Tube strike 6 to 8 February 2016: New RMT dates to disrupt TfL services over jobs dispute February 1, 2016 Transport union RMT is planning a 48-hour Tube strike beginning this Saturday and running until Monday evening, this time over job cuts on the London Underground. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will down tools from 9pm on 6 February and continue until the same time on Monday night over a long-standing dispute regarding [...]
The government has invested £20m to develop driverless car technology February 1, 2016 Say what you like about driverless cars, but the government seems pretty set on making them A Thing: business secretary Sajid Javid has unveiled a £20m fund to help those developing the technology. Eight projects focused on developing technology to create "enhanced communication between vehicles and roadside infrastructure or urban information systems" will share the cash, Javid announced at [...]
London airport expansion: Sir Howard Davies, Sir Martin Sorrell, CBI, London First and others hit back at MPs’ request for more economic analysis of airport options January 31, 2016 Business groups have once again urged the government to push ahead with airport expansion, after an influential group of MPs opened the door to further delays by calling for more economic analysis of the costs and benefits of additional runways. In a letter today to chancellor George Osborne, Treasury Committee chair Andrew Tyrie attacked the [...]
London’s first driverless cars will be trialled this summer as Heathrow’s autonomous “pods” hit the streets of Greenwich January 29, 2016 Forget Google and its Californian experiments – driverless cars are about to come a lot closer to home, after a project announced plans to trial autonomous vehicles in Greenwich this summer. The Gateway project said three British companies – Westfield Sportscars, Heathrow Enterprises and Oxbotica – will work together to develop "pods" based on the ones [...]
Mayor of London Boris Johnson accused of “cover up” over Garden Bridge meeting January 29, 2016 The Mayor of London has been accused of misleading the London Assembly over the controversial Garden Bridge, amid claims he targeted Apple for corporate sponsorship before the scheme had even received backing. According to trade magazine Architects' Journal, which has been running a series of exposes on the matter, Boris Johnson and Garden Bridge designer Thomas Heatherwick travelled [...]
Thank rail companies when trains run on time, says Sussex MP Huw Merriman January 28, 2016 Commuters should be taking the time to say thank you to the rail companies when they manage to get train services running on time, which they do "most days", a Sussex MP has said. Thousands of passengers may beg to differ, but speaking in the Commons today, MP for Bexhill and Battle Huw Merriman said: "This morning [...]
Britain’s worst trains: London’s passengers are the unhappiest as Thameslink, Southeastern and Southern trains voted worst for customer satisfaction January 27, 2016 Commute into London? Feel like it's the worst journey in the world? Quite possibly, you're right. Thameslink, Southeastern and Southern have been voted the worst train companies in the UK, with passengers on their services the least satisfied in the country, after being rated on everything from how much room there is to stand and how helpful [...]
Will there be a Night Tube launch in 2016? London’s 24-hour underground service could be delayed until after the mayoral election January 27, 2016 May could be the earliest we see a Night Tube running in London, as unions have warned the 24-hour service could be delayed until after the mayoral election. Hotly anticipated by Londoners and debated by Transport for London (TfL) and unions, the weekend night services were announced 18 months ago, but their launch has been [...]
Greater Anglia services from Southend to Liverpool Street suspended after person hit by train January 27, 2016 Greater Anglia train services were part-suspended until at least midday this morning, after a person was hit by a train near to Southend Airport. British Transport Police said they were en route to the station after receiving reports of a person under a train at around 8am this morning. Greater Anglia said: "Due to emergency services [...]
I’ll give London’s businesses the support and freedom they need to thrive January 27, 2016 From tech startups to street markets, black cabs to global banks, London’s businesses are what make our city great. As mayor, I’ll make it my business to deliver for them. Last week I launched my Action Plan for Greater London: more homes, better transport, cleaner air and safer streets. These are issues that matter to [...]