TfL’s First Brand New £8million DLR Train Trashed And Covered In Graffiti At London Depot
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on MyLondon.
This is the sub-heading.
Not a single passenger has even been able to ride the new train yet, but it has already been entirely tagged with graffiti
This is so sickening.
Transport for London, must have known the train was a target after what happened to Merseyrail’s first Class 777 train whilst it was parked up in Tonbridge on the way to Liverpool, according to this article in the Liverpool Echo.
It should be noted that Liverpool’s trains, don’t suffer from these morons in the city and even their forty-year-old Class 508 trains are untouched.
Conclusion
Where were the Police?
SSE Thermal Is Charting A Path For Low-Carbon Flexible Generation In Ireland
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from SSE.
This is the sub-heading.
SSE Thermal, as part of SSE plc, is exploring options to develop two new low-carbon power stations in Ireland which would help to protect security of supply and provide flexible backup to renewable generation.
This three paragraphs outline the project.
Sites in Tarbert in County Kerry and at Platin in County Meath, could provide the location for these new power stations, which would initially run on sustainable biofuel with the potential to convert to hydrogen in the future.
Biofuel provides a lower carbon option for use in power stations, using waste feedstocks to produce valuable flexible electricity making it an important transitionary solution as plans for a greater use of hydrogen and carbon capture are developed. The proposed units will run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (or HVO), which is produced by processing waste oils to create a fossil-free alternative to diesel in accordance with EU sustainability standards.
Development at the two sites could provide up to 450MW of new generation capacity to the grid, with up to 300MW at Tarbert and 150MW at Platin. While in early development and still subject to a final investment decision, these new power stations could be operational as early as 2027, bringing with them the potential to underpin demand for low-carbon hydrogen in Ireland.
One problem is that SSE’s existing Tarbert Power Station is required to close by the end of 2023 in line with its environmental licence. So it looks like they’ll have to get going quickly.
Lessons From Keadby 2
Keadby 2 is one of SSE Thermal’s newest power stations and it is described in this page on the SSE Thermal web site, which is entitled Keadby 2 Power Station.
These are first three paragraphs from the page.
Keadby 2 is a new 893MW gas-fired power station in North Lincolnshire currently being constructed by our EPC contractor Siemens Energy. The project is adjacent to our operational Keadby 1 Power Station.
SSE Thermal has partnered with Siemens Energy to introduce first-of-a-kind, high-efficiency gas-fired generation technology to the UK. When completed, Keadby 2 is expected to become the cleanest and most-efficient gas-fired power station in Europe.
The station will also be capable of being upgraded to further decarbonise its generation through carbon capture or hydrogen technology, as routes to market develop.
Note.
- Siemens Energy seem to be able to deliver large gas-fired power stations to satisfy SSE Thermal.
- Looking at the data sheets for Siemens Energy’s heavy-duty gas-turbines, they can run on a wide range of fuel including biodiesel.
- This document from Siemens Energy describes work to run their gas-turbines on HVO.
- If Keadby 2 can be upgraded to run on hydrogen, I can see no reason why Tarbert and Platin won’t be able to be similarly upgraded in the future.
SSE Thermal seem to be following a similar philosophy to generate lower-carbon electricity at Keadby and in Ireland.
Could We See A Large HVO-Fuelled Power Station In The UK?
I wonder, if we’ll see a large HVO-fuelled power station in the UK?
It appears SSE and Siemens will have the technology and expertise.
I suspect it depends on there being large amounts of HVO available.
Prince Madog Research Vessel To Be Powered By Hydrogen In £5.5M Transship II Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Bangor University.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s only fully seagoing research ship within the UK’s higher education sector, the Prince Madog, is set to reduce its emissions by up to 60% thanks to a pioneering £5.5 million hydrogen power initiative that could help re-shape the future of shipping.
This is the first paragraph.
The Transship II project is the largest retrofit of its kind to-date and will see the Prince Madog retrofitted with a hydrogen electric hybrid propulsion system that will enable zero to low emission operation by 2025.
And this paragraph describes the system.
