Nick Sanderson

Significant for the energy and climate sector in UK if levies shifted off consumer bills onto the general taxation. #Budget

Less WFH, more Lime, slower buses What's really going on in London transport?

.@jim.londoncentric.media has read Travel in London report, so you don't have to. Thanks Jim. www.londoncentric.media/p/tfl-london...

Relief for rail passengers as fare freeze in England announced for 2026 Chancellor will confirm the measure, intended to help commuters on expensive routes, in her budget speech

Hard to overstate the significance of this. First fare freeze in 30 yrs; massive boost for commuters who would have seen annual costs rise by up to £300. V positive sign that affordability is being put at the heart of the govt's plans for Great British Railways.

www.theguardian.com/money/2025/n...

‘It is a dream come true!’ Meet Britain’s bus driver of the year – and six other unsung heroes From the top lollipop person to the most dedicated convenience store managers, we celebrate the winners of the year’s most unusual accolades

'you’re asked to park a bus exactly one metre from the pavement and line up a lamp-post to the middle of the hubcap. It’s very tense, but luckily, I managed to be very accurate.'

Ummm. Why is this not broadcast?

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Friendly reminder that the transformation underway in #London is largely paid for by Londoners - tube fares the vast majority of it. With tiny proportion from boroughs usually topping up from fees on car parking or new development (if they it).

📣New data shows London cycling is soaring:

📈 12% up from last year to 1,500,000 daily journeys
📈 that's 43% up from 2019

🚲Cycleway Network grows to 431km (up from 90km in 2016)
😎 & 76% of London cyclists feel safe our routes

🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲

bbc.co.uk/news/article...

East-West Rail needs full electrification - increasing long-term leasing costs & calling that a saving, because it doesn't appear on public debt, is just an accountancy dodge. news.railbusinessdaily.com/east-west-ra...

Well said @ruthcadbury.bsky.social

@edp24.bsky.social was there a person behind the steering wheel? www.rc-rg.com/about

There was me thinking 'this is warm for Nov' - we've just opened the windows

My ride. Our right Cycling should feel liberating, not intimidating - but too many women are missing out because they don't think it feels safe. Will you ask your MP to support Cycling UK's 'My ride. Our right' campaign...

Too many women are missing out because cycling doesn't feel safe.

I just wrote to @labourlewis.bsky.social to support Cycling UK's 'My ride. Our right' campaign to give more women the freedom to cycle.

You can do it too:
action.cyclinguk.org/page/171597/...

A little excerpt from last week's @freewheeling.info podcast - full link here: www.freewheeling.info/the-freewhee...

With integrated modes, increased bus frequency and reduced journey times #Newcastle could see 170,700 more people connected to the city centre 📢

👀

Even in 2012 we had local journos, often accompanied by a photographer, coming out borough by borough for London Assembly candidates

Riders light up the night calling for safer streets for women Cycling UK’s campaign “My Ride. Our Right” went up a gear with mass glow rides highlighting the need for safer streets and cycling infrastructure, particularly for women riding after dark

New blog post on Wednesday's glow ride through Norwich city centre, highlighting the need for safer streets and cycling infrastructure, particularly for women riding after dark.

Includes photos, video and interviews.
www.norwichcyclingcampaign.org/riders-light...

A view from a high angle of a large group of people in brightly coloured clothes with lights and glow sticks on their bikes in front of Norwich City Hall

An eye level view of a large group of people in brightly coloured clothes with lights and glow sticks on their bikes in front of Norwich City Hall

Fantastic turnout for the @norwichcycling.bsky.social @cyclinguk.bsky.social #GlowRide here in Norwich - safe cycling for all #FeministCity

London Overground under the underground

Under Over Over - West Hampstead

So it's taken a while, but I've finally found a location where you can clearly see London Underground trains traveling over London Overground trains.

The vantage point is at West Hampstead Overground station at the end of the platform.

A brightly painted bike advertising the Glow Ride on Wednesday 22nd October at 7pm. A child's teddy bear is sitting on the rear rack.

Anyone lost a teddy bear?

One of our Glow Ride poster bikes has acquired a new friend!

#GlowRide
#MyRideOurRight

Ok but why does it look like David Cameron

This was the closest they ever got to it in London (2017) - www.london.gov.uk/programmes-s...

@transportaction.bsky.social @bettertransport.bsky.social @dougparr.bsky.social @ruthcadbury.bsky.social @alchap.bsky.social

Lower Thames Crossing project awarded £590m by Rachel Reeves Work on the Lower Thames Crossing is expected to begin in 2026 and finish by 2032.

And here we are in 2025, digging another hole.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Road widening and induced demand explained | TomTom Newsroom This is a traffic phenomenon that we should all know. Widening roads doesn't reduce congestion, sometimes it makes it worse.

The radical, tree-hugging opinion of... Tom-Tom, yes the sat nav people: www.tomtom.com/newsroom/exp...

"Despite clear evidence that road widening doesn’t achieve its primary goal of reducing traffic congestion and comes at a huge social cost, it continues to happen all around the world, negatively impacting people, communities, quality of life, the environment and the nature of our cities."

11 years before that, government added a second tunnel across the Thames.

17 years before that, the first tunnel opened.

(Photo (C) National Highways)

A view a dusk across 11 lanes of traffic heading towards the dartford crossing, including the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and two tunnels.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

I thought of this cliched quote as I drove over the QE2 Dartford Bridge last weekend.

Opening date: 1991.

(Photo (C) National Highways)

Dismay at government pause to Midland Mainline electrification Councils say full electrification is essential as the government diverts funding elsewhere.

Also decisions they have made are making it harder. Rail electrification relies on unique skills, plant; and this was the only thing keeping industry going until wires need to go up on HS2, East-West Rail in a few years time... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This line is particularly on point: "not only was there a huge backlog of work to do but the capacity to manage and deliver such projects has greatly diminished." See my sector (transport) in particular. @willcooling.bsky.social