Newspapers On The Overground

I get my favourite newspaper, by buying vouchers.  Picking a paper up on the Overground is sometimes difficult, as there isn’t many paper stores.  And often finding one that accepts vouchers is not easy. I changed onto the Overground at Whitechapel, where I’ve fruitlessly searched before, so as I wanted to change to a Clapham Junction train, I tried Canada Water instead.

Newspapers On The Overground

I struck lucky in that there was this excellent kiosk, just a short escalator ride up and down from the platform.

The Carriages Are Coming

The London Overground is overcrowded, which is more due to the fact that it has attracted more passengers than was predicted.

But within a year or so, things will be better, as Transport for London, has just bought 57 new carriages to lengthen the trains by 25 %. The story is reported here on the BBC. This is the second time, that some of these Class 378 trains have been lengthened.

All it needs now is some more carriages for the Gospel Oak To Barking Line.

It is worth looking at the economics of the lengthening trains by inserting carriages. the fifty-seven carriages are costing £88 million, so that works out at £1.54 million per carriage, one of which is inserted in each train.

There must be a few advantages in terms of certification, training, maintenance and other issues, in lengthening trains, rather than moving the old stock elsewhere and bringing in new trains.

So could other trains benefit in the same way?

In fact, quite quite a few projects are on the go, to shuffle carriages and make longer trains.

So don’t be surprised if your train actually is a few years older than it looks!

Changing At New Cross Gate

Coming home, I didn’t go via Clapham Junction station, as the quickest train from Redhill went via New Cross Gate station, where I changed to the Overground.

It is not far to walk, but it is not step free and I had to walk up one tricky staircase and down another.  So this would not be a route from Dalston Junction to Gatwick with a heavy case.

There Would Appear To Be Good Connections At Clapham Junction

One of my gripes with Clapham Junction station, is that if you arrive on the Overground like I do, you have to exit the barriers to either purchase or pick up a ticket for your onward journey.

I did think it was probably that the obvious place for a machine, the refurbished pedestrian bridge, didn’t have proper network connections!

Cashpoints At Clapham Junction

But it’s got these two cashpoints, so that can’t be the reason!

As it was today, I was changing for Redhill and missed my train by a minute or so, because I was delayed by having to walk a long way to get the ticket.

A Fare Oddity In London

This story turned up in one of my news filters. Here’s an extract about travelling between Highbury and Islington and Clapham Junction stations .

TfL is kind enough to assume that you have been the ‘Zone 2 only’ way round. So whichever way you go , you’ll be charged just £1.50 (off-peak) instead of the £2.10 you’d expect to pay for travelling through Zone 1. Bizarrely, this means that it’s cheaper to travel through the 17 stations from Clapham Junction to Highbury, than it is to make the five stop journey from Shoreditch to Highbury along the same tracks.

I don’t think that the sixty pence that Transport for London gives away is going to make much difference. As I do it for nothing on my Freedom Pass, I’m not bothered either.

I would always go the long Overground way round from, where I am near Highbury to Clapham Junction, as the journey is easier, without changes and is more interesting. It just takes a few minutes longer. It’s also very easy with a heavy case or even a bicycle.

A Beagle Comes To Hoxton

One of my Internet trawls found this restaurant, called Beagle, that is opening in Hoxton. I paid it a visit today.

It is conveniently situated underneath the railway arches of the East  London line at Hoxton station, just behind the Geffrye Museum.

One of the staff said they would be doing gluten-free food, so I think I’ll give it a try after it opens on Monday the eighth and when I return from my travels to Budapest.

The designers seem to have done a good job.

I wonder if it will set a precedent for stylish restaurants in stations on the London Overground!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to eat  and drink your way in a complete circle around London!

Dalston Junction To Gatwick Airport

Since it opened, I’ve usually taken the Overground to Clapham Junction station and changed for Gatwick Airport there.

This morning, for my flight out on Monday to Budapest, I looked up to see what the standard train information site said.  They recommended changing at Clapham Junction station.

I’ve just bought a ticket from Clapham Junction to Gatwick Airport on-line.  No problem there, but why can’t I pick it up at Dalston Junction station?

Getting To Millwall

I like going to see Ipswich play at Millwall.

The New Den is a compact ground, where away supporters get a good view of the action.  In fact, as the view is one of the best, the stewards are generally friendly and it is an easy ground to get to by public transport, it is one of the best away experiences in English football, if you support a reputable club.

It is also exceedingly good value, as my senior ticket cost just £17 and of course because of my Freedom Pass, I had no travel costs. So my total expenditure was much the same cost as taking a lady to the cinema. Although in that case, I’d probably have to buy a drink or even a meal!

I went by taking the Overground to Canada Water station, from where I got a P12 bus directly to the ground. Even though, these buses are every 20 minutes on a Bank Holiday, I still did the journey in just over thirty minutes.

Coming back, I walked to South Bermondsey station and took the train to London Bridge, from where I got a 141 bus home.

wikipedia also says that a 21 bus goes close to the New Den, so as it goes past the end of my road, I might try that next year. You get off at Ilderton Road.

It certainly is the easiest ground for me to get to, with the probable exception of Arsenal’s ground at The Emirates.  But that would cost a lot more for a match.

An Overground Station With On-Platform Cafe And Toilets

On Friday, I came home from Euston, by taking the Overground to Willesden Junction station and then taking the North London line to Highbury and Islington station.

I was surprised to see that at Willesden Junction station, there was not only a cafe on the platform, but toilets too!

An Overground Station With On-Platform Cafe And Toilets

I wonder if there are any others!

It may seem a bit of a roundabout route, especially, as I could have taken the Victoria line to do the same journey. But I wanted to see if the sun was creating any good views of London between Camden Road and Canonbury and Barnsbury stations.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t! BUt it is a good trip for visitors, as this post showed. Unfortunately, the trains have been such a success, that you may not get good views as they can be a bit crowded.

What A Mistaker To Make!

The phrase borrowed from Hello hello, was a phrase that C and myself used to use, when we did something, which we construed as stupid.

When I come home from Canary Wharf, I usually use one of three routes.

1. I take the Jubilee line to London Bridge station and then get a 141 bus from the bus station.

2.  I go just one stop on the Jubilee line to Canada Water station and then get the Overground to Dalston Junction station.

3.  I get a 277 bus all of the way.

When I arrived at Canary Wharf, I ascertained the the bus station at London Bridge was still not working, so route one was not one to try, as I would have shopping with me and was in walk-avoidance mode.

The bus takes a few minutes longer, so I took the Canaqda Water route.

But I’d gambled without the knowledge that the Overground was shut at Whitechapel because of CrossRail.

On Sundays, you should always check and my mistake wasn’t to do this.

So I was turfed off the train at Shadwell station and advised to get the DLR to Bank. Which is what I did, taking the Northern line from there to Moorgate, from where I got the 141 bus, that I should have been able to get from London Bridge station.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a great inconvenience, but I’ll be glad when CrossRail is finished and lines are not shut down at the weekend.