London Reconnections

Monday’s Friday Reads – 16 October 2023

On 16 October 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, HS2, Maps, Reuse, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• ‘Managed decline’: the uncertain future for British rail after cuts to HS2 (Financial Times – £) • TfL ‘no longer able to commit the funding’ to long-promised extension of tram to Sutton (New Civil …

Friday Reads – 13 October 2023

On 13 October 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Friday Reads, Technology

• The last of Britain’s railway slip coaches: Video (TimDunn) • Barcelona visual system for tactical urbanism + wayfinding (AraunaStudio) • Maya Lin’s Eclipsed Time removed from LIRR Penn Station concourse (UrbanOmnibus) • Silicon Valley …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 9 October 2023

On 9 October 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, HS2, Stations, Sustainability, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• The Assassination of HS2 by the Coward Rishi Sunak (S.Y. LEE) • Sunak’s ‘scorched earth’ slashing of HS2 means further legs will never be built (NewCivilEng) • France to launch German-style cut-price monthly rail …

Friday Reads – 6 October 2023

On 6 October 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, HS2, Overground

• HS2 being scrapped means fewer trains and higher rail prices, experts warn (inews) • The new housing case for extending Crossrail to Ebbsfleet (JamesO’Malley) • Chemical attraction: Hackney Wick Overground station (BeautyOfTransport) • Northern …

Getting more bang for your buck – The Bangkok rail explosion

On 6 October 2023 By Chris Hale In City Snapshot, Long reads

Having recently discussed how the laissez-faire approach to transit and urban planning in Jakarta is holding the city back, in this City Snapshot Dr Chris Hale focuses on one of Jakarta’s competitor Southeast Asian cities …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 2 October 2023

On 2 October 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Podcast, Safety, Sleeper Trains, Stations

• The war on motorists: The secret history of a myth as old as cars themselves (Guardian) • RMT tube strike to cause severe disruption to the London Underground next week (IanVisits) • The history, …

Friday Reads – 29 September 2023

On 29 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Micromobility, Safety, Sleeper Trains, Tunnels

• Secret MI6 spy tunnels being turned into London tourist attraction (SecretLondon) • ÖBB & DB to double sleeper train traffic by 2030 (RailTech) • Can the Messina Bridge project cross the divide to Sicily? …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 25 September 2023

On 25 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Bridges, Friday Reads, Funiculars, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• End ‘spiral of decline’ of bus services by handing control to councils (LocalGovt) • Nottingham’s multi-pronged approach to effective public transport (MobilityMatters) • Prague’s new minimalist pedestrian bridge (Domus) • How the US created …

Friday Reads – 22 September 2023

On 22 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Reuse, Sleeper Trains

• RIA calls for Government to keep UK rolling stock factories operating (GlobalRailway) • Burberry’s rebrand of Bond Street station slammed amid commuter chaos (MarketingBeat) • New Assisted Travel Lounge at London Paddington opens (RailUK) …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 18 September 2023

On 18 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Electric Vehicles (EVs), Friday Reads, New York, Pollution, Reuse

• Britain’s iconic HSTs set for Mexico (RailTech) • France wants to ground European ultra low airfares (EuroNews) • NYC drivers slowing down on streets with 24/7 speed cameras (Streetsblog) • Everybody in Manhattan wins …

Friday Reads – 15 September 2023

On 15 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Friday Reads, Roads, Trolleybuses, Tunnels

• West Midlands Metro extension to Wolverhampton station opens Sunday (RailUK) • Tame wide roads & replace them with boulevards of homes (Guardian) • Boston replaces trolleybuses w/ shorter range, heavier battery buses to cut …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 11 September 2023

On 11 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Nudges, Pedestrians, Safety, Stations

• Ticket office stealth closures: London train Cos reveal they stopped hiring new counter staff (Standard) • 1st West End Tube stations receive 4G/5G coverage (RailUK) • The NIMBY infra tax on new UK & …

Friday Reads – 8 September 2023

On 8 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Friday Reads, Network Rail, Reuse

• UK rail industry deeply frustrated by Network Rail’s extensive domestic air travel (RailTech) • Family Friendly Train operating companies Scorecard 2023 (FamilyFriendlyTrains) • Reuse of Philly’s City Branch downtown tunnel & RoW for transit …

Brightline Trip Review – The new US private passenger railway

On 7 September 2023 By Justin Bernard In Focus, Long reads

“Florida has North America’s best passenger rail service.” That was my thought after riding Florida East Coast Railway’s Brightline passenger rail service which runs between Miami and West Palm Beach. Unfortunately, I also experienced what …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 4 September 2023

On 4 September 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Bridges, Buses, Design, Friday Reads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• If the bus networks are poor, then so are we (TheTimes) • Death of the front garden: Brits spending £27Bn turning front gardens into parking (DirectLine) • Holloways, England’s mysterious sunken roads, extend longer …