Today has been a busy day at Whitehall, City Hall and the offices of TfL. It seems best to skip the formalities and head straight to the meat. The full report can be downloaded here …
Continue readingAuthor: John Bull
John Bull is the Editor of London Reconnections. A transport journalist and historian, his writing often focuses on the political or strategic challenges facing London's transport network and beyond.
Stagecoach Return to The London Bus Market
Stagecoach have purchased the East London Bus Group back from Australian investment bank Macquarie, to whom they originally sold the firm in 2005 (making it then the largest independent operator in the UK). ELBG has …
Continue readingQuango cuts and Crossrail and Thameslink Rumours
With the 20th of October fast approaching, rumours have begun to surface as to the likely ways in which Transport spending will be affected by the coming budget cuts. Already, some things have become clear. …
Continue readingSurrey Council Ends Heathrow Airtrack Opposition
Surrey County Council have agreed, in principle, a package of works that would see the local authority end its formal opposition to the Heathrow Airtrack scheme. Although the Council have always agreed with the scheme …
Continue readingConservative Conference: Boris Johnson’s Speech
Unsurprisingly, Mayor Johnson’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference today focused heavily on London Transport. The full speech can be found here. Key extracts are repeated below, with edits for political points and non-Transport sections. …
Continue readingNew Name for Smitham Station Confirmed
The DfT and Southern have confirmed that Smitham Station will be renamed to “Coulsdon Town.” The station opened as Smitham in 1904, when Smitham Bottom and Old Coulsdon were still relatively distinct entities. By the …
Continue readingCrossrail States its Costing Position
Crossrail Ltd have released a statement reiterating their current stance with regards to savings. The statement can be read in full here. Broadly speaking, the statement largely confirms much that was already known. Crossrail indicate …
Continue readingDown In the Dark: The Connaught Tunnel and Silvertown Station
In 1846, a new railway line opened between Stratford and Canning Town. A year later, it was extended to North Woolwich, a station on the north bank of the Thames connected by ferry to the …
Continue readingIn Pictures: 1907 Underground Map
Going back even further than our previous 1927 Underground map, the map above shows the network as it was in 1907. This map is printed on card with a dark green backing. 1907 is our …
Continue readingBakerloo Extension: A Report to Lewisham Council
It is probably fair to say that Sustainable Development Select Committee Meetings to London Boroughs are not normally something that London Reconnections finds itself paying a great deal of attention to. This month’s meeting at …
Continue readingIn A Nutshell: The Ticket Office Debate
Wednesday morning saw a rather unusual scene unfold at City Hall. The London Assembly Plenary had barely started when, en masse, the Conservative Assembly Members present walked out, leaving the meeting inquorate and thus having …
Continue reading313 Special Cancelled, But 4-Car 378s Imminent
Unfortunately, it appears that the special 313 final service on the North London Line has now been cancelled. This is because there will no longer be a 313 unit available to run the service. On …
Continue readingAldwych: Book ASAP to avoid disappointment
As this author can personally verify, the London Transport Museum’s phone lines are currently under siege by those wishing to get tickets to Under London: Blitz experience tours of Aldwych Underground station. If any readers …
Continue readingDfT Confirm They Will NOT Fund Surrey Canal Road
Below is a letter, dated 31st August, sent to Caroline Pidgeon AM by Theresa Villiers MP. The letter confirms that that the DfT will not provide the additional £7m funding commitment required to ensure Surrey …
Continue readingSaying Goodbye to the 313s
With the 378s now a firm fixture on the North London Line, it is now close to the time when the last of the old British Rail Class 313s will be cascaded off elsewhere. Indeed, …
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