A perennial and fairly meaningless question that is often asked is ‘what are the origins …
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A 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?
Continue readingIn Video: Second TBM Moved Forward at Royal Oak
With the first TBM now gradually heading underground at Royal Oak, the second TBM has now been moved forward into position. Ada will not begin the second bore yet, as it’ll be a little while …
Continue readingThe Secret Life of Seven Sisters
One of the notable things about the Victoria line is just how busy it is. Unlike other lines there are just no quiet stretches. It is quite surprising, therefore, that if you know where to look you can find a platform on the Victoria line that has an eerie silence and an almost sinister lack of people waiting for the next train – for most of the time, at least.
Continue readingTfL Confirm Cable Car Launch Details
TfL have confirmed the launch details for the new Cable Car linking Greenwich and the Royal Docks. We have written about the Cable Car throughout its slightly troubled gestation, and will be returning to the …
Continue readingOffsite: Diamond Geezer on 100 Years of the 38
It appears that the weekend just passed was the 100th anniversary of London Bus Route 38 – an anniversary we’re embarrassed to admit we hadn’t spotted was imminent. Luckily Diamond Geezer didn’t, and thus those …
Continue readingIn Pictures: Work at Finsbury Park
We’ll look in more detail at the work being undertaken to bring the old island platform at Finsbury Park back into service at a later date. In the meantime, however, some photos of the current state of affairs can be found below. Interestingly, it appears that the work has uncovered some of the original platform arches.
Continue readingA Brief History of Sidings
Perhaps because they represent a mysterious unseen underworld, disused Underground stations seem to fascinate a lot of people – including those who aren’t generally interested in trains. You could be forgiven for thinking that Underground sidings would carry the same cachet, but they seem to be a subject that is often overlooked.
Continue readingWarminster – Imber Village Routemaster Special Service
After yesterday highlighting the “Beck and Beyond” talk at the LTM, it seemed only fair to highlight something for the more omnibuphile members of the LR readership – Imberbus, the annual Warminster – Imber Village Routemaster Special Service on Monday 4th June.
Continue readingGOBLIN Nobbling and New DMUs
Tender Notices always provide an interesting, albeit limited, insight into what’s happening “behind the scenes” at London’s various transport agencies. One such notice, currently sitting on TED, is a good example of that. Titled simply London: railway passenger coaches, it’s a request for Expressions of Interest from TfL relating to services on the Gospel Oak – Barking Line (GOBLIN). More specifically, it looks to find suppliers who could supply new, longer, diesel rolling stock.
Continue reading“Beck and Beyond” at the LTM
The London Transport Museum appear to have an interesting talk on Wednesday 20th June as part of their “Mind the Map” Exhibition season – a talk looking at the legacy of Beck’s iconic Tube map …
Continue readingTransport Committee: Franchise Bids and Frank Comments
Last week saw the first meeting of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee since the elections. In front of the Committee were Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy and Isabel Dedring, Deputy Mayor for Transport. Hendy and Dedring …
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