Wembley Park Tube in the 1948 Olympics

This is what Wembley Park London Underground station looked like in the summer of 1948 when London last hosted the Olympic Games. It's seems to be a picture of calm even though extra services were provided to handle the "crowds"!


You can just about see the bunting & a few Olympic rings put up to brighten up the station. I suppose it's no surprise the decor wasn't lavish. The UK was still in the grip of postwar austerity and there were strong arguments against spending funds on the event. Due to the war, the Olympics had already been cancelled twice.

So it was not only a miracle that the Games took place but they were actually very successful and attracted valuable visitors to London.


 

Paul Collins has written an interesting book An Olympic Summer : Transport for London in 1948, based around some fascinating historical photographs. It records the British transport scene during that summer of 1948 when the world travelled to England and the immediate post-war road and rail networks were put to the test.

It'll be interesting to see what both Westminster & Wembley Park stations look like in a few weeks time & compare them to our upcoming Olympic Summer.  How will historians report on Transport for London in 2012?  Bear in mind a lot of the photos we are taking today will be in the history books (or rather e-books) of the future.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Friday, July 13, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/07/wembley-park-tube-in-1948-olympics.html

Olympic Queuing Rehearsals at London Stations

Today, 10th July 2012, there will "simulated queuing" and other passenger diversions in place at four railway stations in practice for the Olympic Games. You're being advised to treat Victoria, Cannon Street, Charing Cross and London Bridge as normal, so that the Olympic tests are not invalid.  The idea of "simulated queuing" fills me with much joy and dread at the same time.

If there was an  Olympic sport us Londoners would be good at, queuing at London's stations would be one of them.  In fact many of us would qualify for Gold medals for queuing at Victoria station quite naturally, so why it needs to be "simulated" God only knows.

How one "simulates" queuing also puzzles me.  Are there going to be staff at the station moving the normal queues around so that they form different patterns? Are we being asked to queue in an unorderly fashion to see what happens?

At least the "passenger diversions" are explained.  At London Bridge, Network Rail will be testing procedures to avoid a "major crush" between Olympic equestrian fans returning from Greenwich Park and city workers heading home in the other direction. Passengers leaving incoming trains will be sent on a diversion around the station before they can enter the Tube network.

Apparently London Bridge is seen as the “Achilles heel” of the network and will become exit-only on at least one day during the Games.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “During the Games, some of our stations will be extremely busy at certain times of day — nowhere more so than London Bridge.

“We have plans to help manage crowds and keep people moving. Tuesday’s test events will give commuters the chance to get used to the way some of our busiest stations will work during the Games and allows us to make sure the plans we have in place are right.  While commuters should continue to use London Bridge station as normal in the run-up to the Games, our advice is to avoid the station if possible at Games time.”

If you get involved in simulated queuing or passenger diversions at any of the test stations today, do let me know.  I want to hone up my queuing skills as I'm slightly worried that they might not be up to scratch for the Olympics.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/07/olympic-queuing-at-london-stations.html

Crossrail archaeology exhibition - Bison to Bedlam

Tunnelling through London for Crossrail isn't just an major engineering project.  While the boring is going on the building of the new railway has uncovered some important and interesting achaelogical remains. Yesterday I was lucky to visit the launch of a one day exhibition Bison to Bedlam of what has been uncovered.


The new railway passes through the heart of the West End of London and along the north edge of the Roman and Medieval city. The finds on display include prehistoric animal bones, Roman finds, human remains from the infamous Bedlam psychiatric hospital and remnants of Britain's industrial past.

 I loved this old chamber pot uncovered at Stepney Green which dates back to the 19th century.  The decoration inside the pot has a shocked male face saying "Oh What I see, I will not tell"  and on the outside once can make out "when you in it want to p-ss, remember they who gave you this"

Crossrail said "One of the core objectives of the Crossrail archaeology programme is the dissemination of archaeology information to the wider archaeological community, together with a focused education and outreach programme for local communities."

The bison remains pictured above were found at Royal Oak and are around 68,000 years old.  I learnt that Royal Oak bison were exceptionally small when compared to other Pleistocene bison. 

A number of archaeology projects have already taken place at Crossrail worksites at Liverpool Street, Tottenham Court Road and Stepney Green.

The tableware above is from Paddington station and was found at Old Oak Common train maintenance depot where trains were cleaned and stabled.

