New Routemasters As Advertising Hoardings
Increasingly, New Routemasters are appearing as advertising hoardings.
Note.
- I am unsure if some of the products should be advertised so prominently.
- The last picture is of a naked bus to fill the space.
- I shall be adding to this gallery.
In Could London’s New Routemaster Buses Be Converted To Hydrogen Power?, I came to this conclusion.
I believe from my knowledge of Cummins and the way they work, that they will come up with a hydrogen-based solution, that will replace the Cummins diesel in these buses with a zero-carbon engine.
If Cummins don’t then someone else will.
Whoever solves the problem of converting London’s new Routemasters to hydrogen will have one of the best adverts for their product, there has ever been.
After converting London’s thousand Routemasters, the engineers could move on to anything powered by a Cummins engine.
It would be a quick, easy and affordable way to create a thousand zero-carbon buses.
An Annoying Day
My plan was simple on Saturday May the 10th.
I intended to go to Liverpool Lime Street on a Day Return ticket.
I would then buy a Lancashire Day Ranger ticket and visit Wigan North Western, Preston and Lancaster stations, to see how ready, they are for High Speed Two services.
I also intended to go to Morecambe to see how the Eden Project Morecambe was getting on.
I did get to Wigan North Western station and later wrote Is Wigan North Western Station Ready For High Speed Two?
But then there was a points failure at Preston and after waiting at the station for over an hour for tranport to Preston, I changed plan.
I decided to go back to Liverpool by way of Wigan Wallgate and Headbolt Lane stations.
On return home, I wrote Wigan Wallgate To Headbolt Lane – 10th May 2025.
A Quick Run Back To London
At Lime Street station, I walked into the Wetherspoons pub at the station, with the intension of buying a bottle of my favourite brew, which all of the chain stock. But not this one!
So I got an early train back to London.
The Most Expensive Taxi Back From Euston
I paid over thirty pounds, when under twenty is the norm, not because I was being ripped off, but by the number of roadworks, that slowed our journey.
Does Your Car Have A Large Capacity, Dash Mounted Refrigerator?
I suspect not, but Wrightbus’s new Contour Coach will have one for the driver and the lucky soul, who sits in the other front seat.
Wrightbus have now put the specification of the Contour coach on a page that is entitled Experience The Contour Difference.
This is the introduction.
Introducing the Wright Contour Diesel Coach, where luxury, innovation, and performance come together. Since 1946, Wright has been at the forefront of transportation innovation, shaping the future with its unwavering commitment to excellence. Today, as UK’s No.1 zero-emission bus manufacturer and one of Europe’s fastest growing brands, Wright is making a bold return to the luxury coach market with the all-new Contour Diesel Coach (available in UK and Europe). In the 1980s, Wright revolutionised the luxury coach industry with its innovative, high-end Contour models, setting new standards in design and comfort. On 5th March 2025, Wright makes a bold return to the coach market with the all-new Contour Diesel Coach, redefining performance, style, and efficiency, offering spacious interiors, advanced safety features, and a high-performance Cummins X11 Euro 6 engine delivering 400hp. With competitive pricing, reduced lead times, and full service support to ‘complete Vehicle OEM and operator support’ from Wright’s All Service One Network, the Contour is built to exceed expectations. Plus, with a 2-year or 200,000km warranty backed fully by Wright, it ensures reliability and peace of mind.
I asked Google AI if the Cummins X11 engine can be converted to hydrogen and was told this.
Yes, while not inherently designed for hydrogen from the factory, the Cummins X11 engine, like many Cummins diesel engines, can be converted to run on hydrogen fuel. This involves modifications, including changing the cylinder head and fuel system.
As I discussed in Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultroliner Next-Gen To Get Cummins Power, it appears Wrightbus are going the Cummins route, to open up the possibility of converting the vehicles to hydrogen at some point in the future.
Cummins have certainly seen a green vision. on the Road to Net Zero, which seems to go via their Darlington factory.
The coach specification includes.
- Premium reclining seats for all passengers.
- Adjustable armrests, and USB ports at every seat.
- Safety features like 3-point seat belts and ‘buckle up’ alerts.
- Powered doors to the lockers underneath.
- Reversing and rear-door cameras.
