There has been a lot going on behind the scenes at LR Towers in the last few months. We have a new Friday / Monday Reads Editor, Daniel, who carries on the tradition. And we are adding Martha Lauren as a writer, she had written our look at London’s Super Loop bus Network last year. We are also lucky to have Martha join us, she has an amazingly breadth of knowledge of both UK and North American public transport system, as well as those in Europe. Her own transport blog is here.
A few years ago, we had invited some of our more senior commentators with industry experience to review draft articles, to include their expertise, experience, and knowledge. So whilst they provide fewer comments, their input often gives key insight into the thinking and other factors that affect the development of public transport. We are thankful for their input.
We also have quite a few articles just about ready to post, finalising some details and going through the review process. This includes a post on the final destination and disposition of the Nightstar sleeper car fleet, never operated in UK revenue service, and Part 2 on level boarding, looking at the state of platforms and trains in Europe. As well as a further look at the hype of hydrogen fuel cells, the new wave of intermodal fare integration, and the latest in London’s river buses. Rest assured these and other new posts are coming soon.
If you have an idea for an article you would like us to consider, or would like to help out with editing or other LR activities, do leave a comment or drop us a line at Mike at LondonReconnections.com. Photo posts are also welcome. We are attempting to write some shorter posts, so it need not be a long form opus, and we’ll do the editing for our house style.
LBM
Its good to have a general update – LR has been a long-time source of fascinating transport info that nowhere else quite provides in the same way, and long may that continue!
That said, I do occasionally struggle with LR’s desire to project a singularly upbeat view of itself. I recall (and enthusiastically bought into) the hubris at the time of LR’s print magazine launch eight or so years ago, which was the pinnacle of the professionalisation of the site’s image and reputation. At that time, longform articles were as much as weekly. Perhaps that was difficult to maintain – reliant as I’m sure it was on many hours of passionate volunteering, and of course on a city in which there was actually positive transport news to report on a regular basis. But those of us who are are long-time readers are otherwise guessing at what’s changed. I personally think it would be to LR’s credit to more explicitly acknowledge the challenges as part of a post like this pointing the way towards where the site is going (although perhaps some tacit recognition is implied by the fact that you’ve chosen to make this post in the first place?)
I am of course somebody sitting here pointing out negatives while still receiving something excellent for free. So I take the call to action and will give some thought to how I might be able to help!
@RW Yes I know what you mean. Long gone are the halcyon days of 2014-2016 when we were faced with the sheer prospect of 2050 pre-COVID travel demand, and LR was heroically suggesting London would need a new main line a decade to keep up. Great articles but great commenters too. Whatever happened to Graham H? Sadly the change in focus after brexit and the change in travel after covid really changed the mood of the site.
I only saw that magazine once. Left on a shelf in the Foyles on Charing Cross Road. I’d wish I brought it now.
I found with my (now 21+ year) website that after time you can’t deal with all the negative feedback!
In the early days, people help you out with spelling, labelling or logic errors and that’s all good. You end up doing things that help people it all feels great.
There’s always been trolls around on every computer system anyone has ever allowed the public to access – back in the 1980s I recall them, and some nice people turn into trolls when given a keyboard.
And then one day you just feel under attack. You take a break and when you come back the feeling return.
It’s hard to dedicate the hours needed to do original research and finding it unappreciated and then outlet for professional trolling doesn’t make up for the one time you make it onto BBC News (or even Have I Got News For You). The BBC crop your A3 map down and somehow you’ve ignored some part of London again.
I would love LR to be back in the day like before. It was inspirational and educational.
Thank you for the comments. Indeed, we are somewhat limited by current events and proposals, and unfortunately we are in a slow time for UK public transport. This somewhat limits the inspirational transport being proposed that could realistically be approved and built on the home pitch.
Nevertheless, there are interesting developments, technologies, and lines being constructed and opened around the globe.
Having a full stable of writers is really necessary to publish more than bi-weekly, but we are endeavouring to scale up production. More in the next update. LBM
Is it just me, or is pagination broken on the site? On mobile at least, clicking any of the page numbers shows me the exact same articles. Meaning I can only ever read the most recent 10 or so, and never find older content.
@Paige Turner
The webpage ‘Spotlight’ posts don’t change, unless you scroll down, you won’t see it being paginated. LBM
May we see more about the signalling / infrastructure changes on the Piccadilly Line that are currently happening / happened.
Thanks