The exhibition opens to the public today, Saturday 7th July 2012, and runs from 10am to 5pm at The Music Room, Grays Antiques, 26 South Molton Lane, W1K 5LF.

Talks will be given on the day by Crossrail contractors from Museum of London Archaeology and Ramboll at 11:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:00.  More details here.

Update - London City Nights also went along to the exhibition on Saturday & have blogged about it too with more photos. I'll update you, if (hopefully) /when the exhibition goes to other parts of London.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Saturday, July 07, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/07/crossrail-archaeology-exhibition-bison.html

TfL boss takes to Twitter for Olympic Question Time #AskPeter

If you've wanted to chance to moan, praise or question the head of London's transport about what's happening the London Underground, London Overground, bus & London's roads over the Olympic Games today's your chance.  Peter Hendy, London's Transport Commissioner, will be on Twitter between 10:30am and 11:30am on Friday 6 July 2012, to help everyone plan their travel ahead of the London 2012 Games.  TfL and the Get Ahead of the Games Twitter feed @GAOTG will be hosting the chat, using the hashtag #AskPeter.


During the Twitter chat, Peter will answer questions on all aspects of travel planning ahead of the Games, from how we can avoid transport hotspots, to what businesses can do to prepare for the Games.

Peter Hendy, said: 'During the Games, London will be turned into a massive sporting and cultural venue. Parts of the transport network are going to be exceptionally busy, so we're urging people not to chance it. 

'Talking to people directly on Twitter is just another way that we're offering people advice and support to help them plan ahead to avoid the travel hotspots.'

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Friday, July 06, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/07/tfl-boss-take-to-twitter-olympic.html

Pandas on the Tube - Panda Awareness Week

If you spotted a bunch of pandas walking around on their hind legs yesterday, it was all in aid of World Panda Awareness Week.  Obviously they had to travel on the London Underground and could be spotted on escalators on the network

Photo PA

108 people dressed in panda outfits  represented the real-life equivalents who live in the Chengdu Panda Base, a giant panda research centre in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Zhang Zhihe, head of the Chengdu Panda Base, said: "Our ultimate goal is to help the pandas return to their natural habitat and to increase the number of giant pandas living in the wild. We hope that Panda Awareness Week can help us gain more support for panda conservation and find new advocates for this very special cause."

Let's hope these pandas kept clear of Camden Town or Great Portland Street Tube stations as they might found themselves herded into London Zoo.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Thursday, July 05, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/07/pandas-on-tube-panda-awareness-week.html

Boris makes Olympic Tube announcements

From today don't be surprised if the person making announcments on your London Underground commute sounds a little familiar.  Boris Johnson has recorded a number of Tube announcements designed to help us plan our travel during the Olympic Games.  In one of the recordings he says: "Hi folks! This is the Mayor here. This is the greatest moment in the life of London for 50 years. We're welcoming more than a million people a day to our city and there is going to be huge pressure on the transport network. Don't get caught out. Get online and plan your journey at GetAheadoftheGames.com"


Boris Johnson Photo By Andrew Parsons/ i-Images
The messages come as Boris tries to get employers to finalise their Games plans and communicate them to staff.  In a press release he says "This summer will be a hugely exciting time for London, and with a million extra visitors a day to our great city, our roads and public transport services are going to be exceptionally busy, and journeys may take longer than usual. 

"So it's vital that businesses and Londoners don't adopt a 'wait and see' approach and play their part in putting on a fantastic Olympics."

Listen out for the announcements on your Tube journey.  There's a slim chance TfL might have got him to make a couple of more familiar announcements, such as "Hi Folks, It's the Mayor here. I'm told that there are a variety of miscreants operating on a number of carriages throughout this marvellous transport machine.  Please be sure to keep your bags, laptops and other valuable items closely on your person at all times, as we do not want these opportunists making off with your possessions. Don't get caught out. Thanks, Boris".    One can only hope.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, July 03, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/07/boris-olympic-tube-announcements.html

Why no early Sunday Tube service for Olympic Games?

