German police discover more damages along the railway disrupted due to suspected sabotage

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• German police discover more damages along the railway disrupted due to suspected sabotage

  German police reported on Friday that they had found damage at a second site along a western German railway line where traffic was disrupted the day before due to an incident in a cable-tunnel that authorities suspected of being an act sabotage. The police in Duesseldorf, a city located in western Germany, said that investigations are still underway but declined to say what type of damage was found. The fire that broke out in the city of Duisburg and its surrounding areas caused significant delays on Thursday. Investigators ruled out any accidental causes. According to Bild, which cited the news agency DPA as a source, the damage discovered on Friday was caused a similar incendiary device found the previous day. There have been no reported injuries.

• Police: Three people dead in German train crash

  In a police statement, they said that three people died and other were seriously injured in the Sunday derailment of a passenger train in southwest Germany. Police in Stuttgart reported that there were approximately 100 passengers on two carriages when they left the track between Riedlingen und Munderkingen. This is near the border of Germany with France and Switzerland. The train was traveling on a route of approximately 90 km (55 mi) between Sigmaringen to Ulm. Police said that the cause of the accident was still being investigated. The German news agency DPA published a picture of carriages that were largely intact, but had been jackknifed and rolled on their side. In a statement, Deutsche Bahn stated that there were "many injuries" and expressed its sympathy to the victims and loved ones. The cause of the derailment was unknown, the company said. It added that it would assist the authorities with their investigation. Reporting by Francois Murph in Vienna and Christian Ruettger, Berlin Editing by Ros Russel, Giles Elgood and Nick Zieminski, Diane Craft

• Britain looks at Heathrow expansion plans to increase growth

  The British government is considering two competing multi-billion pound plans for a new runway at Heathrow, the country's largest airport. It hopes that this will help to kickstart economic development. In January, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves backed Heathrow's expansion in an effort to end years of indecision over environmental concerns. According to the government, airport expansions are not likely to derail net-zero targets because of the increased use by airlines of sustainable aviation fuel. Heathrow Airport, located west of London is Europe's busiest hub. It operates at maximum capacity and has a negative impact on the British economy. Heathrow's two runways are compared to four at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, Frankfurt Airport and six at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Heathrow Airport presented a proposal to the Government on Thursday for a new runway with an estimated price tag of 65 billion pounds (49 billion pounds). It said that it would be privately funded. The Arora Group which owns hotels and land around Heathrow said that its plan to build a new runway will cost less than 25 billion pounds, but this does not include the full development costs. Heathrow’s plan would see the infrastructure of the runway and airfield costing 21 billion pounds. The balance would be used to fund a new terminal and modernise existing infrastructure, as well as move a motorway. The government, which had indicated in February that it was inclined to expand Gatwick (the country's second-largest airport), will make its final decision by October 27. Both projects at Heathrow aim to have the new runway operational by 2035. Heathrow's plan involves a 3,500-metre-long runway (11,483 feet) and the construction of a tunnel for a section London's M25 autobahn. Arora plans to build a runway that is slightly shorter without moving the motorway. However, at 2,800 meters in length, the longest widebody jets would not be able to land on it. Heathrow, according to British Airways owner IAG, is currently one of the most costly airports in the entire world. They are worried that expansion will lead to higher fees. A spokesperson for IAG said that the airline supports a shorter runway. The spokesperson stated that avoiding the M25 crossing would reduce complexity, costs and provide better value to passengers. Department for Transport has said that the government will now review the submissions over the summer.

• Bloomberg News reported that CSX is working with Goldman Sachs in order to explore possible strategic options.

  Bloomberg News reported Thursday that railroad operator CSX was working with Goldman Sachs in order to explore possible strategic options after a merger of its two main rivals. The report was based on people who were familiar with the situation. Union Pacific announced on Tuesday that it will buy the smaller rival Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. This deal will create the United States' first coast-to-coast rail freight operator, and transform the movement of goods across the nation from grains to automobiles. reported Last week, CSX announced that it was in discussions to hire financial advisors. CSX CEO Joe Hirichs stated on a call following the company's earnings last week that "we welcome any opportunity to provide value for our investors, drive progrowth and better serve our customers." Goldman Sachs didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. CSX declined comment. (Reporting and editing by Tasim D'Silva and Anil D'Silva in Bengaluru)

• Heathrow airport in London is hit with more flight cancellations following an air traffic failure

  On Thursday, at least 16 flights were cancelled to and from London Heathrow Airport. This was a day following widespread disruptions caused by technical issues with Britain's air-traffic control system. National Air Traffic Services, which controls air traffic for planes in UK airspace as well as the eastern part North Atlantic, announced on Wednesday that its systems are fully operational and capacity has returned to normal following the switch to a backup system. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, reported that the second NATS outage in two years also affected Gatwick Airport, near London, Edinburgh Airport, Scotland, and other locations. As of 1830 GMT, Wednesday, there were 122 cancellations. Heidi Alexander, Transport Minister, said that she would be meeting with NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe to "understand what happened and prevent a reoccurrence". Alexander, a social media user on X, wrote that NATS works closely with airports and airlines to clear up the backlog. Heathrow’s website indicated that 16 flights were cancelled Thursday, including those to and from New York, Berlin and Toronto, as well as departures. In March, the airport, Britain's biggest and Europe's busiest was also affected by an electrical fire in a sub-station, which left thousands of passengers stranded. Neal McMahon, Ryanair's Chief Operating Officer, called for NATS' Rolfe resigning. He said that no lessons were learned since the August 20, 2023 disruption brought about by a malfunction in the automatic processing flight plans. NATS did not respond immediately to an inquiry about McMahon’s remarks, despite apologising to those who were affected by the incident on Wednesday. (Reporting and editing by William Schomberg, Catarina demony)

