Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests First Pure Methanol Marine Engine – Milestone For More Climate-Friendly Propulsion Solutions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These four bullet points act as sub-headings.
- World first: first high-speed 100 percent methanol engine for ships successfully tested
- Cooperation: Rolls-Royce, Woodward L’Orange and WTZ Roßlau are developing sustainable propulsion technology in the meOHmare research project
- Green methanol: CO2-neutral, clean and safe marine fuel
- Dual-fuel engines as a bridging technology on the road to climate neutrality
Rolls-Royce has successfully tested the world’s first high-speed marine engine powered exclusively by methanol on its test bench in Friedrichshafen. Together with their partners in the meOHmare research project, Rolls-Royce engineers have thus reached an important milestone on the road to climate-neutral and environmentally friendly propulsion solutions for shipping.
“This is a genuine world first,” said Dr. Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG. “To date, there is no other high-speed engine in this performance class that runs purely on methanol. We are investing specifically in future technologies in order to open up efficient ways for our customers to reduce CO2 emissions and further expand our leading role in sustainable propulsion systems.”
Rolls-Royce’s goal is to offer customers efficient ways to reduce their CO2 emissions, in-line with the ‘lower carbon’ strategic pillar of its multi-year transformation programme. The project also aligns with the strategic initiative in Power Systems to grow its marine business.
These are some questions.
Why Methanol?
Rolls-Royce answer this question in the press release.
Green methanol is considered one of the most promising alternative fuels for shipping. If it is produced using electricity from renewable energies in a power-to-X process, its operation is CO2-neutral. Compared to other sustainable fuels, methanol is easy to store, biodegradable, and causes significantly fewer pollutants.
“For us, methanol is the fuel of the future in shipping – clean, efficient, and climate-friendly. It burns with significantly lower emissions than fossil fuels and has a high energy density compared to other sustainable energy sources,” said Denise Kurtulus.
Note that Denise Kurtulus is Senior Vice President Global Marine at Rolls-Royce.
Could Methanol-Powered Engines Be Used In Railway Locomotives?
Given, there are hundreds of railway locomotives, that need to be decarbonised, could this be handled by a change of fuel to methanol?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received the following answer.
Yes, methanol-powered engines can be used in railway locomotives, but they require a modification like high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology to be used in traditional compression ignition (CI) diesel engines. These modified engines typically use methanol as the primary fuel with a small amount of diesel injected to act as a pilot fuel for ignition, a process known as “pilot ignition”. Research and simulations have shown that this approach can achieve performance and thermal efficiencies close to those of standard diesel engines
From the bullet points of this article, it looks like Rolls-Royce have this pilot ignition route covered.
How Easy Is Methanol To Handle?
Google AI gave this answer to the question in the title of this section.
Methanol is not easy to handle safely because it is a highly flammable, toxic liquid that can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or ingested. It requires rigorous safety measures, proper personal protective equipment (PPE), and good ventilation to mitigate risks like fire, explosion, and severe health consequences, including blindness or death.
It sounds that it can be a bit tricky, but then I believe with the right training much more dangerous chemicals than methanol can be safety handled.
How Easy Is Green Methanol To Produce?
Google AI gave this answer to the question in the title of this section.
Producing green methanol is not easy; it is currently more expensive and capital-intensive than traditional methods due to high production costs, feedstock constraints, and the need for specialized infrastructure. However, new technologies are making it more feasible, with methods that combine renewable energy with captured carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen to synthesize methanol.
Production methods certainly appear to be getting better and greener.
Which Companies Produce Methanol In The UK?
Google AI gave this answer to the question in the title of this section.
While there are no major, existing methanol production companies in the UK, Proman is planning to build a green methanol plant in the Scottish Highlands, and other companies like Wood PLC and HyOrc are involved in the engineering and construction of methanol production facilities in the UK. Several UK-based companies also act as distributors or suppliers for products, such as Brenntag, Sunoco (via the Anglo American Oil Company), and JennyChem.
It does appear, that we have the capability to build methanol plants and supply the fuel.
How Is Green Methanol Produced?
Google AI gave this answer to the question in the title of this section.
Green methanol is produced by combining carbon dioxide and hydrogen under heat and pressure, where the hydrogen is created using renewable electricity and the carbon dioxide is captured from sustainable sources like biomass or industrial emissions. Two main pathways exist e-methanol uses green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide, while biomethanol is made from the gasification of biomass and other organic waste.