Wrightbus are also promising reduced lead times, which in my experience as a part-owner of a leasing company, that financed a large number of coaches, is very much to be welcomed.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Coaches
Two trips convinced me, that hydrogen fuel cell coaches are the way to go.
In Riding Rail Air Between Reading Station And Heathrow Terminal 5, I did what it says in the title.
I was very disappointed.
The coach may have been a nearly-new top-of-the-range model, but my journey was to the accompanying thump-thump-thump of the diesel engine. There were also no USB ports, which these days many British Rail-era trains are sporting.
In Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus, I also did what it said in the title.
I was very impressed and it convinced me that hydrogen fuel cell-powered coaches could be an interesting proposition.
The power unit was mouse-quiet and the bus had more than adequate performance for the route, through the Surrey Hills.
It would be a very fruitful experiment, if say a twenty-mile route to say an airport, that is currently run by a traditional diesel coach, were to be replaced by a hydrogen fuel cell-powered bus, with a more luggage-friendly interior.
- Would passenger numbers increase?
- Would the number of airport workers using the service increase?
I believe that in a few years diesel coaches will be filed under Betamax.
Is There A Market For A Wrightbus Hydroliner FCEV-based Hybrid Coach?
A few years ago, there was a plan, to improve public transport to Heathrow, that would have seen the Elizabeth Line to Terminal 5 extended to Staines. I went to Staines and discussed this with one of the staff at the station.
He was all for this, as it would have given staff at the airport and in the airlines, an easy route to and from work, which would mean, they didn’t have to pay to take their car, especially, when they were working difficult shifts.
A Wrightbus Hydroliner FCEV, with a hybrid interior geared to both passengers with heavy luggage and passengers and airport and airline workers with just a carry-on size bag, might appeal to some operators.
Especially for some of the night bus routes operating to Heathrow.
DESNZ Launches Call For Evidence For Solar Carports In The UK
The title of this post is the same as this article on Solar Power Portal.
These three paragraphs introduce the article.
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has launched a call for evidence to help increase the number of solar-powered carports in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The likely result of this will be a mandate that car parks have a solar PV installation, as has been the case in France for some time.
Mandating solar on car parks has multiple benefits, which DESNZ is keen to emphasise. It says that a mandate would be a “better deal for motorists and businesses”
I may not be a fan of electric cars, but I’m certainly no fan of spreading solar panels over large areas of quality farmland.
There are some interesting statements.
Take this one.
DESNZ cites estimates that supermarkets, retail parks and offices could save up to £28,000 annually by installing solar carports (this figure calculated for an 80-space car park—the size that France mandates must be covered by solar PV) if all of the electricity generated by the solar array was used onsite.
£28,000 a year is not to be sneezed at!
And this one.
Earlier this year, Norwich-based RenEnergy, a solar carport provider, revealed that installing solar carports in more than half a million suitable parking spaces owned by UK businesses could generate 1.57GW of solar energy.
They do suggest that this figure only scratches the surface.
And then there’s this story from Bentley.
In 2019, Bentley Motors installed a solar car park at its headquarters in Crewe. The site’s 10,000 solar PV modules have a capacity of 2.7MW and cover an area of 16,426m². Along with other installed solar arrays and 6.6MW of battery energy storage, the car park enables all of Bentley’s manufacturing operations to be powered by solar or certified green energy.
How many other businesses could do that?
This Google Map shows the Bentley Motors site at Crewe.
Note.
- It appears to be a large site.
- Bentley employs over 4,000 employees at Crewe.
- In 2023, Bentley delivered 13, 560 cars.
- The solar car ports appear to be at the Western end of the site.
- There would appear to be a lot of scope to add more solar car ports at the Eastern end of the site.
Running along the Southern edge of the site is the North Wales Coast Line, which runs between Crewe and Chester and then on to North Wales.
I would have thought, that a case could be made out to have a station at the Bentley site for employees and visitors.
There also doesn’t seem to be the infrastructure, so that cars to some destinations can be delivered by train, like these from Toyota, which I photographed at Denmark Hill station, which were on the way to Europe, through the Channel Tunnel.
Perhaps sending luxury cars to their future owners by train is the wrong image.
Moorgate Has Now Got A New Light-Controlled Crossing
The new light-controlled crossing on Moorgate is now open and I took these pictures yesterday after I shopped at Marks & Spencer and walked back to the bus.
This short shopping street has all I need for daily living and the odd bit of shopping.
