Well that was deeply unpleasant

If we really try to resolve some of the issues with the UK rail network - nationalisation alone can't solve them..... but pleased Crosscountry is on the bottom of the list. www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/brita...

With creaking UK infrastructure, £3.2bn underspend on UK infrastructure in 2024/25 - seems surprising. Next time my train is delayed - will rest assured that the fix was on a spreadsheet but never implemeneted. railuk.com/rail-news/cl...

Last week's @railforum_uk Major Project event, @NISTAgov (part of Treasury & Cabinet Office) presented UK infrastructure costs. Generally, UK rail is OK. Except where there is no rolling programme - says the people from the Treasury... if only we knew whose decision that was🤔

Instead of cleaning my desk... I'm producing idealised versions of a clean desk in AI. It saves disturbing a whole lot of real dust.

Top tip of the day - read the warnings on the ticket machine... and don't blindly put your card in, if distracted on the phone. 🤦‍♂️

Reading the steelwork spec for the electrification of High Speed California... wondering if masts/poles are so tall to allow for double-stacked freight for a lot of it (train to Derby - perfect time to read long steelwork specs). caleprocure.ca.gov/psc/psfpd1/v...

I think this is how we publicise infrastructure improvements: more trains, increased capacity, and better reliability. I score this 7/10 press-release (compares to about 2/10 for recent Midland Mainline releases). www.thenational.scot/news/2544448...

A £3.2bn underspend in UK infrastructure in 2024/25 (almost 15%) - is pretty bad. However, measuring by annual spend rather than what was actually delivered is a crap way to monitor projects.... as I think several of the Gov reviews have already found. www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/treas...

Network has published its spend report for 2024/25 - a 9.2% fall in spend from the last year of Control Period 6 (2023/24) to CP7's 1st year. 16% fall in renewals -kind of ties up with NSAR survey that found a 9.4% fall in the rail workforce. www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/u...

I do like the Rail Industry Association's: Decarbonisation tool - but I would like it to be called - "Interactive Map Of How To Run A Better Railway"... but appreciate that it is not catchy. issuu.com/raildirector...

There are some shocking videos of people distracted by phones crossing the railway on NR's YouTube account: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAA7...

Quiz quesiton of the day - what is the speed of this advance warning board.

3 separate scaffolding accidents (luckily no injuries) in central London stations over the summer. At some point London Liverpool St will be redeveloped - makes me think it will need tight monitoring.

Such a catalogue of issues here that exacerbate lack of infrastructure resilience - but a 4 hour gap in some services (when temporary timetable is combined with rolling stock shortage) - must make people consider whether to use rail again www.railmagazine.com/news/indefin...

Très intéressant - Trainline won the contract for the next UK rail Pay-As-You-Go ticket trials. www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/05205...

As Class 810 (new Aurora trains) can now travel at “HST” speeds (up to 125mph) south of Bedford for the past few days - calls for a celebratory headpsan postcard.

I do not want to jump into the flag debate, but my train is delayed due to "people being lowered over bridge parapets to attach flags" & speed restrictions being applied, which is both new & bonkers with wires. Hoping EMR toilets are working for once - if I'm trapped for a while

Okay, not that I am obsessed with vegetation, but after reading the 2022 Arup/ORR report, it seems vegetation management is improving, but is regionally inconsistent, with data stored in numerous individual's spreadsheets and lacks long-term planning www.orr.gov.uk/media/24315

The summer has already shown the massive impact rain/drought has on the UK's embankments & track beds. If we can combine weather models and satellite observation data, perhaps we can stand a fighting chance of knowing where future issues will occur. www.railwaygazette.com/uk/accelerat...

Really interesting trial of passive heat exchangers in signalling location boxes to reduce failures in heatwaves - will be interesting to see if NR publish the results. www.railwaygazette.com/uk/network-r...

Bristol was good fun over the weekend. Visited 100 times with work, so nice to see something other than a meeting room.

Top, front seat of the bus - as good as any theme park ride.

Working wifi on trains - is one little step closer. 🛰️ www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/04993...

Sheep on the line south of Kettering... all I need. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Prepping for Network Rail maintenance training for Beaulieu Park Station handback. Cantilevers are easy to explain in a depot, anchor portals less so. After some 3D printing trial and error, we’re close to a clear, working explainer model.

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

"Concerns grow over lineside vegetation on network". If only there were a plan or standard that would allow us to manage this.....Or perhaps we need a standard for following standards. www.railmagazine.com/news/concern...

C2C - Thameside is particularly poorly suited to prolonged dry weather, with a considerable amount of adjacent marshland. I am sure that also applies to many coastal UK railways. www.thetimes.com/uk/transport...

Looks like RSSB is delving into parcel delivery again. Bring back RedStar. www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/04887...

Highlight of the year - choosing a tube cap supplier. This is why we go to work.

Hybrid technology - perhaps not so new and fangled. This is a quad-mode train. Saw on a presentation earlier this week.

Big AI? £185m in data centres for Network Rail. I think that might get you a couple of mid-sizeish data centres, or loads or small bits and bobs in offices. www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/04833...

First day back at work after 2 weeks - hopefully not an ominous sign.

Kids, yes your friends have gone on a package holiday to the beach. However, do they see stuff like this:

Obligatory walk around Waverly station - always required when passing through.

We really lack resistance www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I'm often reminded, when we first built railways we had a plan for where trees should be & how far they were from the railway. What they did/didn't do for embankments. Feels like the current do nothing for 10yrs, then go nuclear might not have been what was originally in mind

Just a typical Thursday, teaching the Mayor of the East Midlands how to electrify the railway.

Never too early to bosh out a tram trip.

Am I wrong to assume most press releases are written by ChatGPT? "An open invitation to a more purposeful conversation and engagement on strategic innovation — to advance breakthroughs in the adoption of technologies that improve how the system works." news.railbusinessdaily.com/gbrx-2025-pi...

Delivering projects to budgets that run out year-end, drives odd behaviours. Station refurb (detailed design & refurb) delivered this financial year. Tender due back September. It's a small station, but still, surely the contractor can name their price www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/04177...

As we move to 'make do and mend' on everything, but our busy mainline - dealing with heatwaves will become more & more of an issue, as many lines will lose the ability to cope (if they ever had it). inews.co.uk/news/bucklin...

Some depressing reading from ORR: 'Reduced renewals delivery plans risks additional deterioration of railway assets which may lead to more asset failures and therefore disruption to trains' www.orr.gov.uk/annual-asses...

Now I am looking forward to seeing the output of this RSSB study. Potentially a game changer in some areas. www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/04132...

All things spending review and Mainline Electrification in this week's Green Signals, including my conversation with Richard Bowker. Another great episode. www.youtube.com/watch?v=R98_...

This evening - I am mainly thinking about Transport for Wales's champagne tender. 🍾🥂 www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/03999...

Discussed Midland Mainline funding with Richard Bowker for Green Signals podcast earlier. Perhaps coming out soon. I think Gov is still open for a case to be made to fund the rest of the electrification. www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals

Normally it is hard to spot “stagger” (where the wire zig-zags slightly from side to side to create even wear on the pantograph). but here on the Nottingham tram, the curve in the road gives you a perfect view. Anyway... this was why I was late back from lunch.

Well done to @railforum_uk & @railindustry for banging the Midland Mainline drum - we are not giving up. Full letter here: www.railforum.uk/wp-content/u...