Offshore Vessel Charging Tech Developer Plans Commercial Rollout In UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Stillstrom, part of A.P. Moller – Maersk and based in Denmark, has established a dedicated entity in Aberdeen, Scotland, with plans to roll out its offshore vessel charging solution commercially in the UK.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The solution is transitioning from development to commercial deployment, and, according to a press release issued by Stillstrom on 16 March, the company is targeting one of the world’s most active offshore wind markets for the commercial rollout.
Stillstrom has been developing offshore charging solutions for service operations vessels (SOVs) since 2019, with testing and collaboration carried out with shipowners and developers in Aberdeen. SOVs are amongst the most energy-intensive ships operating at offshore wind farms, according to Stillstrom.
The company says that this has now translated into tangible momentum, with significant discussions underway with major wind farms, as well as partnership and compatibility agreements signed with leading SOV owners and operators.
Travelling Between Heathrow Airport And Staines Station
Staines Station and Heathrow Airport are not far apart, as this OpenRailwayMap shows.
Note.
- The mauve lines in the bottom half of the map are South West Trains services out of Waterloo.
- Waterloo via Feltham, Twickenham and Richmond to name but three stations , is to the East.
- Reading is to the South-West
- Windsor is to the North-West.
- The blue arrow indicates Staines station.
- Heathrow Terminal 5 is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The pink tracks are the Piccadilly Lines
- The red tracks are for the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express.
- This OpenRailwayMap shows Terminal 5 to a larger scale.
Note.
- The pink tracks are the Piccadilly Line.
- The red tracks are for the Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express.
- In front of the red tracks is what looks like a circular walkway or emergency exit, with a rectangular block to its West.
- The rectangular block is the lift tower to get from the railway station to the Departures and Arrivals floors of Terminal 5.
I asked Google AI if it would it be possible in the future to extend the Elizabeth Line to the West out of the Western end of Terminal 5 and received this reply.
Extending the Elizabeth line west from Terminal 5 is technically possible and has been proposed, notably as part of a potential westward rail link to Staines or to support airport expansion, but it is not currently funded. Terminal 5 was designed with future expansion in mind, potentially allowing a connection to Staines to create a “southern rail link” for better connections.
Perhaps there are two tunnels under the lift shafts?
How many trains per hour (tph) terminate in those two platforms?
- 4 tph – Heathrow Express
- 2 tph – Elizabeth Line to Shenfield.
Note.
- Only six trains in two platforms is easily managed.
- Because, Heathrow Express services appear to use both platforms, when I visited yesterday, the system seems to confuse passengers.
- The services surely need to be evened up, so that there are four tph of each service, with each service having a dedicated platform.
- But terminating eight trains in two platforms could be troublesome.
- Platforms are numbered 1 to 6 from the South.
- Platforms 1 and 2 have not been built yet.
Although four tph for Heathrow Express in one platform, should be easy with digital signalling, as you see it every day in London, it may be difficult on two platforms, at the same time.
In Is More Capacity Between Heathrow Airport And Central London, Needed On The Elizabeth Line?, I said this.
Currently, the Elizabeth line provides up to 12 trains per hour (including Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express) on the relief lines, making it nearly at capacity.
Note.
- When I use the Elizabeth Line, I deliberately avoid trains going to and from Heathrow, unless I’m going that way, as they are too crowded with passengers and their oversized cases.
- High Speed Two, the West London Orbital Railway and the North London Line will bring passengers for Heathrow Airport to Old Oak Common station.
- Surely, as Heathrow Airport gets bigger and increases its passenger numbers. the Elizabeth Line will need to be increased in capacity.
I believe Elizabeth Line capacity needs to be increased soon.
The only feasible plan I’ve seen is Heathrow Southern Railways plan, which included.
- Construction of a bay platform 0 at Staines alongside the Staines to Windsor line.
- A step-free bridge across the tracks.
- Construction of a single-track railway with 25 KVAC overhead electrification and a passing looop, between the new platform 0 at Staines and Platform 3 at Heathrow Terminal 5 station.
- Run four trains per hour in both directions between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Staines stations.
- This plan would would add two trains per hour through the Central Tunnel.
