Category Archives: Transport

Tooting taxis and no Greggs queue: Manchester calm as rail strikes begin

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While picketers receive support, it’s quiet on the roads, and the train to Preston is running late as usual

Assembling their picket line outside Manchester Piccadilly station at 6am on Tuesday, the striking rail workers wondered if they would receive a hostile reaction from those inconvenienced. But instead of abuse they received toots of support from passing buses and taxis, while cyclists rang their bells.

“Passengers who use our railways day in, day out support us. They know that most of us are not on the inflated wages you see thrown about by rightwing commentators and newspapers,” said Clayton Clive, the RMT branch secretary for Manchester. About 950 of his 1,500 members had downed tools for the day, he said, a turnout of 63%.

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Boris Johnson plans to break rail strikes by allowing use of agency workers

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Unions condemn measure as potentially against international law as 40,000 staff prepare for first day of industrial action

Boris Johnson has responded to the biggest rail strikes in a generation with plans to break the industrial action by allowing firms to bring in agency staff, a move unions have decried as unworkable, unsafe and potentially breaking international law.

As 40,000 workers prepared for Tuesday’s strike, the most wide-reaching on the railways in 30 years, Downing Street brought forward changes to enable employers to replace employees with temporary staff.

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Keir Starmer tells Labour frontbench they should not join rail strike pickets

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Unions critical of leader’s instruction to senior MPs to ‘show leadership’ by not publicly siding with workers

Labour’s frontbenchers have been warned to stay away from picket lines on the eve of the biggest rail strike since 1989.

As staff get ready to take part in the RMT strike on Tuesday, Keir Starmer’s office told shadow cabinet members that to “show leadership” frontbenchers “should not be on picket lines”.

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Wheelchair user dragged himself up stairs ‘after rail staff refused to help’

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Chris Nicholson was left stranded on platform at Milton Keynes station in 31C heat

A wheelchair user was forced to drag himself up stairs at a railway station platform, saying staff refused to help him owing to health and safety policy.

Chris Nicholson, an athlete and spokesperson for the Myprotein sports brand, was travelling to address an event in London on Friday when the incident took place at Milton Keynes station.

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Network Rail in last-ditch bid to stop train strike causing chaos across UK

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RMT union leaders say ‘no viable’ deals are on the table and walkout is set to go ahead, hitting tourism, sport and festivals

Network Rail bosses say they plan to hold more talks with union leaders today in a last-ditch attempt to avert the biggest strike on the railways for more than three decades.

More than 40,000 rail workers are due to walk out on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Only about half of Britain’s rail network will be open on strike days with a very limited service on lines which are open.

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New strike chaos as teachers and NHS staff warn of action over pay

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Rail unions set to walk out on Tuesday, as clashes loom over public sector pay offers falling short of inflation

A wave of 1970s-style economic unrest is threatening to spread from the railways across the public services, as unions representing teachers and NHS workers warn of potential industrial action over pay.

With the country preparing for rail strikes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday which will see half the network shut down, the biggest teaching union, the National Education Union (NEU), told the Observer that unless it receives a pay offer much closer to inflation by Wednesday, it will be informing education secretary Nadhim Zahawi of its plan to ballot its 450,000 members. The move could lead to strikes in schools in England in the autumn, the union said.

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Grant Shapps tells rail staff not to ‘risk striking yourself out of a job’

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Unions accuse transport secretary of threats and intimidation of workers, and government of trying to make political capital out of the strike

The transport secretary has told rail staff not to “risk striking yourself out of a job”, before industrial action that will close much of the railway next week.

In a speech in which Grant Shapps said he was “appealing directly to workers” instead of unions, he claimed the strikes were “a bid to derail reforms that are critical to the network’s future, and designed to inflict damage at the worst possible time”.

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‘No real hope’ of avoiding biggest rail strike in 30 years, says Network Rail

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Passengers in Great Britain told not to attempt to travel on 21, 23 and 25 June unless necessary

Network Rail said there was “no real hope” of avoiding the biggest railway strike in 30 years next week, as it told passengers to plan ahead and only travel if necessary.

The full timetable will be published on Friday but operators including Southern, Northern, TransPennine and Transport for Wales have already told passengers not to attempt to travel on strike days.

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NSW government pledges $500m for faster rail services between Sydney and Central Coast

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State to work with federal government on $1bn upgrade that could slash travel time between Sydney and Gosford to 25 minutes

The New South Wales government has backed a $1bn rail upgrade between Sydney and the Central Coast that could pave the way for faster train services.

The state will work with the federal government on the upgrade, with $500m to be set aside in the 21 June state budget, the premier, Dominic Perrottet, says.

