Wisbech To March Rail Link Options Being Discussed
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Four options for a “rail” service between the Fenland towns of Wisbech and March are being considered by Network Rail.
These four options appear to be.
- Conventional rail
- Tram-train
- Light rail
- Very light rail
Note.
- I suspect all modes have their supporters.
- But only the first two options would be able to connect to Ely or Cambridge.
- The last two options would probably just be a shuttle to March.
I have looked at the route on OpenRailwayMap and there is no less than a dozen level crossings between March and Wisbech.
Even for very light rail, the engineering costs of these level crossings will be large.
Conclusion
I have a feeling that the costs of the engineering required for this scheme might kill it.
Europe’s Next High-Speed Train Operator
I was alerted to Heuro Train, by this article in Railway Gazette International, which has this opening paragraph.
A proposal to launch high speed train services from Amsterdam to London and from Groningen to Paris has been announced by Dutch start-up Heuro, while Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is also reported to be looking at competing with Eurostar on cross-Channel routes.
The Heuro Train web site was easily found and the title of this post, was part of their mission statement on the home page.
I have read the web site and have a few initial thoughts.
Technology-Driven Excellence
This is their first sub heading and this is the text.
In a world where technology defines possibilities, Heuro develops the latest innovations into every aspect of our service. From advanced train systems to intuitive in-seat features that cater to your needs, our technology is the driving force behind a seamless, state-of-the-art travel experience.
We’ve all written things like that in the past.
Meeting The Human Need
This is their second sub heading and this is the text.
Heuro emerged from human desires, informed by analyses from Marveltest.
There’s been a 32% annual increase in online interest for train travel over five years. High-Speed Trains are 98% full at peak times. Over half of Europeans prefer train travel under 2 hours as a greener option. Introducing High-Speed Operators in train monopolies boosts demand by 45%.
They appear to have done their research and those are interesting figures.
Lightning Speed Connectivity
This is their third sub heading and this is the text.
In our digital age, both work and leisure have found a substantial home on the internet for urban humans. Whether sealing a business deal, streaming a favorite show, or connecting with loved ones, online interactions have become integral to our daily lives. At Heuro, we don’t just commit—we guarantee the best internet experience.
This is actually irrelevant these days, as there will be a high standard of Internet experience on all modes of transport in a few years, although some will get it earlier than others.
Planned Routes
This is their sixth sub heading and this is the text.
We will connect Amsterdam with Brussels, Paris, and London with intermediate stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Central, Antwerp Central & complimentary services to Groningen, Assen, Zwolle and Almere (continuing to Paris, 2 times per day)
This route map is shown.
Note.
- It is not a large network.
- It makes a lot of use of the Dutch high speed line; HSL-Zuid, that runs between Amsterdam and the Belgian border.
- I suspect it has been designed to be extended.
The Railway Gazette Article has these two paragraphs, which give more information on services and Heuro’s thinking.
On November 15 Heuro told Railway Gazette International that it aims to launch in 2028, offering 16 Amsterdam – Paris and 15 Amsterdam – London trains each day with intermediate stops at Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam Centraal, Antwerpen Centraal and Brussels. Two of the Paris trains would run to and from Groningen via Assen, Zwolle and Almere.
The company said ‘every day, 55 planes fly from Amsterdam to London, while only four trains make this journey. Heuro intends to change that, aiming for more trains to depart from Amsterdam than flights’.
With other train companies wanting to serve London, will St. Pancras International be able to incorporate another fifteen trains per day from Amsterdam?
Web Site Language
Everything is in English! It also appears to be English English.
Les français ne seront pas amusés.
Extensions From London
Much of Central and Eastern England, and Eastern Scotland can be reached from St. Pancras International station, by a hundred metre walk to change platforms.
There is even a signed walking route between St. Pancras International and Euston stations, that isn’t the most arduous of walks.
The St. Pancras International and Euston stations connection could also be handled by a frequent electric shuttle bus.
Extensions From Amsterdam
Heuro are already indicating their intention to extend to Almere, Zwolle, Assen and Groningen.
I have taken that route and extended it via Leer, Oldenburg and Bremen to Hamburg.
