London’s weekly railway news

This is a weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…

Elizabeth line

Elizabeth line staff walk out on New Year’s Eve Morning Star

Last month, the Elizabeth line suffered two days of problems when the signalling system broke down, and now a clearer timeline of what happened is emerging. ianVisits

Mainline / Overground

Eurostar passengers ‘trapped for hours’ in Channel Tunnel after train breaks down between London and Paris Sky News

South Western Railway services were subject to delay and cancellation on Friday morning (27 Dec) after a ‘precarious’ tree blocked some of the lines between Putney and Wandsworth Town. PutneySW15

‘Like running Ferraris on dirt roads’: Inside the battle to save HS2 The i Paper

The HS2 railway project is still facing significant challenges, especially over costs, its new CEO, Mark Wild, says in an end-of-year update on progress. ianVisits

Bradford 2025 has welcomed news of an increase in direct trains between Bradford and London. Telegraph and Argus

Avanti West Coast executives earn more than double train managers while covering strikes, union boss claims Independent

There will be a new year day on Great Western Railway (GWR), offering half-price savings on most of its Advance fares, with some day trips possible at very low prices. ianVisits

Engineering works that disrupted train services between Reading and Paddington over the Christmas period have been completed. Slough Express

Miscellaneous

Detectives have launched an appeal for witnesses after a woman was knocked unconscious when a glass bottle was smashed over her head on the London Underground. BBC News

London transport bosses have been accused of ‘trying to silence’ farmers after they banned their anti-inheritance tax adverts from the Tube over their ‘politically controversial’ anti-Government message. Daily Mail

An activist has taken measures into her own hands after Transport for London (TfL) bosses banned adverts in support of farmers on the London Underground as they deemed them “too political”. Express

Echoes of Ken Livingstone in Kensington as the local council is considering a ban on feeding pigeons outside some tube stations to reduce the mess they leave behind. ianVisits

Sadiq Khan’s “woke” London Overground rebrand is in the firing line once again after Transport for London (TfL) labelled it one of its “top moments” of 2024. GB News

And finally: A father and son have completed their quest to visit every city in England by rail. BBC News

—

The image is from a Jan 2012 article: The tale of the “Dead Body Train” at Whitechapel