A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…

New Elizabeth line train being tested in a huge freezer

London Underground

Bakerloo line facing service cuts as TfL tackles financial crisis SE1

Platforms at one of London’s Tube stations have been covered in graffiti that includes artwork dedicated to victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Standard

Northern line extension to Battersea – construction update ianVisits

Mainline / Overground

Network Rail has announced that during the first half of December, nearly double the average rate of bridge strikes occurred in Kent and South East London areas. Rail Advent

TfL issues compulsory purchase order to expand Surrey Quays station ianVisits

East Midlands Railway (EMR) has promised a review after passengers were forced to abandon social distancing on packed trains leaving London. Yorkshire Post

The cost of the Barking Riverside extension of the London Overground has risen, and the opening date pushed back by up to a year. ianVisits

Eurostar urged to tell customers they are entitled to refunds for cancelled trips The Guardian

Heathrow Express has stood down its stalwart Class 332 trains that it uses to connect London Paddington to the Heathrow Terminals. EconomyBeyond

Romford train station was lit up for Christmas this year, thanks to help from the town’s Business Improvement District and rail companies. Romford Recorder

DLR

TfL has secured funding to carry out more work on plans to extend the DLR from Beckton to Thamesmead. ianVisits

Miscellaneous

Should the Transport for London 60+ Oyster photocard survive? OnLondon

What happened to transport in London in 2020? BBC News

Up to one in five train services will be axed next year under radical plans being considered by ministers to prevent a multi-billion-pound taxpayer bill spiralling out of control. The Telegraph (£)

A new mural at Waterloo Station that includes an image of the meeting point clock hides a surprise. ianVisits

Railway arches businesses ‘on the brink’ after increased rent demands The Times (£)

Billed as a ‘tribute to the very special community around this station,’ the Heart of Herne Hill exhibition displays a series of portraits in the station subway. Brixton Buzz

And finally: After ‘Runderground’ tube map running challenge, it’s onto the Thameslink next SW Londoner

The image above is from Dec 2016: New Elizabeth line train being tested in a huge freezer

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7 comments
  1. I hear that Grand Central – the open access operator out of King’s Cross – are pausing their service again in January due to the Tier 4 situation. #breakingnews

    So the direct-to-Sunderland and direct-to-Bradford trains won’t be there for another month.

  2. Mr Andrew James says:

    when is there going to be something on the london underground race record that doesnt involve geoff marshall or this running bloke?

    • JP says:

      I’m sure there’s a cabbie or two who’d be glad of the business, would be interested in setting a new challenge and might even offer a discount.
      Might even be difficult to beat in the future what with present day traffic levels.
      Just the question of funding such a trip of course…

  3. Andrew Gwilt says:

    Such a shame that Heathrow Express had to replace the Class 332 with the Class 387/1a (modified Class 387). They could even inherit some of the Class 379s from Greater Anglia to add more capacity (and modified) and some Class 379s cascaded to Great Western Railway or Great Northern. With the Class 720s that has entered service on the Southend Victoria Line, Crouch Valley Line and the Braintree branch line.

  4. David Winter says:

    Regarding plans to cut train services levels by ~20%. One wonders if high standing densities will ever again satisfy health regulators. Perhaps the time has come for Britain to move to all-seated services including London.

    That means coming up with DD designs that work, including emergency detraining wheelchairs in heritage (tight clearance) tunnels via the ends of the train. I submit it CAN be done. Some compromise on standing headroom would be needed on perhaps routes serving half the total number of trains to be operated.

    DD is claimed to adversely affect dwell times. Adequate provision of doorways and stairwells to eliminate this must form part of the design. Again, I submit it can be done.

  5. JohnC says:

    This is interesting. It would be helpful if you could explain in more detail how it can be done including the timescale and how it would be funded.

  6. mikke durell says:

    Maybe not strictly London only, but in present and forseeable future, why has H S 2 not been cancelled before anymore money is wasted on this farcical project? All this to save @ 20 mins: london to Birmingham —–????

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