London Reconnections

Pub Night Returns! Thursday 10th March 2022

On 7 March 2022 By Pedantic of Purley In Long reads, Meetup

After a long period when we thought it wiser not to hold our usual monthly pub nights or only hold a very low-key pub meeting, we have decided that the time has come to reinstate …

Monday’s Friday Reads – March 7 2022

On 7 March 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Friday Reads, History, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• What’s keeping Ukraine’s trains running (BusinessInsider) • St Pancras station to become an opera hall for Int’l Women’s Day (Guardian) • Reducing congestion at London Bridge Tube station entrance (IanVisits) • The secret bunker …

Friday Reads – March 4 2022

On 4 March 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Architecture, Friday Reads, Stations, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Vivarail to supply all-battery trains for West Ealing-Greenford line (Trains) • Every Story Matters: Discover TfL’s Pride roundels (LTMuseum) • Station to station: Spotters guide to prefab railway design (Guardian) • Tram-train for Catalonia …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 28 February 2022

On 28 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car, Friday Reads, Infrastructure, New York, Pedestrians

• London Emirates cable car line fails to find new sponsor (Guardian) • Bank Station Capacity Upgrade video walkthrough (HiddenLondonHangouts) • NY MTA vows $10B+ transit expansion by 2030 (NYDailyNews) • Work beginning on High …

Friday Reads – 25 February 2022

On 25 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Cycles, Friday Reads, Micromobility, New York, Sleeper Trains

• TfL secures deal to build new Elephant & Castle station entrance (IanVisits) • Two UK rail museums plan exciting future (RailInsider) • Cargo without the carbon: Stunning rise of e-bike deliveries (Guardian) • Subway …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 21 February 2022

On 21 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Friday Reads, New York, Stations, TfL, Vertical transport

• TfL warns of bankruptcy during government funding talks (IanVisits) • A fearsome beauty: Cambridge North station, Cambridgeshire (BeautyOfTransport) • NYC subway pandemic ridership changes, & time-lapse videos (NYTimes) • 4 underused US rail lines …

Friday Reads – 18 February 2022

On 18 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Buses, Cycles, DLR, Friday Reads, Stations

• DLR extension to Thamesmead raised in Parliament (IanVisits) • The short, little known history of City, Greenwich, & Lewisham Railway (HydeParkNow) • Why Aston Martin’s ex-CEO is betting his career on electric buses (CityMonitor) …

Lisbon: The public transit design utopia

On 17 February 2022 By Chris Hale In Design, Long reads, Stations, Trams/Streetcars/LRT, Vertical transport

Lisbon is a public transit aficionado’s dream. Whether it is the unique Elevador de Santa Justa or the city’s iconic yellow trams, picturesquely winding their way up the steep narrow streets. In this City Snapshot, …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 14 February 2022

On 14 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, Pedestrians, Sleeper Trains

• Bond Street station to miss Elizabeth Line opening (NewCivilEng) • Scots study shows benefits of new walking & cycling measures (SusTrans) • New La Dolce Vita Italian Orient Express to launch in 2023 (RailTech) …

Friday Reads – 11 February 2022

On 11 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Friday Reads, History, HS2

• Automated people movers from 1924 British Empire Exhibition to HS2 (RailInsider) • History of the South Kensington Subway (IanVisits) • Glasgow Subway complete refurbishment, with new trains (RailEngineer) • The geopolitics of Rail Baltica’s …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 7 February 2022

On 7 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Eurostar, Friday Reads, New York, Roads, Stations

• New TfL gov’t long term funding deal delayed again, short reprieve (OnLondon) • London’s phantom station: London International CIV (IanVisits) • New York MTA retires 1960s era subway cars (MassTransit) • Indian railways to …

Friday Reads – 4 February 2022

On 4 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Accessibility, Congestion Charge, Friday Reads, Stations, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• TfL funding crisis will leave the disabled stranded (BylineTimes) • What comes after London’s Congestion Charge? (CityLab) • Sense of place: White Hart Lane station updated (BeautyOfTransport) • Paris starts test runs of new …

The surreal Métro of Charleroi

On 3 February 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Arts, Long reads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

Noted surrealist painter Réné Magritte was Belgian. It is perhaps appropriate that Belgian politics produced a surreal Métro line, that is neither a metro nor operational. But that is about to change, in Charleroi. This …

Monday’s Friday Reads – 31 January 2022

On 31 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Crossrail, Friday Reads, Trams/Streetcars/LRT

• Crossrail design & architecture overview video (Crossrail) • Evolution of tram traction in Paris (FabricOfParis) • Malta publishes light metro vision (T&UT) • Vancouver Translink uses hockey sticks to keep SkyTrains moving (TheBuzzer) • …

Friday Reads – 28 January 2022

On 28 January 2022 By Long Branch Mike In Cable Car, Crossrail, Friday Reads, Old Oak Common, Sleeper Trains

• Tie a Crossrail ribbon round the Old Oak scene (HydeParkNow) • New station proposed for National Arboretum (AnonWidower) • Chance meeting on train platform rocked the world (MidnightTrains) • How cable cars could boost …