Daniel Di Mascio
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danieldimascio.bsky.social
Daniel Di Mascio
@danieldimascio.bsky.social
Passionate about public transport, infrastructure, UK and EU politics. Leeds, UK.

Keen traveller by Rail 👇
https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/my-track-map_1245194
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
"What binds Polanski and Mamdani is not only their left-wing credentials, but their rejection of political cynicism."

Let's go! 🎉

www.europinion.uk/post/how-zac...
How Zack Polanksi And Zohran Mamdani Transformed What It Means To Be A Left-Wing Politician
Newly elected leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanksi, has taken British politics by storm. The self-proclaimed ‘eco-populist’ has resurrected the Green Party’s reputation amongst voters and driven t...
www.europinion.uk
November 4, 2025 at 6:40 PM
When is a train a tram, and when is a tram a train? This question crossed my mind whilst travelling to Arosa the other day. This is undoubtedly a train, but the initial journey takes place entirely along the streets of Chur before climbing up into the mountains.
October 15, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Today's moving restaurant is the bar car on the IC3 from Chur to Zürich. Thai green curry and a weissbier. @diningcar.at is there anything better than having a beer on a train?

Yes; a beer on a train with stunning scenery!
October 12, 2025 at 12:16 PM
A real treat to be able to travel over one of Switzerland's most interesting and picturesque railways: the Golden Pass Express from Montreux to Interlaken Ost.
October 10, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
"15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity. Now Poland is growing twice as fast as we are," says Kemi Badenoch.

Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?
October 8, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
And he’s back!!

Sunday isn’t Sunday without Stewart Lee. We were so thrilled at @thenerve.news that Stewart came with us.

His satirical columns for the Observer were some of our most-read content: funny, surreal, angry true. Essential weekend reading.

www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...
DOUBLETHINK DOES DOUBLETIME
STEWART LEE
www.thenerve.news
October 5, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Lovely way to pay tribute to the 65th anniversary of what is arguably the UKs most important locomotive class. Freight, passenger, RHTT and test trains, the #class37 has done it all, and continues to do so 65 years later. This is 37501 working the 11.10 from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster.
October 5, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Remind me what is the point of LUMO again?
October 3, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Nice to see my employer, LNER, sponsoring the Leeds Beryl cycle hire scheme. Two sustainable modes of transport coming together 🤝
October 2, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
Last night's book launch for Lines of Power. Another use of my German v Uk graph. Flicking through this morning am drawn to the conclusion - a fervent hope is that the opportunity for a rolling programme of electrification does not slip from view once again.
October 1, 2025 at 7:46 AM
An electrified railway is, and will continue to be, the most efficient railway. Scotland is continuing its rolling program of electrification, making rail greener and quicker, and importantly investing in a skilled workforce who have driven down the cost per KM from £2.7m to £2m.

on.ft.com/47ZElSq
Scotland’s electric trains spark optimism for a greener railway
East Kilbride benefits from ‘rolling programme’ of electrification at odds with stop-start in England
on.ft.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
Your weekly reminder that voter "concern" with immigration doesn't correspond to actual immigration levels.

It corresponds to the amount of coverage the media gives immigration.

This an entirely self-fulfilling mess, and it is entirely pointless.
September 4, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
I'm glad that @zackpolanski.bsky.social has become leader of the Green Party. I believe his style and emphasis meet the challenge of the moment.
September 2, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
Bluesky is shrinking rather than growing. It has no source of revenue. If it doesn’t grow, *it will die*.

Constantly making it unwelcoming, saying who you don’t want here, setting rules for what other sites people should and shouldn’t use, and the like, will kill it quicker.
September 1, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
You can actually take trains across the Balkans?? Let's find out how
August 29, 2025 at 9:28 AM
I'm all for the expansion of contactless tap-in/tap-out ticketing - but I cannot understand the need for GPS data. That is not something that I, and many others I am sure, would feel comfortable giving access to.
📱Tap in, tap out train travel heads north and will track best fare.
Trials of new GPS app will be conducted between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham on East Midlands Railway & Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, and Harrogate & Leeds on Northern services. 🆓⬇️
www.thetimes.com/article/c45b...
Tap in, tap out train travel heads north and will track best fare
Passengers in the Midlands and northern England will be able to ditch paper and mobile tickets by downloading an app with GPS technology
www.thetimes.com
August 31, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
Back to school is coming fast!

In #Paris, they have la rentrée sorted.

There are 300 "rue aux écoles," streets closed to cars, but open to people—up from 185 last year.

That means *half* of kindergartens + elementary schools now have school streets.

What's your city doing to keep kids safe?
August 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Time to finish off the last few chapters of @garethdennis.uk's excellent book, whilst taking the Intercités train from Bordeaux St Jean to Marseille Saint Charles. A thoroughly good read and perfect for those friends who need convincing of the potential of the railway.
August 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
the Guardian asked me to write about the Elizabeth Line! 193 comments in 90 minutes! that's gotta be good, right? right?
Want to know what’s going right in Britain? Come to the capital, look at the Elizabeth line railway | Jonn Elledge
It’s a ‘can-do’ object lesson for the Treasury. And imagine what such ambition could do for the fortunes of Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds, says author Jonn Elledge
www.theguardian.com
August 11, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
'If we want more people to cycle, we need to build for the bikes - and riders - we have now and want in the future.'

@tsuoxford.bsky.social's Dr Zakiyya Adam outlines recommendations for the implementation of cycling-promoting initiatives in mid-sized European cities 🚲

#CycleToWorkDay
Cities for cycling: what is needed beyond good will and cycle paths?
www.ox.ac.uk
August 7, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Further proof that season tickets are a product of yesteryear and urgently need a rework to suit the demands of the modern commuter. The flexi-season tickets of 2021 clearly weren't the silver bullet some thought they were.

on.ft.com/44ZjjBj
In charts: Death of the season ticket
Remote work among commuters has led to a sharp decline in sales of annual train passes
on.ft.com
August 4, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
A few days ago, RFI published the final report on the year-long public debate about the "fast" quad-tracking of some 40 km of the Adriatic line between Bologna and Castelbolognese.

It's an interesting example of why it's not so simple to define what a new rail line is designed for.

A🧵
July 27, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
Oh, this is good: Lib Dem peer @markpackuk.bsky.social asked the Government "whether they have considered creating a Gov.uk account on Bluesky, and if so, when that consideration took place, and what the outcome was."

The answer reveals that Govt use of X hasn't been reviewed since April 2023...
July 23, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Daniel Di Mascio
Not just nationalisation.

Public ownership is the first step we need to take to make our railways work for all 68 million of us and not just a hand full of greedy share holders.

We want the power put in our hands.
@garethdennis.uk
July 21, 2025 at 9:32 AM