Bring Africa Out Of The Dark
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Zimbabwean.
The article has been written by Humphrey Kariuki, who is a Kenyan businessman, who is on a mission to bring electricity to Africa.
He has teamed up with Highview Power to do it using batteries.
Read the article.
Alternative Energy Storage Technologies To Challenge Electrochemistry
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Battery and Energy Storage Magazine.
It gives a good summary of two energy storage system; Highview Power and Gravitricity, that I rate highly promising.
It also gives details of a Danish system called Stiesdal Storage Technologies, which is developing a hot rocks energy storage system.
The article says this about the system.
The pumped-heat ESS uses pea-sized crushed basalt, rock in insulated steel tanks with the stored energy released by turbine.
SST CEO Peder Riis Nickelsen said: “The cost of crushed stone is at a totally different level per unit of energy than practically any other material for energy storage. Our charging and discharging system can utilise well-known technologies that have been applied for a century within other industries and are well-suited for mass production.”
The cost of materials is estimated to be €10 ($12) per kWh.
The first demonstration project, a 1-2MW, 24h capacity unit, will be installed at a power plant in Denmark next year, and will operate commercially.
This page on the Striesdal web site, explains the technology.
It sounds like the system uses very similar principles to Siemens Gamesa ETES, with a different heat storage medium.
Conclusion
At my last count, there now appears to be upwards of half-a-dozen viable alternatives to chemical batteries and traditional pumped storage. Some of the technologies are also backed, by large companies, organisations and countries, who can afford to take a long-term view.
I hope those, who claim that renewables will never power the world, have at least got the recipe for the cooking of humble pie ready.
Gigawatt-Scale Compressed Air: World’s Largest Non-Hydro Energy-Storage Projects Announced
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Recharge.
This is the opening paragraph.
The two 500MW/5GWh ‘advanced’ compressed-air projects in California would each be bigger than the current record holder.
They are certainly not small. On the Electric Mountain scale of energy storage, they are both 55 %.
Both appear to be from Canadian company; Hydrostor and will be built in California.
This explanatory video is from the company.
It appears to be a rather elegant solution.
Like Highview Power, the system appears to be based on proven process technology, is zero-carbon, can be built almost anywhere and doesn’t require large amounts of land.
Hydrostor is definitely one to watch.
My only worry about both Hydrostor and Highview systems, is that countries, who don’t recognise patents and design copyrights could develop other systems based on similar physical principles.
Wizz Air Plans Cheaper Fares As Capacity Grows
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the introductory paragraph.
One of Europe’s leading budget airlines is forecasting a sharp drop in the price of fares as it expects to increase the number of flights this summer to as much as 80 per cent of normal capacity.
That sounds fair to me, as it’s just supply and demand.
I’ve only ever flown Wizz Air once and that was from Liverpool to Gdansk, where I had a memorable couple of days, before taking the train home to London.
I would certainly rate them better than Ryanair.
The article intrigued me.
It said that Wizz Air had made a large loss but had raised a sum to more than cover it on the bond market.
So I looked up their fleet on Wikipedia.
- A 320-200 – 66
- A 320 neo – 6
- A 321-200 – 41
- A 321 neo – 23 – Deliveries until 2026
- A 321 XLR – 20 – Deliveries from 2023 to 2026
In 2026, Wizz Air will end up with forty-nine neo aircraft and how many of the 107 older ones, they want to keep.
Under Environmental Protection on the Wikipedia entry for Wizz Air, this is said.
One year later, in November 2020, among the European airlines, Wizz Air was able to show the lowest CO2 emissions per passenger / kilometre and underlined their commitment to further reducing their environmental footprint. As part of their strategy, all fuel-saving flight phases of take-off and landing are continuously monitored for maximum environmental optimization, which has a significant impact on further continuous reductions in CO2 emissions.
I would assume, that this means, they take carbon emissions seriously.
When I saw these fleet sizes and put them together with Wizz Air, I wondered if Airbus have offered the airline a route to decarbonisation by converting the neo aircraft to hydrogen. I believe this is possible and said so in Could An A320 neo Be Rebuilt As A ZEROe Turbofan?
