Network Rail is fined £4m for fatal train crash April 4, 2012 NETWORK Rail has been fined £4m for “preventable” safety failings that led to a fatal train crash in Cumbria in 2007. The publicly-funded owner of Britain’s railways was sentenced at Preston Crown Court yesterday for a breach of health and safety law that caused a Virgin Pendolino to come off the tracks on the West [...]
Rail firms line up to take on UK franchises March 29, 2012 THIRTEEN companies are vying to take on more rail routes in the UK, the Department for Transport revealed yesterday. Rail minister Theresa Villiers welcomed the “strong interest” in the three franchises up for grabs – the Great Western line between Penzance and Paddington, the Essex Thameside route and London’s Thameslink services. This is part of [...]
Costain ends year on track January 5, 2012 Costain said yesterday that it finished the year strongly and has an order book worth £2.5bn. The civil engineering group said it had targeted major public and private sector customers and secured significant new contracts during the year, including the London Bridge Station redevelopment for Network Rail and Crossrail Paddington Station. The company increased its [...]
Stamp duty hike to 7pc for £2m homes March 20, 2012 GEORGE Osborne will today launch a new tax raid on Britain’s wealthiest property owners by raising the level of stamp duty on the priciest homes. He will use his third Budget to increase the stamp duty payable on property transactions worth more than £2m, in a move that stops short of an annual “mansion tax” [...]
Train stations to house offices December 12, 2011 Workers struggling to get to the office during the Olympics will be able to work from train stations through a new venture by Network Rail. The £40m move, made in conjunction with The Office Group, will see flexible office space spring up at five London stations. The first drop-in hub, which should be ready by [...]
SELL January 26, 2012 MANAGING DIRECTOR KAY AND CO WWW.KAYANDCO.COM Q. I have inherited some money and want to invest in a London buy to let – where should I look? A. I would suggest that you look at buying a one or two bedroom unit in a prime location, because there’s always a demand in central London for [...]
City business map re-drawn November 13, 2011 THE traditional areas where business sectors have operated for decades are changing as companies hunt for affordable and convenient office space, according to new research published today. While the City has always been the hub for banks and insurance it is also becoming a magnet for IT firms and the changing makeup of the area [...]
FOCUS ON: WINDSOR, BERKSHIRE October 20, 2011 ST LEONARD’S DALE Price: £2.1m This Georgian residence was designed by Anthony du Gard Pasley. It is grade II-listed and approached through wrought iron gates and a classic carriage driveway. The property is screened on all sides by mature trees and hedges. Contact: Knight Frank on 01344 840 020 or go to www.knightfrank.com SHEET STREET [...]
Rising copper prices hit commuters as thieves steal cables September 12, 2011 LONDON commuters yesterday suffered severe delays on the train network following the theft of copper-based signal cables in Guildford, Surrey. The incident, believed to have taken place on Sunday night, disrupted the journeys of hundreds of thousands of rail customers travelling on South West Trains between Hampshire and London Waterloo. There have been three further [...]
Londoners’ commute gets worse August 11, 2011 Commutes by rail into London are getting worse, according to figures released yesterday by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). Overall crowding – when there are more passengers than “planned capacity” – jumped from 2.2 per cent in 2009 to three per cent in 2010, the data showed. The highest level of crowding was seen [...]