Snow Hill Tunnel: The Victorian Thameslink

The main line hidden below the streets of London.
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[@michaelwilliams7269]

Timely reminder of the need to look beyond short term interests and get infrastructure built.

[@heidirabenau511]

*Looks at the highly likely possibility of the Manchester section of HS2 being cancelled*

[@paulketchupwitheverything767]

Or not to have got rid of the Great Central Railway with its links between Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull.

[@brianparker663]

Indeed! I am so fed up with those miserable wiseacres who make comments about HS2 being a "vanity project" - all in the aim of cutting the London/Birmingham journey by 20 minutes. They clearly have not looked into the scheme at all to understood the knock-on improvement in capacity all over the midlands, the north and even into the heart of Wales. So many bottlenecks can be ironed out - let's hope something can be salvaged.

[@hairyairey]

​@@brianparker663sadly it seems our present government is set on its own destruction. We could spend billions paying people not to work but a world class infrastructure project isn't possible? When Boris Johnson and Andy Milburn are in agreement something is seriously wrong. Delaying HS2 causes costs to rise, it took a ridiculous amount of time to get started. Then there's the billions spent on land acquisition already.

[@oldnelson4298]

@@brianparker663 The most needed part has already been scrapped, and they started the whole thing backwards, but it seems completely mad to scrap the rest of it now!

[@brianparker663]

I only really became aware of the Snow Hill tunnel in the 1990s when reading a bit about the newfangled Thameslink scheme. I was absolutely gobsmacked that such a useful north/south link through London could be abandoned! So short sighted. Thank goodness sense prevailed and we have this amazingly useful link back.

[@Calum_S]

We should be glad it wasn't sold off or filled in.

[@1258-Eckhart]

Your point about BR and the "new-fangled diesels" is very well taken and eminently depictable: the year is 1960 and BR has new 2-stroke diesel locos called "Metrovicks" (Class 28). The "Metro" in the name stood for the Manchester manufacturer, but maybe someone in BR got sidetracked into an association with the Metropolitan Line. So the smokiest diesels known to mankind ended up being sent round the old St. Pancras Curve onto the Widened Lines and down into the Snow Hill Tunnel, their Co-Bo axle layout ensuring that progress was accompanied by much screeching. Any staff nearby were either deafened or suffocated or both. The experiment didn't last long.

[@SnowdriftBoy]

One of your best videos Jago! It puts the history of London and the UK, modern technological civilisation and today’s everyday life together in a grand sweep! Love your work!👏

[@morzee94]

Bit of a weird comment but when I’m feeling down I often come to this channel and it cheers me up. I just wanted to say thanks Jago :)

[@JagoHazzard]

You’re most welcome! I’m glad to help!

[@markellis6413]

The City Widened Lines are by far my favourite piece of railway in London. Trains from Victoria to Moorgate or up through either the Midland or North Eastern lines.. If only the proposed link to the West Coast Main Line had been built too..

[@stephenspackman5573]

You know, someone should make a boardgame about this (if they haven't already): a train game, but one in which there has already been an Age of Maniacs who built lines everywhere followed by an Age of Cretins who shut them down again. Like Brass but trainier and passengier.

[@Julius_Hardware]

You have drawn the Yerkes card. Any money you have that isn't yours is now yours, but you cant go back to Chicago. Advance to Mornington Crescent.

[@stephenwalls9277]

There is a game called Railway Rivals. ISTR that it was created by a teacher to teach kids geography.

[@hyperdistortion2]

Fascinating as always, Jago! As a frequent Thameslink user this was enlightening. Looking forward to the Holborn Viaduct video when it comes!

[@WolfmanWoody]

Is that where the bridge went over Ludgate Hill? I remember that when I worked at St Pauls Graveyard in 1986.

[@eattherich9215]

Middleton Press specialises in railway history and its London suburban series has a title called 'Holborn Viaduct to Lewisham. The book is of particular interest to me since I used to work on Holborn Viaduct, and very occasionally used the station, and live in Lewisham.

[@eattherich9215]

@@WolfmanWoody: yes. I used to like looking up the Hill for a view of St Paul's.

[@jamesgilbart2672]

Interesting history! Who'd have thought it back in 1969 that the tunnel would one day become the key part of a route enabling fast services between various distant places including Brighton and Cambridge?

[@andrewhotston983]

If you go from Cambridge to Brighton via the Snow Hill tunnel you might want to review your use of the word "fast"!! It feels very, very slow, with such frequent station stops.