Various Journeys Would Be As Follows
This OpenRailwayMap shows Staines junction and the positions of the three platforms.
Note.
- The Windsor Line goes North-West.
- The Reading Line goes West.
- The Waterloo Line Goes East.
- Platform 1 is on the North side of the tracks.
- Platform 2 is on the South side of the tracks.
- The bay platform, which I’ve numbered 0, will be on the North side of the tracks towards Windsor.
- I suspect the step-free bridge will be over the tracks and replace the current rickety structure.
- The bridge would be a short walk from all three platforms.
Interchanges would be as follows.
- Windsor to Heathrow – Walk between Platforms 1 and 0.
- Reading to Heathrow – Walk between Platforms 1 and 0.
- Heathrow to Windsor – Cross the bridge between Platforms 0 and 2.
- Heathrow to Reading – Cross the bridge between Platforms 0 and 2.
- Waterloo to Heathrow – Cross the bridge between Platforms 2 and 0.
- Heathrow to Waterloo – Walk between Platforms 0 and 1.
Note.
- All trains to or from Heathrow use Platform 0.
- All trains to Waterloo use Platform 1.
- All trains going away from Waterloo use Platform 2.
- Reading and Heathrow gain a step-free route at 2 tph.
- All interchanges at Staines station would be step-free.
- A train like London Crosslink, which used to go between Feltham and Woking, would use Platform 1 going towards Feltham and Platform 2 going towards Woking.
Staines station would gain step-free access to all Heathrow terminals, all Elizabeth Line and High Speed Two stations.
Could Anglia Railways’ London Crosslink Be Recreated As Part Of The London Overground?
I like the idea of the London Crosslink service, that ran for a few years between East Anglia and Hampshire via the North London Line and Staines.
My arguments for its restoration are described in Could Anglia Railways’ London Crosslink Be Recreated As Part Of The London Overground?
At various times in my life, it would have been very useful.
Today, as I live about fifteen minutes from Highbury and Islington station, I could use London Crosslink for the following reasons.
- Visiting friends and family in Hampshire.
- Going to Heathrow Airport, especially Terminal 5.
- Visiting friends in East Anglia.
- Going to football at Ipswich.
- Exploring new parts of England.
- I would wait at home and time my departure to catch a booked train at a fully step-free station.
Conclusions
Extending the Elizabeth Line to Staines gives these advantages.
- Staff at Heathrow, who live in the Staines area get easy access to the airport.
- Buses and coaches between Heathrow and the local area may be reviewed.
- Less cars will be used to get to and from the airport.
- Reading and Heathrow gain a step-free route at 2 tph.
- A lot of stations would gain a step-free route to all terminals at Heathrow, and all Elizabeth Line and High Speed Two stations.
There may well be other advantages.
Five New Railway Stations To Open Over Next Month
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Opening dates have been announced for five new railway stations in the West Midlands following a £185m project to reinstate links not used in decades.
These two paragraphs add more details.
On the Black Country line, new stations for Willenhall and Darlaston open on 19 March. The sites were last visited by trains in 1965.
On 7 April, Camp Hill Line stations Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road open, allowing locals access to neighbourhood services for the first time since World War Two.
I shall go up, some time on or after the 7th and see all five stations.
Would Extending The Elizabeth Line To Staines Offer Any Advantages?
I asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this answer.
Extending the Elizabeth line to Staines offers significant advantages, including improved direct access to Heathrow Airport from Surrey/south-west London, reduced road traffic congestion, and enhanced connectivity for commuters. Proposed as part of the Heathrow Southern Railway project, it would provide a “game-changer” link and support economic growth around Heathrow.
Key Advantages of Extending the Elizabeth Line to Staines:
Improved Airport Access: The extension would provide a direct, sustainable, zero-emission rail link to Heathrow for commuters and travelers from Staines, Virginia Water, and surrounding areas.
Reduced Congestion & Environmental Impact: The project is estimated to reduce road traffic by approximately 3 million journeys annually, significantly lowering emissions.
Faster Commutes & Connectivity: It would create a new, faster route from Surrey and Hampshire (via Staines) to key locations like Heathrow, Old Oak Common (for HS2), and central London.
