A perennial and fairly meaningless question that is often asked is ‘what are the origins …
Continue reading
Patrick 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 …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The Waterloo Mezzanine
With talk of improvements to both track layout and platforms as a result of the HLOS 2 statement, it is easy to forget that Waterloo has actually already seen some work recently. It may not …
Continue readingHLOS Highlights Part 2: Final Points
Given the extensive discussion of the HLOS that has already now developed elsewhere in the comments on this site, there is perhaps little left to add to the topic here – instead,those looking for a …
Continue readingHLOS Highlights Part 1: The Orange Elephant in the Room
Yesterday saw final confirmation of the contents of the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) 2012, the DfT’s outline of work to be carried out on the railways between April 2014 and March 2019 (Control Period …
Continue readingAn Olympic Travel Roundup
With just two weeks to go until the start of the Olympics, London’s transport system is gearing up for what could be one of its most challenging six weeks: ferrying an extra one million passengers …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The S7 Stock In Passenger Service
Last week saw the 7-car S-Stock (S7) run in passenger service for the first time. As much a PR event as a test exercise (not least because the S7s are not yet cleared to run beyond Liverpool Street), it nonetheless represented a major milestone in the rollout of the new stock. Some pictures of the train in service can be found below.
Continue reading