Rail travel in London down by 95%, buses down by 85%

Coronavirus: As venues are closed and events cancelled, ianVisits is temporarily suspending the London listings guide until further notice.

Rail travel in London down by 95%, buses down by 85%

Since the order to avoid going outside unless essential, and avoid travel, passengers numbers on London’s trains have plunged by 95 percent, while bus passengers are down by 85 percent.

London’s weekly railway news

A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…

Transport for London debt put on review for Coronavirus downgrade

Transport for London (TfL) currently has around £11.7 billion of debt, and that has now been put under review for a ratings downgrade by one of the three big ratings agencies, Fitch.

Novo Beth Chaim – the Jewish cemetery inside a university

Slap bang in the middle of an East London university can be found an old, and rather unusual graveyard.

The tradition of the celebratory Ox Roast

In times of old, when a major celebration took place, it was a tradition to hold a celebratory ox roast.

Camels in the City of London

A grand late Victorian building in the City of London is notable for having three camels on the front.

Sci-Fi style scale model of North Greenwich

An exhibition space in North Greenwich has a scale model of what the area could look like in the future – and it seems to be modeled on a Science Fiction show.

How the London Underground tried to extend the Bakerloo line to Dartford

In the 1930s, the London Underground looked at extending the Bakerloo line southwards, and while most plans were modest, one looked at taking it all the way out to Dartford.

Barking Creek Barrier: London’s lesser known flood barrier

Although the Thames Barrier is the most famous of London’s flood defenses, it’s only one of 36 industrial floodgates built to protect London — and one of the more distinctive is the Barking Creek Barrier.

Southeastern and GWR get franchise extensions

Two train companies, GWR and Southeastern have had their franchises extended after the government made a direct award contract to the two operators.

London’s Alleys: St Alban’s Court, EC2

This is a modern looking alley that follows an ancient path, and is named after the ruined church in the middle of the road.

Isolationists online videos of theatre plays and musicals

While London’s theatre lights are dark for the coronavirus lockdown, a number of them are offering online videos of their productions to soak away the hours.