A perennial and fairly meaningless question that is often asked is ‘what are the origins …
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New 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 readingA Look Under Kingsway
Our previous excursion into the disused City Widened Lines beneath Smithfield prompted a certain amount of thought. The opportunity arose thanks to the need to carry out compensation grouting ahead of the passage of the Crossrail TBMs below, leading to the Line’s being temporarily occupied by Crossrail themselves as a worksite. Given the length and route of the Crossrail tunnels therefore, and the likely need for grouting elsewhere, what other sites within the City might this present a rare chance to take a closer look at? It was Crossrail themselves who swiftly spotted a similar opportunity and helpfully arranged access – the Kingsway Tram Tunnel.
Continue readingLondon Terminals: Fighting Over Farringdon (Part 2)
In Part 1 of our journey below Smithfield we followed in the footsteps of John Bull’s underground wander down the Widened Lines from Barbican. Here in Part 2 we leave him fumbling in the dark and emerge blinking into the light at Farringdon. We will not linger on the surface for long though because, as we have already discovered, the hidden delights lie underground. Scratch the surface, or dive beneath it, and you discover there is much more to the Smithfield area than meets the eye.
Continue readingCable Car Opens
Following on from last week’s post confirming the opening details, the new Cable Car is now officially open. Staying true to our general intention to not write about things that have already been covered rather …
Continue readingELLX2 Testing Begins on the Overground
Train testing on the East London Line Extension (Phase 2) between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction has now begun. The route was fully electrified at the weekend, and the first 378 ran on Sunday. Driver training will begin shortly, and further testing will now take place, ahead of the extension’s official opening in December.
Continue readingLondon Terminals: Fulsome Farringdon
Initially, we’d planned just a single post looking at Farringdon as part of our (increasingly badly titled) London Terminals series, but John Bull’s recent wander through the old ‘Widened Lines’ tunnels east of Farringdon gave a brief glimpse of an unexpectedly cavernous subterranean world. This prompted us to ask: just how much more is down there?
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