London Transport Thread

[nito]

I have noticed that there isn't really a thread on London transport, so thought what better than to start one!


The first post: The New Sub-Surface Tube Stock
London has had dozens of trains across its lengthy history differing in a wide variety of colours, sizes and designs (interior and exterior).

At present there are two main groups of train stock (with different models in each group):
- Sub-surface stock which resembles a normal train carriage
- Deep-level tube stock which is the circular confined design most people recognise instantly

Over the past few years, designs have been on-going to create a new sub-surface stock that will be phased in as older stock is removed from duty.

One major innovation that will be the first of any metro is the introduction of technology which detects whether an object or person has got stuck in the doors. At present most other systems including the Tube have to 'open' the doors or the doors re-open automatically. This system should mean that a stray handbag won't delay the train as the specific door will open just enough to allow the object to pass.

In addition, the trains will be walk-through, fully wheel-chair compliant, clear of any obstacles under the chairs (ie so that lost bags or sinister devices are more visible) and air conditioned. In addition, like with all tube trains, the seats will be upholsted to ensure that the journey is comfortable, while arm rests are an added luxury.

This is a mock-up design. Pictures from flickr.com

[Swede]

How could I have missed seeing that one before? Thanks for posting it Looking real good, I see some ideas that were implemented in the newer cars for Stockholm's subway, but this looks a step further, a step in the right direction. Changing from an old train on a tube line to one of these (when changing lines) will really make it evident to all that trains are improving.

[quashlo]

I'm curious what the big glass section cutting through the middle of each car is for?

[Swede]

^Too keep the classes separate, of course. England is a class society.

[nito]

Originally Posted by quashlo

I'm curious what the big glass section cutting through the middle of each car is for?

Its a mirror - this is a mock-up, not an actual functioning train - as you can see from the exterior shots, the 'station' is actually a set. At present the mockup is outside London Euston station. This new S-Stock will be rolled out from 2010 onwards and will be fully articulated.


Prior to this exhibition for the S-Stock was an exhibition for the new Victoria Line fleet which will roll out at the beginning of next year. An image of a new Victoria Line train is below:



A diagram of a full length 8-car Victoria Line train (split in two to fit on the board)




Tube trains don't have different class sections (sub-surface or deep-level), but the majority of commuter, regional and intercity trains do. Standard class carriages tend to only differ in the size and space available per first class passenger, ie a larger comfier chair, and I can't think of a single case of a train operating in and around London with non-fabric chairs.

Features of many first class train carriages such as power points for laptops/mobiles, tables, have however made their way to standard.


As a treat, one of the Class 395 'Olympic Javelin' trains from Hitachi that have begun testing. These will operate out of London St Pancras to the Olympic Village and beyond before and after the Olympics to act as a high-end HSR express service from commuter settlements in Kent. When the nose cone is at operating stance, the train resembles the 400 Series Shinkansen.

[nito]

For the Westfield London shopping mall in West London, two new stations have been built and another has been completely re-built to ensure that public transport is the main mode of transport to what is one of Europe's largest shopping centres.

A picture of the centre (taken a few weeks ago) below shows the scale of the site which is due to open for shoppers in under 23 days time.





Confusingly, there are two Shepherd's Bush stations serving the centre (one for the Central Line, and another for the Overground Line), but as visible from the below pictures they are either side of a large bus interchange. In the above picture they are at the bottom of the picture.

The only work left on the revamped Central Line station is to install the digital displays covering the 'bare' surfaces.

The other station: Wood Lane which is at the north end of the site is due to open next week and is located on the Hammersmith & City Line. Look for the purple viaduct to see the location for this new station.




Shepherd's Bush - Central Line

















































Shepherd's Bush - Overground

[one very bored guy]

Great photos. I have a friend that lives in walking distance from that new mall.

Any photos of the bus interchange in between the two rail stations

[nito]

Originally Posted by one very bored guy

Great photos. I have a friend that lives in walking distance from that new mall.

Any photos of the bus interchange in between the two rail stations

Unfortunately not. When it opens in a few weeks time I think we'll see a lot of photos become available, especially as this is creating a new major transport hub. If the West London Tram went ahead, they'd be a stop here as well.

[KingKrunch]

Thanks for the pictures. The amount of security cameras is crazy ...

[M II A II R II K]

Nice trains, I didn't know they had trains where you can walk between cars from one end of the train to the other.

[one very bored guy]

Originally Posted by KingKrunch

Thanks for the pictures. The amount of security cameras is crazy ...

Doesn't look like too many security cameras, are you maybe seeing the speakers and thinking they are cameras? Or maybe I'm just missing them.

