Officials say mystery passenger has five years to present ‘justified claims’ of ownership
If you happened to leave more than £150,000 worth of gold bars in a Swiss train, you can now come forward to claim it.
Authorities in the central city of Lucerne have said a package containing bars worth about 182,000 Swiss francs was found in a train that arrived from the northern town of St. Gallen in October, and efforts to find the owner failed.
Continue reading...Those who can, should go back to work, Boris Johnson has said. But how will people get to work safely? If we take public transport, will there be enough space to physically distance? If we take the car, will the roads cope with all the extra traffic? Josh Toussaint-Strauss tries to figure out some answers, with the help of Peter Walker and Matthew Taylor
Continue reading...Roads, rail and buses receive funds to increase capacity and ensure space for social distancing
Roads, railways, buses and trams are to receive a £283m funding package to improve public safety and protect services, the transport secretary has announced.
Grant Shapps said the funding – £254m for buses and £29m for trams and light rail – would increase both frequency and capacity of services while ensuring there is enough space on vehicles to allow for social distancing.
Continue reading...All incomers – including British citizens – must disclose where they will be staying, Priti Patel says
Business groups have accused the government of pursuing an “isolationist” policy after the home secretary, Priti Patel, confirmed that arrivals in the UK will have to quarantine themselves for a fortnight or face a £1,000 fine.
From 8 June, almost everyone arriving at ports and airports, including UK citizens, will be required to travel directly to an address they provide to the authorities, where they must then self-isolate for a fortnight. The French interior ministry expressed its “regret” that it would not be exempt from the quarantine plan, after assurances this month that the country would be.
Continue reading...Services increased to 70% but capacity kept to 10% of normal levels to prevent crowding
Train companies will increase the number of services on Monday to reflect the easing of coronavirus travel restrictions in England.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group said services would be increased from about 50% of the standard timetable to 70%.
Continue reading...Leaders condemn ‘complete shambles’ on London network that is ‘fraught with danger’
Train unions have said they could take industrial action and stop trains if drivers and passengers are not protected from coronavirus, after photos emerged of packed London Underground services as many people returned to work following seven weeks of lockdown.
Transport for London indicated that the number of commuters remained relatively low, at 63,000 on Wednesday morning, up 7% on the previous day.
Continue reading...Formal notification says firms can start work as long as coronavirus safety guidelines are followed
Britain has given the green light for companies to start putting spades in the ground to build a new high speed rail line, saying that work could proceed in line with coronavirus safety guidelines despite the national lockdown.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced in February that the line, known as HS2 which connects London to northern England, would go ahead.
Continue reading...Carriages and stations appeared crowded in footage shared on social media on Tuesday morning as Transport for London closed a number of stations and reduced trains despite thousands of key workers, including NHS staff, still relying on the tube to get to work.
On Monday, Boris Johnson announced that people should stay at home and only travel to and from work where 'absolutely necessary' as the UK tries to prevent the spread of coronavirus
Continue reading...Man suspected of loosening rail bolts on bridge between Cologne and Frankfurt
A German man has been arrested on suspicion of having loosened the bolts on a high-speed train track between Cologne and Frankfurt.
The man, described by Frankfurt’s state prosecutor as being “without fixed abode”, was arrested near Cologne on Friday night after police found specialist equipment for loosening track bolts in his car.
Investigators reportedly tracked down the 51-year-old after a confession letter referring to the location of the attempted sabotage was sent to several politicians, including the chancellor, Angela Merkel.
According to Der Spiegel, the suspect was only recently released from prison in Nuremberg, where he had served a sentence for attempted blackmail.
German police had reported a “possible attack attempt” earlier on Friday after the driver of a high-speed Intercity Express train noticed something unusual in the early hours while crossing Theisstalbrücke bridge near Niedernhausen, just outside Frankfurt.
Several trains had already passed over the damaged track before the tampering was uncovered, police said. If the loosened rails had not been reported early, one of the trains could have derailed off the 50m-high bridge, German media reported, citing investigators.
The general prosecutor in Frankfurt would not comment on a motive for the attempted attack while investigations were ongoing.
Ministers and operators to slim timetables after Covid-19 causes 70% fall in passengers
Train services are to be pared back across Britain from Monday as passengers are urged to stop all non-essential travel to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Ministers and rail operators across England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to make progressive cuts to timetables, with the aim of keeping core services running – but reflecting a drop of almost 70% in passenger numbers since the outbreak started.