Could this be in Heuro’s long term thinking?
Extensions From Paris
The French probably have ideas.
Conclusion
I like Heuro’s philosophy and starter kit.
Are LNER Going To Take On The Airlines?
Nine years ago, I wrote Edinburgh – Plane Or Train?, after a trip to Scotland, where I took easyJet up and came back in First Class by train.
- Both trips were about five hours door-to-door.
- The flight was about six quid more,
- But I got free food and drink on the train.
- Security on the plane was a pain.
- I had to take my passport for identification at Stansted.
I haven’t flown internally in Great Britain since, although, I have flown to Belfast.
For shorter flights the market is going towards rail, as these posts seem to suggest.
- 2.7M Tonnes Of Co2 Could Be Saved Per Year If UK Domestic Flights Went Electric
- Air Travellers To Be Hit By Carbon Charge On All Tickets
- Climate Change ‘May Curb Growth In UK Flying’
- France Bans Short-Haul Flights To Cut Carbon Emissions
- KLM Replaces Plane With High Speed Train
- Lumo Carbon Data Shows Its Trains Are 22 Times Greener Than Flying
- Next Time I’ll Go By Train
- Ryanair One Of Europe’s Top Polluters, EU Data Suggests
- Stop Taking Internal Flights And Go Green, Says Lib Dem Contender Davey
The climate seems to be turning against flying short-haul.
This is a paragraph, in this press release from LNER, which is entitled First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line.
This new fleet of trains will keep LNER on track to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent by 2035 and be net zero by 2045. LNER has already reduced carbon emissions by 50 per cent compared with 2018/19. Per mile, LNER trains produce 15 times less carbon emissions than a domestic flight.
Are LNER building a number of climate-based sticks, with which to beat the airlines on the routes, where they compete?
These are my thoughts on the various routes, where LNER compete with airlines.
Newcastle
Newcastle is an interesting one.
- Newcastle station is in the city centre and is on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
- London King’s Cross is one of London’s major Underground hubs.
- There are lots of buses and local trains within walking distance of both stations.
- There are three trains every two hours and an additional eight trains per day (tpd) between the two London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.
- Lumo also run five tpd on the route.
- There are generally no security delays at rail stations.
- London King’s Cross is laid out to maximise passenger flows. If it gets busy, everybody just walks out into King’s Cross Square.
- I’ve never had a problem at Newcastle station with overcrowding.
Perhaps, if you live near one of the airports, flying is more convenient.
LNER’s weapons against the airlines between London King’s Cross and Newcastle will be convenience and journey times.
Convenience is all about the location of the stations, their excellent local transport networks and good walking routes around the station.
Journey times will only get better, as the magic of digital in-cab signalling, allows the Azumas, the new CAF tri-mode long distance trains and the few remaining InterCity 225s to show what they were designed to do.
Dalton-on-Tees, where the first phase of the digitally signalling will end, is 39.8 miles South of Newcastle, so once the Newcastle train is passes Dalton-on-Tees on the East Coast Main Line, it will be a digital-signalled electrified railway all the way to Woolmer Green.
- Dalton-on-Tees is 39.8 miles South of Newcastle
- Woolmer Green is 244.8 miles South of Newcastle.
- Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green is 205 miles.
- Newcastle and Dalton-on-Tees takes 37 minutes.
- Woolmer Green and King’s Cross takes 18 minutes
- Trains take typically an average three hours and nine minutes between London and Newcastle.
- A typical train time by LNER between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green is two hours and 14 minutes.
- This is an average speed of 91.8 mph between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
- Between London King’s Cross and Newcastle is fully-electrified.
I can build a table of timings and savings at various average speeds.
- 120 mph – 103 minutes – two hours and 38 minutes – 31 minutes
- 125 mph – 98 minutes – two hours and 33 minutes – 36 minutes
- 130 mph – 95 minutes – two hours and 30 minutes – 39 minutes
- 135 mph – 91 minutes – two hours and 26 minutes – 43 minutes
- 140 mph – 88 minutes – two hours and 23 minutes – 46 minutes
Note.
- The first field is the average speed between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
- The second field is the time between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green.