As the Olympics looms ever closer and the London Underground gets covered in pink stickers pointing us in various directions to get to venues, I received an empassioned email from Lisa Stewart who's finding it will be impossible to get to the Games. This isn't due to an overcrowding or just because it's going to be uncomfortable but because of the lack of early Sunday services. Over to Lisa:

Image  by Jon Justice

"Basically, why on earth are they not running trains as early on Sundays as they are during the week, when the same events are running with 8am starts? I've tried 4 different train lines from my area and none will get me to Stratford before 8.30am. I'm based on the Met line/Chiltern Line in Chorleywood. I looked at using Watford Junction station, I looked at driving to Stanmore to use the Jubilee line, but that doesn't start before 7am?! The Jubilee line, possibly the most used line during the Olympics, not starting before 7am on Sundays when events start at 8am. I feel utterly let down and ripped off! 

I emailed the Olympic Contact Us site and just got an email back with a link to First Group, ie drive there!  It says you have to get to the car park 90 mins before you get to Olympic Site, and to the Olympic site an hour before you need to get to your Venue, that totals 2.5hrs. The car parks don't open until 6am, the events start at 8am, so I can't even allow enough time! Has anyone done the maths on any of these timings?!

There is talk of starting the Sunday service 45 mins earlier, but that is yet to be confirmed, reflected, on the time tables (for my area at least) and is still not enough time, even if they do it. 

It all seems so ill conceived, badly thought out and the left hand has no clue what the right hand is doing. I have tickets to shooting and diving too and quite frankly have lost my appetite for the Games altogether. I thought the whole idea was to discourage us from driving into town, but they are not providing suitable alternatives. 

I have tried speaking to the Olympic helpline, and one lady, though very sweet, knew nothing! Said they hadn't had the timetables yet for the Underground, can that really be the case? Then why, oh why, am I bombarded with emails almost daily asking me to plan ahead, plan my transport, book my transport, when the timetables haven't even been released! I would dearly love to plan my journey, I've been trying to for over a month! I hope that common sense prevails and someone actually realises that you have to start the trains by 6am latest, preferably 5am, in order for people to have a fighting chance of getting to their events?

They should run the trains for the same week day hours all week, including weekeneds for the Olympics, the event times don't change, why should the train times. We may not need quite as many trains, since no rush hour to deal with, but we certainly need them to start as early. I naively thought, the Tube would provide an adequate service.

I live 30 mins from Baker St by train, but I cannot get to the venue before 8.30am using public transport, which means I won't enter the venue until 9.30-10am earliest with security checks, which means I miss the first match, and some of the 2nd. I paid £140 for 2 tickets and I wish I hadn't now. "

If anyone has any other suggestions for Lisa to get into London in time for the games,  she'd love to hear.  Also if anyone from London Underground has a response for Lisa that would also be great.  She's emailed Seb Coe & Boris Johnson in her despair, but could well be waiting until the next Olympics before she gets a answer from them.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Friday, June 29, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-no-early-sunday-olympic-tube.html

3D Tube Station Map Viewer

Here's something for fans of those 3D cutaway London Underground station plans that I've blogged about. Andrew Godwin is starting to build a collection of 3D diagrams of Tube stations that give you an iteresting view of the stations and interchanges.

It's still a work in progress and at the moment has only the stations he knows well: King's Cross, Old Street, Bank/Monument, Oxford Circus, Seven Sisters, Walthamstow Central and Shadwell & West Silverton on the DLR.   Hat tip to  James Whateley for alerting me to this.

You can drag each view to spin it, and use the mouse wheel to zoom the view. You can focus on different parts of the model using the "Focus:" selector, and hover over features to get information.

There's a lot of discussion on a discussion group for things you'd like to see added, corrections, improvements etc which Andrew seems to be taking on board.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/3d-tube-station-map-viewer.html

Supercar - 1991 Tube Bus Train Restored

Is it a train? Is it a Tube? Is it a bus? Yes, It's a SuperCar.  So enthused a brilliant ad from 1991 promoting the TravelCard - then called the CapitalCard. Thanks to London Bus & Track, the Supercar has been restored.  The combined London Underground carriage / bus / train will be on the streets next month.

The Epping Ongar Railway said "Supercar will be out and about this summer, attending a number of functions and making some surprise appearances… so keep your eyes peeled and cameras ready…. Next week Supercar will be at the Bus Rally on 1st July at North Weald airfield, when there will also be a special shuttle bus linking the railway and Bus Rally, details from the timetables page on our website."


There were a number of posters around at the time advertising the virtues of the CapitalCard (see the one pictured below that I found at Richmond station).



