HS2 chair to step down as cost swells to £66bn Transport and infrastructure The chair of the company behind High Speed Two (HS2) is to stop down next year, it has been announced. Sir Jon Thompson has served on the board of HS2 Ltd for almost four years after first joining as a non-executive director in April 2021. He was appointed as the company’s chair in February 2023 [...]
Metro mayors to control railways and housing in ‘landmark’ devolution plans Transport and infrastructure Mayors of large cities and regions across England will soon be able to take control of local infrastructure and skills projects under a new devolution bill, which was introduced in Parliament today. The English Devolution White Paper will give metro mayors – directly elected regional leaders who chair combined authorities – significant new powers in [...]
Heathrow: Fresh ‘kiss and fly’ charge hike slammed as ‘blatant raid’ Transport and infrastructure Heathrow intends to raise per-passenger charges from £5 to £6 in January next year, a move which follows previous hikes in 2024.
HS2: Costs for London Euston section reach over £7.5bn December 10, 2024 Rachel Reeves confirmed in the Autumn Budget HS2 will terminate at Euston station, following a political kerfuffle over how to find the necessary funding.
Keep airlines’ record $1trn revenue in perspective, says former British Airways chief December 10, 2024 The global airline industry is expected to make $1trn (£783.7bn) in revenue for the first time in its history next year, as passenger demand continues to break records in the post-Covid era. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Tuesday forecast annual traffic would reach another all-time high of around 5bn, despite supply chain issues [...]
Easyjet: Golden goodbye for departing CEO Johan Lundgren December 10, 2024 The departing chief executive of Easyjet has been handed a golden goodbye to the tune of almost £3m ahead of stepping down next month. Johan Lundgren has pocketed £2.88m ahead of handing over to Kenton Jarvis in the New Year. The pay packet is up from the £2.19m Lundgren received in the prior year. The [...]
Profit takes off at Manchester Airport and London Stansted owner December 10, 2024 Profit at the group behind Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports took off in the first six months of its financial year thanks to a record-breaking summer, it has been announced. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has reported a pre-tax profit of £139.6m for the six months to 30 September, 2024, up from £115.9m, thanks [...]
London commuter slowdown dents growth at Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express operator December 3, 2024 Fewer London commuters slowed growth at the company behind Great Western Railway and the Heathrow Express, as delays and cancellations became more frequent during its latest financial year. First Great Western (FGW) has said that while the leisure market has “recovered strongly”, the number of commuters into London remain behind December 2019 levels despite have [...]
Avanti West Coast: Ticket sales pass £1bn despite operating troubles December 3, 2024 Turnover at Avanti West Coast jumped past £1bn last year, even as it was named as one of the least reliable rail operators in Britain, it has been revealed. The train operator, which is jointly owned by Firstgroup and Italian rail firm, Trenitalia, has posted a turnover of £1.01bn for the 12 months to 31 [...]
Louise Haigh quits as transport secretary after admitting to fraud conviction November 29, 2024 Louise Haigh has resigned as transport secretary after admitting pleading guilty to a criminal offence tied to her incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013. Downing Street said Swindon South MP Heidi Alexander had been appointed to replace her. Haigh said in a letter to prime minister Keir Starmer on [...]