A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
London Underground
Mask-wearing ‘openly ignored on a large scale’ on London Underground ITV
Axing Bakerloo Line extension would be ‘act of harm’, says council Standard
Elizabeth line / Crossrail
Crossrail has finally entered the final phase of preparations Diamond Geezer
TfL mulls publishing unredacted accounts of Crossrail problems Building
Mainline / Overground
The operator behind Gatwick Express and Thameslink is being sued for £73 million over allegations that three million passengers have been routinely overcharged for London rail journeys. Standard
Lumo: why the latest Edinburgh-London train service could wean us off planes and roads The Conversation
Campaigners who launched a fresh legal battle to stop what they fear will be serious harm to the Chilterns say they remain “deeply concerned” – after their challenge was thrown out by a judge. Bucks Free Press
Miscellaneous
A rail plan that punishes London will be a train wreck for the regions, too The Guardian
London transport ‘will start to crumble’ without investment, Sadiq Khan warns Standard
It’s less well known than it should be, but job seekers can claim half-price travel on the railways and London buses with a free Southwark News Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card, ianVisits
Rail passengers will be able to travel by train between Rome or Naples in Italy to the UK in a single day next year – but only northbound, and only on Sundays. Independent
The London to Edinburgh train ride was once a thing of wonder. Can it be again? The Guardian
Southwark’s Liberal Democrats have redoubled their calls for the £63m that the council is spending on the Elephant and Castle Tube station upgrade to pay for a tram network instead Southwark News
And finally: Stratford station in East London has taken the title of the UK’s busiest railway station, although mainly because the pandemic gutted rail travel to the major stations elsewhere in the country. ianVisits
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The image above is from Nov 2016: New artwork in Piccadilly Circus tube station honours Frank Pick
The plans for a temporary ferry at Hammersmith Bridge have been halted as the bridge is safe enough to allow pedestrians and cyclists to use it obviating the need for a ferry
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/hammersmith-bridge-ferry-plans-thames-london-ditched-b968440.html
I’ve traveled by train from Rome to London on a week day via Milan, Geneva and London. I’ve also come from Vienna to London by train in a day – albeit a 6am start