Is This Why Purists Say The Midland Main Line Must Be Electrified?
In How Far Will A Class 897 Train Travel Without Using The Electrification?, I showed that the Class 897 train, can go for 120 miles on its internal power sources.
I also showed that the Hitachi Class 80X trains with batteries can do the same.
But if you look at distance on the Midland Main Line, some are greater than 120 miles.
- St. Pancras and Chesterfield – 146.1 miles
- St. Pancras and Derby – 128.3 miles
- St. Pancras and Doncaster – 157.3 miles
- St. Pancras and Leeds – 187.2 miles
- St. Pancras and Nottingham – 126.4 miles
- St. Pancras and Sheffield – 160.0 miles
So to get all the way to Chesterfield, Derby, Doncaster, Leeds, Nottingham or Sheffield from St. Pancras, a train with a longer range is needed.
Conservative thinking means electrification, as we know it works.
You might also say, that the electrification on the Midland Main Line, just sort of peters out South of Leicester.
But thinking about it!
- The electrification on the East Coast Main Line doesn’t cross the Forth Bridge.
- The electrification on the West Coast Main Line finishes at Dunblane.
- The electrification on the South Wales Main Line finishes at Cardiff.
- Few branch lines in East Anglia are electrified.
- The East-West Line is not to be electrified.
Did the accountants prune too hard?
They may have done!
- But we do need a a zero-carbon train for routes longer than 120 miles.
- And so do many other routes across the world.
- The more you turn it round in your mind, the more you need a zero-carbon fuel with all the flexibility, range and ease of refuelling of diesel.
In my mind the only fuel that can do this is hydrogen.
Conclusion
If we want to run zero-carbon services over very long distances, we will need to use hydrogen power.
I also think, that my logic here, will apply to buses and coaches, so any needing a range over a certain size will need hydrogen.
As the purists won’t have hydrogen at any price, this means they won’t accept anything other than full electrification or battery-electric.
But bigger batteries are heavier and self-defeating, so electrification is the only way.
No Panic At The Pumps … South Koreans Just Stop Driving On Wednesdays
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
President Lee Jae-myung has urged the public to ‘save every drop of fuel’ and introduced a number-plate rotation to keep drivers off the road
These first three paragraphs deeply illustrate the differences between the energy situation in North and South Korea.
From the lookout point atop Mount Dora, in the heart of the demilitarised zone that has separated the peninsula since 1953, you can clearly see where South Korea ends and North Korea begins.
The trees that proliferate across Korea’s undulating topography come to an abrupt halt. On the land that sits beyond, a farmer can be seen guiding an ox pulling a plough.
Sealed off from the world economy for 73 years, communist North Korea has resorted to cutting down much of its vegetation to burn for fuel. Democratic South Korea, by contrast, has established deep global trading ties that allow the country to import vital natural resources it cannot produce domestically.
North Korean communism certainly can’t be considered green.
I find these two paragraphs extremely significant.
South Korea may have to import almost all of its crude oil, but the country plays a huge role in refining it into petrol, diesel and jet fuel before shipping it around the world. This means that demand from overseas for Korea’s refined products is greater than ever, which has forced the government to step in. The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has implemented mandatory caps on refined petroleum products.
Of all South Korea’s refined products, kerosene, or jet fuel, is the most in demand. The country is one of the biggest exporters of jet fuel in the world. The US, for instance, relies on it for 70 per cent of its total jet fuel imports.
They could also be problematical for the country, as they will surely need to replace these jet fuel exports with exports of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Most viable processes, that I’ve seen need the following ingredients.
- Lots of hydrogen or masses of GWhs of electricity to make it.
- Some carbon atoms, which can even be captured from the air or a gas-fired power station.
- Some form of Fischer-Tropsch process to force the atoms to make sustainable aviation fuel.
There are several companies that can do this, with British ones seeming to often to be connected to Oxford University.
There is also this Anglo-Korean connection over hydrogen.
I asked Google AI, who are investors in innovative hydrogen production company; HiiROC, which is a spin-out of the University of Hull, and received this answer.
HiiROC, a UK-based developer of “turquoise” hydrogen technology, is backed by a consortium of major industrial and financial players, including Centrica, Melrose Industries, HydrogenOne Capital Growth, Hyundai, Kia, Wintershall Dea, VNG, and Cemex Ventures. The company has raised over £40 million to develop its thermal plasma electrolysis technology.
Note the presence of two of the biggest Korean companies ; Hyundai and Kia.
HiiROC is also five times more efficient than traditional electrolysis.
Google AI says this about South Korean offshore wind.
