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Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 16:27:53 GMT
The rail bridge over the Thames at Barnes Bridge will close for a week at the end of July.
During the closure, engineers will replace all 48 of the solid wooden wheel timbers which carry the tracks over the Grade II Listed bridge. Engineers will also change the baseplates connecting sleepers to the track, and will improve the rail alignment on the approach and exit to the bridge. There will also be trackwork and attention to the electric third rail at other locations on the Hounslow loop.
On Sunday 28th July, buses will replace trains over the entire Hounslow loop, from Barnes to Feltham. From Monday 29th July to Friday 2nd August, buses will replace trains between Barnes and Kew Bridge, with trains running between Kew Bridge and Feltham.
The pedestrian walkway that runs along the side of the bridge is not affected by the work and will remain open throughout.
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Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 16:14:32 GMT
I wonder now if the 31/113/189 plans were thought up when the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street was on the cards. With the full closure at the time planned, stand space would have been hard for all the routes. No doubt that was what did for the 13 ultimately. I think it would have been better to reroute the 139 to Brent Cross after Abbey Road with the 189 withdrawn instead; the 31 & 113 would be left unchanged. The only downside to this is that West Hampstead would lose its direct bus link into central London, but this is certainly miles better than ruining the 31/113 routes & tfl still get to make savings in the process. TfL decided not to introduce the 31/113/189 proposals anyway. The proposed curtailment of the 94 to Marble Arch is also officially off the cards, although the route has suffered quite a hefty frequency reduction.
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Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 9:32:26 GMT
Tunnel Sections currently live:
Northern Line: Belsize Park/Archway - Tottenham Court Road
Central Line: Holland Park - Bank
Jubilee Line: Westminster - Canning Town
Victoria Line: Euston - Warren Street
Tunnel sections expected to be live by the end of Summer 2024:
Northern Line: Stockwell - Morden; Tottenham Court Road - Charing Cross; Golders Green - Belsize Park; East Finchley - Archway; Camden Town - Euston (Bank Branch). So continuous coverage Golders Green/East Finchley to Charing Cross or Euston.
Central Line: White City - Holland Park
Victoria Line: Warren Street - Green Park; Stockwell - Brixton
Bakerloo Line: Oxford Circus - Charing Cross
Piccadilly Line: Hyde Park Corner - Russell Square
Elizabeth Line: all tunnelled sections.
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Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 9:16:55 GMT
Another update:
Elizabeth Line: 4G coverage is now live at all the new stations on the Central core. Work is now proceeding on the tunneled sections, with Bond Street-Liverpool Street due to go live in the next few weeks and the whole line should go live later in the year.
Northern Line: work is now proceeding on the Stockwell-Morden section with stations and tunnels becoming live during the Summer. .
Piccadilly Line: Covent Garden station has now gone live, Piccadilly Circus to Hyde Park Corner is due to go live in the next few weeks.
Victoria Line: Euston to Warren Street is now live.
TfL's expectation is that 80% of its sub-surface stations and the entire Elizabeth Line will have 4G coverage by the end of this year. The intention is that, apart from a few sub-surface locations, the entire sub-surface Underground, plus tunnelled sections of the DLR and London Overground, will have live 4G coverage (plus 5G coverage in tunnels, but not at stations) by the end of 2025.
It is worth re-iterating that the work is being paid for by Boldyn Systems, who will lease capacity to the mobile phone providers, and comes at no cost to TfL. The system will also host the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) which, when fully operational, will give First Responders access to information, data and images during live incidents and emergencies.
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Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 7:37:35 GMT
The 481 is the only Metroline route to not meet any other Metroline routes. Are there any other routes that do not meet another route run by the same operator? Fair chance it won’t meet any passengers after 8pm too. A prime example of TfL getting it oh so wrong. Do you actually know that the 481 doesn't carry any passengers after 20.00? It's all very well sneering but TfL has an obligation to provide these marginal services.
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Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 7:24:26 GMT
Seems someone is not a Stagecoach fan! I’m confused because isn’t surrendering a route when a company sells bus routes to different companies. If that’s the case why would stagecoach be giving routes to stagecoach? But I also don’t know that much on surrendering routes so please correct me if I’m wrong OK. What Stagecoach is doing is invoking the break clause in the contracts, so they go out to tender again. This is usually done because costs have changed and the contracts are no longer generating sufficient revenue. There is nothing stopping Stagecoach from bidding for the routes again, at a more realistic price. It's a gamble, but one they could well win. Contracts surrendered mid-term tend to be re-awarded for a short term (usually three years) to take the new contract to the term when the original one would have been due to end. And it's not just Stagecoach. Most operators in London have now surrendered contracts mid-term. Typically these contracts are based on bids that were prepared and submitted in 2019 and 2020 when the effects of the Covid pandemic, the economic crisis of 2022 and the fuel price rises could not have been foreseen.
