A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
London Underground
Tube drivers have voted to take industrial action over London Underground track noise levels, describing progress as “too slow”. BBC News
The two new tube stations on the Northern line extension are getting new art installations specially designed for them. ianVisits
How effective are replacement bus services Diamond Geezer
Long-serving Tube signal operator to retire BBC News
London’s abandoned underground – in pictures The Guardian
London Underground: More than 36,000 shifts lost to Tube strikes BBC News
Elizabeth line / Crossrail
Crossrail asks for TfL’s help in getting firms to prioritise work on late-running railway Building
Mainline / Overground
The TUC has passed an emergency motion demanding that HS2 forces its contractors to open their doors to union access. Construction Index
East Yorkshire town seals approval for London Underground transport to be built at local site. BDaily
Miscellaneous
Prankster sets up a date, hangs the washing and shaves on London Overground Metro
Bexhill Museum patron Eddie Izzard will realise a dream when he opens a giant model rail layout dedicated to the memory of his father. Hastings Observer
TfL’s Lost Property Office is to move to a new home ianVisits
Tube passengers were stumped when two teams of sports-mad youngsters leapt on a carriage and started a game of cricket. Mirror
And finally: Some passengers have been charged in euros for train journeys between Essex and London due to a bizarre glitch with the train operator’s ticket system. Money Saving Expert
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Image above is from Aug 2017: Photos from the abandoned Highgate station
Italian Greenrail company has developed solar and piezo sleepers partly made from recycled plastic and rubber from tires that reduces noise level by several decibels.An article in Forbes in 2015 said London Transport Authority (Transport for London) had expressed an interest in Greenrail sleepers but I haven’t read any news since so I don’t know if TfL is still interested or have rejected the idea of buying the sleepers.There is also prototype wind turbines that uses plastic strips that look like bank notes, that uses the piezo electric effect to generate power that will be tested in a Crossrail tunnel,the wind turbines should break up the sound waves before they are reflected from the walls of the tunnel and slightly muffle the noise.
The cricket game is very obviously staged. Aside from the carriage being plastered with ‘No ball games’ roundels it’s on a 1967ts which are no-longer in service.