John Marriott 🍃💚🍃🚲

The HS2 trolls come out to claim HS2 is Green. Not one of them has ever come up with a justification for designing a railway for 250mph. It's the major factor why it is so expensive & so destructive. The carbon deficit of its construction & width needed is greater than a motorway

@NoNewRoads1 @FriendsMoss Exceptional? The lack of a national transport strategy is exceptional so there's nothing to show what roads are needed for other than helping to facilitate & increase congestion.

🌞 Tremendous news 🌙 The Department for Transport (DfT) has revoked the #Stonehenge development consent order (DCO) for a tunnel, two junctions and a northern bypass, saying it was doing so under “exceptional circumstances”. theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/m…

@TodaysRailways @SpeedySticks007 @ScotRail @EastMidRailway @LumoTravel The great shame is that Meridians are dreadful in many respects compared to a much older HST. A noisy engine under the floor can't be ignored.

22 x 222s for @ScotRail. The @EastMidRailway Meridians not going to @LumoTravel have been snapped up by @ScotRail to replace its HST fleet during 2027-28. The units will be refurbished by Alstom and repainted. They will initially be leased for 10 years

@pacer142 @Christiane @LevelBoarding @MassiveTom @Rob_McPhee_UK The Japanese could ignore the EU! It had narrow gauge network so it could do what it wanted.

@HS2theTruth @Christiane @LevelBoarding @MassiveTom @Rob_McPhee_UK It's nothing to do with an EU standard. It's actually Japan/China height!

I have some ideas how to do that: 1. Only buy level boarding trains. This will save millions. 2. Don’t send mobile roving teams to staffed stations. Every railway staff member must provide assistance. Period. 3. Stop window dressing projects. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

@Rob_McPhee_UK @pacer142 @Christiane @LevelBoarding @MassiveTom The dream was for a high speed railway network which did not use existing stations or tracks. An utterly bonkers concept for Britain which has 10,000 miles of track & 2500+ stations. It's going to take 25 years to get 120 miles of track.

@pacer142 @HS2theTruth @Christiane @LevelBoarding @MassiveTom That's bonkers! Surely we should get trains made to fit our railways stations not others in different countries.

@pacer142 @Christiane @LevelBoarding @MassiveTom @Rob_McPhee_UK The original HS2 train spec was to EU standards. DfT said it had to be but it could have sought a derogation. Trains travelling at very high speeds need high floors for large wheels & brakes. The solution is obvious - don't go for pointless & very expensive speeds.

@RegenerationEX @Farnsworth100 @NEF @HereforHereford @stillawake @argokimetes @garyeconomiceso @c22cuk @CityVoicEd @innes_abby @NewCor18146 @EdwardHarkins @premnsikka @RichardJMurphy We now have the value of goods imported being £250bn a year more that exports. Was £113bn in 2015. That's one aspect of the 'economy'. Can we make it worse?

@Farnsworth100 @NEF @HereforHereford @stillawake @argokimetes @garyeconomiceso @c22cuk @CityVoicEd @innes_abby @NewCor18146 @EdwardHarkins @premnsikka @RichardJMurphy @HS2theTruth Essentially, yes, it is. The 'economy' is made up by lobbyists, and those have the most funding and shout loudest get the economy that they and their clients want. The 99% of us barely enter into the government's consideration.

So, "the economy" that we are so often told has to be obeyed or else, is made up the night before. @NEF @HereforHereford @stillawake @argokimetes @garyeconomiceso @RegenerationEX @c22cuk @CityVoicEd @innes_abby @NewCor18146 @EdwardHarkins @premnsikka @RichardJMurphy @HS2theTruth

@Farnsworth100 @NewCor18146 @markrwilliamson @peteraf1 @SmartGrowthUK @RosieP4 @RegenerationEX @theTCPA @AlexaCulver @DavidBreezeUK @HS2DeadDuck @ClareFKing £800m would go nowhere relative to the full cost of providing the necessary infrastructure & facilities for such stupid greenfield development.

@NewCor18146 @markrwilliamson If the Gov invests £800m of public money, partly in land purchase, has a return to Gov from the added value from development been agreed with developers? @peteraf1 @SmartGrowthUK @RosieP4 @RegenerationEX @theTCPA @AlexaCulver @DavidBreezeUK @HS2DeadDuck @ClareFKing @HS2theTruth

‘People living and working in Ox-Cam Growth Corridor to benefit from additional investment’ - Gov. So what’s the £800m for? ‘Buying new land and building infrastructure to kickstart development backing new homes, labs and workspaces to supercharge future growth’ 1

@NewCor18146 @Farnsworth100 @markrwilliamson @peteraf1 @SmartGrowthUK @RosieP4 @RegenerationEX @theTCPA @AlexaCulver @DavidBreezeUK @HS2DeadDuck @ClareFKing A return for who?

@Farnsworth100 @markrwilliamson @peteraf1 @SmartGrowthUK @RosieP4 @RegenerationEX @theTCPA @AlexaCulver @DavidBreezeUK @HS2DeadDuck @ClareFKing @HS2theTruth But a return depends for housing on charging people the full rate !

@Farnsworth100 @NewCor18146 @markrwilliamson @peteraf1 @SmartGrowthUK @RosieP4 @RegenerationEX @theTCPA @AlexaCulver @DavidBreezeUK @HS2DeadDuck @ClareFKing The cost of all the infrastructure & facilities needed to mitigate the impact of a greenfield development could easily exceed the value of the land. Would owners offer land if it has no value but they just get some compensation?