Relieving Existing Lines: The extension would help relieve overcrowding on the South Western Main Line into London Waterloo.
Utilizing Existing Infrastructure: The project would likely use the underground space already created at Terminal 5 to facilitate a southward extension.
Challenges and Considerations:
Funding and Cost: The project requires significant upfront investment, requiring collaboration between private sectors, Transport for London, and the Department for Transport.
Capacity Constraints: The existing Elizabeth line is already high-demand, and integrating a new, long branch would require careful capacity management.
This extension is closely tied to proposals for a Southern Rail Access to Heathrow, intended to support the expansion of the airport and the economic development of the surrounding region.
Is There Enough Staff Car Parking At Heathrow Airport?
I asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this answer.
While Heathrow Airport provides designated staff parking areas—including N1, N2, and N5 near Terminal 5—finding space can be difficult due to high demand, and recent substantial fee increases have caused tension. Dedicated staff, including those for car-sharing, have access to, and must display, valid permits in, secured, monitored areas.
Key Details on Staff Parking:
Locations: Staff parking is generally located on the Northern Perimeter Road, particularly serving Terminal 5.
Costs: MoneySavingExpert Forum indicates that parking costs may be paid for by employers like British Airways, or directly by the employee.
Rising Costs: In 2024, monthly staff parking charges were increased significantly, leading to complaints from unions regarding the cost for workers.
Capacity Issues: With thousands of staff, parking can be limited, though special areas are allocated for car-sharing to encourage efficiency.
For most employees, options include using the designated, secure staff car parks, or utilizing the airport’s Sustainable Travel Guide options, which provide, alternative, more sustainable transport solutions.
Staff parking certainly seem a problem and it can only get worse, as more staff are recruited.
Is More Capacity Between Heathrow Airport And Central London, Needed On The Elizabeth Line?
I asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, additional capacity on the Elizabeth line between Heathrow Airport and Central London is needed to manage high demand, despite it being a major upgrade. While the line has greatly improved connectivity, studies suggest that rising passenger demand, particularly from potential airport expansion, may require increasing services from 6 to 8 trains per hour to prevent future overcrowding.
Key Considerations Regarding Capacity:
High Demand: Passenger demand grew by ~40% between June 2022 and October 2023, with further growth expected.
Infrastructure Constraints: Increasing services beyond 6 trains per hour is challenging due to the need for signaling upgrades and potential platform length limitations.
Alternative Solutions: Experts suggest the Western Rail Link to Heathrow could relieve pressure by allowing direct access from the west, rather than requiring travel into central London first.
Future Upgrades: Further improvements, including enhanced signalling on the Piccadilly line and other rail links, are seen as necessary to handle future passenger surges.
Currently, the Elizabeth line provides up to 12 trains per hour (including Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express) on the relief lines, making it nearly at capacity.
Note.
- When I use the Elizabeth Line, I deliberately avoid trains going to and from Heathrow, unless I’m going that way, as they are too crowded with passengers and oversized cases.
- High Speed Two, the West London Orbital Railway and the North London Line will bring passengers for Heathrow Airport to Old Oak Common station.
- Surely, as Heathrow gets bigger and increases its passenger numbers. the Elizabeth Line will need to be increased in capacity.
I believe Elizabeth Line capacity needs to be increased soon.
I Want To Go By Train Between Heathrow Airport And Central London, What is Best Train; Lizzie, Piccadilly, Or Heathrow Express?
I asked Google AI, the title of this post and received this answer.
The Elizabeth Line is generally the best balance of speed, cost, and convenience for most travelers (approx. 30–40 mins to central London,£13). The Heathrow Express is fastest (15 mins,£25) to Paddington only, while the Piccadilly Line is cheapest (hr,£6) but slowest.
Detailed Breakdown:
Elizabeth Line (Recommended): Offers direct, modern, air-conditioned trains to central hubs like Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, and Liverpool Street without needing to change at Paddington. It is much cheaper than the Express and only slightly slower.
Heathrow Express: The fastest option, but only goes to London Paddington. It is expensive unless booked far in advance. Best if you are staying right next to Paddington station.