The new hydrogen propulsion system, which will work in conjunction with a diesel-fuelled main engine, will enable zero emission operation at slow speeds or over short distances – such as daily teaching trips with the students from the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University. In normal operation, the hybrid system and new novel propulsion design will reduce emissions by up to 60%.
The whole news item is a must read.
The project is certainly a good start on using hydrogen, as a fuel for shipping.
First-Of-Its-Kind Electriq Powder Manufacturing Plant To Be Built In Amsterdam
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Fuel News.
This is the sub-heading.
The powder plant can provide a safe end-to-end hydrogen solution.
The home page of their web site has this bold statement.
Meet the Safe & Practical Hydrogen Powder
Underneath is this explanation.
Electriq is a hydrogen carrier that acts like coffee powder for a coffee machine – simplifying storage, transport, and use of hydrogen in off-grid applications and long-term storage.
Similar processes have been proposed for hydrogen in the past, but no-one has compared them to coffee before.
This Technology page gives a lot more details.
These two paragraphs outline the chemistry used.
Electriq’s Fuel and Release technologies turn hydrogen into a coffee-like powder form, then back into electricity through a proprietary catalyst and release system.
Our hydrogenation process reacts hydrogen gas with KBO2 to produce a powdery coffee-like compound (KBH4), ready for easy storage and transportation. Our dehydrogenation process releases the hydrogen – and KBO2 as a by-product – thus forming a full cycle.
The Electriq Release system uses a proprietary catalyst to release hydrogen from the Electriq Fuel, after mixing it with water. The dehydrogenation (release) process provides fuel-cell grade hydrogen and zero-emissions electricity.
Note.
- KBO2 is a chemical compound formed of one potassium, one boron and two oxygen atoms.
- KBH4 is a chemical compound formed of one potassium, one boron and four hydrogen atoms.
- As is with often the case with these processes, It appears that there may be a clever catalyst doing some hard work.
The Technology page finishes with a comparison with other methods of transporting hydrogen.
This Press & Insights page has more information on the company and some interesting videos.
It would certainly be something new, if you filled up your electric bike with a canister of dry powder.
But they have a video of that!
We’re Increasing Capacity At Oxford Station To Accommodate Additional Services From 2024
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item on the Network Rail web site.
This is the sub-heading.
The rail infrastructure in the Oxford Station area is close to full capacity and currently wouldn’t support the start of East West Rail services from the end of 2024. Through Oxfordshire Connect, the station is being expanded and the wider area upgraded, bringing a range of benefits to passengers and residents alike.
I have a few thoughts,
East West Rail Services
East West Rail is aiming to get these services up and running. for Phase 2 of the project.
- Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley – two trains per hour (tph)
- Oxford and Bedford via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont – one tph
- Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central via Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley – one tph.
I suspect not all services will be delivered by the end of 2024. But extra platforms may be needed at Oxford station to accommodate services on East West Rail.
Direct Services Between Oxford And London
There are two direct services in each hour, between Oxford and London Paddington.
- One service terminates at Oxford and the other service terminates at either Great Malvern, Hereford or Worcester.
- Both services stop at Slough and Reading.
- Both services are run by Class 800 electro-diesel trains.
Distances without electrification are as follows.
- Hereford – 96.9 miles
- Great Malvern – 76.1 miles
- Worcester Shrub Hill – 67.6 miles
- Oxford – 10.5 miles
Hitachi are developing a series of battery-electric Intercity trains, which I described in Hitachi Rail And Angel Trains To Create Intercity Battery Hybrid Train On TransPennine Express.
This Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train.
And this Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train.
It looks to me, that one or both of these trains could work some or all of the the four routes to and through Oxford.
A battery train with a range of 21 miles would certainly be able to go between Paddington and Oxford, with battery charging to the East of Didcot.
These trains could be running services by the end of 2024.
Could The Fenchurch Street And Grays Service Be Handed Over To The Elizabeth Line?
Before I discuss the suggestion in the title of this post, I will write down some thoughts.
The Capacity And Connection Problems At Fenchurch Street Station
If you read the Wikipedia entry for Fenchurch Street station, this paragraph sums up some of the problems of the station.
