The Stansted Airport Track Transit System (TTS) will be decommissioned in 2026 after 35 years of airside operation at the London airport. This people mover system debuted as a novel piece of transit infrastructure when it was …
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HS2’s new piling innovation will benefit construction industry (RailBusiness)
HS2 Ltd has revealed a new vacuum excavation technique for piling which could have massive benefits for the wider construction industry in the UK and abroad. The innovation, developed by specialist contractors working on HS2, …
Continue readingA Study in Sussex (part 15): East Croydon revisited – again!
It was not our intention to write another full article on the long-term developments planned at East Croydon. As far as we could see the overall plan was almost finalised and little new was expected …
Continue readingOperation Umbrella: Rebuilding Oxford Circus
As the Victoria line celebrates its 50th birthday, we look at a largely forgotten triumph of transport construction: Operation Umbrella.
Continue readingDon’t Bank on Crossrail
Throughout TfL’s recent trials and tribulations, there seemed to be one major project that remained on schedule. It was also largely on budget, but facing ‘cost pressures’. Unlike just about every other substantial TfL project, …
Continue readingCrossrail: Getting a Grip
In The Dangerous Sound of Silence we looked at the reasons why Crossrail’s delay was not spotted earlier. Possibly more importantly, we looked at why that delay was not fully communicated to those who needed …
Continue readingCrossrail: The Dangerous Sound of Silence
We have been critical of the wall of silence that has enveloped Crossrail. In a welcome contrast, at the December 2018 meeting of the Programmes and Investment Committee, the public were treated to a full, …
Continue readingA Study in Sussex (Part 14): The Beginnings of Big Changes
With consultation on the much-discussed improvements at East Croydon and Windmill Bridge opened on November 5th 2018, we look briefly at what is being put forward and take the opportunity to provide an update for …
Continue readingWhy is US urban rail so expensive? (CityLab)
It’s not just the Second Avenue Subway: Nearly all urban rail projects in the US cost much more than their European counterparts. In late December, The New York Times published a bombshell article by Brian …
Continue readingUS transit agency large project integration problems (Pedestrian Observations)
The German/Swiss planning slogan, organization before electronics before concrete, means that transit agencies should first make sure all modes of public transit are coordinated to work together (organization) before engaging in expensive capital construction. In …
Continue readingCrossrail: Finishing The Job
On 14 September 2017 a formal ceremony took place to install the final four rail sleeper clips on Crossrail. As reported by Crossrail themselves, this marked completion of the installation of all the track that Crossrail …
Continue readingCrossrail using 3D-printed concrete to build its stations (Ian Visits)
When you start to use the new Elizabeth line stations next year, among its many achievements will be the first large scale use of 3D-printing in concrete. The use of 3D printing has made possible …
Continue readingIn Pictures: The Northern Line TBMs Arrive
TfL have released a number of images showing the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) for the Northern Line Extension. These were lifted into place at Ferrovial Agroman Laing O’Rourke’s TBM portal at Battersea earlier this month. …
Continue readingThe New London Bridge Station: First Impressions
It will probably not have escaped most readers attention that the main portion of the new London Bridge station concourse opened on August Bank Holiday Monday. Impressions are invariably subjective and so London Reconnections breaks …
Continue readingHigh Speed Buffers (Part 3): Are There Limits to Commuting?
Our series on HS2 aims to look at how it affects London. Finding a suitable terminus will be a big part of that, something that is dependent on a number of factors. A critical one …
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