Blackfriars Tube Closes for Two Years

Blackfriars tube station has closed for two years to enable work on the Thameslink upgrade project to take place.  The station, which is on the Circle and District lines, will reopen in 2011. The mainline station is unaffected by the works and passengers are advised to use Mansion House station instead.

Train fair?

All the papers are reporting the government-funded Passenger Focus research saying that Brits pay more for train travel than anywhere else in Europe, which I have to admit doesn’t come as a great surprise given the way the railways work. I’m just about to put my hand in my pocket and fork out another £1K+ for the pleasure of partaking in the joys of South West Trains for another year, which could be seen as as either confidence or bravado given the state of the City nowadays.

If you’re anything like me then it’s the simple pleasures in life that count, like getting a seat on a train, but over the last year I’ve had to give up on the 7.30, then the 7.12 and since New Year I’ve abandoned even the 6.56 in favour of the 6.41 just so that I can get a seat without having to resort to the jockeying for position on the platform which accompanies overcrowding. Many of my former train-mates on the 7.12 and 6.56 now also turn up for the 6.41 so I suspect I’m not alone in that sentiment and anything that’ll give leverage to those asking for a decent service at a reasonable price is welcome.

Commuters Promised Hassle Free Christmas

Network Rail has promised that rail improvement work taking place over Christmas will not disrupt commuters and that there will be a full service coming out of Liverpool Street following the Christmas weekend.

Read more in the Romford Recorder