Rapid responses January 9, 2013 Commuting reality [Re: Further efficiencies are critical to making London’s railways thrive, yesterday] The current proposals for rail improvements are distinctly short sighted. Britain’s railways were built in Victorian times to take travellers from one city centre to another. But this no longer reflects the travel pattern of today’s rail users. The figures reveal a [...]
Further efficiencies are critical to making London’s railways thrive January 8, 2013 COMMUTERS finally have some welcome news. Just a week after inflation-busting fare increases came into effect, rail industry leaders have announced Britain’s biggest investment in infrastructure since the Victorian era. Look around any train or station serving London in the morning peak and the case for improvements is overwhelming. Many are packed or overcrowded. Londoners [...]
Rapid responses January 7, 2013 Broadband policy [Re: Think tank slams plan to splash out on UK broadband arms race, yesterday] This is an essential look at the UK’s costly and ineffective broadband policies. But it fails to recommend immediate policy changes that would result in much-needed, competition for fixed line and mobile internet access. Allowing wholesale internet service providers [...]
Rail minister commutes in chauffeured car January 7, 2013 THE GOVERNMENT minister responsible for setting rail fares will continue to use a chauffeur-driven car to commute into London from his Essex home, the Department for Transport insisted yesterday. The department was forced to make the statement after it emerged that Simon Burns, the minister who has ultimate responsibility for fare policy, has been using [...]
Sun European takes a shine to packaging January 2, 2013 SUN EUROPEAN Partners has snapped up two packaging companies including Lincolnshire-based Paragon Print & Packaging in a £400m spending spree. Sun European, an arm of US private equity firm Sun Capital, yesterday said it had bought a 49 per cent stake in Paragon from Equistone and LDC for an undisclosed sum. Sun European also completed [...]
Delays hit key rail routes as fares balloon January 2, 2013 DELAYS and cancellations as well as above-inflation fare hikes greeted commuters returning to work after the festive break yesterday. As the price of a season ticket rose 4.2 per cent and the average fare increased by 3.9 per cent, some rail firms struggled to stay on track. First Great Western passengers endured the ongoing effects [...]
London’s burgeoning skyline will complement expansion underground January 2, 2013 LONDON is emerging from recession as a beacon of hope for future British growth. It has the right mix of talents – in technology, creative industries, and finance – to establish a new benchmark for the few world cities that will dominate the next half-century. But it can also learn from past achievements to build [...]
Rail users hit by above-inflation fare increases January 1, 2013 TRAIN passengers will from today have to pay an average of 3.9 per cent more for their tickets. Commuters on some routes will be hammered by hikes of more than 10 per cent, sparking anger among campaigners and politicians over the government’s rules on setting fares. Train operators must stick to an inflation-linked cap on [...]
Go-Ahead to pay £7m for delayed trains December 20, 2012 THE GOVERNMENT is forcing transport group Go-Ahead to compensate London Midland passengers for cancelled trains and delays to services last year in a package of benefits worth £7m. In compensation, London Midland season ticket holders will be given five days’ worth of free travel passes. A further 500,000 cheap advance tickets for passengers on routes [...]
What the autumn statement means for property players December 20, 2012 Chancellor OF the exchequer George Osborne’s autumn statement, released last month, included a £5.5bn infrastructure package, bringing infrastructure investment to £33bn a year. The funding includes support for long-term private investment in new roads, science, free schools and academies. Osborne also opted to keep property taxes and the rate of stamp duty unchanged, something some [...]