Travelcards
++


Consumer
watchdog
London
TravelWatch
is
opposing
suggestions
that
TfL
should
scrap
Day
Travelcards
in
a
bid
to
boost
revenue.
LTW
said
scrapping
the
cards
during
a
cost-of-living
squeeze
‘will
make
things
more
challenging
and
expensive’
for
many
passengers.

First
results
++


FirstGroup
has
reported
adjusted
operating
profit
of
£154.4
million
for
the
last
financial
year,
as
compared
with
£226.8
million
a
year
earlier.
First
has
launched
open
access
operator
Lumo,
and
has
gained
a
new
National
Rail
contract
for
Great
Western
Railway
until
June
2025,
with
an
option
for
the
DfT
to
extend
it
to
June
2028.
The
South
Western
Railway
contract,
in
which
First
has
an
interest
of
70
per
cent,
has
also
been
extended,
to
May
2025.
However,
First
has
now
lost
TransPennine
Express,
which
was
renationalised
on
28
May
this
year,
while
the
future
of
Avanti
West
Coast
remains
uncertain.

Commissioner
confirmed
++


Transport
for
London
has
confirmed
that
Andy
Lord
has
been
appointed
as
transport
commissioner,
after
a
period
as
interim
commissioner,
following
the
departure
of
Andy
Byford
last
October.
Andy
Lord
joined
TfL
in
November
2019
as
managing
director
of
London
Underground
and
became
chief
operating
officer
for
all
TfL
operations
last
year.