Railway professional 53 years, railway journo/author/volunteer. Photographer 58 years! Railway 200 Steering Group member. On Bluesky more and more.

Milton Keynes
Joined May 2016
Behind the scenes on a British institution.
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There is a whisper that the Boris wave may be somewhat to blame after BREXIT. So not really the whole story Diana. The Tory legacy continues I'm afraid. Prisons, Railways, Defense, energy .................... @_CallumAnderson will confirm.
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50 years apart. Saltley TMD. The pylons provide the reference points and the block of flats on the right hand side. @RAIL @railexpress @RailwayMagazine @Modern_Railways @PaulMBigland @Paul03391 Thanks to @HS2ltd for enabling today's images possible from Duddeston No. 1 viaduct.
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Phil Marsh retweeted
Every Conker operator requires a guard for safety
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And Spurs were winners back then!
I remember the world before the internet. It wasn’t unconnected. It wasn’t inconvenient. I remember when we read books, newspapers, used pens, wrote letters, used cash. I remember watching the news at 5:45 and that was enough news. It was absolutely fine.
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Most of my family perished in the holocaust German camps. What you are saying is totally out of context when you look back 85 years. A snapshot in time. @EbonySoltani can explain far better than I and lets also not forget just 3 years ago the massacre. Of Israelis.
Feels like Israel is in some combination of a "1978 in Rhodesia" or "1984 in South Africa" situation, except if we'd given both countries the nuke. It's going to collapse as a state in its current form, albeit at a slower rate than those two did. But collapse is inevitable.
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But it's an inconvenient truth Diana. Check out when the scheme was being designed, who signed it off and when it physically commenced. Well before the 2024 election. My politics are my business as is the rail industry where I'm in my 54th year.
Replying to @Marshrail
@Marshrail - I know you are anti-Conservative so will always blame the Tories! The truth is both Governments are to blame. The last one was too slow getting off the starting blocks.
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But Diana presumably the previous Government signed this project off so it’s a tad disingenuous to blame The current Government.
So now Lord Hendy says East West Rail won’t open til 2029????!!!!!
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Mapping the future Chris! Great piece of work.
Thrilled to see my map published in the recent issue of @RAIL, and this article, which I've been wanting to write for quite some time. I'm not just saying this, but it's a must read for anyone who believes the myth that #HS2 is gold plated or was a politician's vanity project
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Phil Marsh retweeted
And far from doing "more local programming when more people are listening", the BBC is now planning to cut 50% of its local radio output between 6am and 2pm on Saturdays, with more shows axed on Sunday mornings and weekday evenings. End of thread.
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That is one hell of a drone shot Chris.
I had the privilege of walking 1.6km over a completed section of HS2 Water Orton Viaduct on Wednesday. It's been fascinating watching it take shape over the last 3 years. 1/2 #HS2
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In my several decades of guarding charters I would advise that all carriages go to the same destination so please just join the train
Why do people crowd around doors of railtour stock before it's unlocked like we don't all have a seat allocated to us? I had no sleep last night so I think people are going to annoy me greatly today 🙈😂
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but they will have to build the additional platform before additional services can operate to Bedford and eventually Cambridge. This is not news 2/2
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You perhaps don't remember failing Grayling? But @TheOxfordMail seems to have misunderstood what Network means. There IS capacity for the Oxford Milton Keynes service, there always has been, 1/2
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May I offer Chris Grayling, Grant Shapps and Mark Harper Diana? They all laid the foundations for the current imbroglio. @Captain_Deltic @EngFocus @RAIL @railexpress @Clinnick1
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Replying to @EngFocus @Marshrail
Just as the Scots found out trying to build their tram system in Edinburgh.
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When people say "just upgrade existing lines" instead of building new, this is the reality. I'm not going to defend the budget or delay, but having to deal with existing infrastructure in the middle of urban environments is an absolute nightmare.
After around 3 years and 5 months, the Botley Road in #Oxford has finally reopened. Just to put those 1,258 closure days into perspective… 🚢 The Titanic was built in around 3 years. 🗼 The Eiffel Tower was built in just 2 years, 2 months and 5 days. 🏙️ The Empire State Building took little more than a year to build. 🇬🇧 During the closure we’ve had 3 different Prime Ministers. 🎓 You could have started and completed a three-year university degree while Botley Road was closed. 📅 That's more than 30,000 hours of closure and disruption for residents, businesses and commuters. Meanwhile, the wider Oxford Station project now stands at £237.4 million up from the original £161m cost. Of course these are very different projects, but the comparisons put into perspective the extraordinary length of this closure. It’s no wonder we have major infrastructure challenges in this country when project budgets are allowed to balloon and we see delay after delay. We need to get much better at delivering major infrastructure on time and with proper control of taxpayers’ money.
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The barriers at Chester on 1st September when I went there were out of order! But the staff were good.
Perhaps you should experience it before suggesting I'm overreacting. Of course barriers slow people down. But the lack of space which is a problem. The concourse is constrained and platform is very narrow. This was also the result of a not particularly busy 5 car unit.
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This fox was one of many seen fleeing from the Hursley Hambledon Hunt as they cub hunted in Meonstoke, not far from the kennels. For over 20 minutes the hunt surrounded a covert just south of the meet, demonstrating standard cub hunting tactics while the huntsman encouraged hounds inside. South Hampshire Hunt Sabs witnessed 3 foxes running from the covert, as well as deer. Read more about the sadistic and cruel practice of cub hunting 👉 huntsabs.org.uk/death-at-daw…
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In memory of a great railwaywoman (is that a word?) and for a great cause.
Welcome aboard the Branch Line Society 'Toots Express' charter to Edinburgh. Running as 1Z22.
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I have with details and have little hope of a reply given the last 5 requests for a dm have been ignored after I sent them. No accountability at Companies House whatsoever.
Replying to @Marshrail @emily4MK
Hi Phil, please DM us your company name and company number so we can check our records. Thanks. ^Jas xitter.cf/messages/compose?recip…

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