These fleet sizes don’t rule it out and if there was a way to remanufacture later A 320s to hydrogen aircraft, it would be a good way to continue to sell aircraft.
Does Harlow Need An Improved Train Service?
I ask this question, because I am increasingly seeing articles like this one on My London, which is entitled The Large Town Just Outside London Desperate For A London Underground Station.
The town is Harlow.
This Google Map shows the West Anglia Main Line, as it runs through the North of the town.
Note.
- Harlow Town station towards the South West of the map.
- Harlow Mill station towards the North East of the map.
- The West Anglia Main Line running between the two stations.
On the face of it the town seems well-served by the trains.
Harlow Town Station
This Google Map shows Harlow Town station to a larger scale.
Note.
- The station has four platforms.
- The station has full step-free access.
- The station has 697 parking spaces with 18 fully accessible spaces.
The station was built in the 1950s and is a Grade II Listed building.
Train services at the station are as follows.
- Stratford and Bishops Stortford – 2 tph – via Lea Bridge, Tottenham Hale, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Broxbourne and Sawbridgeworth
- London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North – 1 tph – via Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Bishop’s Stortford, Audley End, Whittlesford Parkway and Cambridge
- London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North – 1 tph – via Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Roydon, Sawbridgeworth, Bishop’s Stortford, Stansted Mountfitchet, Elsenham, Newport, Audley End, Great Chesterford, Whittlesford Parkway, Shelford and Cambridge
- London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport – 1 tph – via Tottenham Hale
- London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport – 1 tph – via Tottenham Hale and Stansted Mountfitchet
Note.
- tph is trains per hour
- The Stansted services are fast services and take 29 minutes between London Liverpool Street and Harlow Town.
- The other services seem to take a few minutes longer.
- London Liverpool Street or Stratford and Tottenham Hale both get six tph.
- Bishop’s Stortford gets a four tph service from Harlow Town.
- The two Cambridge stations only get two tph.
Harlow Town station has a fairly good service, but it could probably be improved.
Harlow Mill Station
This Google Map shows Harlow Mill station to a larger scale.
Note.
- The station has two platforms.
- The station has step-free access to the London-bound platform only.
- The station has 29 parking spaces with 1 fully accessible space.
The station was built in the 1840s and gets about 13 % of the passengers compared to Harlow Town station.
Train services at the station are as follows.
- Stratford and Bishops Stortford – 1 tph – via Lea Bridge, Tottenham Hale, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Broxbourne and Sawbridgeworth
- London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North – 1 tph – via Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Roydon, Sawbridgeworth, Bishop’s Stortford, Stansted Mountfitchet, Elsenham, Newport, Audley End, Great Chesterford, Whittlesford Parkway, Shelford and Cambridge
Note.
- tph is trains per hour
- London Liverpool Street or Stratford and Tottenham Hale both get only two tph.
- Bishop’s Stortford gets two tph service from Harlow Mill.
- The two Cambridge stations only get one tph.
Unless you lived or worked nearby, I doubt you would be likely to use Harlow Mill station.
Recent And Planned Improvements
These improvements are planned and it is very unlikely they won’t happen.
Class 710 Trains
London Overground now runs new four-car Class 710 trains between London Liverpool Street and Cheshunt.
- Each has 189 seats and can accept 489 standing passengers.
- Busy services to Cheshunt will probably are pair of trains.
- There are four tph between Cheshunt and London.
- Will the trains shave a few minutes from journey times?
This massive increase in capacity and train quality must attract some passengers to change to and from the London Overground at Cheshunt.
Class 720 Trains
Greater Anglia has 133 new five-car Class 720 trains on order.
- Each has 540 seats and can accept 145 standing passengers.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- Busy services through Harlow will probably be a pair of these trains.
These new trains will be a massive increase in capacity and should attract more passengers to the route.
Class 745 Trains
Greater Anglia has recently introduced ten new twelve-car Class 745 trains on Stansted Express services.
- Each has 767 seats.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- They run a two tph service between Harlow Town and London Liverpool Street station and Stansted Airport.
These new trains should attract more passengers to the route.
