Sign in

Arturs Dobrecovs

@arturs.co.uk
678 followers 143 following 455 posts

Queer 22y/o working in a railway control room, and occasionally the voice of announcements. Views expressed here are entirely my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸🇺🇦 he/they

PostsRepliesMedia
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 27/09/2026
Oh hello 🇦🇹
Photo of me holding my laptop in front of an ÖBB "Wagenreihung" (train formation indicator) screen at Wien Hbf. On the laptop is my simulator of the same screen, but showing information for a British station
160
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 24/09/2026
Ever seen a train cab mockup consisting /only/ of the side doors on all 4 sides? Now you have 😆
Photo of a square train cab mock-up on a small wheeled platform. All 4 sides of the square have a small wall with a different design of door, and some have a window too.
031
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 27/08/2026
Someone (me) has been having a bit too much fun with railway open data again... 🇫🇮🇦🇹
Screenshot of a train formations departure board for platform 1 in Tampere, Finland, in the style of OEBB's screens in Austria. This shows 4 upcoming departures from the platform, with the VR logo, departure time, direction of departure (left/right arrow), the train number and destination, and a diagram showing the formation of the train.
The formation includes illustrations of the locomotives and carriages and where they'll be relative to the platform sectors, with each carriage also coloured to represent different classes of travel, e.g. green for 2nd/comfort, yellow for 1st, red for a restaurant, and blue for sleepers.
2100
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 14/08/2026
I very much did not need to hear 50+ loud blaring alarms in my train carriage after we have already had multiple emergency brake applications earlier in the journey...
060
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
JenOnTheMove 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @jenonthemove.com · 14/08/2026
There are now going to be many many people turning off emergency alerts if it gets used like this It actively harms the system if it's misused.
3456
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 24/07/2026
Wondering if anyone could help with some reference photos of SBB departure boards? I am in particular looking for how to represent services that: - Terminate short of, extend beyond, or divert away from their destination - Have additional/cancelled stops (I have this in French, but not in EN/DE/IT)
Partial screenshot of an official SBB departure board, showing an 07:05 IR90 service to Brig, with additional yellow text underneath that says "Arrêt à Leuk", translating to "Stops at Leuk".Partial screenshot of another official SBB departure board, showing an 05:04 IR95 service to Brig, with additional yellow text underneath that says "Ne s'arrête pas à Leuk", translating to "Not stopping at Leuk".
120
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 20/07/2026
#EMF2026 has sadly come to an end, so my departure board is all packed up and ready to break my back on my way home 🫠 A reminder though that these are available online at cis.arturs.co.uk, but it's all a fun little side-project so it's not at all polished 😅
cis.arturs.co.uk
CIS/PIS simulators - arturs.co.uk
281
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 19/07/2026
Another day at #EMF2026, another departure board design - this time from Switzerland's own SBB. Unfortunately the calling patterns from Ledbury are either only 1 station (Hereford), or too many to list on my computer monitor, so only Colwall makes the cut for screen size
Photo of my departure board monitor, showing departures from Ledbury at 10:06. It is a dark blue screen with an info notice at the top, then a light grey title row, then a list of trains.
The info notice says "A free shuttle bus is being provided between Ledbury station and EMF during the event, with buses scheduled to coincide with rail services. For more info, please see emfcamp.org/about/travel".
The trains themselves have a rectangular bar with the operators logo, then the scheduled departure time, then the destination (and intermediate "via" stops, if they fit), then the platform number, then any notes about delays/cancellations to that train.
1202
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 17/07/2026
My little contribution to #EMF2026 - a lil departure board in the welcome tent, showing Ledbury train departures in the style of Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Photo of a computer monitor up on a stand inside a white tent. On the monitor is a departure board in the style of Dutch NS. Next 5 trains from Ledbury are shown in rows of alternating white and light blue backgrounds. At the bottom is a bright yellow section with a "Trains at Ledbury" title, and a warning about train running between Reading/Didcot Parkway and Oxford being delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.Selfie of me wearing transparent glasses and a white Uniqlo TfL-branded T-shirt, stood in front of the departure board
1130
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
Signal of the Day 🚦🚥🚂 @signaloftheday.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Wuppertaler Schwebebahn's Japanese sister railway, the Shōnan-Monorail (Submitted by Arturs Dobrecovs) #SignalOfTheDay
0285
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 20/05/2026
Had a little jolly on Wuppertal Schwebebahn's sister danglebahn today - the Shōnan Monorail!
