Oyster Card
Rather interesting visualisation of the 16mn daily Oyster transactions made in London
• Video Link
London River Services
The Thames has been at the core of the city since Roman times, and used for transportation purposes ever since. Yet its role as a credible mode of public transport has never been fully utilised, always taking a backseat to freight & refuse activities, and more recently tourist boats. Yet over the last decade or so, there has been substantial progress in attempting to make the service more inclusive with modern piers and new ‘Thames Clippers’, with passenger use now at around 6.5mn as of 2011-12.
Transport for London and the Mayor London have now unveiled plans to double passenger journeys on the river to 12mn per annum by 2020, improvements include:
Three new piers: Plantation Wharf (Battersea due later this year), Battersea Power Station and Enderby Wharf (both of which have planning permission).
Potential for further piers at Savoy, Wapping, Convoys Wharf, Wood Wharf, North Greenwich West, Vanesta Wharf, Gallions Reading and Barking.
Rollout of iBoat real-time arrivals information boards at all piers.
Better integration with surrounding public transport modes and Oyster smartcards.
New facilities for cycle parking & hire.
Image source from the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21573128
Further information:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...ction-plan.pdf
Reading Station Redevelopment
Extensive rebuild of a major junction station due west of London; it is on course to be completed a year ahead of schedule.
Image taken by Dave C1 at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/5283451...l-1945836@N21/
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...l-1945836@N21/
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...l-1945836@N21/
Public Subway
A new public subway under the station has also opened. This is directly below the new concourse that runs above the tracks.
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Oxford-Marylebone Route
Approval has been granted for a £130mn spur line which will connect the Chiltern Main Line to Oxford. Oxford is a major regional station (5.8mn passengers per annum), and a hub for the Cherwell Valley and Cotswold Lines. The historic university city is already connected to London (Paddington), but this new link will provide a second mainline link to London (Marylebone).
A new parkway station will be constructed due north of Oxford at Water Eaton, while Bicester Town will be rebuilt and new platforms constructed at Oxford.
Oxford Station
Image taken by plualzed at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluralz...n/photostream/
Cambridge Guided Busway
It has now been over a year since the opening of the Cambridge Guided Busway which is the world’s longest at 25km. Connecting Cambridge to Huntingdon, the project met fierce criticism over delays and budget overruns, but the busway is now viewed as being a success. Indeed the system proved to be too much of a success with overcrowding and additional services required to meet demand.
In its first year, the busway was projected to have annual ridership of 1.7mn, but with patronage growing 40% above forecasts, the busway carried 2.5mn in its first year of operation, just shy of year two projections of 2.6mn.
Image taken by Spoddendale at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/4974422...n/photostream/
Cambridge Science Park Station
Located due north of London, Cambridge is a pleasant and bike friendly city famous for its historic university. It is also home to a major commuter station, with two rail lines into London; the Fen Line (6tph) into London King’s Cross and West Anglia Main Line (4tph) into London Liverpool Street, as well as various cross-country and rural rail services.
Cambridge station has also experienced substantial year-on-year growth; with the station now used by 8.2mn passengers per annum (up from 7.6mn the previous year), and recently two new platforms were built to cope with the volume of trains serving the station.
With Cambridge’s population expanding by 13% in the last decade, and the explosive growth of the university and rapidly expanding science parks, there is demand for a new station to serve the northern section of the city. The station would be constructed on currently disused railway sidings adjacent to the Cambridge Guided Busway route, and incorporate three platforms capable of accepting twelve carriage trains. The station could be operational by 2014-15.
Image sourced from: http://chilibdems.co.uk/2012/11/01/c...-consultation/
Eurostar
Just over two years ago, Eurostar selected Siemens to provide ten additional sixteen carriage 400m (Velaro 2320) train-sets to cope with the growing demand for High Speed Eurostar services. The new trains which can run at 200mph will shave 15minutes off journey times to Paris, and will commence passenger service in 2014.,
Image taken by Railvolution at: http://www.railvolution.net/railvolu...p?tag=eurostar
Image taken by Railvolution at: http://www.railvolution.net/railvolu...p?tag=eurostar
Various Other News
As of 2014, there will be 539,300 seats available into London during the peak hour, which will increase to 654,300 by 2019 (an increase of 115,000).