Crossrail
Services through Harlow will connect to Crossrail at both London Liverpool Street and Stratford.
Will this mean that some passengers will switch from the Victoria Line to Crossrail for their onward journeys?
- Crossrail will have more capacity than the Victoria Line.
- Bond Street, Canary Wharf, Heathrow, Paddington and West London will be easier by Crossrail.
- Victoria and Waterloo will probably be easier by the Victoria Line.
- London Liverpool Street station’s new connection to the Northern Line will give easier access to parts of South London.
- London Liverpool Street station will have much improved step-free connections to all London Underground lines.
Crossrail will certainly change the way many people travel between Harlow and London.
Four Lines Modernisation
This page on the Transport for London web site explains the Four Lines Modernisation. This is the first paragraph.
We’re transforming the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. When the work is done we’ll be able to run trains more frequently and reliably to make journeys faster and more comfortable.
The project should increase Peak Hour capacity by 33 %.
This will benefit those who change trains at London Liverpool Street between the West Anglia Main Line and the Circle and Metropolitan Lines.
Possible Improvements
These are possible improvements that may happen.
Crossrail 2
It is unlikely, that a start will be made on Crossrail 2 in the near future.
Victoria Line Improvements
The Victoria Line will continue to do, what it has done reliability for over fifty years.
But there could be improvements.
- Walthamstow Central station will have an additional step-free entrance.
- Highbury and Islington station will become a full step-free station.
- Oxford Circus station will be expanded and become a full step-free station.
I also suspect that engineers will find a way to increase the frequency to forty tph.
Four Tracks On The West Anglia Main Line
There are two reasons for four-tracking sections of the West Anglia Main Line.
- To separate Crossrail 2 trains from fast expresses to Stansted and Cambridge.
- To speed up services to and from Stansted Airport.
However four-tracking the route between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stations would probably be very beneficial.
- Stansted Airport and Cambridge services could be speeded up.
- Extra services could be run on the West Anglia Main Line.
- It could make it easier to extend the Overground from Cheshunt.
Four-tracking will be needed for Crossrail 2, so there is surely the possibility, that it could be done earlier to bring benefits to those living along the Lea Valley.
ERTMS Signalling On The West Anglia Main Line
ERTMS Signalling could speed up services and increase their number on the West Anglia Main Line.
It might also enable four-tracking, which would be very disruptive to both train services and road traffic to be delayed.
Station Improvements On The West Anglia Main Line
The stations between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge are a poor bunch with only Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park, Meridian Water, Waltham Cross, Broxbourne, Harlow Town, Bishop’s Stortford and Audley End having full step-free access.
Some of the other stations need refurbishment and step-free access.
As step-free access will be needed for Crossrail 2, why not setup a rolling program of station improvements.
Level Crossings On The West Anglia Main Line
There are four level crossings on the route to the South of Broxbourne, including three at Cheshunt, Enfield Lock and Brimsdown stations.
They all need to be removed for safety reasons.
New Trains And Capacity
The new trains being rolled out by Greater Anglia and the London Overground will certainly have effects on the services on the West Anglia Main Line.
- The better performance could speed up services by a few minutes.
- The capacity increase on the new trains should be welcome.
- The trains will be of better quality than those they replace.
I also wonder, if the better quality of the trains and their facilities will surely attract more passengers. I suspect the train companies hope so!
Extending The London Overground
This map from cartometro.com shows Cheshunt station and Cheshunt Junction just to the South.
Note.
- The two platforms on the West Anglia Main Line and the single bay platform for the London Overground.
- The level crossing to the North of Cheshunt station.
- The comprehensive Cheshunt Junction which trains to go between the Southbury Loop and the West Anglia Main Line.
Cheshunt Junction is occasionally used by Greater Anglia trains to access the Southbury Loop.
It certainly seems to me, that the Overground could connect to the West Anglia Main Line.
- All trains from London going to the North of Cheshunt could use Platform 2.
- All trains to London coming from the North of Cheshunt could use Platform 1.
- The bay Platform 3 would still be available to turn local trains on the Southbury Loop.