Photo of Shōnan Monorail unit 5602 pulling into the terminal station Shōnan-Enoshima. The train is suspended above a background of green trees and shrubbery, with some of the platform visible at the bottom, which consists of a passenger platform on either side of a lowered gap where the train hovers. To either side is a dispatch mirror, and on one side the departing signal, currently showing a red aspect.
The train itself is silver, with black trim around the tall windows, and some pinkish-red highlights under and above the windows.Selfie of me stood in front of the same train pulling into the same station, but now with the first carriage in the platform. I'm wearing a light grey t-shirt with dark green shoulders and a dark red collar, some sunglasses, and a vague attempt at a smile.Photo of the same train earlier in the day, pulling into one of the intermediate stations. The track is suspended high above a road.
Crucially here you can see that the main part of the line (to the left, where the train is coming from) is single-track, splitting up into a passing loop at most stations to allow trains to travel in both directions. In this photo the front carriage of the train is passing through a switch crossing in the track above, going into the platform further away from the camera to the right, while the crossing is blocked for the platform closer to the camera.Photo of train 5608 approaching another intermediate station on the Shōnan Monorail. This station is single-track with no crossings on either side, so trains in both directions use the same platform. This train is almost identical but has orange highlights instead of pinkish-red ones. On approach to the station, the train is passing above a residential road on a big sweeping curve, with everything expect the front carriage blocked from view by some large support columns.
1181
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 08/05/2026
Meow
Photo of the end of the Hello Kitty-liveried 500-series Shinkansen on track 12 at Hakata station. Very pointy train with a round black cab window sticking out from the top, some pink and gold shapes as highlights on the livery, and a "Hello Kitty Shinkansen" wordmark on the side. Next to the wordmark is Hello Kitty herself sat on a pink bow in the shape of the number 500.Selfie of me in front of a Hello Kitty statue inside car 2 of the train, wearing a blue uniform and her signature pink bow to the side of her hat.
060
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 07/05/2026
Obvs had to chase down both of the Super Mario Shinkansen trains while staying in Kyushu 🍄🐢⭐🚄
Photo of JR Kyushu's class N700S Shinkansen wrapped in a colourful Super Mario livery, in a platform at Takeo-Onsen preparing to take me to Nagasaki. The livery is mostly red with a thick blue stripe across the bottom, with lots of large Mario stickers of him in different poses.Selfie of me in front of the same red Super Mario Shinkansen train, with some half-height platform edge doors between me and the train.Photo of JR Kyushu's 800 series Shinkansen, also decorated with lots of Super Mario characters and items, but this time just stickers on a plain white background.Photo of a different carriage of the 800 series train, with some other characters and the promotional logo for Super Mario X JR, with the tagline "Let's Go Kyushu!"
081
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
dylan @pinkponysub.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Devil wears Prada cerulean sweater monologue in the Burger King logo
4658
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 05/05/2026
3/10 the Shard is pointier
Photo of the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, poking out through trees both above and below. Behind the tower is a perfectly clear light blue sky.
020
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 05/05/2026
Spotted Croydon's trams and S&DR's Locomotion both featured in Korea's Railroad Museum 🚂👀
Photo of an information board in the outdoor tram area of Korea's Railroad Museum. The infographic is all in Korean, but prominently features photos of 4 trams in various European cities, with the top right being a red tram in Croydon, labelled in Korean simply as "UK". Also pictured are trams from Italy (top left), Germany (bottom left), and France (bottom right).Photo from inside the main exhibition building of the Korean Railroad Museum, in the section about the global history of railways. One of the items on display is a small model of Locomotion No. 1, the first passenger steam locomotive of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in the UK.
030
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 19/03/2026
That's certainly one way to keep a carriage door open ☕
Photo inside a VY FLIRT train carriage, looking at the top of a door between carriages. At the very top is a stack of 55 single-use hot drink cups, jammed horizontally between the 2 doors to force them to stay open.
1181
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 24/02/2026
Dragging Simon off for a not-so-little (despite his claims 😆) jaunt down onto the continent 🚆
Selfie of myself and Simon in front of an e320 Eurostar train on the platforms at London St Pancras, with a still very dark sky in the background.Selfie of myself in front of an SNCF TGV Neo Duplex on a platform at Paris Gare de Lyon station.
170
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 27/01/2026
Came up north for a few hours in 🇩🇰 Helsingør... Then saw how quick, cheap, and convenient the ferry over to 🇸🇪 Helsingborg is, and have unexpectedly ended up on my way to Sweden... 😆
Photo of Oresundslinjen's "Hamlet" ferry docked in Helsingør, taken through a window of the pedestrian boarding bridge.Photo onboard Hamlet, looking through the window out over the water.