As of April 2012, daily train services provided by: First Capital Connect stood at 950 (Apr 2004: 850), 1,700 by Southeastern (Apr 2004: 1,500) and 2,000 by Southern (Apr 2004: 1,550).
Kent Route
Image taken by IanVisits at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisi...n/photostream/
Southeastern, the primary train operating company serving Kent experienced a 7.2% rise in passenger numbers in the last three years, and forecast an additional 30% by 2022. Improvements to be carried out between 2014-219 include:
Train lengthening across the Kent suburban area to take advantage of recent platform extensions (including wider network traction power upgrades).
Resignalling of lines around the Medway towns.
Rochester station relocated closer to the town centre as part of a wider regeneration project and longer trains.
Works to improve operational reliability between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Tonbridge, Dartford and London (via Sidcip), Ashford and Hastings and Ashford and Ramsgate
Sussex Route
Image taken by Elmar Eye at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seadipp...n/photostream/
Passenger numbers have increased 40% over the last 10 years, and expected to grow by another 30% in the next ten years. Improvements to be carried out between 2014-219 include:
Track, signalling & power upgrades across the routes to cope with longer and more numerous trains.
Infrastructure works to cope with longer trains north of Purley (south London) and on the West London Line.
A new operating centre at Three Bridges to provide centralised signalling functions. (cutting £250mn annually from signalling costs in the region).
Construction of an additional platform at Redhill to improve performance and allow for additional services to operate.
South West Route
Image taken by stavioni at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephen...n/photostream/
Improvements to be carried out between 2014-219 include:
£140mn signalling renewal scheme for South West London, and additional £26mn and £25mn signalling renewable programmes in Wiltshire and Portsmouth. End result will be a centralised signalling centre at Basingstoke
Track renewal work on lines in and around Southampton, approaches to London Waterloo, Staines area and Salisbury.
Power upgrade programme to enable ten carriage trains to operate between Reading and London Waterloo.
Anglia Route
Image taken by eibonvale at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eibonva...n/photostream/
Improvements to be carried out between 2014-219 include:
A new rail operating centre will open in Romford in 2014 to control the entire railway in the Anglia region, covering north-east London, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire & Hertfordshire.
Track renewal work on lines from London Liverpool Street to Norwich.
Overhead line work from London to Chelmsford and the line to Southend.
Remodelling of Ely North Junction to allow for more passenger and freight services (more trains able to run from King’s Lynn to London).
A third track from Stratford to Tottenham Hale to alleviate overcrowding on the Lea Valley Lines.
Passengers from Cambridge would have more train services and more destinations.
Renewal of overhead lines from Cheshunt to Bishop’s Stortford and Hackney Downs to Cheshunt (via Southbury).
Upgrade of a further 154 level crossings (90 closed since 2009).
Potential new stations at Beaulieu Park (Chelmsford), Cambridge Science Park, Soham, Lea Bridge (London), and Beam Park (Rainham).
Freight capacity upgrades on the cross-country route from Felixstowe to the West Midlands, resulting in less freight having to use London-focused rail lines, including further separation of freight and passenger services.
Bury St Edmunds line speed improvements and a second track from Ely to Soham.
Electrify the Gospel Oak to Barking Line with new electric rolling stock on the line.
Thames Valley Route
Image taken by Gordon-S2.8 at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordon-...n/photostream/
Improvements to be carried out between 2014-219 include:
Resignalling of the Great Western Main Line ahead of electrification, with West Drayton to Maidenhead completed in 2013, Reading to Newbury in 2014 and Oxford by 2015.
All signalling functions between London and Bristol to be managed by a single centre in Didcot by 2015, with the centre eventually managing all signalling west of London.
Line from Maidenhead to Newbury & Oxford electrified by December 2016, allowing for the old diesel fleet to be replaced by a lighter, quicker and smoother electric fleet with faster acceleration & braking capabilities.
