This is a weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
The image is from a Nov 2019 article: See the London Underground as it was in the 1960s and 70s
London Underground
You’ll soon be able to use Google’s street view to remotely wander around several major tube stations just as you can the streets of London. ianVisits
Elizabeth line
Elizabeth Line commuters have battled another day of delays after a passenger fell ill and “collapsed” and a “broken intercom” meant the driver could not be alerted, according to reports. Standard
A year after the Elizabeth line opened fully, the blue badge parking spaces at its stations are congested with drivers using them as waiting bays Independent (£)
Mainline / Overground
After a 30-year hiatus, a wave of hopeful whispers is sweeping through Lincolnshire as the Cleethorpes to London direct train line teeters on the brink of a comeback. The Linconite
Rail passengers at a south-west London station have been overcharged after a communication room was flooded. BBC News
A warning to travellers that there will be very few trains at King’s Cross station on Sunday 3rd December because the railway north of London will be closed. ianVisits
Deciding the best way to develop the Euston terminal is a conundrum that has dogged the HS2 project ever since the high-speed line was first dreamt up. AJ
Siemens on Monday lost a legal challenge over a £2 billion contract to build a fleet of new trains for Britain’s beleaguered HS2 high-speed rail project. Reuters
Construction of HS2’s long Colne Valley railway viaduct in west London has reached the halfway mark, with the railway deck now assembled on 28 of the supporting piers. ianVisits
The former HS2 technical director and one of the principal designers of HS2’s original plan believes “overengineering” of the project is a principal reason behind the continually ballooning costs. NCE (£)
What is Old Oak Common? A guide to the future HS2 and Elizabeth line station Londonist
Gatwick Airport railway station is about to get a new passenger entrance that will reduce train delays as far away as Cambridge, Bedford and Brighton — because the new entrance will fix a major bottleneck on the railway. ianVisits
Miscellaneous
HS2 plant supplier left with surplus stock Construction Index
Musicians will be able to apply for busking spaces in Elizabeth line stations, as TfL will be reopening its music audition process for the first time since 2017. ianVisits
About 40% of rail services will run during strikes under planned minimum service rules for train operators in Great Britain, the government has said. BBC News
You can now wear the Elizabeth line or Bakerloo line around your neck, as moquette ties have gone on sale at the London Transport Museum. ianVisits
Commuter slapped with £142 fine despite trying to buy ticket from closed office 4 times Mirror
Royal British Legion volunteers will return to all major London train stations this weekend despite concerns pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter-protesters could clash in the capital. iNews (£)
A young mum from Sussex who vanished without a trace will be featured in a campaign by a Southern rail operator to help find missing people. ITV
Businesses including Mace and Arcadis urge chancellor to commit to long-term TfL capital funding NCE (£)
And finally: When it opened in 1900, the deep tunnels of the Central line had to use electric trains because of the lack of ventilation for steam engines, but it’s not that widely known that they did have steam trains, used in the tunnels. ianVisits
The image is from a Nov 2019 article: See the London Underground as it was in the 1960s and 70s
Tony Robinson’s Marvellous Machine next tuesday on TV channel Yesterday at 8 pm visited Colne Valley to see the HS2 viaduct being built.
That AJ article is awful. Some blatant untruths not challenged or explored in the piece, just repeated from sources as fact.