Note.
- We are extremely good at producing renewable electricity in the UK.
- In Rolls-Royce To Be A Partner In Zero-Carbon Gas-Fired Power Station In Rhodesia, I discuss how carbon dioxide is captured from a power station in Rhodesia, which is a suburb of Worksop.
In the Rhodesia application, we have a Rolls-Royce mtu engine running with carbon-capture in a zero-carbon manner, producing electricity and food-grade carbon-dioxide, some of which could be used to make methanol to power the Rolls-Royce mtu engines in a marine application.
I am absolutely sure, that if we need green methanol to power ships, railway locomotives and other machines currently powered by large diesel engines, we will find the methods to make it.
What Are The Green Alternatives To Methanol For Ships?
This press release from Centrica is entitled Investment in Grain LNG, and it gives hints as to their plans for the future.
This heading is labelled as one of the key highlights.
Opportunities for efficiencies to create additional near-term value, and future development options including a combined heat and power plant, bunkering, hydrogen and ammonia.
Bunkering is defined in the first three paragraphs of its Wikipedia entry like this.
Bunkering is the supplying of fuel for use by ships (such fuel is referred to as bunker), including the logistics of loading and distributing the fuel among available shipboard tanks. A person dealing in trade of bunker (fuel) is called a bunker trader.
The term bunkering originated in the days of steamships, when coal was stored in bunkers. Nowadays, the term bunker is generally applied to the petroleum products stored in tanks, and bunkering to the practice and business of refueling ships. Bunkering operations take place at seaports and include the storage and provision of the bunker (ship fuels) to vessels.
The Port of Singapore is currently the largest bunkering port in the world. In 2023, Singapore recorded bunker fuel sales volume totaling 51,824,000 tonnes, setting a new industry standard.
Note.
- After Rolls-Royce’s press release, I suspect that methanol should be added to hydrogen and ammonia.
- I don’t think Centrica will be bothered to supply another zero-carbon fuel.
- I can see the Isle of Grain providing a lot of fuel to ships as they pass into London and through the English Channel.
- Centrica have backed HiiROC technology, that makes hydrogen efficiently.
I can see the four fuels ammonia, hydrogen, LNG and methanol competing with each other.
What Are The Green Alternatives To Methanol For Railway Locomotives?
The same fuels will be competing in the market and also Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) will be used.
South West Freight Set For Resurgence
The title of this article is the same as that of a feature article in the November Edition of Modern Railways.
One of the topics, the article discusses is lithium mining in Cornwall and its transport from the South West.
I started by asking, Google AI, where lithium is mined in Europe, and received this answer.
Portugal is the only country in the EU currently mining lithium, with the Barroso project being the main focus of future production. However, there are multiple other European countries with significant lithium deposits that are expected to begin mining in the near future, including the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, and Serbia.
So Cornish lithium will be one of several sources, but surely ideal for UK batteries.
The Modern Railways article has two paragraphs, which describe lithium mining in Cornwall.
But it’s the potential for lithium that may be the most exciting development for rail freight in the region. Cornish Lithium plans to extract it from an open pit at Trelavour, near St Austell, and it is adamant that rail will be vital for its plans to come to fruition. Trelavour is next to the Parkandillack china clay processing plant, and Cornish Lithium plans to use this to bring in essential materials. The volumes are significant – an estimated 180,000 tonnes per year of input are anticipated, most if not all brought in by rail, and the site’s output of around 8,000 tonnes per year could also go by rail. It is hoped the first traffic could run to the site before the end of Control Period 7 in March 2029 in a project that could run for 20 years.
It isn’t just Cornish Lithium seeking to extract this ‘white gold’ from Cornwall. Imerys British Lithium is extracting lithium and producing lithium carbonate, initially at a pilot site in Roche – with the aim of producing around 21,000 tonnes of the material every year for 30 years.
In total the two sites will produce 790,000 tonnes of lithium ores over thirty years, which when averaged is about 72 tonnes per day.
I then asked Google AI, where the lithium will be processed and refined and received this answer.
Lithium from Cornwall will be processed and refined at demonstration and full-scale plants located within the county. Specifically, Cornish Lithium has a demonstration plant in St Dennis and plans to build a full-scale plant there to produce refined lithium hydroxide. Similarly, the British Lithium project, a joint venture with Imerys, is developing a pilot plant and full-scale processing facility in the St Austell area to produce lithium carbonate from granite, says BBC News.
