Something we have been wanting to do for some years is an overall look at the update plans for London Underground rolling stock (aka trains) and, independently, line resignalling. With all the uncertainty around this …
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Cooling the Underground: Evaluating use of ground & subterranean river water (SustainableCities&Society)
One of the most salient current engineering challenges facing sub-surface rail networks is overheating of stations during increasingly warm summer months. Reducing temperatures is a complex proposition in older networks like the London Underground (Tube): …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 1 December 2023
• London Underground tops 4 million journeys in a single day (IanVisits) • First passenger trains run to City of London using digital signalling (Network Rail) • The Mont-Blanc Express from Switzerland to France (The …
Continue readingBank station upgrade: bespoke solution for pile interceptions (GroundEngPlus)
At the 2022 GE Basements and Underground Structures conference, Transport for London (TfL) senior engineer for tunnels Paul Dryden discussed a tricky pile intercept on the Bank Station capacity project. At the conference in October …
Continue readingStudy finds London Underground air contains ultrafine metallic pollution (IanVisits)
A study into pollution levels on the London Underground has found ultrafine metallic particles small enough to end up in the human bloodstream, although the study also notes that it’s not clear whether these particles pose a …
Continue readingBetter ventilation key for London Underground to manage air quality (IanVisits)
A lack of fresh air was found in a deep London Underground station, and air pollution is at its worst during the evening rush hour, according to research led by the University of Surrey, which …
Continue readingDisappointing response to London Underground renewable energy procurement (MetroReport)
Transport for London has scrapped an initial attempt to source 10% of its power needs from new-build wind or solar farms, telling Metro Report International that it had received a disappointing response. It is now seeking industry …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 19 March 2021
• Design launch of the new London Underground Piccadilly line trains (RailEngineer) • Now is the time for road pricing (FreeWheeling) • 100 year old cart & rails found sticking out of Cornish cliff (CornwallLive) …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 20 April 2020
This edition has been compiled by guest editor Rosie Greene: • Tube train door sounds transcribed (ClassicFM) • London Transport moquette designs in pictures (Guardian) • London Overground offers model for UK rail overhaul (FT-£) …
Continue readingMonday’s Friday Reads – 26 August 2019
• We need to talk about the Tube’s noise problem (Wired) • How walking makes us healthier, happier and brainier (Guardian) • Dutch build world’s largest multi-storey bike garage (TheVerge) • Europe edging towards post-car …
Continue readingFriday Reads – 16 August 2019
• No-one knows why Kennington Tube smells of sick (Guardian) • The Tube’s noisiest lines and spots (Economist) • Rapid transit fuels suburban building surge (Globe&Mail) • Boston Big Rail Dig could connect entire East …
Continue readingSSR: Towards the Proposed March 2020 Timetable
At London Reconnections we don’t want to appear to always be bringing bad or disappointing news but events over the past year meant that we rarely have good things to write about. It makes a …
Continue readingATO, a Go-go: Signalling the SSR
On Sunday 17th March 2019 Automatic Train Operation (ATO) was finally, and successfully, introduced on the Sub-Surface Railway (SSR). Next week, or maybe the week after, we’ll put the significance of this in context and …
Continue readingCooling the Tube progress (RailTechnology)
Fighting heat in the underground – Rail Technology Magazine (RTM) looks at the successes of the Cooling the Tube programme so far and what TfL hopes to achieve in the coming years. Despite what was …
Continue readingLondon Underground: The Forgotten Digital Railway
The railway’s attitude to signalling has changed a lot in the past few decades. In times gone by it was often regarded as something one unfortunately needed to run trains safely. On a modern metro …
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