150
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 26/01/2026
Love this silly little metro station in Copenhagen that has a bunch of platform furniture littered all over the walls and ceiling 😆
Photo taken from the platform at Havneholmen metro station looking up towards the mezzanine concourse and the ticket hall. On the walls and ceilings are various clocks, departure boards, wayfinding signs, bins, benches, and smartcard validators hanging sideways or upside down. The departure boards actually show real arrival information, mimicking the screens on the platforms themselves. The clocks are all spinning quickly showing different random times.Selfie of me on an escalator at Havneholmen station, going down from the ticket hall to a mezzanine concourse, and again there are various bits of platform furniture littered across the walls behind me. I am wearing a white t-shirt, dark blue jumper, dark blue coat, and a dark cyan beanie hat.
190
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 26/01/2026
Ticked off another railway museum, this time in Denmark 🇩🇰 140kr for adults, but there's plenty to see and read about - with most signage in both Danish and English, plus a bit of German. You can go inside most vehicles including various cabs and carriages, and there's a whole exhibit on Interrail!
Photo of my hand holding a leaflet from the Danish Railway Museum. In the background is a replica of the first railway locomotive in Denmark, with the original having been scrapped centuries ago.Photo of the entrance to an exhibit on Interrail in the Danish Railway Museum. Projected onto the wall is a map of Denmark with all the railway lines highlighted, and to the left is an introduction to the exhibit titled "Inexpensive train travel for the young generation" with lots of photos of young people travelling by train.Photo of a red DSB diesel locomotive and a black steam engine, side-by-side. In the background you can see part of a brown freight trailer carriage.Selfie of me inside the cab of the diesel engine from the previous photo. Projected onto the windows is a view of a station with passengers waiting to board this train.
2120
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 25/01/2026
Hehe 💨
Photo taken out of a train window of a platform with a sign post showing the station's name: "Middelfart"
1725026
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 25/01/2026
Quirky interchange at Lindaunis bridge in northern Germany: the main bridge is being rebuilt, with a temporary bridge only open to pedestrians. The Kiel-Flensburg railway line has been severed, with temporary stations constructed on either side to allow people to connect between the north and south
Screenshot of the Google Earth app, showing the Lindaunis bridge over the Schlei in north Germany. The land juts out with piers from the north and south, with a bridge connecting the two. The bridge has a visible gap in it for ships to pass when open.Photo taken from the Lindaunis bridge looking towards the south. A train sits in the temporary station/platform with "Kiel Hbf" on its destination display. In front of the train is a set of temporary red/white road barriers to block access to the track from the bridge. It is very dark outside with the sky pitch black, and the only light coming from a few street lamps and from the train's red taillight.A photo taken on Lindaunis bridge looking north, with the rails abruptly ending due to a temporary footbridge overlayed on top of the normal bridge deck. It's very dark outside, with bright white LED lights lighting up the bridge.Photo taken from the north end of the bridge looking north. Like on the south end, in the distance a train sits in a temporary station/platform, this time with "Flensburg" on its destination display. Again there are red/white road barriers blocking access to the track for pedestrians.
061
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 23/01/2026
First international trip of 2026! 🚢
Photo of the Stena Hollandica ferry, as seen through a slightly dirty window of the Harwich International port waiting area. There is a pedestrian walkway bridge partially obscuring the ferry.Selfie of me in my cabin of the Stena Hollandica ferry. I am in the foreground wearing a white shirt, dark blue jumper, making a peace sign with my other hand. In the background is the interior cabin with a large circular mirror on the back wooden wall, a double bed on one side, and the corner of a red sofa poking out of the other side.
090
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 01/01/2026
Finally up-to-date on logging all of my public transport travels in 2025... so of course I had to create a Spotify-style Wrapped for the year 😆
Image of some of my travel statistics. At the top is a screenshot of a map showing all of my journeys around Europe. Below is a list of my top travelled countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Netherlands) and my top operators (Eurostar, Elizabeth line, Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, and Renfe). Below that are a few more stats: distance travelled is 96,047km; hours spent travelling is 1,283; countries visited is 26; and border crossings is approx 123.List of 7 transport modes in order from most to least travelled: train at 87,359km; metro at 2,597km; plane at 2,465km; ferry at 1,224km; bus at 2,165km; tram at 225km; and aerialway at 12km. Each mode has a photo alongside it to represent that mode of transport.List of my top 5 operators for the year - in photo grid form at the top, then as a list at the bottom. Eurostar at 12,445km; Elizabeth line at 10,430km; Deutsche Bahn at 9,194km; SNCF at 4,858km; and Renfe at 4,805km.List of my most travelled on transport vehicles - in this case they're all trains. Eurostar e320 at 10,836km; Elizabeth line Class 345 at 10,413km; Germany's ICE 3neo at 3,254km; Austria's Class 1116 locomotive at 3,161km; and Germany's ICE 4 at 2,898km.
