Waterloo to Reading Line Upgrade
Work has now been completed on extending all of the platforms on the Waterloo to Reading Line to enable 10-carriage train services to run across the entire route.
Egham
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...orm-extensions
Virginia Water
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...orm-extensions
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...orm-extensions
Sunningdale
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...ation-upgrades
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...ation-upgrades
Camberley
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...ation-upgrades
Bracknell
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...ation-upgrades
Wokingham
Image sourced from Network Rail: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...ation-upgrades
South West Trains - New Class 707 Trains
Associated with the above completion to extend platforms on the Waterloo to Reading Line, are the brand new ten carriage class 707 trains; of which 30 are being built in five-carriage formations. They are sister-trains to those manufactured being used on the Thameslink line (class 700) and will be used for services running out of Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside and to Weybridge via Hounslow. Trains that currently serve these routes will be beef up services on the now 10-carriage route out to Reading.
The class 707 trains like their Thameslink counterparts offer detailed train information boards, metro-capacity seating, and walk-through train carriages. Oddly though, despite being brand new, due to a change in the ownership behind the South West Trains franchise, all of the class 707 trains will be ditched in favour of Aventra trains manufactured by Bombardier. They won’t be scrapped, but they will be relocated to other train lines across the UK from 2019.
Image taken by stavioni on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephe...299924/sizes/l
Image taken by busdude on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/busdud...094173/sizes/l
South West trains – New Aventra Trains
The new operator behind the South West Trains franchise announced an order for 750 carriages produced by Bombardier, built on their Aventra platform which is the same family of trains running on Crossrail. There will be 60 ten-carriage trains, and 30 five-carriage trains.
As mentioned above, the operator intends to replace the brand-new class 707 trains, as well as replace its fleet of class 455, 456 and 458; built between 1982-1985, 1990-1991, and 2013-2016 respectively. Replacing the entire suburban commuter fleet with one makes a lot of sense from an operation perspective, they will also be far easier to maintain, and are cheaper than the class 707 trains. They will be operating by the end of the decade.
Image sourced from Bombardier: http://www.bombardier.com/en/media/n...-min-year=2002
Paddington Station Upgrade
With construction of the Crossrail station well underway on the western side of the terminus, to the east, the developer behind the Paddington Cube project has unveiled plans for a new ticket hall to provide easier access to the Bakerloo line, as well as the other subterranean lines serving Paddington.
Image sourced from TfL: http://paddingtonquarter.co.uk/wp-co...l-sign-off.pdf
Waterloo Station Upgrade
Waterloo is the busiest station in the UK and is forecast to experience substantial growth in traffic in the coming years. To tackle this issue, a substantial reworking on the station and the approach tracks is planned.
• Video Link
Former International Platforms
Platforms 20-24 were initially built back in XXXXXXXXXXX as the original London terminus of Eurostar trains, but were mothballed when Eurostar services relocated to the refurbished St Pancras in XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Works are due to be complete on bringing these back into use this summer, and include a new passenger bridge to the main concourse level, ticket-line, and a new retail concourse (where the old departure lounge was located beneath the tracks).
• Video Link
Image sourced by stevekeiretsu on skyscrapercity.com: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...&postcount=145
Image sourced by PortoNuts on skyscrapercity.com: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...ostcount=19259
Image sourced by PortoNuts on skyscrapercity.com: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...ostcount=19259
Image taken by LondonStreetExplorer on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152953...930471/sizes/l
Other Work
Platforms 1-4 will be lengthened for 10-carriage trains, but this will require a temporary closure of some of the approach tracks over the Autumn school holiday to enable substantial track remodelling.
Thameslink
• Video Link
London Bridge Station
• Video Link
Image taken by LondonStreetExplorer on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152953...138683/sizes/l
Image taken by Geogregor* on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/482251...776565/sizes/l
Image taken by Geogregor on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/482251...686482/sizes/l
Image taken by LondonStreetExplorer on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152953...771451/sizes/l
Image taken by LondonStreetExplorer on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152953...269305/sizes/l
Image taken by LondonStreetExplorer on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152953...023741/sizes/l
Bermondsey Dive Under
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Camberwell Station
Closed since 1964, Camberwell station is one of two disused stations (the other being Walworth Road to the north) on the Thameslink line between Elephant & Castle and Loughborough Junction in south London. The local borough councils, TfL and Network Rail have been progressing various ideas on reopening the station as its opening would ease pressure at neighbourhood stations and provide greater access to new developments in the Camberwell area. Pictures of the disused station and how it once looked can be viewed here:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c...ad/index.shtml
Aldgate Gyratory
On the eastern edge of the City, work has been progressing for several months to remove the last part of the much-derided Aldgate Gyratory. In the absence of the one-way system, a new public space has been built
Image sourced from TfL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpre...436003/sizes/l
Image sourced from TfL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpre...437513/sizes/l
Waterloo Station Cycle Superhub
With the boom in cycling, TfL are proposing to construct a large cycle hub offering a variety of cycle services as well as parking beneath Waterloo station.
Image sourced from TfL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpre...480603/sizes/l
Image sourced from TfL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpre...566541/sizes/l
Image sourced from TfL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpre...241085/sizes/l
Night Tube Expansion: London Overground
In the wake of the successful launch of the 24-hour Night Tube – which currently covers the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines – TfL have announced that 24-hour service will operate on the East London (Overground) Line between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction this December. A further extension to Highbury & Islington to interchange with the Victoria Line will go live in January 2018.
24-hour service to the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan (the old sub-surface) lines will commence in 2023 when a current modernisation project including new signalling is completed. Crossrail and other routes could follow in future.
Image sourced from TfL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tflpre...849213/sizes/l