Piccadilly Line: The cheapest option, ideal for budget travelers, and serves all terminals. However, it is a traditional Tube train, which can be crowded and uncomfortable with heavy luggage.
Note: Fares mentioned are approximate and based on standard off-peak, single-journey, tap-on/tap-off usage.
Ask virtually anybody in London and they’ll probably give you a similar answer.
Even Larry the cat would know, as he’s probably heard the question asked thousands of times.
A Brand New Railway Line Is Set To Directly Link South West London With The UK’s Biggest Airport – And It Could Be Up And Running By The Early 2030s
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Secret London.
This is the sub-heading.
A shiny new railway line could provide a seamless link between south-west London and the capital city’s busiest airport.
These two paragraphs add some details.
As a south-west Londoner who can fairly frequently be found at Heathrow Airport (or at least dreaming about being there), I can confirm that a speedy service, directly linking the almighty aviation hub with the south west of the city is something that’s been perched at the very top of my wish list for quite some time now. And it seems as though my prayers may finally have been answered in the form of the Heathrow Southern Railway.
London Heathrow Airport is currently in the early stages of a rather hefty expansion. Over the next ten years, the airport (which just so happens to be the biggest and busiest in the country) is set to receive a third runway. And when said runway is up and running, Heathrow is expecting to welcome approximately 66 million more passengers a year. So now is probably a pretty good time to start thinking about how they’re all going to get there.
I have written extensively about Heathrow Southern Railway in the past.
Start by reading Why I Like The Heathrow Southern Railway Proposal, which I wrote in November 2016 and ended with this conclusion.
It is definitely one of those projects, where by creating something a bit out of the ordinary, leads to lots of other worthwhile things.
I still like it and we now have more information, which includes this map.
Note.
- The blue line is the Elizabeth Line.
- The yellow line is a direct link from Waterloo to Heathrow.
- The station in a six pointed star is Clapham Junction.
On the Heathrow Southern Railway web site there is a section called Service Opportunities.
It details two routes.
- Heathrow and Waterloo via Staines and Clapham Junction
- Basingstoke/Guildford and Paddington via Woking and Heathrow
These are a few random thoughts.
A ULEZ Avoiding Line
If the Elizabeth Line is extended to Staines, then Heathrow Southern Railway provides a ULEZ avoiding route for Heathrow employees to help get the Mayor out of a hole. A station guy at Staines told me a lot of Heathrow staff take buses to the airport from Staines station.
West London Orbital Railway
I believe that the West London Orbital Railway would make sense to give lots of other routes for Heathrow staff and passengers.
The Proposed Lionel Road Station On the West London Orbital Railway
Starting with Lionel Road station may seem a strange place to start, but this important station for supporters of Brentford FC, may in the end define how the new line is designed and built.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks around the stadium, that has been built for the Premier League football club, which is now called the Gtech Community Stadium.
Note.
- In the North-West corner of the map is the Piccadilly Line branch to Heathrow Airport.
- Northfields Depot is prominent, with the station of the same name to its East.
- South Acton station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Syon Lane station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The West London Orbital Railway runs between these two stations.
- Lilac sections are electrified and black sections have none.
- South Acton station is also on the North London Line, which runs North-South to Richmond station off the bottom of the map.
- Syon Lane Station is also on the Hounslow Loop Line, which curves across the bottom half of the map to the South-East corner.
- Click the map to show it to a larger scale.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows triangular junction in the middle of the first map to a larger scale.
Note.
- The Gtech Community Stadium sits in the middle of the triangular junction.
- Provision has been made in the layout of the stadium for the station to be on the North-West leg of the triangular junction.
- Kew East Junction is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Old Kew Junction is in the South-West corner of the triangular junction.
- New Kew Junction is in the South-East corner of the triangular junction.
- The lilac track crossing the map is the electrified Hounslow Loop Line.
- The M4/A4 runs across the map
- Only the Southern leg of the triangular junction is electrified.
- Click the map to show it to a larger scale.
These are some of my thoughts.
Lionel Road Station Will Be Unlikely To Be Electrified
Consider
- It will be extremely unlikely that between South Acton station and Old Kew junction will be electrified with third-rail electrification because of safety issues.