[nito]

M II A II R II K - These would be the first fully walkthrough trains in Britain. You can walk-through some trains ie through doors at the end of each carriage.

You can also walk between the deep-level tube train carriages but wouldn't advise it as it is only for emergency use and you'd probably end up disembowled if you slipped. New deep-level tube trains won't feature walk-through technology as I understand that quite simply




one very bored guy - I believe KingKrunch is referring to this picture:



There are a lot of cameras in London, but most are duplicates, ie you get 6 cameras on each platform to ensure that the driver knows that someone isn't stuck in the door, dragged along, etc... That explains how they know whether the man with the red bag ought to get his fat ass on the train!




Latest pictures of the station at Dalston Junction. Dalston is due north of the Square Mile (visible in the background of some pictures) and when it opens in 2010 will form the terminus of the northern extension to East London Line.

The station is being built below ground level and will occupy four platforms. From 2011 onwards, a further extension to Highbury & Islington will open. The old route going eastwards has been safeguarding in the event there is a business case to add a spur to link up with the North London Line towards Stratford.






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London airports given green light to expand
Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent, and Jenny Booth, Times Online, October 9, 2008

Two London airports have won permission for large increases in the number of flights and passengers they handle.

Stansted was this morning given the go-ahead by the Government to increase flights from 241,000 to 264,000 and raise the number of passengers from 25 million to 35 million annually, in the first major decision by Geoff Hoon since he was appointed Secretary of State for Transport last week.

Hours earlier, London City airport learnt that it had won planning permission to increase flights by about 50 per cent, from 80,000 to 120,000 a year. Passenger numbers are expected to reach 3.2 million next year.

The decisions are likely to enrage green activists, although it remains unclear whether either airport will make full use of their extra capacity for some time to come, with growth in passenger numbers slowing as the UK's economic turmoil deepens.

Business at Stansted has not grown for two years and Ryanair is parking 16 of its planes based at the airport this winter due to a decline in passenger demand.

Mr Hoon announced in a written statement to Parliament this morning that he was overruling the local planning authority, Uttlesford District Council, which refused permission on noise and environmental grounds two years ago for Stansted to handle more traffic.

BAA, the airport operator, lodged an appeal, which ministers today upheld. A letter from the Department for Communities and Local Government to BAA’s lawyers, setting out the reasons for the change in the planning conditions, said ministers found the impact on health caused by air pollution was “likely to be very small”.

It added: “They agree that there is evidence that the proposal would deliver large direct economic benefits, although they accept that the evidence does not reliably quantify this.”

The decision is entirely separate from Stansted's controversial application to build a second runway. A planning inquiry has yet to begin on that issue.

Stewart Wingate, Stansted’s managing director, said that he was delighted that Mr Hoon and Hazel Blears, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, had granted permission for the next phase of growth at Stansted.

“This secures our future up to 35 million passengers a year," said Mr Wingate."This is clearly great news for passengers and for businesses, located in the local community or across the wider region.”

Matthew Knowles, from the Society of British Aerospace Companies, said: “This is a welcome recognition of the progress that the aviation industry has made in further reducing its impact on the environment. Noise from aircraft is down 75 per cent over the last 30 years and an aircraft’s fuel burn, and therefore carbon dioxide emissions, has been cut by 70 per cent over the last 50 years."

But Uttlesford Council leader Jim Ketteridge said the decision was a blow for the community. “It demonstrates that the Government has failed to listen to the clear message from the people of Uttlesford," he said.

“Residents already find the level of aircraft noise extremely disturbing and allowing BAA to increase the amount of air traffic marks a further erosion of our quality of life, particularly for all those living near Stansted Airport.

“We are very disappointed that the appeal has been allowed but are redoubling our efforts to fight the second runway proposals. We may not have won this battle, but with the help of our local authority partners, we will do everything we can to win the war.”

Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, described the decision as further evidence that the Government was in the pocket of the aviation industry. “It shows the gaping void between its environmental rhetoric and reality. Ministers like to talk green, but their actions show they are only too willing to increase carbon emissions," said Mr Baker.

London City airport has been growing fast, with passenger volumes rising by more than 20 per cent a year in 2006 and 2007. It was coming close to its limit of 80,000 flights a year, but last night the local planning authority approved a 50 per cent increase to 120,000 aircraft movements annually.

Passenger traffic is forecast to rise from 2.9m to 3.2m this year, but to be flat in 2010. Corporate jet movements are falling and are expected to decline from 15,000 to 14,500 this year.

[urbanfan89]

Looks like they lost a truckload of cash to Iceland:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oc...ndon.transport

[nito]

^^ A lot of UK institutions, including local/borough councils, universities, charities, companies, and individual savers took accounts with banks HQed in Iceland.




