15/03/2017 London News

There could be light at the end of a very long tunnel for users

of Southern Rail after a new deal was agreed to bring an end

to a long-running bitter dispute and strikes.

But - and it's a big but - it has to be agreed by Aslef Union

members, and there's no guarantee that'll happen.

It's all over who's job it is to open and closes train doors.

We can cross now to Victoria Station to speak to Louisa Preston,

That is right. A deal has been made between the Aslef union and Southern

Railway. We are in the same position last month, at the beginning of

February. As you say, Aslef's members didn't agree to the deal, so

it didn't go-ahead. Both sides have been back at the table and any

concerns have been addressed. Now this bitter dispute has been

paralysing one of the busiest train lines after days of strike action in

the row over the role of staff on trains. Southern wants drivers not

conductors closing the doors. The unions say that is not safe. It has

affected commuters lives. Some have given up their jobs because they

can't face the stress of knowing whether they can get into work or

out again. I have spoke to commuters here tonight. Many are dubious as to

whether this agreement will make a difference at all.

We don't have a Tube station near us, it's just the overground.

So, if we can't get on that, then we can't get into London.

We've decided to buy out of London, so we're changing our train line

to South Eastern because it's more reliable as well than Southern.

They always seem to be coming to an agreement and my commute

So it doesn't really make any difference.

When will commuters know for sure whether the dispute has ended or

not? Well, this is where it gets complicated because the RMT union is

also in dispute with Southern. Even if the Aslef members agree to this

deal, it doesn't mean that this problem is going to be resolved.

Aslef members are set to be balloted before the 3rd April. We are meant

to find out the result on the 3rd April, they will be balloted in the

next few weeks. There is still an extremely long way to go. As we

know, back in February, Aslef were extremely confident that its members

would go-ahead with this deal. We will have to wait and see what

happens. OK, Victoria, it's Louise not Victoria. Thank you.

Survivors of last year's tram crash in south London,

which claimed seven lives, have expressed relief at the fact

that Transport for London and the tram operator have begun

It means they won't have to go through a civil trial,

but there's still a long way to go before any compensation gets paid.

Our transport correspondent, Tom Edwards, has been

On board the tram when it derailed, Matthew Parnell's life,

since that day, in his words, has been destroyed.

He suffered a serious head injury in the crash and because of that

he's had his driving licence suspended and now he's

In a way, I've kind of had my fatherhood taken away.

It's a total nightmare, absolute nightmare.

I was just travelling to work, a normal day,

As a result of it, it's pretty much destroyed our lives.

And he's one of many who want and need financial compensation.

Seven passengers died and 51 were injured last November

when the tram derailed on a sharp corner travelling at three

Now, the operator and Transport for London have admitted liability.

This is the first step in a long legal process,

but it is still nonetheless significant that Transport

for London and the operator have admitted liability

What it means is, the families of those who died and the survivors

will now not have to endure a civil trial.

Lawyers say there will still be a long journey ahead for those

What it means is they'll no longer have the burden of having

That's the requirement if they are to be able to secure

compensation for their injuries and for reimbursement in respect

So it's good news from that point of view.

Matthew Parnell says he doesn't know what the future holds or how long

Answers as to why the tram was travelling so fast

An artist in north London, who created and put-up

original road signs, has apologised to the Jewish

community for any offence he may have caused when one of them

was interpreted by some as being anti-Semitic.

The sign went up in Stamford Hill, close to a synagogue.

Earlier, I went to meet the artist to ask him about the sign.

Warning, children crossing, give way, but what do you make of this?

Is it a road sign, an anti-Semitic image or a work of art?

Well, among Jews in Stamford Hill, close to where it was put

It's a sign which shouldn't be there.

It's a sign which traumatises a large and important

segment of the community in this neighbourhood.

The range of fake road signs were a work of art by a French

He certainly didn't mean for the wannabe orthodox Jew to be

We are so full of identity in London and I feel sad.

So, you know, my big thing, is you know, it is no...

For me, it's more about how amazing it is their character.

It was nothing or attack to one person or one community.

I see what London's made of it, all these communities around.

It's certainly got the community in this part of London talking,

even though it was just the one sign with a Jew, no others have

So as far as others are concerned, is it anti-Semitic?

Not at all because this one of the most popular

But a formal complaint was made to police.

What would you say to somebody who is offended by that

sign of an orthodox Jew near the synagogue?

I apologise for hurting their feelings, but wasn't

This is definitely, I want to stop this.

The Metropolitan Police asked to speak to Frank minutes

I will keep you informed with what happens.

The introduction of Crossrail is the biggest infrastructure

project for London since the turn of the millennium, but its boost

for jobs and business go far beyond the M25.

In Derby, for instance, Crossrail trains are being built,

but there they warn that Brexit could mean any future

contracts are that much more expensive.

Things have looked shakey for the firm Bombardier

until Crossrail came along, now it's booming.

The first half a dozen trains have already been delivered,

they'll soon be making one a week here, 60 in all.

That's meant jobs and apprenticeships and opportunities.

Without contracts like Crossrail, I wouldn't be going to university.

There probably wouldn't be as many jobs available,

but they've been made available, so it's given me the opportunity

This is exactly why London's politicians and transport bosses

like to stress that infrastructure in the capital has wider benefits.

We hadn't got nothing until this order come through.

We got bits and bobs, finishing orders.

So to win this here gave us that stability.

I can only speak for my wife, because that keeps me employed.

But the benefits fan out much further.

This firm builds the fibreglass exterior of the Crossrail driver's

A company down the road does the painting, 40 staff here.

This major supplier, with 80 workers, builds the steel

safety frame for the cab and much more as well.

We've designed, manufacturered and we will be installing this train

The boss here says it's hard for him to plan ahead.

I can't invest in apprentices and the skills we need to go forward

without a good order book and feel the strength of the order book.

10,000 different components go into a Crossrail train and there's

a worry about extra tariffs and restrictions after Brexit.

Primarily about cost, but secondly about delay.

We can't tolerate components being held at ports

That just builds in delay to the process.

What are the impacts potentially, from where you're sitting there,

of Brexit, say, on future infrastructure

projects on London, Crossrail 2, is it going to be

To the degree that there are tariffs on our business,

I guess we'd have to try and pass those on to the customer.

Contracts will start becoming more expensive?

But these carriages are what links them in wanting a good Brexit deal.

That's it for now from me, but let's find out what the weather's up

Decent, perfect. Not so perfect tomorrow, we are back to reality

reality. It will be cloudier, not just as warm. The rain will hold off

until late on in the day. Dry out there at the moment. Some clear

skies, but with time it will turn mistier. There will be fog around,

over the high ground. Watch out for that. There will be areas of low

cloud pushing in from the west. Not cold, temperatures down to six or

seven degrees in some places. There could be a foggy start to high

ground, it should lift. Brightness to the east of London, not as sunny

as today. By the end of the day, dampness will turn up out west.

Mild, but not as mild as it has been. The outlook, rain around, if

it stays dry I will be surprised. it stays dry I will be surprised.

Here is Nick with the national