Heavy rain earlier in the month overwhelmed London's drains and led to the discharge of 1m tonnes of raw sewage into the Thames.

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Soon the raw, rusty work began to attract the eye of the then tiny design community in London.

WSJ: Tom Dixon Makes Things Better

Memories of the 7 July London bombings and the Kings Cross fire are, of course, still raw and many would baulk at unmanned trains in the capital.

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