Latest news with #ElizabethLine
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
London's first public park Finsbury Circus Gardens reopens
London's first public park has reopened after a decade largely spent as a building site for the construction of the Elizabeth Circus Gardens has been the focus of a major transformation project by the City of London Corporation since 2023, with the Grade II listed site's lawn revitalised, seating improved and landscaping largest open green space in the Square Mile has had 12 additional tree species, more than 13,000 plants and 6,000 bulbs added to its site to boost Hayward, from the City of London Corporation, said the "tranquil" park was "revitalised and ready to be rediscovered". The gardens first became a public park known as "Moor Fields" in the 1600s. A formal layout was introduced by George Dance the Younger in most of the past 10 years, Finsbury Circus Gardens has been closed to the public while it was used by Crossrail to build the nearby Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line was partially reopened on 6 May, with the official reopening due to take place on 4 June. Hayward said: "Our green spaces play a vital role in making the Square Mile a welcoming and attractive place to live, work, and visit – delivering on our vision for a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable City."The corporation's natural environment board chairperson, James St John Davis, said the Square Mile's parks and gardens, which attract over 21 million visits a year "truly punch above their weight". He added: "They offer a vital escape from the bustle of daily life."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Abbey Wood has - or hasn't - changed with three years of the Elizabeth line
Ahead of the opening of the Elizabeth line in 2022, the people of Abbey Wood were promised that the new railway would spark regeneration in the area. Three years on, the News Shopper visited the south east London town to see what, if anything, had changed. Abbey Wood station was completely rebuilt in 2017, offering a modern, sleek gateway to central London. At that time, it would take just under an hour to reach most destinations in the heart of the capital on suburban railway routes. READ MORE - Abbey Wood station was rebuilt in 2017 (Image: Newsquest) Now, passengers boarding an Elizabeth line train at Abbey Wood can be in Tottenham Court Road in half that time. Among those taking advantage of the route today (May 29), were four pensioners from the Women's Institute. They spoke to the News Shopper before setting off on a day trip to Horniman Museum in Dulwich. 'It's brilliant,' said Patricia Moriarty. 'We don't use it particularly because none of us work now, we're all retired. 'But so many people use the line now. I just wish it had been here when I was working.' An Elizabeth line train at Abbey Wood station (Image: Newsquest) Transport for London (TfL) has said that since 2022, Abbey Wood has emerged as one of the 'largest regeneration areas in London', with a six per cent increase in new homes. But Ms Moriarty said that although thousands of new homes are being built in neighbouring Thamesmead, there had not been much noticeable development in Abbey Wood. 'There's not lots of new shops yet, but I think that's coming,' she added. Next to the station, lies the sleepy shopping parade in Wilton Road. At 9am, some stores still had their shutters down and only a handful of people were walking down the street. The shopping parade in Wilton Road (Image: Newsquest) But one unit open for business was Abbey Wood Dry Cleaners, which first opened 43 years ago. Owner Farooq Ahmed said that despite the quiet street scene that morning, business had been good over the last three years. 'It's getting busy - new people are coming to live in Abbey Wood, so we're getting new customers,' he explained. 'Canary Wharf is only ten minutes away now, and it's cheaper here than the City. That's why people are moving here.' Farooq Ahmed, owner of Abbey Wood Dry Cleaners (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE - He added that while he welcomed the increased footfall, rental prices in the area, including for his own shop, had gone up as a result of the influx of new people. According to Rightmove, the average house price has also risen by seven per cent over the last three years, from £384,000 in 2022 to £411,000. 'The rent is going up, that's the only issue we have with the Elizabeth line,' Mr Ahmed said. 'Everything has gone up, but new customers hopefully cover it up.'
Scottish Sun
30-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
UK's £2billion ‘super station' reveals huge step forward with new train platforms & plans for 250k passengers a day
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HUGE step forward for a £2 billion 'super station' has been announced. Work has begun at the site as part of the Government's plans to build a station which will serve 250,000 passengers a day. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Work at the Old Oak Common station has begun Credit: PA Media 5 The station will serve as the HS2 hub Credit: PA Media 5 The Chancellor has approved plans to connect the site to another major station Credit: PA Media Engineers have started installing the concrete slabs that passengers will use when boarding at the HS2 station Old Oak Common. Six platforms at the London station are being constructed to serve the high-speed trains which measure a staggering 400m long. As work continues, the delivery director for stations at HS2 said the station will benefit 'generations to come'. Huw Edwards said: 'The installation of the first passenger platforms represents a real step forward in taking HS2 from purely a construction project to the future of Britain's railways. 'Whilst there is still much more to work to do, standing where passengers will alight HS2 services is a reminder of what this railway will achieve – creating connections between people and places, that will benefit generations to come.' Old Oak Common will be the launching point for HS2 services, while development continues at Euston station. The Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last year that her government would be funding a pair of 4.5 mile tunnels between the two stations to make travelling even easier for commuters. It is not yet known when the widely-criticised Euston station will reopen in its new form, after development was halted under Rishi Sunak's government. The then-Prime Minister had hoped to pay for the station's refurbishment using private funding. Old Oak Common will also have platforms for eight other train lines, including the Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line. Labour Govt will invest in job training under Rachel Reeves The Elizabeth Line will be the first train route to use the station when it opens. A massive public parkland will be opened outside, along with pop up events such as markets, to make commuting easy. Peter Gow, the HS2 project director for Old Oak Common, said: "We will open between 2029 to 2033 [and] will aim for the front end of that but there are lots of things still to do. 'It's going to make a massive difference to Londoners and nationally." 5 Plans for the station had stagnated under Rishi Sunak Credit: PA Media
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Three years of the Elizabeth line - has it been a success?
