Ten Small Things That Would Improve London
As I travel around London, there are various things that would improve things, not just for me, but for everyone.
1. More Rail Ticket Collection Points
Yesterday, I went to Paddington to go to Reading by train. I needed to pick up a ticket that I’d bought on-line. The process isn’t difficult, although it could be improved, but it would certainly help if you could pick up rail tickets in the machines at important Underground and Overground stations. This is particularly annoying, when say I go to Gatwick and need to pick up a ticket for the last leg at Clapham Junction, as I detailed here.
2. There Needs To Be More Clocks
London doesn’t have a large number of clocks and needs more. I would like to see one ion the various displays like those you see at bus stops and on the platforms at Underground stations. After all, most displays on rail stations have the time.
3. There Needs To Be More Litter Bins
London is not a city with plenty of litter bins, although clear plastic ones have started to appear in stations.
4. Chuggers Need To Be Discouraged
At the moment, the numbers of chuggers seems to have decreased. Perhaps, they’ve all gone on their holidays for the summer. It is so much better on the streets. Or have they all gone to fleece tourists by selling timeshares in Spain?
So perhaps a permanent ban on chugging, would improve life for both Londoners and visitors!
5. Persecute Drivers, Who Don’t Obey Rule 170
I wrote about it here, where drivers don’t obey Rule 170 of the Highway Code, which relates to giving way to pedestrians at junctions.
6. Make Buses Easier To Identify At A Distance
Sometimes at places like the Angel, you can see several buses approaching, but except for the New Buses for London, they all look the same, especially, when the route numbers are obscured by a large truck or van.
As I said here, years ago, some London buses had the number at the front of the roof. Alternatively, the various companies might put flashes of colour higher up.
7. Train Direction Arrows On The Underground
This is one I’d really like to see and I talked about it here. It would mean that if you needed to get in the front or back of the train for your destination station, you could do it with ease.
8. Better Indication Of Walking And Bus Short Cuts Between Stations
Often people take the obvious route between two points and to many that is often the Underground, when it might be better to use a bus or walk. A classic is to get from Waterloo to Liverpool Street station. In my opinion, the best way is to use a 26 bus and it is much quicker than going on a more roundabout route by Underground.
9. More Works Of Art In Stations
There is actually a budget for this, but why don’t they use the inherently secure environment of a station to display large bronze sculptures, that are at risk of being stolen in places like parks?
10. Stop Pavement Blocking by Smokers And Drinkers Outside Pubs, Office Blocks And Stations
There are several places I know, where smokers in particular, block the pavement and make walking past difficult. I don’t know how you’d frame a law, but perhaps councils would lay down a line, which customers must stand inside.
Obviously, with office blocks and stations, it’s up to the owners or tenants.
The Crossrail Bypass Is Getting There
Over the last few weeks, I’ve travelled quite a few times on the Hammersmith and City branch of the Metropolitan line.
It used to be very much a line, that was past its best, with elderly C-Stock trains and dark and dingy stations.
But it is getting so much better, and I think now half the journeys I do on the line are in the new air-conditioned S Stock trains. In fact in this hot weather, I will use this line to avoid the deep tunnels, just like my father used to do.
We’ve also seen improvements to the stations, especially at Farringdon, Kings Cross and Paddington.
When Crossrail opens, it will link to the Hammersmith and City branch, at Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Farringdon and Paddington stations, effectively giving Crossrail users, easy one-change access to a lot more stations.
It will truly be a Crossrail by-pass.
Canal Moorings With Their Own Station
When I came back from Reading into Paddington station yesterday, I walked to the back of the Inter City 125 train and took the bridge to the Metropolitan line station. Before catching my train to get home, I ventured outside to look at the new entrance, which has just opened.
As you can see the entrance is by the canal and the Paddington Basin. It’s obviously not finished yet and won’t be until Crossrail opens in a few years.
