All London bus stops now have 'next bus' information

Not necessarily at the stop, but you can get it on the web or (more helpfully) a web-based mobile phone.

I've always wanted this for the bus stop on Kilburn Lane that you wait at for buses from Queen's Park tube to Kensal Rise.

Here are its details

London Overground cancelled

Not the sight you want to see. Apparently trains being routed to Queen's Park, and if you want to go to Richmond they are 20/50 past the hour from Willesden Junction.

A bus crash in Kensal Rise

It appears to have skidded into the Doctor's Surgey at Leigh Gardens. I hope no-one has been hurt; the road has been closed.

Photo here.

Station traffic for trainspotters

From Transport for London, we learn that in 2008 on average 4,424 people entered Kensal Green underground station on a weekday, but only 3,878 left. On a saturday numbers were lower but the discrepancy was higher, with 3,086 entering but only 2,652 leaving, while on Sunday 2,075 entered and 1,858 left. This meant a total of 2.6m entries and exits during the year. In 2007 the weekday entrance was 4,111 and exit 3,428, back in 2003 just 3,187 and 2,771.

Queen's Park was busier, with 5.7m in 2009, up from 4.3m in 2003, and an average daily entrance/exit of about 10,000/9,000. Again more leave than arrive, which I assume relates to people getting more taxis or perhaps buses in the evening.

Crossrail?

Anonymous in the comments points us to this story, which is Kensington & Chelsea council have found only one poor area in the entire borough, sorry I mean one area that is in need of regeneration, and it's (as far as I can work out) by the Sainsbury's and gasworks near us. And they want to put a Crossrail station there.

Crossrail, if you don't know, is the railway scheme that is 10 years in the future, and always will be. Actually that's a bit too cynical, as in fact funding apparently has finally been secured and it actually might get built.

Quite why K&C have decided at this very late hour (it is due to be finalised in November) to go for a station I don't know. And one wonders whether it'll have enough backing. Clearly, as anonymous says, it would be quite transformative. Can anyone give us more information?

Robert Plant in car crash in Kensal Rise

No-one seriously hurt I'm pleased to say, but apparently it was at the junction of Harrow Road and Kensal Rise. Which is where exactly? Do they mean Chamberlayne Road?

Calling cyclists

A very promising new cycle route planner, covers most of London and some other places in the UK. It lets you choose fastest, shortest or 'quietest' routes, and has a very simple interface - down to point and click on start and end (or the usual postcode options). It says 'camden' but it does the whole city.

London Overground help

For those who get slightly exasperated with the London Underground I can recommend Live Departure Boards, which show not only what time the trains are leaving but whether they are late or earlier. On my mobile phone I have noticed that usually it is more accurate than the station dispalys.

Here's Kensal Rise [Ha ha one is cancelled as I type, in triumph as ever]

Here's Queen's Park.

The London Overground returns in triumph

Largely shut since September 1st, the London Overground today ran services between Stratford and Richmond again today. It had been closed for engineering work which it was promised would lead to a more reliable service.

Those of us who live near Kensal Rise station wondered whether the 'more' was necessary, and although clearly one might expect first day teething problems, today was another disaster. The morning trains were delayed by about 10mins to 24 mins in one case (and it might have been more - my train turned up so I don't know how it ended up). A man next to me on the platform said 'I see the London Overground has returned in triumph'.

Kensal Rise to Great Portland Street (Euston road end)

What is the quickest way of getting from Kensal Rise, say Chamberlayne Road, to the shop Villandry, on Great Portland Street, in central London? This is a journey I have had to make since moving here. I tried four distinct ways.

1. Walk to Queen's Park tube, take the Bakerloo line to Baker Street, change to the Circle or H&C or Metropolitan lne, and get off at Great Portland Street station.

Walking Time = 18 mins (about 12 mins to Queen's Park tube, 3 mins in Baker Street Station, 3 mins after Great Portland Street tube)
Waiting Time = 6 mins (3 mins each for Bakerloo and Circle etc lines)
Train Time = 18 mins (15 mins on Bakerloo line, 3 mins on Circle etc lines)

Total Time = 42 mins

2. Walk to Queen's Park tube, take the Silverlink to Euston, walk to Great Portland Street.

Walking Time = 27 mins (about 12 mins to Queen's Park tube, 15 mins to Villandry from Euston)
Waiting Time = 7 mins (7 mins for Silverlink at Queen's Park)
Train Time = 10 mins (10 mins on Silverlink)

Total Time = 44 mins

3. Walk to Kensal Rise Silverlink station, change at West Hampstead for the Jubilee Line, change at Finchley Road for the Metropolitan Line.

Walking Time = 6 mins (about 3 mins to Kensal Rise, 3 mins between West Hampstead stations, 0 mins at Baker Street)
Waiting Time = 10 mins (5 mins at Kensal Rise (if you know the timetable and check the live departures on your PC or phone, 3 mins at West Hampstead, 2 mins at Finchley Road)
Train Time = 22 mins (8 mins on Silverlinke, 2 mins on Jubilee Line, 12 mins on Metropolitan line)

Total Time = 38 mins

Obviously these are averages, and late trains, slow walking, etc, can make a big difference. Also there should perhaps be a likely distribution, as the three train strategy (no.3) has more chance for things to go wrong, and the Silverlinke is less reliable than the tube. I tended to go for no.3 in the end, however, perhaps because it minimised the walk, though in summer walking through Queen's Park might be more enjoyable. But I now:

4. Cycle

Total Time = 30 mins

I hope to do it a bit faster, but it has quite a lot of hills and traffic can be heavy.