I'm surprised Roland didn't post this Ely-related story: CMA warns train passengers face higher prices if Abellio takes on East Midlands franchise The UK’s competition watchdog raised concerns today about higher ticket fares on two routes it is probing as part of an investigation into Abellio’s acquisition of the East Midlands franchise. Abellio’s ownership of Greater Anglia means it...

"Transport for London confirmed to the Guardian that 4G mobile phone technology would go live in tunnels on most of the Jubilee line from March 2020 and on other lines in the coming years." https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/19/calling-at-all- stations-tube-passengers-to-get-4g-reception-from-next-year A spin-off from the 4g replacement for Airwave, it says. Which...

Charles Ellson wrote: On Fri, 19 Jul 2019 00:22:38 -0000 (UTC), Recliner wrote: Charles Ellson wrote: On Thu, 18 Jul 2019 16:59:11 +0100, Roland Perry wrote: In message , at 01:11:12 on Thu, 18 Jul 2019, Charles Ellson remarked:

In message , at 12:29:56 on Sun, 14 Jul 2019, Clank remarked: Roland Perry Wrote in message: That's where the albeit fairly rare dual-SIM phone has a role. Only, for some reason, rare in the UK. The reason is obvious: so many phones are either SIM-locked to one provider, or are fitted with SIMs on non-rollover tariffs, that the opportunities for fitting a second true-Pay-as-you-go...

Crossrail is at major risk of having its opening delayed by even longer than already feared and requiring even more public money, it emerged today. The crisis-hit line has already soared £2.8bn in cost to £17.6bn and its opening is due between October 2020 and March 2021, the original December 2018 date having been abandoned a year ago. A series of high-level warnings by Crossrail’s independent...

I went on the local "walk for health" this morning (which I'm sure you can imagine is frequented by mostly old/infirm folk) we met at the bus stop by a railway station. Much to my surprise, the first leg of the walk was to take the train one stop I was the only one of the group who bothered to tap in and out for this ride

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cycle-lane-breathes-new-life-into-toxic-city-street-nzc93rkcd?shareToken=8c7532273b55208fdbcfc3c4b458d9af

Saw this as I took a rare trip up to cockfosters today, never noticed it before - must have been behind vegetation. There's very little about in online other than it was meant to defend the depot. I'm no military expert but I can't really see what its purpose would have been. If the germans had got to cockfosters then it would have been game over for the tube and probably the country so what was...

Anyone going on the trips tomorrow? -- Roland Perry

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/levc-lcv-revealed-new-black-cab-spawns-hybrid-van-built-londons

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-48660440 -- Graeme Wall This account not read.

On Sunday I expected to find lots of 717s running because the line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park was shut and the trains were diverted to Kings Cross, thus the monitor issues at Essex Road etc would have been no hindrance to running a 100% 717 service... but I couldn't find any 717s running at all. Today (Tuesday) there seem to be loads of 717s running all the way from Moorgate to...

I'm seeing bizarre errors in TfL's journey planner. Examples in recent weeks: a. destination "Homerton Station" is selected and /shown/ in the results but the journey is quite specially to "Homerton Hospital" b. journey to Imperial Hotel, Russell Sq, results in directions to a shop (Portlands) - via a weird detour through Russell Sq gardens. Reports to TfL yield no reply. Is there direct ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48668001

CAF has won the order for 43 new full-length DLR trains, 10 for fleet expansion, and 33 to replace the oldest members of the current fleet: https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/caf-wins-43-train-docklands-light-rail-deal

Does anyone know why the new Siemens 7** classes curve inwards towards the bottom of the doors which makes its very awkward to stand next to the doors when its packed? It can't be loading gauge issues because (until the LU S stock where it was done to fit in the platforms when they dropped the floor height) there's a socking great step protruding out probably 6 inches from the bottom of the...

I saw one in Platform 1 at Paddington at around midnight. The destination indicator on the side said "Shenfield via Stratford". After a couple of minutes it changed to "Hayes & Harlington". I wonder why the "Via Stratford" is felt necessary. -- Basil Jet recently enjoyed listening to Slug - 2015 - Ripe

Talk of spinning off First Bus and reviewing First Rail to concentrate on North America. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48456840?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk&link_location=live-reporting-story -- Graeme Wall This account not read.

wrote: A couple of photos of the first day of 710s on the GOBLIN, 23 May: 710261 at Upper Holloway: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/47928229608/in/dateposted-public/ 710269 at Harringay Green Lanes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/47928216841/in/dateposted-public/

For the 2nd time I've now been on 717 out of Moorgate and for the 2nd time it skipped Old Street and Essex road. Anyone know if this is to do with the sighting issues that have been mentioned or there some other problem at these stations wrt these trains?

On Fri, 24 May 2019 11:51:52 +0100, " wrote: https://www.itv.com/news/london/2019-05-21/london-underground-to-retire-ageing-92-year-old-signal-box/ I wonder if they had as much trouble installing the 1926 state-of-the-art signalling system as we've had in replacing it?

On Fri, 24 May 2019 11:53:20 +0100, " wrote: https://www.itv.com/news/london/2019-05-23/new-trains-arrive-on-the-overground/ Yes, there's a thread on uk.t.l. First reports are that they're a bit quieter, but the seats are just as uncomfortable as the 378s (and worse than the 172s).

Basil Jet wrote: The latest RAIL contains a picture of, IIRC, a 710 in Fenchurch Street. The caption says that on the 9th of May the pictured train formed the 1917 "service" from "Willesden" (presumably Junction) to Fenchurch Street, and then the 2116 from Fenchurch Street to Barking, and then the 2150 from Barking to Willesden. What was all that about? I don't think it was...

The “Live departures & arrivals� pages on nationalrail.co.uk seem to be showing trains every 15 mins each way on the GOBLIN. TfL still says “reduced service�, as far as I can see. Is it really happening? -- Ian ◎

Uber may be forced to levy VAT on its fares, with a potentially huge retrospective bill. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/passengers-face-fare-hikes-after-uber-accused-of-taking-taxman-for-1bn-ride-vt8ht588w?shareToken=10f759b81ee2f668f9176a2c196d3f65

Air pollution: Snuff out scented candles and avoid Tube — how to clean your air https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/air-pollution-snuff-out-scented-candles-and-avoid-tube-how-to-clean-your-air-gps5l9s8r?shareToken=43853b15aafb2b53bcc5cd879b454691

Viewed from the road bridge, it looks as if the electrification masts for the new third track foul where the fourth track would go. I thought all of the present work was supposed to allow passive provision for Crossrail 2? -- Basil Jet - Current favourite song... Spratleys Japs - Hands (Marc Riley session)