New Year’s Eve 2017: What is the London weather forecast? December 31, 2017 With parts of the UK bracing themselves to be lashed by Storm Dylan, revellers in the capital can expect a largely dry night of festivities. Some 100,000 ticket holders packing the banks of the River Thames later today will be rewarded with almost rain-free conditions, weather forecasters say. The traditional firework display – 10,000 fireworks [...]
London travel, train strikes and closures: What’s closed from Boxing Day until New Year’s Day December 26, 2017 ‘Tis the season to avoid much of the public transport network, as engineering works take advantage of the holiday lull in passenger numbers. Here’s your post-Christmas run-down of what you need to know in London until New Year’s Day. The Tube The Tube will run a Sunday service on Boxing Day and on New Year’s [...]
Brits brace for Christmas travel trouble with “Frantic Friday” on the roads ahead of series of rail strikes and station closures December 22, 2017 Brits today face the busiest date for travelling on the nation’s roads, at the start of a festive period stacked with travel troubles including rail strikes and numerous station closures. The RAC has warned drivers against travelling today where possible with last-day commuters mixing with an expected 1.25m leisure trips. It has been dubbed “Frantic [...]
Christmas travel disruption roundup: London Tube and train stations and networks closed over Christmas December 20, 2017 With this morning’s news of a DLR strike planned for New Year’s Eve, Londoners may well be wondering what travel troubles they’ll be facing over the festive period. Well fear not, for here is a roundup of the various engineering works and walkouts planned – along with which days are set to be busiest for [...]
Train companies team up for £85bn plan to boost Britain’s railway post-Brexit in public and private partnership October 30, 2017 Rail companies, their suppliers, and Network Rail, have today set out plans to work more closely together, in order to drive £85bn of additional economic benefits to the UK economy. Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train firms and Network Rail, said the plan “will deliver the railway that the [...]
Heathrow calls on government to scrap air passenger duty on domestic flights to level the playing field with Europe in plan for Brexit Britain September 20, 2017 Heathrow has today called for the abolition of air passenger duty (APD) on domestic flights, and improved connections to the capital, in a letter to the chancellor on ways to boost Brexit Britain. The airport said abolishing the tax would level the playing field with Europe. Read more: MPs launch wide-ranging inquiry looking at impact [...]
Transport for London pledges no compulsory redundancies in London Overground overhaul of ticket offices as strike threat looms | City A.M. September 18, 2017 Transport for London (TfL) and Arriva Rail London (ARL) said today that “there will not be a need for compulsory redundancies” in plans to overhaul the London Overground, as unions warned ticket office closures could lead to industrial action. ARL will begin meeting with staff and unions to discuss proposals to improve customer service, including [...]
Southern rail: Transport secretary accuses Labour of stoking up unrest on the railways July 4, 2017 Transport secretary Chris Grayling has accused senior Labour figures of stirring up unrest at Southern rail and encouraging further industrial action on the beleaguered network. Speaking at a House of Commons debate yesterday to discuss the publication of a report into the train operator’s performance by Chris Gibb, a non-executive director at Network Rail, Grayling [...]
Government will pay long-suffering Southern rail passengers over £8m but many more could still claim compensation March 21, 2017 The government will pay out at least £8.85m in compensation to Southern rail annual season ticket holders due to months of disruption suffered by passengers. However, there have only been 36,979 claims so far from passengers for the special scheme to refund a month’s travel; under half of the number entitled to claim the compensation, [...]
Southern rail will agree to fresh talks with the RMT if the union suspends all strike action March 20, 2017 Southern owner Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has extended an olive branch to the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. Well, sort of. The train company has offered to meet the RMT for fresh face-to-face talks if the union suspends industrial action in its year-long dispute over changes to the role of the guard. Read more: Southern [...]