A weekly round-up of London’s rail transport news…

Elizabeth line / Crossrail

The latest of the stations to be upgraded ahead of the Elizabeth line opening has been completed, to the west of London at West Drayton. ianVisits

Bond Street making progress to meet next deadline, Crossrail boss says Building

If you want to try it out, a small part of an Elizabeth line station is now open to use, at Farringdon station. ianVisits

The coronavirus pandemic added £230m to Crossrail’s costs, according to its chief executive Mark Wild. Construction News

Mainline / Overground

Proposals from LNER to introduce a new direct train service from Cleethorpes to London have been backed by North East Lincolnshire Council. The Lincolnite

Photos from the HS2 tunnel site in northwest London ianVisits

Rail passengers are being urged to travel midweek where possible this summer ahead of the summer holidays in England and Wales. Independent

Chiltern Railways celebrate 25th Anniversary as HybridFLEX train introduced at London Marylebone Rail Advent

Work has begun on the £3 million Hackney Central London Overground station revamp. ianVisits

Miscellaneous

A big public transport fares increase is not what London needs OnLondon

Pingdemic: London Tube line suspended and rail services cancelled as staff told to self-isolate by Covid app Independent

Sadiq Khan: Non-mask wearers on TfL could face penalties through ‘bylaw’ LBC

Call for safer railway stations after visually impaired passenger’s death Standard

TV presenter Ben Fogle who is fronting a new campaign for the rail industry, plans to take his family on several train trips this summer. Independent

Station Focused Development. Some tube stations really stand out. Diamond Geezer

The station where masks are mandatory – and not BBC News

Children made to work as pickpockets on the London Underground are among dozen of human trafficking victims rescued in a major crackdown. Metro

And finally: Map shows London Underground-style greenways map for Cambridgeshire Cambridge News

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The image above is from July 2011: The Beeches Light Railway – a private steam railway