A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
22 photos of the new Thameslink Train
London Underground
A 78-year-old woman was seriously injured when she was dragged into a tunnel by a London Underground train. BBC News
TfL respond to requests for Bakerloo line extension beyond Lewisham and new station at St Johns News Shopper
Works to upgrade South Kensington tube station are set to start in the next few months after London Underground was granted planning permission. IanVisits
Sadiq Khan brands driverless Tube trains ‘madness’ Evening Standard
Crossrail / Elizabeth line
The first Elizabeth line trains have started running from Paddington ahead of the launch of Crossrail later this year. Evening Standard
The new London headquarters of Deutsche Bank is a 17-storey building that will bridge 55 metres over Moorgate underground station and a Crossrail ticket hall. Construction Index
Crossrail is seeking advertisers, although possibly not this one… Diamond Geezer
Mainline / Overground
Essex man sentenced after costing railway network £230,000 ITV
Train companies claim uncomfortable ‘ironing board’ seats are due to strict Government regulations The Telegraph
The transport secretary has been granted an injunction banning campaigners opposed to the construction of the HS2 line on an area of ancient woodland in west London from “unlawful protest” on the site. The Guardian
St Margaret’s train station could get step-free access following a feasibility study getting the go-ahead. Local Guardian
Thameslink train seats likened to ‘ironing boards’ BBC News
DLR
Two people have been taken to hospital after an electrical explosion on a DLR train. BBC News
Miscellaneous
The long running debate about reopening disused tube stations has reared its head again with renewed focus on York Road just to the north of the revamped King’s Cross station. IanVisits
A transgender beautician has been spared a spell in a men’s prison for pushing an off-duty police officer onto a Tube line after an alcohol-fuelled night out. ITV
‘Justice for tube cleaners’ protest held at City Hall SE1
A London Underground passenger has been caught on camera pulling the emergency alarm during a foul-mouthed rant with another commuter. LBC
Row brewing over Heathrow access plans, warns TfL NCE (£)
South Western Railway has announced an 11 year old boy from Surrey has swapped the classroom for a seat in the cab of a South Western Railway train service over Half Term. Rail Advent
And finally, a group of railway workers walked 13 miles along the tracks from Forest Gate to Brentwood to raise funds for three-year-old Isla Caton who has a rare form of cancer. Romford Recorder
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Image above is from Jan 2014: 22 photos of the new Thameslink Train