190
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 17/11/2025
Well this is a rather exciting thing to be doing tonight! 🛌🚆💤
Photo of a green VR locomotive at the country-end of track 8 at Helsinki station. Attached to the rear of it but mostly out of view is an old white and blue VR sleeper carriage.Close-up photo of the information screen on the side of a double-decker VR train. It shows that this is coach 42 of train P269, with a destination of Kolari via Tammerfors.Photo inside my sleeper room, with a bunk bed on the left; small seat, table, and window in the rear. Attached to the top bunk are 2 vertical black straps to prevent someone from falling off. On the wall on the left is a light switch, a plug socket, and a temperature switch. On the bottom bed are 2 towels, a bottle of water, and a paper menu.Photo of my hand holding the key to my sleeper room, in front of the lock and door. The key is a rectangular piece of plastic divided in half horizontally. The bottom is a solid square, while the top has a bunch of punch-card holes in a unique pattern.
380
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 05/11/2025
Not stopping at SNCF... Also massive thanks to @chiel.uk for putting some effort into helping translate several hundred GB cancellation reasons into Dutch 🤪
Screenshot of the Oxford departure board, but in the style of Dutch NS screens. The 20:56 service to Banbury is labelled with the text "Rijdt niet door een defecte trein", which translates to "Cancelled due to a broken down train". The yellow banner at the bottom contains the National Rail Enquiries notice about trains through Banbury being cancelled or delayed up to 60 minutes - this message is also translated into Dutch.
270
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 01/11/2025
Somehow managed to coordinate 11 other people to plan, buy tickets for, and go on a trip to France, and it feels like a miracle that it's all gone as planned... ...where does that go on my CV?
120
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 31/10/2025
I may have made something a tad bit silly over the last few days... 😄
Screenshot of a rail departure board on a rotated Android device. The train information displayed is for trains in England (specifically Elizabeth line, London Overground, and Greater Anglia trains), but looks like an SNCF departure board from France. Some of the station names have been partially translated - "London" replaced with "Londres", and "Airport" replaced with "Aéroport".Screenshot similar to the other one, but this time it's an arrivals board showing trains at London Waterloo. At the bottom of the screen, a yellow bar with a scrolling message earns about some escalators being out of service taken from National Rail Enquiries.
2172
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 14/10/2025
Had a brief but fun time with @coastwaywill.me and @pacerclara.insanity.tube riding the ex-DLR P86/89 stock in Essen yesterday, before they go away soon to be replaced by newer stock
Photo of an old ex-DLR train pulling into an Essen U-bahn Platform underground.Selfie in front of an old ex-DLR train in Essen. I'm in the foreground in the top right corner, and Will and Clara are stood next to the train in the background.Photo of an old ex-DLR train stopped on a tram-like stop on a street in Essen.Photo of an old ex-DLR train running along tram-like tracks on a tightly curved street in Essen, towards the camera. The sun is starting to set so it's a little bit dark in the background.
090
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 05/10/2025
Well done me for accidentally speaking Spanish in France again smh 🫠
040
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 04/10/2025
To the surprise of absolutely no-one
040
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 27/09/2025
Post the most recent photo of you in your camera roll. Instagram's already seen this one, but here's me looking forward to the end of my last of 7 night shifts yesterday morning! 😆😴
Selfie of me in the dark at night. I'm wearing a white T-shirt, lanyard, and black hoodie. Behind me is a birch tree and some bushes, and behind that is the Romford ROC building.
070
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 23/09/2025
I wish the Eurostar ticket office at London St Pancras could sell more mainland rail tickets than just Eurostar Red routes. London being the only Eurostar station without a ticket office capable of selling tickets across numerous countries like SNCF/SNCB/NS/DB can is a massive missed opportunity
241
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 02/09/2025
What is it with so many hotels only having a handful of useless small lights scattered around, instead of having a proper Big Light... One wishes to be able to actually see what one is doing, especially if it involves packing a bag
A screenshot from Oliver Twist, showing Oliver holding an empty bowl and begging eyes, with the caption "Please sir, may I have some more light?" in a fancy cursive font underneath. In the top left, bottom left, and bottom right corners are some poorly-edited-in photos of table lamps. The entire image has been dimmed down to make it darker.