- An extra crossover could probably be inserted to allow trains from London on the West Anglia Main Line to use Platform 3.
London Overground trains could run to a terminal further North.
Trains Between Cheshunt And London
It is worth looking at the number of trains between Cheshunt and London.
- Greater Anglia -2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Hertford East via West Anglia Main Line
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – Stratford and Bishop’s Stortford via West Anglia Main Line
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North via West Anglia Main Line
- Greater Anglia – 4 tph – London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport via West Anglia Main Line
- London Overground – 4 tph – London Liverpool Street and Cheshunt via the Southbury Loop
This means that the West Anglia Main Line has 10 tph and the Southbury Loop has 4 tph.
This suggests possibilities.
- Move some services from the West Anglia Main Line to the Southbury Loop.
- Extend some or all of the London Overground trains to the North of Cheshunt.
- Stations like Bishop’s Stortford, Broxbourne, Harlow, Hertford East and Ware could get extra services to London.
- The new services would connect to extra stations without changing trains.
Very little new infrastructure would be required.
Bishop’s Stortford Station As A London Overground Destination
Bishop’s Stortford station has these trains to and from London.
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – Stratford and Bishop’s Stortford
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport
Consider.
- Bishop’s Stortford station could probably easily handle up to an extra two tph.
- London Overground’s Class 710 trains only have an operating speed of only 75 mph.
- The trains may need a speed upgrade to serve Bishop’s Stortford, as their speed could slow the Cambridge and Stansted Airport expresses.
If the London Overground services ran to Bishop’s Stortford station, all the smaller stations South of Bishop’s Stortford, could travel to and from Stansted Airport with a single change.
Bishop’s Stortford station may be a possibility, as a destination of two tph on the London Overground route to London.
Broxbourne Station As A London Overground Destination
Broxbourne station has these trains to and from London.
- Greater Anglia -2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Hertford East
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – Stratford and Bishop’s Stortford
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North
Consider.
- Broxbourne station could probably easily handle up to an extra two tph.
- As Broxbourne is only 3.2 miles and six minutes to the North of Cheshunt, the 75 mph speed of the London Overground’s Class 710 trains may not be a problem.
Broxbourne station may be a possibility, as a destination of up to two tph on the London Overground route to London.
Harlow Town Station As A London Overground Destination
Harlow Town station has these trains to and from London.
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – Stratford and Bishop’s Stortford
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North
- Greater Anglia – 2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport
Consider.
- Harlow Town station could probably easilyhandle up to an extra four tph.
- If one is needed there would appear to be space for a turnback facility or an extra platform.
- As Harlow Town is only 5.4 miles and eight minutes to the North of Cheshunt, the 75 mph speed of the London Overground’s Class 710 trains may not be a problem.
If the London Overground services ran to Harlow Town station, all the smaller stations South of Harlow Town, could travel to and from Stansted Airport with a single change.
Harlow Town station may be a possibility, as a destination of up to four tph on the London Overground route to London.
Hertford East Station As A London Overground Destination
Hertford East station has these trains to and from London.
- Greater Anglia -2 tph – London Liverpool Street and Hertford East
- There is an extra tph in the Peak.
Consider.
- Hertford East station has platforms long enough for eight-car trains and may need modification to accommodate a pair of Greater Anglia’s Class 720 trains.
- Ware station would need to be remodelled to increase frequency above three tph.
- As the route from Broxbourne is on a branch line, the 75 mph speed of the London Overground’s Class 710 trains may not be a problem.
Hertford East station may be a possibility, as a destination of up to two tph on the London Overground route to London.
Conclusion
I think the best two destinations of the London Overground service to the North of Cheshunt would be Harlow and Hertford East.
- Trains could terminate at Harlow Town station to connect with Stansted Express and Cambridge trains.
- It appears that the slightly shorter Class 710 trains may have advantages when using the short platforms at Hertford East station.
Perhaps each destination should receive two tph.
- Harlow Town would be connected to the Overground.
- Passengers using stations between Hackney Downs and Cheshunt on the Southbury Loop would change at Harlow Town to and from Cambridge and Stansted Airport.
