The RMT’s dangerous strikes are a cynical ploy to pave the way for rail renationalisation August 10, 2016 There is no general upsurge of industrial militancy in the UK: the latest figures show both numbers of stoppages and days lost to strikes remain low. The cluster of RMT actions – against Southern Railway/Govia Thameslink (now suspended), Virgin East Coast and Eurostar – will not be a harbinger of a new wave of damaging [...]
Travel sickness: Tube staff took over 163,000 sick days last year, the highest level in five years August 2, 2016 Tube staff took over 163,000 sick days last year, the highest level in five years and more than twice the national average. Figures obtained by City A.M. show that staff working for London Underground took 163,152 days off sick in 2015, a year plagued by the threat of strike action as the Night Tube battled opposition [...]
From the pursuit of happiness to the EU referendum: Here’s what got us talking this week February 5, 2016 It was week in which we discovered people leave taxidermy foxes in black cabs. Facebook turned 12 (and oh, how it's changed…). And The One Where Joey Presents Top Gear suddenly became a possibility… The Seven Weird Habits of Highly Successful People (including Bill Gates) 1. Everyone started thinking about happiness First, a study showed [...]
The Southern rail row isn’t just about the battle between the operator and unions, here’s what’s secretly driving it August 30, 2016 Southern Rail passengers have endured more than their fair share of commuting hell in the past few months: cancelled trains, reduced timetables and, more recently, a string of strikes. The heavy disruption has led to the service being dubbed “Southern Fail” and triggered calls for its delivery to be passed to Transport for London. Public fury [...]
Notting Hill Carnival 2016 guide: Where to watch the parade and how to get there August 25, 2016 Planning on negotiating bus strikes and the inevitable downpours to go to the Notting Hill Carnival this year? Here's our guide to how to make the best of Europe’s biggest and most colourful street festival 1. The weather The good news is while the bank holiday won't quite hit the Caribbean temperatures experienced in the capital this week, [...]
GTR vows to modernise services as talks with RMT end without agreement August 15, 2016 Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has vowed to move ahead with its modernisation plans after talks with RMT ended without any agreement. GTR, the parent company of embattled Southern Rail, said it will move forward after talks broke down with the RMT union at Acas. An Acas spokesperson said: "Acas conciliation talks have ended without the sides reaching [...]
Transport for London’s new Tube map reveals how many minutes it takes to walk between stations November 10, 2015 Did yet another sweaty Tube ride to work this morning leave you wishing there was a better way? Perhaps there is: Transport for London has released a new and improved version of its walking Tube map, revealing how many (or how few) minutes it takes to walk between stations, following on a similar map made [...]
Rail strike: 24-hour industrial action on Southern trains causes travel disruption June 21, 2016 A 24-hour train strike on key commuter routes has caused chaos as a dispute continues between RMT union and Southern rail. Southern has had to cancel certain trains, while others are expected to be severally delayed, including routes to London Victoria. Southern said: "The strike will have a significant effect on Southern services on the whole [...]
Businesses and transport experts look to Autumn Statement for Hammond to flesh out infrastructure promises October 3, 2016 Businesses have welcomed Philip Hammond's promises to bolster infrastructure today, but warn they'll be watching him carefully to follow through in the Autumn Statement. Speaking at the Conservative party conference, the new chancellor of the exchequer warned that public infrastructure, including "our roads, railways and flood defences", was in dire condition compared with similarly developed countries, thanks [...]
If London Tube lines were people (almost): These comedians have summed up the personalities of the Central, Jubilee and DLR lines May 25, 2016 City folk know how irritating it can be to take the Tube to work, but have you ever thought how the individual lines would look if they were people? Comedy troupe Muriel is taking YouTube by storm with its sketch depicting London Underground "lines" holding a leaving party for the Metropolitan Line, who is going part-time – due, [...]