Steve Chambers
@planningtransport.co.uk
Transport and urban planning stuff. I run sustainable transport and environmental justice non-profits: @transportgood.org @transportfornewhomes.org.uk
Can also be found:
Ⓜ️ mastodon.cloud/@respros
📸 pixelfed.social/respros
🍴 beliapp.co/app/respros
Can also be found:
Ⓜ️ mastodon.cloud/@respros
📸 pixelfed.social/respros
🍴 beliapp.co/app/respros
One thing we never talk about, when the PPP fiasco was over the major refurb of every station got taken in house by TfL. But then the financial crisis happened and the commitment to doing full refurbs for every station was quietly dropped. Wonder how many are racking up more expensive repairs.
Unexpected repairs force TfL to shut Barons Court tube station’s platforms through 2026
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/une...
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/une...
Unexpected repairs force TfL to shut Barons Court tube station’s platforms through 2026
The ongoing refurbishment of Barons Court tube station has uncovered more problems than expected, and Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it will have to partially close the station.
www.ianvisits.co.uk
December 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM
One thing we never talk about, when the PPP fiasco was over the major refurb of every station got taken in house by TfL. But then the financial crisis happened and the commitment to doing full refurbs for every station was quietly dropped. Wonder how many are racking up more expensive repairs.
Bromley has become the first London borough with three Reform councillors. All defections.
December 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Bromley has become the first London borough with three Reform councillors. All defections.
Yet my YouTube shorts feed is 50% Americans buying £10 strawberries with chocolate from Borough Market without a sign of fear.
The view is weirdly pervasive too. I saw an interview with Bill Burr where he mentioned that he had played in "London, England" and commented on how dangerous it was (while trying to justify his decision to play in Saudi Arabia).
December 9, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Yet my YouTube shorts feed is 50% Americans buying £10 strawberries with chocolate from Borough Market without a sign of fear.
Edit button.
v1.111 is live today!
We've upgraded our Age Assurance system to comply with upcoming laws in Australia and other regions, and to restore access to people over 18 in Mississippi.
Plus, we fixed some bugs and laid the groundwork for improved "who to follow" suggestions in the near future.
We've upgraded our Age Assurance system to comply with upcoming laws in Australia and other regions, and to restore access to people over 18 in Mississippi.
Plus, we fixed some bugs and laid the groundwork for improved "who to follow" suggestions in the near future.
December 9, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Edit button.
Dad got a series of letters telling him he had to go to the hospital in the past. Tried phoning but nobody answers. Last letter threatens to refer back to GP. This isn't a threat. They answer their phone (eventually) and will speak to us.
December 9, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Dad got a series of letters telling him he had to go to the hospital in the past. Tried phoning but nobody answers. Last letter threatens to refer back to GP. This isn't a threat. They answer their phone (eventually) and will speak to us.
Please leave me alone. I have a migraine and just want to go about my business without thinking.
December 9, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Please leave me alone. I have a migraine and just want to go about my business without thinking.
I wish he would stop speaking. It isn't healthy to dislike someone this much and be given new reasons daily.
Keir Starmer is either a racist or a coward, or a cowardly racist.
Asked repeatedly about Donald Trump calling Sadiq Khan "disgusting" and suggesting that he was only elected because of immigrants, Keir Starmer's spokesman says only that the PM has a "strong relationship" with the President which has "yielded positive results for this country"
December 9, 2025 at 12:55 PM
I wish he would stop speaking. It isn't healthy to dislike someone this much and be given new reasons daily.
Some recognition of the appalling transport situation would have been useful. It is a shame how an otherwise quite good development has been ruined. www.futureoflondon.org.uk/news/beam-pa...
Greening a brownfield site at Beam Park
We went to East London to find out about greening a brownfield site at Beam Park on a Ford motor plant site
www.futureoflondon.org.uk
December 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Some recognition of the appalling transport situation would have been useful. It is a shame how an otherwise quite good development has been ruined. www.futureoflondon.org.uk/news/beam-pa...
Reposted by Steve Chambers
What would an Angela Rayner government look like? - www.ft.com/content/3e2b... via @FT
What would an Angela Rayner government look like?
The Labour backbencher looks poised to make a swift comeback if Keir Starmer steps down as UK prime minister
www.ft.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
What would an Angela Rayner government look like? - www.ft.com/content/3e2b... via @FT
Reposted by Steve Chambers
I wanted dinner recommendations so I scraped 13,000+ London restaurants and accidentally discovered Google Maps is running a shadow economy. Anyway here's a dashboard and a political economy thesis: open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...
How Google Maps quietly allocates survival across London’s restaurants - and how I built a dashboard to see through it
I wanted a dinner recommendation and got a research agenda instead. Using 13000+ restaurants, I rebuild its ratings with machine learning and map how algorithmic visibility actually distributes power.
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:53 AM
I wanted dinner recommendations so I scraped 13,000+ London restaurants and accidentally discovered Google Maps is running a shadow economy. Anyway here's a dashboard and a political economy thesis: open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...
And if the other country has a similar rule?
Letter to my Tory MP Julian Smith regarding Chris Philp reform of dual nationality:
Dear Julian Smith,
Chris Philp says ALL DUAL NATIONALS who commit a crime must be deported from Britain and be stripped of their British citizenship.
Dear Julian Smith,
Chris Philp says ALL DUAL NATIONALS who commit a crime must be deported from Britain and be stripped of their British citizenship.
December 9, 2025 at 10:19 AM
And if the other country has a similar rule?
