The Baumol effect is a mechanism for how the real costs of goods and services can rise over time: wages rise due to economy-wide productivity growth, including in sectors with no productivity growth, and this raises their …
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Guangzhou’s Massive new Railway Station: A Stadium-sized Cathedral to Train Travel
Guangzhou, perhaps more familiar by its anglicised name of Canton, is a port megacity in Southern China. It sits alongside Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and several other cities in the Asian economic powerhouse that is Pearl …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 9 August 2024
• TfL to push forward with DLR Thamesmead extension after consultation (Rail Magazine) • Elizabeth line: Toiletless trains blamed for forced door openings (BBC) • Holborn’s Secret Platforms (BusAndTrainUser) • Cockfosters station – an appraisal …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 5 August 2024
• Design Language Basics for TfL’s Digital Displays (TfL Blog) • Making the Multi-Colour London Transport Museum roundel: Video (Hidden London Hangouts) • So What’s the fare? A Short History of Cab Fares in London …
Continue readingAnglosphere Costs and Inequality (PedestrianObservations)
After my last post detailing how high American subway construction costs cannot be attributed to high incomes, people in comments were talking about inequality instead. Matt was talking about lack of union power, calling high US …
Continue readingIntegrating walking and public transport (UITP)
Most public transport journeys start and end with a walk. In fact, walking can constitute half the time spent on multimodal trips and can be the main element of what people remember afterwards. Despite this …
Continue readingComposites can accelerate rail’s decarbonisation journey (TheEngineer)
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), trains are one of the least emissions-intensive modes of passenger transport[1]. However, it’s important to note that these calculations predominantly focus on ‘direct emissions’ – the physical burning …
Continue readingHow to make stations lively hubs for citizens & public transport users (UITP)
The role of stations in our cities is evolving, and it is important to ensure that they are designed and developed to meet the changing needs of society. With this in mind, UITP in 2022 …
Continue readingA Visual Survey of North American Elevated Rail Viaducts, from the elegant to the grotesque (CityBlock)
Elevated rail has a bad name; urban rapid transit requires full grade separation. These two facts are inconveniently opposed to one another. Is there a future for elevated rail in urban and suburban areas? Cheaper …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 26 April 2024
• TfL running shorter DLR trains to keep the fleet running (IanVisits) • Calls for answers after train on fire rolls through downtown London, Ont. (CBC) • History of British Rail Symbols: Video (Jago Hazzard) …
Continue readingBritish Steel wins contract to provide materials for Egypt’s Green Line freight railway (E+T)
British Steel has won a contract to supply around 9,500 tonnes of rail track for Egypt’s Green Line, which will be produced in Scunthorpe. Once complete, the Green Line will be the country’s first fully …
Continue readingLA Union Station overhaul plan scaled back as costs soar (Urbanize)
Since acquiring the Union Station in 2011, Metro has sought to overhaul the historic passenger rail terminal’s appeal as both a transit hub and a real estate asset. The planned makeover – called Link Union Station – …
Continue readingParis Metro stations equipped with accessible real-time information panels (IntelligentTransport)
With features such as enlarged fonts, enhanced colour contrasts and improved audio announcements, the real-time information panels introduced by Île-de-France Mobilités and RATP in Paris metro stations will cater to diverse passenger needs. Île-de-France Mobilités …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 11 March 2024
• New report reveals dramatic improvements in London’s air quality since 2016 (London City Hall) • Embark on a quirky commute through TfL’s history (TfL Corporate Archives) • Designer sought for St Pancras International growth …
Continue readingMuch Ado about Level Boarding: TfL & UK Urban Rail (Part 1)
In February 2024, TfL announced its Equity in Motion plan to create a fair and inclusive transport network, with over 80 measures to make London transport more accessible. The plan sets out how the transport …
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