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Simon Maarfield

@simonmaarfield.bsky.social
121 followers 47 following 258 posts

Eisenbahner, transport planner, rail fan, environmentalist

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Reposted by Simon Maarfield
Peter Neumann @peterneumann.bsky.social · 10h
Neue Verbindungen, längere Züge, aber auch Sperrungen und Streichungen: Der Verkehrsverbund #Berlin - #Brandenburg (#VBB) stellt den neuen Fahrplan ab Dezember vor und übt scharfe Kritik an #DB InfraGO. Link im Kommentar.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 10h
Budapest-Belgrade trains now expected to start ‘December’… dailynewshungary.com/budapest-bel...
dailynewshungary.com
Finally: Budapest-Belgrade railway could welcome passengers this autumn!
If everything goes according to plan, passenger service on the Budapest-Belgrade railway line could begin in October!
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Annie Leymarie @annieleymarie.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
@kevinclimate.bsky.social on techno-optimism and fellow scientists "who have swallowed the blue pill" and "maintain the comforting fiction that they are deeply concerned about the world their children will inherit while continuing to live lives that contribute disproportionately to the problem."
theguardian.com
Scientists who put faith in technology less likely to take climate action
‘Techno-optimism’ may lead to reliance on unproven solutions at expense of societal changes needed
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Was on the sharp end of all this during the summer. But yes, many fares set by TfW are unusually low, with many anomalies depending on which combination of origin and destination you pick. Accompanied kids going free is a fine thing though!
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I wouldn't have picked that example myself. It might look better on paper, but the 197s used on the route are really unpleasant, even if the one that turns up actually has more than 2 carriages. I'd also point out that TfW takes its 158s and hauled sets out of traffic when it's warmer than 26°.
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The doubling down on this issue is beyond belief. I hope for all our sakes the Greens win Holborn, but if they don't it will be down to this one motion. With all the negative consequences that would bring for net zero, oil drilling and transport policy by the current Labour government.
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Well, *from* European Sleeper to Eurostar you would be well advised to allow 4-5 hours. Given that Eurostar doesn't run hours late as standard, whereas the Sleeper almost never leaves Brussels on time, you definitely don't need more than 1.5 hours in the London to Berlin/Prague/Milan direction
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
For the sake of a slogan achieving nothing except great concern and distress to British Jews, Green members have probably destroyed any hope that a party - their party - which consistently and clearly opposes the #genocide will join the next government. Genius. 🤦‍♂️ www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Labour figures rule out working with Greens after ‘Zionism is racism’ vote
Minister says they could not see parties cooperating, while official says coalition should be formally ruled out
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Railway Gazette International @railwaygazette.com · 06/10/2026
Passenger trains return to the Wunderline after decade-long disruption while damaged bridge was replaced www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructu…
railwaygazette.com
Passenger trains return to the Wunderline after decade-long disruption while damaged bridge was replaced
EUROPE: Passenger trains on the cross-border Wunderline between Groningen in the Netherlands and Leer in Germany resumed on October 5, almost 10 years after the Friesen Bridge over the River Ems was irreparably damaged by a ship in December 2015. Passengers had to rely on replacement bus services between Weener and Leer and express buses…
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires I discovered via an FOI request that DEFRA’s commitment in the National Adaptation Programme to run a “wildfire risk programme” since 2023 “was not brought into effect”. #ClimateCrisis www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...
theguardian.com
Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires
FOI request shows wildfire risk scheme scrapped, as data highlights many fire services lack proper protective gear
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
On the main stage at Conservative conference, the shadow transport team is discussing how to “counter” things like 20mph zones and bus lanes. The war on the motorist lives.
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European Rail Timetable @europeanrailtt.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Leo Express is suspending its Frankfurt–Prague–Przemyśl service from October 5, just over two months after the full route began operating. The operator blames extensive engineering works and ever-changing diversions in Germany. More: shorturl.at/zvEdL
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Simon Munk @psimonk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
IMO not only does that risk the Green Party itself looking antisemitic, it also hands the right a stick to beat them with & it further cements idea Greens can't do policy sensibly or with nuance & leadership isn't in control. But more, it won't help stop a genocide or fix a lasting way forward...
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1965: 20-1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1990: 75-1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio today: 325-to-1 Trickle-down economics was always a sham. Nothing has ever trickled down.
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Peter Neumann @peterneumann.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Statt vier Monate jetzt bis Dezember 2027: Die Strecke über #Rathenow und #Stendal ist unterbrochen. Pendler brauchen teils doppelt so lange. Eltern schaffen die Kita nicht mehr, Kliniken bangen um Personal. Ein Besuch im #Havelland. www.berliner-zeitung.de/article/was-...
berliner-zeitung.de
Was 14 Monate Bahnsperrung für Berlin-Pendler bedeuten: „So kann man eine Region kaputtmachen“
Statt vier Monate jetzt bis Dezember 2027: Die Strecke über Rathenow und Stendal ist unterbrochen. Pendler brauchen teils doppelt so lange. Eltern schaffen die Kita nicht mehr, Kliniken bangen um Pers...