[@jamesgilbart2672]

@@andrewhotston983 The core section is a bit slow due to frequent stations and the tortuous route but once clear of that, either north or south of the capital, Thameslink is reasonably fast.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I remember going through Snow Hill tunnel on a railtour in the early 1960s. It was only used for market traffic at the time.

[@roderickmain9697]

For my taste, "City Thameslink" sounds like a leftover advertising board for the revamp project...and a tad contrived. Not sure why they just didnt go with Snow Hill ...or maybe that clashed with a Station in Birmingham. I remember it being there (sort of ... in the 60s) and then it all getting closed and feeling like it was a missed opportunity. But perhaps the plan was already afoot. Thanks Jago, this explains a lot for me. (and Ive used it a few times now).

[@danielemerson312]

City Thameslink is also one of those stations that, however clean it is, always looks dingy. I do like that the exits are named after the previous stations on that site.

[@atraindriver]

Not sure why they didn't just leave it as St Paul's Thameslink as it was named when (re)opened. ​ @danielemerson312 A bit like Birmingham New Street but without the diesels? ;)

[@danielemerson312]

Probably to differentiate it from St Paul's Underground. City Thameslink is just about the dullest name imaginable, though. Old Bailey might have been a decent option, or keeping the Ludgate Hill name.@@atraindriver

[@MichaelCampin]

I remember seeing double headed Class 31s emerging from the tunnel portal at Farringdon in the early 70s when I was on my way to Kings X to try to get back to Barking using the Goblin Lind

[@PokhrajRoy.]

5:44 YES TO FUTURE VIDEO ON WHOLE OTHER STORY

[@ivorwhitecar]

As a Driver based at Ashford (Kent) I used to drive trains into Holborn Viaduct in the 80's. Just about squeeze 8 cars ino the platforms, if it was mainline stock CEPS or VEPS they would only fit in the farthest right platform (1?). Another thing I remember is we learnt the road to St Pauls and Smithfield Sidings, but never worked any trains down there as London Fire Brigade would not allow slam door stock through there due to the limited clearances.

[@IshtarNike]

Lovely primary experience. Can anyone translate for the us laypersons? 😅

[@MrDavil43]

In the 1960's I worked in the City and whenever I wasn't in a hurry to get home I would forsake the charms of the Met and Piccadilly lines and get a train from Moorgate to New Barnet. The diesel loco would struggle up the incline to Kings Cross and the coaches were filthy Mk.1 suburban stock. But it was a journey this train buff always enjoyed! Splendid video by the way.

[@julianaylor4351]

So good is the quality of your videos that I have changed my subscription from some to all. ♥️ Farringdon Street now Farringdon and Aldersgate Street now Barbican. Victorian London was indeed grid locked, but the average speed of rush hour traffic has only gone up by a few miles an hour in the centuries since. At least we don't have horse mature or leaded petrol to deal with anymore. My favourite reused tunnel is the Brunel tunnel, under the Thames, that was a foot and carriage tunnel that now houses rail lines. You forgot to mention the better brakes and safety systems on modern locomotives, that made reuse of the tunnel easier.

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

When the Snow Hill tunnels were originally closed, the widened lines from Moorgate to Kings Cross, and the commuter lines from Kings Cross and St Pancras were still unelectrified, and run by pokey diesel trains. It was their electrification and the advent of dual voltage trains able to take power from the 3rd rail and overhead power lines which helped pave the way for the reopening of the tunnel.

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

How about the tale of the Thameslink stations for Kings Cross? There's the tale of the delayed opening, which is fading from memory. There is also the untold story of how dangerous the old station on Pentonville Road was. Hundreds of people, a lot with heavy luggage, going in both directions in a small corridor and up and down 1 set of totally inadequate steps.

[@atraindriver]

Kings Cross Midland City? Not sure if you still can, but pre-Covid you could still go through the old KXMC/TL entrance to get to the Underground. I recall that it was... dingy.

[@dougmorris2134]

Thank you Jago for this Tale of a Recycled Victorian Tunnel. The LC&DR would be very impressed.