• Heathrow airport in London is hit with more flight cancellations following an air traffic failure

  On Thursday, at least 16 flights were cancelled to and from London Heathrow Airport. This was a day following widespread disruptions caused by technical issues with Britain's air-traffic control system. National Air Traffic Services, which controls air traffic for planes in UK airspace as well as the eastern part North Atlantic, announced on Wednesday that its systems are fully operational and capacity has returned to normal following the switch to a backup system. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, reported that the second NATS outage in two years also affected Gatwick Airport, near London, Edinburgh Airport, Scotland, and other locations. As of 1830 GMT, Wednesday, there were 122 cancellations. Heathrow’s website indicated that 16 flights were cancelled Thursday, including those to and from New York, Berlin and Toronto, as well as departures. Heathrow Airport, Britain's and Europe's busiest, has not responded to an immediate request for comment about the recent cancellations. Neal McMahon, Ryanair's Chief Operating Officer, called for NATS CEO Martin Rolfe's resignation. He said that no lessons were learned since the August 20, 2023 disruption caused due to a malfunction in the automatic processing flight plans. NATS did not respond immediately to an inquiry about McMahon’s remarks after it apologized to those who were affected by this failure on Wednesday. In March, Heathrow also suffered a fire in a sub-station that stranded thousands. (Reporting and Editing by William Schomberg.)

• Heathrow Airport expansion plans are being considered by Britain in comparison with rival proposals

  The British government will examine rival plans for expanding Heathrow, the country's largest airport in the next few months. This comes after the Arora Group announced on Thursday that it had submitted a proposal to build a new terminal and runway. Rachel Reeves, the Finance Minister, said that she wants Heathrow Airport to build a second runway in January. She is firmly in favor of expansion after years of indecision as governments have weighed environmental concerns versus growth. Heathrow Airport's plans for expansion will be submitted. Based on a plan from 2020, it is likely that a full length runway and the relocation of a portion of London's M25 autobahn are included. The government will compare that plan with the Arora Group. Heathrow Airport, located west of London is Europe's busiest hub. It operates at maximum capacity. Heathrow's two runways are in direct competition with the four runways at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, Frankfurt Airport and Schiphol Airport Amsterdam. Arora Group which owns hotels, land and other properties near Heathrow has announced its Heathrow West plan. The plan includes a new terminal, a 2,800-metre runway (3,062-yards) which is too short to accommodate some of the largest aircraft. Arora Group stated that the plan is a "cost efficient solution" and does not require moving the M25. The cost of the development is estimated to be 25 billion pounds ($33.22billion). British Airways, IAG and other airlines have complained for years that Heathrow airport is among the most expensive in the world. They are worried about the impact of expansion on fees. A shorter runway that is suitable for modern aircrafts is part of the answer. IAG spokesperson stated that avoiding the M25 would reduce complexity, lower costs and improve value for passengers. $1 = 0.7527 pounds (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Sarah Young)

• Aena's net profit in Spain increases 10.5% with passenger traffic

  Aena, the Spanish airport operator, announced on Wednesday that its net profit for the first half of the year was up 10.5% compared to the same period last year as the passenger traffic in the second most visited country worldwide after France continued to increase. The company that manages Spanish airports, the largest airport system in the world in terms of passenger traffic, announced on Wednesday that it had made a profit of 893.8 millions euros ($1.03billion) during the first half of the year. This was slightly below the average analyst's forecast of 904.2million euros based on an LSEG study. Aena saw a 4.5% increase in passenger traffic year-on year. 150.6 million passengers passed through its terminals in Spain over the first half of the year. This helped the company to boost revenues by 9%, reaching 2.9 billion euro. Aena, the Spanish airport authority, reported that international traffic at Spanish airports increased by 6.5% during the first half of this year while domestic traffic grew by 0.4%. Spain's strategy to target long-haul visitors, who spend more, was reflected in the results. Tourism is projected to grow by 3.3% in 2018, outpacing the Spanish economy's 2.4% growth. Commercial revenues increased by 10% while flight-related incomes grew by 6%. Aena approved an increase of 6.5% in the fees that airlines will pay next year. They can expect to pay up to 11.03 euros for each passenger. The company wants to partially fund the expansion of Madrid's main airports. Barcelona More flights to Asia and America.