That seems a very comprehensive answer from a computer!
This Google Map shows the area of Cornwall between St. Dennis and St. Austell.
Note.
- St. Austell is in the South-East corner of the map.
- St. Dennis is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Trelavour appears to be just South of St. Dennis.
- In the middle of the map, are the china clay workings.
Although rail is mentioned, it looks like new tracks will have to be laid.
The Modern Railways article says this about using rail.
Should these plans come to fruition, it seems likely rail will play a part in the supply chain. It is not much of an exaggeration to suggest that Cornwall’s lithium deposits offer a generational opportunity for the Duchy, and by extension, for rail freight.
But, if I’m right about the daily amount being around 72 tonnes, then not many trains will be needed.
I have a few further thoughts.
How Much Will The Lithium Be Worth?
I asked Google AI, what is a tonne of lithium metal worth and got this answer.
A tonne of battery-grade lithium metal is worth approximately $77,962 to $80,398 USD, with an average of about $79,180 USD. The price fluctuates significantly based on market conditions, and the value can differ for industrial-grade lithium metal or other lithium compounds like carbonate or hydroxide.
Assuming a price of $80,000, then a day’s production is worth $5,760,000 and a year’s production is worth about $2 billion.
This could be a massive Magic Money Mine for Rachel from Accounts.
Will The Royal Albert Bridge Cope With The Extra Trains?
The Modern Railways article says this.
While there is excitement about the potential from Cornwall’s new and revived minerals industries, there are caveats. One is the train weight limit on the Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash.
Note.
- A five-car Class 802 train weighs 243 tonnes and I’ve seen pairs in Cornwall.
- Other trains may be heavier, but if the lithium refining is done in Cornwall, the lithium trains won’t be too heavy.
As lithium is the lightest metal, is it sensible to perform the processing and refining in Cornwall and leave the unwanted rocks in the Duchy?
The New Clock At London Bridge Station
These pictures show the new clock at London Bridge station.
This story on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled A New Timepiece For The Railway, gives more details.
Rail Line To Reopen After 60 Years In £120m Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
An Oxford railway line closed to passengers since 1963 is being reopened.
These three paragraphs add detail to the story.
The Cowley Branch Line is currently only used by freight going to and from the BMW Mini Plant, but new stations will be opened in Cowley and Littlemore in south-east Oxford.
The government has pledged £120m in funding, part of a £500m investment in infrastructure to link up Oxford and Cambridge and turn the region into the “European Silicon Valley”.
Anneliese Dodds, MP for East Oxford, said the Cowley Branch Line was “finally going to become a reality”.
Have the Government finally got the message that reopened branch lines are good for growth, like I believe the Dartmoor and Northumberland Lines have been?
The Wycombe Railway
The Cowley Branch Line was originally the Wycombe Railway and ran all the way via Thame, Princes Risborough, Saunderton, West Wycombe, High Wycombe, Marlow and Bourne End to Maidenhead station, as detailed by a map in its Wikipedia entry.
It looks to me, that this was a railway, that could have been developed, rather than closed.
Eurostar Orders First Double-Decker Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurostar has revealed plans to run double-decker trains through the Channel Tunnel for the first time.
These three paragraphs add more details.
The cross-channel rail operator has confirmed it will order up to 50 trains from manufacturer Alstom, eventually increasing the size of its fleet by nearly a third.
The expansion plans would include investing heavily in a crucial London depot, it said.
But questions remain over whether the facility has enough space for both Eurostar and potential rival operators to use it.
This my solution to the problem outlined in the last paragraph.
Note, that I wrote the software that planned the building of the Channel Tunnel and the rail links to London and was also friends with the project manager of the 1960s attempt to build a Channel Tunnel.
We need more terminal platforms and depot space in the UK to handle Eurostar’s extra trains and the other companies who want to run to London.
We should split services into two groups.
Group 1 would terminate as now in an updated St. Pancras with more passenger handling capacity, which could probably be built over the tracks at the Northern end of the station. Trains would still be stabled at Temple Mills.
Group 2 would terminate at Ebbsfleet International, which would have extra platforms, a new depot, masses of car parking and a coach terminal.
Some trains from both groups could also stop at Ashford International.
