iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Absolutely incredibly surreal to see the network map I designed for Northern immortalised in the excellent new book from @markonthemaps.bsky.social and @mrmappy.bsky.social!

Mapping Britain’s Railways by Mark Ovenden ans Andrew Smithers

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Back from a week in Devon with the family. A relatively new phenomenon at seaside resorts are these AI slop posters on the doorsteps of EVERY pub and restaurant. It's so bad, we actively avoided eating anywhere that used AI slop boards, only eating at places which hadn't lowered themselves to this.

AI slop poster for a restaurant in Brixham

Another rancid AI slop poster for another restaurant in Brixham

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

To clarify - it’s being saved! Here’s a pic of it in all its glory. A remarkable survivor.

Network Northwest branded sign at Deansgate station

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Selfie with the recently-uncovered Network Northwest sign at Deansgate, in pristine condition! It won’t be here much longer, though…

Original 1989 Deansgate station sign with GMPTE ‘M-blem’ and Network Northwest branding

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Issue 57 of @themodernist.bsky.social ‘Public’ arrived yesterday, and it is quite simply, sublime. Well worth a tenner of anybody’s hard earned cash: the-modernist.org

Cover of issue 57 of The Modernist, featuring an orange and brown patten and a hand drawn building

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

🌹 King of the North! Huge congratulations to @andyburnham.bsky.social! Makerfield chose hope over hate, and I have a feeling the whole country will soon be better off for their choice. 👏👏 PS - now is a great time to read ‘Head North’ by Andy and Steve Rotheram, if you haven’t already…

Andy Burnham has been elected Labour MP for Makerfield

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

🌞 Good morning from one of Britain’s prettiest rail stations. I’ll never get tired of travelling from Hebden Bridge.

A pair of Northern Class 158s sit in the early morning sun at Hebden Bridge station, where a canopy overhangs the platform and old-style signage can be seen

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

It’s a garden at a railway station - but which station?

A selection of plants and sculptures underneath a large round glass window

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

🐶 'Who let the dogs on?' The final station opens on the Northumberland Line line this weekend, and on Monday, Northern are giving away free travel to the first 25 people to turn up with Bedlington Terriers! www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/people/...

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Celebrity guest star for my train to work this morning

A class 158 train in a special two tone blue version of the Northern livery to promote the Northumberland Line

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Fantastic! DLR immortalised in that brilliant Mr Bean episode, ‘Mr Bean in Room 426’, of course!

Danny La Rue alongside Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) in drag, from the episode Mr Bean in Room 426

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

A spot of DLR-hopping this evening…

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Absolutely stunned that I've only just found out that Burnage is part of the Gorton & Denton constituency. I grew up around the corner from the Gallaghers - yet I most 'definitely maybe' do not identify as being a child of Gorton, or indeed Denton, which might as well be on a different planet.

Screenshot of the Gorton & Denton constituency boundary on a map

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Absolutely incredible! For once, I find myself at the centre of the universe…

Map showing the mattpharrison Bluesky account on a nebula-like green cloud

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

All the years I’ve been using Hebden Bridge station, and it’s the first time I’ve spotted this old throwback!

Private property sign from British Railways days

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Just a little bit of a distraction heading into the office this morning, thanks to this pair of Colas HSTs at Manchester Piccadilly.

Colas HSTs 43301 and 43303 sit in the engine siding at Manchester Piccadilly.

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

🐝 ONE YEAR TO GO. 🐝 Fantastic to celebrate one year until Northern customers in GM are part of the Bee Network today, alongside friends and colleagues including @andyburnham.bsky.social - and one special yellow train! Northern x Bee Network. Let’s do this 💪

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Shiny new GBR-ness at Manchester Piccadilly.

GBR branding on the floor and screens at Manchester Piccadilly

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

🗺️ Rail maps have been in the news this week, so I thought I'd share a sneak preview of the project I'm currently working on.

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Fantastic to hear inspiring and uplifting presentations from @andyburnham.bsky.social & our very own Tricia Williams at Northern. Integration is happening. We’re not waiting for GBR to legislate - we’re working together to deliver for our customers, now.

Andy Burnham presents to Modern Railways conference

Tricia Williams presents to Modern Railways conference

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

First time spotting Rail Clock in the flesh!

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

There's a new timepiece in town! Rail Clock is a masterclass in meaningful simplicity. It's not every day the railway gets a new clock - this is something very special. I've penned a few quick thoughts about it for @transportdesigned.com: transportdesigned.com/theres-a-new...

Rail Clock: double arrows split in half circling around the time set in Rail Alphabet 2

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Now appearing at stations all over the North - these lovely new leaflets promoting destinations across the network. Pick one up from a station near you!

