LONDON | DLR, Underground, Tramlink

[future.architect]

^

Another vote here for Westminster. The first time I entered the place I had never even heard of it and I was awestruck. It is a magnificent piece of architecture.

[PortoNuts]

Wi-Fi access to be available on London's Tube network by this summer

Transport for London has announced that commuters will be able to access the internet in advance of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Following a successful trial at Charing Cross station, TfL has confirmed that Wi-Fi access will be provided at 120 stations throughout the Tube network, enabling travellers to go online when waiting at platforms. Wi-Fi services will be unavailable when passengers are travelling from station to station within Tube carriages.

The assertion that access will be available in advance of the London 2012 Olympics follows the collapse of a similar attempt to provide commuters with internet access last year. Then it was claimed that the UK’s four main mobile operators would provide the service, but those plans never came to fruition. TfL has yet to announce which company will take responsibility for the service. Gareth Powell, TfL’s director of strategy and service development said: “We are in the final stages of the tender process. London Underground is continuing with preparations to install the necessary infrastructure and is on schedule to complete the project as planned. An announcement of the chosen service provider will be made in early spring, leaving plenty of time for this to be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 Games.”

Details of possible charges to consumers have yet to be confirmed. During trials at Charing Cross station commuters could access travel information for free, but access to other sites was free only for BT customers.

The announcement follows a partnership between O2, Westminster council and Kensington and Chelsea council to turn part of the capital into Europe’s largest free wireless hub. When introduced, that deal will allow residents and visitors to the boroughs to access internet services for free but it has been suggested that advertisements will be embedded within the service.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...is-summer.html

[PortoNuts]

[PortoNuts]

Vinci wins £44m Tube train depot building jobs

London Underground has awarded Vinci a £44m contract to upgrade its train depots in Ealing and Upminster.

Work on Ealing will get underway first for completion next year, with the Upminster depot revamp expected to be completed by 2015.

The rebuilding and upgrade work for the two District Line train repair depots will be carried out by Taylor Woodrow, which beat two other bidders.

Works include extensions to existing depot buildings, swimming pool inspection pits, extensive modifications to signalling and M&E services while maintaining the depot operations.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/...building-jobs/

[PortoNuts]

[PortoNuts]

Cable Car

Originally Posted by wawd

the south crane being assembled today:
image hosted on flickr

London Cable Car Crane by wawd, on Flickr

[PortoNuts]

[PortoNuts]

[PortoNuts]

[PortoNuts]

Channel 4 to air new Tube workers documentary

Channel 4 is airing a new one-hour documentary chronicling the experiences of London Underground staff.

The broadcaster describes the show as “a rare glimpse into the depths of the iconic Tube network that passengers don’t see, as workers reveal the dilemmas and pressures that they must reconcile to keep this hugely complex and strained system running.”

Actors voice the precise words of Tube staff as “they negotiate the difficulties of storing dead bodies after suicides and the hazards of an ageing infrastructure while fixing signal failures.”

Confessions from the Underground airs 10pm, 2nd February on Channel 4.

http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/channel-...tary/201218807

[Darloeye]

oh Beat me too it.

[trainrover]

Originally Posted by PortoNuts

Did you watch any of this, coz its videography briefly sampled is horrid?

[PortoNuts]

Yep, watched it all. And I completely disagree with you.

[davidaiow]

So this was the plan for the new Camden Town station. I've seen no debate on this so I wondered if anybody had an opinion. Would it be worth knocking down the dirty nightclub, one of the many markets and the popular church?

http://www.jesticowhiles.com/project-info.php?p=3004

[CairnsTony]

Originally Posted by davidaiow

So this was the plan for the new Camden Town station. I've seen no debate on this so I wondered if anybody had an opinion. Would it be worth knocking down the dirty nightclub, one of the many markets and the popular church?

http://www.jesticowhiles.com/project-info.php?p=3004

I think Camden Town station badly needs redeveloping but I don't like the plan as conceived here. Something a bit more in harmony with its surroundings is more likely to receive planning permission, though resolving the demolition plans with local interests will be hard. The nightclub is an eyesore and the market can adapt. I don't know much about the church however; in fact I can't even picture in my memory where exactly it is!

[NCT]

The current Camden Town station exterior does look a bit tired, and a redevelopment is welcome in principle given the severe overcrowding experienced every weekend. I'm not too bothered about the Market needing to go indoors - architecturally this has nothing on the Camden Lock or Stables markets.

[PortoNuts]

Originally Posted by davidaiow

So this was the plan for the new Camden Town station. I've seen no debate on this so I wondered if anybody had an opinion. Would it be worth knocking down the dirty nightclub, one of the many markets and the popular church?

http://www.jesticowhiles.com/project-info.php?p=3004

I don't any of those are really worth keeping but I agree with Cairns, that proposal also doesn't fit. The surface building I mean, the new station would be great.

[davidaiow]

I agree with you guys, but as I said elsewhere, maybe the large footprint was required to help pay for it? The underground bit of the station was superb.

[streetquark]

Camden Town needs more/bigger entrances, more circulating area above ground and redevelopment underground.

If some of the existing street frontages can be kept then the internal area can be redeveloped and more entrances achieved, and the station expanded and redeveloped underground.

[davidaiow]

I always thought that there should be a circular area under the junction akin to Oxford Circus...