South Korea is aggressively developing its offshore wind sector, targeting 14.3 GW to 15 GW of installed capacity by 2030, with over 116 projects and 44 GW of capacity under development. The country aims for a 2030 renewable energy share of 20-30%, leveraging floating technology for massive projects like the 3.2 GW Jindo project.
It appears to me, that South Korea will replace their market share of the jet fuel market with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
I’m also sure, that if the Koreans need to produce more hydrogen to make more SAF to power the world’s aircraft, Centrica will help them to rent some of our empty seas.
I can see the Koreans, with a little help from their friends, including the UK, dominating the SAF market.
How Not To Resurface An Intersection
I took these pictures in the City of London at the North end of Moorgate this morning, where the road is crossed by Eldon Street and Ropemaker Street.
Note.
- I had only gone to the area to get a 141 bus to travel home and found that no buses were running on Moorgate.
- There was no information or signs displayed to help travellers.
- The Marks and Spencer’s store appeared to be completely cut off.
- I believe that this road is the responsibility of the London Borough of Islington, not the City of London.
- Luckily, Leon was unexpectedly open, so I popped inside to have a delicious Full English, gluten-free breakfast and a cup of tea, before my walk.
- Also, one of their staff was tall enough to see over the road works and ascertain, that the buses were running in Finsbury Square.
With difficulty, I was able to walk to the next bus stop on Finsbury Square and get safely home.
I have a few thoughts.
This Was Mushroom Management At Its Worst!
All it needed was a few signs on the bus stop by Moorgate station and dotted around the site to explain the situation, but no-one took the responsibility to provide the information.
Surely, This Is The Type Of Site, Where Hydrogen Powered Construction Equipment Should Be Used!
- It would provide better atmosphere for workers and passers-by.
- Some equipment would be quieter.
Full fleet Of 27 Hydrogen Trains On German Network Will Not Be Deployed Until 2026 — More Than Three Years Late
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Insight.
This is the sub-heading.
Full fleet of 27 hydrogen trains on German network will not be deployed until 2026 — more than three years late
The Alstom fuel-cell trains were ordered back in 2019 in a €500m contract and were supposed to be fully operational in December 2022… but problems have persisted.
To read the rest of the article, I need to register, but from this article, for my argument, I only only need the fact that the trains are three years late.
But the introduction of hydrogen buses into service hasn’t been without its problems in the UK and projects have been dropped.
So have Alstom decided to take a closer control of the technology to bring this flagship project on track? Hence the deal, I talked about in Alstom And Cummins Make A Deal On Hydrogen Rail Technology.
Will the del also breathe new life into the agreement I talked about in Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet?
This is Alstom’s visualisation of the Hydrogen Aventra.
But I certainly think, that a multinational hydrogen-tri-mode train built in Derby by a French-owned company on a proven and reliable 125 mph platform, with German fuel cells, running on Cheshire hydrogen, through spectacular Welsh countryside could be an easy proposition to sell to Fat Controllers.
World Cup 2026: Fans To Pay $150 For Train Ticket To Stadium
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on DW.com.
This is the sub-heading.
Transportation costs for World Cup fans traveling to US stadiums could be more than 10 times higher than regular fares. Local officials and FIFA bosses are trading blame for the increased prices while fans feel fleeced
These three paragraphs add some detail.
Football fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City for the World Cup matches this summer will have to pay $150 (€127) for a round-trip, according to local transportation officials.
The price is almost 12 times higher than the usual $12.90 fare for the 15-minute trip from Penn Station in Manhattan to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“We are going to charge $150 for our roundtrip ticket on our system. So from New York to MetLife, MetLife back to New York,” said Kris Kolluri, the president and CEO of NJ Transit.
For less than the equivalent of $150 dollars, I could get a ticket from my house to any of the Premier League grounds in England and some will take a lot longer than 15 minutes.
Welcome to Trumpland, where the World Cup is primarily to make money.
Eurowings Launches New Routes From London Gatwick To Germany
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on aviation24.be.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurowings has officially launched operations at London Gatwick Airport, introducing new connections to Germany as part of its summer expansion.
This two paragraphs add more details.
The airline now operates 13 weekly flights to Cologne—its only UK link to the city—since 29 March. This has been complemented by a six-times-weekly service to Stuttgart, launched on 14 April. Both routes are served from Gatwick’s North Terminal.
The move strengthens connectivity between the UK and key German economic and cultural centres, targeting both business and leisure demand while feeding into Eurowings’ wider European network.
I talked about more Gatwick services in Condor Celebrates Inaugural Flight Of New Frankfurt–London Gatwick Route.
