Noel Dolphin
@noeldolphin.bsky.social
Electrify - everything today.... oh yes and public transportify it all. Was @noeldolphin on X.
The biggest takeaway from this is not that the Gov rejected a mandatory rolling programme of electrification - we always knew they would do that. It is that the DfT's long-term rail strategy has moved from the summer to "later this year". www.railmagazine.com/news/railway...
Railways Bill: passenger target and rolling electrification programme amendments rejected
Opposition MPs' attempts to add new clauses for Great British Railways to abide by fail.
www.railmagazine.com
January 23, 2026 at 4:44 PM
The biggest takeaway from this is not that the Gov rejected a mandatory rolling programme of electrification - we always knew they would do that. It is that the DfT's long-term rail strategy has moved from the summer to "later this year". www.railmagazine.com/news/railway...
Yesterday's Railways Bill debate, what are the benefits of electrification and will there be any in the future? Raised by @ollyglover.bsky.social : parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...
Parliamentlive.tv
Railways Bill
parliamentlive.tv
January 23, 2026 at 11:05 AM
Yesterday's Railways Bill debate, what are the benefits of electrification and will there be any in the future? Raised by @ollyglover.bsky.social : parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...
In Glasgow today for Scotland's Railways & engineering & innovation conference. 100% agreement with Bill Reeves: discontinuous electrification is 'a start' & can infilled later, but doesn't support freight & doesn't allow fleet cascade.
January 21, 2026 at 4:22 PM
In Glasgow today for Scotland's Railways & engineering & innovation conference. 100% agreement with Bill Reeves: discontinuous electrification is 'a start' & can infilled later, but doesn't support freight & doesn't allow fleet cascade.
Changing at Crewe this evening.... after a very, very slow train from Nottingham - a sad reminder of what could have been.
January 20, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Changing at Crewe this evening.... after a very, very slow train from Nottingham - a sad reminder of what could have been.
Today we had BBC East Midlands in the warehouse - discussing the impact of cancelling the remainder of Midland Mainline Electrification on local businesses. Gearing up for their Sunday politics show.
January 19, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Today we had BBC East Midlands in the warehouse - discussing the impact of cancelling the remainder of Midland Mainline Electrification on local businesses. Gearing up for their Sunday politics show.
Visited Brands Hatch over the weekend for the 1st time. Felt slightly surreal, having seen it on TV so much as a child.
January 19, 2026 at 7:38 AM
Visited Brands Hatch over the weekend for the 1st time. Felt slightly surreal, having seen it on TV so much as a child.
It is 2 years old, but finally read @gregmorsedphil.bsky.social & RSSB's track worker digest - really interesting parallels between historic and recent accidents. Really worth a read.
January 16, 2026 at 5:20 PM
It is 2 years old, but finally read @gregmorsedphil.bsky.social & RSSB's track worker digest - really interesting parallels between historic and recent accidents. Really worth a read.
Reposted by Noel Dolphin
Death toll rises to 19 in Thailand with 80 injured after crane collapses on train, police say reut.rs/4jCqyol
Death toll rises to 19 in Thailand with 80 injured after crane collapses on train, police say
The death toll from a train derailure following the collapse of a crane in northeastern Thailand rose to 19 on Wednesday, with about 80 people injured, police said.
reut.rs
January 14, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Death toll rises to 19 in Thailand with 80 injured after crane collapses on train, police say reut.rs/4jCqyol
I am "rolling up my sleeves" and starting work in the late 2030's.
news.sky.com/story/new-bi...
news.sky.com/story/new-bi...
New Birmingham to Manchester rail line to be built
Sir Keir Starmer said it would not happen until after Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), aimed at boosting east-west rail links in northern England, is completed.
news.sky.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:58 AM
I am "rolling up my sleeves" and starting work in the late 2030's.
news.sky.com/story/new-bi...
news.sky.com/story/new-bi...
At the Rail Industry's parliamentary reception. The world has turned on its head. Conservative Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden, says we need more conventional rail electrification. Hendy is saying that train OEMs should have contracts for trains and power, not GBR.
January 13, 2026 at 4:52 PM
At the Rail Industry's parliamentary reception. The world has turned on its head. Conservative Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden, says we need more conventional rail electrification. Hendy is saying that train OEMs should have contracts for trains and power, not GBR.
I really like this line of thinking... the next time someone moans at me about a leaning mast. "A leaning OLE stanchion can prove a very useful indicator of potential earthwork instability". www.railengineer.co.uk/geotechnic-m...
Geotechnic Minimum Viable Product - Rail Engineer
Listen to this article Railway asset engineers and their project colleagues currently face a huge challenge to keep the railway safe and reliable, with a budget said to be 25% less than what is requir...
www.railengineer.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 10:09 AM
I really like this line of thinking... the next time someone moans at me about a leaning mast. "A leaning OLE stanchion can prove a very useful indicator of potential earthwork instability". www.railengineer.co.uk/geotechnic-m...
