A perennial and fairly meaningless question that is often asked is ‘what are the origins …
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Crossrail Begins to Get Visible – Part 1
To most Londoners, Crossrail remains hidden – at least as long as works aren’t inconveniencing a daily commute. The dock north of Canary Wharf has now been filled in by a beehive of workers, but the serious work of tunnelling and station building is largely hidden out of sight. 2013, however, arguably represents the point at which Crossrail’s visible profile will begin to climb, and so as the year opens this seems a good opportunity to take a look at the project again. In the first part of this series, we will therefore resort to a tried-and-trusted LR staple – the aerial photo
Continue readingTanners Hill Flydown – Part 2
In Part 1 of this series we saw how and why the Tanners Hill Flydown came into existence. We also reported on the apparent need to double it in advance of enhanced Thameslink services, and …
Continue readingTanners Hill Flydown – Part 1
Our original plan was to write a piece on St Johns station. This would conclude with a short section on the work carried out over the Christmas holidays on the Tanners Hill Flydown. Like many …
Continue readingOur Little List: Merry Christmas From LR
Now that Christmas has finally arrived it is time to lighten up a bit. We could have provided something related to a pantomime but between the IEP and their process for franchising the West Coast …
Continue readingThe Christmas Quiz
It’s December and that can only mean one thing here at LR Towers – it is time for the world famous (almost) Christmas Quiz! As always, we’ve tried to make it really hard. As always, …
Continue readingRoundtable: The TfL Draft Business Plan
Transport news, like London buses, often seems to come in clumps. With the various recent announcements it would thus be easy to miss that TfL have published their draft Business Plan for the next decade. …
Continue readingThe End of an Era on the South London Line
With the opening of the London Overground Service from Clapham Junction to Dalston Junction it is time to say goodbye to the South London Line. The line provided a direct link between the London Brighton …
Continue readingIn Pictures: London Underground Stamps & £2 Coin
Earlier this year, the Post Office confirmed that they would be issuing a number of stamps to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Underground. The designs for these stamps have now been …
Continue readingIn Pictures: Crossrail Tunnels, ELL Expands
With Tunnelling now under way (or rather, in the west, resumed), Crossrail have released a new set of photos relating to the commencement of operations on the Limmo peninsular. We’ve looked extensively at the Royal …
Continue readingHLOS 2014-19: A Potential Step Backwards for London
Back in July the government outlined its rail investment strategy in the High Level Output Statement (HLOS) covering 2014-19 or Control Period 5 (CP5). We reported on the HLOS here and here, and a rich …
Continue readingThe Calm Before the Contractual Storm: Crossrail’s Rolling Stock Tender
Two years ago LR found itself sitting in a conference room at the Albert Hall with a room full of railway journalists and industry representatives. The attendees were there to hear the details of a …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The Kings Cross Clock Tower
Sometimes, whilst researching a topic, unexpected opportunities arise. This proved to be the case recently at Kings Cross where, during a site visit related to a future piece on the station’s sub-surface logistics, it became clear that our Network Rail guide might just be amenable to a slightly loftier piece of photography as well. And so, with thanks to Network Rail, and without further comment, we present a brief look at the state of affairs within the Clock Tower at Kings Cross and some views from the top of the station.
Continue readingNorthern Line Extension Public Consultation Details
TfL have now made public the details of the public consultation for the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea via Nine Elms. As was indicated in the leaflet distributed last June, the chosen route …
Continue readingUnlocking Herne Hill and the Kent route to the City
The extensive RUS process has already yielded a long shopping list of potential projects, including some big ticket items such as Crossrail 2. We are more likely, however, to see a package of more modest …
Continue readingFare Increases, Oyster Expansion and Cycle Hire Changes
Today the Mayor of London announced the fares levels that will apply to TfL services and National Rail services within the zonal area from 2nd January 2013. Full details of TfL fare and season ticket …
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