London Reconnections

Friday Reads – 21 July 2023

On 21 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Buses, Friday Reads, History, Pedestrians

• London buses are slowing down, slowing down, slowing down (OnLondon) • Gloucester Road: Forgotten spaces, historic features, & art installation: Video (HiddenLondonHangouts) • Fare Dodger Bingo: Which excuses have you heard? (RailUK) • Freight …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 17 July 2023

On 17 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, History

• Views under Waterloo Station on its 175th Anniversary (IanVisits) • Britain’s Railways All Change: oral history collection of the privatisation process (NatlRailwayMuseum) • The Carmont 2020 Railway disaster, Part One: Podcast (SignalsToDanger) • Montpellier …

Friday Reads – 14 July 2023

On 14 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Arts, Design, Friday Reads, Overground

• Unusual London Overground trips possible this weekend (IanVisits) • TfL announces 10 Underground stations to be upgraded to step-free access (IntelligentTransport) • Sister Rosetta Tharpe 1964 South Manchester Blues & Gospel Train show: Video …

Floors – The Next Dimension in Safety and Wayfinding

On 13 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Long reads, Nudges, Stations

Station and platform floors have traditionally been unadorned, and only recently has their potential as a blank canvas for relaying information to passengers been utilised. The floor is the stage on which the drama of …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 10 July 2023

On 10 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Safety, Trolleybuses

• Is the UK’s rail network affordable? (RailEngineer) • NaviLens tech app trial to help blind & partially sighted navigate DLR stations (ITSInternational) • The underride crashes that the truck industry doesn’t want to prevent …

Friday Reads – 7 July 2023

On 7 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Friday Reads, History, Nudges

• Govt knows the value of London transport investment but withholds it anyway (OnLondon) • Behind the scenes of the National Railway Museum’s modernisation: Video (RailNatter) • Madrid launches its first bus rapid transit – …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 3 July 2023

On 3 July 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Cycles, Friday Reads, Nudges, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• That’s the end of the franchise era, then (RailNews) • Lambeth council latest to start emissions-based fees: paying double for parking (Guardian) • Global growth of light rail lines (UKTram) • Govt details how …

Friday Reads – 30 June 2023

On 30 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Friday Reads

• Govt plans closure of most UK railway station ticket offices within weeks (Guardian) • Liverpool Edge Hill Station now Scheduled Monument: Video (Liverpool&ManchesterRyTrust) • The compleat list of Dr Who Underground scenes & sets …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 26 June 2023

On 26 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Friday Reads, Nudges, Vertical transport

• Tube pickpocketing up as police report stats (Standard) • The problem w/ Rowan Atkinson’s take on electric cars, is too many electric cars (LloydAlter) • The work of Tube fluffers, now called track cleaning …

Friday Reads – 23 June 2023

On 23 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Sleeper Trains

• The dark underbelly of Thomas the Tank Engine: Podcast (99%Invisible) • European Sleeper starts Berlin-Amsterdam-Brussels service (Politico) • The Dutch bid farewell to their Royal Train (RailTech) • The benefits of, & the reasons …

Phoenix Rises – Return of the Airship

On 22 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Aerial, Long reads, Technology

Spy balloons over the US and Canada, with some being shot down, have been a major news story in recent months. But what is not in the mainstream news is the spotting of what appears …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 19 June 2023

On 19 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In DfT, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Podcast, Sleeper Trains

• Britain’s railway is without a paddle (IntlRailJ) • New Wales Metro tram-train now in testing (RailUK) • Feasibility Study for £890m Oxfordshire rail link released (NewCivilEng) • Irish railway project takes old Scottish Sleeper …

Friday Reads – 16 June 2023

On 16 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, History, Micromobility, Parking, Trolleybuses

• TfL puts larger transport infrastructure projects on hold amid funding uncertainty (NewCivilEng) • Peckham Rye station restoration finally complete (IanVisits) • Transport innovation, engineering, lobbying, & public relations in the age of steamboats (AntonHowes) …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 12 June 2023

On 12 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Data, Friday Reads, Parking, River, TfL

• Inside the project bringing mobile phone coverage to the Underground (TheEngineer) • TfL on track for operating surplus, board told (OnLondon) • Wren by river tour, 1 Sept only (VisitGreenwich) • What every British …

Friday Reads – 9 June 2023

On 9 June 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Eurostar, Friday Reads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Edinburgh tram extension to Newhaven carries first passengers (UrbanTransport) • Eurostar seeks solution to avoid suspension of Amsterdam – London services (RailwayGazette) • Boston bus stop digital library pilot (SmartCitiesDive) • Amtrak announces ultra-cheap …