To access Ebbsfleet from Central London and also create a Heathrow link to the Channel Tunnel, the Lizzie Line would be extended to Northfleet, where there is space to handle up to eight trains per hour in new platforms built in two disused sidings.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the location of Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
Note.
- Ebbsfleet International station at the bottom of the map.
- The red tracks are High Speed One.
- The orange tracks are third-rail electrified lines.
- The orange tracks going across the map is the North Kent Line.
- Northfleet station is at the right edge of the map on the North Kent Line.
- Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations are less than a kilometer apart.
- Ebbsfleet has a lot of car parking spaces.
I believe a spectacular cable-car or other link would connect Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
These are some other thoughts.
Ebbsfleet International Station Has Good Motorway Access
This Google Map shows the location of Ebbsfleet International station in relation to the motorways.
Note.
- The A2/M2 road runs across the bottom half of the map.
- The red arrow marks the position of Ebbsfleet International station.
- The Dartford Crossing is a few miles West of the station.
In my last few years, as an Ipswich season ticket holder, I regularly had a lift to Ebbsfleet International from a friend and the route to the station from the M25 and the A2/M2 wasn’t bad.
But it will be getting better.
This map from the Government’s consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing, shows the road layout in a few years.
Note.
- The Lower Thames Crossing is shown in red.
- Ebbsfleet International station is about a mile South of Northfleet
- The new crossing will connect to the A2, a few miles East of the link road to the station.
Travellers from much of the East of and Middle England could use the new crossing to get to Ebbsfleet International station.
These are current times from Google.
- Birmingham – 2 hours and 41 minutes
- Cambridge – 1 hour and 17 minutes
- Edinburgh – 7 hours and 44 minutes
- Fishguard – 5 hours and 29 minutes
- Glasgow – 7 hours and 6 minutes
- Holyhead – 5 hours and 29 minutes
- Hull – 4 hours and 1 minute
- Ipswich – 1 hour and 29 minutes
- Leeds – 3 hours and 55 minutes
- Liverpool – 4 hours and 40 minutes
- Manchester – 4 hours and 28 minutes
- Milton Keynes – 1 hour and 37 minutes
- Newcastle 5 hours and 25 minutes
- Norwich – 2 hours 23 minutes
- Nottingham – 2 hours and 55 minutes
- Peterborough – 1 hour and 54 minutes
- Sheffield – 3 hours and 35 minutes
- Stoke-on-Trent – 3 hours and 25 minutes
- York – 4 hours and 16 minutes
Note.
- I would suspect that the opening of the Lower Thames Crossing will knock 10-15 minutes off these times.
- Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, Peterborough, Sheffield and York would probably be quicker to Europe with a change to Continental train services at St. Pancras, rather than Ebbsfleet International.
- With improvements to rail services, more of these journeys will be quicker by train.
- High Speed Two should connect Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent to London, by the mid 2030s.
But there are some, who always feel their car is safer in a car park!
Ebbsfleet International Station Has A Large Amount Of Car Parking
This map shows the car parks at Ebbsfleet International station.
Note.
- Some of the parking areas are marked with a P.
- It is easy to pick-up and drop passengers.
- The car parks could be double-decked to add more spaces if needed.
- According to the Ebbsfleet International web site, the station currently has 5225 parking spaces, 68 accessible car parking spaces.
For those that have a lot of luggage or a large family, taking the car to Ebbsfleet International may be the best option.
Ebbsfleet International Station Should Have A Coach Station
Consider.
- In the next few years, hydrogen-powered coaches with a thousand kilometre range will come to dominate the long distance coach market.
- Mercedes and Wrightbus are know to be developing long-distance hydrogen-powered coaches.
- Hydrogen-powered coaches will be able to reach all of England and Wales and a large part of Scotland from Ebbsfleet International.
- Ebbsfleet International is closely connected to the UK motorway network.
- Continental coaches using the Channel Tunnel, could use Ebbsfleet as a coach interchange with the UK.
- Ebbsfleet International could also handle customs services for Continental coach services, which would take the pressure off the Channel Tunnel and the ferries.
- Ebbsfleet International could also have a coach link to Gatwick Airport.
These and other reasons make me feel, that a coach terminal at Ebbsfleet International is essential.
A Green Connection Between The Two Halves Of The European Union For the Gretas Of This World
Consider.
- There is no zero-carbon route between the island of Ireland and Continental Europe.
- Eurostar is all-electric between London and Continental Europe, but only serves a limited number of destinations.
