New £3.6bn London Transport Funding Deal Agreed
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These five paragraphs outline the deal.
A new £3.6bn government bailout to keep Tube trains, railways, buses and trams running in London has been agreed.
The package includes almost £1.2bn of upfront funding for Transport for London (TfL) to secure the long-term future of the capital’s transport network.
It is the sixth bailout for TfL after its revenues plummeted in the pandemic.
The funds will allow Piccadilly line trains to be built as well as upgrades to three Tube lines.
TfL Commissioner Andy Byford described the deal as “hard won” but Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is also chair of TfL, branded it “far from ideal”.
I have a few thoughts.
Will The North And Scotland Like It?
In my travels around the UK, when I ask someone on a bus,train or tram about their new transport funding, I often get a reply something like.
It’s good, but London gets more.
I don’t think other areas of the UK will like £3.6 billion, especially after Crossrail’s over budget and late construction.
Driverless Trains
The BBC article says this about driverless trains.
The 16-page settlement letter includes a commitment to “press forward a joint programme on the implementation of driverless trains on the London Underground”.
These seven paragraphs in the settlement letter say this about driverless trains.
29. TfL’s record of modernisation and innovation should not leave it behind other European
networks, which are achieving significant operational efficiencies through driverless trains.
Accordingly, DfT and TfL will press forward with the joint programme on the implementation of
driverless trains on the London Underground, recognising TfL’s safety, regulatory and statutory
responsibilities.
30. Taking the findings of the network review to the next stage, TfL will continue to work with DfT
to develop the evidence required to make a strong case for investment in driverless trains on the
London Underground. This will include but not be limited to the work set out below.
31. TfL will work with DfT to assess the case for introducing GoA4 on the London Underground
network, taking into account opportunities and risks.
32. TfL will undertake further studies and wider research to support progressing driverless trains
on the lines where the case(s) are strongest.
33. In addition, TfL should continue working with DfT to make progress developing and testing
innovative technology, where it can save money in the delivery of driverless trains.
34. Based on the findings of the above, TfL will work with DfT to develop a business case for
driverless trains as necessary.
35. TfL will ensure senior representation on the joint programme and will actively support this work
through the provision of staff resources, expertise and access to both the London Underground
network and any information sources. TfL’s participation should seek to explore all options in a
collaborative and open manner and work with the programme on an implementation plan. HMG
will provide resource funding to TfL to enable it to support the programme’s work
Around 1970, I worked at ICI in sections who were at the forefront in creating computer-controlled chemical plants.
I also remember that Simulation magazine gave a detailed description about how London Underground’s Victoria Line worked using automation, which colleagues thought was an excellent system.
The trouble with driverless trains, is that they have got too political.
- You have the Government wanting to introduce driverless trains for reasons of efficiency and to follow the best technological practice in Europe.
- You have the Unions totally against it for their obvious reasons.
- You have the Mayor of London grudgingly accepting it.
I take a practical attitude to automation based on the views of world-class automation engineers, I worked with in the 1960s and 1970s.
- In an airliner, most of the flying, landing and control of the aircraft is automatic, with the pilot monitoring everything on instruments.
- Much of the automation I was involved with all those years ago, was about ensuring optimal operation of plant and machinery and ensuring that the safety margins were not exceeded.
These two paragraphs from Wikipedia, explain the operation of the Victoria Line.
On opening, the line was equipped with a fixed-block Automatic Train Operation system (ATO). The train operator closed the train doors and pressed a pair of “start” buttons and, if the way ahead was clear, the ATO drives the train at a safe speed to the next station. At any point, the driver could switch to manual control if the ATO failed. The system, which operated until 2012, made the Victoria line the world’s first full-scale automatic railway.
The Victoria line runs faster trains than other Underground lines because it has fewer stops, ATO running and modern design. Train speeds can reach up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). A common method used by north London residents to visit the West End is to take the Northern line Bank branch, change platforms at Euston, and continue on faster Victoria line trains. The original signalling has been replaced with a more modern ATO system from Westinghouse Rail Systems incorporating ‘Distance to Go Radio’ and more than 400 track circuits. The track operator, London Underground Limited, claimed it is the world’s first ATO-on-ATO upgrade. The new system allowed a revised timetable to be introduced in February 2013, allowing up to 33 trains per hour instead of 27. In combination with new, faster trains, the line’s capacity increased by 21%, equivalent to an extra 10,000 passengers per hour.
Note.
- I very much approve of this type of automation, which fits well with the operation of metro services.
- The driver is very much in control, as he initiates and can stop all train movements.
- The original automation in the 1960s, used thermionic valves and relays.
- I believe that automation like this can be exceptionally safe.
As the extract says, Automatic Train Operation system (ATO) increases the frequency of trains, runs them faster and increases capacity.
The only problem is how do you sell it to the unions.
HS2 Completes First Tunnel Cross Passages
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from High Speed Two.
This is the first paragraph.
As the tunnelling machines under the Chilterns approach the four-mile mark, HS2 completes the first of thirty-eight underground connections between the northbound and southbound tunnels.
This video from High Speed Two, shows the construction of the cross tunnels.
There appears to have been a resurgence of traditional tunneling methods, albeit it with the assistance of modern mechanised tools.
In London recently, these tunnels have been dug without the use of expensive tunnel boring machines.
- The running and station tunnels for the Bank Station Upgrade.
- The tunnel for the Paddington Bakerloo Line Link.
I suspect there will a lot more dug traditionally in the future.
Bank And Moorgate
The map from cartometro.com shows the plethora of lines at Moorgate and Bank stations.
Note.
- Moorgate station is served by the Circle, Elizabeth, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern and Northern City Lines.
- Bank station is served by the Central, Circle, District, Northern and Waterloo & City Lines.
- Bank station is also one terminus of the DLR.
I believe it would be possible to dig a long pedestrian tunnel with a travelator, between Moorgate and Bank stations under Moorgate, which connects the two stations.
City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s
I discussed this in A Pedestrian Connection Between City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s Tube Station.
The Anonymous Widower 