2009 Transport Events

London Overground 378 Derby
Originally uploaded by kpmarek

Well as we start 2009 I though it would be good to look at the transport events we will see during the year.

January
*The first one will be the DLR's Woolwich Arsenal extension which open on the 10th
*The first 377/5 for FCC will be deliveried and tested

Febuary
*The first 377/5 begins passanger runs late this month

March
*Blackfriars Tube station closes for 35 months for complete rebuilding
*All things being well the Moorgate branch of Thameslink along with the bay platforms at Blackfriars will close to allow rebuilding at Farringdon and Blackfriars on the 22nd

April
*DLR re-open Tower Gateway

December
*SouthEastern begin services using the 395's on HS1 speeding up services from Kent into central London

Other events without dates
*New Overground platforms are finished and opened
*378 fleet for the Overground comes into service
* First 09TS on the Victoria Line comes into passenger service
*PAYG Oyster on all rail services before the years end

There are also alot of things that could seriously affect our travelling lifes during 2009. The Thameslink programme along with the Tube upgrade are making weekend travel more difficult in the short term as is works around Stratford for the Olmypics. The next few years see large part of the networks affect but once we get through to late 2011 we will have six months of things being quiet before the chaos that being the focus of the world will bring before we start down the major works road. If everything hold to course then come 2018 (mostly expect the Bakerloo Line) we will see serious improvements in travelling around London with the Tube upgrade finished and new trains on most of the lines (Circle, District, Met, Hammersmith & City and Piccadilly), Completed London Overground works with longer trains, finished Thameslink with much improved links across the South East and a new fleet of trains, Crossrail open, High Speed travels to Kent and many open access operators to North France and finally another DLR extension opened. Its a long road of basically a decade but when they're finished London will be transformed. Just in time for HS2, Crossrail 2 and many other planned rail links to start?