- Low- or zero-carbon ferries are being designed, that run on hydrogen.
- Trains between London and the Irish ferries are diesel-powered.
- The simplest solution would surely be to run hydrogen-powered coaches between Ebbsfleet International and Fishguard and/or Holyhead. Both journeys would take three and a half hours.
Hydrogen-powered coaches are under development by Wrightbus.
I also asked Google AI if anybody is planning zero-carbon ferries between the UK and ireland and received this answer.
Yes, there are plans for zero-carbon ferries between the UK and Ireland, with a specific “Green Corridor” feasibility study underway for the Holyhead to Dublin route, and a separate, separate commuter service project planned between Belfast and Bangor. The Belfast Maritime Consortium is developing the zero-carbon commuter service, and a separate “Green Corridor” feasibility study is assessing potential low-carbon pathways between Holyhead and Dublin
I believe the green connection is feasible, provided the following happens.
- Ebbsfleet International is reopened and developed as a station for Continental Europe.
- The zero-carbon ferries are developed.
- The busmasters from Ballymena deliver the ultimate hydrogen-powered coach.
- Hydrogen and other fuels are made available, where they is needed.
This could do wonders for the economy of the island of Ireland.
Out of curiosity, I did ask Google AI, what is the longest coach route in the UK and received this answer.
The longest scheduled coach journey in the UK is the Scottish Citylink route from Glasgow to Uig on the Isle of Skye (route 915 or 916), which is about 230 miles and takes around 7 hours and 50 minutes. Historically, there have been much longer international bus routes, such as the Penn Overland tour from London to Ceylon, but these were not regular, scheduled services.
So my proposal at five hours and 29 minutes is only a short hop.
I also believe that with good project management that the additional infrastructure could be built by 2030, with little or no disruption to existing services.
New Chiltern Railways Trains Set To Unlock 10,000 More Seats A Day
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Chiltern Railways.
This picture from Chiltern Railways shows the train at Marylebone.
These three paragraphs are from the press release and add more details.
Chiltern Railways today (Tuesday 14 October) showcased for the first time its newest (Mark 5A) trains, set to add 10,000 more seats for customers each weekday from December 2026.
The trains, to be introduced between London to West Midlands from early 2026, will enable Chiltern to deliver more capacity across each of its West Midlands, Aylesbury, and Oxford routes as part of the operator’s efforts to deliver better journeys for customers.
The newest fleet will consist of 13 modern trains set to transform customer journeys during 2026. The trains will replace Chiltern’s oldest carriages, which are nearly 50 years old, with state-of-the-art equivalents, and provide a significant improvement to the on-board experience.
Today, I also received an update from Modern Railways, which was entitled Chiltern Railways Mk 5As To Enter Traffic Early Next Year, and included this delivery schedule.
From December 2026 there will be ten Mk 5A sets in traffic each day, with one ‘hot spare’ and one undergoing maintenance. That leaves one extra set which, CR has suggested, could eventually be pressed into traffic.
I have a few thoughts.
How Do The Trains Compare Physically?
These are basic figures for the two different types of train sets.
- The current Mark 3 are five-car sets of 23 metres coaches, that weigh about 36 tonnes. The driving van trailer is 18.83 metres and 43.7 tonnes
- The future Mark 5A are four-car sets of 22.2 metres coaches, that weigh about 43 tonnes. The driving trailer is 22.37 metres and 43 tonnes.
Lengths and weights of various sets will be as follows.
- Mark 3 – five-car and driving van trailer – 133.83 metres and 223.7 tonnes.
- Mark 5A – four-car and driving trailer – 111.17 metres and 215 tonnes
- Mark 5A – five-car and driving trailer – 155.57 metres and 258 tonnes
Note.
- Chiltern Railways and TransPennine Express use the same Class 68 locomotives.
- The five-car Mark 3 and the four-car Mark 5A sets are quite similar in length and weight
- This could mean that both sets would perform similarly with the same locomotives on the same route.
- I wouldn’t be surprised that the new Platform 4 at Birmingham |Snow Hill station will be able to handle all configurations.
I almost feel that when CAF designed the Mark 5A sets for TransPennine Express, they also had Chiltern in mind as another possible sale.
How Many Trains Would Be Needed To Run Between London Marylebone And Birmingham?
Consider.
- Trains currently run half-hourly on the route between 06:00 to 23:30, which is up to 36 services per day.
