London’s weekly railway news

A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…

Crossrail starts restoration of Kingsway Subway

London Underground

How much crime is there on the London Underground? OnLondon

A rather tired old office block is to be replaced with a large glazed cube which will be disguising a new ventilation shaft for the Northern line IanVisits

Person found dead at Archway Underground Station Islington Tribune

Paul Baines, sales director for rolling stock at Siemens Mobility Ltd, expands on the many benefits of the £1.5bn Deep Tube rolling stock contract award. RTM

Waltham Forest Council has agreed to fund half of an £18 million upgrade for Leyton tube station on the Central line, with the other half coming from TfL. IanVisits

Late-night commuters along the Central line were left bemused after a train announced a stop at an unexpected station – 24 years after it shut. Local Guardian

Elizabeth line / Crossrail

By now, Crossrail should have been up and running for a month and a half. But how’s it really doing? Diamond Geezer

Crossrail train door opens onto track at Stratford ITV

Hochtief UK has been awarded a £40m contract by Network Rail to upgrade three stations for Crossrail. Construction News

TfL unhappy with rate of progress on Crossrail tunnels Building

Three out of the six western Crossrail stations still have no date set for the appointment of contractors to carry out the “significant” works to prepare them for the Elizabeth Line’s arrival. NCE (£)

There have been calls for Crossrail to publish all details of its board meetings over fears the delay of the Elizabeth Line extension is harming the GLA budget. Local Guardian

Mainline / Overground

The Barking – Gospel Oak Rail User Group campaigners say the rail service is on brink of collapse Local Guardian

All stations to regeneration? Work on HS2 begins in earnest The Guardian

The UK’s HS2 high-speed rail project is facing a £500m lawsuit over allegations that it undervalued properties in central London that it compulsorily purchased to make way for the train line. Financial Times

Nobody knows what the final cost of HS2 will be, Sir Terry Morgan tells committee Infrastructure Intelligence

Catford station nominated for step-free accessibility improvements News Shopper

c2c sets a new national record for punctual trains East London Advertiser

Caledonian Sleeper’s carriages have completed their test run to London Euston ahead of their roll-out later this year. Railway Technology

Miscellaneous

An East Ham man who pointed a BB gun at rail staff who refused to let him travel without a ticket has been jailed for 15 months. Newham Recorder

Online Underground: the technology behind the Tube’s forthcoming 4G network E&T

An experimental artist has created an app that lulls passengers into a “drift-like state” by playing a soundtrack as they travel on a train. BBC News

Passengers’ appetite for convenience has driven a 2.3% growth in station retail sales over the festive period, Talking Retail

Old Oak Common: More than just designing a station Infrastructure Intelligence

And finally, Want to see a Ferrari sports car covered in a London Underground style tube map? IanVisits

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Image above is from Oct 2017: Crossrail starts restoration of Kingsway Subway

from IanVisits http://bit.ly/2DyCRzK