• Uber loses UK Supreme Court Appeal over Tax on Rival Apps

  Uber's competitors in England and Wales who operate taxis will not be charged a VAT of 20% on their margins outside London, after Uber lost an appeal against a previous decision on Tuesday. Uber wanted a court order that private-hire operators contract with their passengers. This means they must charge 20% VAT outside London, as Uber does. The case was brought after the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Uber drivers are workers and therefore entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and VAT on rides. Uber wanted the same conditions to be applied to competitors and the High Court decided in its favor last year. The ruling was for rides outside London in England and Wales, where there is a different regulatory system. The Court of Appeal reversed this ruling in July 2024, following a challenge from private hire operators Delta Taxis as well as platform Veezu. Uber appealed to the Supreme Court which, on Tuesday, unanimously dismissed it, ruling that the operators were not required to sign a contract with the passengers. Uber spokesperson stated that the ruling confirms "that different contractual protections are applicable for people booking trips from London in comparison to the rest England and Wales", however, it has "no effect on Uber's VAT application". Layla Barke Jones from Aaron & Partners is the lawyer for Delta Taxis. She said that a win by Uber would have negatively affected many private hire operators. Veezu's chief legal officer Nia cooper said that the ruling prevented significant fare increases. In another case, the Estonian startup Bolt that offers food and ride-hailing services has defeated an appeal from Britain's tax authority HMRC this year on what it must charge VAT at 20 percent. HMRC was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to contest the ruling that Bolt only has to pay VAT on the margin and not the total cost of the trip. Kimberly Hurd is Bolt's senior UK general manager. She welcomed the Supreme Court decision regarding Uber's appeal but stated that a new regulatory structure was required to ensure rules are consistent throughout the UK. (Reporting and editing by Sarah Young, Susan Fenton and Sam Tobin)

• Uber loses UK Supreme Court Appeal over Tax on Rival Apps

  Uber's competitors in England and Wales who operate taxis will not be charged a VAT of 20% on their margins outside London, after Uber lost an appeal against a previous decision on Tuesday. Uber wanted a court order that private-hire taxis enter into contracts with their passengers. This means they must pay VAT outside London at 20%, as Uber does. The case was brought after the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Uber drivers are workers and therefore entitled to minimum wage, holiday pay and VAT on rides. Uber wanted the same conditions to be applied to competitors and the High Court decided in its favor last year. The ruling was for rides outside London in England and Wales, where there is a different regulatory system. The Court of Appeal reversed this ruling in July 2024, following a challenge from private hire operators Delta Taxis as well as platform Veezu. Uber appealed to the Supreme Court which, on Tuesday, unanimously dismissed it, ruling that the operators were not required to sign a contract with the passengers. Uber spokesperson stated that the ruling confirms "that different contractual protections are applicable for people booking trips from London in comparison to the rest England and Wales", however, it has "no effect on Uber's VAT application". Layla Barke Jones from Aaron & Partners is the lawyer for Delta Taxis. She said that a win by Uber would have negatively affected many private hire operators. In another case, the Estonian startup Bolt that offers food and ride-hailing services has defeated an appeal from Britain's tax authority HMRC about what it must pay in VAT at 20%. HMRC was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to contest the ruling that Bolt only has to pay VAT on the margin and not the total cost of the trip. Kimberly Hurd is Bolt's senior UK general manager. She welcomed the Supreme Court decision regarding Uber's appeal but stated that a new regulatory structure was required to ensure rules are consistent throughout the UK. (Reporting and editing by Sarah Young, Susan Fenton and Sam Tobin)

• Uber loses UK Supreme Court Appeal over Tax on Rival Apps

  Uber's competitors in the taxi industry will not be charged a 20% tax on their profit margins if they operate outside London. The ruling by the Supreme Court of England on Tuesday was that private-hire drivers do not have a contract with customers. Uber brought the case after a 2021 ruling by the United Kingdom Supreme Court, that Uber's drivers were employees. This had an effect on Uber's taxes and other obligations. Last year, the London High Court ruled that private-hire cab operators must enter into contracts with their passengers. The Court of Appeal reversed the decision in July 2024 after a challenge from private hire operators Delta Taxis, and the platform Veezu. Uber appealed to the Supreme Court which, on Tuesday, unanimously rejected Uber's appeal. In another case, the Estonian startup Bolt that offers food and ride-hailing services has defeated a British tax authority's appeal this year about what it must pay 20% VAT. HMRC was granted permission by the Court of Appeal to contest the ruling that Bolt only has to pay VAT on the margin and not the total cost of the trip.

• Handelsblatt reports that DB Cargo may have to reduce its staff by half as part of a reduction in operations.

  Handelsblatt, citing sources from the company and supervisory boards, reported that DB Cargo, a freight subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, could reduce its workforce by 50% as part of a possible cost-saving measure. The German Business Newspaper reported that consultants have suggested scenarios which would shrink the losses-making segment of Germany’s national railway company by 60% to 80%. According to calculations made by consultants commissioned for Deutsche Bahn, a partial withdrawal from the freight division could lead to the loss of 4,000 jobs. The report quoted sources who said that a decision will be taken by the end July. DB Cargo didn't immediately respond to a comment request. The company provides a service where it collects freight wagons from its customers directly and then assembles the trains to transport them. (Written by FriederikeHeine; edited by Joe Bavier.)