- But the biggest benefit would be that two paths on the West Anglia Main Line would be released, as the two tph to Hertford East would be using the Southbury Loop.
I feel there are possibilities to increase the number of trains on the West Anglia Main Line without adding expensive extra tracks.
Form Energy Discloses A Small Amount
Form Energy has been a bit mysterious, but this article on Energy Storage News, which is entitled Renewables As Baseload Energy: Form Energy’s Multi-Day |Storage Seeks To Replace Gas And Coal.
Form Energy certainly have large ambitions, backing from organisations like Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and an order for a 1 MW/150 MWh pilot for Great River Energy in Minnesota, and I suspect this is probably enough to ensure success in the mid-size market sector, which they share with the UK’s Highview Power, who are building their first grid-scale 50 MW/ 250 MWh at Carrington to the South of Manchester.
The article is certainly an interesting insight into one of the new energy storage ventures.
A Tasteful Lift Installation In A Listed Tube Station
These pictures show Cockfosters station a couple of years ago and recently.
Note.
- There are two similar entrances on either side of the busy Cockfosters Road.
- Both have wide staircases down to the platform level.
- There is a subway between the two entrances.
- There is also a level light-controlled crossing across Cockfosters Road for those who need to cross the road.
- The station was designed by Charles Holden.
- The station opened in 1933.
The station is a Grade II Listed Building, which could have made designing a lift system tricky.
This Google Map shows the station layout.
Note.
- Cockfosters Road at the West of the map.
- The white roofs of the buses, indicate, that there is a small bus station at the Western entrance to the station.
- The London Transport roundel indicates the Eastern entrance to the station.
- There are two trains in the four platforms of the station.
- There is a large level car park.
- Transport for London have a small office block in the car park.
- The London Orbital Path and a hidden path to Trent Park can be accessed from the entrance to the station car park.
It is a well-equipped terminal station.
Transport for London could have opted for a double lift installation with one lift on either side of the road.
But they have opted for a single lift at the Eastern side of the station.
I took these pictures of the new lift.
Note.
- The first picture shows the lift in the corner of the station ticket hall and lobby.
- From the lift to the trains is a level walk or push.
- The second picture shows the surface installation in the car park.
- The lift is positioned by the two walking routes and conveniently for anybody being dropped off or picked up by car.
- The light-controlled crossing is perhaps fifty metres away to give access to both sides of Cockfosters Road.
- The third picture shows a close-up of the lift.
- The fourth picture shows a seat, for those who need to wait.
It is a very simple and well-thought out installation.
Reopening Milton Keynes And Market Harborough Via Northampton
This post was originally part of Shapps Supports Beeching Axe Reversals.
That post takes its name from an article with a similar name in Rail Magazine.
But I now feel it would be better if it became a standalone post.
This route has not been proposed as a Beeching Reversal, but seems to have surfaced from the MP and the local rail group.
I was digging around the Internet looking for the words “Beeching Reversal, I found when this article on the Harborough Mail, which is entitled Harborough Rail Group Says Plan To Reopen Historic Line Is A ‘Excellent Idea’.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Moves to reopen the historic Market Harborough-Northampton railway line are being backed by a local rail passengers’ chief.
The Market Harborough-Northampton Line was only finally closed in 1981.
- It used to connect the two stations with a double-track railway.
- It is about fourteen miles long.
- It is now partly a heritage railway and a walking and cycling route called the Brampton Valley Way.
I have flown my virtual helicopter along the route and can make these observations.
- There is space for a bay platform at Market Harborough station.
- Once clear of Market Harborough, the route appears to be across open countryside.
- The connection to the Northampton Loop Line wouldn’t be too difficult.
The only problem, I can see is that the route into Market Harborough station appears to be tricky.
These are a few of my thoughts.
What Passenger Service Would Be Provided?
Consider.
- The route could certainly handle an hourly shuttle, as does the nearby Marston Vale Line.
- Northampton station currently has three trains per hour (tph) to and from London.
- Timings between Northampton and Market Harborough stations would probably be around twenty minutes.
- Fast services between Northampton and Euston take about an hour.
- Four tph between Northampton and London would probably be desirable.
