This is a weekly round-up of London rail transport news…
Image from February 2022 article: London Underground’s experimental porthole underground train
london underground
Kentish Town tube station to close until September BBC News
Calls have been made for more trains to use less-used junctions on London Underground to increase services on the Metropolitan line between Watford and Rickmansworth. ian visit
Businesses near metro stations closed for repairs are bracing for further losses following news that they will not reopen until September.hum & high
Work to add step-free access to Northolt tube station on the Central line is set to resume next year after being postponed due to the pandemic. ian visit
An 89-year-old man who needed stitches after being trapped after a subway station ticket gate “slammed” is still recovering almost two months later.east london advertiser
A new report by a London lobby group calls for the Bakerloo Line extension to go ahead despite TfL saying construction costs have soared since the extension was postponed. ian visit
Main line/ground
Direct trains between London and Shropshire in the West Midlands will be discontinued in June.standard
Sydenham Road Bridge closed, chaos in Croydon for six months
Concrete sections of the new viaduct installed to carry the HS2 railway between London and Buckinghamshire are being removed, a contractor has confirmed.bucks free press
LNER fare simplification trial adds more than £100 to some rail journeys The Guardian
Delays in the construction of the HS2 high-speed rail link to Euston have not prevented the opening of a new skills center for the construction industry.hum & high
And the name change…
Not a bad new name for London’s beloved ginger product. However, there are hints of doubts about the government’s involvement in public projects.
‘Disneyning history’: London Conservatives criticize new Overground route name Standard
The Hidden History of the Overground Diamond Geezer
New London Overground line name faces further criticism in City Hall Harrow Online
‘Wasted opportunity’: Conservatives say Sadiq Khan should have sold naming rights to London Overground to raise funds Standard
Now that overground circuits have individual names, some are questioning whether other TfL services should follow suit.diamond geezer
People are already giving new London Underground lines nicknames.
others
Abandoned London Underground station in Essex turned into someone’s home Essex Live
Epping Traffic Light Museum reopens next week
Rail surpasses uLEZ in London express logistics Rail Freight
A new fourth series of Secrets of the London Underground is set to arrive on Yesterday TV, with filming currently underway for the new series. ian visit
Despite the rise in working from home, trains could become twice as crowded by 2050. Passengers say the current situation on some lines is already “untenable” as railway companies are unable to provide enough rolling stock.daily mail
TfL has revealed it made £830,000 for Samsung’s recent advertising campaign, which featured a reimagined circular tube map in six tube stations. ian visit
The shocking moment a 49-year-old racist woman launches a foul-mouthed tirade at a black victim on a nightly TV show – before testifying in court she blames her vile rant on spiked drinks claimed the Daily Mail
London Underground: ‘Traveling with hidden disabilities’ BBC News
And finally: Londonists as 120 teenagers walk the length of the Underground this Sunday
Image from February 2022 article: London Underground’s experimental porthole underground train