Recent content by ntg

I don't think we'll see the central route exist at all. Friends at DfT tell me the BCR is now <1 and will probably only increase to a viable level many years from now if MHCLG settle on building new settlements along the route.

Getting very tired of the hit or miss compatibility with buses. I think I might try and trade my Key in for a paper ticket tomorrow. I ended up stuck walking through Hackney at 11pm last night after being berated by several bus drivers who looked at me as if I was trying to pay with magic beans...

Me too. If I'm still living in Potters Bar I will dump the key for an Oyster card. I am assuming the delay is the move to back-office processing on Oyster.

Has anyone attempted to use their The Key travelcaard on a bus yet? I tried a few days ago on the 19 through Chelsea. Of course, it did not work. So I had nice 15 minute walk down Kings Road instead. The GN Rail twitter account did not provide assistance.

I'm guessing the wait is on TfL moving Oyster processing entirely to back office processing early next year? At which point the limited zones encoded on to the cards become irrelevant and the system can be expanded to include bespoke fairs.

Good to get further evidence of the agreement to extend the Oyster card system out to Welwyn, Epsom airports etc. (page 248).

Posted by a friend who works for Govia on Facebook: Eurgh.

The consultation is out: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/27405.aspx Everyone wants the regional version and they're exploring more potential destinations.

It's often mooted (along with "double track the Canonbury Curve and run GN to Stratford services") but I think with the exact service pattern of Thameslink still somewhat up in the air and the continued running of services from WGC to Moorgate I'm not sure it's necessarily right for London...

One of the earlier possibilities suggested the lines connecting near Stevenage and then rebuilding the line through Hertford to connect the North and the East stations with a new North facing chord over the fields there, but Hertfordshire Country County protested that it would involve demolition...

The right of way existed for a good long time after that. It wasn't until the Hatfield tunnel was built in the mid 80s that the right of way was really destroyed. East West connections to other lines would allow transfers to other services. Obviously I'm not talking about just the Abbey line...

I am a bit disappointed about this. The chance to rebuilt the line to Hatfield was lost in the early eighties for good, there's no way that can ever happen now (too many buildings, too much use as a cycle path, too much wildlife now growing on the path, etc.), but on street running would...

I cynically winder if this is because TfL would prefer to national option and wish to weight public response in this direction - assuming the public do indeed prefer a full national rail style service as opposed to a DLR style one.

East-West rail is still the worst in North London so any improvement there is hugely welcome! The North really needs a tramlink of its own to fix the gaps though. To travel the 4km from Harrow to East Barnet takes 90min by bus, or 70 minutes by train via central London. God knows why people...

Finsbury Park is getting a station number update on he 19th of May. The reinstated platform one is now platforms one and two, so platform one is now three up to six which is now eight. Under this arrangement though platforms 2 and 3 will both serve one of the up lines while 6 and 7 will both...