A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
A forgotten railway… the line that starts nowhere and goes nowhere
London Underground
Urgent works are to take place on a Grade II listed railway footbridge in south-west London amid claims it is at “risk of collapse”. Standard
TfL’s CTO revealed the organisation is building a pilot version of the Emergency Services Network on the London Underground Computer Weekly
The Central line is getting new air conditioned trains but not until 2030 Illford Recorder
Design for Northern Line ventilation shaft in Kennington released IanVisits
Chalk Farm station to close this weekend as old lifts are replaced Ham & High
Is British Transport Police falling short on the number of Night Tube cops? MayorWatch
Crossrail / Elizabeth line
Hundreds of thousands more Londoners will suffer chronic overcrowding on the Tube if Crossrail 2 does not go ahead, Standard
As many as 50 families claim to be having sleepless nights because of idling TfL trains after Crossrail infrastructure was built in Shenfield. Essex Live
A new map showing the route for the Elizabeth line (nee Crossrail) has been released as TfL also announces an increase in the number of off-peak services that it will be offering. IanVisits
Crossrail representatives are to meet with Ealing Council to discuss delays to five Crossrail stations, after Network Rail confirmed it was retendering some contracts to save money. CityAM
Mainline/Overground
Southern Rail workers announce fresh strike amid warning dispute could last ‘an awful long time’ Standard
The completion of upgrade work at Putney station was marked by a visit by local MP Justine Greening earlier this month. PutneySW15
c2c Rail service delayed at Upminster station after balloons get caught in wires Romford Recorder
This digital trial may mean the end of late trains between London and Bristol Parkway Bristol Post
Canadian pension funds Borealis and Ontario Teachers sell HS1 in deal thought to value track, stations and lease at £3bn The Guardian
Miscellaneous
A test panel has been produced of the mural which will soon adorn the walls under the railway arches at Turnham Green Terrace. ChiswickW4
Man denies ripping off woman’s hijab on tube platform Independent
A report published by London’s independent passenger watchdog highlights the need for improvements at small stations in and around the capital. LondonTravelWatch
Applying a monthly Oyster card this morning, and by the time I had got to work, an email was waiting to let me know my card had been updated. IanVisits
The widow of a former London Underground worker who died from an asbestos-related disease is appealing for information about the working conditions he faced. Gazette News
Reported sexual offences on trains have more than doubled in the past five years BBC News
Rail firms are introducing a new standard for train punctuality which they claim will be the most transparent in Europe. The Argus
And finally, there are 2563 National Rail stations in the UK. Some of them have quite similar names. Diamond Geezer
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Image above is from August 2016: A forgotten railway… the line that starts nowhere and goes nowhere
Re small stations: I am surprised to note that accessibility is not on the list of what passengers want to see. I regularly used St John’s station which has steep steps that link a high footbridge to and from platform level. There is no lift and consequently wheelchair use is impossible. The station is also not very user friendly for people with babies or toddlers with pushchairs. Whilst a lift could be provided on the platform, there is nowhere for one at the entrance http://www.travelstay.com/images/1343605/1/St%20Johns%20Train%20Station.JPG