But I never knew that an actual real Supercar had been produced. Hat Tip IanVisits who found that the Epping Ongar Railway had unveiled its appearance again.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Monday, June 25, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/supercar-tube-bus-train-restored.html

Olympic Wrapped 'Get Ahead of The Games' Tube Train - Guess Where Tube 20

Another Olympic themed Guess Where Tube picture.  For visitors unfamiliar with the "Guess Where Tube" game it's where I ask you to guess from exactly where on the London Underground, certain pictures from the London Tube Flickr group were taken from. This one was snapped by Shell  a few days ago & shows a new Olympic wrapped Tube train.


You've seen these cartoon weightlifters on the Get Ahead of the Games posters around the London Underground trying to muscle their way out of the Tube at the same time.  There was even a reconstruction of the illustration with real weight lifters.  Now they have their own Tube train too.

So can you guess from exactly where the photo was taken from? There's no prize for getting it right, just the satisfaction of knowing you were right.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Friday, June 22, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/olympic-wrapped-tube-train-get-ahead.html

Friday's Bus Strike could close the Tube

RMT leader Bob Crow was full of the joys of summer today when he warned that Friday's bus strike over Olympic bonuses could lead to London Underground closures.  Crow said it could have a "massive impact" on Tube services and "has deep concerns about the safety implications of trying to cram hundreds of thousands of extra journeys into a system creaking at the seams and our safety reps will be monitoring the situation closely on Friday."

He continued: "Any threat to staff and passenger safety and we will of course take the appropriate action. The situation on Friday could prove the acid test in dealing with the Olympics"

London Loves Business reports that Crow announced that staff should cite health and safety regulations if too many people board the trains and that drivers should refuse to drive.

However London Underground operations director Nigel Holness, said: “London Underground has an excellent safety record and is one of the safest metros in the world, and has well-practised congestion management procedures to deal with large numbers of customers.

“Should this strike go ahead, we will have additional staff in place at key locations on Friday to provide help and information to enable customers to complete their journeys. All of our staff are well trained  and fully understand our congestion management plans, and we will be ready to use those procedures if necessary to ensure that we can continue to keep London moving.”

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/bus-strike-could-close-tube.html

Olympic Venues published on Tube Map

If you're travelling on the Bakerloo Line, take a look at their London Underground in-carriage maps. You'll see that some pink boxes above some stations showing people where to change for Olympic venues.  Chris Pearson spotted these on his way home & kindly took some photos.

In addition to the one pictured above for Hyde Park, there are ones at Piccadilly Circus & Charing Cross for Horseguards Parade, where I believe beach volleyball will be taking place.  There's also one at Wembley Central, just in case tourists might be confused of the stop to use for Wembley (there is a little clue in the name - but some people may need extra help!)

I haven't seen in these on any other lines yet, but perhaps they will be appearing on other lines too.  Let me know if you see any.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/olympic-venues-on-tube-map.html

Free WiFi on the London Underground - Who's Used It?

After recent tests, Virgin Media's Wi-Fi has finally been rolled out onto some London Underground platforms and stations.  The BBC's Rory Cellan Jones tested it couple of weeks ago and wondered what the service would be like when thousands of people were using it.


London Underground Wi-Fi Poster by Trowbridge Estate I've seen the Wi-Fi sign pop up whilst underground but wasn't fast enough to register with Virgin to see if it worked, as I quickly went "out of range".

Like many other Oystercard holders I received an email from TfL yesterday which said
"I am writing to let you know that WiFi services are now available at the following Tube stations: 

Euston 
Green Park 
King’s Cross St. Pancras 
Oxford Circus 
Victoria 
Warren Street 

If you have a WiFi enabled device, you will be able to check for the latest travel information online and for example access your emails. The signal will be available in ticket halls, corridors and on platforms. A one-off registration is required to access the online service which will be free during the summer. Access to travel advice will remain free after the Games. We plan to have 80 Tube stations WiFi enabled before the Games. For more information, please visit tfl.gov.uk/wifi ."

I haven't been at any of the above stations long enough to see how the Wi-Fi worked, have you?  I'd been keen to hear what experiences you've had accessing the free WiFi at stations and whether it's worked at deep level platforms.  Thanks.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Thursday, June 14, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/wifi-london-underground-whos-used-it.html

Waterloo & City Line running Sunday Service for London Olympics

Those with the brand new London Underground Map may have noticed that the "dagger" by the Waterloo & City Line shows a different description for the Olympics. "During the London 2012 Games the line will operate 0621-0100 Mondays to Fridays and 0802-0100 Saturdays and Sundays."  So for the first time since 1947 the line will be open on Sundays!  I also discovered that it will run until 2am for the opening ceremony.