- The third field is the time between London and Newcastle.
- The fourth field is the saving over current timings.
- The London and Newcastle time is calculated by adding the times for the three sections together.
I have regularly timed trains at a very constant 125 mph, so with digital signalling, I suspect an average of 130 mph is possible.
This would mean, times of a few minutes under two hours and thirty minutes could be possible between London and Newcastle.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh builds on the improvements South of Newcastle.
Edinburgh station Waverley is a well-connected station.
- There are lots of buses, local trains and the Edinburgh Tram within walking distance of Edinburgh Waverley station.
- There are three trains every two hours and an additional seven tpd between the London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations.
- Lumo also run five tpd on the route.
- Trains take typically an average four hours and thirty minutes between London and Edinburgh Waverley.
- Any savings because of the digital in-cab signalling between London and Newcastle can be applied to London and Edinburgh Waverley services.
As my calculations showed that averaging 130 mph between Dalton-on-Tees and Woolmer Green could save 39 minutes on journey times, I am fairly sure than a sub-four hour journey time will be possible between London and Edinburgh Waverley.
It should also be noted that that the power supply has been improved between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.
- The distance between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley is 124.2 miles
- Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley takes around one hour and 30 minutes.
- This is an average speed of 82.8 mph between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.
- Between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley is fully-electrified.
As the record time for between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley was set by an InterCity225 train in 1993 at three hours and twenty-nine minutes, I suspect that with more digital signalling and some track improvements, that there are more journey time improvements to be squeezed out.
I certainly believe that a time of three hours and fifty minutes between London and Edinburgh Waverley will be regularly achieved. This is a journey time saving of around forty minutes.
Dundee
Dundee has an airport and a station on the East Coast Main Line.
Trains between London King’s Cross and Dundee take around five hours and 45 minutes.
LNER run three trains per day to and from London King’s Cross and one tpd to and from Leeds.
CrossCountry also run services.
Loganair has two flights per day to Heathrow.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen builds on the improvements South of Edinburgh.
The four direct tpd between London and Aberdeen take around seven hours and ten minutes.
This should come down to around six hours and thirty minutes with the journey time savings between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley.
Will this tempt travellers from the airlines?
Battery-Electric Trains To Dundee And Aberdeen
One thing that will help, is that Edinburgh and Aberdeen is to be partially electrified.
InPiling Work To Get Underway To Electrify Line To Fife, I included this Network Rail map of the electrification.
This map has been downloaded from the Network Rail web site.
The electrification is split into four phases.
- Haymarket and Dalmeny – 25 km
- Kirkcaldy and Thornton North – 25 km.
- Lochgelly and Thornton North – 20 km.
- Thornton North and Ladybank – 34 km.
Note.
- The last three phases of electrification connect to Thornton North.
- The new rail link to Leven will also be electrified. and connected to Thornton North.
- The Forth Bridge is not to be electrified.
As Ladybank station is just 91.4 miles from Aberdeen, I suspect LNER will use Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Trains to serve Aberdeen.
If these trains haven’t got the range, then I suspect LNER’s new CAF Tri-Mode Trains could handle the route.
Inverness
Inverness has a problem.
Zero-carbon trains will be unlikely to get to the city without full electrification of the Highland Main Line.
- Dunblane is the nearest electrified station to Inverness, but it is 146.2 miles away over a route with lots of steep climbs.
- I doubt that a battery-electric train could handle that route.
One solution would be for LNER to run the new CAF Tri-Mode Trains to Inverness using HVO or biodiesel.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the only other Scottish city with an airport and good rail connections to the South.
I am sure that Avanti West Coast will target airline passengers, if LNER prove it is a successful policy.
Other Factors
These are other factors, that will come into a traveller’s choice.
First Class
Some travellers like a bit more comfort and service.
Ability To Work
Some travellers like to work on a train.
You Don’t Get Tables On a Plane
I like to open a paper or magazine flat, which is difficult on a plane.
Views Tend To Be Better On a Train
Providing you get a window!
Parking Tends To Be Better At An Airport
But it may be more expensive!
Security Is Less Hassle On A Train
At the moment!
