London Reconnections

Crossrail: The End of The Beginning

On 4 June 2015 By John Bull In Crossrail

It is said that one of the problems of Channel Tunnel construction was that the British thought they were building a tunnel that just happened to contain a railway. The French, thinking more realistically, saw …

Orange Invades: All Change for London’s New Overground Lines

On 1 June 2015 By Nicole Badstuber In Overground, TfL

This weekend saw the addition of 28 new stations to TfL’s hugely successful Overground network. Rail services running from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford in North East London, as well as the …

Fare Trade: Breaking Down London’s Taxi Debate

On 28 May 2015 By John Bull In Roads, Taxis

“Look. A spot of intellectual honesty is always a good thing.” Says London Mayor Boris Johnson, as murmurs of discontent grow in the visitor gallery. “And the reality is that you’re not just dealing with …

East of Enfield, North of Stratford

On 19 May 2015 By John Bull In Central line, DLR, History, Overground, Uncategorized, Victoria line

At the end of the month London Overground will take over more of north-east London’s railways. It seems timely, therefore, to take a look at the history of the railways in the area. For though …

Down Street: The Secret History of a Lost London Station

On 29 April 2015 By John Bull In History, Piccadilly line

It was early one autumn evening in 1940, as the Luftwaffe’s bombs fell on London overhead, when Mr G. Cole-Deacon finally got the call. Cole-Deacon, the secretary of the Railway Executive Committee, had half expected …

A Study In Sussex Part 8: If You Bridge It They Will Come

On 27 April 2015 By Pedantic of Purley In Construction projects, Network Rail

In our journey down the Brighton Main Line our last encounter was East Croydon. Instead of continuing southwards we remain at East Croydon and devote an entire article to something that at first glance might …

London 2050 (Part 5): Peak Tube

On 16 April 2015 By Jonathan Roberts In Central line, Circle line, Crossrail, Crossrail 2, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee line, London Assembly, London Underground, Northern line, Piccadilly line, TfL

According to the London 2050 report’s forecasts, the demand for the Underground will rise by 60% in the next thirty five years. That’s a challenging target to address with additional capacity, given the pressures the …

London’s Lost Pneumatic Railway: The World’s 2nd Oldest Underground

On 12 April 2015 By Long Branch Mike In History, Long reads, Pneumatic railways, Post Office Railway

In the white heat of the Victorian age a number of motive powers seemed set to vie for the future. Steam power? Cable? Both were relatively new technologies whose potential seemed endless. Briefly in the …

A Perfect Storm: The Story Behind The London Bridge Delays

On 2 April 2015 By Pedantic of Purley In London Bridge, Network Rail, Southern, Thameslink

We really had been trying to not keep writing about London Bridge. Then, at the beginning of the year, a lot of problems emerged rendering it an apt topic for discussion again. The trouble was …

Mixed Signals: A Small SSR Press Release With Big Implications

On 25 March 2015 By Pedantic of Purley In Circle line, District line, Hammersmith & City, London Underground, Metropolitan line, Rolling stock

On 24th March 2015 there was a surprise announcement from the Mayor and TfL about the re-signalling of the Subsurface Railway (SSR). It is largely a re-announcement of what has already been announced numerous times, …

Bike To The Future Pt 2: Government, Gilligan & Royal Guards

On 19 March 2015 By Pedantic of Purley In Cycles, Roads

In part 1 we looked at the change of attitude towards cycling. Attitude, however, is only part of the battle. London presents some unique challenges for cycle planners – from road layouts to royalty – …

No Do Nothing Option: The Increasing Cost of the Bakerloo’s Trains

On 16 March 2015 By John Bull In Bakerloo Line, London Underground

When it comes to rolling stock on the Underground, it has become very easy in recent years to focus on the new. We have seen new trains on both the Victoria and the Sub-surface lines …

Ankh-Morpork Transport Committee: March 2015

On 12 March 2015 By John Bull In Obituaries

This week saw the monthly meeting of the Ankh-Morpork Assembly Transport Committee. Due to the presence of The Transport Commissioner, Sir Harry King and Moist von Lipwig, Head of Sub-surface Rail, there to update the …

Bike To The Future Part 1: London’s Cycling Revolution

On 5 March 2015 By Pedantic of Purley In Cycles, Roads

History is littered with events and announcements that didn’t seem important at the time. When the transport planners of the future consider this period in London’s history what will they see as the most significant …

Crossrail: The Overlooked Surface Sections

On 24 February 2015 By Pedantic of Purley In Construction projects, Crossrail

It is easy to forget sometimes that for an “Underground” railway, Crossrail will spend a considerable amount of time on the surface. We have covered the North-Eastern arm of Crossrail on various occasions. The most …