TfL shortlists four train operators to run London Overground June 29, 2015 Transport for London (TfL) has announced a shortlist of four train operators to run London Overground services from next year. Arriva Rail, LoKeGo (the snappily-titled joint venture between Keolis and Go-Ahead), Metroline and MTR are all in the running to take over the routes, which includes routes between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town, Cheshunt and [...]
Fire crews called in after burst water main creates “river” in Kennington, TfL warns of severe delays to buses across south London June 29, 2015 Update: Around 15 properties have been flooded by the burst water main in Kennington, south London, which has been finally been brought under control. But that hasn't stopped travel disruption, with TfL warning that bus routes and drivers were still being caught in severe delays throughout Vauxhall, Pimlico, Stockwell, Camberwell, Old Kent Road, Elephant [...]
Why we should mobilise public land to tackle London’s housing crisis June 28, 2015 A starter for ten. How much of the land in the London Borough of Southwark is owned by Southwark Council? 10 per cent? 20 per cent? More? Answer: 43 per cent, including, astonishingly, 10,000 garages, most of them part of council housing estates built in the 1960s and 1970s. Southwark Council is not exceptional. London’s [...]
From Tesco and the Northern Powerhouse to self-control and politeness: Here’s what got us talking this week June 26, 2015 There was a shocking attack in France. In Brussels, deadlines came and went and came (again). And somewhere in social media land, Taylor Swift became the Queen of everything, including Apple. Here's what got us talking this week 1) When it comes to happiness, south London is best Yup, if you're among the [...]
London Mayoral hopeful Ivan Massow: Give spare cash from Oyster cards to charity June 25, 2015 Mayoral candidate Ivan Massow wants £75m of unused Oyster card money to be put towards a fund devoted to increasing social mobility in the capital, he told City A.M.. Read more: Did Ivan Massow just become London's most honest Mayoral candidate? Massow also said London would benefit from encouraging a depot system, where [...]
Sir Peter Hendy, the Transport for London boss who called commuter trains “s**t”, appointed to lead Network Rail as £35.8bn investment plan is delayed June 25, 2015 Network Rail has appointed Peter Hendy, the former Transport for London commissioner who only two months ago described commuter trains as "s**t" and "awful", as its chairman. Read more: Network Rail is at crisis point and won't deliver the upgrades it promised "On Southeastern, the trains are like the Wild West. They are s**t, awful. And [...]
UK national rail strike: Threat averted as Network Rail and unions reach pay deal June 24, 2015 The threat of a strike that would have brought Britain's entire train network grinding to a standstill has been averted after a pay deal was reached. Network Rail and the unions have agreed a two-year deal that includes a two per cent pay rise for staff this year and a pay rise in line with [...]
Eurostar services suspended for the rest of the day as riots close Eurotunnel June 23, 2015 Eurostar said it was unable to run "any trains" from France because of a fire caused by demonstrators outside the tunnel in northern France. This morning riot police were called after wildcat strikes by workers at a terminal run by My Ferry Link in northern France caused hundreds of migrants to attempt to make the [...]
From the Shard to Crossrail: Five female engineers shaping the future of London June 23, 2015 Women make up only six per cent of UK engineers – but that hasn’t stopped these London engineers from joining a male-dominated workforce, building everything from the Shard to Crossrail. Today marked the second-ever National Women in Engineering Day, to highlight the lack of female engineers. This is bad news for business, according to a [...]
Tube strike could lead to more home working disputes: How businesses should plan around disruption June 23, 2015 London is braced for the worst tube disruption in a decade next month if Tube workers and their unions decide to go ahead with planned strike action. For some employers in the City and elsewhere, this could lead to more workplace disputes if employees abuse permission given to work from home. The always-on culture of [...]