Neil Gwynne
@neilginscotland.bsky.social
EngIishman in Scotland. Gone native. Now say wee a lot..... Experienced civil engineer+climate change, active travel, decarb. All Ill informed comments my own!
Also Wales is electrifying core valley lines with tram trains in Cardiff. Pretty much replaced all the Welsh fleet. Want to take on the main lines into Wales as they have limited confidence in whitehall .
November 8, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Also Wales is electrifying core valley lines with tram trains in Cardiff. Pretty much replaced all the Welsh fleet. Want to take on the main lines into Wales as they have limited confidence in whitehall .
Glasgow-QS, alloa, Stirling, dunblane, barrhead, Shotts line, West Kilbride all done in last 10 years. Fife and borders line up next. Discontinuous though.
Unit rate for installation lot cheaper in Scotland than England, because stable work.
Unit rate for installation lot cheaper in Scotland than England, because stable work.
November 8, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Glasgow-QS, alloa, Stirling, dunblane, barrhead, Shotts line, West Kilbride all done in last 10 years. Fife and borders line up next. Discontinuous though.
Unit rate for installation lot cheaper in Scotland than England, because stable work.
Unit rate for installation lot cheaper in Scotland than England, because stable work.
Yes it's a rolling programme in Scotland rather than stop start single projects in England. Aim is is to have every major line electrified in next 15 years. Only Stranraer, far north, west highland would not be
November 8, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Yes it's a rolling programme in Scotland rather than stop start single projects in England. Aim is is to have every major line electrified in next 15 years. Only Stranraer, far north, west highland would not be
I grew up on the border and I notice the social and cultural change every time I visit family and friends,I hear Welsh being spoken,the identity of my friends children is Welsh, not British. it's not just Scotland, I think UK press miss the transformation of Wales as well.
October 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM
I grew up on the border and I notice the social and cultural change every time I visit family and friends,I hear Welsh being spoken,the identity of my friends children is Welsh, not British. it's not just Scotland, I think UK press miss the transformation of Wales as well.
Reposted by Neil Gwynne
#WestLothian #SpokesMap 2025
👍 Great double-page spread, #LinlithgowGazette
--> www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/u...
@edi.bike @kinneil.bsky.social @neilginscotland.bsky.social @kittysull1.bsky.social @redheugh.bsky.social @mininglandscapes.bsky.social @trustlinlithgow.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social
👍 Great double-page spread, #LinlithgowGazette
--> www.spokes.org.uk/wp-content/u...
@edi.bike @kinneil.bsky.social @neilginscotland.bsky.social @kittysull1.bsky.social @redheugh.bsky.social @mininglandscapes.bsky.social @trustlinlithgow.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Good thing us engineers get listened to by politicians rather than SPADS and politics grads? Have a long term plan and stable funding, stick to it. Have political courage to face down noisy minority. Set contracts that get best value rather than lowest cost Build up a skills base etc etc . 🤔
October 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Good thing us engineers get listened to by politicians rather than SPADS and politics grads? Have a long term plan and stable funding, stick to it. Have political courage to face down noisy minority. Set contracts that get best value rather than lowest cost Build up a skills base etc etc . 🤔
I prefer left but play better (relatively ) on right because only had access to right handed
October 11, 2025 at 10:13 AM
I prefer left but play better (relatively ) on right because only had access to right handed
You have clearly never been into the spoons in the middle of Livingston on a Saturday night, like Camden/ temple bar/ Ashton lane...
October 7, 2025 at 5:34 PM
You have clearly never been into the spoons in the middle of Livingston on a Saturday night, like Camden/ temple bar/ Ashton lane...
As a European its a few things..
Targets for adoption and phase out targets for fuel.
Varying Grants for cars and chargers.
Roll out of charging networks.
our fuel prices are higher but we drive more efficient fuel cars so I don't think it's really that.We do have Chinese models as well.
Targets for adoption and phase out targets for fuel.
Varying Grants for cars and chargers.
Roll out of charging networks.
our fuel prices are higher but we drive more efficient fuel cars so I don't think it's really that.We do have Chinese models as well.
October 4, 2025 at 9:51 PM
As a European its a few things..
Targets for adoption and phase out targets for fuel.
Varying Grants for cars and chargers.
Roll out of charging networks.
our fuel prices are higher but we drive more efficient fuel cars so I don't think it's really that.We do have Chinese models as well.
Targets for adoption and phase out targets for fuel.
Varying Grants for cars and chargers.
Roll out of charging networks.
our fuel prices are higher but we drive more efficient fuel cars so I don't think it's really that.We do have Chinese models as well.
That's because gov sold off their stake in Eurostar, now effectively SNCF owned and they are interested in maximising revenue, the French national operator not interested in supporting Kent. We ceeded control
. Sounds familiar?