- When Platform 4 is operational at Birmingham Snow Hill station, all services could probably stop at both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.
- A round trip between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill stations currently takes about five hours.
I’m fairly certain that to run a half-hourly core service would need ten trains.
Could Chiltern Develop Another Network On The Other Side Of Birmingham?
Consider.
- Trains could run twice an hour from 06:00 to 23:30, which is up to 36 services per day.
- When Platform 4 is operational at Birmingham Snow Hill station, all services could probably stop at both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.
- Chiltern Railways already run several services a day to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern Railways have run services to Kidderminster station in the past.
- Wrexham & Shropshire used to run locomotive-hauled Mark 3 four-car sets with driving van trailers, as far as Wrexham via Shrewsbury.
It looks to me, that with the right rolling stock configurations, Chiltern’s network can be developed on the other side of Birmingham.
- Destinations could include Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Chirk, Ruabon and Wrexham General.
- Some services would need longer trains.
Obviously services would only be run if they were viable.
Would It Help Growth In A Town Or Area, If It Had A Rail Connection To London And/Or The Nearest Major City?
I know Lincoln is on the other side of the country, but I asked Google AI if Lincoln’s rail link to London has brought growth to the city and received this answer.
Yes, Lincoln’s rail link to London has brought significant growth by improving tourism, business travel, and student mobility, and is expected to spur further economic benefits through faster journey times and increased services. The direct link has made Lincoln more accessible for visitors and is a key part of the city’s long-term strategy for economic growth and development.
That was fairly definite.
How would that apply to an extended Chiltern Main Line.
- Politicians are always saying growth is important.
- An extended Chiltern Main Line servicewould improve connections of a lot of places to London and Birmingham.
- Shrewsbury is the easiest connection for West Wales.
- Surely a rail connection to a major city, might tempt someone to open a branch or a new factory.
Would a rail service make people feel more included?
Stopping The Irresponsible Parking Of Hire Bikes
This sort of parking of bicycles is becoming a real curse in London.
I have problems outside my house and this morning a hire bike was blocking my entrance for my Ocado delivery.
I believe that as each hire of a bike is known in detail by the hire companies, so they can charge riders, illegal parking of these bikes could be easily enforced.
We would need a law that could be enforced.
Each bike would need to have a clearly-marked serial number and/or QR-Code.
If you see a bike illegally parked, anybody can take a photograph and note the bike’s serial number, which they can then send to a central office by text message, e-mail or even an app.
The central office would then assess if any offence had been committed and if it had, would inform the hire company.
The hire company would charge the hirer, if an offence had been committed and charge them a fee.
The fee could even be split three ways to the hire company, the local authority and the person, who reported the offence.
Is It illegal To Read Your Phone While Cycling In London
I was just trying to cross the road and saw a young lady about twenty, riding towards me on a bicycle reading her mobile phone which was held in one hand and balanced on the handlebars. She was wearing a helmet and steering with one hand.
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
No, it’s not explicitly illegal to read your phone while cycling in London, as the specific law prohibiting phone use while driving doesn’t apply to bicycles. However, it is very dangerous and you can still be prosecuted for the offense of careless cycling if your actions endanger yourself or others, with potential fines of up to £2,500.
In the past, I’ve used mobile phones, in ways that might become illegal.
- Several times, I’ve exercised a horse with a Nokia 6310i phone in my pocket, so that, if I fell off, I could call for help. I must admit, that I have received and made a few calls from the back of a horse. But in all cases, it was a well-behaved horse, that would stand quietly in a safe place.
- I once with prior arrangement of UK Air Traffic Control requested an Airways Join on a mobile phone at Ipswich Airport. But my second pilot that day, was a fully-qualified airline pilot.
I used to enjoy flying light aircraft and I do wonder sometimes, if I could still do it, after a gap of thirty years and a serious stroke? Obviously, I’d make it legal with an instructor in the right-hand seat.
45 schools Benefit From Rail Safety Resources Supported By Lumo And Hull Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Shields Gazette.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s leading open access rail operators, Lumo and Hull Trains, are celebrating supporting the delivery of vital rail safety resources to 45 schools across the UK over the past year.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
In association with the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, the operators’ involvement has led to a social value impact of over £724,000, directly educating thousands of young people.
The programme is dedicated to spreading the vital message of rail safety among young people, educators and parents in schools across the UK. Lumo and Hull Trains have supported the important initiative for the past two years, with their support renewed for a third.
