Projects, refurbs and upgrades

London Underground improvement projects, station refurbishments, new train stock etc - and the problems and issues that come with them

Bombardier Out, Another Private Cowboy In?

Bombardier has lost its contract for the sub-surface signalling upgrades.

The reason for Bombardier's failure? Its signalling system is incompatible with LU's systems. How as this not noticed when Bombardier got the contract two years ago?!

If anyone has a sense of deja vu, you might be...

Democracy at Work?

Tubeworker read with interest that a public consultation about Bank station upgrade is about to begin. A circular has gone out encouraging staff to visit the exhibition that's part of the public consultation.

But strangely, it misses out the bit about how we can have our input.

Strange. You...

Watt No Heater?!

Replacing the old-style GLAPs (Gate Line Assistance Posts) seems to have provided management with an opportunity to take the heat out of the situation - literally.

You'd think that a new-design GLAP should have at least as good facilities (we use the term very broadly) as the old-style ones. But...

Vic Line: Upgrade or Upset?

The Vic line upgrade is beset with pitfalls for drivers. The headline issue has been the fiasco of the sensitive edge doors, first reported on back in November. But there are other matters too.

Management want trains travelling at line speed rather than slow speed into sidings; a slack system for...

Raining Buckets

Tottenham Court Road Station is being re-built to make room for Crossrail. But they are attempting to build around the station while keeping it open to the public.

The plan is literally showing cracks - so big that water is gushing through! As they drill and excavate the ground immediately above...

Night Time Noise

Local Loughton residents are having trouble sleeping at night as the works are incredibly loud. Mega-decibel drilling has sent them to their phones and emails, and complaints are flooding in.

Tubeworker has every sympathy with them, and shares their astonishment that London Underground can't find a...

Bank Robbery

Bank station has recenty finished phase 1 of its upgrade project. Phase 2 is soon to follow, starting in February or March, with further phases after that.

The station has had additional CSAs to ensure that the extra work generated by the project can be carried out. So you might think that those...

PA or Passenger Safety?

And on the subject of new train stock, it seems that there are a couple of glitches with the new Victoria line trains - a less-than-perfect PA system, and a problem with the doors whereby the 'sensitive edge' may not stay sensitive forever.

So, which of these two problems do you think management...

Testing Testing

It seems that the new S stock trains for the Metropolitan line may not be up to scratch.

When tested on Bombardier's test track at Old Dalby in Derby, they managed to rip up the rails! Apparently, this could be something to do with the brakes, or it may be that the train is designed on the...

Closing Windows

It seems that something is being lost in the Southfields station refurb - two ticket office windows, to be precise.

Southfields ticket office, one of the busier ones in that neck of the woods, has three windows. Or it did have. When the refurb's done, it will reopen with just one.

It's yet another...

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