On the right track? Beleaguered train operator Avanti gets contract extension March 20, 2023 Train operator Avanti West Coast has been handed a short-term contract extension by the Department for Transport (DfT), the FirstGroup-owned company said. The operator has struggled with reliability and punctuality during parts of the past year. Its contract was due to expire at the end of March but has been extended until October 15. FirstGroup [...]
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Looking east: Which low-cost European destinations are Brits flocking to in search of a cheap getaway? March 18, 2023 Strong demand for low-cost eastern European destinations is driving a surge in the number of UK families booking city breaks, according to an online holiday company. Thomas Cook said family city break bookings so far this year are around 40 per cent higher compared with the same period in 2022. This is partly due to [...]
Elizabeth Line usage soars by 41 per cent as London commuters get around tube and rail strikes March 17, 2023 One in six journeys on Britain’s transport network have been made on the new Elizabeth line, with 62m taken on London’s newest railway between October and December 2022. Out of almost 370m rail passenger journeys across the UK, Crossrail accounted for 41 per cent, according to new figures released by the Office for Rail and [...]
Holidaymakers told to expect delays as passport office workers start FIVE WEEK strike March 17, 2023 Passport Office workers are to strike for five weeks in an escalation of a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union working in Passport Offices in England, Scotland and Wales will take part in the action from April 3 to May 5. Those working [...]
Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit crashes back to earth as firm pauses operation to secure more funding March 17, 2023 Richard Branson’s satellite launch firm Virgin Orbit has paused operations, the company said, amid reports that it is working to secure additional funding. The news comes after the company, which is based in California, failed in its first ever satellite mission from UK soil in January. In a statement, the company said: “Virgin Orbit is initiating a company-wide operational pause, [...]
No strike? Still no service! Wednesday’s Tube walkout bleeds into Thursday as rail action cripples London commuter belt March 16, 2023 London commuters vented their anger as Wednesday’s Underground strike continued to cause disruption throughout Thursday morning. People going to work faced fresh difficulties this morning following yesterday’s industrial action by RMT and Aslef union workers, with stations closed up until 7am, as the service was regulated.. As of Thursday at midday, none of the Bakerloo, [...]
Short haul powers London Gatwick’s return to profit after £830m pandemic loss March 16, 2023 London’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, is “cautiously optimistic” about a full recovery from the pandemic as passenger demand levels reach 70 per cent of pre-covid levels. The West Sussex hub reported 32.8m passengers in 2022 as it announced a £250m investment in the site to reach net zero by 2030. In its annual results this [...]
London Underground walkout hangover to compound Thursday’s rail strike – but can you get to work tomorrow? March 15, 2023 Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out on Thursday 16 March and on Saturday 18 March in a dispute affecting train services in and out of London. Network Rail expects between 40 and 50 per cent of train services to run nationally but there will be wide variation across the [...]
Strikes: Over 1,000 local BBC TV and radio journalists begin 24-hour walkout over proposed cuts to service March 15, 2023 BBC services face disruption as staff begin a 24-hour strike in protest against proposed cuts to the broadcaster’s local radio output. Around 1,000 journalists are expected to walk out on Wednesday, as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivers his Spring Budget, prompting changes to the local TV and radio schedule in England. Around 25 journalists left Broadcasting [...]