Photo by whatleydude
As Mark Morris who brought this to my attention said, "I don't know why TfL haven't publicised this yet, but for once a positive story around transport over the Olympic Games".

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/waterloo-city-line-sunday-olympic.html

Tube Staff Vote for Strike Action

Following a ballot at the end of May the RMT have announced that key control centre Tube staff have voted in favour of strike action.  The row is over over jobs and conditions of service.


Bob Crow by njbarnett
Bob Crow of the RMT said “This group of workers are absolutely key to delivering the service on the Piccadilly line and sub-surface railway and the way that they have been treated by the management at a time when the system is under intense pressure is nothing short of shocking. 

“These are the same key staff who keep services running when demand is at a peak and they are the same staff who manage the problems when the lines are hit by breakdowns and failures. They deserve respect for the job that they do and not the imposition of inferior working conditions and the threat to jobs. 

“RMT executive will consider this result and the union remains available for meaningful talks.”

Nigel Holness London Underground's Operations Director believes that all the issues have been addressed and said "We have been in discussion with the unions across the entire Tube network, including the sub-surface lines, since 2007 on the impact of changes arising from our upgrading of signalling systems.


We have already addressed nearly all of the issues raised by the RMT, and I would urge the RMT leadership to continue working with us to help staff prepare for these changes, which will be implemented in five years' time."

As with most strikes there's still room for talks, so keep an eye on the news for updates.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/tube-staff-vote-for-strike-action.html

Tube Lines with most complaints - Jubilee wins

If you're one of those people who thinks the London Underground line you use is the most complained about, if you use the Jubilee Line, you now have figures to back this up.  Obviously we don't all go to the trouble of physically complaining about the service (if you're like me submitting a Customer Charter form to get your fare refunded may be enough)

However,  the Mayor recently got back to Val Shawcross (Deputy Chair of the London Assembly's Transport Committee) on a number of unanswered questions that she had posed to him.



photo by version3point1 One of those questions was how many complaints were received about London Underground services, by line and in total, for the latest available reporting periods?" Boris' response from the question asked on May 23.  "A record 1.171 billion journeys were made using the Tube in 2011/12. During Period 13 (4 - 31 March) of this year, LU carried 92.7 million passengers. 

	P13
Not Specified	666
Bakerloo	20
Central	106
Victoria	71
Jubilee	145
Northern	91
Piccadilly	95
Hammersmith & City & Circle	49
District	100
Metropolitan	89
Waterloo & City	2
Total	1434

During Period 13, there were 1.54 complaints for every 100,000 passenger journeys. These figures compare with an average of 69 complaints for every 100,000 journeys, recorded across the Train Operating Companies.

For the year 2011/12, LU recorded its lowest ever level of Lost Customer Hours since the measure began in 1999. Those travelling on the Bakerloo Line seem relatively happy with their lot & those on the Waterloo & City hardly think of complaining about their one stop journey at all.

During the Olympics the Jubilee Line is going to be one of the most used lines, so it will be interesting to see what happens to these figures over the summer months.

Thanks to Val's press office for sharing these figures.  I'm sure TfL will tell us they can probably be found somewhere in the depths of TfL's website, but it's interesting that Val had to ask (a number of times) for these figures.  I certainly join her & Caroline Pidgeon in thier campaign to make TfL and the Mayor more accountable for publishing stats like this (Caroline's campaigned for more accountability on stations which overcharge the most on Oyster cards too)  

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Friday, June 08, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/tube-lines-with-most-complaints-jubilee.html

Flood disrupts Central Line & Hosepipe Ban Lifted

Last night passengers were led off a London Underground Central Line train. A Thames Water pipe burst and litres of  water poured down a ventilation shaft and flooded tracks at Stratford station.

Photo by Tom Edwards

Today the line is still suspended between Bethnal Green and  Leytonstone.

Nigel Holness, LU's operations director, said: "The Central Line is currently suspended between Bethnal Green and Leytonstone due to flooding in the Mile End area, caused by works taking place to a Thames Water main at street level. 