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 17:35:15 GMT
Definitley Ashford Kent! Saw a photo on Facebook Aren’t Kent bidding for electrics? They may be - but this vehicle is intended for Ash Grove. It could be pure coincidence that this vehicle has gone to Ashford for inspection, but I'm more inclined to believe it's a mistake.
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 17:19:58 GMT
Jetblack 1 is subject to a lengthy evening diversion this week (Monday 13th-Friday 17th from 19.00) due to highway works on the A4. Buses will be diverted between the Theale Green and the Thatcham, Croppers way bus stops. Buses will operate non-stop via the A4 Theale by-pass, M4, A34 and A4 in both directions. This will leave a considerable section of the A4 through Aldermaston Wharf and Woolhampton unserved, although stops on this section are lightly used and some passengers could use train services at Aldermaston and Midgham as an alternative. Buses departing Reading at 18.30, 19.00, 19.30 and 20.30 and departing Newbury at 18.15, 18.45, 19.05, 19.25 and 20.20 will be affected. www.reading-buses.co.uk/temporary-evening-diversion-jet-black-1
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 15:22:09 GMT
Oxford City Sightseeing has teamed up with a local historian to offer a unique, bespoke bus and walking sightseeing tour: "Black Oxford: Untold Stories". The tour consists of a 60-minute bus tour with commentary, and a 30-minute guided walking tour. The tour introduces previously untold stories of Black scholars who studied at Oxford University, and celebrates that history of some of the city's landmarks from a Black perspective. The tour was devised by local historian Pamela Roberts, the founder and director of "Black Oxford: Untold Stories" which challenges the perception that historically Black students did not study at Oxford University. Ms Roberts, herself a Black woman, will give a live commentary on the bus tour. The tour takes place on Saturdays 27th July, 10th August and 14th September, as well as the weekends of 5th/6th and 12th/13th October during Black History Month. www.citysightseeingoxford.com/black-oxford/
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 14:38:42 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 14:25:40 GMT
Bluestar has taken delivery of sixteen new ADL Enviro400 MMC for routes 2 and 7.
A further 28 ADL Enviro400 MMC are due at Morebus, as a follow-on order for the 27 that were delivered last year.
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 14:16:16 GMT
Small and Medium-size Enterprise (SME) operators are being encouraged to speak up about matters that directly affect them, ahead of the next General Election and with radical change in the industry a real possibility. The big issues are: - Franchising, and ensuring that SME operators have a role to play; - Possible devolution of BSOG (Bus Service Operators Grant) which could lead to unequal funding and a threat to operators in some areas; - a longer-term funding settlement to underpin a secure future for the bus industry. This should include a statutory definition of socially necessary services, which Local Authorities would be obliged to fund. Around 150 independent operators and the remaining few municipally-owned companies are represented by The Association of Bus Company Managers, or ALBUM. www.route-one.net/features/how-can-bus-franchising-be-made-to-work-better-for-smes/www.route-one.net/news/sme-bus-operators-must-feed-into-pre-election-policy-debate/
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 12:53:29 GMT
204 to Stanmore Station would make more sense, there would be a toilet there as the H12 already terminates there. Indeed, although it'd be somewhat irritating having it stop short of the main shopping parade - and I daren't say it might overcrowd the relatively small stand at the station. Then again, look at Bromley North.... I did consider Stanmore Broadway, but I don't know if the former stand at Stanmore Church is still available/suitable, and how much the traffic in the area would screw up the service as buses would have to queue four times to get through two sets of traffic lights. And then you would still have the issue of erecting a 'turdis'. Stanmore Station should cope OK now the 324 no longer terminates there.
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 8:32:14 GMT
Ah thanks, very interesting, I hadn't seen that. I think when TfL looked at the 303 before (when it merged with 305) they did explore a Broadway/Flower Lane routing, so I expect that is what will happen as it is more logical for interchange and avoids the bridge/pavement issues. Funnily enough, I happened to go past Canons Corner today and there is a terminus stop for the 642 service to London Academy, so I assume the 204 could stop there and turn around the roundabout. So it is possible even if, as previously stated, it is not the most exciting or useful terminus. They'd need to install a toilet (a "turdis" if you will) for that Canons Corner stand to be of any realistic use. 204 to Stanmore Station would make more sense, there would be a toilet there as the H12 already terminates there.
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Post by wirewiper on May 13, 2024 8:24:01 GMT
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