A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…
London Underground
LU contract renewal worth £220m to Balfour Beatty Construction Index
Bank tube station’s Central line could get step-free upgrade IanVisits
The eerie beauty of London’s abandoned Tube stops Spectator
London Underground staff are being issued with new red vests to be worn in stations, so that they are more visible to passengers. IanVisits
Counting the new heritage maps on the Underground Diamond Geezer
Elizabeth line / Crossrail
Crossrail row heats up as Khan says team is ‘far superior’ under new chair Building
It is time to look at some of the non-financial consequences of delays to Crossrail. London Reconnections
Crossrail directors picking up an average £200,000 a year, accounts reveal Building
Mainline / Overground
Brighton Main Line commuters facing nine days of disruption BBC News
Rail passengers are facing week-long disruption after Southeastern said there would be no trains through Bexleyheath station until the weekend following a landslip. Local London
A new campaign has been launched in a bid to get more rail services to stop at a ‘forgotten’ station in Horsham. WS County Times
The design for what will be one of the UK’s largest railway hubs has been shown off for public comment. IanVisits
Bombardier expects to complete at least three of its most delayed rail contracts this year, with deliveries to two more European customers extending into 2020. Bloomberg
Miscellaneous
An exploding phone battery caused Eurostar passengers to flee in panic at St Pancras station. Standard
Chiltern Railways to install coffee cup recycling at all of its stations REB News
Football fans may no longer have to fork out on extra fees for train tickets when a match is rescheduled for TV, under a Government proposal. Chronicle
Travelodge is setting in train plans to open ten more hotels close to railway stations in commuter towns offering fast access to London. Travel Weekly
The Queen has joined commuters on the train to London after her traditional winter break at Sandringham in Norfolk. ITV
Are TfL bosses spinning their own Board a happy tale? MayorWatch
And finally, Aldwych ghost tube station recreated in 3D Londonist
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Image above is from Feb 2018: Reopening the Piccadilly line’s disused York Road tube station
When is it likely that London Overground will be introducing the Class 710 Aventra EMU trains in service that Bombardier are still manufacturing the Class 710 and Class 345 for TfL Rail (Elizabeth Line).
Why is it taking so long that Bombardier are still not producing enough trains at such a pace and the Class 710 have had technical difficulties recently that caused the postponement of the Class 710 introduction on the Gospel Oak-Barking line, Lea Valley lines & other services it was suppose to start service from December last year. Why is Bombardier messing up the plans for manufacturing new trains.
Class 720 Greater Anglia Aventra trains won’t be in service until next year. And the Class 701 SWR, Class 730 West Midlands Trains and c2c Class 711 Aventra fleet that is also planned for manufacture and to be introduced in service in the 2020s.