London Reconnections

Monday’s Friday Reads – 14 February 2022

On 14 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Sleeper Trains

• Bond Street station to miss Elizabeth Line opening (NewCivilEng) • Scots study shows benefits of new walking & cycling measures (SusTrans) • New La Dolce Vita Italian Orient Express to launch in 2023 (RailTech) …

Friday Reads – 11 February 2022

On 11 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Friday Reads, History, HS2

• Automated people movers from 1924 British Empire Exhibition to HS2 (RailInsider) • History of the South Kensington Subway (IanVisits) • Glasgow Subway complete refurbishment, with new trains (RailEngineer) • The geopolitics of Rail Baltica’s …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 7 February 2022

On 7 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Eurostar, Friday Reads, New York, Roads, Stations

• New TfL gov’t long term funding deal delayed again, short reprieve (OnLondon) • London’s phantom station: London International CIV (IanVisits) • New York MTA retires 1960s era subway cars (MassTransit) • Indian railways to …

Friday Reads – 4 February 2022

On 4 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Congestion Charge, Friday Reads, Stations, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• TfL funding crisis will leave the disabled stranded (BylineTimes) • What comes after London’s Congestion Charge? (CityLab) • Sense of place: White Hart Lane station updated (BeautyOfTransport) • Paris starts test runs of new …

The surreal Métro of Charleroi

On 3 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Long reads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

Noted surrealist painter Réné Magritte was Belgian. It is perhaps appropriate that Belgian politics produced a surreal Métro line, that is neither a metro nor operational. But that is about to change, in Charleroi. This …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 31 January 2022

On 31 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Crossrail design & architecture overview video (Crossrail) • Evolution of tram traction in Paris (FabricOfParis) • Malta publishes light metro vision (T&UT) • Vancouver Translink uses hockey sticks to keep SkyTrains moving (TheBuzzer) • …

Friday Reads – 28 January 2022

On 28 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car, Crossrail, Friday Reads, Old Oak Common, Sleeper Trains

• Tie a Crossrail ribbon round the Old Oak scene (HydeParkNow) • New station proposed for National Arboretum (AnonWidower) • Chance meeting on train platform rocked the world (MidnightTrains) • How cable cars could boost …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 24 January 2022

On 24 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Friday Reads, Stations, TfL, Vertical transport

• Huge new train departure board at Victoria Station (IanVisits) • Inside TfL’s Lost Property Office (Guardian) • UK rail station league tables pre-Covid (Novotel) • Paris’ Blvd Périphérique to lose lanes & become greener …

Friday Reads – 21 January 2022

On 21 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, HS2, Sleeper Trains, Tunnels

• Crossrail starting final phase of trial operations ahead of opening (IanVisits) • HS2 archaeologists make big discovery (RailInsider) • Inside HS2’s Chiltern tunnel boring machines (JonnElledge) • Paris tests new disused railway tram train …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 17 January 2022

On 17 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, DLR, Friday Reads, New York

• Confusion over future of Beam Park Station in East London (IanVisits) • Lumo Trains’ new Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador (HydeParkNow) • Mancunians rebel against grey advertising boxes blocking pavements (Guardian) • Berlin proposal for …

Friday Reads – 14 January 2022

On 14 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, Kings Cross

• Crossrail pushing hard for a March opening date (IanVisits) • King’s Cross tunnels & Canal Aqueduct (HydeParkNow) • Debut test of Glasgow Subway’s new ATO train (Scotsman) • SFO BART Crisis Intervention Specialists already …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 10 January 2022

On 10 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Friday Reads, HS2, Pollution, Sleeper Trains

• Euston Hampstead Tube station to be moved for HS2 (HydeParkNow) • 100 Years of Tube train evolution: video (LTMFriends) • How London’s buses helped WW1 British tank design (HiddenLondonHangouts) • Transport noise linked to …

Friday Reads – 7 January 2022

On 7 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Friday Reads, New York, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• A day in the life of a London bus (LondonTravelWatch) • Moscow Metro opens China-built Great Ring Line section (RailwayTechnology) • NYC to study Interborough Express freight line upgrade (AMNY) • Minneapolis’ LRT & …

A Crossrail worthy interchange – Hong Kong’s Shatin to Central Extension

On 4 January 2022 By In Crossrail, Infrastructure, Long reads

While London awaits the final testing and final opening of its Elizabeth (née Crossrail) line, there is another line, albeit shorter, which has many similarities. Hong Kong is by some measures more dense than London, …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 3 January 2022

On 3 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Friday Reads, Logistics, New York, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• London to make 24 hour bus lane trials permanent (SmartTransport) • Transport for London – Arsenal pre-match jersey (FootyHeadlines) • Maximising capacity in the Brussels north-south connection (MetroVeloDodo) • Toronto bans delivery robots, needs …