- Boots
- Elizabeth Line station
- Hotel Chocolat
- Leon
- Marks and Spencers
- Timpsons
I generally visit every day.
Minimum Age To Be A Train Driver Lowered To 18
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to drive trains after the minimum age was lowered from 20 in a bid to tackle driver shortages.
These first three paragraphs add detail.
UK rail services are frequently disrupted due to a lack of drivers being available, and the problem is set to get worse with companies struggling to replace a growing number of people retiring with new recruits, the government said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the change as “bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs”.
Union Aslef said it would open up opportunities for school or college leavers, while the Rail Safety and Standards Board said its research found “18-year-olds are capable of safely becoming train drivers”.
This paragraph from Google AI, says you only have to be sixteen to join the British Army.
The minimum age to join the UK Army as a Regular Soldier is 16. However, you’ll be a Junior Soldier until you turn 18, at which point you can transition to a regular role. To join the Army Reserve, you need to be at least 18. The upper age limit for joining the Army Reserve as a soldier is the day before your 43rd birthday.
A similar age of sixteen, applies to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, with eighteen applying for the Police.
How Does This Compare With Driving A Bus?
This paragraph from Google AI, gives the driving age for a bus.
The minimum age to become a bus driver in the UK is 18 years old. However, to drive a full-sized bus (Category D), you must be 24 years old, unless you are undergoing the Initial Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) qualification. For Category D1 (minibus), the minimum age is also 18.
Google AI gives this description of Category D1.
PSV (Public Service Vehicle) Class D1 licence, also known as a PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) licence or a minibus licence, allows you to drive a minibus for hire or reward. This licence category applies to minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats and a maximum length of 8 meters, and can tow trailers up to 750kg. To obtain a D1 licence, you need to pass a medical check, a theory test, and a practical driving test.
I suspect that many eighteen-year-olds are capable enough to hold a PCV licence.
What sort of vehicle will someone with a PCV licence be able to drive?
Wrightbus subsidiary ; Rightech has just released a suitable vehicle.
- It is battery-electric powered.
- It can seat up to twelve passengers.
- It is six metres long.
- It has a range of 112 miles.
It has a high-specification, which includes air-conditioning.
This image is courtesy of Rightech.
I can see bus operating companies, creating a career structure, that starts drivers on a PCV licence and progresses them upwards to the full PSV licence at 24.
Conclusion
I feel this could be a very sensible decision and like the age and competence structure for bus drivers, it creates worthwhile jobs for 18-24 year olds.
Key Rail Route To London Scrapped A Year Ago Could Return – Here’s Why
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Shropshire Star.
This is the sub-heading.
A key railway line to London that was scrapped a year ago, could be set for a return.
This is said in the article.
South Shropshire MP Stuart Anderson is among those who has thrown his support behind plans to restore direct rail services to London, after Avanti ceased to operate the route almost a year ago in June 2024.
On March 12, Mr Anderson met with Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR) who have developed the plans.
If their application is approved, it would see the return of direct services between Wrexham and London via Shropshire. WSMR, the aspirant open access operator, plans to deliver five daily train services between the county and capital city.
It’s only sketchy information and given the Government’s lukewarm support for open access services, I don’t hold out much hope, especially as Stuart Anderson is a Conservative MP.
‘Cut-Off For 58 Years’ Town To Get Railway Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Plans to build Greater Manchester’s first new railway station for a quarter of a century have been approved for a town cut off from the rail network since 1967.
These two introductory paragraphs give more details.
The £32m station in Golborne, near Wigan, was proposed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) after a residents’ campaign.
Since trains stopped calling at Golborne 58 years ago, the town has been left without any direct transport links to and from Manchester.
This Google Map shows the location of Golborne.
Note.
- The A 580, which is one of main Liverpool and Manchester roads going across the bottom of the map.
- If you drive West along the A 580 from here, you connect to the M6 at Junction 23 ; Haydock Island.
- Continuing West takes you to Liverpool.
- Going East along the A 580 takes you to the M60 and Manchester.
- Running North-South up the map is the West Coast Main Line and currently, it appears to be four electrified tracks all the way to Wigan North Western station.
- Nook Lane crosses the West Coast Main Line at the top of the map.
This second Google Map shows the West Coast Main Line through Golborne.
Note.