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Nail hit firmly on head as you would expect. Thank you, @georgemonbiot.bsky.social
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Grant Ennis @grantennis.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“Great Britain can internalize the negative externalities of driving by expanding congestion charging, increasing the cost of parking to match its true societal cost, and by going down @gregshill.com ‘s checklist to eliminate the many laws that force society to subsidise driving.”
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Railway Gazette International @railwaygazette.com · 02/10/2026
Leo Mobility Management orders ‘configurable’ coaches from Magyar Vagon www.railwaygazette.com/coach/2026/1…
railwaygazette.com
Leo Mobility Management orders ‘configurable’ coaches from Magyar Vagon
INNOTRANS: Leasing company Leo Mobility Management has selected Hungarian rolling stock manufacturer Magyar Vagon Vasúti Kft to supply 200 Neo modular passenger coaches that can be configured to meet operator requirements. Leo Mobility Management has been established by Leoš Novotný, founder of Leo Express, backed by Czech investment company Creditas Group. It aims to provide…
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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Autonomous vehicles offer to entrench, for another generation, the idea that the any other use of urban streets must come second to the rapid movement of metal boxes
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Vor-Ort-Anleiter 🇺🇦📯 @vorortanleiter.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Neu ab 1.11.: 2 tägliche Zugpaare Baku🇦🇿 - Tbilisi 🇬🇪, künftig gibt es nebem dem Nachtzug auch ein Zugpaar tagsüber. Leider mWn nach wie vor nicht von Leuten mit 🇪🇺-Pass benutzbar.
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Oh dear. Time to stick with €2 for any choice of seat at Trenitalia?
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Jon Worth @jonworth.eu · 01/10/2026
Ah Sachsen 🇩🇪 - that’s been unable to electrify Dresden - Görlitz - Zgorzelec 🇵🇱 for >20 years is starting an EU funded Interreg project about international #CrossBorderRail public transport www.medienservice.sachsen.de/medien… I suppose they know what to NOT do!
medienservice.sachsen.de
Grenzüberschreitende Infrastruktur besser gemeinsam umsetzen
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
READ: If you haven’t seen this yet, please take a look. Motonormativity ("car brain") is a bias that stops people from making rational judgements about driving. This study co-authored by @ianwalker.bsky.social looks at where this bias comes from & how it works. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Screetshot of study title “Why Do Cars Get A Free Ride?” #CarBrain #Motonormativity
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
You can see the genocide from space. Yet still it is widely denied.
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NationCymru @nation.cymru · 01/10/2026
Senedd Members have rejected a Reform motion calling for the Welsh Government to scrap default 20mph speed limits
nation.cymru
Senedd Members reject Reform bid to scrap 20mph speed limits
Ella Groves – ICNN Senedd Reporter Senedd Members have rejected a Reform motion calling for the Welsh Government to scrap default 20mph speed limits. The proposal was defeated by 51 votes to 37 follow...
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European Rail Timetable @europeanrailtt.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
OUIGO is adding a 4th Brussels–Paris round trip from December 13, running Fri–Sun. The slower, cheaper trains may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s clearly a market for them — and GoVolta is about to join in too. shorturl.at/H6OdS
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Jo Kibble (Political Animal) @politicanimal.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Andrew Gilligan: rabid on Muslims, terrible on buses, annoyingly and generally consistently good on active travel. (‘Best person I ever worked with at City Hall on this stuff’, according to the pro-cycling Labour council leader I used to work for)
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Oliver Moore @oliver-moore.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
All those Toronto drivers who shouted about bike lanes' [non-existent] effect on emergency vehicles will no doubt throw their support behind congestion pricing. Right?
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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
No wonder the infamous Renfe.com needs the upgrade! “The current system is based on almost 400 interconnected applications, many of them programmed in obsolete languages and having been in service for between 20 and 30 years”
renfe.com
Renfe | Train tickets AVE, Avlo Low Cost (with No Booking Fees)
Buy cheap train tickets AVE, Avlo high speed Low Cost ✓ Timetables, Fares and Discounts ✅ No Booking Fees! ▷ ( Renfe.com )
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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Very very good. This is life after cars.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A #WarOnWalking. A war on biking. A war on public transit. A war on any transportation choice other than driving. A war on better cities. But a war on cars? Hardly. Cars still get most of the space, rights, budget, prioritization, etc. And any effort to add more choice is immediately attacked.
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Interesting! Who financed the infrastructure works and how could a business case be made for what are - according to the article - mostly weekend possessions plus some longer blockades at Christmas?
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Meredith Glaser @cyclingprofessor.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
BREAKING 📣 For several days, a peaceful protest took place in the morning, after a young child was killed by a car driver. The child was riding his bike to school, the father with him. The grieving community came together with hundreds of people, cyclist or not, creating a 3km long human bike lane.
