Observations On A Trip To Doncaster And Sheffield
My objectives were.
- Buy a walk-up ticket from a machine at King’s Cross for Doncaster station and then use it.
- Use local trains, tram-trains and trams to get to as quick as possible to Sheffield station.
- Buy a walk-up ticket from a machine at Sheffield station for St. Pancras and then use it.
This is the story of my day.
A Ticket From King’s Cross for Doncaster
This happened at King’s Cross
- I got charged £38.65, but I didn’t get any tickets.
- So I complained in the Booking Office.
- But they didn’t believe me.
- Then I showed them the debit on my credit card account.
- Then a lady came and checked the machine, but couldn’t find any tickets.
- They then issued me with a new ticket for Doncaster.
- But they were these design crimes of flimsy tickets.
- I now have two debits on my credit card account.
They said one will be refunded.
King’s Cross To Doncaster
I took these pictures of the trucks along the nearby A1 to the North of Newark.
This map shows how the A1 curves round the town.
Note.
- The A1 Road curving around the right of the town.
- The red arrow marking Newark Northgate station.
- There is a notorious flat crossing, that needs to be replaced to the North of the station.
I believe as a Control Engineer, that digital signalling might solve the problem of the crossing and I wrote about it in Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?.
But there was no problems on the journey
- The train was ten coaches.
- It was going to Edinburgh.
- It left on time.
- It didn’t appear to be very full.
- It was four minutes late at Doncaster and arrived at 14:47.
These pictures show Doncaster station.
Note.
There are nine platforms and eleven tracks.
The nine platforms are arranged in three island platforms.
Rail Agreement Signed ‘Subject To Value For Money’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub heading.
An agreement to reopen a regional rail line has been signed by the transport secretary, subject to the assurance that it delivers good value for money.
These three paragraphs add detail to the story.
Further development work on the Leamside Line, which runs from Pelaw in Gateshead to Tursdale in County Durham, is set to progress as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) initiative.
Regional politicians said the line could provide train links for 100,000 people in the north-east of England, after it closed to passengers in the 1960s.
The document stated the government would ensure resources were available for the Leamside Line reopening “subject to agreement of that business case and assurance that this delivers good value for money”.
Note.
- There is an excellent map in the BBC article.
- It looks like there will be at least five new or refurbished stations at Ferryhill, Sincliffe, Belmont, West Rainton and Penshaw.
- Belmont appears to have an alternative name of Durham Parkway, so will it be a Park-and-Ride for the area?
- There will be an alternative path for freight trains between Newcastle and York.
- In New Direct Rail Link To Seaham: How This Picturesque Seaside Town Will Connect To London Starting December 2025, I described Seaham’s new link to London, courtesy of Grand Central Trains.
- In Arriva Group Invests In New Battery Hybrid Train Fleet In Boost To UK Rail Industry, I talked about Grand Central’s new trains, which should be in service by 2028 to Seaham and Sunderland.
- It was in June 2020, that I wrote about Boris Johnson making a speech about the Leamside Line in Boris Johnson Backs Station Opening Which Could See Metro Link To County Durham.
This important link has been a long time coming.
Will The Rail Improvements Between London and The North East Create More Tourism?
Consider.
- The digital signalling will create more paths for trains between London and the North East.
- Journey times will come down to generally below three hours.
- There is a lot of excellent walking in the area.
- The North-East doesn’t just host top-class football and athletics.
- A trip could be combined with a day-trip to Edinburgh, Glasgow or the Scottish Borders.
- I have met Americans, who’ve started their holiday in Europe, in Edinburgh and worked their way down via York and London to Paris by train, and then flown back non-stop to the United States.
As I’ve spent a couple of enjoyable weekends in Newcastle and Sunderland, I don’t see why the area can’t attract tourists.
Should The East Coast Main Line Be Renamed?
Consider.
- It is one of the oldest long-distance main lines in the world.
- It links two of the UK’s capitals.
- It is 331 miles long, which is covered in four and a half hours.
- There are some of the world’s best hotels at either end.
- There is good shopping at either end.
- There is no Trump hotel in London or Edinburgh.
Perhaps, it should be called High Speed East Coast?
Legal Challenge Against Gatwick Airport’s Second Runway To Begin
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on ITVX.
These four paragraphs add more details.
Plans to challenge a second runway at Gatwick Airport will be heard in the High Court next week.
The campaign and environmental group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) opposes Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s decision to grant development consent for the project.
