A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
Steam Trains return to the Epping Ongar Railway
London Underground
The most dangerous Tube stations across the capital are all in east London, new figures have revealed. East London Advertiser
Why fewer Londoners are taking the tube – a transport researcher explains The Conversation
An “urgent” investigation has been launched after 20 passengers were trapped inside a lift for nearly two hours at Holloway Road tube station. Islington Tribune
This is why Oxford Circus tube station smells like strawberries Drinks Business
London Underground has taken a step closer to upgrading the signalling on four of its lines, with live tests of the new system over the weekend. IanVisits
Crossrail / Elizabeth line
Plans to extend Crossrail to Ebbsfleet are being reconsidered by the government after pressure from Bexley and Dartford MPs. NewsShopper
The government has said it is continuing to “closely monitor costs” on Crossrail after reports that the mega-project is facing a £500m funding black hole. Construction News
People living near Crossrail 2 stations could be hit by a new tax under a proposal from Transport for London. Mortgage Introducer
Network Rail and Crossrail alienate Abbey Wood residents From the Murky Depths
Mainline / Overground
A politician got his maths wrong when he claimed TfL Rail skipped 30 per cent of services over the last two years to meet targets. Enfield Independent
Some Great Northern services could be transferred to London Overground RailSatff
‘Now or never’ for footbridge at railway crossing in Barnes Local London
Miscellaneous
Opposition grows to Network Rail’s plan to demolish the Flower Lady shop in Herne Hill Brixton Buzz
TfL has said its operating deficit worsened by 26 per cent to £1bn in the year to March 2018 after its government grant was cut and passenger numbers fell. FT (£)
The heritage railway at Epping, formerly part of the Central line has gained its very own tube train, a 1959 era Northern line carriage. IanVisits
These mysterious serpents, dubbed greywyrms, are a rare but memorable sight on tube platforms. Londonist
And finally, the ban on junk food adverts by TfL might not be as big an issue as it sounds Diamond Geezer
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Image above is from May 2012: Steam Trains return to the Epping Ongar Railway
Im not sure about whether some of Great Northern services could be transferred to TfL London Overground. But I think Great Northern could be seperated from its TSGN franchise that Govia (GTR) operates Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern. But it could happen. Not sure when it will happen.
Despite London Overground that are to receive the Class 710’s from summer this year which I have heard that it has been delayed. And could enter service late this year.
Transfer of Great Northern services at the Moorgate make sense given how the stations were formerly London Transport Stations and are closely tied to other tube lines at Moorgate, Old Street and Highbury and Islington and have interchange at Finsbury Park Station.
However, services go to Hertford North and Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire which are both way beyond the GLA boundary but when you remember TFL will operate Elizabeth Line services to Reading then this might occur.
The new trains to be introduced are built specially for the tube section with emergency escape doors at both ends and if TFL take over more services then they can expect to get more train types .
Diamond Geezer has done sterling work researching adverts and I applaud his efforts. The ban will, of course, stop all those junk food adverts that were installed just after he had left the particular sites and well into the future, one hopes.