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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Personally, I’d rather have healthy kids than mollycoddled millionaires
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Sam @samd.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
gotta say there’s something almost poetic about Trump incentivizing less fuel efficient vehicles as the Iran war keeps pushing up the price of gas
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
May be of interest if you require the 🇨🇿 Bylnice - Vlárský průsmyk - Horné Srnie - Trenčianska Teplá 🇸🇰 line, which normally has a token weekend-only service. Next day with heritage passenger services is Monday 28 September: www.facebook.com/events/20984...
facebook.com
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Michelle @michelle-colleen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Impressive turnout at #criticalmass #bikeTO to show our opposition to Doug Ford's plan to rip out bike lanes & endanger our lives. Bike lanes save lives! Doug Ford is a corrupt animal. Shame on him! #cycling #visionzero #toronto #ONpoli #TOpoli
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Peter Neumann @peterneumann.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
„Die geplanten Ersatzverkehre für die Zeit von Oktober 2026 bis Dezember 2027 sind völlig inakzeptabel.“ #Bahn #Berlin #Hannover #DB www.berliner-zeitung.de/article/sper...
berliner-zeitung.de
Sperrung Berlin–Hannover: Pro Bahn warnt vor „katastrophalen Verhältnissen“
Ab 2. Oktober wird die Strecke nach Stendal und Wolfsburg mehr als 14 Monate gesperrt. Manche Berufstätige sind dann sechs Stunden pro Tag unterwegs.
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Jon Worth @jonworth.eu · 25/09/2026
FINALLY we have the right version of the Kemijärvi 🇫🇮 - Lagos 🇵🇹 #LongestTrainEU film up on Youtube! 😀 Watch me battle my way past cancellations, delays, and have good luck at Badajoz 🇪🇸 The record is: 125 hours, 31 mins Who wants to have a go at doing it faster? 🤔 www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAJd...
youtube.com
125 Hours - Longest Train Journey in the EU: From the Arctic to the Atlantic
YouTube video by Simply Railway
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Dr Charlie Gardner @charliejgardner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This year has been brutal, and like most people you probably want to do more about climate change. But what, and how? Great news – I’ve written just the book for you! It’s called What One Person Can Do and it’s a clear and simple how-to guide, a roadmap to help you make influential changes...
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Found it. For what it's worth, I find Simon Andersen to be the best of the regular train YouTubers for both effort put in and accuracy.
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
At the moment an incident strikes it's often an impossible task. As soon as InfraGo and the Leitstelle have talked to each other and then the driver, the info *should* then be updated in all systems.
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Just seeing that for myself now. Also amusing to see the look on people's faces when a shabby class 480 turns up on the S3. Welcome to Berlin transport policy!
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Railway Gazette International @railwaygazette.com · 24/09/2026
DB says it welcomes competition but prefers collaboration on international routes www.railwaygazette.com/high-speed/2…
railwaygazette.com
DB says it welcomes competition but prefers collaboration on international routes
EUROPE: ‘To state clearly: we generally welcome competition under fair and transparent conditions’, Dr Michael Peterson, Deutsche Bahn board member for Long-Distance Passenger Transport said at InnoTrans 2026.  ‘When that is the case, the offering for rail passengers can indeed be improved.’  But in DB’s view, ‘an efficient cross-border long-distance traffic is currently best delivered…
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European Rail Timetable @europeanrailtt.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
🚄 Frecciarossa to München! DB and Trenitalia have confirmed further details of planned direct Frecciarossa services from München to Milano and Roma from summer 2027, with two train pairs and journey times of around 6½ and 8½ hours. shorturl.at/0lwTY
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Ruete complaining that his job as interface between politics and industry is hard. Other panellists concur that his job is impossible. Hmmm.
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The ERTMS podium discussion is completely depressing
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Simon Maarfield @simonmaarfield.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"The collapse of natural systems around the world would lead to conflict, migration and food shortages" - who'd have thought it, eh?
theguardian.com
UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer
El Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 23/09/2026
'Miliband will appoint a new special representative for climate security, as well as a new ministerial taskforce on “the national security and resilience risks of a changing climate and nature loss”, with military and security experts as well as climate scientists.'
theguardian.com
UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer
El Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Eerste van der Helststraat, Amsterdam, in 1982 and today. A street once dominated by parked cars to a car free place for people, with children playing, greenery and cafés making use of reclaimed outdoor space. This is what’s possible when we choose to redesign our streets for life, not storage.
Split-screen comparison of Eerste van der Helststraat in Amsterdam in 1982 and today. The historical black-and-white photo shows the street with parked cars on both sides of the street, a cyclist and pedestrians. The modern colour photo shows the same street transformed into a car-free public space, with trees, plants, outdoor seating, pedestrians and children playing hopscotch.
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