It is an area, that is crying out for a decent cafe, restaurant or bar.
Getting To The Madejski Stadium At Reading Is Getting Easier
I last went to the Madejski stadium at Reading a couple of years ago and it wasn’t an easy journey!
But today’s trip was a lot easier.
As the new Metropolitan line station at Paddington s now almost complete, I go to Paddington using that line, by getting a bus to either Barbican, Kings Cross or Euston Square stations. It’s then just a matter of walking over the bridge to the requisite platform.
I got a train direct to the new Reading station and then walked a couple of hundred metres to get one of the umpteen buses to the stadium.
The journey will probably get better, as the two stations are completed in a few years time.
Crossrail should also improve the journey, but I’m not sure how at present, as I’ll still have to do part of the journey by bus.
It’ll be interesting to see how I do this journey in a few years.
Crossrail Gets The PR Right Again
I have been following the difficult job that Crossrail are doing, where they are upgrading the Connaught Tunnel under the Royal Victoria Dock in East London. I even had a letter published in The Times about this important part of the line, after an opinion appeared in the paper, saying there were no women in senior positions.
Emma Duncan (Opinion, Feb 25) is wrong to assume that there are no women working in senior roles on the Crossrail project. Arguably one of the most difficult tunnelling jobs is the creation of a new tunnel out of the old Connaught Tunnel between and beneath the London Docks. The project manager in charge of this section is one Linda Miller (no relation).
So yesterday, I went down to see if I could see anything.
Digging For The Connaught Tunnel
Not much, as you can see.
They are however, following their usual policy of good PR, by providing a free shuttle bus for pedestrians around the workings, which have blocked the pedestrian route across the docks to Pontoon Dock DLR station.
The Value Of A Train Captain
The Docklands Light Railway in East London is driverless, with trains controlled automatically. But each train has an onboard Train Captain, who is a cross between a traditional guard, a ticket checker and almost a tourist guide. Today two incidents showed why the system is so good.
As we left Bank station to travel in the tunnel to Shadwell, I heard a slight commotion behind me. As I was changing trains at the next station, I got up as we approached and found that a small boy of about five or six had got on without his mother. But the Train Captain was in command and had ascertained that his mother was following on the next train and that they’d be reunited at Shadwell. He also found a responsible lady to wait with the child until the train arrived. I think as it happened, the mother had got in another carriage on the train, so she found him, without the child having to wait on the platform with the volunteer.
It had been handled very professionally and another Train Captain told me it happens all the time, normally because the shopping gets put on more carefully than the children.
The other incident was very much run-of-the-mill with a twist.
On another train, the Train Captain took over the driving of the train, as they sometimes do. As he’d had to move another five or six-year-old boy out of the way to open the driver’s console, he then showed him what the various controls were for, in a very professional manner.
Why Should I Subsidise Fuel For Drivers In Remote Areas?
The government has announced that it might subsidise fuel for drivers in remote areas, as is reported here.
If people want to live in areas where costs are high, but perhaps they like the area, they should pay for the consequences of their actions.
Did These Adverts Affect The Choice Of The Royal Baby’s Name?
These adverts are on the Tube all over London and have been for several weeks.
Did These Adverts Affect The Choice Of The Royal Baby’s Name?
Was it a subtle message? As the Queen was obviously very interested and probably went on Saturday, it was perhaps a name in the forefront of the whole family’s minds.
My youngest son, was called George, so I have no objections to it as a name, but to me, it’s probably an unlucky one.
I don’t know whether, I could have a lady friend called Georgia or Georgina.
I’ve Got No Boxing Day Football Again!
This year Ipswich Town are away at Doncaster on Boxing Day. They’ll of course be no trains.
But how many other matches will be impossible to get to?
Derby on Tuesday, October 1st
Leeds on Tuesday, January 28th
Yeovil on Tuesday, March 11th
Huddersfield on Tuesday, April 8th
The Anonymous Widower 