Focus On… Wimbledon: A game of two halves July 10, 2014 AS THE Championships drew to a close last week, it wasn’t just Novak Djokovic who was counting his prize money. Savvier residents in the leafy, south west London suburb who rented their property out for the fortnight also earned themselves a tidy profit, according to estate agents Hamptons International. “Many home owners choose to let [...]
Where will London’s newest Thames bridge be? Nine Elms bridge to be built July 9, 2014 Wandsworth Council is set to launch a global competition to find a design for a new £40m bridge in west London. The planned bridge will span the water at one of five possible locations, all linking Nine Elms to Pimlico. The pedestrianised crossing will also provide a quiet route for cyclists, and is likely to [...]
As politicians pledge to end the economy’s focus on London, is this counterproductive? July 8, 2014 Baroness Jo Valentine, chief executive of London First, says Yes. The problem with much of the discussion around this topic is that it assumes the capital’s success is to the detriment of other cities. London is enormously influential in putting the UK on the world stage, due to its position as a leading global hub for [...]
Network Rail fined £53.1m for trains running late July 7, 2014 Network Rail has been handed a record £53.1m fine for missing punctuality targets, the industry regulator reported today. In its assessment of the company that runs Britain's tracks, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) criticised Network Rail for falling "significantly short" of the funded 92 per cent average punctuality targets, achieving just 87 per cent. [...]
David Cameron’s £6bn growth gamble on jobs, transport and construction July 7, 2014 David Cameron is today pledging £6bn to boost regional jobs, transport and construction in a bid to boost growth across the country in the run up to next year’s election. The biggest chunk of spending nationally under the three-year scheme will be £3bn on transport, with major links being built between northern cities. The capital [...]
Ten times faster wi-fi in £90m upgrade for commuter trains July 7, 2014 COMMUTERS can look forward to wi-fi speeds 10 times faster than they currently receive on trains as part of Department for Transport £90m plans, paid partly from a fine on Network Rail. Some of the first routes likely to benefit from the faster wi-fi service will include passengers travelling into London from Bedford, Brighton, Kent [...]
Tour de France: Where to watch in London July 6, 2014 The Tour de France arrives in London after Le Grand Depart in Yorkshire, and Londoners will be able to catch a glimpse of the elite cyclists on Monday afternoon. The fastest cyclists are expected to enter London at around 3pm heading through east London and the City to the finish line on The Mall at around [...]
Cash fares no longer accepted on London buses July 6, 2014 London buses will no longer accept fares paid in cash in a move that Transport for London (TfL) says will save the capital £24m a year. From today, passengers will only be able to pay for bus fares using an Oyster card, contactless credit or debit card or travelcard ticket. TfL estimates less than one [...]
Serco fails to win rebid for Docklands Light Railway July 4, 2014 Troubled outsourcing firm Serco has received yet more bad news today as Transport for London informed the company it had failed in its rebid to operate and maintain the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). After 17 years of running the DLR Serco will hand it over to a venture between Keolis and Amey. However, Serco was [...]
TfL court ruling delayed as Uber drivers are sued July 3, 2014 The battle over Uber’s controversial car hire app escalated yesterday as Transport for London (TfL) said its attempt to get a High Court ruling on the dispute would be seriously delayed following news that the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) was taking its own legal action against Uber drivers. The dispute focuses on whether Uber’s [...]