If you go to Paddington main line station and follow the signs to platform 14 …
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Obituary: Colin Curtis OBE, BSc (Eng), CEng, MIMechE, MIRTE
It is with great sadness that London Reconnections has learned of the death of Colin Curtis, at the age of 86. Colin was a key figure in the history of London Buses, and his book …
Continue readingNew Trains, Buses and Complaints: A Look at the TfL Board Papers
With the Olympics and Paralympics over, September brings something of a return to normal for London’s Transport network. On the Underground, this means the unfortunate (but sadly necessary) return to weekend closures. In the corporate …
Continue readingThe (Croydon) Tramlink: Part 2
Following on from part 1 which looked at the past, we now concentrate on the recent Tramlink update and look to the future. A new tram at Wimbledon heading for Elmers End on a training …
Continue readingThe (Croydon) Tramlink: Part 1
With the recent introduction of six more trams and a new service pattern, the time seems right to look both back at, and forward to, changes to Tramlink. In the first part of this article …
Continue readingLast Metropolitan A Stock Tour 29th September
Tickets have gone on sale for the final A-Stock Tour, which will take place on the 29th September. They can be purchased via the LTM website, although they are quite hard to find. Those looking …
Continue readingPatrick McLoughlin Becomes Minister For Transport
Conservative MP Patrick McLoughlin has become Minister of Transport as a result of the current Cabinet reshuffle (previous occupant Justine Greening being moved to International Development). There are suggestions that the move was at least …
Continue readingRemembering the Harrow & Wealdstone Disaster
Next month it will be the 60th anniversary of the Harrow and Wealdstone rail accident, Britain’s worst civilian rail disaster. We wrote extensively about the accident last year, but for those unfamiliar with the consequences, …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The DLR at Twenty Five
Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the opening of the DLR. Originally intended as a low cost option to support the Docklands redevelopment programme, the DLR had a somewhat troubled gestation. Now, however, it forms a vital part of London’s transport infrastructure. To help celebrate its birthday, we’ve pulled together some images from its past.
Continue readingBlackfriars: Safeguarding The Future
The subject of safeguarding has cropped up in several of our recent posts, and here we explore a current example: at Blackfriars. As the Thameslink work at Blackfriars progresses apace, the opening of the South …
Continue readingThe End of the Earth: Crossrail at Wallasea
In recent months we have covered Crossrail Tunneling and Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) quite extensively. One part of the process we haven’t really looked at in depth, however, is where the excavated material ultimately ends up.
Continue readingNew Entrance at West Croydon Station
For many years a new entrance to West Croydon station that was more convenient for the tram stop and bus station has been advocated. Although the start of construction had been announced the opening itself …
Continue readingTfL Looking to Phase Out Road-Side Ticket Machines
It appears that TfL are currently looking to remove road-side ticket machines (RTMs) on the bus network, with a public consultation on this now online here. RTMs are largely a legacy of the pre-Oyster age, …
Continue readingOff Site: London Transport Posters at Christies
It appears that the LTM are looking to auction off a number of excess posters from their archive, with the funds raised being ringfenced for future acquisitions. Whilst unfortunately the decorating budget here at LR Towers doesn’t stretch far enough to allow us to take part in the auction itself, the online catalogue is well worth a look.
Continue readingBank Station Part 2: The Upgrade Proposals
In part 1 of this article we looked at the need to upgrade Bank station to provide sufficient capacity for the number of people using it. We now look at the proposals put forward to …
Continue readingBank Station Part 1: The Forgotten Upgrade
Regular readers will be aware that 2018 should be a significant year for public transport in London, with the completion of the Thameslink programme and the opening of the core section of Crossrail from Paddington …
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