Continue reading...PM tells Britons to avoid pubs, restaurants and non-essential travel but school stay open for now as chief medical officer says ‘next few months are going to be extraordinarily difficult for NHS’
Johnson is wrapping up now.
He says he does not remember government announcing a change like this in his lifetime. He does not think there has been one since wartime, he says.
Q: Are you saying elderly MPs and peers must stay away from parliament?
Johnson says this is a universal announcement, intended for everybody. There are no exceptions, he says.
This is not two weeks and we’re done. This is a significant period of time.
Continue reading...Naturalist says approval of high-speed rail project failed to take account of climate impact
A fresh legal challenge to HS2 has been launched by the naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham, arguing that the UK government’s decision to approve the high-speed rail network failed to take account of its carbon emissions and climate impact.
Packham and the law firm Leigh Day said the Oakervee review, whose advice to proceed with HS2 in full was followed by Boris Johnson last month, was “compromised, incomplete and flawed”.
Continue reading...Letter offers scathing criticism of police’s tactics against Wet’suwet’en people amid growing protest over gas pipeline
Canadian federal police had “no legal authority” to make ID checks and searches on activists seeking to block a pipeline project on Indigenous territory, according to newly released correspondence from the force’s oversight body.
The nine-page letter written by Michelaine Lahaie, chair of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, offers scathing criticism of the police’s continued use of tactics against Indigenous people which she had previously warned against.
Continue reading...Justin Trudeau has called for patience and dialogue as his government seeks a peaceful end to a rail blockade that has shut down freight and passenger traffic. But the Canadian prime minister is under increasing pressure from the Conservative opposition to clear the tracks.
For almost two weeks, protesters across the country have taken up the cause of the Wet’suwet’en indigenous people of British Columbia in their campaign against the C$6.6bn (US$4.98bn) 40-mile Coastal GasLink gas pipeline project.
Continue reading...Labour says PM’s decision not to visit flood sites or call Cobra meeting is ‘a disgrace’
Severe flood warnings remain in place and rescue operations were continuing in stricken communities on Monday evening, as the government faced criticism for its response to what has been described as unprecedented flooding in parts of the country.
With thousands of properties flooded after a month’s worth of rain fell on parts of Britain over the weekend, and more than 200 flood warnings still in place, Labour said it was “a disgrace” that the prime minister was not visiting affected towns and villages and was resisting calls to convene the Cobra emergencies committee.
Continue reading...Northern English towns inundated again as transport systems struggle to cope
Hurricane-force winds and flooding have caused severe disruption across much of Britain, including damage to hundreds of properties and the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries.
Storm Ciara brought heavy rain and winds of more than 90mph, knocking out power to homes in some areas. The upheaval is likely to last into the start of the working week and there is more bad weather to come.
Continue reading...PM will promise range of other infrastructure projects to appease nothern voters
Boris Johnson will give the final go-ahead to the first phase of the controversial HS2 high speed rail link early this week – despite fears over spiralling costs and strong opposition from at least 60 Tory MPs.
The prime minister is expected to make an announcement to parliament on Tuesday approving construction of the line between London and Birmingham, two days before conducting a wide-ranging reshuffle of his cabinet.
Continue reading...In the north of England, the arguments over whether to push on with the HS2 project are as polarised as they are in Westminster. Amy Walker speaks to those opposed to HS2
Ask commuters in the north of England what improvements they would like to see on the railways and their wishlist is usually fairly modest: regular, reliable services with adequate carriages, non-leaking roofs and toilets that don’t empty straight out on to the track. Forget USB ports or wifi. Justthe basics – and some dignity.
Few would put at the top of their list a £100bn-plus railway that will get them to London an hour quicker.
Continue reading...Transport secretary tells MPs they ‘won’t have to wait long’ amid continuing opposition
Speculation that a decision on HS2 will be made early next week is mounting as the prime minister and key figures are understood to have held final talks on the controversial project.
The chancellor, Sajid Javid, who has publicly swung behind the scheme, and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, are believed to have met Boris Johnson as the high-speed line continues to divide opinion among backbenchers.
Continue reading...The chancellor is set to support the controversial rail project at a meeting with Boris Johnson and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps
That was a display from Dominic Raab and Mike Pompeo of US-UK unity ahead of Brexit, with disagreements over Huawei, Iran and the Harry Dunn depicted as blips that could be overcome.
Instead, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, reiterated that the UK would be “at the front of the line” when it comes to a trade deal, with both parties concurring that this was achievable before November’s presidential election in November.
There is a follow up question on Harry Dunn from CBS.
Raab says he had a “good conversation with Mike” about it.
Continue reading...