- The four tracks of the West Coast Main Line run North-South up the centre of the map.
- Nook Lane can be clearly seen.
My best guess is that the station will be built to the South of where the A 573 crosses the West Coast Main Line.
- A picture in the BBC article shows four platforms, with three lifts to give full step-free access.
- It looks like there is a brownfield site to the South of this location, where parking could be provided.
The new Golborne station could be a bit more than a simple station serving a small town.
I have a few thoughts.
How Many High Speed Two trains Will Go Through Golborne Station?
This graphic shows High Speed Two services, as proposed by HS2 after Phase 2b opens.
Note.
- Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
- Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- Each service will run once an hour.
- The nine services to the right of the vertical black line have been scrapped.
- There are elevenservices that terminate at Euston in every hour.
- Eight are High Speed Two Full Size trains, which are 400 metres long.
- Two are single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, which are 200 metres long.
- Three are pairs of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains, which are 400 metres long.
How Many High Speed Two trains Will Go Through Golborne Station?
This will be the same as the number of trains going through Wigan North Western station.
These are.
- London Euston and Lancaster – 200 m.
- London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh – 400 m.
- London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh – 400 m.
- Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh – 200 m.
Note.
- That is only four trains per hour (tph).
- As High Speed Two will be digitally signalled, I suspect that four fast tph and four slow tph could be accommodated between Wigan North Western and Golborne.
- The problem could be eased by running 125 mph or even 140 mph trains on local services on the West Coast Main Line.
- But the major problem will be North of Wigan North Western station, where there are only two tracks.
I also wonder, if increasing the number of high speed paths to five, would mean that no 400 m. trains would need to run North of Crewe, so there would be less need for platforms to be lengthened.
Is Wigan North Western Station Ready For High Speed Two?
I answered this question in 2019 in Is Wigan North Western Station Ready For High Speed Two? and felt, it was getting close.
I shall visit this summer and see if it is getting closer to being ready.
What Is The Collective Noun For Cement Mixer Trucks?
I took these pictures on Eldon Street and Moorgate this morning.
Note.
- There was obviously a big pour going on in the rebuilding of Broadgate.
- I suspect those outside the hotel in the street restaurant, we’re too amused by the cabaret.
- Cemex were providing the concrete.
Perhaps in view of the location, the collective noun is a pollution of cement mixer trucks.
In Cummins Agrees To Integrate Its Hydrogen ICE Technology Into Terex® Advance Trucks, I describe the latest design of cement mixer trucks from the United States.
This is the European-sized member of the range.
Note.
- Front is to the right.
- The engine is in the pod at the other end.
- The engine can be one of Cummins’s hydrogen internal combustion engines.
These trucks would be much more city-friendly.
Heart Aerospace Relocates Corporate Headquarters To Los Angeles, California
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Heart Aerospace.
This is the sub-heading.
Hybrid-electric airplane manufacturer Heart Aerospace has announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Gothenburg, Sweden to Los Angeles, California. This strategic move aims to bolster the company’s product development in the United States, supporting the upcoming experimental flights of its Heart X1 prototype and the future Heart X2 prototype.
These two introductory paragraphs add ,ore detail.
Scheduled for its maiden flight in 2025, the X1 marks a major milestone in Heart’s innovation journey, setting the stage for X2.
“Our move to Los Angeles marks a new chapter in Heart Aerospace’s journey—one that prioritizes iterative development and deeper vertical integration,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “For the X2, we’re developing key technologies like batteries, actuation systems, software, and hybrid-electric hardware in-house. This approach allows us to refine and enhance our systems continuously, just as we’ve done with the X1 prototype, which has seen extensive testing and major design updates since its initial rollout in 2024.”
In some ways, I find this move to California slightly sad, as I suspect most of those associated with the airliner, would have liked to see the development stay in Sweden.
This paragraph gives more details on the reasons for the move.
“We are deeply grateful to our team in Sweden for being part of this chapter of Heart’s journey, and for all the support we have received in Sweden,” said Anders Forslund. “However, as our customers, partners, and investors are increasingly based in the U.S, we see greater opportunity in focusing our resources here. By consolidating our operations in Los Angeles, we can accelerate development, strengthen collaboration, and better position Heart Aerospace for the future.”
They are not mentioned, but I do hope, Trump’s tariffs have nothing to do with it.
The Anonymous Widower 