You Don’t Need To Prove Your Identity On A Train
Not in the UK! Yet!
Conclusion
It looks like LNER can offer the airlines to four of our major Northern cities serious zero-carbon competition.
Rail-Replacement Helicopter Service Takes Off
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
These paragraphs give the story.
A rail-replacement helicopter service is being offered while the Braunwaldbahn funicular is closed for maintenance.
Services are suspended from November 6 to 17 on the 1 367 m long metre gauge funicular, which climbs 580 m to connect Linthal with the car-free village of Braunwald.
There are four seats available on each 2 min helicopter flight, with local residents, workers and students having priority over tourists.
The story has appeared in the Daily Express and there is this excellent and entertaining YouTube video.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Braunwaldbahn funicular and its connection to the railway at Linthal.
It sounds like fun!
Do LNER Have Plans For Lincolnshire?
I ask the question in the title of this post, for two reasons.
- In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I talked about how LNER had run a test train to Cleethorpes.
- In First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line, I talked about LNER’s order for tri-mode long distance trains.
Note.
- London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes via Newark and Lincoln is just over 200 miles.
- Around eighty miles between London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes is not electrified.
- The Cleethorpes/Grimsby area is doing well because of all the offshore wind and the power stations at Keadby.
- I am fairly sure, that Lincolnshire will attract more energy-related businesses or ones that need a lot of energy.
- Lincoln is a city that is becoming more important for business and education.
- Lincoln probably needs a train service to the capital of at least one train per hour (tph).
For a train to do the round-trip between London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes, without refueling or charging the batteries at Cleethorpes, needs a train with a range without electrification of over 150 miles.
It seems to me, that LNER’s new CAF tri-mode long distance trains would be ideal to run a one train per two hours (tp2h), between London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes.
- The service could call at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark Northgate, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.
- I estimate that the trip would take about 0ne hour and 55 minutes to Lincoln and two hours and 55 minutes to Cleethorpes.
- The CAF tri-mode long distance trains could probably easily handle the 160 miles without wires.
- Cleethorpes can handle a ten-car train.
The current London King’s Cross and Lincoln service and the future London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes would be timed to give Lincoln an hourly service to and from London King’s Cross.
Serving Sleaford And Spalding
It must surely be possible to route the Cleethorpes trains to the South of Lincoln, via Sleaford, Spalding and the new Werrington dive-under, so that Sleaford and Spalding would have a direct service to London.
Don’t Forget Skegness And Boston
Consider.
Skegness, Boston and other places are connected to the East Coast Main Line, by an hourly train to Nottingham via Grantham.
They are also connected to Lincoln and Peterborough at Sleaford.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the lines at Sleaford.
Note.
- Sleaford station is marked with the blue arrow.
- The orange track is the Peterborough and Lincoln Line, that avoids Sleaford.
- The yellow track going East-West is the Grantham and Skegness Line.
- There is a loop from the Peterborough and Lincoln Line, so that passenger trains can go through Sleaford station.
I think that there are possibilities to improve the experience at Sleaford.
One possibility must be to build a Park-and-Ride station, where the two lines cross.
How Many Trains Would Be Needed For London King’s Cross and Cleethorpes Via Peterborough?
I estimate that the journey time could be around two hours and 45-50 minutes, so perhaps a six-hour round trip would be possible.
To run an hourly service would need six trains, with three needed for one tp2h.
New Infrastructure Required
The only new infrastructure required, might be some method of refuelling the CAF tri-mode long distance train at Cleethorpes.
LNER’s New Sunday Timetable
LNER’s new Sunday timetable, that starts on the 10th December 2023 is now available to view on this page of the National Rail web site, where this is said.
Sundays are now one of the most popular days to travel on LNER’s network.
To support this increase in demand, LNER is introducing three additional Sunday services into its timetable starting in December 2023 – two (one each way) between Leeds and London Kings Cross and one between Doncaster and London.
There will also be more seats added to some trains with eight existing Sunday services becoming longer trains. The current five carriage services will be replaced with either nine or ten carriage Azuma trains for destinations including Leeds, Harrogate and Lincoln.
