Southern rail workers to take 14 days of strike action from next month September 22, 2016 Southern rail workers are to take 14 days of strike action in five blocks from next month as the dispute over role of guards continues, the RMT union said today. The union said workers will take industrial action because of Southern's "continued insistence on removing critical safety trained guards from trains". RMT said its members [...]
UK train strikes: Network Rail, DLR strike action and further taxi driver protests spell May bank holiday travel hell for Londoners May 15, 2015 London is speeding towards a bank holiday that could bring utter misery to commuters with the prospect of strike action looming. Workers for Network Rail, the company which keeps the entire UK rail network running, have voted in favour of strike action over pay which has the potential to bring rail services in London and [...]
UK rail reliability figures driven off track by Southern rail chaos November 24, 2016 A new report from the Office of Rail and Road looking into the punctuality of UK rail service has found performance was “generally poor”, marred by ongoing troubles with Southern rail. Southern owner Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) proved the biggest trouble to performance ratings – it carries a fifth of passengers across England and Wales and [...]
Network Rail rakes in £1.4m from Victoria Station toilet as Southern strikes roll on December 2, 2016 The delays and disputes are bad enough. Now, City A.M. has found out that Network Rail is making 67 per cent more on its toilet in Victoria due to the Southern strikes. Network Rail owns the loos in Victoria station, which hosts the Southern train service. This year, Network Rail’s takings at the toilet have [...]
Mayor of London calls on government and train operators to freeze rail fares across London November 3, 2016 The Mayor of London wants the government to freeze fares across the capital's suburban rail services. Sadiq Khan said that a potential rise of up to five per cent on some lines will be a "kick in the teeth" for long-suffering passengers. Transport for London's pay as you go fares have been frozen for the next four years, [...]
Eurostar cuts 80 jobs as it’s buffeted by Brexit and terror attacks October 18, 2016 Eurostar is cutting 80 jobs, following a downturn in passenger numbers and ticket revenue, which the train company has partly attributed to the Brexit vote. The company is also set to unveil a new international timetable in December, though it wouldn't confirm reports that it was cutting two daily trains to Paris and one to Brussels, after [...]
Southern rail driver-operated doors: Rail regulator satisfied they are “a safe method of working” January 5, 2017 The chief inspector of railways has concluded Southern rail's plans for driver-operated doors are safe. Nevertheless, unions highlighted a series of recommendations in the report by Ian Prosser on behalf of regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Driver-operated doors are at the heart of the Southern rail dispute that has blighted the network for almost a year, [...]
The death of cash, the rise of trade unions and other eclectic 2017 predictions December 21, 2016 It’s certainly been an eventful year. But rather than dwell on the past, what sort of things can we expect in 2017? Here are a few eclectic predictions. Sweden may become the world’s first cashless economy. Notes and coins are already fast disappearing as a means of payment, and retailers are legally entitled to refuse to [...]
Cycling firm Velusso offers premium biking trips in the Balearics. We geared up to take them for a spin January 20, 2017 Cycling holiday firm Velusso has grand designs on satisfying the needs of City cycling enthusiasts. Its aim: to combine a luxurious break with a darn good workout while providing snippets of what it’s like to be a member of the Olympic cycling team. The post-London Olympic cycling boom led to increasing numbers of cycling holiday [...]
Now Tube workers on the Piccadilly line are voting on strikes October 27, 2016 The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has been busy. Yesterday it announced it was balloting Southern Rail drivers over the long-running dispute on the role of guards, and 3,500 London Underground staff following a security incident at North Greenwich Tube station. The union said the incident had put safety "back at the top of the agenda". Read [...]