Holden
@chholden.bsky.social
Thoughts and observations from streets and window seats
I wish Birkenhead luck, but I feel paint only schemes have had their day. Unlike the tech world changing streets is intrinsically slow & expensive incl hidden survey & design costs. Paint is still expensive but looks cheap. To draw ppl back to High Sts, looking underinvested & unconfidant may hinder
Birkenhead 'Giant Wotsits' street markings branded 'a mess'
The orange and yellow designs painted on a road in Birkenhead have been met with outcry.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 12, 2025 at 10:04 AM
I wish Birkenhead luck, but I feel paint only schemes have had their day. Unlike the tech world changing streets is intrinsically slow & expensive incl hidden survey & design costs. Paint is still expensive but looks cheap. To draw ppl back to High Sts, looking underinvested & unconfidant may hinder
I really like the build out on this side road junction, on Lamb's Conduit Street, London. It adds to a great walk and cycle environment by calming traffic at crticial point & creates space for street furniture to keep footways clear. The street trees are magnificent here too, as is the heritage lamp
October 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I really like the build out on this side road junction, on Lamb's Conduit Street, London. It adds to a great walk and cycle environment by calming traffic at crticial point & creates space for street furniture to keep footways clear. The street trees are magnificent here too, as is the heritage lamp
Very well designed bus stop island in Bristol. Yes there's lots of space here but it was previously wasted on wider-than-standard road lanes. There are still 2 road lanes, but also now so much more! Lots of streets have redundant space that can be better used - once you see it, you see it everywhere
October 10, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Very well designed bus stop island in Bristol. Yes there's lots of space here but it was previously wasted on wider-than-standard road lanes. There are still 2 road lanes, but also now so much more! Lots of streets have redundant space that can be better used - once you see it, you see it everywhere
It will be fascinating to see whether the Bakerloop 'pre-metro' bus service does over time make the case for a Lewisham extension of the Bakerloo line compelling
The New BL1 Bakerloop Bus Has Started!
YouTube video by Geoff Marshall
youtu.be
October 9, 2025 at 7:39 PM
It will be fascinating to see whether the Bakerloop 'pre-metro' bus service does over time make the case for a Lewisham extension of the Bakerloo line compelling
Vending machines on trains - is this something that has been tried in the UK?
October 7, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Vending machines on trains - is this something that has been tried in the UK?
Also in Bristol (same road) is this bus stop/taxi rank island. I feel the guard railing is, overall, helpful. The crossing point is well defined & easy to find. Fake zebra markings falsely imply to peds that bikes must stop; I'd give peds clear priority. But I think this is generally well designed
October 6, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Also in Bristol (same road) is this bus stop/taxi rank island. I feel the guard railing is, overall, helpful. The crossing point is well defined & easy to find. Fake zebra markings falsely imply to peds that bikes must stop; I'd give peds clear priority. But I think this is generally well designed
Seen in Bristol: loading bay in a cycle lane, but bikes able to mount footway to pass any parked delivery van. For me it's confusing & half-hearted. Transitions & bollards narrow the footway. Would a delivery space at footway level to left of cycle lane be better? Peds get full width when not used?
October 5, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Seen in Bristol: loading bay in a cycle lane, but bikes able to mount footway to pass any parked delivery van. For me it's confusing & half-hearted. Transitions & bollards narrow the footway. Would a delivery space at footway level to left of cycle lane be better? Peds get full width when not used?
Digging back out Gareth Dennis' Railnatter podcast episode that thinks through options for reopening more of the highly successful Borders Railway over parts of the Waverley Route. It's insightful, engaging & practical. Worth a watch after the Rediscovering Lost Railways video in my previous post
October 4, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Digging back out Gareth Dennis' Railnatter podcast episode that thinks through options for reopening more of the highly successful Borders Railway over parts of the Waverley Route. It's insightful, engaging & practical. Worth a watch after the Rediscovering Lost Railways video in my previous post
Magnificent film by Rediscovering Lost Railways now on YouTube covering the Waverley Route. A capstone project for the channel, it must have taken a huge amount of work. Worth a watch, it combines archive footage & current trackside & drone clips of abandoned sections, plus cab ride of reopened part
The Waverley Route: Rise, Fall & Return
YouTube video by Rediscovering Lost Railways
youtu.be
October 3, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Magnificent film by Rediscovering Lost Railways now on YouTube covering the Waverley Route. A capstone project for the channel, it must have taken a huge amount of work. Worth a watch, it combines archive footage & current trackside & drone clips of abandoned sections, plus cab ride of reopened part
To the railway volunteers, staff and all involved who have worked so hard to restore and preserve these wonderful railway structures, bravo! Your talent and determination have earned these buildings listed status
The 7 railway sites just given listed status by Historic England | The Railway Hub
Seven railway sites, including the world's first purpose-built railway pub, have now been listed at Grade II.
