First look at what will be the UK's largest and best connected train station
Set to open in the early 2030s, the £2.5 billion Old Oak Common station in west London will be the UK's largest and best-connected new station. Located between North Acton and Willesden Junction, the station will feature 14 platforms and is expected to serve 250,000 passengers daily. It will provide easy access to the Elizabeth line, connecting to central and east London, and locations like Heathrow and Reading. The station will also support up to 65,000 jobs and 25,500 new homes, in addition to a public square and a road and cycleway.
London rail workers are planning strikes causing significant disruption, particularly over the August bank holiday weekend. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members are protesting over pay and conditions, with walkouts planned for the last Saturday in August and the first in September. Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) members will also strike at the start of September. Fourteen train operators will be affected by RMT action, with a further sixteen impacted by ASLEF strikes. Both unions accuse the government of refusing to negotiate a fair deal.
Documents released via a Freedom of Information request reveal that former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps proposed expanding the London Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) to encompass all of inner London. The proposal, made in October 2020, suggested an alignment with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in October 2021. However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan rejected the proposal, citing concerns over potential catastrophic effects on London's economy. The CCZ, initiated in 2003, imposes a £15 charge on vehicles entering central London during specific hours.
A blind rail user criticised the UK government's plan to close rail ticket offices, claiming it steals his independence. Raymond Bradley, 35, believes the move would alienate disabled passengers who rely on public transportation. He said that the switch to ticket machines and online booking services, which lack voiceover abilities and screen reader compatibility, would exclude the visually impaired. Ticket office staff transitioning to customer support roles could lead to job losses. This plan is a cost-saving measure by the government. A mass rally is planned for August 31 to protest the closures.
Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that over 800 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) cameras are yet to be installed in outer London prior to the zone's expansion on 29 August. Drivers of non-compliant vehicles will face a daily £12.50 charge from this date. TfL aims to install 2,750 cameras across outer London boroughs, yet only around 1,900 had been installed as of 16 August. Vandals have been targeting ULEZ cameras, with police making arrests related to damage, leading to increased security measures.
Five Tory councils, Hillingdon, Harrow, Surrey, Bexley and Bromley, have paid over £250,000 to Transport for London (TfL) following an unsuccessful legal challenge to the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. The councils must also cover TfL's court costs, totalling an estimated £1 million. The High Court ruled in favour of TfL and Mayor Sadiq Khan, stating the expansion was legally sound. Despite opposition, Mr Khan said the expansion will enable five million additional Londoners to breathe cleaner air.
Transport for London (TfL) has announced a new express bus service connecting south and west London as part of the Superloop network, with the Route X26 rebranded as SL7 from 19 August. The service will run every 15 minutes, instead of every 30, and other enhancements include improved customer information and USB charging. The full Superloop network, comprising both existing and new bus routes, should be operational by Spring 2024, with some routes offering 24-hour service. The initiative has been criticised as a "Superflop" by City Hall Conservatives, who claim it does nothing to mitigate the impact of the ultra-low emission zone expansion.
London Underground drivers have voted to prolong strike action for a further six months amid ongoing disputes over jobs, cuts, and pensions. Aslef union members, including those from Chiltern, East Midlands, Northern and TransPennine, voted to renew their mandate for industrial action. Drivers of c2c and freight operating company Direct Rail Services also approved industrial action. The dispute concerns pay, pensions, and working conditions. Aslef urges train firms and the government to resume negotiations with an improved offer to avoid further disruption.
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