[@seanbonella]

Sundays with Jago are always good

[@stephenpegum9776]

As someone who lives in N London the creation of the TL line is just brilliant - I can get a train straight through to places like Gatwick Airport from Mill Hill Broadway - super convenient ! 😎

[@brianparker663]

Gets me down to see my beloved Seagulls play at the Amex. A real boon! 😃

[@melanierhianna]

As someone in London the government subsidies your transport by three times what it subsidises mine. The cross rail line was partially funded by cancelling Leeds’ trams. So while you have yet another line, there’s a million people in a city without any kind of rapid transit system at all. Oh and HS2 was cancelled. And so was the L & Y cross Pennines line upgrade. And now it seems HS2 to Manchester too.

[@BarneyLeith]

Fascinating! I used to use this line a lot when I worked in London.

[@sbv-zs7wz]

long time ago i worked near snow hill and my boss told me that there was a secret tunnel between snow hill police station and the rail tunnel and also the post office railway had a link to it, presumably both for 'government business', dont know if true.

[@robertbench4664]

When they re-opened Birmingham Snow Hill Tunnel in the 1980's they had a charity walk through it just beforehand in aid of Birmingham Childrens Hospital on a Sunday.You could either pay for the walk or get sponsors,but I only heard about it at the last moment,so I paid a donation to the hospital.The first few hundred got a commemorative certificate,but as I didn't get there in time by train from Coventry(the service isn't good even now on Sunday mornings) I missed out on this,and there was a giant queue at Moor Street Station end to begin the walk.I was told the Bank of England had a shaft in the roof of the tunnel to lower bullion into and out of special bullion carriages that only used the tunnel at night to make it more secure.I used to regularly visit Moor Street Station before it got restored thinking it was about to be pulled down and shut if the Stratford on Avon lines were closed,as they had already shut the rest of the route to Cheltenham.

[@brianfretwell3886]

Not all the track to the Snow hill tunnel was taken up, I could see it from trains approaching Holborn Viaduct stn in the 1970's and 80's. I did hear it was because there was a traction current sub station underground and it was cheaper to leave a 3dr rail set up there than run new cables. Good timing with the Bluebell railway footage, as I was there yesterday for the beer festival.

[@tw25rw]

I remember catching a train from Holborn Viaduct just before it closed when there was only 1 platform and demolition happening all around. Then shortly after catching trains to and from Farringdon. I wish I remembered Ludgate Hill.

[@johncamp2567]

THANKS, Jago, for highlighting the BBC story on the train accidentally routed into a closed Charing Cross station. Interesting! 👍

[@leteethgirl8778]

you uploaded this right after i had stopped in city thameslink very cool. i'm on the train rn still

[@Oscarooney9947]

Since i started watching you I've wanted to know about the snow Hill tunnel

[@rollinwithunclepete824]

For some reason, Snow Hill always fascinated this American. Good to see they were able to reuse old railroad ROW!

[@stephengreenwald5271]

Fascinating video. I went to school near Ludgate Circus in the early sixties and well remember the bridge across the bottom of Ludgate Hill. It always seemed to have a locomotive on it, not moving just gently steaming. Also, shortly before opening the Thameslink connection, the bridge emerging from the north end of Blackfriars station was rebuilt so that it sloped down to north, presumably to lessen the gradient as the line dived underground. The slope of the bridge is clear to see.

[@teecefamilykent]

Brilliant video sir, can't wait to see your Holborn viaduct video :-)

[@webrarian]

I can remember standing on the platform at Holborn Viaduct having travelled from Haydons Road in late 1979. The Snow Hill tunnel was obvious and it seemed such a waste for it not to be used. A few years later it was back in use and Holborn Viaduct had gone.

[@a11oge]

Well done JH, and a very good use of maps etc.

[@shaunhouse8469]

We will know Jago has mastered technology when we get the 3-d story of City Thameslink to include Snow Hill, Holborn Viaduct and Ludgate Hill and the change over from AC & DC and third rail & overhead power - as you can probably tell I can never remember which way is which in terms of location of pick-up and whether it's AC or DC

[@BarrysViews]

Another very informative video from Janjo really enjoyed this video

[@AndyG73]

Now the line has a new link to the Great Northern from just north of St. Pancras to just before the first tunnel north of King's Cross. Very handy indeed.

[@CraigMcArthur]

Thanks! The (limited number of) maps really help comprehending where the lines ran/run. Appreciated, although more would be great. 😅

[@raythomas4812]

As Always Jago - fascinating and confusing at the same time

[@MrGreatplum]

The history of this line is a fascinating one - thank you for telling it so well!

[@unrulyphxntom4397]

Can't wait to enjoy this video! Keep it up Jago!

[@uniontpke772]

I was hoping for a video on this!

