Apple Pay at WWDC 2015: Commuters will be able to touch in and out of public transport using iPhones June 8, 2015 Commuters in London will soon be able to pay for travel on public transport by touching their iPhones at the barriers, tech giant Apple has revealed. Transport for London's director of customer experience, Shashi Verma, said: "With around one in ten of all contactless transactions in the UK now taking place on our transport services [...]
If you’re late and can’t get on / Just wait – more trains will come along: The magnus opus that just won Transport for London’s poetry competition June 8, 2015 Transport for London (TfL) has announced the title of the winning poem for its etiquette poetry competition: "Avoid Unnecessary Delays. Don't Hold Open the Doors". Alright, so it's hardly Ode to a Grecian Urn – but it has a certain ring to it……. Back in February, London's transport authority requested poems for a special poster campaign, [...]
London to trial “world-first” traffic technology for cyclists June 5, 2015 Transport for London is undertaking “world-first trials” of new technology that will give cyclists more time on green lights at major junctions. The Department for Transport has given blanket approval for the scheme, which will enable traffic signal timings to be adjusted when there are high numbers of cyclists at key junctions during rush [...]
London’s Garden Bridge faces uncertain future after opposition at London Assembly June 4, 2015 London's proposed Garden Bridge's future may be under threat as it faced opposition at the London Assembly. The bridge, which is designed as a pedestrian crossing with 270 trees and 2,000 shrubs, is to be partly funded by the Treasury and Transport for London (TfL) – each contributing £30m. However, London Assembly members voted 11-3 [...]
London rail engineers threaten to walk out over industrial relations and rota row June 3, 2015 Strike action could hit London as engineers on Southern Rail are balloted for action over breakdown in industrial relations. Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union confirmed that it will ballot over 200 200 engineering members on Southern Rail’s train operations. It said that representatives had been raising concerns "over a number of issues" with Southern [...]
Bidders for East Anglia rail line are confirmed: First East Anglia and National East Anglia Trains to take on Abellio June 2, 2015 The government yesterday named the firms who have qualified to bid to operate the East Anglia rail franchise. The operators, that will now endeavour to succeed incumbent Abellio East Anglia, are First East Anglia and National East Anglia Trains. Abellio East Anglia Limited – a joint venture between Abellio Transport Group and Stagecoach [...]
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin: HS2 fight “has been won” – work to start in next two years June 2, 2015 The £50bn battle over HS2 has been won and work on the project will begin in two years, according to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin. During a speech in Leeds, McLoughlin said the controversial high speed trainline will be built in full, as the government had received a “massive vote of confidence” when it won the [...]
High speed Eurostar line closed after person hit by train June 1, 2015 High speed trains that run between Ashford International and London St Pancras – including Eurostar – were suspended this morning after a person was hit by a train. The fatal incident occurred near Boxley in Kent. Police and ambulance crews were called towards the end of rush hour. A British Transport Police spokesman said: [...]
UK national rail strike talks go into fourth day as union bosses reject new pay deal May 31, 2015 Talks to prevent a national rail strike have been adjourned until Monday, in a dispute over pay that previously threatened a strike last Monday. Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mike Cash dubbed a new pay offer by Network Rail "unacceptable". The move meant that a new 24-hour strike is planned for Thursday [...]
Sadiq Khan: “aspiration” will be overused in Labour leadership race May 31, 2015 Sadiq Khan has criticised the way Labour politicians are looking back on Tony Blair’s time in office with “rose-tinted glasses”, claiming that the party no longer understands aspiration. The former shadow justice secretary, who resigned after the General Election in order to prepare for his candidacy for London mayor, said that some in his party [...]