New Station: Wood Lane, Hammersmith & City Line

Another new station has opened on the London Underground this weekend. Wood Lane is a station on the Hammersmith & City Line and has been paid for by the builders of the Westfield London shopping mall which is next door to the site.

The line has run on this alignment since it opened in 1864 (ie 144 years ago) and because of the historical nature of the station, it had to be built in and around the historic brick viaduct.

[M II A II R II K]

That's pretty cool.

Andof course the London Overground system is in the works and that East London Line would be part of it.

[nito]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

That's pretty cool.

Andof course the London Overground system is in the works and that East London Line would be part of it.

Indeed, despite the London rail network being one of the biggest on the planet, there is still a lot of work that can be done to improve the entire experience.

For those not in the know, the London Overground network is the agglomeration of several above ground lines, and includes new stations on current stretches of lines and new extensions to create new routes.

The key requirement is to create orbital routes by-passing Central London, allowing for greater cross-London travel but decreasing travel times and congestion on the city centre. The two maps below illustrate the current and future status of the network.

Current Network



Future Network



Watford DC Line
This line runs from Watford in the north to Euston in C London. At present the Bakerloo Line runs alongside the line from Harrow & Wealdstone to Queen's Park (and then onwards through C London in tunnel), but it is intended that the Bakerloo Line will be extended over the current Watford DC Line northwards to Watford taking over six new stations.

After Queen's Park where there are two additional stations on the line before arriving at London Euston, these would become part of a branch of the North London Line going via Primrose Hill. Primrose Hill was closed as the connection between the West Coast Main Line and North London Line was severed, but would re-open acting as interchange with Chalk Farm which is on the Northern Line.

After these changes, the Watford DC Line would no longer exist as a seperate line.


North London Line
This is a line that runs from Richmond (in the west) to Stratford (in the east), and used to run to North Woolwich, but this section onwards from Stratford was abandoned in favour of the recently opened London City Airport Extension and the soon-to-open Stratford International Extension. A section of the line will however be recycled for Crossrail.

It is a major orbital line (the backbone of the London Overground project) connecting the three most important intercity lines in the UK (WCML, ECML and GWML), as well as numerous other lines. At its most congested section it is four-tracked to allow for dedicated passenger and freight lines, and this is planned to be extended onwards towards Primrose Hill where the line will split.

At present the line from Willesden Junction to Gospel Oak is closed to allow for tunnels that run through the area to be lowered to accomodate freight containers (the Victorians unfortunately didn't forsee those!), while a connection is being built at Dalston to connect with the northern extension of the East London Line. the ELL will run with the NLL to Highbury & Islington to create overlap and this should be completed by 2011. Overlap is a word that keeps cropping up with the London Overground.

There is the preserved site of a station between Camden Road and Caledonian Road & Barnsbury called Maiden Lane. This is located at the north of the triangle which radiates from London St Pancras and London King's Cross; with the area inbetween is set to be redeveloped in coming years into a brand new quarter for several thousand homes. The re-opening of Maiden Lane would act as a northern portal for the development.


West London Line
This is a short line going from Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction and was mainly used for freight and rolling stock movements, as well as commuter trains that ran from Brighton going north of London.

One station opened last week: Shepherd's Bush to server the soon-to-open Westfield London shopping mall, while another called Imperial Wharf is u/c looking at a 2010 opening is slightly inland from the Thames. Another station north of Shepherd's Bush serving the Wormwood Scrubs area in the area of a now closed station could also open, but nothing concrete has happened as yet.


East London Line
This was originally the second shortest Underground line in London with just 9 stations, but with the northern and southern extensions as phase I this will increase to 21. On the northern section, the old Shoreditch station has been ditched as the tracks have to rise to clear the Great Eastern Main Line and roads to join the old Broad Street Viaduct. A new station called Shoreditch High Street will be built in a box above ground to allow for skyscrapers to rise around it.

Stations at Hoxton, Haggerston and Dalston Junction are re-builds of long-disused stations and will resemble Wood Lane, ie the fusioin of old brick viaducts with glass and steel. Dalston Junction will be a 4 platform station to allow for service to return southwards.

The extension south of New Cross Gate will essentially involve re-building works of present stations that will be taken over by London Overground.

Phase II would involve a western extension to Clapham Junction and expanding the number of stations on the line to 28. A new connection from Surrey Quays to Queens Road Peckham will be built with a new station at Surrey Canal Road constructed. At present the extension has no planned interchange at Brixton (National Rail and Victoria Line) and Loughborough Junction (National Rail and Thameslink) which would plug the gap between Clapham High Street and Denmark Hill, but once the extension is opened, I wouldn't be suprised if interchange platforms are built here. Another station is unofficially proposed just north of Clapham Junction called North Battersea, but I am uncertain of where this would be located. Work on this will probably start after 2012.


