Improvements To Oakwood Station
This post on IanVisits is entitled Enfield Council Outlines Possible Rail Station Upgrades.
By reading Enfield Council documents, Ian has found possible station improvements that might happen.
Ian says this about Oakwood station.
Building around 50 homes on the station car park should contribute to street improvements around the station.
This Google Map shows the station and its two car parks.
Note.
- The Piccadilly Line runs North-West-South-East diagonally across the map.
- Cockfosters station is to the North-West.
- Southgate station is to the South-East.
- Oakwood station is in the middle of the map and marked by a London Underground roundel.
- The car park to be developed is to the North-East of the station.
I took these pictures.
Note.
- The car-park was full.
- The station is step-free.
- Barnard Cook was there, when I lived in Oakwood in the early 1960s.
I can’t see any problems building a few houses on the car-park, but what will happen to the cars?
To me though Oakwood station is defined by this post; The Place Where The Bottom Fell Out Of A Drawer.
Residents Invited For A Bird’s Eye View Of How Mid Cornwall Metro Will Transform Transport Links In Cornwall
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on RailUK.
This is the first paragraph.
Residents have been encouraged to attend an event at the Hotel Victoria in Newquay on Friday 9 February (10am – 7pm) and Saturday 10 February (10am – 4pm) when they’ll be able to see for themselves how the Mid Cornwall Metro, funded by Cornwall Council and £50 million of government Levelling Up Funding, will create a sustainable transport corridor through central Cornwall.
This is the last paragraph.
Another engagement event will take place at the Stannary on the University campus at Tremough on Friday 1 March from 10am to 5pm, and the Temperance Hall, Lower Market Street, Penryn TR10 8BH on Saturday 2 March from 10am to 4pm.
If the weather looks good, then I might go.
This page, with an excellent graphic, explains the Mid Cornwall Metro.
New £24m Platform To Boost City Train Services
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Bradford’s Forster Square station is to get a new £24m platform to boost rail services in the city.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman said the government-funded scheme would futureproof the station for generations to come.
It could lead to five more trains to London each day, the Department for Transport said.
There are positive comments from Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe and LNER.
These are my thoughts.
Where Will The New Platform Be Built?
This OpenRailway Map sows the layout of the current three platforms at Bradford Forster Square station.
The Wikipedia entry for Bradford Forster Square station, says this about platform usage.
During off-peak hours most trains use platforms 1 (for Skipton) and 2 (Leeds and Ilkley) – platform 3 is mainly used during weekday peak periods and in the evening, though a spare set is usually stabled here between 09.00 and 16.00 each weekday.
This picture was taken on the only time I visited the station in 2017.
Note.
- The middle platform is numbered 2b.
- As Bradford Forster Square station is a terminal station, I must have taken this picture from the Southern end of the station.
- From Network Rail’s plan of the station, it looks like Platform 1 is on the right or East and Platform 3 is on the left or West.
This page on the EnglandRover web site confirms that Platform 3 is the Western platform.
This article on the Bradford Argus is entitled Work On New Platform To Begin In Spring After £24m Boost.
This is a paragraph.
The extra platform will be built at the side of the station closest to Forster Square Retail Park. It means the station will expand outwards by a few metres, and the platform construction will require Network Rail to purchase a strip of land from retail park owners British Land.
This Google Map shows where the platform will be placed.
Note.
- The Forster Square Retail Park is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The glazed roof covers Platforms 1 and 2.
- There are trains in Platforms 1 and 3.
- Fitting in the new platform could be a bit tight.
Will the platforms be renumbered or will the new platform be called Platform 0?
Project Management Considerations
Consider.
- Bradford will be the UK City of Culture in 2025.
- British Land will want to have minimal disruption to the operation of their retail park.
For these reasons, all parties will want an early completion.
But as the site should have good access through the retail park, I could envisage that an early completion can be delivered by good project management.
How Many Platforms Will LNER Need?
Consider on the 1st of February 2024, four LNER trains visited the station.
- All trains were Class 801 trains.
- One train was a nine-car train and the others were a pair of five-car trains.
- Two trains used each of Platforms 1 and 2.
- LNER are planning to add five more trains per day (tpd), which will be a total of fourteen movements per day.
I suspect under normal operation, LNER could manage with one platform, as LNER’s movements are less than one per hour.
Conclusion
This new platform seems to be a good plan, that adds much-needed capacity for the short term and provides capacity for more services in the future.
Striking Train Drivers Want Extra Pay For Using Tablets
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
These four paragraphs explain the impasse.
Striking train drivers are demanding extra pay for using tablet devices at work.
The tablets, which are similar to iPads, are designed to send announcements to drivers and notify them of temporary speed limits on routes.
However, union chiefs are demanding so-called “technology payments” for members expected to use such devices.
Train companies usually have to rely on noticeboards to communicate with drivers. Messages, including safety instructions, are still placed at the end of platforms for drivers to see from their cabs.
Mark Harper, the transport secretary, i quoted as saying: “Aslef continues to stand in the way of vital reforms needed to safeguard the future of the railways.”
Are we in the 21st or the 19th centuries?
But the article leaves the best to last.
It has previously been reported that rail workers were given paid time off if they had to use a microwave at work. The rule from 1980 states:
All staff working with microwave ovens shall be permitted to take time off from work, with pay, for a medical check of any effects on them from the microwave ovens. Such checks shall be made at not less than six monthly intervals on request.
Does your partner demand similar rewards for putting your ready meal in the microwave?
There is also this comment from a reader.
I did 19 years as a driver, mainly with Southern. I remember when we were issued with mobile phones and later iPads there was a few dinosaurs who refused to charge them at home. Pathetic really. The iPad was great but only got 1 GB of mobile data. I destroyed that watching Tour du France when ‘spare’ and didn’t have any work allocated.
The worst Spanish practices mainly revolve around the facility time ASLEF reps get, and routinely abuse. At my depot 2 reps were released all day to scrutinise bank holiday diagrams. There were 7 diagrams to check. These diagrams are produced by software to make sure comply with regulations but need reps to sign off. No more than 5 minutes work but off all day. That’s 2 drivers, 8 or 9 times a year. These are the T&Cs changes that ASLEF won’t accept, under RDG offer diagram scrutiny would be taken away from reps.
Priceless! And all passengers and taxpayers are paying.
World’s First Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Farm Smashes Predictions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
WindFloat Atlantic, the world’s first semi-submersible floating offshore wind farm, has completed its third year in operation, closing in 2023 with an electricity production of 80 GWh.
These four paragraphs outline the performance of the wind farm.
Connected to the grid by the end of 2019 and fully commissioned in 2020, the floating offshore wind farm was developed by the Windplus consortium formed by Ocean Winds, a 50:50 joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE, Repsol, and Principle Power.
The pioneer wind farm consists of three platforms, each supporting one 8.4-MW Vestas turbine, which are anchored with chains to the seabed and connected to the onshore substation in the Portuguese municipality of Viana do Castelo through a 20-kilometre cable.
According to the project’s owners and operators, the 25 MW WindFloat Atlantic also closed in 2023 breaking more records with Storm Ciaran posing challenges with waves reaching a maximum height of 20 metres and wind gusts up to 139 kilometres per hour.
These conditions far surpassed the project’s previous records, demonstrating the readiness and robustness of the floating technology, even in extreme offshore conditions.
It would appear that this and the previous post; France’s First And Only Operational Floating Wind Turbine Gets Lifetime Extension, are not only indicating that floating wind power works, but that it works well in all types of conditions.
France’s First And Only Operational Floating Wind Turbine Gets Lifetime Extension
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Floatgen, the demonstration floating wind turbine installed at the SEM-REV offshore test site in France, has completed its planned five-year run but will operate for another five years as the demo project was decided to get a lifetime extension.
These are the first three paragraphs.
The floater, which consists of a 2 MW Vestas V80 wind turbine mounted on BW Ideol’s Damping Pool foundation, reached electricity production milestones several times since going into full operation in September 2018.
