karl Rove, George W. Bush’s election strategist, was finally accosted by the journalists who had been following Bush on the campaign trail for weeks, reciting the same speech, city by city, state by state. The hacks begged Rove to change [...]
High voltage: National Grid’s profits spark to life amid Europe’s energy crunch November 18, 2021 National Grid is benefitting from booming profits as the energy crisis continues to bite.
Railway industry says HS2 cuts will hinder net zero and levelling up agenda November 18, 2021 Railway industry stakeholders have hit back against the government’s decision to cut the eastern leg of HS2, which was initially planned to connect Birmingham and Leeds. Speaking at Commons, Shapps argued that the changes made to the £100bn Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) “will bring benefits at least a decade or more earlier” and that they [...]
Lib Dems call for bank tax hike to plug TfL funding gap November 18, 2021 The Liberal Democrats have called for taxes on banks to be hiked to help fill Transport for London’s (TfL) £6.6bn funding gap. The party called the long-running TfL funding saga between the government and mayor of London Sadiq Khan a “a ridiculous macho battle”, while urging them to “sort this mess out”. Khan last night [...]
‘Great train robbery’: Labour outrage at government cuts to HS2 November 18, 2021 Labour has labelled the government’s decision to cut the eastern leg of HS2, which would have connected Birmingham to Leeds, a “great train robbery”. Transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed today, after a series of press stories this week, that the eastern leg of the high speed rail line will instead go from Birmingham to near [...]
TfL: Network planning for “managed decline” and return to 1970s without Whitehall funding November 18, 2021 LONDON’S transport network is headed for “managed decline” that will echo the 1970s if central government refuses to fill a growing funding black hole. Late on Wednesday evening, TfL’s finance committee published the bleakest assessment yet of the future of London’s public transport network, outlining an 18 per cent reduction in bus services and a [...]
Lower than forecast ULEZ receipts hit transport network’s coffers November 18, 2021 The expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has been so successful in driving down the use of heavily-polluting cars that it has blown a £600m hole in TfL’s forecasted budgets. The ULEZ was expanded out to the north and south circular in October as part of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s push [...]
Sadiq Khan warns for ‘severe tube and bus disruption’ if govt does not cough up £1.9bn for London transport funding November 18, 2021 Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, warned this morning that without urgent Government investment London’s bus and tube services could be severely disrupted because of a £1.9 billion funding gap. Sadiq Khan says bus services could be reduced by a fifth and tube services by almost 10% unless the Government steps in with an injection [...]
Government faces backlash over HS2 overhaul November 17, 2021 The government is facing criticism from small businesses and rail unions over plans to overhaul the designs for HS2. Transport Secretary Grant Schapps will tomorrow announce changes to the planned HS2 rail routes between major cities in the North and Midlands as part of the government’s £96bn “Integrated Rail Plan.” The rumoured redesign has drawn [...]