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Rail managers could join strikes across network in Britain

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TSSA union ballots could lead to complete national shutdown by time of Commonwealth Games in July

Managers and train drivers could join the strikes across the railway, potentially setting up a complete national shutdown by the time of the Commonwealth Games in July.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union, whose members manage control rooms, signalling and power for train operators and Network Rail, has launched its first strike ballot, while the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) union has called the first regional walkouts by drivers.

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Melbourne’s ‘pause’ on new bike lanes sparks outrage on World Bicycle Day

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Advocates and key councillor hope the halt is short-lived, but transport union criticises existing lanes

Cycling advocates are holding out hope that a halt on new bike lanes in Melbourne CBD announced Friday will be short-lived, warning of the risks posed by gaps in the network.

The Melbourne lord mayor, Sally Capp, said Friday there would be a “pause” on the construction of dedicated cycling lanes in the CBD. The City of Melbourne council said it would instead prioritise upgrading cycling infrastructure on arterial roads.

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UK agrees to launch full inquiry into drowning of 27 people in Channel

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Lawyers for bereaved relatives say ‘serious failings’ in rescue operation may have contributed to deaths

The government has agreed to launch a full investigation into the drowning of at least 27 people trying to cross the Channel in a small boat last November.

The decision by the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, to agree to what is known as an article 2 inquiry – an independent investigation – is revealed in correspondence between his lawyers and eight relatives of 11 of the victims.

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More than 1m trips made on central section of Elizabeth line

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Newly completed Crossrail project has also seen more than 2m journeys across the entire network, Transport for London says

More than 1m journeys have been made on the central section of London’s Elizabeth line in the first five days of its opening.

Across the entire railway – which spans from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east – more than 2m trips have been made, Transport for London said.

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One child a month left on a bus across Australia over the past five years

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Lawyer acting for families says it is ‘happening more than people would believe or understand’

At least 68 children have been left on buses in Australia in the past five years – a rate of more than one a month.

Earlier this month, three-year-old Nevaeh Austin was treated in intensive care after being found unconscious on a bus outside her Queensland childcare centre. She had been left on the bus alone for six hours in temperatures over 30C .

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IT glitch creates turmoil for easyJet passengers across Europe

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Airline forced to scrap 200 flights due for early afternoon takeoff and delay many others as a result

Airline passengers faced fresh disruption on Thursday after an IT glitch forced easyJet to cancel about 200 flights around Europe.

The airline scrapped a stream of flights due to take off between 1pm and 3pm, affecting dozens to and from UK airports, including its biggest base at Gatwick.

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London Underground station staff to stage 24-hour strike on 6 June

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RMT calls out 4,000 members in protest at TfL plans to cut 600 posts to reduce costs

London Underground station staff will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday 6 June, the day after the platinum jubilee holiday weekend, in a dispute over job cuts.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has called 4,000 members out on strike in protest at Transport for London’s plans to cut 600 posts to reduce costs.

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TUC chief calls for directors of P&O Ferries to be disqualified

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Francis O’Grady writes to Insolvency Service, which is investigating the sacking of almost 800 crew

The head of the Trades Union Congress has written to the Insolvency Service calling for it to disqualify the directors of P&O Ferries after they sacked nearly 800 crew without notice.

In a letter seen by the Guardian, Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s general secretary, said the Insolvency Service should “initiate disqualification proceedings against the directors of P&O Ferries Division Holdings Limited”.

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Plans to keep passengers moving and shelves stocked as rail strike looms

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With 40,000 RMT members voting, union warns of ‘potentially biggest rail strike in modern history’

Contingency plans are being drawn up to try to keep passenger and freight trains running and prevent empty supermarket shelves after unions warned of “potentially the biggest rail strike in modern history”.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is balloting 40,000 members on the industrial action, which network sources have reportedly said would create “serious challenges” in keeping goods moving and supermarket shelves stocked.

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Dominic Perrottet rules out Sydney congestion tax after confidential plans leaked

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Researchers say the major road transport reform should not be ruled out so quickly as city faces growing gridlock

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, says his government will not introduce a congestion charge but researchers are calling for the major road transport reform not to be ruled out so quickly.

“There is no plan for a congestion tax and and we can rule it out completely,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

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Crossrail: much-delayed Elizabeth line to open on 24 May

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Tunnelled section of £19bn project through centre of London finally ready for passengers

London’s Elizabeth line is to open on 24 May, it has been announced, with the long-delayed tunnelled central section of the £19bn Crossrail project now ready for passengers.

Transport for London (TfL) said the line would open, subject to final safety approvals, the week prior to the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.

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