040
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 25/08/2025
Gone on an overnight trip up north and... somehow managed to bring an EU power brick but not a UK one 🫠🫠
Photo of me holding an EU-type power brick onboard a train, in front of the UK-type power socket
030
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 29/07/2025
Hello hello! Been a little while since the last thread, but off I went today on another international rail adventure - my longest one yet! 13 days. 13 countries. 1 bag. 0 sleep last night. Let's go!
Selfie of my reflection in the window inside a Circle train line train. On the seat next to me is my backpack.
1350
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 05/07/2025
Well that was a whole load of fun! Massive thank you to OUTbound for the invite to walk alongside the TfL family in @prideinlondon.bsky.social this year!!
Selfie of me in front of a big group of TfL-family staff in bright and colourful T-shirts holding various flags, banners, and signs. In the far background you can see Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square.Selfie of myself in front of a red Arriva London bus preparing to participate in the Pride in London parade. I am holding a massive Progress flag on a pole, with a rainbow lanyard around my neck. On either side of my face are the rainbow and trans flags.
0160
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 13/06/2025
Once again find myself on the European mainland 👀 This time having dragged over a friend/colleague over to the Netherlands, for his first experience using his FIP discount and coupons. It pains me how many rail staff don't make the most of this wonderfully valuable job perk!
Photo of a Eurostar class 374 train on platform 13 at Rotterdam Centraal. The departure boards say "Nite instappen / Do not board" as this is a set-down only stop.Photo of a GVB metro line M52 train pulling out of Amsterdam Centraal station, as seen from the footbridge above the pair of tracks.Photo of a GVB metro M50 train pulling into a platform at Gein station.Photo of an NS Sprinter train stood in a platform at Hoofddorp station. The sun is starting to set so the sky is a light blue and yellow gradient, with lots of light reflecting off of the side of the train.
4230
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
Finn @finnob.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
A new idea to raise money for councils: an app where you can report parking violations with a gamified leaderboard for the most reports upheld
3234
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
Sam P @samjoshphillips.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Ban them from Pride. Ban them from being our spaces (looking at you RVT hosting LGBT Labour). Do not vote for them in locals or general. If they knock on your door tell them to fuck off. Write to your MP saying you will not vote for them. Campaign against them if a candidate is good.
328988
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 20/04/2025
5 and a half hours ago I was in bed, bored, with no clue as to what to do today... Now I find myself in a pub in Belgium trying out some ale (I'm more of a cider person) 🤪
Photo of the entrance to platforms 7 and 8 at the Eurostar part of London St Pancras station. The departure board above the door shows the 13:03 train to Brussels on platform 8. Lots of passengers are filing in ahead of me.Photo of the just-arrived Eurostar train on platform 2 at Brussels Midi station, and passengers ahead of me walking towards the exit.Photo of the western entrance to the main concourse of Brussels Midi station.Photo of me holding a 25cl glass of peach ale in my left hand, with a bright and colourful pub interior in the background.
2270
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 18/04/2025
That feeling of being half-dead on the train home after a night shift, while everyone around you is freshly out of bed, wide awake, and full of energy 🥲
010
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
ben @benrs.uk · 14/04/2025
pls,,, no ai slop on the timeline pls
3868
Reposted by Arturs Dobrecovs
karanormal activity 💜 @deadontheoutside.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
tech bro is short for technically broken
3259621470
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 10/04/2025
This is great, but still waiting on the ability to send images in direct messages 🥲
060
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 09/04/2025
Little ride on TfW for some breakfast with @coastwaywill.me
Photo of a Transport for Wales train pulling into platform 2 at Cardiff Central, led by driving van trailer 82229Photo inside the mark 4 first class carriage of a Transport for Wales train, showing a pair of single seats facing each other next to a window, a drinks menu on the table between them.Photo of me holding up the Transport for Wales first class breakfast menu card. On the table is a drinks menu on the left. In the background is Will looking down at his own copy of the menu.
180
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 07/04/2025
Some of you might be able to guess what I may be getting up to today... Let's hope I don't regret it 🤞
Selfie of me stood in front of the entrance to Dundee station.
4160
Arturs Dobrecovs @arturs.co.uk · 29/03/2025
I used to hate the spring clock change, but tonight my night shift will only be 11 hours instead of 12, and that's certainly something to look forward to 🤩
070