5.0 out of 5 stars A must read

A.C. · 4 March 2017

This book gives a very well documented insight into London's transport evolution over the last few decades. It has the ideal depth in the topics being neither too technical or too historical. It focuses on the process of the development of the different transport schemes. In addition to that the book tells the story what happened and what could have happened if decision maker decided slightly differently. A must read if you want to understand how Londons transport system is as it is today.

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

J.G. · 24 May 2017

Excellent and comprehensive

5.0 out of 5 stars Strangely inspiring

G.M. · 2 May 2022

Strange to say, given one's views of politicians, the story of London's transport is quite inspiring. No other city has such narrow, winding, ancient roads and yet the place works. You can get around. Millions do and it is public transport that does it, much of it rail. Michael Schabas's tells the story; he was an insider for a lot of it. The book, super, just a pity the font is a bit small.George M

5.0 out of 5 stars The Megacity where the rich ride public transport : Why London needs to build more railways

N.M. · 28 December 2016

This is a really important book. Reflecting on the author`s account of rail development in modern London, one realises that a new paradigm is needed for thinking about London`s planning. Probably the most famous book published on London`s planning is London 2000 by the late Peter Hall. His narrative forecast the vast region that is now the real London as opposed to the administrative area of the GLA, but he envisaged a vastly dispersed population living at lower densities and hugely dependent on the private vehicle. Michael Schabas has been associated with virtually every railway project in London over three decades. He explains that no other city grew as large before widespread car ownership. Inner London lacks an express road system or even the wide avenues of New York or Paris. London is less dependent on the automobile than any other megacity. In a memorable phrase he pithly concludes “It is a city built by merchants, not princes.”As someone who assisted Professor Colin Buchanan at the GLDP inquiry in the 1970`s where the four ring roads proposed in the plan (only the outer orbital – now the M25 -was built) attracted huge public opposition, I can confidently assert that the scale of rail building in London that has materialised was never foreseen. The six lines that transformed London: Docklands Light Railway, Jubilee Line Extension, High Speed One, Overground, Thameslink and Crossrail have enabled London to grow at densities never envisaged in the 1970`s when threads of Abercrombie`s dispersed strategy for the future London were still lingering in County Hall. Londonism is a term coined by The Economist to describe a creed which is pro-finance, pro-immigration and investment hungry and was championed by Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson and now Sadiq Khan. It would not have been possible without the massive rail investment that has dramatically improved both connectivity and productivity in the capital city.The book is copiously illustrated and details the planning, technology, choice, design and funding decisions that have shaped London`s rail network since 1980, and the changing operating practices, fares and management that have been equally critical to the modernisation of London`s transport system. What marks this book out from the vast railway literature glimpsed in any second – hand book shop is the extensive coverage given to how the political and administrative decisions were made, the mistakes, the sub- optimal choices, the naïve assumptions. The author concludes that nevertheless none of the new lines built in London has been a mistake and many have succeeded beyond expectations. But almost all schemes have taken longer and cost substantially more than originally promised. Evaluating the achievements and mistakes of the last quarter century, London – in the author`s view – gets a Len Goodman score of “7” out of 10. He is optimistic that if the lessons described in the book can be applied the mark for the next quarter century will be higher.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lessons Learned alone should save the time and cost of many a consultant’s study.

H.P.I. · 19 April 2017

This is an important and timely book, the author being not only a participant in the shaping of London’s rail network but also able to present the subject in a readable, thoughtful, useful manner.Make no mistake, this is not a book that can be read in one sitting. It possesses a substantial Thump Factor, and is therefore best taken in little bites; but the layout of the book makes it equally useful for people preferring a skim to a deep dive, as the graphics and text work well together. The book should therefore appeal to a broad range of readers, from economists to engineers to historians. And for policy types, the Lessons Learned alone should save the time and cost of many a consultant’s study.As the city is one of the world's most dependent on rail infrastructure, it is fortunate that Michael Schabas is both an insider and a writer; his book does this complex subject justice.Henry Posner IIIChairmanRailroad Development Corp.Pittsburgh, PA, USA