[@ianpatterson6552]

Wherever Jago goes in central London there is a ubiquitous hoarding announcing a new development.

[@JagoHazzard]

I raise the land values.

[@ianpatterson6552]

@@JagoHazzard million quid pads all round then!

[@RogersRamblings]

Excellent, I think it's fair to say that the depths of Snow Hill tunnel have been suitably plumbed.

[@nigelclark1823]

Brilliant video, very much enjoyed this one

[@PokhrajRoy.]

4:39 I have seen works of art depicting streets back in the day and it’s shocking how foot traffic has been since handled.

[@iaingardener9268]

A first rate video as always. I remember travelling through the tunnel not long after it opened though I was more interested in the stabled EPBs stabled in Holborn Viaduct as it was a network day and a Saturday

[@amethyst7084]

Thanks very much Jago. I had not realizes that Thameslink had reached its 35-year anniversary. I think it a really interesting line given its sole crossing of central London between Blackfriars and Kings Cross, and how it has numerous termini on the south coast, south east London, and north of Greater London into Hertfordshire.

[@egpx]

Thank you Mister H. I’ve used Thameslink trains but a handful of times but have often wondered as to how the track got there. Frankly, I wondered what all the Crossrail fuss was all about when there was already a service that crosses through the centre of London. I never knew the line had been there for years just waiting for passenger services to recommence. Shame there wasn’t a similar tunnel built from east to west a a century ago that Crossrail could have used. It might have saved a bob or two.

[@Squaretable22]

The Tunnels from East to West were the Metropolitan and District railways :'). The District used to run from Slough to Southend. Unfortunately for express railways, theyre saddled with accomodating the circle line and all the lines from the west which funnel into them.

[@DavidWilson-hh2gn]

An interesting vid of an often lesser known and mysterious part of the London rail network.

[@ryanbadger4437]

Interesting. Would love to see a video about Holborn Viaduct station!

[@Lurker1979]

I admit I like the look of that train's front end at the beginning of the video.

[@SmudgeThomas]

The mess of lines under/over Fleet Street and up to Holborn is honestly one of the most interesting bits of "we're here because Victorians" history

[@Batters56]

A gamble that meant my Victoria bound train could divert to Blackfriars this morning when the signals failed!

[@wickiezulu]

The other day was pondering if there were any underground line schemes that planned to run parallel to the Snow Hill Tunnel from Farringdon to Blackfriars, similar to how the Metropolitan runs alongside the mainline rail at the Clerkenwell tunnel / part of the City Widened Lines between Farringdon and Kings Cross St Pancras? Also felt they could have re-sited City Thameslink slightly to provide impetus for a direct interchange with the Central Line south of Snow Hill station / A40 (roughly by Holborn Viaduct), instead of making do with getting out at St Paul's to go to City Thameslink.

[@andrewhotston983]

I miss Holborn Viaduct station - I once cabbed a Class 33 on a parcels train there. The place was almost deserted. Maybe that's why it closed?

[@peterknight6535]

I was told by a yard supervisor at Cricklewood that Mar 1 carriages would go through Snow Hill tunnel. If you go through it is possible to see the sidings into Smithfield meat market.

[@robertbench4664]

I always enjoy your videos.Any chance of a video about the conflicting same names of railway statiions in different parts of Britain,such as this Snow Hill and the one in Birmingham or the different Hampton Stations?Keep up the good work.

[@Ro99]

4:43 I don’t know why but hearing you say ‘the Chatham Boys’ made me laugh

[@christopherwright8388]

Thats an interesting map you show @1:30. It must be from between 1852 & 1868, as Kings Cross is depicted but no trace of St. Pancras (except for the dashed line showing where the Midland Main Line is expected to go).

[@kevanhubbard9673]

There's the other Snow Hill Tunnel running under a city centre too under Birmingham.

[@jackmarshallD9525]

Couple of 20s or a single 15 must of sounded absolutely mega inside that tunnel!

[@Broadercasting]

I note with the widened lines connection broken East of Farringdon (for longer Thameslink operation after platform lengthening), points on the Met. lines were installed there to eventually allow stabling of Underground trains on them some time back, but no progress to further work so far...

[@Broadercasting]

To Jago's credit, he covers this in the next video.

[@Richardincancale]

1:22 And the French language too!