But to check, there weren’t others, I asked Google AI,”Which Airlines Have Started Using Gatwick Since January 2026?” and received this answer.
As of April 2026, London Gatwick has launched its largest airline expansion in a decade, welcoming nine new carriers—Jet2, Air France, Condor, Eurowings, AnimaWings, AirAsia X, Air Arabia, Beijing Capital Airlines, and Pegasus—for the 2026 summer season. These airlines offer new connections across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with many commencing operations in March and April 2026.
Key Airlines and Launch Dates (2026):
Jet2 (March 26): Launched its first flights, building to 29 destinations, with six based aircraft.
Air France (March 29): Returned to Gatwick, offering twice-daily services from Paris.
Condor (April 1): Launched three daily flights to Frankfurt.
Eurowings (March 29): Commenced services to Cologne and Stuttgart.
AnimaWings (March 22): Started six weekly flights to Bucharest.
Pegasus (June 15): Starts operations to Istanbul.
Beijing Capital Airlines (June 24): Commences flights to Qingdao.
AirAsia X (June 26): Returns to London, offering flights to Kuala Lumpur via Bahrain.
Air Arabia (June 26): Starts twice-daily flights from Sharjah.
This influx of carriers has allowed Gatwick to offer over 230 destinations in the summer 2026 schedule, restoring connectivity to its highest level since 2019.
It must increase the need for a second runway.
At least Gatwick’s plans seem well advanced, as this visualisation shows.
Gatwick With Two Runways
This appears to me to be a good efficient design.
- The new runway is on the left.
- It looks like the secondary North runway, used when the current main runway is under maintenance, is still in place.
- Between the two runways is a massive new terminal.
- Note the station in the bottom right corner, with the Brighton Main Line going across.
- The red line is a shuttle, that takes passengers between the current North and Main terminals, the new terminal and the train station.
- Little demolition seems to have taken place.
But in some ways, where the runway is built is irrelevant, if Crossrail and the improved Thameslink work as they say on their trains.
These two high-capacity railways will give Heathrow and Gatwick a shared terminal called London, that unfortunately for them, they will share with Stansted, Luton, HS2 and Eurostar.
I feel though, that because of Brexit, we’ll see a decision before the end of the year and possibly in the next few weeks.
British governments have fiddled for far too long!
New Optimisation Agreement For 70 MW / 160 MWh BESS In Sweden
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica Energy, the energy trading and optimisation arm of Centrica plc, has signed an optimisation agreement with Ånge Storage Solutions AB, a project company jointly established by Delta Capacity, a Swiss-based developer of utility-scale battery storage systems, and Wood & Co., a leading European investment bank and asset manager, for a 70 MW / 160 MWh battery project in Ånge, Sweden, scheduled to be commissioned in Q2 2026.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
Once operational, the Ånge project will be the largest BESS currently in operation in the Nordics, underlining the strong partnership between the companies and the project’s clear strategic significance and market impact. The project represents a major step forward for grid flexibility in Sweden, supporting the country’s rapidly growing renewable energy capacity while strengthening system stability in the SE2 bidding zone.
Under the agreement, Centrica Energy will act as optimiser for the project, providing 24/7 in-house trading and optimisation services. Leveraging advanced forecasting, real-time market benchmarking and AI-enhanced trading algorithms, Centrica Energy will optimise the battery across wholesale electricity markets and ancillary services, dynamically capturing value across multiple revenue streams.
The agreement on the Ånge project kicks off the partnership between Centrica Energy and Delta Capacity, underlining the companies’ shared ambition to accelerate flexible energy solutions across the Nordics.
It seems that Centrica are doing some serious programming, which mirrors the offbeat engineering, that was hinted at in Centrica Tackles Difficult Terrain To Deliver Sustainable Solar Solution For Derbyshire Manufacturer.
You can’t do anything but like Centrica’s robust attitude and their determination to get things done.
I also wonder, if Centrica are putting their expertise and technical excellence alongside the money and risk of others!
You can argue it was like that with Artemis in the last thirty years of the last century. One quarter million pound computer and software package would be planning and controlling the building of a multi-billion pound project.
I feel now, that I can say that now the Channel Tunnel is part of my history.
From the words of the press release, they seem to have developed a very-sophisticated hybrid-battery-control system, where types with expertise-honed on the trading floor or even the battlefield, could be intimately involved in the decisions.
As a check on my use of battlefield, I asked Google AI”if ex military weapons officers good operators on a city trading floor?” and received this reply.
Ex-military weapons officers—and military officers more broadly—can make excellent operators on a city trading floor, as their skill sets in leadership, pressure management, and risk assessment are highly transferable and increasingly sought after by financial institutions.
