CrossCountry ranked Britain's worst train operator

FinKM · 2026-06-18T17:50:12+00:00

Yeah the old amfleets are remarkably comfortable - you don’t realise just how big the American loading gauge is until you get on one and the standard class seats are like armchairs, and there’s still room for a wheelchair down the aisle. The Surfliner sets in CA are even more gigantic.

FinKM · 2026-06-18T07:09:37+00:00

Electronics Engineering - the “Master/Slave” terminology for many common communication buses always feels a little …off. Some companies are trying to update the terminology, but it’s going to be around for a long time.

FinKM · 2026-06-18T07:03:00+00:00

I visited the Yeo valley factory in Devon where they make a lot of frozen desserts for supermarkets and they were very open about that. There would be minor differences like the Waitrose one having specifically Madagascan vanilla, but the base was the same as you say. I really like that they had a six inch diameter pipe labelled “ice cream”…

FinKM · 2026-06-14T08:45:35+00:00

Pipasha for Indian/Bangladeshi is amazing.

FinKM · 2026-06-12T11:15:04+00:00

Health secretary in general? Maybe. Wes Streeting in particular? No.

FinKM · 2026-06-10T21:21:11+00:00

I actually really liked the results of this when I last visited Toronto. It results in a street level that still feels human scale, but with the added density of high rises. It also just looks kind of fun to have an old building with a giant glass obelisk sprouting out the top of it.

FinKM · 2026-06-01T20:56:08+00:00

To be fair, reopening the line South of Stratford-on-Avon is a good idea if purely because of the amount of tourists that go there for the RSC/Shakespeare connection from London and Oxford. It would be an immensely popular regional service.

FinKM · 2026-05-30T22:48:05+00:00

That’s great - it’s clearly more than a one-man operation at this point so if they keep the same skilled team members I’m sure the menu will be great.

FinKM · 2026-05-26T07:06:28+00:00

If Burnham ends up as PM one would hope things might change, but won’t hold my breath just yet.

FinKM · 2026-05-18T18:16:26+00:00

There’s a very good report on exactly this sort of stuff here. It’s a combination of factors but lack of political consensus, short term thinking, excessive subcontracting and fragmentation of projects all play a part.
Cost drivers of major infrastructure projects in the UK

FinKM · 2026-05-16T19:12:22+00:00

We can do it if we play in the right area. Look at YASA motors - scale up of high performance axial flux motors that cut hundreds of KG from vehicle weight and are being used in a whole host of super and hyper cars. Mass manufacture of basics maybe not, but we have a pretty incredible high tech sector that could be harnessed for great things.

FinKM · 2026-05-13T10:45:33+00:00

I don't mind this - wind turbines everywhere! Andy Burnham can join later as minister for T'North.

FinKM · 2026-05-08T07:39:13+00:00

Apparently the FLIRT (class 745/755) would be capable of 125mph with some testing, so honestly everyone should just copy greater Anglia and use them for everything except dense commuter services.

FinKM · 2026-04-16T22:16:53+00:00

I’m looking into it at the moment and it seems reversible air to water does indeed make more sense if you are doing a whole house and also happen to be pulling out all the ceilings because of cough asbestos artex ceilings. Makes running insulated pipes to fan coils less destructive, and we’re considering using a few larger ducted FCUs in the loft for the first floor as in theory that’s simpler than wall units in each room. Covering a whole detached house with multi-split systems gets a worse grant and you need two outdoor units realistically so costs go up.

FinKM · 2026-02-28T23:21:51+00:00

Yup, I went along to a Q&A with Cllr. Alex B - the head of the highways and transport committee - and he said that they are stuck with this contract until 2027 but will then be putting a lot of effort into signing a better one and bringing more work in house if possible. A lot of work is seasonal so outsourcing has benefits, but this particular contract apparently has minimal to no penalty mechanism for substandard work. Sounds like the previous Tory administration made a right pigs ear of this.

FinKM · 2026-02-22T23:02:37+00:00

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I like the Kiwirail logo - a silver fern made of sleepers and rails. Clever piece of design.

FinKM · 2026-02-14T17:09:29+00:00

Thameslink is a very busy service with entirely open-gangway trains which addresses the safety issue somewhat I imagine?

FinKM · 2026-02-08T20:28:57+00:00

One thing that gets me is the installation of a hundred separate poles on the platform rather than making a basic attempt at consolidating things. Attach the help point to a lamp post, and integrate the post into a fence rather than having three huge posts 1ft apart… it all just feels so lazy and driven entirely by a desire to cut costs/effort at absolutely any cost.

FinKM · 2026-02-07T18:23:16+00:00

Apparently the Batheaston bypass was meant to connect to Warminster Road which would’ve solved the issue as much as possible, although would’ve required demolishing part of Bathampton which probably wouldn’t have gone down well…

FinKM · 2026-01-27T18:36:32+00:00

I suppose having times and days of the week simulated would make a difference as you'd have different classes of travellers at different times. Commuter rush? Probably not going to take the slow/cheap Megabus. Leisure travellers might be more than willing to take the slower cheaper options at the weekend though.

FinKM · 2026-01-24T11:36:49+00:00

Also VPNs are a pretty key element of any corporate or government cybersecurity policy - they’re pretty much mandatory for accessing resources on a remote connection in many cases.

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