Fenchurch Street is one of the smallest railway terminals in London in terms of platforms, but one of the most intensively operated. It is the only London terminal with no direct interchange with the London Underground. Plans to connect it stalled in the early 1980s because of the lack of progress on the Jubilee line, but it is close to Tower Hill on the Underground and to Tower Gateway on the Docklands Light Railway.
I live in Dalston and if I want to use the services out of Fenchurch Street station to get anywhere it is a struggle.
As all services out of Fenchurch Street station stop at Limehouse, West Ham and Barking stations on the approach into London, I will usually go via either West Ham or Barking stations. As the three services out of Fenchurch Street are each two trains per hour (tph), this can mean a near-thirty minute wait at either West Ham or Barking stations, which at some times of the year are not the most customer-friendly of stations.
More services out of Fenchurch Street station would help to ease the problem, but the station is at capacity and nothing short of a complete rebuild of the station will solve the problems the capacity and connectivity..
There is a section called Future in the Wikipedia entry, where this is said.
There have been proposals to move the station 380 yards to the east to allow the station to expand to 6 platforms, (up from the current 4) and would be built partly on the site of Tower Gateway DLR station, which would likely be permanently closed.
The new station could be built with direct interchange with Tower Hill tube station, which could also have a replacement DLR station for Tower Gateway as Transport for London have looked into closing Tower Gateway and constructing a replacement on the Bank branch to increase capacity.
This project sounds like it would take a long time and cause a lot of disruption and inconvenience. But it would add capacity and connectivity.
This Google Map shows the location of the station.
Note.
- Fenchurch Street station is towards the bottom of the map in the centre.
- It is completely hemmed in by buildings.
- There is just a small square in front.
I feel it would be very difficult to rebuild a larger station in the same place.
Services Into Fenchurch Street Station
Currently, there are three services into Fenchurch Street station.
- Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness via Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Upminster, West Horndon, Laindon, Basildon, Pitsea, Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell, Westcliff, Southend Central, Southend East and Thorpe Bay.
- Fenchurch Street and Southend Central via Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Upminster, Ockendon, Chafford Hundred Lakeside, Grays, Tilbury Town, East Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope, Pitsea, Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell and Westcliff
- Fenchurch Street and Grays via Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Dagenham Dock, Rainham and Purfleet.
Note.
- All services are two tph.
- All services call at Limehouse, West Ham and Barking.
Each station gets the following frequency of trains.
- Barking – 6 tph
- Basildon – 2 tph
- Benfleet – 2 tph
- Chafford Hundred Lakeside – 2 tph
- Chalkwell – 4 tph
- Dagenham Dock – 2 tph
- East Tilbury – 2 tph
- Grays – 4 tph
- Laindon – 2 tph
- Leigh-in-Sea – 4 tph
- Limehouse – 6 tph
- Ockendon – 2 tph
- Pitsea – 4 tph
- Purfleet – 2 tph
- Rainham – 2 tph
- Southend Central – 4 tph
- Southend East – 2 tph
- Stanford-le-Hope – 2 tph
- Thorpe Bay – 2 tph
- Tilbury Town – 2 tph
- Upminster – 4 tph
- Westcliff – 4 tph
- West Ham – 6 tph
- West Horndon – 2 tph
c2c would appear to be offering a service, that is well-balanced about the stations it serves.
Can Elizabeth Line Trains Reach Barking?
This map from cartometro.com shows Woodgrange Park junction, where the Gospel Oak and Barking Line crosses over the Great Eastern Main Line.
Note.
- The Gospel Oak and Barking Line is shown in orange.
- Gospel Oak station is to the North-West and Barking is to the South-East.
- The Elizabeth Line tracks are shown with a dash of purple.
- It looks to me, that a train on the Elizabeth Line going East could come through Platform 2 in Forest Gate station and then take the Gospel Oak and Barking Line through Platform 2 at Woodgrange Park station.
- It also looks as if trains could go through Platform 1 at both Woodgrange Park and Forest Gate stations to go West on the Elizabeth Line.
I don’t know whether they still do, but c2c trains used to use Woodgrange Park junction to access Liverpool Street station, when Fenchurch Street was closed or at weekends.
At Barking station, they would take the flyover over the station call in Platforms 7 and 8 in the station.
