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 [...]
Japan – with kids? Believe it or not, it works December 18, 2019 The looks of incomprehension became commonplace, from colleagues, friends, neighbours and, most severely, my mother-in-law. “You’re taking her… to Japan?” they asked, through a variety of similar rhetorical questions. A trip to Japan should surprise no one, these days. The island state is undergoing an eye-watering boom in tourism, with visitor numbers soaring from 13m [...]
Person dies after being hit by train at Harringay station December 17, 2019 A person has died after being hit by a train at Harringay station in north London this morning. In a statement, British Transport Police confirmed that officers were called to the station shortly before 11.50 this morning following reports of a casualty on the tracks. Paramedics were also in attendance, but the person was pronounced [...]
RMT pledges to fight Tory plans for ‘minimum service’ during strikes December 17, 2019 The boss of the RMT transport union has hit out at government plans to pass legislation to ensure commuters to can get to work during strikes. Responding to the proposed legislation, general secretary Mick Cash said: “It hasn’t taken long for the true colours of this new Tory government to emerge. Read more: South Western [...]
Exclusive: Crossrail safety issues spiral in 2019 with record rate of near-misses December 17, 2019 High risk incidents in the construction of Crossrail doubled this year, in a trend that an engineering company contracted by Transport for London (TfL) has described as “worrying”. Crossrail records the number of incidents that could, in different circumstances, have caused death or serious injury. This year, Crossrail workers have been involved in 50 of [...]
Tube delays: Central, District and Circle Lines suffer rush hour misery December 17, 2019 Commuters were left to endure a torrid rush hour journey to work this morning after Tube delays hit three Underground lines. A signal failure at Aldgate and an earlier one at Hammersmith have brought the Circle Line to a halt in the anti-clockwise direction, as well as running with minor delays the other way. Read [...]
TfL and Sadiq Khan to write to government in funding bid December 16, 2019 Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) will write to the new government in a bid to secure funding for several big ticket transport projects. TfL’s newly released five-year business plan said the government’s 2019 spending round statement had not provided long-term funding certainty past 2021. Read more: Crossrail delay until 2021 may cost London [...]