[@JanoJ]

There are technically THREE mainline services through London (depending on whether you class zone 2 as part of the city), but if you include the hourly southern services from Watford Junction (previously milton keynes) to East Croydon (previously gatwick/brighton), that is also a through route that is often very useful. I used it in the past even back in 1998/1999 to travel from Harrow Weadstone Station to New Malden. which was far faster than catchign the fast train to euston, then to Waterloo via the tube, and cheaper as it doesnt hit zone 1. Nevetherless great video as always

[@JagoHazzard]

Fair point!

[@f.g.9466]

I thought that was one of the two. Only seeing your comment now I'm realising that maybe he meant the Elizabeth Line, which I never associate with mainline. Either way I'm glad I'm not the only one to always keep that line in mind.

[@f.g.9466]

@@JagoHazzard would love to see a video about this underappreciated service and the tracks that it runs on :)

[@Trainhub2450alt]

great video!

[@johna5635]

Talking of the Metropolitan Line giving rise to the word "Metro", have you ever done a video on the theory that Vauxhall station is responsible for the Russian word "Vokzal" being used to mean "Railway Station"?! Always been fascinated by that idea.

[@JanoJ]

Some errors: Regarding the comment about the new alignment starting in 1986, that is not true. When thameslink initially started in 1998, it used the old alignment through ludgate hill/snow hill (Holborn viaduct was still open at the time). in 1990, the old route was closed, and the new slignment/tunnels were constructed, as well as the demolition fo Holborn Viaduct/Ludgate hill, and the railway bridge, as well as the creation fo City Thameslink

[@colinveitch9815]

Very interesting well done. Great

[@ThatCoalSoul]

* Great. *.

[@calmeilles]

It seems to be a railway thing, or maybe more a railway _enthusiasts_ thing, perhaps for the drama of it, but there is very little railway infrastructure in London that is abandoned. Quite a lot that's disused, but not abandoned.

[@Blade_Daddy]

Jago, you always make me smarter.

[@Jimyjames73]

Very good as per usual Jago 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[@Jimyjames73]

Also liking the old black & white drawings & photos Jago 😉🚂🚂🚂

[@gsygsy]

Brilliant. Thank you!

[@raakone]

Very interesting. And I didn't know that, at one time, that many freight trains were running through the Widdened Lines and Snow Hill Tunnel. Also, I wonder, had the Widened Lines been extended to Liverpool Street, would that have changed things for Snow Hill's line? Well, at one time there were trains from Liverpool Street to Brighton via the East London Line, as late as 1966 (was given a belated Beeching?) They ran on diesel, as 4-rail was never extended north or south when the Tube was on the East London line (it's since been converted to 3rd rail, and is mostly isolated from the rest of the "Overground", even if there are connecting tracks) The Thameslink, Elizabeth, East London Overground and Great Northern City lines are interesting because, while being "mainline", in some ways, are much like the Underground.

[@highpath4776]

Did you mean Liverpool Street To Brighton ? ( A Service from Liverpool even via the North London Line would struggle to get onto the East London Line )

[@raakone]

@@highpath4776 corrected it!

[@harstan7333]

It was possible to travel from Liverpool Street (GER) to Brighton or anywhere else on the LBSCR or SECR via the East London Railway (through Shoreditch to New Cross/New Cross Gate) until 1966. Passenger excursion trains as well as freight ran this way. Doubtful if extending the Widened Lines beyond Moorgate would have been worthwhile - and certainly difficult to build.

[@highpath4776]

@@harstan7333 But the Met (rather awkwardly) DID run into Liverpool Street Main Line. There is always the problem of direct services at less frequent intervals vs frequent trains to fewer destinations but passengers do a change

[@harstan7333]

@@highpath4776 Yes, I know, although the link was short-lived - but the question related to the CWL. I don't think anything coming into Liverpool Street and thence over that link onto Met could then access CWL directly, at least before reaching the 'triangle' at Farringdon.

[@1258-Eckhart]

Danke! Excellent video!

[@JagoHazzard]

And thank you!

[@Richardincancale]

9:59 Very Freudian!!!

[@tonners.pettitt9938]

Another episode bang on!

[@DarthTrotter]

Thanks for this.

[@jimhankinson4428]

I've often wondered about the possible extension of the Great Northern south of Moorgate. I know you've mentioned that, more than a century ago, there was a plan to drive south to Bank and then on through the W & C, and I remember your saying that there were serious problems with getting around the sub-surface infrastructure between Moorgate and Bank, which will have obviously got much worse. But has there ever been any suggestion of connecting Moorgate with Cannon Street, and then onto the southern network? If there has been can you do a video about it?