From the Eastern ends of Platforms 7 and 8, trains can use one of three routes.
- The London Overground route to Barking Riverside station.
- The c2c route to Grays via Purfleet.
- The c2c route to Upminster.
Note.
- The platforms at Barking Riverside station are probably too short for the Elizabeth Line trains.
- The Class 345 trains would fit into the bay platforms at Grays and Southend Central.
The simplest thing to do would probably be to divert the two tph between Fenchurch Street and Grays to either Liverpool Street or Paddington at the London end.
Each station would now get the following frequency of trains.
- Barking – 6 tph
- Basildon – 2 tph
- Benfleet – 2 tph
- Chafford Hundred Lakeside – 2 tph
- Chalkwell – 4 tph
- Dagenham Dock – 2 tph
- East Tilbury – 2 tph
- Grays – 4 tph
- Laindon – 2 tph
- Leigh-in-Sea – 4 tph
- Limehouse – 4 tph
- Ockendon – 2 tph
- Pitsea – 4 tph
- Purfleet – 2 tph
- Rainham – 2 tph
- Southend Central – 4 tph
- Southend East – 2 tph
- Stanford-le-Hope – 2 tph
- Thorpe Bay – 2 tph
- Tilbury Town – 2 tph
- Upminster – 4 tph
- Westcliff – 4 tph
- West Ham – 4 tph
- West Horndon – 2 tph
Only Limehouse and West Ham would get fewer trains.
But there would surely, be an extra pair of paths between Fenchurch Street and Barking.
I have also looked at trains through Pitsea, Upminster and Westcliff it appears that nearly all of the traffic is c2c’s passenger trains.
So would it be possible, with perhaps improved signalling to add an extra two trains between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness?
Each station would now get the following frequency of trains.
- Barking – 8 tph
- Basildon – 4 tph
- Benfleet – 4 tph
- Chafford Hundred Lakeside – 2 tph
- Chalkwell – 6 tph
- Dagenham Dock – 2 tph
- East Tilbury – 2 tph
- Grays – 4 tph
- Laindon – 4 tph
- Leigh-in-Sea – 6 tph
- Limehouse – 6 tph
- Ockendon – 2 tph
- Pitsea – 6 tph
- Purfleet – 2 tph
- Rainham – 2 tph
- Shoeburyness – 4 tph
- Southend Central – 6 tph
- Southend East – 4 tph
- Stanford-le-Hope – 2 tph
- Thorpe Bay – 2 tph
- Tilbury Town – 2 tph
- Upminster – 4 tph
- Westcliff – 6 tph
- West Ham – 6 tph
- West Horndon – 4 tph
More stations are getting four and six tph.
Conclusion
There are certainly possibilities to improve c2c by running services on the Elizabeth Line route.
Flotation Energy, Vårgrønn Take First Permitting Step For Another Oil & Gas-Powering Floating Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, who recently filed a Marine Licence application for their 500 MW Green Volt floating wind farm in Scotland, have now submitted a Scoping Report for the 1.4 GW Cenos floating offshore wind farm to Marine Scotland.
And this is the first paragraph.
The developers have submitted leasing applications for both Cenos and Green Volt as part of the Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round, whose winners are expected to be announced in the second quarter of this year.
Both wind farms have web sites, where you can find more information.
It’s beginning to look like applications for the INTOG leasing round, are going to use quality floating technology and generate very large numbers of megawatts.
In Cerulean Winds Is A Different Type Of Wind Energy Company, I wrote about their plans for a 6 GW proposal for INTOG, spread around four sites in the North Sea.
It looks like we have several companies flexing their technologies to harness the dragons of the Celtic Sea and now it appears, the new giants of the wind are preparing to make a good fist of decarbonising oil and gas in the North Sea.
Utility Completes Testing Of Revolutionary Zero-Electricity Hydrogen Reactor
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
Utility completes testing of revolutionary zero-electricity hydrogen reactor.
Utility announced at its 3rd annual technology day event, the successful completion of their pilot plant testing program for the H2Gen™ reactor product line. Utility is the only decarbonization technology company pioneering the eXEROTM technology platform optimized for hard to abate industry sectors.
