Greater Anglia rail franchise clause at centre of dispute involving Abellio January 5, 2020 A row between rail officials in Holland and Britain has spilled over into 2020, after train operator Abellio continued to take heavy losses from a clause in one of its UK government contracts. Abellio is a subsidiary of Dutch state-owned company Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS). Read more: Rail: Williams review recommendations ‘could take 10 years to [...]
MPs were ‘misled’ on HS2 cost, says former deputy of government review into project January 5, 2020 Parliament was “misled” over the costs of the High Speed 2 rail project, according to the former deputy chairman of the government’s independent review into the line. Lord Tony Berkeley said the cost of the project is “out of control” and could be as much as £107m, three times the original estimate, in his own [...]
Was Sadiq Khan’s new policy copied and pasted from The Thick of It? January 2, 2020 Sadiq Khan’s first policy announcement of his mayoral campaign appears that it could have been lifted from the cult TV show The Thick of It. The mayor of London today announced that if re-elected in May that all carers of disabled people will get free travel on all Transport for London (TfL) services. Read more: [...]
Sadiq Khan promises free travel for disabled people’s carers January 2, 2020 London’s public transport system will be free for anyone accompanying a disabled passenger if Sadiq Khan is re-elected. The Labour mayor of London has pledged to create a “companion pass” if he wins the May election, which would provide free travel on all Transport for London (TfL) services for carers of disabled people. Read more: [...]
UK stocks 2020: Which shares are City A.M. staff backing in the new year? December 30, 2019 The UK stock market looks set to end the year on a high after the Tories’ election win and progress in US-China trade talks alleviated the uncertainty that has weighed on markets for months. But the road ahead is far from clear, with the looming Brexit date of 31st January and various upcoming trade negotiations [...]
Northern Rail ‘could be split up’ amid nationalisation plans December 26, 2019 The government is said to be plotting a break-up of Northern Rail as part of a radical plan to renationalise train services in northern England. Northern Rail, which is run by German operator Arriva, would be split into two franchises – North West and North East – under plans drawn up by Whitehall officials, the [...]
All Londoners want for Christmas is some kind of public transport December 20, 2019 This week, newspapers are reporting how the great Christmas get-away is about to begin — or better still, that the fabled seasonal shut-down is about to commence. For many readers, the break can probably not come soon enough. For sure, it has been a year of ups and downs for London and the South East’s [...]
Uber banned in Germany as bumpy ride continues into 2020 December 19, 2019 A German court banned Uber from operating its ride-hailing services in Germany today for lacking the licence necessary to offer transport services using rental cars. Uber is active in seven German cities and works exclusively with car rental companies and their drivers. It can appeal to a higher court and will continue to drive in [...]
Dear Santa, for this Christmas I want the nanny state to get lost December 19, 2019 What is the best thing about Christmas? Presents are nice. Spending time with friends and family is obviously a highlight. But for many of us what truly makes the season is the food. Mince pies, pigs in blankets, Christmas pudding, a snifter of sherry — the festive period is all about indulging. But will we [...]
Revealed: Testing delays mean Crossrail may not open until October 2021 December 18, 2019 The central section of Crossrail may not be open before October 2021, despite claims it could be launched in the first quarter of that year. The project has been cursed with endless delays and budget blowouts, with its cost now expected to be £18.25bn – £3.4bn over its original costings. Crossrail bosses announced in November [...]