Key Reasons Military Officers Succeed as Traders
Decision-Making Under Extreme Pressure: Operational officers are accustomed to making critical, split-second decisions with limited information, which mirrors the environment of a volatile trading floor.
Risk Management & Discipline: The military teaches meticulous planning, risk mitigation, and strict adherence to procedures. In trading, this translates into managing margin, controlling losses, and following a strict, repeatable trading strategy.
High Mental Stamina and Resilience: The ability to stay calm and focused when others are losing their composure is a key trait that veterans bring, helping them survive high-stress trading scenarios.
Adaptability: The ability to respond to changing circumstances on the battlefield translates into managing portfolios in rapidly shifting market conditions.
Transferable Skills Checklist
Strategy & Logistics: Background in understanding supply chain imbalances (supply/demand).Communication: Ability to convey orders clearly and concisely.
Integrity: High level of discipline and accountability.
Potential Challenges and Considerations
While they possess strong psychological skills for trading, ex-military personnel often face a steep learning curve regarding technical financial knowledge and specific market terminology. Furthermore, the transition from a highly structured hierarchy to a meritocracy—where the only measure of success is profit/loss—requires a change in mindset.
Industry Adoption
Banks and trading firms in both the UK and US have recognized the value of these skills, with firms like Citibank and various prop firms establishing veteran-focused programs to hire and train former military personnel.
Conclusion
If ex-military weapons officers can adapt their ability to assess risks and manage operations to financial data, their natural inclination to stay calm under pressure and operate with discipline makes them top candidates for trading roles.
How To Quickly And Safely Serve A Marks & Spencer’s Two-Part Chicken Jalfrezi
As I usually do, I cooked the curry in the microwave stirring the meal halfway through.
It’s when, I put the meal on the plate, that I burn fingers and make a mess.
Note.
- I didn’t get the pictures, as well as I might.
- But you get the gist of the method.
- The spoon in pictures 2-5 is probably over seventy years old.
- The two parts of the tray cut and split easily.
- In pictures 3 and 4, I’m building a wall with the rice.
- In 5, I just tip the curry over the top.
- In. 7, the tray could have been licked clean. It wasn’t, but everything fell on the plate.
- No mess!
I shall use this method in future.
How Do Alstom Fuel Their Hydrogen Trains?
I have not seen this question answered, so out of curiosity, I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Alstom fuels their hydrogen trains, specifically the Coradia iLint, using high-pressure gaseous hydrogen stored in tanks on the roof. The hydrogen combines with oxygen via fuel cells to generate electricity, which powers the electric traction motor, with only water and heat emitted. The trains refuel at specialized hydrogen stations in roughly 15 minutes.
Key Aspects of Alstom’s Hydrogen Fueling System:
Fueling Station: The trains are powered by specialized hydrogen filling stations, such as the Linde station in Bremervörde, Germany, which supplies gaseous hydrogen.
Refueling Process: The process is designed to be a “drop-in” replacement for diesel, with a filling time similar to that of diesel trains, providing a range of over 1,000 km.
Fuel Cell Technology: Inside the train, a fuel cell module (typically located on the roof) separates hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons, creating a flow of electricity.
Energy Storage: The system uses lithium-ion batteries to store excess energy from the fuel cells and energy recovered from braking.
Hydrogen Source: While some hydrogen is currently produced through conventional methods (steam reforming), there is a strong shift towards using green hydrogen produced from renewable energy on-site.
The Coradia iLint has a top speed of 140 km/h and serves non-electrified lines as a zero-emission alternative to diesel.
Centrica Tackles Difficult Terrain To Deliver Sustainable Solar Solution For Derbyshire Manufacturer
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
Centrica Business Solutions has successfully completed a bespoke solar farm for Carpenter Ltd, a Glossop based manufacturer, overcoming significant terrain challenges to help the business take a major step towards a sustainable future.
These two paragraphs add some more detail.
- Built on a 14.62% sloped bank – a location once considered unsuitable for development – the project required careful planning, specialist machinery, and adaptive engineering techniques to ensure safe, efficient installation in mud-heavy winter months. Most solar farms are installed on flat ground; this project demanded a fully customised approach.
- The new solar array comprises 1,666 panels generating 1,025 MWh of renewable energy per year. This will help Carpenter Ltd cut carbon emissions by 116,150 kg CO₂ in the first year alone, reduce energy costs, and strengthen local economic resilience by supporting sustainable manufacturing jobs in the region.
This is a picture of the site from Centrica.
Google AI says the array is around a MW.
How many other difficult solar installations can be developed using good old-fashioned construction and engineering techniques?
The Anonymous Widower 