Am I right in thinking, that Utility have developed a way of splitting hydrogen out of hydrocarbons by cleverly exploiting physics and chemistry?
This is the first paragraph on their Learn More page.
The Electroless Coupled Exchange Reduction Oxidation technology platform (eXERO™) capitalizes on both the advantages of electrochemical processes (which yield high product purity without the need for expensive purification steps) and chemical processes (which have comparatively low capital and operating costs, especially avoiding the losses of electricity generation and transmission). The eXERO™ technology platform is achieved by removing the external electrical circuit from an electrolyzer and instead driving the electrolysis reaction with the overpotential (voltage) that exists between different gas compositions. Similar to a conventional solid oxide electrolyzer, oxygen ions are transferred from the cathode to the anode through an oxygen ion conducting electrolyte. However, unlike a conventional electrochemical reactor, electrons are transferred from the anode to the cathode through an electronically conducting phase within the electrolyte, also known as a mixed conducting electrolyte.
In a section on the page, with a heading of Principles, this is said.
The eXERO™ technology platform is based on two streams which are separated by an impermeable electrolyte, and counter-exchange of oxygen ions and electrons. Thus, one of the streams undergoes reduction while the other stream simultaneously undergoes oxidation. Unlike traditional fuel cells or electrolyzers, no current is extracted or delivered to the reactor to drive the process. Rather, an overpotential can be induced by introducing gases of different composition at the anode and cathode the cell. Examples of gases introduced at the anode to induce an overpotential, relative to steam (water) are shown below:
This is interesting. Very interesting!
Belgians To Start Building World’s First Artificial Energy Island Next Year (VIDEO)
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Belgian offshore construction companies Jan De Nul and DEME, through their consortium TM EDISON, have won the tender for the construction of the Princess Elisabeth Island in their home country and the first artificial energy island in the world.
And this first paragraph outlines the project.
The artificial island, which will be built some 45 kilometres off the Belgian coast and will occupy an area of approximately five hectares above the waterline, will serve as the link between the offshore wind farms in the country’s second, 3.5 GW Princess Elisabeth offshore wind zone and its onshore high-voltage grid.
Initial plans don’t seem to be putting any wind turbines or solar panels on the island.
The most impressive part of the article is the video, which shows how the island will be constructed.
To some people of my age, the construction of the island will seem familiar, as the island will be built in a similar way to the Mulberry harbours of World War II.
A few years ago, I went inside some of the giant Pheonix caissons in The Netherlands, where they were initially used to plug the dykes after the North Sea Flood of 1953. They are now a museum of the floods called the Watersnoodmuseum.
Engineering is repeating itself.
9 Energy, House And Rail Projects Planned For Norfolk
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Eastern Daily Press.
The article is a survey of major projects across Norfolk.
Projects in the article with my thoughts will now be detailed.
Railway Village
This is described as follows in the article.
Plans to build a new 5,000-home town north of Dereham could take a significant step forward in 2023.
The proposals have been dubbed a ‘railway village’ and would lie close to the Mid Norfolk Railway at North Elmham.
The 1,278-acre site has been put forward by its owners as a potential area for development included in Breckland Council’s forthcoming local plan – a document detailing how the district should grow over the next two decades.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows North Elmham and the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
Note.
- The yellow line is the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
- The site of the former North Elmham station is shown by the blue arrow at the top of the map.
- The orange line across the South-East corner of the map is the Breckland Line between Cambridge and Norwich.
- Wymondham station is on the Breckland Line, but trains between the Mid-Norfolk Railway and Norwich would be able to call at Wymondham station.
Wymondham station could be converted into a proper connection between the Breckland Line and the Mid-Norfolk Railway, with services being run between Norwich and North Elmham via Dereham.
In the Wikipedia entry for the Mid-Norfolk Railway, there is a section, which is entitled Community Railway, where this is the first paragraph.
The Mid-Norfolk Railway was established as a multi-functional line, with an intention to operate a community service in addition to tourist and freight services. The railway has also stated their belief that a commuter service between Dereham and Norwich remains a viable proposition, with the MNR either running the service themselves or working with an existing train operator. One obstacle on the MNR to running such services is the requirement to operate five manual gated level crossings between Dereham and Wymondham, although level crossing automation is a possibility in the future.