RSSB tendering a noise mitigation cost benefit analysis - will be interesting to read once finished. Gut feel..... Germany spent a fortune on noise prevention and forgot it needed to run trains on time.
www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/00142...
www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/00142...
1004169075 2025-SUS-004 Cost Benefit Analysis of Noise Mitigation on the Rail Network - Find a Tender
www.find-tender.service.gov.uk
January 9, 2026 at 9:19 AM
RSSB tendering a noise mitigation cost benefit analysis - will be interesting to read once finished. Gut feel..... Germany spent a fortune on noise prevention and forgot it needed to run trains on time.
www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/00142...
www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/00142...
To quote Oscar Wilde: We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. St. Pancras does make you look up, particularly at the sun comes up.
January 7, 2026 at 7:45 AM
To quote Oscar Wilde: We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. St. Pancras does make you look up, particularly at the sun comes up.
Last westbound Crossrail at 20:47... due to the on-going issues outside Paddington. A fun journey awaits. Bring on the completion of performance improvements.
January 6, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Last westbound Crossrail at 20:47... due to the on-going issues outside Paddington. A fun journey awaits. Bring on the completion of performance improvements.
Nice to see Auroras starting to fill up St Pancras.
January 6, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Nice to see Auroras starting to fill up St Pancras.
We all have to commute to make a buck
January 6, 2026 at 8:39 AM
We all have to commute to make a buck
Catching-up with Christmas rail reading - totally agree with these findings on West Coast and freight. a) we need freight infill electrification, in line with @ciltuk's list. b) West Coast needs power enhancements. c) we need a long-term plan.
www.railengineer.co.uk/electric-fre...
www.railengineer.co.uk/electric-fre...
Electric freight: a solution to the WCML capacity conundrum - Rail Engineer
Listen to this article Network Rail considers the West Coast Main Line (WCML) to be the busiest mixed traffic railway in Europe. It carries 125mph passenger trains from London to the West Midlands, No...
www.railengineer.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Catching-up with Christmas rail reading - totally agree with these findings on West Coast and freight. a) we need freight infill electrification, in line with @ciltuk's list. b) West Coast needs power enhancements. c) we need a long-term plan.
www.railengineer.co.uk/electric-fre...
www.railengineer.co.uk/electric-fre...
Reposted by Noel Dolphin
traditional at Christmas to post (entirely genuine) June 2012 photo of Liz Truss campaigning for Ely North upgrade in breach of best safety messaging, but here it is ..
December 25, 2025 at 7:00 AM
traditional at Christmas to post (entirely genuine) June 2012 photo of Liz Truss campaigning for Ely North upgrade in breach of best safety messaging, but here it is ..
The sorry story of Theale station footbridge - definitely up there on the festive watch list.
youtu.be/OrfLBTkTZdg?...
youtu.be/OrfLBTkTZdg?...
Why the UK Can't Build Anything
YouTube video by The Invisible Crown
youtu.be
December 25, 2025 at 9:25 AM
The sorry story of Theale station footbridge - definitely up there on the festive watch list.
youtu.be/OrfLBTkTZdg?...
youtu.be/OrfLBTkTZdg?...
Feeling festive!
December 24, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Feeling festive!
Always good to bring a themed laundry bag when away
December 19, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Always good to bring a themed laundry bag when away
Glad it isn't just rail that is impacted by short-term thinking and lack of rolling programmes. Sad that it pushes up costs for all of us and leaves the UK with shit infrastructure. www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/uk-ro...
UK road and rail civil engineering sector caught in ‘negative cycle’, warns competition watchdog | New Civil Engineer
The competition watchdog’s interim findings highlight persistent problems including uncertain funding, risk-averse procurement practices and regulatory
www.newcivilengineer.com
December 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Glad it isn't just rail that is impacted by short-term thinking and lack of rolling programmes. Sad that it pushes up costs for all of us and leaves the UK with shit infrastructure. www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/uk-ro...
I've been getting monthly French rail safety lessons learnt. Really interesting & useful. I think the UK should be collating these from all the major rail countries in Europe, so we can grasp some international best practice (& vice versa, they should be reading safety central)
December 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I've been getting monthly French rail safety lessons learnt. Really interesting & useful. I think the UK should be collating these from all the major rail countries in Europe, so we can grasp some international best practice (& vice versa, they should be reading safety central)
Boshing out one last Swiss trip of the year. Looking at how product approvals in rail vary across Europe.... as you do
December 17, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Boshing out one last Swiss trip of the year. Looking at how product approvals in rail vary across Europe.... as you do
In a cab, by Slough and a New York bus has gone past..... very random.
December 17, 2025 at 12:05 PM
In a cab, by Slough and a New York bus has gone past..... very random.