Redevelopment of Reading station to be completed a year ahead of schedule, which includes two new entrances, five new platforms and a new viaduct for separation of services.
The completion of new track north of Oxford will provide a new rail link between Oxford and London, with half-hourly services to London Marylebone Oxford.
The East-West Rail Line from Oxford to Milton Keynes will become operational (and electrified), providing additional orbital rail options north of London.
Potential line speed improvements of the Great Western Main Line between London and Bristol Parkway, and Reading to Basingstoke to be examined.
Station and line improvements between Reading and Didcot Parkway for increased freight and passenger growth.
The line between Oxford and Leamington via Banbury will be electrified.
Develop plans for a new rail link from the Great Western Main Line to Heathrow Terminal 5 for travellers to/from areas west of London.
Sources
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...ast-of-England
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...h-west-England
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...ast-of-England
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...-Thames-Valley
Victoria Underground Station Upgrade
Image taken by on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisi...n/photostream/
Image taken by on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisi...n/photostream/
Image taken by on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisi...n/photostream/
Image taken by on Flickr:
Image taken by IanVisits on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianvisi...n/photostream/
Wokingham Station Rebuild
Located on the Waterloo to Reading Line, Wokingham is a typical London commuter station. Network Rail plan to rebuild the station to allow for a diversionary road to be built. Work will start this year.
Image taken by Network Rail at: http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...N-IN-WOKINGHAM
Image taken by Network Rail at: http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...N-IN-WOKINGHAM
East Croydon Station
One of the busiest stations outside of Central London, East Croydon is used by 20mn each year and has a severely congested concourse area. Network Rail are constructing a new dual entrance to relieve congestion.
Due for completion by July, it is expected that the new entrance (which will connect to two new developments either side of the station) will be used by up to 7mn each year.
Image taken by Network Rail at: http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...roydon-station
Post Olympic & Paralympic Transport Review
Review of transport during the Olympic & Paralympics.
• Video Link
London Bridge Redevelopment
London’s oldest station (176 years old) is set to be given a massive overhaul in the coming years with work commencing to build a new street-level concourse and realignment of the platforms (to create more through platforms). When complete in 2018, the station will be capable of handling 88 commuter trains each hour.
• Video Link
Images sourced from Network Rail: http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...ation-unveiled
Images sourced from Network Rail: http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co...ation-unveiled
Northern Line Extension
The Northern Line extension to Battersea Power Station is a critical component for the regeneration of a large swath of land between Battersea and Vauxhall which is set to be developed over the coming years.
Image sourced from London Reconnections at: http://www.londonreconnections.com/2...ation-details/
Image sourced from London Reconnections at: http://www.londonreconnections.com/2...ation-details/
Image sourced from London Reconnections at: http://www.londonreconnections.com/2...ation-details/
London Overground
The East London Line extension to Clapham Junction opened last year (bit late in reporting!). The extension didn’t require too much work other than a new chord connecting the ELL to the South London Line, and the foundations for a future station at Surrey Canal Road. The line runs on the South London Line, and will substantially increase orbital destination options for travellers in this area of South London.
• Video Link
Route
Image taken by Harjinder Singh at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/1244519...n/photostream/
Surrey Canal Road to open at a later date
Image taken by diamond geezer at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer...n/photostream/
Queens Road Peckham
Image taken by at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarflon...n/photostream/
Peckham Rye
Image taken by diamond geezer at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer...n/photostream/
Image taken by Always Santa Fe at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tunnel_...n/photostream/
Denmark Hill
The station is currently being upgraded to cope with step-free access.
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Image taken by unravelled at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unravel...n/photostream/
Image taken by Alan Stanton at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alansta...n/photostream/
Clapham High Street
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Wandsworth Road
Image taken by wirewiping at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewip...n/photostream/
Image taken by pokeyphoto at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/colin_o...n/photostream/
Clapham Junction
Image taken by tompagenet at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tompage...n/photostream/
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