A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
Elizabeth line / Crossrail
Crossrail 2 progress in the balance as review deadline looms Building
Take a look at the Crossrail station under Bond Street ianVisits
Crossrail sparks in pay row as more workers flood Bond Street Construction Enquirer
Businesses warn delay to Crossrail is putting their future in doubt BBC News
Crossrail has confirmed that it remains on track to open the Elizabeth line, but warned that there is still uncertainty about the opening date. ianVisits
TfL boss says it only found out about Crossrail delay when everyone else did Building
Mainline / Overground
Free Overground travel claimed by 45,000 people – as TfL say even more are missing out Ham & High
A plan to convert a little used freight railway in West London for passengers has taken a step forward. ianVisits
HS2 managers have found a new excuse for the ballooning costs of the contentious rail project: they were unable to dig in a straight line through the English countryside. Financial Times
If you use Southeastern railway through Bexleyheath in South London, consider this a tip to book a week off work next February. ianVisits
Government again refuses to guarantee Thameslink service between Maidstone and London will arrive this year Kent Online
Miscellaneous
London Tube worker thrown into wall and kicked in stomach by thug with no ticket Mirror
Waterloo station death: Engineer killed while working on travelator Independent
Tory MP James Brokenshire has officially opened a virtual rail carriage reminiscence space at a care home in south east London. Care Home Professional
TfL boss Mike Brown has criticised the government for imposing “bonkers” limits on its borrowing and for failing to provide it with long-term certainty over its funding. CityAM
Transport for London has banned short term letting ads CityMetric
Trains beat planes for short-notice bookings between London and Edinburgh – but only if the passenger does a bit of work. Independent
The digital screens you see in stations with travel alerts are getting a refresh as TfL has started a trial of a new design. ianVisits
A ticket inspector was assaulted by a train passenger who refused to present a ticket. Local Guardian
And finally: Mystery ‘Make The Northern Line Actually Northern’ Stickers Appear On Tube Trains Londonist
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Image above is from Oct 2017: Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations