Siemens Bags First Fleet Order For Hydrogen Trains In Berlin-Brandenburg Region
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on RailTech.com.
This is the first paragraph.
Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB) has ordered seven Mireo Plus H hydrogen trains from Siemens Mobility. Delivery is set for autumn 2024, with first operations on the Heidekrautbahn (RB27) network planned in December the same year.
It is a detailed article. about the Mireo Plus H.
Nestlé Unveils New Double-Stacking Rail Logistics Plan To Reduce Carbon Footprint
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Nestlé.
These paragraphs explain the concept.
Nestlé UK & Ireland has unveiled plans to increase freight capacity on trains to allow the double-stacking of products, an important step towards reducing its carbon footprint.
The new curtain-sided rail container with a raising roof, designed to transport double-stacked palletised products by rail, was displayed at the Multimodal Exhibition in Birmingham this week.
The design of the container overcomes an important barrier as the height of road trailers differs from rail containers due to the height constraints of the rail network, meaning transport by rail had not been a winning option for Nestlé until now.
Utilising a hydraulic raising roof mechanism, the unit allows the business to double-stack its food and drink products. The roof is then lowered to just above the height of the stock, making it compliant with the height requirements of rail transport, while being able to get more products on board.
It is currently under test between the Midlands and London.
The press release also mentions, that it could be used to deliver to Tesco, who are extensive users of rail freight and have been for some years.
Do They Paint Their Own Toilets Like This?
I took these pictures in the toilet of a Thameslink train.
It is vandalism, pure and simple and those that did this should spend a long time in a suitable prison!
But then I hate graffiti and others might consider it art!
A Trip To Northfleet
Yesterday, I went to Northfleet station.
Partly, it was to have a drink with my old friend; Ian, but mainly it was to take some pictures to add to Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion.
Normally, when I go to see Ian I take the HighSpeed service out of St. Pancras.
But this service is expensive and as I was leaving from Moorgate, I decided to take the Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood and get a train to Northfleet station instead.
I have a few thoughts on my journey.
Cost
I used my Freedom Pass to Abbey Wood and then bought an Off Peak Day Return between Abbey Wood and Northfleet for just £4.95 with a Senior Railcard.
Convenience
As you have to use one of the bridges at Abbey Wood to change to and from the Elizabeth Line, I used the one at the station end and popped through the barrier to buy my onward ticket from a machine.
Surely, Freedom Passes should be linked to a bank account, so if you want to stray outside Zone 6, you are automatically charged.
Elizabeth Line Messages On Southeastern
At Swanscombe station today, whilst waiting for my Thameslink train to take me back to Abbey Wood, I noticed that the displays were telling passengers to change at Abbey Wood for the Elizabeth Line.
You certainly wouldn’t use the dreadful Swanscombe station with heavy cases, but stations like Abbey Wood, Dartford, Gravesend and others would enable granny or grandpa to take a sensible-size wheeled case to Heathrow Airport with reasonable ease, once the Elizabeth Line becomes a fully-connected railway between Abbey Wood and Heathrow.
Onward Trains At Abbey Wood
There are two easy onward Thameslink tph at Abbey Wood, that run at sixteen and forty-six minutes past the hour.
You can also take the first Dartford train and then take the first train from there.
If you get the Thameslink train from Abbey Wood timings are as follows.
- Slade Green – 6 minutes
- Dartford – 11 minutes
- Stone Crossing – 16 minutes
- Greenhithe – 18 minutes
- Swanscombe – 21 minutes
- Northfleet – 23 minutes
- Gravesend – 27 minutes
- Higham – 33 minutes
- Strood – 39 minutes
- Rochester – 42 minutes
- Chatham – 45 minutes
- Gillingham – 50 minutes
- Rainham – 55 minutes
Note.
- There are also two Southeastern tph between Charing Cross and Gravesend, but they don’t serve Abbey Wood.
- The timings appeared sensible in my two trips; yesterday and today.
- Travellers also have a choice in that they can use the more expensive HighSpeed services to selected stations.
After just missing a Thameslink train today by a few seconds, and then had to wait thirty minutes for the next train, I am convinced that there needs to be a four tph service between Abbey Wood and Rainham.
Four tph Between Rainham And Abbey Wood
In Crossrail Ltd Outlines Plan To Complete The Elizabeth Line, I said this about Western branch services.
When Crossrail is fully open, the Western Branch frequencies are planned to be as follows.
- Reading and Abbey Wood – 4 tph in the Peak and 2 tph in the Off Peak
- Maidenhead and Abbey Wood – 2 tph all day
- Heathrow Terminal 4 and Abbey Wood – 4 tph all day.
- Heathrow Terminal 5 and Abbey Wood – 2 tph all day.
This includes 6 tph between Heathrow and Abbey Wood all day.
Crossrail To Ebbsfleet is proposing that the South-Eastern branch will terminate as follows.
- 4 tph – Abbey Wood
- 4 tph – Northfleet
- 4 tph – Gravesend
So will this mean that the six tph to Heathrow will be split equally between Abbey Wood, Northfleet and Gravesend, with two Heathrow tph terminating at each terminal?
The North Kent Metro
My naive mind thinks, why don’t the two Heathrow and Gravesend services terminate at Rainham?
This would give the following.
- The minimum four tph between Abbey Wood and Rainham.
- Rainham should be able to turnback for tph.
- Services would call at Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet, Gravesend, Higham, Strood, Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham.
North Kent would have its own metro running under London Overground rules.
It could even start as soon as Class 345 trains are allowed to run to Rainham.
Airport Connect
Consider
- The Elizabeth Line service between Abbey Wood and Rainham could serve Heathrow at its Western end.
- The Thameslink service would serve Luton Airport Parkway.
- Both services would serve Liverpool Street for the Stansted Express and services to and from Southend Airport.
- Both services would serve Farringdon for services to and from Gatwick Airport.
- An extra station at Silvertown could serve London City Airport.
- In future, there could even be a connection to High Speed Two at Old Oak Common.
One service on the Elizabeth Line would connect all these together.
Dartford Station – June 27th 2022
I took these pictures as I passed through Dartford station yesterday.
Note.
- Dartford station is close to the town centre.
- I grabbed a coffee in the nearby shopping centre.
- The station has four platforms.
- The station has full step-free access.
The station was rebuilt in 2013.
Stone Crossing Station – June 27th 2022
I changed trains yesterday at Stone Crossing station and took these pictures.
Note.
- It is a basic station with two long platforms.
- There is a bridge at one end.
- More houses are being built nearby, behind the trees.
It needs upgrading to the Twentieth Century.
A Second Visit To Stone Crossing Station
As I wanted to look at the footbridge, I went back again today.
This looks very much like an interim design to get passengers and pedestrians across the line safety.
A Crossrail To Ebbsfleet Station
This station will need to be made step-free, if Crossrail is extended to Ebbsfleet station.
The station will be handling ten trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
The Anonymous Widower 