Gospel Oak to Barking Line (GOBLIN)
Referred to as the GOBLIN line, this is an orbital rail line further out than even the North London Line spanning from Gospel Oak to Barking. It plays an important role, but is over-crowded despite overlapping with numerous lines but not having direct interchanges (although they are a very short walk away at a lot of the stations).

The line is being heavily upgraded to allow for the route to accept container traffic (this would free up the North London Line) and more passenger services as new trains have been ordered.

No major proposals have been officially announced, but there is the possibility of the line being extended eastwards towards Rainham and tap into the massive regeneration projects going up alongside the Thames and westwards and absorbing the West London Line to create a more complete orbital service. Junction Road could also re-open allowing for interchange on the Piccadilly Line.


One ironic thing to come from the Overground network is that it will incorporate the oldest section of tunnel in London: The Thames Tunnel. Which is also the world's first underwater tunnel and the first to incorporate a tunnel shield - the standard for all tunnels including today.

[nito]

A sneak peek of the Crossrail station at Canary Wharf. Crossrail is a vast heavy rail line that will soon begin construction linking London Heathrow and London City Airports, and the West End, City and Canary Wharf.

The Crossrail station will be built inside a dock much like how the Jubilee Line station at Canary Wharf was.

[ages]

Their County service runs between London and Birmingham, stopping at county towns such as Milton Keynes, Northampton, Hemel Hempstead and Watford. Silverlink Metro is a suburban route running through West, North and East London. Get timetables, route maps and buy tickets online.

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ages

seo

[ChicagoChicago]

If anyone ever gets to London and has a chance to visit the transit museum, I highly recommend it. It is a history of mass transit in the UK.

[nito]

ChicagoChicago - The London Transport Museum on Covent Garden is indeed a mighty museum, there is also a depot in Acton that stores quite a few trains and other materials. The best railway museum in Britain (perhaps the world) is based next door to York Railway Museum which houses possibly the nicest looking train ever built: the LNER Mallard.

Britain is fortunate to have a vast network of heritage railways for tourists and train-fans.




Progress Update on the East London Line Extension
londonreconnections.blogspot.com has pictures on the ELLE. The update goes from north to south, a map below illustrates where the updates are from.






Shadwell-Whitechapel
While the track and signalling is all new, the tunnels and surrounding walls go back many decades as this is the approach to the Thames Tunnel - the world's oldest underwater tunnel and the first to use a tunnel shield. This is the stretch between Whitechapel and Shadwell.










New Cross Gate
On the old East London Line, New Cross Gate was one of two southern termini (the other is New Cross on a branch slightly to the east - both stations are on the same road), but will be extended south to two new termini at West Croydon and Crystal Palace.

The station has five platforms, the outer two will be used by the ELL, while the innter three will retain their use as commuter train platforms.

The first aerial picture shows the new bridge to allow ELL services to avoid crossing the Brighton Main Line. The line curving to the left is the branch to New Cross, while the lines in the foreground are for the South Eastern Main Line (New Cross is a station on the line).

The second aerial picture shows the vague path of another branch for the ELL which will be constructed to link up with Clapham Junction in the west. It goes from the bottom left, under the railway lines, across the site of where the blue pedestrian bridge is (this would be the site of a new station called Surrey Canal Road) bfore curving off to the right.

The two major lines are the South Eastern Main Line (bottom two brick viaducts) and the Brighton Main Line on their approach to London Bridge.












Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is one of the two southern stations on the ELL. The present staton as four platforms arranged in two sets; the first is on a curve (not visible in the pictures), while the other two are visible in the below pictures, where there also used to be another four additional platforms (hence the large gap).

In this main section, work has begun on preparing for the former bay platform to the right to be reinstated as a terminating platform for the ELLE. Another bay platform in the middle will be created, as will a brand new island platform to serve as another terminating ELLE platform and commuter train services. The present platform 4 (visible to the right in the last picture) will be decommissioned as passengers will alight on a new island platform where the gap is at present.

On another note the brick walls show the only remains of a vast glass roof that spanned the length of the platforms, but was unfortunately taken down early last century due to safety concerns. There also used to be another Crystal Palace station (the still-open station is the Low-Level station) called Crystal Palace (High Level) which was fantastic looking, but closed in the mid-20th century, for which little remains - pictures here: http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/s...el/index.shtml









West Croydon
These three pictures are of the southern terminus at West Croydon. A disused bay platform is being filled in so that the station can return to use as a three platform station. ELLE services will use this platform allowing commuter services to use the outside two platforms.