[@davidgiles95]

I wonder why Snow Hill wasn't popular in the early 1900s but is so popular for Thameslink now. What changed?

[@pvuccino]

I wonder if Snow Hill station was in the tunnel or just before it's entrance. Railwaymaponline has it in the tunnel, but all the photos I've seen it's in an open-cutting. I also don't understand where exactly today's Thameslink line correlates to the old line. I mean today the line dives into the tunnel much before where the old one did, so do the trains just join the old line at some point in the tunnel?

[@hampstersquared]

Those incredibly crowded, gridlocked Victorian roads - how on earth did one cross them as a pedestrian?!

[@JagoHazzard]

With difficulty, in fear.

[@gnhansen29]

Great video. Thameslink was the rail trip in London that I enjoyed the most. Have any steam tours ever run along the Thameslink line?

[@JagoHazzard]

I don’t think it would be possible with the frequency of service these days. However, before it was Thameslink, there were several railtours.

[@isashax]

Good one!

[@PavlosPapageorgiou]

Pretty much anything in London is only possible thanks to a railway that has been built more than a century before!

[@rainyfeathers9148]

I just imagine the LCDR and SWR in a get along t-shirt🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@PabloBD]

classic london, chatham and dover shenanigans

[@GeorgeChoy]

i was expecting something on Birmingham Snow Hill Station

[@phil_p]

I’d be interested to hear about the etymology of the name. If it hasn’t been lost to the mists of time?

[@kidmohair8151]

if Yerkes had been around he would have just plowed it through working class neighbourhoods, like they did (and still do with "freeways") in the US... and called it urban renewal.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I’ve always wondered why they changed St. Paul’s Thameslink to City Thameslink.

[@JagoHazzard]

My understanding is that it was to avoid confusion with St Paul’s Underground.

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@JagoHazzard - Oh right. Makes sense I suppose. Thank you.

[@hb1338]

More to the point, why does the station name not reflect its' location more accurately ? Ludgate Hill, Ludgate Circus, Old Bailey might have been more helpful.

[@peedee2221]

Finally first view

[@simonwinter8839]

Very well done !!

[@heidirabenau511]

🏅 🏆

[@ThatCoalSoul]

Not first comment though.

[@simonwinter8839]

@@ThatCoalSoul My dear fellow positioning yourself has nothing to do with making a comment. It's not the content it's the winning, just ask Donald Trump.

[@ThatCoalSoul]

@@simonwinter8839 No thanks ...I'm good.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Ooh, is that an NSE sign above the doors to City Thameslink? Speaking of which, it’s bugging me that the livery uses camelcase (ThamesLink) while everything else seems to just make it one word in lettercase (Thameslink). I actually think the former looks a bit better but it seems like the latter has seniority, as it were.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Wait, is that titlecase not lettercase? Ah, whatever, that’s why I provided the example too hahah.

[@Batters56]

@@kaitlyn__LJustincase?

[@bobcannell7603]

How did they make room for the wires? Dig out the floor and shore up the walls?

[@Thepuffingyank]

not to derail the subject but i am curious. here california south of sf is now long abandoned cement factory with a welded rail line all the way to watsonville. was this ever done or tried in the uk? and if so what were the results

[@adrianbaker5916]

I looked at the title and didn't read it properly. I thought that Jago was in Birmingham..

[@pleappleappleap]

I think TfL Rail should take over Thameslink.

[@cannonboltVsXLR8]

Can anyone explain why thameslink trains make that rather unique wee-woo sound constantly

[@TheKlink]

why did they never use stationary engines to winch train up slopes?

[@johna5635]

Is there a Victorian version of HS2 we could re-use?

[@JagoHazzard]

The Great Central Railway, but they closed it down in the 60s.

[@timothybird4264]

When was the ludgate hill railway bridge get taken down?

[@JagoHazzard]

I believe it was the early 90s, but I’m basing that purely on vague memories.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Much rejoicing among conservationists when it went and that 60s block which stuck out in front of St Paul's west face was replaced. Now you had a clear view of the cathedral fron Fleet St up Ludgate Hill, as Wren and Betjeman would have wished.

[@timothybird4264]

@@esmeephillips5888 if only fleet had as much hustle and bustle as used to have

[@hb1338]

@@esmeephillips5888 The building is still in the way, and the spire of St Martin Ludgate is still in the way. The latter was built by Wren after he completed St Pauls, and apparently he approved of it.