London Reconnections

Friday Reads – 3 March 2023

On 3 March 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Cycles, Friday Reads, Pedestrians

• Bank Tube station’s new Cannon Street entrance has opened (IanVisits) • Cyclists now outnumber motorists in City of London (Forbes) • Almost 1 in 10 local UK bus services were axed last year (Guardian) …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 27 February 2023

On 27 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Stations

• Review of TfL’s recent rail & Tube upgrades (IanVisits) • Disabled campaigners are to thank for accessibility on the Elizabeth Line (TransportForAll) • Cardiff Council announces vision for Cardiff Crossrail (SWalesMetro) • Designer selected …

Friday Reads – 24 February 2023

On 24 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Friday Reads, Maps, Stations, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Leicester railway station redevelopment & revamp renders released (BBC) • ‘15-minute city’: the mundane planning theory terrifying conspiracists (Guardian) • Cardiff tram-train route consultation underway (MetroReport) • Overnight train between London & Berlin to …

The Slow Death Of Heathrow Express

On 21 February 2023 By Pedantic of Purley In Crossrail, Heathrow, Long reads, Old Oak Common

When discussing Crossrail, commenters have often speculated on the ultimate demise of Heathrow Express – the private train operating company that runs a non-stop express service between Paddington and Heathrow. This speculation is generally predicated …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 20 February 2023

On 20 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Aerial, Friday Reads, Maps, New York

• Germany’s pre-WW2 Zeppelin spy flights: Video (CalibanRising) • Railways are instrumental in evacuations, this time in earthquake-hit Turkey (RailTech) • Behind the scenes at NYC Subway’s Power Control Center (IRideHarlemLine) • Process of mapping …

Friday Reads – 17 February 2023

On 17 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Friday Reads, Stations, Sustainability, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Fast charge battery trial to resume after GWR agrees to purchase Vivarail assets (RailUK) • Wales road building projects stopped after failing climate review (Guardian) • Ottawa’s LRT didn’t go wrong, it started wrong …

Pop Art tunnel Michelangelo – Dragados & the Art of Tunnel Scanning

On 15 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Infrastructure, Long reads, Technology, Tunnels

On July 20, 2022, the heat from an exploratory drill inside Montréal’s century old Mont-Royal railway tunnel, advance work for the city’s modern Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) automated Métro line, caused an explosion. It was …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 13 February 2023

On 13 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Airports, Congestion Charge, Friday Reads, Pollution

• Expanded ULEZ cut toxic NOx pollution across London by 23% report finds (Guardian) • Vancouver testing accessibility app to help sight challenged better navigate transit (MassTransit) • The best rapid transit in the US …

Friday Reads – 10 February 2023

On 10 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In DLR, Friday Reads, Network Rail, Pedestrians, Safety

• A sneak peek inside the DLR’s new trains (IanVisits) • Network Rail & TfL announce partnership to create 20,000 new London homes (RailUK) • The hideous pedestrian tunnels marring access to the IMAX Roundabout …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 6 February 2023

On 6 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Aerial, Fonts, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Stations

• The Chinese spy balloon shows the downsides of the technology (Wired) • Fallout London upgrade features working Underground system (TheGamer) • Transforming unused railway station spaces into community hubs (RailTechnology) • Two Types – …

Friday Reads – 3 February 2023

On 3 February 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Friday Reads, Roads, Sleeper Trains

• Trainspotting unites my family: we share the pleasure of intricate details (Guardian) • Speed cushions, traffic humps, chicanes: many ways to slow cars (TrafficChoices) • Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin night train March 2023 launch (RailwayGazette) • Berlin …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 30 January 2023

On 30 January 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Cycles, Design, Friday Reads, Maps

• Lambeth strategy to make its kerbsides fairer, more accessible, & more climate resilient (LambethCouncil) • The 1930s, the decade that schematic map diagrams matured (MaxwellRoberts) • Amsterdam’s new underwater bike garage is next-level cycling …

Friday Reads – 27 January 2023

On 27 January 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Friday Reads, New York, Stations

• Inside HS2’s new Old Oak Common railway station (IanVisits) • Stanley Heaps: The other London Underground Chief Architect (ModernismInMetroland) • A public transport system of epic proportions – the Paris RER: video (RMTransit) • …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 23 January 2023

On 23 January 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Roads, Sleeper Trains, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Low Traffic Neighbourhoods – LTNs – do not push traffic onto boundary roads: study (Guardian) • Plans to open a disused railway as the Camden Highline are approved (IanVisits) • Macron announces RER commuter …

Friday Reads – 20 January 2023

On 20 January 2023 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Friday Reads, Safety, Signalling, Stations

• New transport campaign encourages culture of active bystanders to deter harassment (RailUK) • Improving wellbeing at stations with living walls (RailStaff) • Getting bus priority right: Lessons from Bologna (ItalianUrbanLetters) • Warszawa offers 60 …