Reposted by Steve Chambers
In all seriousness, ignoring the crass flag waving. Liveries should never be about politics, they should be elegant and should stand the test of time. But more importantly they should differentiate the different types of service (local/regional/IC) in a simple way for passengers. 1/2
As others have pointed out, it looks more like a GBN train 😬
Red, White and Rails: The Great British Railways livery unveiled for 2026 rollout
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/red...
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/red...
December 9, 2025 at 10:02 AM
In all seriousness, ignoring the crass flag waving. Liveries should never be about politics, they should be elegant and should stand the test of time. But more importantly they should differentiate the different types of service (local/regional/IC) in a simple way for passengers. 1/2
Reposted by Steve Chambers
It would be a more effective flex if Starmer's faction was able to hide the absolute contempt they have for Ed Miliband and his efforts.
December 9, 2025 at 9:31 AM
It would be a more effective flex if Starmer's faction was able to hide the absolute contempt they have for Ed Miliband and his efforts.
Reposted by Steve Chambers
Putting aside the question of how good/bad this looks, I don't think in all my travels I have seen a UK rail livery so reflective of a political context.
Previous liveries were often attempts to convey a message about services and companies, but this is a political exercise.
Previous liveries were often attempts to convey a message about services and companies, but this is a political exercise.
Great British Railways branding, train livery and logo unveiled https://bit.ly/4rIz0pF
Great British Railways branding, train livery and logo unveiled
Great British Railways branding, train livery and logo unveiled https://bit.ly/4rIz0pF
bit.ly
December 9, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Putting aside the question of how good/bad this looks, I don't think in all my travels I have seen a UK rail livery so reflective of a political context.
Previous liveries were often attempts to convey a message about services and companies, but this is a political exercise.
Previous liveries were often attempts to convey a message about services and companies, but this is a political exercise.
And builds new housing in a way to exacerbate this.
“the UK has to deal with a population density comparable to the Netherlands and the urban transport choices of Texas.”
theconversation.com/how-the-uks-...
theconversation.com/how-the-uks-...
How the UK’s dependency on cars slows down the economy
Clogged up Britain
theconversation.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
And builds new housing in a way to exacerbate this.
"It was developed in-house to maximise value for money, the Department for Transport said."
December 9, 2025 at 8:33 AM
"It was developed in-house to maximise value for money, the Department for Transport said."
I will stop picking holes in this I swear. But it changes direction half way down. And why does only half the design mirror? Any plans for odd number of carriages?
December 9, 2025 at 8:20 AM
I will stop picking holes in this I swear. But it changes direction half way down. And why does only half the design mirror? Any plans for odd number of carriages?
Reposted by Steve Chambers
So, what do the new GBR livery and visual identity tell us about the new organisation? Mainly that it doesn't exist properly yet and is still a political project and creature of DfT.
The test will come when it gains its statutory status. One wonders whether the visuals will get a tweak.
The test will come when it gains its statutory status. One wonders whether the visuals will get a tweak.
December 9, 2025 at 8:11 AM
So, what do the new GBR livery and visual identity tell us about the new organisation? Mainly that it doesn't exist properly yet and is still a political project and creature of DfT.
The test will come when it gains its statutory status. One wonders whether the visuals will get a tweak.
The test will come when it gains its statutory status. One wonders whether the visuals will get a tweak.
Let them have their bus shelter.
Sheringham Bus Shelter siege enters ninth day. Town Council to meet today in secret. County Council bailiffs conducting night raids
The battle for Sheringham bus shelter: protesters defiant as bailiffs sent in
Norfolk county council wants to demolish a ‘beloved’ 1950s bus shelter in Sheringham, but campaigners are staging a 24/7 sit-in
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Let them have their bus shelter.
Reposted by Steve Chambers
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the released logos, despite stating Rail Alphabet, is neither RA1 or RA2? The lower case L for starters? @doublearrow64.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the released logos, despite stating Rail Alphabet, is neither RA1 or RA2? The lower case L for starters? @doublearrow64.bsky.social
Fire up the FOI. What was the design brief? What are the design principles? How were the needs of users considered in this design? Anything else?
"Designed in-house at the DfT" yeah... you can tell.
Still think there needs to be some variation by speed and regionally - bring back the INTERCITY word mark, and make local people proud of their local/regional trains !
Still think there needs to be some variation by speed and regionally - bring back the INTERCITY word mark, and make local people proud of their local/regional trains !
Great British Railways flies the flag as logo goes back to the future
December 9, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Fire up the FOI. What was the design brief? What are the design principles? How were the needs of users considered in this design? Anything else?
Calling bullshit on all of this. What is the function of this item? Who cares?
December 9, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Calling bullshit on all of this. What is the function of this item? Who cares?
Note also the app. 😵💫 They are going to put the flag on everything, aren't they?
Oh god, they've let the flagshaggers do the trains.
Thats awful. The lner livery is much nicer
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Thats awful. The lner livery is much nicer
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Branding and logo for Great British Railways unveiled
The new red, white and blue branding mirrors the colours of the Union Flag, and will start to appear from next year.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 9, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Note also the app. 😵💫 They are going to put the flag on everything, aren't they?
She lives in the least deprived neighbourhood of London and does she enjoy quiet enjoyment of it? No. She is tormented by grocery items.
Nothing says getting into the festive spirit like going online to shout at some biscuits
December 8, 2025 at 7:22 PM
She lives in the least deprived neighbourhood of London and does she enjoy quiet enjoyment of it? No. She is tormented by grocery items.