In the hearing, which will run from 20 to 23 January 2026, CAGNE’s argues that the climate change impacts of the extra runway have not been properly assessed.
The planned expansion would see the repurposing of Gatwick Airport’s emergency runway for use as a second operational runway. The extra capacity is expected to lead to more than 100,000 more flights per year.
These two paragraphs give CAGNE’s case.
CAGNE says that this decision was flawed, arguing that there are numerous gaps in the environmental assessment of the airport expansion. These include a failure to adequately assess inbound flight emissions, the climate impact of non-carbon dioxide emissions, the handling of additional sewage, and noise pollution.
The group also argues that the second runway plans rely too heavily on the UK’s Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), which assumes ambitious improvements in the aviation industry in areas such as fuel efficiency.
My feelings are as follows.
- We need more runway capacity.
- Eventually all aircraft will be powered by electricity, hydrogen or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
- Because of the need for large amounts of renewable electricity to make hydrogen and SAF, the runway will need to be near offshore wind farms.
Only Doncaster Sheffield, Gatwick, Liverpool, Stansted and some Scottish airports are near the sea or could be connected to the coast by an easy-to-build cable or pipeline.
CAGNE may well win their case, but I fell Nimbys will also stop Heathrow getting a third runway.
Formal Bid To Extend Railway Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A formal bid to extend a railway line which has seen more than 900,000 passenger journeys in the year since it reopened has been submitted.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
Northumberland County Council asked the North East Combined Authority to extend the Northumberland Line, which connects south-east Northumberland to Tyneside, to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
Conservative leader of the council Glen Sanderson said the total cost of the scheme was yet to be worked out, adding: “It is going to be very expensive, but I’m sure it will be worthwhile.”
Labour North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she would like to see the line extended further into the county. She said: “We’ll support a business case to see what is possible.”
I wrote more about this extension in Onward To Newbiggin-by-the-Sea For The Northumberland Line?
I certainly believe it is an extension, that should be properly costed.
New Station Openings In Early 2026
This post is for two reasons.
I needed an answer to my query.
I wanted to explore the competence of Google AI.
When I typed the title of this post into Google AI, I received this answer.
Several new railway stations in the UK are scheduled to open or begin passenger services in early 2026, primarily in the West Midlands, Northumberland, Devon, and Cambridgeshire.
- Darlaston (between Walsall and Wolverhampton)
- Willenhall (between Walsall and Wolverhampton)
- Kings Heath (Camp Hill line, Birmingham)
- Moseley Village (Camp Hill line, Birmingham)
- Pineapple Road (Camp Hill line, Birmingham)
- Bedlington
- Northumberland Park (interchange with Tyne and Wear Metro)
- Cambridge South (Cambridgeshire) – Expected to open in June 2026, connecting the biomedical campus to London, Birmingham, Stansted, and Gatwick airports.
- Okehampton Interchange (Devon) – This new park and ride station, part of the Devon Metro plan, is planned to open in spring 2026.
- Magna (Rotherham) – A new tram-train and park & ride stop is due to open in early 2026.
- Darlington Station redevelopment (County Durham) – Major redevelopment works are “on target” for completion in spring 2026.
It looks to me, that Google AI made a good fist of my question.
10 Exciting New Train Journeys Coming To The UK In 2026
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Telegraph.
The journeys are.
South Wales Metro (The ‘Welsh Tube’)
Effectively, what the Welsh have done is turn the railways radiating from Cardiff into the sort of metro that Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Tyne-Tees have created over the last few decades.
- They are replacing a large proportion of the rolling stock, with new electric or hybrid-electric trains and tram-trains.
- Some of the lines are notably scenic.
- Some new stations have been added.
- There are attractions to visit.
- A Day Ranger ticket is available.
A few times in the past few years, when I feel I need some fresh air, I’ve taken a train to Cardiff, bought a Day Ranger and climbed a few hills in a train, as in my seventies, I’m too old to walk up.
I wouldn’t be surprised that the forthcoming Leeds Metro borrows heavily from ideas developed on the South Wales Metro.
London To Stirling
Stirling is one of those towns and cities, like Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Shrewsbury and a few others, that Virgin and Avanti West Coast seem reluctant to serve.
I feel by choosing Stirling for a service, Lumo have just done the obvious.
- The route is fully-electrified.
- Stops will be Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert.
- There will be four trains per day.
- The initial trains will be Class 222 trains.
- The electric Class 803 trains are on order.
- Hitachi are developing battery-electric trains for Lumo on the East Coast to be able to use the diversion via Lincoln, which would probably reach Perth.
- Car-hire companies will do well in Stirling.
- Stirling has onward train connections to Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Montrose, Perth and Stonehaven.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see FirstGroup, who are Lumo’s parent or another coach company, creating a hydrogen-powered coach network for the North of Scotland.
- The service will start in May 2026.
That really shows how railways can be used to boost growth. But will the SNP get the message?
I will use this service to have a few days in Stirling and explore the Southern part of the Scottish Highlands by train.
Caledonian Sleeper from Birmingham
This looks to be obvious addition to the Caledonian Sleeper.
The Telegraph says this.
The joys of the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, well known to travellers from London, are to be extended for the first time to those wanting to alight at Birmingham International. This change – the biggest in the Caledonian Sleeper schedule for 30 years – will mean that greeting the dawn approaching places as far flung as Fort William, Aberdeen and Inverness will be a far more realistic prospect for fans of this form of travel who live in the Midlands.
Note.
- The Birmingham stop will be at International not New Street.
- The service starts on January 16.
- Only the Highlander will stop at Birmingham International.
It seems to be a well-thought out simple addition to the service.
Newquay And Falmouth
The Telegraph says this.
Exciting news for fans of Cornwall where a new direct service linking the north and south coasts this year will make travelling by train between the key towns of Newquay and Falmouth considerably easier. The improvement to the current journey, frequently involving multiple changes and lasting two and half hours, will start with an increase in services between Newquay and Par in the spring and, by the end of the year, the commencement of the direct link all the way through to Falmouth.
Note.
The project is named the Mid Cornwall Metro.
The project has cost £57 million.
The route will be Newquay and Falmouth Docks via Quintrell Down, St. Columb Road, Roche, Bugle, Luxulyan, Par, St. Austell, Truro, Perranwell, Penryn, Penmere and Falmouth Town.
For more information, see midcornwallmetro.com
The journey time between Newquay and Falmouth will be cut by forty-five minutes.
I am sure that there are other rail systems in the UK, Ireland and in the wider world, that could benefit from a
High Speed Sonnet (Weardale To Stratford-upon-Avon)
The Telegraph says this.
And now for something completely different: a one-off charter train from the dales of County Durham to Stratford-upon-Avon, the heart of Shakespeare country. This journey, dubbed the “High Speed Sonnet”, comes as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the introduction of the legendary InterCity 125 high speed trains, one of which will be deployed on the run from Stanhope to the birthplace of the bard.
This train journey, although it is probably very nice is not really my scene.
- I don’t have a partner.
- I don’t live near to Weardale or Stratford-on-Avon.
- As I’m coeliac and low alcohol, I’m not really keen on gourmet dining events.
But the train is an Intercity 125, so some might like to take a ride.
For more details see excursionsbyrail.co.uk
West Highland Line, Scotland
The Telegraph says this.
A journey along the West Highland line, the most scenic stretch of track in Britain, and a visit to the Royal waiting room used by Queen Victoria during visits to Balmoral are two of the highlights of a new tour for 2026, offered by small group Scotland and UK specialists McKinlay Kidd.
Similar comments to the previous journey apply, except that it is West Scotland.
But the train is steam-hauled over the Glenfinnan Viaduct of Harry Potter fame, so some might like to take a ride.
For more details see mckinlaykidd.com
Mid Wales Explorer
The Telegraph says this.
Another new tour for 2026, this one run by The Railway Touring Company, has as its focus the central part of Wales. Highlights include a journey along the Welsh Highland line on the “Harbourmaster”, shorter trips on the celebrated little railways of Llangollen, Bala Lake, Talyllyn, Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool, and a narrowboat ride across world heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct located 38 metres above the River Dee. Tidy.
I might go on this one if the date of June 10th fits.
For more details see railwaytouring.net
Newcastle And Brighton
The Telegraph says this.
How about this for a tantalising prospect – a direct service between Newcastle and Brighton calling at York, Sheffield, Birmingham New Street, Oxford, Reading, and Gatwick Airport – with no need to change trains in London? This is the new route proposed by open-access operator Grand Central (part of Arriva UK Trains) and currently awaiting approval from the Office of Rail and Road.
All going well, services – five trains each way daily – should start by the end of the year. A potential game changer and, following the commencement of the direct link between Seaham and London in December 2025, a further example of Grand Central’s drive to connect underserved communities.
For more details see grandcentralrail.com
London And Cleethorpes
The Telegraph says this.
Another Grand Central proposal that whets the appetite is the application to run direct services (for the first time since 1992) between London and the Lincolnshire seaside town of Cleethorpes. While not without its critics, Cleethorpes is an old-school British resort with pier, promenade and the Cleethorpes Coast Light (miniature) Railway service. If approved, four services a day would be up and running by the end of 2026; additional stops would include Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Thorne South, Crowle and Althorpe.
For more details see grandcentralrail.com
Note.
Althorpe is not to be confused with the burial place of Princess Di.
In Lunch On The Pier In Cleethorpes, I wrote about excellent gluten-free fish and chips on the pier.
Champagne Moments On The Northern Belle
The Telegraph says this.
The late Queen Mother famously enjoyed G&Ts while seated in carriages which now form part of the the Northern Belle. This in mind, she would likely have approved of the latest innovation on one of Britain’s plushest trains: the addition of a “Krug class”, which includes one bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne per couple, to enjoy over a multi-course meal and seating in Duart (formerly a carriage on The Royal Train) or Glamis, named after the Queen Mother’s childhood home.
The train operates a number of day trips on scenic routes to landmark cities such as York, Edinburgh and Bath, and to colourful events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For more details see 95pp; northernbelle.co.uk
An Airbus A 380 On Finals At Heathrow
I realised this morning, that I needed an image of an Airbus A 380 and as I’d never flown in one, I didn’t have one.
So I went to Heathrow and took a few pictures as one does.
The aircraft was approaching on Runway 27 L.
i
Direct London Trains ‘Could Start In 2026’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A new train company is hoping its proposals for new daily services from Shropshire to London Euston could begin towards the end of 2026.
Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR), which is led by international rail firm Alstom, submitted a new bid at the end of last year to provide four daily trains.
These two paragraphs add detail to the story.
The county has not had a direct train link to the capital since Avanti West Coast stopped its single daily service in 2024 because of low passenger numbers.
The move has been welcomed by regular commuter Charlotte Foster, who lives on the Welsh border. She said a direct service would save her the stress of missing a connection or catching a train elsewhere.
These are my thoughts on this proposal.
I wonder If Alstom Will Be Using This route To Trial Hydrogen-Powered Trains?
Consider.
- The route was a failure for Virgin Trains.
- Perhaps the curiosity value of hydrogen-trains will generate sufficient traffic.
- Hydrogen-electric trains will be very quiet. Those in Germany are hydrogen-electro-mechanical and very noisy.
- The trains will be based on the proven Aventra platform.
- I reported on Alstom’s hydrogen trains for the UK in Alstom Plans To Operate Its Own Passenger Train Service In The UK For The First Time.
- Perhaps Alstom feel that an extended test will convince passengers that the trains are a good idea.
- An extended test would give proper costings for Great British Railways and prospective open access operators.
The map downloaded from the BBC article shows the route.
Note.
- There are eight intermediate stops.
- Euston and Wolverhampton is 124.9 miles and fully electrified.
- Wolverhampton and Wrexham General is 59.9 miles and is not electrified.
- The section of the route without electrification at 120 miles return might need some new electrification for battery-electric trains, but from their experience in Germany, I suspect that Alstom, will know how to cover the route using hydrogen-hybrid trains, which would use the existing electrification between Euston and Wolverhampton.
This picture shows a visualisation of a possible Alston hydrogen train, which would probably be built in Derby on an Aventra platform.
Note.
- It could be up to five-cars long.
- I suspect Alstom could give the train a 125 mph cruising speed, so it could mix it with all the express trains between Euston and Wolverhampton.
- The trains would have a very long range on hydrogen.
- Hydrogen trains could certainly handle a round trip between Wolverhampton and Holyhead on a single fuelling.
- Hydrogen fuelling is likely to be setup at Cemex at Wrexham and the Port of Holyhead.
I think it could be an ideal trial route for hydrogen trains.
But also it could bring growth to the towns and cities between Wolverhampton and Holyhead.
Would Alstom’s Hydrogen-Hybrid Trains Be Suitable For Other Routes?
Most Certainly!
In the first place, the route could be extended to Holyhead, which would surely bring growth to the towns and cities between Wolverhampton and Holyhead.
This would create a zero-carbon route between London and the Island of Ireland.
But around the UK, there would be other routes.
I can envisage these routes being run by hydrogen-hybrid trains.
