Istanbul Metrobus

From the archives, a few photos of Istanbul's 'Metrobus' from 2010...

• Segregated lanes in the median
• Light rail type infrastructure
• Off bus ticketing
• Ticket gates
• Separate boarding and alighting
• Undetermined frequency: at least once a minute
• Platforms capable of handling three or for vehicles
• Four axle Mercedes CapaCity vehicles
• Later joined by some bi-articulated APTS Phileas (the APTS Phileas website now leads to a Chinese on-line betting site, a sure clue the project has now been given up)

New in London 1: West Hampstead Overground

The first in an occasional series of new developments in the London transport scene.  Not necessarily the day or week they happened, but in this instance it is, the second day of the long awaited new ticket hall at West Hampstead station on London Overground's North London Line.

Nice large canopy over the entrance. It might look out of place in this photo but it fits architecturally with the new development on the left.

The station is built without a ticket office.  There are three ticket machines (of two different styles) and temporary signage pointing towards the ticket office still ope in the old ticket hall!

The brick walls make it feel a little like West Ham. This is the walk from the gateline to platform overbridge.

Platform overbridge still has protective lining on the walls from the construction period.  At the far end is the exit to the old ticket hall.

Step free access is coming: lift not yet open for customers.

A toilet is also coming.

The old ticket hall (it's not a hall, its about 3 square metres) with taped off gates and hoarded off access. The ticket office remains open for the time being.  Not sure what the long term plan is for this area, probably retail with some back of house demolition?

Round the corner at West Hampstead Thameslink a parking area for Lime E-bikes has appeared!

Also at West Hampstead Thameslink....despite only being ten years old the station's flooring is not holding up well. I suppose there is the dichotomy between buolding to last, and proposals to rebuild/relocated the station at some point.