Blackpool by train leaflet, new from Northern

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

This must be relatively rare - don’t think I’ve ever seen an Avanti on P2 at Piccadilly before!

Avanti class 390 at Manchester Piccadilly

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Utterly bizarre seeing 802s picking up at Brighouse!

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

🤔 Well this is new… TPE and Northern working together to deliver for customers whilst Huddersfield station is closed as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. It means a 6-car Class 185 to Brighouse for me this morning!

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Signed, sealed and delivered with a Routemaster. Would it really have been a Harrison wedding without a double decker bus?

Mr & Mrs Harrison walking into the room for their wedding breakfast smiling and holding hands high in the air

Red Routemaster bus with Danielle & Matt on the destination display

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

No prizes for guessing where I am today!

Leyland National single deck bus in brown and cream

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

🚨 BIG NEWS - we're throwing open the doors to Northern's Heaton TrainCare Centre on 20 & 21 September! As part of #Railway200 and to celebrate 150 years of the historic depot, we'll be welcoming thousands of visitors to Heaton for a mega-rare look behind the scenes.

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

I drove a train today.* * OK, it wasn’t a real train. But it was about the closest thing you can get to a real train. This is the first of Northern’s incredible, state of the art, mind-blowingly realistic Class 195/331 simulators which are quite simply - a game changer.

Driving the Northern class 195/331 simulator

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

I have an uncanny ability - which is to sniff out a vintage bus on any given day out. Nice to see this old girl at Bowland Brewery!

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

You can always rely on there being something of interest in York on any given day, but even I was surprised to find ROG’s 37884 ‘Cepheus’ purring away idly on P7 yesterday! Apparently a quick stopover en route from Derby to Doncaster…

Rail Operations Group class 37 37884 ‘Cepheus’ on platform 7 at York

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

What a fantastic day on the Northumberland Line! The sun has shone on Newsham as we celebrate the opening of the newest station on our network. Smiles all around!

Northern’s mascot, Whistle the Dog in a Newcastle United shirt at Newsham station

Northern class 158 under blue skies coming into Newsham station

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Spotted from a train at Halifax - very impressed that Nestlé have turned this trailer sat in their yard into a giant tube of Rolos. But what is it transporting? Ginormous Rolos? Gallons of molten caramel? Filled to the brim with liquid milk chocolate? I need to know!

Rolo-branded trailer sat at Nestle factory

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

🗞️ So, a bit of personal news... 🚉 Super excited to share that after three years working on comms for The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), I'll very shortly be taking up a new role at Northern as Senior Media Relations Manager!

Customers with suitcases board a class 195 train at Manchester Victoria

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Lovely bit of ‘66’ action on my way in to work this morning! Hebden Bridge looking as glorious as ever.

GBRF class 66, 66749 powers through Hebden Bridge station

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Did you happen to pass through Manchester Victoria this morning? If so, you might have been lucky enough to bag yourself a freebie or two… #RandomActsOfKindness

Matt and gateline colleagues at Manchester Victoria holding up biscuits and smiling

Holding up two flower shaped biscuits in front of the camera

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Getting ready to ‘Azuma’ down to London with @lner.co.uk on a very special mission. But more to come on that later… @transportdesigned.com

Matt Harrison in an orange hoodie posing for a gratuitous selfie in front of a LNER train at Leeds station

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

‘And it was all (almost) yellow…’ Side note, utterly bizarre to see my GNW-branded B9s soldiering on in South Manchester. Never thought I’d see one on a 255!

Bee Network branded B9TL and yellow Wright Ultroliner at Manchester’s Parker Street bus station

Bee Network branded Wright Ultroliner on route 43

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

To be fair, random typefaces were all the rage in 1984, it seems! I don’t recall seeing that InterCity Europe mark before, either - will have to check my copy of the manual! @doublearrow64.bsky.social

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

It’s a rather quirky ad for special fares and railcards!

Bottom of the bookmark which came with the 1984 BR Passenger Timetable

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

So pleased that I managed to get hold of a copy of the 1984 BR Passenger Timetable today, courtesy of @motgm.uk. Beautiful use of linear two-point perspective and referenced in the excellent book by @doublearrow64.bsky.social, my copy even came with bookmark and pullout map!

BR Passenger Timetable from 1984, showing red double arrow in two point perspective on a yellow background

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Absolutely! Capture anything and everything I say. Nothing is permanent! Here’s one of mine from their last few weeks in Leeds… 😭

TPE Class 68 68021 ‘Tireless’ in its last few weeks, entering platform 15 at Leeds.

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Matt Harrison @mattpharrison.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Yes, my camera roll is absolutely stuffed full of ‘mundane’. It’ll be history one day!

Northern class 150, 150210 waits at Leeds platform 12a with a service to Sheffield.

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