Two men charged in connection with TfL cyber attack
Two young men aged 19 and 18 have been charged in connection with the cyber attack on Transport for London systems just over a year ago, which TfL said had caused damage and disruption over three months costing 39 million pounds. The National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency were called in at the start of September last year, and data concerning some 5,000 passengers was feared to have been compromised.
The lines through Darlington station will be closed and train services disrupted over the weekend of 11 and 12 October to allow the latest stage in the project to enlarge the station, but the date for completion of the scheme has been put back from this December to spring 2026.
The continuing uncertainty over Northern Powerhouse Rail has prompted Transport for the North to describe investment holdups in its region as ‘very disappointing’. TfN members are ‘frustrated’ at the slow pace of schemes, which are delayed by various factors. They point out that delays lead to cost increases, and are planning to make a submission to the government.
Companies which want to run international trains from London are calling for ‘urgent action’ to secure investment in increased depot capacity to allow more Channel Tunnel trains. The Office of Rail and Road has concluded that capacity at the present Temple Mills depot in east London would allow only one additional operator to Eurostar, which has occupied the site since 2007.
Most London Underground lines were not reopening until 08.00 today -- some three hours later than usual -- as an after-effect of the strikes which have been staged since Sunday in the RMT’s dispute with Transport for London over pay, conditions and working hours.
London Underground trains are only running on a few suburban sections on the last day in the present series of RMT strikes. Today is the second day that signallers have walked out, while other staff were on strike on Monday and Wednesday. The RMT has warned that more strikes could lie ahead.
A new report from right-leaning think tank Policy Exchange which has been endorsed by Reform UK proposes the scrapping of Northern Powerhouse Rail, triggering a political storm. The report has been written by journalist Andrew Gilligan, a long-standing critic of HS2 who was special adviser to Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.