"Water has come through a nearby Tube ventilation shaft, flooding the track, and leaving us unable to run services. London Underground is pressing Thames Water to resolve the situation as soon as possible to enable us to get services back up and running, but it is likely the suspension will be in place for some time."

Londonist note that somewhat ironically, that Thames Water have decided to lift the hosepipe ban "As if by way of an apology, Thames Water also announced this morning that it could lift the hosepipe ban imposed earlier this year; we assume that the rainfall during the Jubilee celebrations makes up for the 2m litres lost in Stratford."

It's like that the disruption to the Central Line will continue throughout the day, so it worth following TfL’s live service updates if you need to use the Line further east than Bethnal Green.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Thursday, June 07, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2012/06/flood-disrupts-central-line-hosepipe.html

Model Steam Train Rides at Brunel Museum - Open Garden Squares Weekend

As part of the Open Garden Squares Weekend from 9th - 10th June 2012, The Brunel Museum will be organising rides on model steam trains along Railway Avenue.  The Museum stands in some lovely riverside gardens planned & planted by the local community.  Also for the weekend, and for the first time since London Overground have taken over the area's Thames Tunnel, they will be switching on the Tunnel lights for floodlit train tunnel tours.



Robert Hulse from The Brunel Museum said: "From the station platform visitors can see the pillars and portico of Brunel’s magnificent grotto, stretching under the river. The archways are now empty, but they once held shops, tightrope-walkers, sword-swallowers and fire-eaters in the world’s first underwater fair!"



Both the steam train rides and floodlit tunnel tours are free. Brunel Museum are also holding £5 tours of the Grand Entrance Hall, a secret underground chamber, where you can descend a temporary staircase into a huge underground space half the size of Shakespeare’s Globe. For more information on all these events, visit the Museum's website.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Tuesday, June 05, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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First WiFi Tube Stations Announced

After yesterday's successful trial at a "secret" location TfL have announced the 80 London Underground stations that will receive Wi-Fi by the end of July.  Virgin Media’s Jon James said: “We’ve been working round-the-clock to install and test the WiFi and are about to connect some iconic and world-famous stations to the internet.”  The stations include Angel, Barbican, Covent Garden, Charing Cross, Green Park,  Hammersmith, Finsbury Park, Kentish Town, King's Cross, Leicester Square, Liverpool Street, Oxford Circus, Old Street, Oval, Paddington, Seven Sisters, Swiss Cottage, Stratford, Vauxhall, Victoria, Warren Street, Waterloo and Westminster.


London Underground's strategy director Gareth Powell said: "The first stations include some of our busiest and most well-known destinations and we're on track for a successful launch this summer, all delivered at no additional cost to fare-payers or taxpayers."

Yesterday the BBC's Rory Cellan Jones was filmed using the Tube Wi-Fi service at a secret location and said it  was "pretty fast" and added "let's see how it goes when thousands are using it".

Currently The Virgin Media contract is only for ticket offices, escalators and platforms because it would have required major construction work to have added connectivity to the network's tunnels. But if you are on the Tube in an area within the stations covered, there may be enough range to pick up a connection on a train itself. 120 stations will be fitted out by the end of the year.

You can see a  full list of stations at Londonist

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Friday, June 01, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Wi-Fi Tests at "Secret" Tube Station

The BBC were doing some tests of  Wi-Fi on the London Underground today at a secret location.  It seems to be "pretty fast" right now, but Rory Cellan-Jones said "let's see how it goes when thousands are using it".  He also had the privilege of sending the first tweet, saying, "Historic first tweet from deep under London using @TFLofficial @virginmedia new tube wifi service - testing, testing."



Guesses on the "secret location" appear to be favouring Warren Street.  So if you're travelling through the station today on the Victoria Line look out for the sensors on the tunnel roof.

Wi-Fi has been promised at 80 stations. The Virgin Media contract is only for ticket offices, escalators and platforms because it would have required major construction work to have added connectivity to the network's tunnels. But if you are on the Tube in an area within the stations covered, there may be enough range to pick up a connection on a train itself. 120 stations will be fitted out by the end of the year.


After the period of free access to all during the Olympics, Virgin Media's broadband & mobile customers will get continued access as part of their subscriptions. Other non-paying users will be limited to a site showing online travel information.

Thanks to Lloyd Davis for alerting me to this.

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London Underground; Tube Posted by Unknown Thursday, May 31, 2012 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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