The Elizabeth line has turned three today, smashing forecasts on passenger numbers during its brief history. The route, which first launched on May 24, 2022, has been lauded by Transport for London (TfL) as 'revolutionising' travel across the capital. And there is no argument that the line has proved popular with passengers. Ahead of its opening, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that as many as 170 million journeys would be made by 2026. READ MORE - More than 600 million passenger journeys have been made on the Elizabeth line so far (Image: TfL) It is fair to say this was a drastic underestimation. Last year alone, the line recorded more than 230 million journeys. This has catapulted the Elizabeth line to the title of the UK's busiest railway service. Perhaps inevitably for a service that partly relies on modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure in its central sections, and ageing commuter railway track at its extremities, the line has not been without its issues. In 2023, 1,000 passengers had to be evacuated from one train in west London after damaged overhead cables caused a power outage. Despite incidents like these, in the last three months of last year, the route ranked as the second most punctual of all of the country's railway lines. The line has also been credited with kickstarting development along its route. Housing growth within one kilometre of an Elizabeth line station stands at 14 per cent in east London. But such success brings its own problems. On some sections of the route, rush hour trains are increasingly packed, and this is unlikely to improve anytime soon. Old Oak Common station could open by the end of the decade, and would link to HS2 services. The Elizabeth line will bear the brunt of the new passengers this will bring, as high speed services to Euston are not expected for several years after the route opens. TfL will try to manage demand for the time being with ten new trains, which are due to be introduced over the next couple of years. It will also hope that new operator GTS Rail Operations, which takes over management of the route tomorrow (May 25), can maintain the line's initial success. Some would also like to see the benefits of the Elizabeth line spread more widely. One branch of the Elizabeth line has its terminus at Abbey Wood (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE - Last year, two Labour MPs urged ministers to make an extension of the commuter line to Ebbsfleet in Kent from its current terminus at Abbey Wood 'a priority'. While TfL has said no extension is planned, land along the route remains protected for any future development of a new spur. But, while infrastructure projects across the country stall, the Elizabeth line has proven that, done right, major investment in public transport pays dividends. Londoners can only hope that TfL delivers more of the same in the coming decades.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The world's 10 best cities to live in revealed
Two new locations entered Oxford Economics' global ranking of cities this year, which evaluates the attractiveness of their economies based on a number of different factors. The economic advisory firm's Global Cities Index scored the 1,000 largest cities across five categories: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. Mark Britton, director of city services at Oxford Economics, said: "The global economic environment is evolving. Over the past year, heightened geopolitical tensions and a rise in economic nationalism have contributed to increased levels of uncertainty and have adversely affected global economic growth." "The significance of cities in this period of uncertainty can't be overstated," he said. "They serve not only as centres of resilience but also as engines of adaptation and innovation, owing to their dynamic networks of businesses, institutions, and people." Read more: Elizabeth Line drives rents up 31% in three years New York held onto the top spot in this year's rankings, with UK capital London coming in second place once again. Both cities performed best in the economics and human capital categories, highlighting their roles as global hubs for finance, business, and education. In addition, Oxford Economics pointed out that both have among the best universities and corporate headquarter offices. The French capital of Paris took over in third place this year from the US city of San Jose, which fell to the fourth spot. Oxford Economics highlighted that Paris was now the fifth-largest city in the world, and the second largest in Europe, in terms of its gross domestic product (GDP), with its economy largely focused on services. San Jose is renowned for the tech hub of Silicon Valley, which is home to big-name companies, including iPhone-maker Apple (AAPL), Google-parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and social media giant Meta (META). Oxford Economics said that given technology firms generate significantly higher GDP than most industries, San Jose's GDP per person is the highest of all 1,000 cities. The US city of Seattle, which rounded out the top five, also boasts a major sector – with Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) both operating in the area. "Aerospace is also a significant contributor to the economy, including Boeing (BA) (which was founded in the city)," the authors of the Global Cities Index said in the report. "Seattle hosts several retail headquarters as well, including Starbucks (SBUX), Costco (COST), and Nordstrom (JWN). This range of large employers gives the city one of the highest levels of GDP per person in our index, and a healthy economic diversity measure." The Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney came in sixth and seventh place respectively. Sydney was a new entrant into the top 10 this year, which Oxford Economics attributed to an improvement in its quality of life and environment scores. In eighth place, the US city of Boston was also a new addition to the top 10, as it saw in increase in its economics score. This was followed by Tokyo, Japan in ninth place and San Francisco, US in the tenth spot. Read more: Elizabeth Line drives rents up 31% in three years On the broader index, Anthony Bernard-Sasges, senior economist, city services at Oxford Economics, and lead author of the report, said that several cities in "India, Indonesia, and the UK have risen in the rankings this year, whereas Japanese, Canadian, and Brazilian cities mostly fell. Cities in the US, China, Australia, and continental Europe experienced a mix of outcomes." In addition, Oxford Economics also classified cities into different archetypes based on shared characteristics. These archetypes included: global leaders, regional leaders, cultural capitals, sustainable cities, industrial hubs, legacy cities, developing megacities and emerging standouts. Bernard-Sasges said that each city archetype faced unique opportunities and challenges. "The report also explores future trends that will shape the development of cities, including the impact of generative AI, climate change, and demographic shifts," he said "For instance, Global Leaders are best positioned to maximise the benefits of generative AI but must address rising inequality," he explained. "Meanwhile, Developing Megacities have the potential for significant human capital growth but must overcome rapid urbanisation challenges." Read more: What are Trump's guests getting from $148m crypto dinner? Best credit card deals of the week Rachel Reeves rules out cutting ISA limit but remains vague on cash savingsError while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