@NewCor18146 @markrwilliamson @peteraf1 @SmartGrowthUK @RosieP4 @RegenerationEX @theTCPA @AlexaCulver @DavidBreezeUK @HS2DeadDuck @ClareFKing @HS2theTruth Gov could take a return in the form of a share in the added value of the land purchased as a result of development permission and build. House prices would still be at the market rate?

@NTI26637228 @essexforester @FennellJW Stewart failed to blame consultants & financial advisors like KPMG, PWC etc. Why would he fail to do that?

@HS2theTruth @essexforester @FennellJW HS2 Corruption Stewart review was 'carefully' restricted in what it could investigate. On page 127 it says that they only investigate from end of Oakervee review onwards - neat restriction as all the main damage & corruption had been prior to Oakervee

If its to do with an EU directive, then why can Spain, France and Germany build high speed railways so much cheaper and faster than we do? NIMBYism, especially in the South East, is the main factor.

@DuncanStott Many roads are beyond resurfacing. They need reconstructing. Main reasons are HGVs & neglected maintenance of the surface & drainage.

Best get cracking then. Every local authority should have a rolling programme of road resurfacing.

@Rainmaker1973 @jonathansc An effective & efficient public system is essential to create a vibrant attractive place, utilise land efficiently & enhance property values.

Luxembourg is the world’s first nation to offer free public transport for all, tackling traffic and climate change in one bold move. Luxembourg has pioneered a bold new era in urban mobility by becoming the first nation on Earth to eliminate fares across its entire public transport network. This groundbreaking policy covers every bus, tram, and train route nationwide, offering free rides to residents, cross-border commuters, and visitors alike. Financed through general taxation rather than ticket sales, the initiative was designed to tackle the country's severe traffic congestion—once among the worst in Europe per capita—and to sharply cut carbon emissions from road transport. By removing the cost and hassle of tickets, Luxembourg effectively turned public transit into a basic public service, as essential and accessible as clean water or electricity. The impact has been profound and measurable. Ridership surged as people left their cars behind, leading to noticeably less road traffic, shorter commute times, and a meaningful drop in urban air pollution. While first-class rail options remain a paid upgrade for those wanting extra comfort, the standard second-class system is now truly seamless: hop on, hop off, no barriers. Luxembourg's experiment has demonstrated that removing financial obstacles can drive a genuine shift toward sustainable travel habits. It has also served as an inspiring model for other countries and cities grappling with sprawl, gridlock, and climate goals. In an age when radical solutions are needed to address the mobility-climate crisis, Luxembourg proves that treating public transport as a universal right is not only feasible—it can be genuinely transformative.

@BladeoftheS @hatetorycuts @AlexMacLeod9 Misconduct in public office.

@AlexMacLeod9 Up until 1980 every single extraction in the North Sea was done by BP. Until 1979 we had a 51% controlling share. By 1987 we had 0%. It could have been fully nationalised at any point to extract the vast wealth for the good of the UK. Instead Thatcher sold it for nothing.

Margaret Thatcher sold the North Sea gas/oil. £6tn worth for £6bn. She should have been thrown in jail and the contract to sell BP torn up.

@DuncanStott @s8mb If they don't like the rents don't go there.

@s8mb Overly cheap public transport mostly ends up capitalised into land rents near the stations. i.e. renters are paying their landlord rather than TfL for transport access.

My unpopular opinion is that TfL should raise peak tube fares more. In the mornings, stations and trains are uncomfortably overcrowded and it's often difficult to get a seat. Higher fares would help with that and raise more money to invest in newer rolling stock.

ft.com/content/033046… The contractors did not know the risks because neither HS2 nor DfT did not appreciate & did not want to know the many risks of this mad project which were there from the start. Bad management just made it far worse.

@sebshearer @ThatAlexWoman @DawnNeesom @mrmarkdolan Just as important is where the money goes. Follow the money.

Does anyone think that Greens and Labour would be less popular if more people had a basic understanding of economics? Where do these voters think the money comes from if it is not from everyone in society working together to create wealth? @ThatAlexWoman @DawnNeesom @mrmarkdolan

@SusieTa32510601 @UKLabour Just don't build in existing flood areas & recognise that more flooding is happening in places that aren't in recognised flood areas. Not helped by blocked drains, reduced maintenance & drainage schemes that don't work.

Insurance giants unite against proposed planning overhaul in the NPPF to allow developers to side step sequential testing on land with flood risk…Have developers and @UKLabour lost all morals? https::insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/catast…

@Christiane @LevelBoarding @MassiveTom @Rob_McPhee_UK The contract for HS2 trains needs to be scrapped. The train floors are much higher than the standard British platform because of an inappropriate EU standard. That did not recognise accessibility or speed of boarding & had even lower platforms like HS1 @ St Pancras & a Eurostar.

Stadler trains cope well with curved platforms; you can see it at Greater Anglia. As long as trains don't meet the standard platform height, there is no way to fix the system, even long-term, and bring the platforms to standard height. You can see the curved platform and level boarding here: youtu.be/P-ClLzHgWK8?si…

@HSRailGroup The clock has been ticking for decades. The capacity is still being wasted.

The clock is ticking on the West Coast Main Line’s looming capacity crisis. rail-leaders.com/publications/t…

@HSRailGroup An utter lie. Old Oak Common is not London. HS2 trains can't go to Birmingham Airport. People across London will find that if and when HS2 trains start running they won't be noticeably quicker than existing trains from Euston to Birmingham International.

HS2 will mean trains from London to Birmingham Airport in 32 minutes. independent.co.uk/travel/news-an…