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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 8h

🚨 Latest Video 🚨 Exploring Water Orton Viaduct above the M42-M6 Toll Link Road in the West Midlands! ▶️ youtu.be/SVNVP9ztNPs ◀️ #HS2 #Birmingham

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 11h

Made it Colton Junction and Church Fenton today. It was good to finally be able to see the eastern reaches of the TRU. I'm aiming to cover the entire project from Colton Junction to Manchester over the next few weeks.

Common Lane over bridge in Church Fenton which is due to be replaced this month.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 17h

No time to stop at Huddersfield on my way out to York this morning. But I will be revisiting this station, which has changed a lot in the year since I was last here.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 19h

Fewer trains stabled at Chester this morning. Hopefully that means unit availability is improving. Currently on a 5 car service from Chester to Manchester which is pretty much full

Class 197s stabled at Chester as the sun rises behind

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I'll treat myself if I ever reach 1m subscribers 🤣

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Great looking car. Jaguar being very brave delivering something that looks like the original prototype

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I know it's an over priced, heavy luxury car, but I hope it looks like this when it goes on sale 🤩

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

🚨 Latest Video 🚨 Exploring Water Orton Viaduct above the M42-M6 Toll Link Road in the West Midlands! ▶️ youtu.be/SVNVP9ztNPs ◀️ #HS2 #WestMidlands

youtu.be

Another HS2 Viaduct Complete! | Water Orton (M42) Viaduct

YouTube video by Rail Focus

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Normally in the comments section on mobile. It's supposed to help small creators by giving videos an additional boost

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Trying something new so please give it a watch, like, "hype" and comment 😁

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

This is getting scary now. Proper Brownshirts stuff 😶

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Reposted by Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈

Gareth Dennis @garethdennis.uk · 07/10/2026

Busy one tonight, lots to get through! Not least the rolling stock strategy...

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

🚨 Latest Video 🚨 Walking on complete 1.6km viaduct above the M42-M6 Toll Link Road in the West Midlands! ▶️ youtu.be/SVNVP9ztNPs ◀️ #HS2 #Birmingham

HS2 Water Orton Viaduct above the M42 M6 Toll interchange

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

It's just the fact the 1200 Israeli deaths are reported as fact, while it's almost as if they're dismissing the undeniable death toll in Gaza. Attaching "according to Hamas" almost seems deliberate to discredit the figures. I rarely comment through fear of being called anti Semitic

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Because NPR is at least 20 years away, if it's ever delivered at all. This work I believe is required to unlock the additional services to the airport which are planned following the completion of the TRU and Oxford Rd remodelling.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

BBC: "The military offensive which has killed tens of thousands of people ACCORDING to the Hamas Health Ministry." WTF. Numerous independent and credible sources state the death toll is at least 70,000. Surely recognising the humanitarian disaster isn't pro Palestinian or anti Israel?

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I do think MRH is getting a disproportionate amount of blame though. I've heard developers have been purchasing and sitting on land to see what happens with HS2. That will have an impact on values and availability of potentially empty units.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I do sympathise with people who rent to be honest, they have few protections and rights. They just get kicked out with no compensation, while the property owner gets the pay out. They will struggle to find properties cheap enough close to the city centre.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

No, just a modest upgrade of the existing station

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It's violating its own policy 🤔. Glad it's just a bug, I use the app a lot!

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thrilled to see my map published in the recent issue of @railmagazine.bsky.social, and this article, which I've been wanting to write for quite some time. I'm not just saying this, but it's a must read for anyone who believes the myth that #HS2 is gold plated or was a politician's vanity project

Why the HS2 route following the M40 would have been absurd

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A members update went live yesterday evening. Non members don't worry it's not a super cool video of me riding a Class 66 🤣. I'm just chatting about some future plans. www.patreon.com/Chris_Rail_F...

patreon.com

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Videos hopefully. Will have to see if I have the right footage for a before and after, but sounds like a good idea.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I can't wait to head out over the Pennines over the next few weeks to see what's changed over the past year.

We have now wrapped up 16 days of improvement works across Huddersfield ✅🚧

The TRU team has completed a range of upgrade works at Huddersfield, Deighton and the wider railway, including:

🚅 2km installation of two new lines of track through the area, supporting future capacity improvements and enabling faster services to overtake stopping services
🛤️ More than 1.3km of track renewals and over 900m of drainage to improve reliability of services
⚡ Installation of more than 50 overhead line equipment (OLE) masts and over 50 steel structures to support future railway electrification
🛠️ Significant progress at Huddersfield station, including platform extensions, new restoration of the station's historic roof canopy and subway extensions
📈 Major upgrades at Deighton station, including work to extend the platforms and the installation of a new accessible footbridge which will have lifts once complete
🚦 Signalling installation to improve railway performance and reliability

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

really enjoyed making this video. Can't wait for people to see it.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I do like spotting all the actors who appeared in Babylon 5 who have also worked on Star Trek

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

For once I didn't launch it at the way and managed to fix it with a new battery. Just need to get myself fixed now 😅

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The next video which will cover the superb visit to Water Orton Viaduct will drop on Wednesday at 14:00. It's currently available early and advert free for Patreon and YouTube Members www.patreon.com/Chris_Rail_F... #HS2

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This weekend didn't quite go to plan. My laptop broke and I spent 10 hours in hospital. So I haven't had time to edit any videos. Thankfully the doctors aren't worried, but I have been in quite a lot of pain. I am still hoping to release the Water Orton video on Wednesday though.

Water Orton Viaduct video editing in progress

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

At least there will soon be plenty of vacant buildings for all these padel courts to go in 😅

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Hinkley. I think a report highlighted that the water inlets would consume 30,000 tonnes of fish a year. Was uproar about it, but no mention of the impact unchecked climate change will have on our seas.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I make no comment about whether we should be spending this amount or not. But people tend to think expensive mitigation is solely the preserve of #HS2

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Forget the £100m "bat tunnel", have you heard about the £150m "fish pipe" 😬

Tunneling work completed on £150m Hinkley fish pipe

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The section we walked on was the Birmingham Up

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Although segment installation is complete there is still much to do, including installing parapets, water proofing and pouring a final layer of in situ poured concrete. 1/2 #Birmingham #WestMidlands

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I had the privilege of walking 1.6km over a completed section of HS2 Water Orton Viaduct on Wednesday. It's been fascinating watching it take shape over the last 3 years. 1/2 #HS2

Water Orton No 1 Viaduct heading north east

"Portal pier" supporting Water Orton No1 viaduct as it crosses the main north south line

Water Orton No 1 Viaduct at the point where it will cross the north south main line.

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Hopefully just that 🤞. Not ideal but quick fix and probably least expensive

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Chris Howe (Rail Focus) 🏳️‍🌈 @railfocus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Repair shop given you any idea what's wrong? You use yours for all your editing don't you?

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