Nat Ex loses its East line early November 5, 2009 THE East Coast Main Line rail franchise, which runs services from London to Edinburgh, will be transferred to a government-controlled company on 13 November, a month earlier than anticipated, the Department of Transport (DfT) said yesterday. The franchise, which will be handed back by ailing bus and rail operator National Express after it ran up [...]
Greyhound dogs FirstGroup November 4, 2009 FIRSTGROUP, the transport company which was rebuffed in its attempt to takeover National Express last month, yesterday said its profits had slumped as its iconic Greyhound bus service was hit by the downturn. FirstGroup, which launched a London-Southampton service bearing the Greyhound symbol in the UK earlier this year, said the unit’s operating profits slid [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 29, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMES ASIAN SHIPPING LINES SUFFER FURTHER LOSSESTwo of Asia’s biggest shipping lines announced major losses for the June-September quarter in a further sign of the unprecedented severity of the crisis battering the industry. Singapore’s Neptune Orient Lines said that it would lose money at least for the first half of 2010 as it announced [...]
Go-Ahead overtakes forecasts October 29, 2009 Transport group Go Ahead said yesterday that it had seen growth slightly ahead of expectations in its bus and aviation operations over the first quarter, and that rail operations were continuing to trade in line with forecasts. The largest bus operator in London said first-quarter revenue growth was slightly ahead of its expectations as passenger [...]
Boris stands firm on Crossrail October 27, 2009 LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday secured the support of business organisation London First as he continued to insist investing in Crossrail and London’s transport network was essential for the Capital’s economic prosperity. Attending the launch of a report published by London First into the benefits of maintaining investment in transport, Johnson said his commitment to [...]
Growing our truly unique readership October 22, 2009 City A.M. is based upon the idea that print remains a competitive and efficient medium, even today. While we are planning exciting developments for our digital offering in the months ahead, we believe a great print product remains the fastest and most efficient way of providing readers with a quick and concise overview of all [...]
A manifesto for a great newspaper October 22, 2009 City A.M. has a simple mission: to be the essential morning read for London’s business community. Every single working day, we aim to provide our readers with a pithy, well-edited and bang-up-to-date package of news, comment, investment advice, lifestyle and sports – and all of this entirely for free and conveniently available at transport hubs [...]
City Airport owner snaps up Gatwick October 21, 2009 THE UK’s second largest airport, Gatwick, is facing a massive shake-up after BAA yesterday sold it for £1.5bn to City Airport owner Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). The new owner said that it wants to challenge rival Heathrow by overhauling services and could add new destinations. Michael McGhee, the GIP partner leading the acquisition, said the [...]
Post strikes will do most damage to Royal Mail October 18, 2009 IF THIS week’s postal strike goes ahead from Thursday, as expected, the Square Mile will not come to a grinding halt. The rise of the internet, email and electronic trading platforms mean that the Royal Mail’s integral role of facilitating business between City firms are long gone. I suspect that more damage will be caused [...]
Boris to hike prices for TfL and C-charge October 15, 2009 LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday blamed the recession and the “mistakes of the past” as he unveiled sweeping hikes to Transport for London’s (TfL) fare package. Johnson said tube fares would rise 3.9 per cent overall next year, while bus prices will jump by 12.7 per cent. The changes come alongside a proposed increase to [...]