In November 2024 the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) published its annual count of …
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It’s Good To Talk
From telegraphs to telephones, cables to Connect, over its 150-year history the London Underground has remained at the forefront of communications technology. We look at the journey from a single telegram line to an integrated …
Continue readingGovia go via Greenwich: GTR and the Thameslink Timetable
There are probably Southern commuters who would claim that nothing Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR – Southern’s parent company) said or did would surprise them. Many industry insiders would probably agree. When rumours spread rapidly about …
Continue readingDon’t Fear the Beeper: Bus Hopper Tickets and the Future of Oyster
“Today is a landmark day for transport in London,” London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said on 12 September 2016. “It wasn’t right that Londoners had to pay twice simply to change buses.” It is a deceptively …
Continue readingSite News: Free LR Magazine Downloads for Crossrail Staff
Just a quick site notice to let any readers who work for Crossrail know that it’s not just TfL staff that can download LR now. Crossrail staff can now also get the digital version of …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The Buses of London
It will likely come as a surprise to no-one that the residents of LR Towers are inveterate browsers of second-hand bookshops. Occasionally these dusty forays yield more than obscure texts. Such is the case here, …
Continue readingOn Our Line #4: Designing Crossrail’s Stations
In the latest episode of our On Our Line podcast series, Nicole discusses the architecture and design of Crossrail’s stations with architecture critic Hugh Pearman and Crossrail’s Head of Architecture Julian Robinson. Tune in to …
Continue readingThe New London Bridge Station: First Impressions
It will probably not have escaped most readers attention that the main portion of the new London Bridge station concourse opened on August Bank Holiday Monday. Impressions are invariably subjective and so London Reconnections breaks …
Continue readingOn Our Line Extra: The Night Tube
To celebrate the start of the Night Tube service this evening, London Reconnections is pleased to bring you the first episode of On Our Line: Extra. On Our Line Extras are additional podcast episodes outside …
Continue readingEmpire of the Air: The Imperial Airship Service
In 1926 artist Montague Black, famous for his work with the White Star Line, created a new piece of art for London Underground. According to the painting in 2026 the city would be dominated by …
Continue readingSite News: Free LR Magazine Downloads for TfL Staff
Just a quick site notice to let any readers who work directly for TfL know that you can now get the digital version of LR Magazine sent directly to your inbox for free. This also …
Continue readingLondon’s Lost Pneumatic Railways Talk – LURS 9 August 2016
Long Branch Mike will be presenting at the London Underground Railway Society (LURS) on Tuesday 9 August, 2016, at the Society’s monthly meeting, on the development and evolution of the Pneumatic Despatch Railway, the world’s second oldest …
Continue readingHigh Speed Buffers (Part 4): Terminal Policies and Priorities
In the latest part of our HS2 series, we look primarily at the options for London HS termini and/or through running. Some policy and funding issues are raised. Discussion about passenger volumes, and station and …
Continue readingThe Elizabethan Age: Crossrail’s Trains Make Their Debut
Today saw the official unveiling of the first of Crossrail’s Class 345s, built by Bombardier in Derby. It would be rude, therefore, not to share with LR readers some photos of the new class in …
Continue readingOn Our Line #3: British Transport Policy Since WW2
In episode three of our podcast Nicole discusses the history of British transport policy with Dr Geoff Dudley and Christian Wolmar. Dr Geoff Dudley is a Visiting Research Associate at the Transport Studies Unit at …
Continue readingLR Magazine Issue Four: Feeding the Monster
With print copies now being prepped for dispatch to subscribers at LR Towers, London Reconnections Magazine Issue 4: Feeding the Monster is now available to purchase in our online store. This brings to an end …
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