. Sounds familiar?
September 26, 2025 at 8:24 PM
That's because gov sold off their stake in Eurostar, now effectively SNCF owned and they are interested in maximising revenue, the French national operator not interested in supporting Kent. We ceeded control
. Sounds familiar?
. Sounds familiar?
Reform refer to Andrew Gilligan report who was instrumental in getting rest of HS2 canned under sunak and writing the network north plan which had numerous schemes in the south and was effectivel vapour ware or listed existing schemes under delivery
September 9, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reform refer to Andrew Gilligan report who was instrumental in getting rest of HS2 canned under sunak and writing the network north plan which had numerous schemes in the south and was effectivel vapour ware or listed existing schemes under delivery
Quite. Plus by the time you get to deliver the northern sections by end of decade you have built up skills base to deliver it more efficiently. Same as 'pausing' electrification on midland mainline. Just lost a decade of skills you have built up. Gone from 10k to 3k in last year
August 11, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Quite. Plus by the time you get to deliver the northern sections by end of decade you have built up skills base to deliver it more efficiently. Same as 'pausing' electrification on midland mainline. Just lost a decade of skills you have built up. Gone from 10k to 3k in last year
That was largely Andrew Gilligan who acted as gov transport advisor, really hostile to scheme and came up with network north plan which was like a five year old asking for a plan in chat GPT. I agree with him on active travel but he's not an expert, he doesn't get transports a system.
August 11, 2025 at 5:39 PM
That was largely Andrew Gilligan who acted as gov transport advisor, really hostile to scheme and came up with network north plan which was like a five year old asking for a plan in chat GPT. I agree with him on active travel but he's not an expert, he doesn't get transports a system.
Well you could have transferred a lot of the cross rail expertise across and you know get efficiencies if experience and all that!
August 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Well you could have transferred a lot of the cross rail expertise across and you know get efficiencies if experience and all that!
Well HS2 full network was designed to join up with a trans Pennine high speed rail route, the current electrification is bare minimum. So would use joint route near Warrington and Leeds/ Sheffield. Been killed by promises and no delivery as John's article mentions
August 11, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Well HS2 full network was designed to join up with a trans Pennine high speed rail route, the current electrification is bare minimum. So would use joint route near Warrington and Leeds/ Sheffield. Been killed by promises and no delivery as John's article mentions
It will, but unfortunately by canning so much of the future legs governments hobbled it to a certain extent. They are chucking trains onto existing track at hansacre junction North of Birmingham which is the worst congested part. Needs to go onto a leat Crewe.
August 11, 2025 at 11:56 AM
It will, but unfortunately by canning so much of the future legs governments hobbled it to a certain extent. They are chucking trains onto existing track at hansacre junction North of Birmingham which is the worst congested part. Needs to go onto a leat Crewe.
Leeds is biggest city in Europe without a trams network. Any city in France over 150k now has a trams network. Numbers speak for themselves.
August 11, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Leeds is biggest city in Europe without a trams network. Any city in France over 150k now has a trams network. Numbers speak for themselves.
Green signals podcast is good on it. It's rail industry podcast but Richard bowker used to be part of SRA and virgin rail. Often has sections on HS2 and UK governance that's relevant to your question. And of course reading John's articles
August 11, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Green signals podcast is good on it. It's rail industry podcast but Richard bowker used to be part of SRA and virgin rail. Often has sections on HS2 and UK governance that's relevant to your question. And of course reading John's articles
I loved all the comments saying "you want to get out of London you metropolitan elite as we get no funding here", entirely missing the point of the article.. The joy of rage posting
August 11, 2025 at 11:44 AM
I loved all the comments saying "you want to get out of London you metropolitan elite as we get no funding here", entirely missing the point of the article.. The joy of rage posting
India has built dedicated freight lines with double stack container clearance and using European trains and ects signalling. As you said, just longer pantographs..
August 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM
India has built dedicated freight lines with double stack container clearance and using European trains and ects signalling. As you said, just longer pantographs..
It's meant for people who never go to London I assume and might believe this? Walked thru west end late at night with my kids after show. Totally fine, pubs and restaurants buzzing.
August 5, 2025 at 11:42 AM
It's meant for people who never go to London I assume and might believe this? Walked thru west end late at night with my kids after show. Totally fine, pubs and restaurants buzzing.
Or open up the old taxi ramps fully so people can trundle their luggage up to street level. They act as a throttle anyway where fenced off at platform level on the princess street side ramp
July 31, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Or open up the old taxi ramps fully so people can trundle their luggage up to street level. They act as a throttle anyway where fenced off at platform level on the princess street side ramp