Shadow transport secretary says Labour will not hand HS2 a ‘blank cheque’ March 20, 2019 Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald has said Labour will not grant the controversial HS2 project a "blank cheque" if it gets into office. Giving a keynote speech of Labour's transport policies at the Institute for Government, McDonald reiterated Labour's support for HS2 but said the costs of the £56bn railway would have to be watched "like [...]
Beware of these Tube terrors if you’re travelling on the London Underground March 20, 2019 Only the bravest explorers traverse the London Underground. The tunnels of the Tube have their own microclimate and ecosystem, and are inhabited by a wide array of eccentric species. Most of these specimens are placid, if not friendly, but recently I have observed a worrying trend of hostility from Undergrounders. It’s rough out there, so [...]
Brits want a human driver ready to take control in their driverless cars March 20, 2019 The majority of Brits are still sceptical about driverless cars ever being allowed to become truly “autonomous”, according to research. Just one-in-seven people think autonomous vehicles (AVs) should be able to travel without a human occupant ready to take the wheel, according to an Opinium survey. Read more: GM takes stake in British startup as [...]
BMW flashes warning lights as mounting tech costs hit manufacturer’s forecasts March 20, 2019 BMW has alerted investors to a more than 10 per cent expected loss in group pre-tax profit for 2019, as the car manufacturer announced a far-reaching €12bn (£10.3bn) savings plan. Shares fell five per cent on the news. Last week, the firm said it would move up a gear in its efforts to cut costs [...]
Kier shares fall as outsourcer swings to £35.5m loss March 20, 2019 Kier has fallen to a £35.5m loss for the second half of 2018, but said it is in a stronger position after hitting up investors for £250m in a disastrous rights issue that missed its target at the end of last year. Read more: Embattled outsourcer Kier's net debt spirals again after 'accounting error' The figures [...]
Inmarsat shares take off after private equity firms make buyout offer March 20, 2019 Shares in British satellite firm Inmarsat soared more than 16 per cent in early trading after it revealed it is in talks with two private equity firms over a buyout deal. Inmarsat last night confirmed it is in discussions with Apax Partners and Warburg Pincus, which have tabled a cash offer of $7.21 (£5.43) per [...]
Tube delays: District Line and Circle Line hit with delays after Paddington signal failure March 20, 2019 Severe delays have hit the Circle and District lines this morning, leaving commuters to contend with travel chaos on their ways to work. Read more: Revealed: The Tube line with the worst delays A Paddington signal failure has left the District Line with severe delays between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road this morning. While [...]
Will Ryanair gain from turbulent O’Leary moving aside? March 20, 2019 Earlier this month, the chief of budget airline Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, announced he would be stepping back from the day-to-day running of the airline. O’Leary identified his reputation as a negative distraction to the airline’s business and that the move would be a chance to “reboot” the company’s public perception after “disappointing” profit announcements. O’Leary [...]
UK airlines, lorries and bus operators to travel to EU as normal in event of a no-deal Brexit March 19, 2019 UK airlines, lorries and bus operators will be able to travel to the EU as normal in the event of a no-deal Brexit. EU ministers today formally adopted laws that will mean lorries will not need permits for journeys into the EU until the end of 2019. Bus and coach operators that already have permission to [...]
EU aviation authority says it will not be swayed by US decision on Boeing’s grounded jet March 19, 2019 The EU's ban on the Boeing plane model that crashed in Ethiopia earthier this month will stay in place until it is satisfied with guarantees given by the manufacturer, the head of the bloc’s aviation regulator said today. Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), said the authority would look [...]