In the early years of the 1970s, much of London’s rail network was in a run-down state and some parts were not expected to survive. Non-corridor passenger stock continued to dominate suburban services and many lines were still controlled by semaphore signals. In the years since, substantial investment has transformed the capital’s railways both in terms of infrastructure and rolling stock. So considerable has been the change that some locations and early railway scenes are barely recognisable today.
Much needed electrification came to several lines and the famous InterCity 125 became the standard train for longer distance services. Some lines have closed, such as Broad Street, but this has usually been to facilitate improvements nearby. New rolling stock has transformed passenger services and brought great colour to London’s transport network.
Author John Law has accumulated a substantial archive of photographs over the past 50 years. His time spent working on the railway enabled him to record the changing face of London’s railways, sometimes in places inaccessible to the public.
In London’s Railways Since the 1970s he takes the reader to the major terminals, the far-flung branches and the many depots. He shows vanished scenes and contrasts them with the latest developments, including those on the London Underground and the Dockland Light Railway.
Includes over 175 photographs, most of which are in colour and all accompanied by detailed captions containing background information relating to the image. 96 pages.