Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 17h

Time for me to check out Oxford Food & Drink Festival on Broad Street. 😋

A banner saying 'Oxford Food & Drink Festival' for 10 days.

A red Routemaster bus which has been converted into a bar, amongst a line of food stalls.

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Reposted by Robert Knight

The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 17h

The Stockholm-Hamburg/Berlin sleeper has been saved. RDC will take over when SJ pulls out. May not run on some winter nights in future though: www.berliner-zeitung.de/mensch-metro...

The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 3d

Breaking: SJ to discontinue successful Stockholm-Hamburg/Berlin sleeper train after 31 August 2026, a month after Swedish government subsidy ends.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 17h

I suspect people are objecting to something they simply don't understand.

Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 17h

That is very typical of the German network.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 1d

Also, I heard the park & ride sites were full, and the park & ride buses were full and leaving people behind.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 1d

That, and it was taking a while to put the roads back to normal again.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 1d

I've never seen the traffic into Oxford this bad. It took 72 minutes to get from the station to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, including about 45 minutes of being stuck on St Giles not moving.

bustimes.org share.google/tFfHC1ATYI6A...

Two lines of stationary traffic outbound on St Giles, with a line of stationary traffic going the other way.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 1d

First trip of the day and it was a busy one, lots of participants for the Oxford Half Marathon travelling into thr city by bus.

Good luck to everyone taking part in the half marathon today!

A Stagecoach Gold double decker bus on route S3 to Chipping Norton, outside a foggy Oxford station.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 2d

Breath in!

A van parked on a narrow road, outside of the parking bay markings. To the right is a double decker bus fitting very tightly into the gap between the van and the kerb on the opposite side.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 3d

You don't get all of the best assignments, then? 🤔

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 3d

The culling of sleeper train services across Europe continues...

The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 3d

Breaking: SJ to discontinue successful Stockholm-Hamburg/Berlin sleeper train after 31 August 2026, a month after Swedish government subsidy ends.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 4d

The progress in BEV tech over 15 years is incredible.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 5d

A little London branch which does survive as a heavy rail line is the Bromley North branch. Trains run between here and Grove Park, two stops along.

Operated by Southeastern, but owing to its heritage it says 'Southern Railway' on the front of the station.

The front of Bromley North station. Over a large arched doorway, it says 'Southern Railway'.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 5d

The branch line from Elmers End to Addiscombe, with an intermediate station at Woodside, closed in 1997. It was replaced 3 years later by Tramlink.

The trams connect with mainline trains at Elmers End, and use the old platform for the branch line.

A train waits in the platform to the right. To the left is the tram stop, which occupies an old heavy rail platform.

A tram disappearing along the old railway line to Addiscombe. There are lots of trees to the right. The main line railway curves off to the left.

A Southeastern Networker train arriving at Elmers End station.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 5d

Even at a leafy suburban station, there were staff handing out leaflets summarising Southeastern's autumn timetable.

An autumn timetable leaflet from Southeastern and Network Rail. It explains the changes and why they're being done.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 5d

First time seeing one of these ADL Enviro100EVs out in the wild and in service.

In Orpington on the B14 to Bexleyheath.

A red ADL Enviro100EV bus on route B14 to Bexleyheath, seen driving past a zebra crossing.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 5d

I don't have a plan for today, just going wherever the wind takes me. Starting off in south east London.

A Southeastern Networker train arriving at a station.

The interior of a Southeastern Networker train, which is empty.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 5d

That's the idea that I'm in favour of. It would allow more space for safe vehicle movements, potentially allow more bus stops and, therefore, more services and allow the station forecourt to be pedestrianised or just be for taxis only.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 6d

My only concern is we're adding more buses to an already very busy station forecourt.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 6d

We have a few 'foreign' buses in Oxford at the moment. One of them is mine for the evening.

Stagecoach double decker bus 15878 on an S3 to Oxford, seen in Charlbury.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 6d

Great, more buses going to the station is the last thing we need! The station forecourt can't cope with what is there now, we don't need more! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Oxford Clarion @oxfordclarion.bsky.social · 6d

Changes include:
🚍 100 (Blackbird Leys–St Clements) and 700 (Blackbird Leys–Kidlington) each run every 20 minutes Mon–Fri, up from half-hourly
🚍 New 20 service from Rose Hill to the JR via the Plain
🚍 5A (Minchery Farm/Littlemore) runs every 20 minutes
🚍 3/3A (Rose Hill/Cowley) run to rail station

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 6d

I'm coming around to the idea that this area of Oxford city centre should be pedestrianised.

It's simply not big enough for all the pedestrian, cyclist, and motor vehicle movements.

The junction of George Street, Magdalen Street and Broad Street. The old Debehama store is on the corner.

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 6d

Of course, that too!

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 6d

I will definitely make sure I'm on the first Oxford to Cambridge train. And I'll be getting on the first Carterton to Oxford train (wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more).

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Robert Knight @rupertairbear.bsky.social · 7d

Absolutely.

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