A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
Meet the team restoring a London Underground signal box
London Underground
Old Street Tube Evacuated as Police Investigate Report of ‘Suspicious’ Man and ‘Bang’ Noise HuffPo
Controlled explosion at London tube station after reports of suspect package The Guardian
Harrow councillors are pushing for better accessibility at London Underground stations Local London
A 24-hour strike by London Underground drivers which was due to take place on Thursday has been called off. BBC News
Crossrail / Elizabeth line
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is commissioning a study of extending Crossrail services from Stratford to Barking and further Transport Xtra (£)
Ministers have been urged to publicly re-affirm their support for Crossrail 2 following reports that the project could be significantly delayed. Mayor Watch
Rents are falling near Crossrail 2 stations as City Hall and the Department for Transport tussle over funding the project, Mortgage Introducer
Mainline / Overground
Plans to replace paper tickets on UK trains are to be accelerated, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said. BBC News
A campaigner against the high speed rail link HS2 sat under a digger for four hours in protest against tree felling in Harefield . Get West London
An old railway line currently used for cargo trains could be converted into passenger use, linking parts of West London currently poorly served by rail services. IanVisits
‘Doomsday preacher’ on Wimbledon train causes passengers to flee The Guardian
‘Free breakfast apology’ for South Western Railway customers Eagle Radio
Proposals to convert a railway yard in Cricklewood into a rail freight ‘super hub’ have been met with objections from residents. Kilburn Times
Miscellaneous
Travellers on the London Underground are generally positive about seeing ads in that environment with attention levels high even at busy times, research has found. WARC
A train that hasn’t moved for nearly 50 years could be about to make a dramatic return to the London Underground — the Q-Stock is returning. IanVisits
The white rabbit that travels on public transport in London PerthNow
London Dungeon resurrects train line that carried corpses out of city Evening Standard
And finally, The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends” New Yorker
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Image above is from Oct 2016: Meet the team restoring a London Underground signal box
