London Rail

Category: London Transport

  • The Arnos Park Viaduct Mystery

    Arnos Park Viaduct on the Piccadilly Line is the biggest brick viaduct ever built for London’s underground under the LPTB. 3 million bricks were used in its construction and the viaduct was built in the early 1930s, with the railway upon it to Southgate, Oakwood and Cockfosters opening in 1933. The viaduct is also the…

  • The DLR 30 years ago (2)

    As I pointed out in Part One of this feature, the opening of the DLR to the public was not without its problems. Our train which was bound for Island Gardens got diverted to Poplar. On the next day, the 1st of September 1987, I encountered a somewhat more serious problem on the DLR as…

  • The DLR 30 years ago

    Today is the 30th anniversary of the Docklands Light Railway. It was officially opened by the Queen on 30 July 1987 however due to ongoing issues with the operation of the trains it was decided to defer public services a further month. That date was 31st August 1987. These are some of my views from…

  • Tube stations that began life as a terminus #2

    When one asks which tube stations are true underground termini, the answer would be Brixton/Walthamstow (both on the Victoria Line) and Bank/Waterloo (both on Waterloo & City Line). Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo Line) plus Heathrow Terminal Five (Piccadilly Line) will also come to mind. It may surprise one to know London once had many more…

  • Tube stations that began life as a terminus

    When one asks which tube stations are true underground termini, Brixton, Walthamstow (both Victoria Line) and Bank, Waterloo (both Waterloo & City Line), Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo Line) plus Heathrow Terminal Five (Piccadilly Line) will most likely also come to mind. There were loads more underground tube station termini at one time but all these…

  • Central Line: beyond Caxton Road

    A minor update of the article posted two years ago featuring the Central Line around Wood Lane/White City showing how the area’s changed. Previous overground sections of the Central Line are now underground. The header image shows the Central Line tracks as they approach Ariel Way. This section was the original route of the Central…

  • Fantastic LT roundel poster!

    TfL has just published a new poster commemorating the evolution of the LT roundel. Seems Marylebone’s southbound platform has the only large sized poster so far on the network. There are smaller versions at other tube stations for the escalators as shown here.

  • South Kensington Subway #3

    Pavement Lights The subway’s pavement lights can be seen here in Thurloe Street near the station entrance. It seems there were originally six sets of pavement lights in the subway – including two small lights in the turn from the main tunnel to the steps leading into the station. They can be seen from outside…

  • South Kensington Subway #2

    The Subway’s Route The subway at the South Kensington station end where it joins the station’s ticket hall. This isn’t the original entrance but rather it was from a footbridge below which directly linked to the platforms. There seems no records of when these alterations were effected but it appears it was in the late…

  • South Kensington Subway

    The South Kensington subway is the most heavily used foot tunnel in the UK, carrying many millions of people, and it links the tube station at South Kensington with London’s famous museums along Exhibition Road. These are the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. The subway is owned by…

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