Uber ramps up British charm offensive with sweeping Nissan deal January 24, 2020 Nissan and Uber have signed a deal that will provide the ride-hailing giant’s drivers with a fleet of new electric cars, as Uber attempts to lay on the charm with on British authorities. The Japanese car maker will provide 2,000 new Nissan Leaf cars, made at the firm’s factory in Sunderland, to Uber at a [...]
Time ticking on HS2: Work ‘must start within 67 days’ to avoid further delay to £106bn project January 24, 2020 The controversial HS2 rail project was delivered a stark deadline this morning, as the government spending watchdog declared the scheme would be delayed even further unless construction begins in the next 67 days. In its fourth report on the project in the last seven years, the National Audit Office (NAO) also said the Department for [...]
South Western Railway guards vote for more strike action January 23, 2020 Rail commuters face more misery on South Western Railway in the coming months, after staff voted for more strike action in the long-running dispute over the role of train guards. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has not yet announced strike dates, but the action follows a record-breaking 27-day strike in [...]
Don’t underestimate the politics of infrastructure January 23, 2020 The Conservative election campaign slogan may have been “Get Brexit Done”, but the fate of this government will ultimately hinge on what it does here at home — specifically regarding infrastructure. It is widely accepted, including by the Prime Minister himself and his chief aide Dominic Cummings, that the Conservatives need to do more than [...]
Struggling South Western Railway could be nationalised, says transport secretary Grant Shapps January 22, 2020 The South Western Railway franchise could be nationalised in the coming months after transport secretary Grant Shapps today declared it financially “not sustainable”. South Western, which is run by First Group and Hong Kong firm MTR, has been plagued by delays, poor performance and a series of damaging strikes in recent months. The franchise lost [...]
Coronavirus: Heathrow airport to separate arrivals as concern grows January 22, 2020 Heathrow has set up a separate arrivals area for people travelling from the Chinese city hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said Heathrow was putting “additional measures” in place this morning to protect against the virus. “Initially this is to ensure that when flights come in directly into Heathrow there is a [...]
HS2: Grant Shapps says problem is with capacity ahead of February decision January 22, 2020 Grant Shapps has placed more doubt over the future of the HS2 rail line, saying the problem is about capacity rather than speed. The transport secretary said that while a final decision would be made in February, he was examining alternatives. Shapps said it was vital that the government get the facts right before embarking [...]
HS2 Q&A: Where is the route, how much will it cost and when will it open? January 20, 2020 Today’s forecast that the cost of HS2 could soar as high as £106bn will come as no surprise to close observers of the project. The number, calculated by infrastructure consultant Michael Byng, is in line with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s prediction last year that the project will come in “north of £100bn”. But the figure [...]
HS2: Pressure mounts on Boris Johnson from all sides after leaked review January 20, 2020 Britain’s business groups have demanded Boris Johnson press on with the HS2 rail line as soon as possible, as the pressure mounts on the PM to make a decision on the divisive project. It comes amid today’s revelations that the government-commissioned review of the scheme is set to predict the cost could rise to £106bn. [...]
HS2 costs could hit £106bn, leaked review warns January 20, 2020 Building HS2 could cost up to £106bn, according to a leaked government-commissioned review that reportedly outlines a 20 per cent rise in costs to the UK infrastructure project. The review into the controversial high-speed rail link project warns of “considerable risk” that costs could balloon further from HS2’s original budget of £32.7bn. The government has [...]