Author | Lightnews

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈

@railfocus.bsky.social

2.1K followers 240 following 2.5K posts

Freelance transport & engineering journalist, railway campaigner and self proclaimed engineering nerd. http://Youtube.com/@Rail_Focus he/him/they/them 🏳️‍🌈

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 1h

Video now live
youtu.be/zVh44lG_2fQ

HS2 Faces 4 Year Delay

YouTube video by Rail Focus

youtu.be

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3h

🚨 Latest video 🚨 What does the 4 year delay to #HS2 mean for the North?
▶️ youtu.be/zVh44lG_2fQ ◀️

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 1d

Tomorrow's video about #HS2 north has been edited and will drop at 14:00.

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 1d

Shell company set up by Reform Ltd probably

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

Worryingly I doubt that'd pay for approved mounting brackets

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

How long until it's revealed the flags were supplied by someone related to a Reform councillor, who got them from Temu

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

Sunday's video was supposed to be the second part of my TRU update, but with the news that HS2 north has been further delayed I'll be providing an update about that instead. #HS2

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

Euston reset kicks off £300m design and engineering role hunt | Construction Enquirer News share.google/Lv33ShtMSCyM...

Euston reset kicks off £300m design and engineering role hunt

Five-year deal covers station overhaul and wider regeneration district

share.google

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

Rail line to reopen after 60 years in £120m project
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Cowley Branch Line to reopen after 60 years in £120m project

The Cowley Branch Line is currently only used by freight going to and from the BMW Mini Plant.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

I tried using a map design, but the text didn't come out very well. I know they use independent suppliers, so quality may vary

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

Lettering looks so much better than Red bubble t-shirts.

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 2d

Would've made a great photo, if I'd got it all in

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3d

I wasn't at Colwich specifically to photograph 70000 Britannia and D9000 Royal Scots Grey. But this is annoying 😅🤦‍♂️

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3d

Yes and no. I think they want to differentiate it, or save confusion between Birmingham Curzon St. It's also more Solihull than Birmingham.

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3d

#HS2 are still referring to it as just "Interchange" but the premature signs say Birmingham Interchange 🤔

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3d

I came across 2 search results recently which were just completely made up. Seemed to merge 2 unrelated things together to fabricate its own answer. The worrying thing is Google as a company doesn't seem to care.

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3d

Mark Wild's remit is to deliver the section of HS2 stipulated by the Government. Other than advising the Government he has no say over which sections are delivered beyond Curzon St and Old Oak Common

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 3d

It's been delayed for 3 years already, which begs the question what the hell have they been doing in that time? If they want to change the approach it'll take much longer than 4 years to get it through planning even if an alternative could be delivered with a DCO.

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

I don't think HS2 Ltd has had any involvement in HS2 north since the pause began, other than completing the A38 bridge. The DfT and ultimately the government has been sitting in its hand and I think Northern leaders should be demanding to know what they've been doing for the last 3 years.

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

I'm even less confident ph2a will be delivered now. They've wasted the last 3 years since HS2 north was paused and now it seems they're only just starting to look at alternatives 🤦

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

To me it's even more worrying if that's the case. HS2 north has now already been delayed by 3 years and if they're only now realising Handsacre is the problem, it'll take much longer than 4 years to design and get an alternative through planning. Lab will absolutely not be reinstating phase 2a

Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

No NPR, now HS2 is delayed, the North really is being shafted

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

With #Handsacre once again hitting the headlines it's perhaps a good time to refresh everyone's memories about the purpose of the junction and why it's important #HS2
youtu.be/oXBl_9fgCFY?...

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

Work to link #HS2 to west coast mainline to be delayed for four more years share.google/HYg4pWODRam1...

Work to link HS2 to west coast mainline to be delayed for four more years

Decision to extend pause on 18-mile stretch north of Birmingham part of ‘reset’ to troubled rail project

share.google

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Rail Focus - Chris 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 4d

The one on the right should look better it's MR's official map and someone was likely paid a lot of money to design it. It just looks suspiciously very similar to my design which predates it. The dark nodes are interchanges and interfaces with the national network.