Train journeys set to return to peacetime high October 16, 2011 RAIL PASSENGER numbers grew by more than five per cent over the summer, helped by more travellers switching to public transport as high petrol prices force drivers to leave their cars at home. Figures from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) show that the number of journeys taken in the third quarter of this [...]
Businesses need to plan for the Olympics if they want the summer to run smoothly October 16, 2011 London 2012 TIME TO GET READY THERE’S no general piece of advice.” I’m with Transport for London’s no-nonsense commissioner, Peter Hendy, and if he has one message he wants people to grasp about public transport during next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is that every day and every part of town will be different. [...]
Next hotspots for price growth October 13, 2011 EVERYONE has read the headlines about the soaring prices of core prime central London properties – that’s homes in Chelsea, Mayfair and Belgravia. Foreign investment in the market has brought a price boom that the average well-to-do Brit just can’t keep pace with. Understandable, when the “square footage” – the price per square foot – [...]
RAPID RESPONSES October 6, 2011 Inflexible traders As your Q&A on Monday said, the London transport system is going to struggle to cope during the Olympics and most businesses are going to look at ways for employees to work remotely. But City traders are one of those increasingly rare professional groups whose remote working practices are restricted. One of the [...]
More investment for London October 4, 2011 Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, yesterday called on the government to continue investing in the capital, which he said was the “locomotive” for the recovery in the UK. During his speech to the Tory conference, Johnson argued that other parts of the country – such as Manchester, where the Conservatives are meeting – relied on [...]
DP World sees 2013 London ports launch October 4, 2011 DUBAI-BASED ports operator DP World expects its new London Gateway deep-sea container port to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2013, it said yesterday, with spending on the project set to continue apace despite the economic gloom. London Gateway, located about 25 miles east of central London on the north bank of the river [...]
Technology can increase flexibility during Games October 2, 2011 Q&A: London 2012 TIME TO GET READY Q. OUR EMPLOYEES RELY HEAVILY ON FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS IN OUR OFFICE . HOW CAN WE MANAGE THIS WITHOUT LOSING BUSINESS? A. During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the transport network will be much busier than normal. This will have a big impact on employees and clients, particularly when [...]
First Group expects jump in first half train revenue September 29, 2011 FIRST Group yesterday said that higher fares had failed to dent demand for train travel, with like-for-like passenger revenue expected to increase by nine per cent in the six months to the end of September. The group, which runs First Capital Connect commuter services in London, said it was looking forward to expanding its number [...]
If you are in an Olympic hotspot, get set now September 25, 2011 Q&A: London 2012 TIME TO GET READY Q. WE ARE IN AN OLYMPIC HOTSPOT AREA, BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW OUR EMPLOYEES MAKE THEIR WAY TO AND FROM WORK. HOW SHOULD WE PROCEED TO FIND THIS OUT? AND WHEN? A. During the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, the transport network will be much [...]
Gulf Keystone raises $200m in rights issue September 20, 2011 KURDISTAN-FOCUSED explorer Gulf Keystone said it raised $200m (£127m) in a placing to help accelerate the development of the massive oil discoveries it has made in the semi-autonomous region of Iraq. The company said yesterday it issued 91m new shares in an oversubscribed placing at a price of 140p, representing a 14 per cent discount to [...]