Recently, the Financial Times celebrated 125 years of publication and reproduced, by way of remembrance, a copy of its first front page, of 13th February, 1888. The front page makes interesting reading for LR readers, as there were no less than three references to the railways serving London, copies of which can be seen below. The first article is a preliminary glimpse of the half-yearly report of the Great Northern Railway. This is largely self explanatory. It gives a good … Continued

Finsbury Park Station. Its very name has been known to elicit a shudder from the passengers condemned to use its narrow winding passageways, inadequate (and largely un-weatherproof) ticket offices, and grimy stairwells. That’s a lot of shudders for Finsbury Park is, by some measures, the fourth busiest station outside Zone One. For years, locals and interchanging commuters have been assured that the station would be overhauled, with the introduction of step-free access and other improved facilities. Due to lack of … Continued

Today the Mayor of London announced the fares levels that will apply to TfL services and National Rail services within the zonal area from 2nd January 2013. Full details of TfL fare and season ticket prices are in the Mayoral Decision document, but a summary can be found below. Fares to and from Watford Junction are determined by London Midland and have not yet been disclosed. Fares will increase, on average, by 4.2% which is equivalent to the RPI value … Continued

For many years a new entrance to West Croydon station that was more convenient for the tram stop and bus station has been advocated. Although the start of construction had been announced the opening itself seems to have gone unremarked. The entrance is new but it is next to the original station building which, unusually, was built on the down side of the station. The whitewashed wall is part of the original station building. Note that the ticket machine has … Continued

Given the extensive discussion of the HLOS that has already now developed elsewhere in the comments on this site, there is perhaps little left to add to the topic here – instead,those looking for a detailed breakdown of the HLOS would do well to read the comments on our previous piece. That said, there are a few things that are still worth drawing attention to, some of which have not really been covered in the discussions already featured here, and … Continued

With just two weeks to go until the start of the Olympics, London’s transport system is gearing up for what could be one of its most challenging six weeks: ferrying an extra one million passengers to and from Olympic and Paralympic venues, as well as having to cope with the usual daily commuters. Get ahead of the Games is a highly publicised website advising how to get around during the Games, and can be accessed here. Below are some key … Continued