www.therailwayhub.co.uk
September 28, 2025 at 9:59 PM
To the railway volunteers, staff and all involved who have worked so hard to restore and preserve these wonderful railway structures, bravo! Your talent and determination have earned these buildings listed status
A concise, clear explainer video on how the ripple effects of cancelling HS2 to Manchester also mean many current trains will become shorter and busier. Don't let the video's quite technical title or graphic put you off - it is very watchable & an excellent summary of current situation
HS2 ABANDONS Platform Edge Doors As It Moves To Mixed Fleet Of Trains
YouTube video by Network News
youtu.be
September 8, 2025 at 10:35 PM
A concise, clear explainer video on how the ripple effects of cancelling HS2 to Manchester also mean many current trains will become shorter and busier. Don't let the video's quite technical title or graphic put you off - it is very watchable & an excellent summary of current situation
I do think tiger crossings are awkward, but here is one that works better than most I feel (Liverpool Rd, Islington). You can almost use it to bike from anywhere to anywhere at this staggered junction, but it still doesn't allow a right turn (as the camera faces). The bike lane was well used though!
September 5, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I do think tiger crossings are awkward, but here is one that works better than most I feel (Liverpool Rd, Islington). You can almost use it to bike from anywhere to anywhere at this staggered junction, but it still doesn't allow a right turn (as the camera faces). The bike lane was well used though!
This will be a trial to watch. In general, tap & cap tech has much unexplored potential to simplify fares & get more people travelling by bus & train. Whilst LNER head back down an airline style booked ticket dead end, this is fare reform that plays to rail's strength: full flexibility for customer
Ticketless train travel to be trialled across Derby, Leicester and Nottingham
The digital ticketing trials will allow passengers to check in and out using a location-identifying app.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 3, 2025 at 10:49 PM
This will be a trial to watch. In general, tap & cap tech has much unexplored potential to simplify fares & get more people travelling by bus & train. Whilst LNER head back down an airline style booked ticket dead end, this is fare reform that plays to rail's strength: full flexibility for customer
Flexible bollards used to 'lightly' segregate bike lanes from general traffic quickly look discoloured and cheap after installation - they look like clutter, like carelessly abandoned roadwork cones. Sussex Gardens, London, has tulip shaped flex bollards that overcome these issues - they look great!
September 1, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Flexible bollards used to 'lightly' segregate bike lanes from general traffic quickly look discoloured and cheap after installation - they look like clutter, like carelessly abandoned roadwork cones. Sussex Gardens, London, has tulip shaped flex bollards that overcome these issues - they look great!
Tiger crossings sound like great bike infrastructure. But they can prevent bikes turning left or right, & engineering convention is to site them awkwardly away from the desire line to prevent people walk/cycling straight out into the road. Most times, instead you need a junction with cycle-only arms
August 31, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Tiger crossings sound like great bike infrastructure. But they can prevent bikes turning left or right, & engineering convention is to site them awkwardly away from the desire line to prevent people walk/cycling straight out into the road. Most times, instead you need a junction with cycle-only arms
Why do campaign groups always talk about free public transport rather than affordable fares or targetted free travel? Is it because they hold a wrong, snobby view that it is inherently worthless, & used only by people who are desperate? Let's make it cheap, easy and popular, not free and last resort
Free fares: should some public transport be offered as a fre
Campaign group Fare Free London has received positive coverage in BBC News, BBC Radio London, and the Metro and London Standard newspapers this week a
www.transportxtra.com
August 30, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Why do campaign groups always talk about free public transport rather than affordable fares or targetted free travel? Is it because they hold a wrong, snobby view that it is inherently worthless, & used only by people who are desperate? Let's make it cheap, easy and popular, not free and last resort
There is a great overview with commentary from Jon Worth on potential incoming investment in Channel Tunnel services on this week's Green Signals podcast - watch here: youtu.be/QUNzUJSm4zA?...
August 29, 2025 at 10:02 PM
There is a great overview with commentary from Jon Worth on potential incoming investment in Channel Tunnel services on this week's Green Signals podcast - watch here: youtu.be/QUNzUJSm4zA?...