Later the section indicates that the Mid-Norfolk Railway could be extended to Fakenham.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the original route between North Elmham and Fakenham.
Note.
- The yellow line is the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
- North Elmham station is at the top of the yellow.
- Fakenham is at the top of the map.
Adding Fakenham to the passenger service from Norwich would surely increase its viability.
There have been ambitions in the past to create a Norfolk Orbital Railway, that would connect the National Rail stations at Sheringham and Wymondham, using the tracks of the North Norfolk Railway and Mid-Norfolk Railway, and some new and relaid track.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows North Norfolk from Fakenham and North Elmham in the West to Sheringham in the East.
Note.
- Fakenham is on the Western edge of the map about halfway up.
- North Elmham is in the South-West corner of the map, on the yellow line, what indicates the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
- The railway shown in the North-West corner is the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway. which is a 260 mm. gauge railway.
- Sheringham station, which has an hourly service to Norwich via Cromer, is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The Eastern terminus of the North Norfolk Railway is a short walk from Sheringham station.
- The blue arrow to the West of Sheringham station, indicates the Western terminus of the North Norfolk Railway at Holt station.
The Norfolk Orbital Railway would need to connect Fakenham and Holt, which doesn’t appear to be easy.
But if the connection could be made, Greater Anglia could run a combined service around the county, which would allow those living in the houses at North Elmham to get easily to the coast or the City of Norwich.
Wash Barrage
This is described as follows in the article.
A bid to build a tidal barrage stretching from Norfolk to Lincolnshire was unveiled at the end of last year.
While the scheme has seen objections from conservation groups, proponents say it would help protect the Fens from flooding, generate tidal power and would allow a new deep-sea container port to be built.
A planning application has yet to be submitted for the scheme, which Centre Port, the group behind the proposal, said could be operational by the end of the decade if given the go-ahead.
The Wash Barrier has a web site, but I doubt the RSPB will like it.
New Reservoir
The article says that the proposed site is between Chatteris and March in Cambridgeshire.
Long Stratton Bypass
This is described as follows in the article.
The Long Stratton Bypass has been mooted for decades and finally looked like it was going to get underway after funding was approved in 2021.
The scheme will mean motorists can avoid passing through the centre of the town.
It was needed, when C regularly commuted to Norwich in the 1980s.
Norwich Western Link
This is described as follows in the article.
The flagship infrastructure project has been thrown into doubt after County Hall announced an indefinite delay earlier this month.
The 3.9-mile road is designed to link the A47 with the NDR to the west of the city and has been hailed as a council priority for several years.
Climate protestors are mounting a High Court challenge.
Windfarms
These are described as follows in the article.
There are a series of major windfarms planned for the Norfolk coast.
These include Swedish energy giant Vattenfall’s Boreas and Vanguard projects, which could be some of the largest in the world.
The company was granted development consent for its Norfolk Vanguard windfarm in 2022, pledging to get underway early this year.
The two schemes could power more than 3.9m homes in the UK.
Hornsea Three, another major scheme which could power another 3.2m homes, is set to start being built in March.
Note.
- The author missed out the Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon Extension windfarms.
- Total wind power that will be developed is around 6 GW, which would supply around a quarter of the UK.
The only problem is that Norfolk is protesting against the cables to connect the wind farms to the National Grid.
I suspect they will have to be put under the sea. I wrote about this in Is There A Need For A Norfolk-Suffolk Interconnector?
New Rail Junctions
The problems around Ely station are described as follows in the article.
A key rail junction, which could help to boost growth across the region, could steam ahead this year.
Ely Junction is important because it links five lines connecting Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and King’s Lynn.
It is currently operating at full capacity, which limits the opportunity for growth of routes for passenger and cross-country freight services.
It would also enable more frequent passenger services, including between King’s Lynn and London.
An outline business case was submitted to the Department for Transport last year to seek money for the next stage of the design process – but the government has yet to make a decision.
There are also problems at Haughley Junction.
Hospitals Rebuild
The article also puts the case for developing both King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth hospitals.
Conclusion
Norfolk is going to be busy.
The Anonymous Widower 