London'S main-line passenger termini, set in a ring around the City, have been immensely improved in recent years. Notwithstanding these betterments, however, there are times, notably at the height of the summer holiday season, when it is only with the greatest ingenuity that it is possible to handle the enormous traffic offering. It is, of course, impracticable to enlarge and rebuild all the metropolitan stations, but whenever opportunity offers an endeavour is made to extend the accommodation available, and to remodel the existing facilities to meet changing conditions. At the moment, good progress is being made with the modernisation of the Euston terminus of the L.M. & S. Company, while important electrification works are being carried out in the neighbourhood of the throbbing Liverpool Street terminus of the L. & N.E. line.

The honour of handling more trains than any other London station falls to Waterloo, on the Southern system, with a total of 1,424 passenger trains in and out daily. Liverpool Street, however, actually deals with the heaviest passenger traffic, some 209,000 people passing through each day. A recent official census of passengers and trains arriving at fourteen of the principal London termini on an ordinary weekday shows that 1,294,000 passengers use these gateways daily, and 4,217 trains arrive at their platforms every twenty-four hours. The problem of the morning and evening rush hour remains acute. At Waterloo, 24,300 people arrive in a single hour during the morning, and in the evening 22,800 passengers leave in the same period of time. At Liverpool Street, where the suburban traffic is exceptionally heavy, 32,900 passengers step out on to the platforms between 8.30 and 9.28 a.m., while between six and seven o'clock in the evening some 31,675 people depart.

Signalling Improvements.

The remodelling of city passenger stations, and the electrification of the tracks in and out, affords an opportunity for introducing signalling betterments of the greatest value. The Southern electrification works were accompanied by elaborate resignalling schemes, involving new signal boxes at Waterloo (309 levers), London Bridge (311 levers), Charing Cross (107 levers), and Cannon Street (143 levers). On the L. & N.E. system, two interesting resignalling schemes just completed are those between Shenfield and Chelmsford, on the former Great Eastern section; and between Shenfield and Southend—the nearest seaside resort to the capital. In both cases modern colour-light signals have been installed, with three and four-aspect signals of the searchlight type, controlled by d.c. track circuits. The same company has also recently completed new power signalling at the east end of Waverley Station, Edinburgh. The former mechanical signal-box at this point comprised 260 levers. This, and a second signal-cabin some 1,056 yards distant, have been replaced by a new box with 207 miniature levers.

“Somersault” signals outside King's Cross Station, London.

Multi-unit type, colour-light signals have been installed, with track-circuiting throughout. On the L.M. & S. line, we have an important new signalling scheme in hand at Wigan, in Lancashire. Two big stations are involved, one on the main-line between London and Scotland, consisting of five through platform roads and five terminal bays, handling over page 23

North-going “Coronation Scot” passing over water troughs at Bushey, near London.

400 trains daily; and the other, situated on the Manchester-Southport tracks, handling about 300 trains daily. Three new signal boxes are replacing the twelve existing cabins.