In our quest to look at capacity issues and opportunities in Sussex we come to part 5 and are still only as far south as Clapham Junction – and we still haven’t yet looked at …
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A Look at Battersea Park Station
At first sight, Battersea Park station appears to be a complete contradiction. It is not exactly pretty at platform level, but has a splendid façade and booking office. It has five platforms, but only one …
Continue readingLondon Bridge – The First Major Blockade
This August Bank Holiday sees the first major Thameslink Blockade at London Bridge. The low level platforms and the route in from the Southern lines (via New Cross Gate or South Bermondsey) will be blocked …
Continue readingA Study In Sussex part 4: Victoria (the Brighton Line)
The Brighton Main Line (BML) from Victoria (and London Bridge) needs more capacity. This has been known for years but more recently it has been clear that demand has been accelerating and showing no indication …
Continue readingA Study in Sussex Part 2: Getting Politiconomical
In part 2 of our Study in Sussex we look at the politics and economics behind the railway debate currently underway – both of which are playing a key role in determining what service provision …
Continue readingA Study in Sussex Part 1: An Overview and a Rather Curious Announcement
Sussex may not at first glance appear to be part of our self-imposed London-related-only remit but an awful lot of railway activity that goes on in Sussex does relate to London. We are thus going …
Continue readingLondon Bridge: The First Sign of Things to Come
Its been almost exactly a year since we last gave an update on the Thameslink work at London Bridge. Since then a lot of work has gone on. Some of this is visible at the …
Continue readingEast Coast Mainline Routes & Branches Part 2: The Hertford Loop and the Northern City Line
This article grew in the telling. As with so many other places on the London rail network, it is hard to give a comprehensive overview of plans for one improvement on the East Coast Mainline …
Continue readingOld Oak Common: A Vision and Challenge For Crossrail (Part 1)
As “Phyllis” and “Ada” make their stately progress east from the portals at Park Royal, plans are evolving for the Crossrail route west, and an absorbing story it is to tell. The Mayor has now …
Continue readingThameslink and the National Audit Office: Part 1
It is the same old story. We were planning on giving articles about Thameslink a break and then something else comes along. This time it is a report from the National Audit Office (NAO). This …
Continue readingThe Life, Death and Rebirth of Lea Bridge Station
Somewhat buried amongst a number of railway-related announcements from the DfT this month was final confirmation of something that Waltham Forest council have been pushing for some time – the reopening of Lea Bridge Station. …
Continue readingLight and Breezy London Bridge
Although we have had a lot to say about the Thameslink Programme over the past few months news on the construction front has gone very quiet. There is a small amount of residual work at …
Continue readingHLOS 2014-19: A Potential Step Backwards for London
Back in July the government outlined its rail investment strategy in the High Level Output Statement (HLOS) covering 2014-19 or Control Period 5 (CP5). We reported on the HLOS here and here, and a rich …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The Kings Cross Clock Tower
Sometimes, whilst researching a topic, unexpected opportunities arise. This proved to be the case recently at Kings Cross where, during a site visit related to a future piece on the station’s sub-surface logistics, it became clear that our Network Rail guide might just be amenable to a slightly loftier piece of photography as well. And so, with thanks to Network Rail, and without further comment, we present a brief look at the state of affairs within the Clock Tower at Kings Cross and some views from the top of the station.
Continue readingBlackfriars: Safeguarding The Future
The subject of safeguarding has cropped up in several of our recent posts, and here we explore a current example: at Blackfriars. As the Thameslink work at Blackfriars progresses apace, the opening of the South …
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