- London Waterloo and Exeter – Third-rail operation
- London Bridge and Uckfield – Third-rail operation
- London Bridge and Hoo – Third-rail operation
- East Coastway and Marshlink Lines – Third-rail operation
- Scotland – Replacement of Inter7City trains and filling in the gaps in electrification.
Note.
- Some areas already have or have plans for hydrogen supply networks.
- With the exception of supplying hydrogen, very little infrastructure would be needed.
- Hydrogen trains should be fairly quiet.
- Hydrogen trains don’t create much disruption, when they are installed.
Aventras have been fairly well received and can be between three and nine cars.
Could Doncaster Sheffield Airport Become A Hydrogen Airport?
I asked Google AI, what is the current status of Doncaster Sheffield Airport and received this reply.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) is currently in a state of active, public-funded redevelopment after closing in late 2022 due to financial issues, with plans to reopen for passenger flights by late 2027 or 2028, following significant funding (around £160m) secured by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) for the City of Doncaster Council to take over operations and rebuild commercial viability, with freight and general aviation potentially returning sooner.
This Google Map shows the location of the airport.
Note.
- The distinctive mouth of the River Humber can be picked out towards the North-East corner of the map.
- Hull and Grimsby sit in the mouth of the Humber.
- The red arrow indicates Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
- Leeds is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The towns and city of Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield can be picked out to the West of the airport.
This second Google Map shows a close-up of the airport.
On my visit to NASA in the 1980s, where an Artemis system was used to project manage the turnround of the Space Shuttle, I was asked questions by one of NASA’s support people about RAF Finningley. Nothing too technical, but things like what is Doncaster like.
When I asked why, they said there’s a high chance that a Space Shuttle could land at RAF Finningley, as it has one of the best runways for a very heavy aircraft in Europe.
Looking at the runway, it is a long and wide runway that was built for heavy RAF nuclear bombers like Valiants, Victors and Vulcans.
I believe that we will eventually see hydrogen- and/or nuclear-powered airliners flying very long routes across the globe, just as a nuclear-powered example, attempted to do in the first episode of the TV series Thunderbirds, which was called Trapped in the Sky and has this Wikipedia entry.
Just as the Space Shuttle did, these airliners and their air-cargo siblings will need a large runway.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport already has such a runway.
These hydrogen- and nuclear-powered aircraft will make Airbus A 380s look small and will need runways like the one at Finningley.
But I don’t think we’ll ever see nuclear-powered aircraft in the near future, so the aircraft will likely be hydrogen.
Other things in favour of making Doncaster Sheffield Airport, an airport for long range hydrogen aircraft include.
- The airport is close to the massive hydrogen production and storage facilities being developed on Humberside at Aldbrough and Rough.
- The airport could be connected to the Sheffield Supertram.
- The airport could be connected to the trains at Doncaster station, which has 173 express trains per day to all over the country.
- The airport would fit well with my thoughts on hydrogen-powered coaches, that I wrote about inFirstGroup Adds Leeds-based J&B Travel To Growing Coach Portfolio
- The airport might even be able to accept the next generation of supersonic aircraft.
- The airport could certainly accept the largest hydrogen-powered cargo aircraft.
- The Airport isn’t far from Doncaster iPort railfreight terminal.
Did I read too much science fiction?
I have some further thoughts.
Do Electric Aircraft Have A Future?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
Yes, electric aircraft absolutely have a future, especially for short-haul, regional, and urban air mobility (UAM), promising quieter, zero-emission flights, but battery limitations mean long-haul flights will rely more on hydrogen-electric or Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) for the foreseeable future. Expect to see battery-electric planes for shorter trips by the late 2020s, while hybrid or hydrogen solutions tackle longer distances, with a significant shift towards alternative propulsion by 2050.
That doesn’t seem very promising, so I asked Google AI what range can be elected from electric aircraft by 2035 and received this answer.
By 2035, fully electric aircraft ranges are expected to be around 200-400 km (125-250 miles) for small commuter planes, while hybrid-electric models could reach 800-1,000 km (500-620 miles), focusing on short-haul routes due to battery limitations; larger, long-range electric flight remains decades away, with hydrogen propulsion targeting 1,000-2,000 km ranges for that timeframe.
Note.
- I doubt that many prospective passengers would want to use small commuter planes for up to 250 miles from Doncaster Sheffield airport with hundreds of express trains per day going all over the UK mainland from Doncaster station.
- But Belfast City (212 miles), Dublin (215 miles) and Ostend (227 miles), Ronaldsway on the Isle of Man (154 miles) and Rotterdam(251 miles) and Schipol 340 miles) may be another matter, as there is water to cross.
