End of the (railway) line? The Canadian pension giants that own HS1 have brought in Bank of America to explore a £3.6bn potential sale January 15, 2017 The two Canadian pension giants that own the high-speed railway connecting London to the Channel Tunnel have appointed a US investment bank to explore a sale of the line. The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Borealis have brought in Bank of America Merrill Lynch to handle a £3.6bn potential sale of the 109km HS1 line that [...]
No business like snow business: The funniest tweets about London’s flurry of snow January 13, 2017 The Met Office had issued warnings, Transport for London (TfL) said it had prepared – but in the event, in the capital yesterday's snow flurry proved pretty disappointing. That didn't stop Londoners from taking to Twitter to express their excitement, though. Here are the best tweets about #Snowmageddon. With the Met Office having issued warnings [...]
Torrential rain in Spain means spinach shortage and blow to Popeye wannabees January 13, 2017 New Year gym-goers aiming to build up a Popeye-like physique have been dealt a major blow. Torrential rain in Spain has damaged this winter’s spinach crop, and supermarkets are struggling to feed consumer demand. Read more: Manufacturing giant Premier Foods considers price rises due to Brexit vote Waitrose supermarkets, for instance, have signs warning shoppers [...]
Government is trialling a “pot-hole spotter system” to identify the pesky problems before they develop January 13, 2017 The government has revealed further detail of £1.2bn road funding for councils to slash congestion and tackle pesky problems like potholes. The Department for Transport (DfT) is also starting a new trial in partnership with Thurrock and York councils in an effort to identify potholes quicker and combat them faster. A "pothole-spotter system" will be mounted [...]
Why a Singapore-style London would be run by Jeremy Corbyn January 13, 2017 Occasionally, highly educated Londoners half-jokingly, half-wistfully suggest the city should declare independence from the rest of the country. They really mean independence from provincial England, whose values and political priorities they abhor. They aspire to live in a city friendly to business and the successful – an open-minded city, open to the world. Would they [...]
Canary Wharf station reopens after flooding trouble causes more travel headaches for the capital’s commuters January 12, 2017 The capital's commuters have been given yet more travel headaches for the week, after flooding caused station troubles during rush-hour. Canary Wharf was evacuated due to flooding, while westbound services weren't stopping at Mansion House and Victoria station also because of flooding. Bank was also closed due to overcrowding. Trains are now stopping at Mansion House, though Circle [...]
Here’s when the next Tube strike is likely to be January 12, 2017 The next Tube strike will take place on 6 February unless a dispute with Transport for London (TfL) can be resolved, the RMT union has said. The PA reported today that the RMT had warned industrial action will be "escalated" if TfL cannot resolve the dispute. The threat came days after Tube workers brought the [...]
Snow no! London airports have cancelled dozens of flights January 12, 2017 As snow and ice loomed over London, airports across the capital have cancelled dozens of flights. Heathrow and Gatwick airports both said some flights were cancelled in advance of the snow, which is set to begin at five o'clock tonight. Meanwhile, Luton and City airports both said they will keep travellers up to date. Heathrow [...]
Amazon promises to help plug the UK’s digital skills gap with training for young people and ex-military personnel January 12, 2017 Amazon is launching a new scheme to help plug Britain's digital skills gap, offering free training to young people and ex-military personnel. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of the web giant which powers businesses such as Transport for London and Zoopla, is launching AWS re:Start to help get 1,000 more people skilled in digital [...]
Bank junction in the City will come to a standstill this evening due to a cab drivers demonstration January 12, 2017 Cab drivers are planning to demonstrate in the Square Mile today, with police warning that there will be significant traffic problems for most of this evening as a result. Bank junction will be closed from 4.30pm, ahead of the protest action by United Cabbie Group (UCG), which starts at 5pm and runs until 6.30pm. The cab [...]