A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
London Underground
Tube chiefs today came under fire over lengthy closures to escalators as it was revealed that Oxford Circus is the worst hit station. Evening Standard
TfL Confirm Turnham Green Services After Piccadilly Line Upgrade London Reconnections
Transport for London is considering options for a high-rise development above the Bakerloo line tube sidings near St George’s Circus. SE1
The collapse of £354m contract to modernise signalling on vital parts of the London Underground could leave the taxpayer facing costs of £100 million. Telegraph
The Victoria Line was suspended, when a large volume of suspension, in the form of fast-setting cement was poured into the signaling room. usvsth3m And domestic sugar was used to slow the cement from setting Evening Standard
Crossrail
An extra 65 million people could use three London Crossrail stations annually by 2026, revised figures show. BBC News
A Window Into Crossrail From the National Audit Office London Reconnections
Crossrail’s giant drill breaks through to Whitechapel: a 360 degree view Telegraph
Mainline/Overground
The first sections of the new-look London Bridge Station are beginning to take shape. SE1
The redevelopment of Peckham Rye Railway Station IanVisits
The Supreme Court has rejected a legal bid by objectors of the HS2 national high-speed rail link to force further scrutiny of the government’s plans. BBC News
Celebrations as plans for TfL site office in Whittington Park are scrapped Islington Tribune
World’s largest solar-powered bridge opens in London The Guardian
A refurbished railway bridge in South London IanVisits
DLR
Non-folding bikes to be permitted on DLR off-peak trains East London Advertiser
Man seriously assaulted in New Year’s Day attack at Canning Town DLR station Newham Recorder
The RMT union has announced two 48-hour strikes on the DLR in a dispute over pay and working conditions. BBC News
Miscellaneous
A 63-year-old Romanian tourist who vanished after becoming separated from his son on the Tube has been found safe and well. BBC News
Graffiti drawn on the side of a train as an apparent tribute to the late Only Fools and Horse star Roger Lloyd-Pack brought a smile to passengers’ faces when it was spotted this morning. Ham & High
Heathrow Express: Secret Tunnels And Unused Platforms Londonist
Greengrassi is presenting Pae White’s fifth exhibition at the gallery in late January. The work is a reconfiguration of an unrealized commission originally planned for Gloucester Road tube station. Artlyst
TfL is now in the final stages of testing its new HTML5 website as it embraces new forms of IT to help meet user demand. V3
10 Years of London Underground Ridership Data in One Map The Atlantic
Hundreds of Tube “ambassadors” are set to help people travel around London if two planned 48-hour strikes go ahead. BBC News
TfL volunteers set to help Londoners on the Tube Diamond Geezer [satire, maybe]
TfL was accused of dishing out “another outrageous perk” today after it emerged the children of its top bosses were entitled to free private medical insurance up to the age of 25. Evening Standard
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The image above is from: Photos from behind the hoardings at Blackfriars Station
DG’s piece is definitely extracting the urine …
However, the bullies @ TfL don’t appear to understand this, judging by the “Tube Ambassadors” piece ….
T_ube
A_mbassaodors
R_oving
T_ransport
S_ervices
Perhaps?