According to BW Ideol, Floatgen’s cumulated production has now surpassed 30 GWh, which the company ascribes to “the hydrodynamic properties and excellent sea-keeping capabilities” of its floating foundation.
Floatgen’s availability averaged 92.18 per cent between January 2021 and January 2024, with December 2023 standing out with a monthly production record of 922.026 MWh and a 61.96 per cent capacity factor, BW Ideol says.
Note.
- A three-year availability average of 92.18 % is surely very good.
- A 61.96 % capacity factor is better than most other floating wind farms, which are generally in the fifties.
With those figures, I suspect BW Ideol will be expecting, some orders soon.
This video shows a Floatgen being constructed.
Improvements To Enfield Town Station
This post on IanVisits is entitled Enfield Council Outlines Possible Rail Station Upgrades.
By reading Enfield Council documents, Ian has found possible station improvements that might happen.
Ian says this about Enfield Town station.
There’s an empty plot of land next to Enfield Town station which used to be the Enfield Arms pub until it was demolished in 2005. The council wants that site to be used for housing, and to fund improvements to the pedestrian space outside the station.
They also suggest it may also contribute to increased peak hour trains on the London Overground, which would likely need a far bigger development than could be achieved in the site.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The station has three platforms.
- The Enfield Arms pub was at the North end of Genotin Road.
- There is a Tesco Superstore on the other side of the railway.
I took these pictures of the station.
It looks like there is building being carried out on the Royal Mail site.
Improvements To Southbury Station
This post on IanVisits is entitled Enfield Council Outlines Possible Rail Station Upgrades.
By reading Enfield Council documents, Ian has found possible station improvements that might happen.
Ian says this about Southbury station.
A mixed-use redevelopment of the Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets on either side of the station which could add about 820 new homes would also be expected to contribute to improvements at the railway station.
The redevelopment of the Crown Road lorry park would be expected to improve cycle and pedestrian routes to the station.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The London Overground orange roundel indicates the station.
- The station is on Southbury Road, which runs East-West across the map.
- At the Western edge of the map, the dual-carriageway is the A10.
- Morrisons is to the South-East of the junction.
- Tesco is at the Eastern edge of the map.
This Google Map shows the Morrison’s site.
Today, there is an article in The Times, which is entitled Morrisons To Sell Petrol Forecourts.
Perhaps, Morrisons have told Enfield Council, that they wouldn’t be against a mixed development.
This Google Map shows the Tesco site.
The two sites, if they were rebuilt with flats on top of new supermarkets could yield a lot of new housing.
I took these pictures of the station.
Note.
- The station has an attractive building.
- The station sits on a bridge over the railway.
- The station needs lifts, a light-controlled crossing across the busy road and a professional makeover.
- The two supermarkets are about 500 metres from the station.
- The bus stops are badly-placed for the station entrance.
- The art-deco building is the former Ripaults factory and is Grade II Listed.
But by spending a bit of money, it could be a much better station.
A New Future Beckons For Scotland’s Historic Canals
The title of this post is the same as that as this article on The Herald.
This is the sub-heading.
Scotland’s canals, created for the industrial revolution but in recent times focused more on leisure than industry, are finding a new purpose as a different revolution, this time a green one, gets underway
The article was found by my Google Alert for the Coire Glas project, which is one of the UK’s largest green projects.
The article describes how Scotland’s canals are helping a green revolution and is well worth a read.
Improvements To Turkey Street Station
This post on IanVisits is entitled Enfield Council Outlines Possible Rail Station Upgrades.
By reading Enfield Council documents, Ian has found possible station improvements that might happen.
Ian says this about Turkey Street station.
Redevelopment of the Exeter Road estate could contribute to public realm improvements to Turkey Street station.
I took these pictures of the station.
Note.
- The station has improved since I visited in 2014 and wrote Before Overground – Turkey Street.
- The station is rather a windy place and could do with some better shelters.
- It could also do with some lifts.
Let’s hope the station improves by a similar amount by the next time I visit.
The Anonymous Widower 