- There is a very long chance, that it might be decided to create a 25 KVAC overhead electrified route across London, by means of the North London Line.
- I believe hydrogen trains will be developed for freight services.
- The station will have large numbers of passengers on match-days, so safety may determine an electrification-free station.
- The electrification gap is only 1.4 miles, which is well within range of a battery-electric train.
I think it is more likely that hybrid trains will use what is available.
Will Lionel Road Station Be Step-Free?
Sixty years ago, I used Manchester United station to see a match.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The station is a single platform tucked in behind the South stand.
- The station entrance is indicated by a red arrow.
- When I went in the 1960s, the train was a steam-hauled shuttle from the city centre.
- This Wikipedia entry gives more details.
I suspect a similar space-saving design could be used at Lionel Road station.
There will be a need for a bridge if the station is used on more than match days.
Will Lionel Road And Kew Bridge Stations Be An Out Of Station Interchange?
This OpenRailwayMap shows the triangular junction, with the GTech Community Stadium in the middle.
Note.
- Lionel Road station will be on the North-West side of the station.
- Kew Bridge station is marked by a blue arrow.
- There appear to be walking routes all over the plot on which the stadium sits.
- All sides of the junction are double track.
I think an Out-Of-Station Interchange would be useful, especially for those who don’t know the area.
How Easy Will It Be To Get To Lionel Road Station From Major London Stations?
These are my best estimates at a degree of difficulty.
- Bank – 1 Change – Take Central Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Blackfriars – 1 Change – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- Bond Street- 1 Change – Take Elizabeth Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Cannon Street – 2 Changes – Get out at London Bridge – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- Charing Cross – 1 Change – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- City Thameslink – 1 Change – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- Euston – 1 Change – Take Watford DC Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- Farringdon – 1 Change – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- King’s Cross – 1 Change – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- Liverpool Street – 2 Changes – Get out at Stratford – Take the Overground with a change at South Acton to Lionel Road.
- Liverpool Street – 1 Change – Take Elizabeth Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- London Bridge – 1 Change – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- Marylebone – 1 Change – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- Moorgate – 1 Change – Take Elizabeth Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Old Street – 2 Changes – Go to Moorgate – Take Elizabeth Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Oxford Circus – 1 Change – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- Paddington – 1 Change – Take Elizabeth Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Piccadilly Circus – 1 Change – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- St. Pancras – 1 Change – Take Thameslink with a change at Brent Cross West to Lionel Road.
- St. Paul’s – 1 Change – Take Central Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Tottenham Court Road – 1 Change – Take Elizabeth Line with a change at Old Oak Common Lane to Lionel Road.
- Vauxhall – 2 Changes – Go to Oxford Circus – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- Victoria – 2 Changes – Go to Oxford Circus – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road.
- Waterloo – Direct – Direct train to Kew Bridge.
- Waterloo – 1 Change – Take Bakerloo Line with a change at Harlesden to Lionel Road
Note.
- It does appear that the connections in stations like Brent Cross West, Harlesden and Old Oak Common Lane, will make a lot of difficult cross-London journeys easier.
- But not many journeys to the GTech Community Stadium, finish at Kew Bridge station.
- Most journeys pick up the West London Orbital at Brent Cross West, Harlesden or Old Oak Common Lane, which probably means these three stations should be step-free.
- As I’ve been writing this, I do wonder if now is the time to create a pedestrian connection between City Thameslink and St. Paul’s stations, that I wrote about in A Pedestrian Connection Between City Thameslink Station And St. Paul’s Tube Station.
I do believe though that there are places on the Central Line, where small projects can give a high return on expenditure.
Conclusion
Surprisingly, this is a lot more than just a station for a Premier League football club.
Cornish Plant Produces Geothermal Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ground Engineering.
This is the sub-heading.
Hot water from a granite fault zone in Cornwall is being used to create electricity after a pioneering plant was switched on last week.
These two paragraphs add a few more details.
Geothermal Energy Lithium (GEL) started generating power from its United Downs facility near Redruth in late February.
The company drilled down more than 5km to reach hot water sitting in natural fractures in the rock deep below Cornwall.
This excellent video, shows the wide significance of what is happening in Cornwall.
The Anonymous Widower 