It looks like it will be after 2035 before zero-carbon aircraft will be travelling further than 620 miles.
My bets would be on these aircraft being hydrogen hybrid aircraft.
What Will The Range Of Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft In 2040?
I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.
By 2040, hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft are projected to have a range that covers short- to medium-haul flights, likely up to 7,000 kilometers (approximately 3,780 nautical miles), with some models potentially achieving longer ranges as technology and infrastructure mature.
The range of these aircraft will vary depending on the specific technology used (hydrogen fuel cells versus hydrogen combustion in modified gas turbines) and aircraft size.
It looks like we’ll be getting there.
This Wikipedia entry is a list of large aircraft and there are some very large aircraft, like the Antonov An-225, which was destroyed in the Ukraine War.
A future long-range hydrogen-powered airline must be able to match the range of current aircraft that will need to be replaced.
I asked Google AI what airliner has the longest range and received this reply.
The longest-range airliner in service is the Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range), specifically configured for airlines like Singapore Airlines to fly extremely long distances, reaching around 9,700 nautical miles (18,000 km) for routes like Singapore to New York. While the A350-900ULR holds records for current operations, the upcoming Boeing 777-8X aims to compete, and the Boeing 777-200LR was previously known for its exceptional range.
I believe that based on the technology of current successful aircraft, that an aircraft could be built, that would be able to have the required range and payload to be economic, with the first version probably being a high-capacity cargo version.
What Would An Ultra Long Range Hydrogen-Powered Airliner Look Like?
Whatever the aircraft looks like it will need to be powered. Rolls-Royce, appear to be destining a future turbofan for aircraft called the Ultrafan, which has this Wikipedia entry.
I asked Google AI, if Rolls-Royce will produce an Ultrafan for hydrogen and received this answer.
Rolls-Royce is actively developing the UltraFan architecture to be compatible with hydrogen fuel in the future, but the current UltraFan demonstrator runs on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The company has a research program dedicated to developing hydrogen-powered engines for future aircraft, aiming for entry into service in the mid-2030s.
I asked Google AI, if Rolls-Royce have had major difficulties converting engines to hydrogen and received this answer.
Rolls-Royce has not encountered insurmountable difficulties but faces significant engineering and logistical challenges in converting engines to run on hydrogen. The company has made substantial progress in testing both stationary and aero engines using pure hydrogen, confirming its technical feasibility.
Given the company’s success in developing engines in the past, like the R Type, Merlin, RB 211, Pegasus, Trent, mtu 4000 and others, I suspect there’s a high chance of a successful hydrogen-powered Ultrafan.
If you look at a history of large passenger and cargo aircraft over the last sixty years, there has been a lot of the following.
- Conversion of one type of aircraft to a totally different type.
- Fitting new engines to a particular type.
- Fitting new avionics to a particular type.
Examples include.
- Fitting new CFM-56 engines to DC-8s.
- The first two Nimrods were converted from unsold Comet 4Cs.
- Converting Victor bombers to RAF tanker aircraft.
- Converting BA Tristars to RAF tanker aircraft.
- Converting DC-8s to cargo aircraft.
- Airbus converted five Airbus A 300-600 into Belugas, which have this Wikipedia entry.
- Airbus converted six Airbus A 330-200F into BelugaXLs, which have this Wikipedia entry.
- Converting two Boeing-747s to carry Space Shuttles ; one from American Airlines and one from Japan Airlines, which have this Wikipedia entry.
Note.
- Most of these examples have been successful.
- The last three examples have been very successful.
- Most of these applications do not have a human cargo.
This picture shows an Emirates Air Lines’s Airbus A 380 on finals at Heathrow.
Note.
- The aircraft was landing on Runway 27 L.
- The four engines and the vertical oval cross-section of the fuselage are clearly visible.
- The Wikipedia entry for the Airbus A 380 shows two floors across the fuselage; the upper floor with eight seats in 2-4-2 and the lower floor with ten seats in 3-4-3, and a pair of LD3 cargo containers in the basement.
I’d be interested to know, how much hydrogen could be put in the basement and how far it could take the plane with a full load of passengers!
This link to the Wikipedia entry, shows the cross section in detail.
Note
I wouldn’t be surprised that the first application of large hydrogen aircraft will be for cargo and it could be an Airbus Beluga or perhaps an Airbus A 380 freighter?
The Anonymous Widower 
