It was early one autumn evening in 1940, as the Luftwaffe’s bombs fell on London overhead, when Mr G. Cole-Deacon finally got the call. Cole-Deacon, the secretary of the Railway Executive Committee, had half expected …
Continue readingAuthor: John Bull
John Bull is the Editor of London Reconnections. A transport journalist and historian, his writing often focuses on the political or strategic challenges facing London's transport network and beyond.
No Do Nothing Option: The Increasing Cost of the Bakerloo’s Trains
When it comes to rolling stock on the Underground, it has become very easy in recent years to focus on the new. We have seen new trains on both the Victoria and the Sub-surface lines …
Continue readingAnkh-Morpork Transport Committee: March 2015
This week saw the monthly meeting of the Ankh-Morpork Assembly Transport Committee. Due to the presence of The Transport Commissioner, Sir Harry King and Moist von Lipwig, Head of Sub-surface Rail, there to update the …
Continue readingWhy They Call It The Blues: A Look at Crossrail’s Launch Plan
Back in November last year we covered TfL’s plans to launch the first Crossrail services under a TfL Rail brand. As we explained at the time, the idea of launching the first MTR-run Crossrail services …
Continue readingKnow When To Run: The Story Behind The Xmas Kings Cross Problems
Delays and work overruns aren’t an uncommon part of the Christmas experience on London’s railways. Ultimately, maintenance and improvement needs to be carried out and from a utilitarian perspective the opportunity to do so in …
Continue readingThe 2014 LR Quiz: Answers and Winners
Happy New Year! It’s time for the answers! As always thanks to everyone who entered the Christmas Quiz. We hope you enjoyed attempting to beat it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Before getting …
Continue readingThe 2014 London Reconnections Xmas Quiz
Deck the halls, it is that time of year again! Twenty-one questions to test your transport knowledge with the promise of prizes for those who do best! Right now those prizes include the usual selection …
Continue readingThe London Reconnections Christmas Meetup
No… don’t get excited… this isn’t the Christmas Quiz post! Just a quick reminder that next week’s meetup, on the 11th December, will be our last one before Christmas and thus will also double as …
Continue readingMind the Branding Gap: First Crossrail Services to Launch as TfL Rail
Back in July, MTR were awarded the contract to run all Crossrail services. It would be easy to assume that this translates to services starting in 2018, when the central tunnel section is due to …
Continue readingRT Buses To Run On Route 11 This Weekend
TfL and the London Bus Museum have announced that as part of the “Year of the Bus” celebrations, 20 RT buses will operate on the Number 11 route this Sunday (2nd November) between 10am and …
Continue readingThe New Tube For London: The Driverless Train With A Driver
On the 9th October, at Kings Cross, TfL unveiled the latest concept for the New Tube for London (NTfL) – the rolling stock design that will serve the majority of the “Deep Tube” lines, beginning …
Continue readingIn Pictures: Crossrail Site Webcams
Long-time followers of Crossrail will be aware that for sometime the company has had webcams in place at a number of key construction sites. Over the years these have produced a number of interesting static …
Continue readingLondon 2050: A Cartographical Interlude
As many readers will be aware, over recent weeks we have been taking an in-depth look at London 2050. Published in July by the Mayor and directed by Isabel Dedring and many GLA staff, TfL …
Continue readingSouthern Brambles – An Untangling Tour (9th Aug 2014)
London’s railways south of the river are a popular topic here but one that can sometimes be confusing. As a result, we’ve decided to do something rather different this summer and offer a guided tour …
Continue readingMTR To Operate Crossrail Concession
We wrote recently about how Crossrail would operate and now we know who – it was announced this morning that MTR have been selected as the successful bidder for the £1.4bn, eight year (extendable to …
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