So could a fourth service to and from London, be extended to Market Harborough station? Or perhaps even Leicester, which already has a platform, where the trains could be turned back?
- I estimate that with a ten minute turnround at Market Harborough, a three hour round trip would be possible and very convenient.
- A single track between Northampton and Market Harborough station would be enough.
- The fourteen miles between the two stations could be handled by a battery-electric train, as there will be electrification at both ends of the route.
- Porterbrook are developing a battery-electric Class 350 train.
At a first glance, this looks to be a very sensible proposition.
This map clipped from Wikipedia, shows the rail line between Milton Keynes Central and Northampton stations.
It is planned to introduce, a service between Marylebone and Milton Keynes Central using the tracks of the East West Rail Link.
- It could be run by East West Rail or Chiltern.
- It might be an easier service to operate as trains wouldn’t need to be turned back at Milton Keynes Central station.
- It might be a better financial option, if services were to be extended to Northampton and Market Harborough.
As the East West Rail Link is being built by a private company, do they have plans to create services between say Leicester and Oxford?
An Alternative Route To Leicester
A London Euston and Leicester service via Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Market Harborough could be run either as a regular service or when there are engineering works on the Midland Main Line.
Bringing Workers To Milton Keynes, Northampton and Leicester
When I moved back to Suffolk forty years ago, trains between Cambridge and Ipswich and Cambridge and Norwich were irregular hourly services using single or two-car trains. The good job prospects available in Cambridge, now mean that Greater Anglia now run four-car Class 755 trains on these routes to an hourly timetable.
Milton Keynes, Northampton and Leicester all need similar connections to stimulate employment.
Could Freight Trains Use The Northampton And Market Harborough Line?
Consider.
- A large rail freight interchange is being developed close to East Midlands Airport.
- The East West Rail Link will be a better route between Southampton Docks and the West Coast Main Line, than the current roundabout routes.
- Multimodal trains need to travel between the East Midlands and Sheffield and Southampton Docks.
- Stone trains need to travel between the North Midlands and West London.
If the Northampton and Market Harborough Line were to be reopened, it would provide a convenient freight route between the Midland Main Line and the West Coast Main Line.
Would the The Northampton And Market Harborough Line Be Electrified?
Consider.
- It joins the electrified Midland Main Line at Market Harborough station.
- It joins the electrified Northampton Loop Line at Northampton station.
- It is only fourteen miles long.
- Most trains should be able to bridge use the line on battery power.
- It will be a new well-surveyed railway, which is easier to electrify.
I suspect, whether the line is electrified will be more down to planning issues.
Would the The Northampton And Market Harborough Line Be Double Track?
The line was double-track when it closed and I think that only planning issues will stop it being reopened as a double track.
Is the Opening Of The Northampton And Market Harborough Line Being Driven By The East West Rail Link?
This is a paragraph from the Rail Magazine article.
Asked by Andrew Lewer (Con) at Transport Questions on October 24 whether he would elaborate on plans to open the proposed Market Harborough line as part of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway he said: “I understand that the reopening is at a formative stage, but I am very supportive of it. Indeed, I support the reopening of many of the smaller lines that were closed as a result of the Beeching cuts under a Labour Government, and I should like to see as many reopened as possible.”
Does that mean that The East West Rail Link is driving this project?
Conclusion
The reopening of Northampton and Market Harborough Line would appear to enable the following.
- Passenger trains between Marylebone and/or London Euston and Market Harborough and/or Leicester.
- Passenger trains between Oxford and Leicester via Milton Keynes, Northampton and Market Harborough.
- An increase to four tph between Northampton and Milton Keynes Central.
- A valuable freight route between Southampton Docks and the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
It would also provide a connection between the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
Reopening of the Northampton and Market Harborough Line could be a nice little earner for the East West Rail Link, if it hosted the following services.
- Freight trains between Southampton Docks and the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
- Stone trains between the North Midlands and London.
- Passenger trains between Marylebone and/or London Euston and Market Harborough and/or Leicester.
- Passenger trains between Oxford and/or Reading and Market Harborough and/or Leicester.
These sections could also be electrified.
