Just a quick site notice to let any readers who work for Crossrail know that it’s not just TfL staff that can download LR now. Crossrail staff can now also get the digital version of …
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.
In Pictures: The Buses of London
It will likely come as a surprise to no-one that the residents of LR Towers are inveterate browsers of second-hand bookshops. Occasionally these dusty forays yield more than obscure texts. Such is the case here, …
Continue readingOn Our Line #4: Designing Crossrail’s Stations
In the latest episode of our On Our Line podcast series, Nicole discusses the architecture and design of Crossrail’s stations with architecture critic Hugh Pearman and Crossrail’s Head of Architecture Julian Robinson. Tune in to …
Continue readingOn Our Line Extra: The Night Tube
To celebrate the start of the Night Tube service this evening, London Reconnections is pleased to bring you the first episode of On Our Line: Extra. On Our Line Extras are additional podcast episodes outside …
Continue readingSite News: Free LR Magazine Downloads for TfL Staff
Just a quick site notice to let any readers who work directly for TfL know that you can now get the digital version of LR Magazine sent directly to your inbox for free. This also …
Continue readingThe Elizabethan Age: Crossrail’s Trains Make Their Debut
Today saw the official unveiling of the first of Crossrail’s Class 345s, built by Bombardier in Derby. It would be rude, therefore, not to share with LR readers some photos of the new class in …
Continue readingOn Our Line #3: British Transport Policy Since WW2
In episode three of our podcast Nicole discusses the history of British transport policy with Dr Geoff Dudley and Christian Wolmar. Dr Geoff Dudley is a Visiting Research Associate at the Transport Studies Unit at …
Continue readingLR Magazine Issue Four: Feeding the Monster
With print copies now being prepped for dispatch to subscribers at LR Towers, London Reconnections Magazine Issue 4: Feeding the Monster is now available to purchase in our online store. This brings to an end …
Continue readingOn Our Line #2: The Challenges of Mapping Metros
In episode two of our podcast, Nicole talks to Dr Max Roberts, lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex, and transport author and informational design expert Peter Lloyd. Dr Max Roberts is an expert …
Continue readingA New Typeface for the Underground: Johnston 100
London Underground’s hundred-year-old typeface is iconic. Designed by Edward Johnston in 1915, it almost singlehandedly revived the sans-serif. Yet after a century of evolution some of the things that originally made it special have gradually disappeared. We look at the typeface’s history and at TfL’s ambitious attempt to rediscover its soul.
Continue readingOn Our Line: The London Reconnections Podcast
The residents of LR Towers are happy to announce the launch of our new monthly podcast, “On Our Line.” As anyone who reads this site or has attended our meetups knows, transport is a fascinating …
Continue readingIn Pictures: “An Album of Railway Engines”
Between our more detailed pieces it is nice, occasionally, to draw breath. Beginning in 1875 cigarette cards became a popular collectable in both the UK and abroad. They often featured illustrations of various modes of …
Continue readingElizabethan Style: A Look At Crossrail’s Core Stations
To coincide with a new exhibition on Crossrail station design at the Royal Institute of British Architects, the organisation have released a series of images showing the proposed internal designs of a number of the …
Continue readingThe Politics of Emptiness
On 5 May, Londoners will choose their new mayor. In doing so, they will grant a single individual the third biggest direct personal mandate of any politician in the whole of Europe (only France and …
Continue readingThe Politics of Integration
We sit down with Green Party mayoral candidate Sian Berry and talk about integrated transport, tackling air pollution and challenging transport tradition.
Continue reading