London Reconnections

Hydrail Breezes in the UK (Hydrogen Part 2)

On 15 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Long reads, Sustainability, Zero Emission

We last looked at London’s hydrogen bus experiments, and this part of the series analyses current hydrail development. Regular operation of the world’s first hydrogen train started in September 2018 with two Alstom Coradia iLints …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 12 April 2021

On 12 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Aerial, Airports, Bridges, Friday Reads, Pedestrians

• Highways England plans to infill, demolish 130 disused railway structures (RailEngineer) • Breathing new life into underused & derelict rail arches (LowLineLondon) • Love letter to lost world of the Parisian pneumatic post (MessyNessyChic) …

Friday Reads – 9 April 2021

On 9 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Electrification, Friday Reads, London Overground, New York, Overground, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Tunnels, Vertical transport

• London Overground could finally get individual line names (IanVisits) • The partly-abandoned Tooting, Merton & Wimbledon Railway (JagoHazzard) • Cars are no longer welcome in Heidelberg (NYTimes) • A short history of the ‘upstairs …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 5 April 2021

On 5 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Bridges, Design, Friday Reads, New York, Stations, Waterways

• A short, squat history of Underground tiles (Caroline’sMisc) • Urban waterways & the dynamics of canal architecture (ArchDaily) • KLM to offer train connections up to 700km (NLTimes) • Metro Works: The art and …

Friday Reads – 2 April 2021

On 4 April 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, Logistics, New York, Pedestrians, Roads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Uber

• NUMTOT transit nerds now have their own dating app! (Atlantic) • TfL bus services innovation has slowed considerably (Freewheeling) • Pedestrianisation plans for Bank junction in the City (IanVisits) • Uber’s own public transit …

Reconnections’ Transport Miscellany – March 2021

On 30 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Miscellany

As in any field, a specialised lexicon of shorthand, nicknames, jargon, personality types, and rules of thumb have developed for transport and the places it connects. This new column collects some of the more interesting …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 29 March 2021

On 29 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Friday Reads, New York, Pedestrians, Roads

• Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: who will win the battle for city streets? (Guardian) • Hungary plans to increase transit ridership 80% by 2040, Budapest role (IntlRailJ) • Only in Montréal: REM elevated rail so ugly …

Friday Reads – 26 March 2021

On 26 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Buses, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Eurostar, Friday Reads, Maps

• SNCF: State aid for Eurostar needed within the month to survive (RailTech) • Ex-TfL Bus Boss Leon Daniels on the National Bus Strategy (FreeWheeling) • There’s one big problem with electric cars (NYTimes) • …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 22 March 2021

On 22 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Cable Car, Friday Reads, Maps, Micromobility, New York, Stations

• The man who sacked Harry Beck: Rethinking Harold Hutchison (Bryars&Bryars) • Scotland’s railways to be nationalised next year (Guardian) • What’s next for NYC Penn Station? Penn South (RegionalPlanAssoc) • How car-centric street networks …

Friday Reads – 19 March 2021

On 19 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car, Cycles, Friday Reads, Kings Cross, London Underground, Pedestrians, Piccadilly line, Pollution

• Design launch of the new London Underground Piccadilly line trains (RailEngineer) • Now is the time for road pricing (FreeWheeling) • 100 year old cart & rails found sticking out of Cornish cliff (CornwallLive) …

London’s First Highway: Part 3 – Evolution of River Passenger Transport Policy

On 18 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Design, Long reads, Maps, River

Its roads and trains clogged, ‎London has made a strong effort to bring passengers back to the Thames over the last two decades, as a return to its future past. TfL’s 2013 River Action Plan …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 15 March 2021

On 15 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In COVID, Friday Reads, Logistics, Roads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Tube lines

• TfL’s Lane Rental scheme for utility works expanding (IanVisits) • Which is London’s fastest Underground line? (OnLondon) • Karlsruhe transforming last mile logistics with trams (RailFreight) • Can Amtrak Joe revolutionize US public transport? …

Friday Reads – 12 March 2021

On 12 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Cycles, Friday Reads, Funiculars, Tunnels

• Let’s look within Sir Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review (FreeWheeling) • The case for Manchester bus re-regulation (CityMonitor) • The cycling prescription for better health (Guardian) • Norway’s ship tunnel approved: the world’s first …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 8 March 2021

On 8 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Cycles, Design, Friday Reads, Micromobility, Pedestrians, Pollution

• Top court confirms UK has broken air pollution law (AirQualityNews) • London Cycle Routes YouTube channel shows safe routes (Road.CC) • Strap hanger advertising, & some unused concepts (LTMuseum) • Berlin gets Germany’s first …

Friday Reads – 5 March 2021

On 5 March 2021 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Bakerloo Line, Bridges, Design, Garden Bridge Review, Pedestrians, Stations, Thames crossings

• More spent on failed Garden Bridge than on TfL crossings in 10 years (NewCivilEng) • Safeguarding the Bakerloo Line Extension (IanVisits) • Hammersmith High Line competition ideas (HydeParkNow) • Trans Europe Express 2017 video …