Inspiro-ing the Piccadilly Line – a look at TfL’s new trains

Piccadilly Line Inspiro

Transport for London (TfL) and Siemens Mobility have unveiled the detailed design of the new generation Tube trains for the Piccadilly line, which will soon be in production to replace the existing 1970s fleet. 94 new Siemens Inspiro ‘2024 Stock’ trains are due for delivery starting in 2025. The state-of-the-art Tube trains will significantly improve […]

8 books you MUST have on your bookshelf if you love transport and design

Identity Manual

Do you know your Arial from your Helvetica, from your Rail Alphabet? If you claim to be a fan of both transport and design, there are several publications which you quite simply MUST own to validate your claim. There’s no better feeling in the world than ‘going analogue’ for an afternoon, settling into an oversized […]

A hundred years of Johnston – the iconic typeface of the London Underground

Paul Wilson, University of Leeds It’s been 100 years since the London Underground’s distinctive typeface made its first appearance. Alongside the unmistakable roundel, Johnston has helped to create some of the most recognisable signage in the world: a design which screams “London!”, no matter which language you speak. It has guided Londoners and visitors alike […]

Arts et Métiers: a hidden wonder of the Paris Métro

Arts Et Metiers signage

Sci-fi nerds unite! Arts et Métiers is surely a contender for the title of the ‘world’s most surreal subway station’. Arts et Métiers is a Métro station that you’re less likely to visit than most. It’s nestled away on Line 11, one of the shortest lines on the Paris Métro, and is starkly lacking in tourist attractions […]

Transport on Trend: free wifi

Stagecoach has introduced free wifi across many of its brands and services. A large orange sticker proudly displayed on the front of Gold 15838 tells customers all about it in Oxford. Image credit: NX4737 on Flickr.

‘Free wifi’ became the buzzword (or rather, phrase) of public transport bodies across the globe during 2013. With one transport group trialling free wifi on rail services out of London Paddington and equipping its entire 800-strong bus fleet in Manchester with wifi by 2014 (at a cost of £1million), it’s clear that operators believe that the internet truly has […]

Siemens: inspiring the future

The Siemens Inspiro mock-up at the Crystal in Royal Victoria Dock. Image credit: Julian Gajewski on Flickr.

Siemens’ vision for the future of the Tube has been showcased at its urban development centre – The Crystal – in London. The Inspiro family is the next-generation of metro train from the German company. The full-size mock-up displayed at the Royal Victoria Docks in London is a brand new design created exclusively for the Tube […]

Harry Beck – 80 years

Harry Beck's blue plaque, revealed this week at his birthplace in Leyton, east London.

The late Harry Beck this week received a blue plaque on the 80th anniversary of his Tube map’s first appearance. Beck’s map, created in 1933, would set the future standard for London Tube maps (and indeed, transit maps the world over). His design, though updated over time, remains in use right up to the present […]

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