- Basingstoke and Reading
- Didcot Parkway and Oxford
- Oxford and Milton Keynes
- Northampton and Market Harborough
Much of the abandoned Electric Spine would have been created.
The only possible problem I see with this project is connecting the route to Market Harborough station.
Oxygen Supplies In Disaster Management
The title of this post is the same as this peer-reviewed paper on PubMed.
This is the Abstract.
Mass casualty events and disasters, both natural and human-generated, occur frequently around the world and can generate scores of injured or ill victims in need of resources. Of the available medical supplies, oxygen remains the critical consumable resource in disaster management. Strategic management of oxygen supplies in disaster scenarios remains a priority. Hospitals have large supplies of liquid oxygen and a supply of compressed gas oxygen cylinders that allow several days of reserve, but a large influx of patients from a disaster can strain these resources. Most backup liquid oxygen supplies are attached to the main liquid system and supply line. In the event of damage to the main system, the reserve supply is rendered useless. The Strategic National Stockpile supplies medications, medical supplies, and equipment to disaster areas, but it does not supply oxygen. Contracted vendors can deliver oxygen to alternate care facilities in disaster areas, in the form of concentrators, compressed gas cylinders, and liquid oxygen. Planning for oxygen needs following a disaster still presents a substantial challenge, but alternate care facilities have proven to be valuable in relieving pressure from the mass influx of patients into hospitals, especially for those on home oxygen who require only an electrical source to power their oxygen concentrator.
The Covid-19 situation in India, may be a total different type of disaster, but what is happening in the country is having the same outcome – A serious lack of medical oxygen!
It should not be forgotten, that we nearly had serious oxygen problems last year in the UK.
A Possible Solution
I feel we need to develop a reliable oxygen system that can supply large amounts of medical grade oxygen, which can be delivered quickly and easily to site.
Could The System Be Electrolyser-Based?
I feel that this could be an a possibility.
- Electrolysers need just a water and electricity supply.
- They produce both hydrogen and oxygen.
- If the hydrogen isn’t wanted it can be added to the gas main.
Electrolysers may offer size, safety, weight and other advantages in difficult environments.
The System Must Be Air-Transportable
This would be absolutely essential amd as the equipment might be flying into a serious disaster, surely it would be preferable if it could be fitted into a Hercules.
Conclusion
As I write this post, this article on the BBC has just been published, which is entitled UK Sends Supplies To India Amid Record Virus Surge.
This is an extract.
The assistance package includes 495 oxygen concentrators – which extract oxygen from the air to give to patients – as well as ventilators.
India is seeing thousands of deaths a day amid oxygen shortages.
Will that be enough?
We certainly must be as well-prepared as we can.
‘Super Train’ In Finland Sets New Record: The Equivalent Of 92 Trucks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on RailFreight.com.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The Finnish railway company VR Transpoint has introduced another heavy weight to the railways. Dubbed the Super Train, it carries a weight of 7,000 tonne, and 80 wagons. Moreover, it is about one kilometre long. According to the company, this sets a new record on Finnish railways.
These are a few points about the service.
- The service runs between Vainikkala and Hamina.
- The route appears to be electrified.
- The super train is hauled by two Vectron locomotives.
- Longer trains are more efficient.
- Long trains regularly run in Russia.
This map shows the border crossing at Vainikkala.
Note.
- The border running South-West and North-East across the map.
- The giant Finnish marshalling yard in the North-West.
- The large Russian marshalling yard in the South-East.
This Google Map shows the Finnish Marshalling yard at Vainikkala.
I estimate that the yard is over a kilometre in length.
Passenger Trains Between Helsinki And St. Petersburg
There is also a passenger service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg, that uses this route called Allegro, that usually runs thrice daily.
The trains are Alstom Pendolinos, specially designed for the route and are detailed in this section called Vehicles in the Allegro Wikipedia entry.
The journey time is just three and a half hours.
If you want to buy tickets, this page on The Man In Seat 61 gives all the details.
Conclusion
It looks like the Finns and the Russians have co-operated well to create a quality passenger and freight link between their two countries.
The Anonymous Widower 