As part of the partnership, Lumo took over the Metrocentre’s ‘mini express train’ to highlight the issue of rail safety to families and children visiting the shopping centre during the school holidays in 2024. The project secured industry recognition at the recent Corporate Engagement Awards.
It’s not just in the UK, that this type of excellent engagement is being setup.
This train is the world’s first hydrogen-powered train to enter passenger service, between Hamburg and Cuxhaven in Germany.
When I rode the train, a German schoolboy told me, that their school had given them safety lessons about hydrogen.
Mega Airport Costing £24billion In Europe To Rival Heathrow And Dubai
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the Daily Express.
A new mega airport is being built in Europe, and it is set to rival the likes of Dubai and London Heathrow in terms of size and capacity for passengers and planes alike
These three paragraphs add more details.
A plush new airport could be touching down in Europe, set to rival London’s Heathrow and even the esteemed Dubai International, as it aims to link the entire continent in unprecedented ways.
The Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, a proposed $32.5 billion project, is a fresh aviation gateway in Warsaw that carries the burden of Poland’s ambitious mega airport aspirations. However, the concept is swiftly progressing, with the official approval and handover of the passenger terminal design marking a significant leap forward.
This suggests the colossal airport is officially moving into its next phase of development. The question remains, will this new progression challenge the supremacy of the Middle East, home to both the world’s largest airport, King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia, and the busiest, Dubai International Airport?
Note.
- In English, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny means Central Communications Port.
- CPK’s forecasted passenger capacity makes it a formidable contender as the new hub for Europe.
- Dubai is on course to handle 100 million passengers by the end of next year, thanks to its strategic geographical position with other continents, while the Polish project will eventually accommodate up to 44 million.
- n 2024, Heathrow Airport welcomed a record 83.9 million passengers, a 6% increase from the previous year.
Even the busiest airports in Europe handle far fewer passengers than Dubai.
Central Communications Port has a Wikipedia entry, which has this first paragraph.
The Central Transport Hub is a planned major infrastructure project in Poland aimed at the construction of a new international airport and the development of a nationwide integrated transport network. The airport is planned to be located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwest of Warsaw, connected to a new high-speed rail network and controlled-access highway system linking it with much of the rest of the country.
Note.
- The airport will be designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Buro Happold.
- Initially the airport is planned to have two runways, but will eventually be expanded to four.
- The combined airport and railway station is planned to serve 40 million passengers per year, double the size of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
- The long-term goal is about 100 million passengers per year.
These are my thoughts.
The Airport’s Location
The Wikipedia entry for the airport has a section called Location, which has this first paragraph.
The airport’s planned site is about 40 km west of Warsaw, next to the village Stanisławów which is part of Gmina Baranów in Grodzisk Mazowiecki County. The Baranow commune occupies a significant part of the Grodzisk County and, despite its rural character, has an extensive road infrastructure. The A2 autostrada and railway lines run in the immediate vicinity of the potential construction site, and Wrocław (Expressway S8) and Poznań (National road 92) is nearby.
It sounds to me, that a British equivalent airport, would be a four-runway airport at Birmingham Airport with connections to the M1, M6, HS2 and the West Coast Main Line.
Rail Connections
The Wikipedia entry says this about rail connections.
Planned train connections from the CPK will take 15 minutes to Warsaw Central railway station, 25 minutes to Łódź Fabryczna railway station, and 2 hours to most other major Polish cities, such as Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk. The construction of a high-speed train to Frankfurt (Oder) is also planned, which is to shorten the travel time on the Berlin-CPK route to under 3.5 hours
I suspect that Rail Baltica’s trains between Berlin and Helsinki via Warsaw, Kaunus, Riga, Bialystok and Tallinn will also stop at the airport.
The Airport Will Become A Gateway To North-East Europe
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Central Communications Port become a low-cost gateway to the surrounding countries., like Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and hopefully Ukraine.
Polish Hospitality
Consider.
- Most Poles speak English better, than what I does!
- There are several large Polish cities that are worth a visit.
- The food is excellent, as the local basic ingredients are of high quality.
- I have spent about a month in Poland and I’ve stayed in all levels of accommodation from the lowest to the highest and have never felt need to complain.
- They handle my gluten-free diet with no problem.
My experience of Belarus was also similar.
The Anonymous Widower 