Journey times to Derby, Sheffield and West Yorkshire shrunk by 30 mins, faster trains from Kings Cross and capacity released at St Pancras. It might still be possible. A suggestion from Jim Steer on how to move ahead without the HS2 Eastern Leg 👇
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August 29, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Journey times to Derby, Sheffield and West Yorkshire shrunk by 30 mins, faster trains from Kings Cross and capacity released at St Pancras. It might still be possible. A suggestion from Jim Steer on how to move ahead without the HS2 Eastern Leg 👇
Thank goodness! Transport for London to start displaying messages reminding people who have gotten used to playing music and making calls out loud on phone loudspeakers during covid that this is deeply unpleasant for other people in public spaces. Other transport operators - please follow suit
tfl.gov.uk
August 27, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Thank goodness! Transport for London to start displaying messages reminding people who have gotten used to playing music and making calls out loud on phone loudspeakers during covid that this is deeply unpleasant for other people in public spaces. Other transport operators - please follow suit
Huge potential investment in new Channel Tunnel services, but not enough depot space for them all to go ahead. Surely an extra depot would be quick & cheap to build compared to Heathrow runway 3 & would deliver economic benefits much sooner. Should UK now give a new depot serious consideration?
London-Berlin: competition hots up for cross-Channel rail links
Firms vie with Eurostar to provide direct services from Britain to mainland Europe as they spy growth in market
www.theguardian.com
August 26, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Huge potential investment in new Channel Tunnel services, but not enough depot space for them all to go ahead. Surely an extra depot would be quick & cheap to build compared to Heathrow runway 3 & would deliver economic benefits much sooner. Should UK now give a new depot serious consideration?
Trying the upgraded X40 Oxford - Reading bus. Plenty of people boarding are new bus users, with questions for the driver. The 'shop window' of quality at-stop marketing, with golden threads to eye catching vehicles that pass by regularly - it all inspires confidence, so people try it out. Promising.
River Rapids X40 - Oxford City Centre to Central Reading
Timetable for River Rapids X40 - Oxford City Centre to Central Reading
www.oxfordbus.co.uk
August 25, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Trying the upgraded X40 Oxford - Reading bus. Plenty of people boarding are new bus users, with questions for the driver. The 'shop window' of quality at-stop marketing, with golden threads to eye catching vehicles that pass by regularly - it all inspires confidence, so people try it out. Promising.
Great news! Grand Central hope to upgrade their fleet to faster, greener electric trains. But a lack of power grid capacity on east coast line could affect this & is a constraint on UK economic growth. And if only 5 car trains ordered, east coast passangers face cramped trains & high prices to 2038!
Network Rail assessing impact of Grand Central's plan for bi-mode trains on East Coast Main Line
Open access operator is looking to replace DMU fleet if existing track access rights are renewed
www.railmagazine.com
August 24, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Great news! Grand Central hope to upgrade their fleet to faster, greener electric trains. But a lack of power grid capacity on east coast line could affect this & is a constraint on UK economic growth. And if only 5 car trains ordered, east coast passangers face cramped trains & high prices to 2038!
Georgina's cautionary story of how unpredictable DRT journey times are cutting rural communities off from jobs (halfway through linked article) busandtrainuser.com/2025/01/18/f...
FoxConnect expands in Leicestershire
Saturday 18th January 2025 Leicestershire County Council introduced a raft of changes to its subsidised bus network in the Melton Mowbray area from 5th January including major renumbering of bus ro…
busandtrainuser.com
August 24, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Georgina's cautionary story of how unpredictable DRT journey times are cutting rural communities off from jobs (halfway through linked article) busandtrainuser.com/2025/01/18/f...
This looks great! www.yokohamastation.com/odakyu-roman...
The Odakyu Romancecar Museum – Yokohama Station
Explore the Odakyu Romancecar Museum, a must-visit for train enthusiasts! Discover the history, exhibits, and interactive displays of these iconic Japanese trains.
www.yokohamastation.com
August 24, 2025 at 9:41 AM
This looks great! www.yokohamastation.com/odakyu-roman...
Converting a subsidised bus route to DRT in Milton Keynes saw an 80% fall in use busandtrainuser.com/2025/01/04/c...
Catching up on DRT
Saturday 4th January 2025 There are quite a few recent developments on the DRT front to catch up on so here’s an update to keep blog readers informed. ting begets TIGER As reported in my year end r…
busandtrainuser.com
August 24, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Converting a subsidised bus route to DRT in Milton Keynes saw an 80% fall in use busandtrainuser.com/2025/01/04/c...