The waters of the Fleet (Line) became considerably murkier in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. To recap, Fleet Line Stage 1 costs to Charing Cross had risen from an estimate of £35m in 1971 …
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A New Typeface for the Underground: Johnston 100
London Underground’s hundred-year-old typeface is iconic. Designed by Edward Johnston in 1915, it almost singlehandedly revived the sans-serif. Yet after a century of evolution some of the things that originally made it special have gradually disappeared. We look at the typeface’s history and at TfL’s ambitious attempt to rediscover its soul.
Continue readingSSR Signalling And The New Tube For London
We have looked at the New Tube for London (NTfL) before but, with very little officially announced, it has been hard to pin down the details. Thanks to the a presentation to the Rail and …
Continue readingNot Quite World Class Capacity
Very logically, and very conveniently for us, TfL’s Finance and Policy panel has now published details of the proposed infrastructure upgrade to the Jubilee and Northern lines. So as a nice follow up to our …
Continue readingThe QE Tube: What’s In A Name?
“It is a gutter title” complained The Railway Magazine. “Not what we expect from a railway company.” The line in question was the Bakerloo, and just how it got that name has always been subject …
Continue readingMind The (Train) Gap? A Look at the World Class Capacity Upgrades
Some TfL panels are always worth keeping an eye on for unexpected developments, and the most recently announced Rail and Underground Panel meeting set antennae twitching at LR Towers with notable indications that something significant …
Continue readingThe DNA of a London Underground Station
Transport for London has unveiled its new design bible, the ‘Design Idiom’. We talk to some of its creators about their quest to change the way London Underground thinks about station design.
Continue readingDiving Into The Fleet: A Look At London’s Lost Tube
A major river used by the Romans, the Fleet is the largest of London’s lost subterranean rivers. Flanked by great wharves, for centuries it was a gateway to the City. By the end of the …
Continue readingThird Time Lucky: A Look At The New Sub-Surface Signalling Plan
We have reported previously on the ongoing problems with the resignalling contract for the Subsurface Railway (the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines). The contract is an important one, for it underpins much …
Continue readingLondon 2050 (Part 5): Peak Tube
According to the London 2050 report’s forecasts, the demand for the Underground will rise by 60% in the next thirty five years. That’s a challenging target to address with additional capacity, given the pressures the …
Continue readingMixed Signals: A Small SSR Press Release With Big Implications
On 24th March 2015 there was a surprise announcement from the Mayor and TfL about the re-signalling of the Subsurface Railway (SSR). It is largely a re-announcement of what has already been announced numerous times, …
Continue readingNo 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 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 readingTwin Peaks: Timetable Changes On The Northern Line
Operationally the Northern Line is probably the most interesting tube line. As the line’s signal upgrade programme comes to an official end, we look at the recent Northern Line timetable improvements and how frequency seems …
Continue readingBreaking Down the 2015 TfL Fares Increase
After a slightly longer wait than is typical, this morning the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced the fares levels that will apply to TfL services and National Rail services within the TfL zonal area …
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