This equates to more than 3,000 additional seats on a Sunday and will help reduce overcrowding and increase connectivity for more people between Yorkshire and London.
To provide additional Sunday seating capacity, due to the lengthening of some London Kings Cross to Harrogate services on Sundays, two northbound station calls at Horsforth need to be removed on Sundays only. The impacted services are the 09.05 and 17:05 London Kings Cross to Harrogate trains.
Note.
- Horsforth looks to have short platforms.
- Last Sunday, Harrogate to London services were three nine-car and three five-car trains.
- In September 2023, I wrote Yorkshire To See More LNER Services And Longer Trains.
LNER certainly seem to be fulfilling the last promise.
Additionally, in this article on Modern Railways, which is entitled LNER Orders CAF Tri-mode Sets, this is said.
Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.
So are LNER gradually moving towards the new timetable they will use after the CAF tri-mode trains are delivered?
Do Rolls-Royce mtu Have A Plan To Decarbonise Their Diesel Engines For Rail Applications?
Data Sheets For Rolls-Royce mtu Diesel Engines For Trains
These are data sheets for various Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines that can be used in rail applications.
Rolls-Royce Releases mtu Rail Engines For Sustainable Fuels
The title of this section, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These four bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- mtu Series 1300, 1500 and 1800 engines already released; Series 1600 and 4000 to follow shortly
- Up to 90% CO2 savings by operating existing engines with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO/renewable diesel)
- Locally emission-free operation possible in combination with mtu Hybrid PowerPack
- Field tests with DB Cargo and RDC Autozug Sylt
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce is taking a significant step towards even more climate-friendly rail transport with the release of mtu rail engines for use with sustainable fuels. With synthetic diesel fuels of the EN15940 standard, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 100 percent compared to fossil diesel. Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO or renewable diesel), which is already commercially available today, reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent. If the fuels are produced with the help of renewable energy and green hydrogen – through what is termed a Power-to-X process – existing rail vehicles can be operated in a completely CO2-neutral manner. The mtu Series 1800 engines which are used in mtu PowerPacks, as well as Series 1300 and 1500 for locomotives and multi-purpose vehicles, are already approved for use with synthetic fuels such as HVO. Series 1600 and versions of Series 4000 engines will follow in the near future. The release of engines for climate-friendly fuels requires a series of tests and trials and Rolls-Royce has found strong partners for this activity. DB Cargo and RDC Autozug Sylt have already tested or are currently testing mtu Series 4000 engines with HVO in their locomotives.
How Does That Fit With The UK’s Population Of Rolls-Royce mtu Diesel Engines?
These classes of train have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.
- Class 43 power cars – 6V 4000 R41R
- Class 168 train – 6R 183 TD 13H
- Class 170 train – 6R 183 TD 13H
- Class 172 train – 12V 1800 R83
- Class 195 train – 12V 1800 R85L
- Class 196 train – 12V 1600 R85L
- Class 197 train – 12V 1600 R85L
- Class 800 train – 12V 1600 R80L
- Class 801 train – 12V 1600 R80L
- Class 802 train – 12V 1600 R80L
- Class 805 train – 12V 1600 R80L
- Class 810 train – 12V 1600 R80L
Note.
- Class 168 and 170 trains seem to be powered by older model Rolls Royce mtu engines.
- Class 180, 220,221 and 222 trains are powered by Cummins engines.
- I can’t find what engines power Class 805 and 810 trains, but it is reasonable to assume they have the same engines as the other Hitachi trains.
- As CAF are building LNER’s new tri-mode trains, I suspect these trains will also have Rolls Royce mtu engines.
It would appear that all the Rolls-Royce mtu rolling stock in the UK, with the possible exception of the Class 168 and 170 trains will be able to run on sustainable fuels.
Rolls Royce mtu And Hydrogen
This press release from Rolls-Royce is entitled Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests mtu Engines With Pure Hydrogen.
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce today announces that it has conducted successful tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engine running on 100% hydrogen fuel. The tests, carried out by the Power Systems business unit, showed very good characteristics in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion. These tests mark another important step towards the commercial introduction of hydrogen solutions to meet the demand of customers for more sustainable energy.
Engines of mtu’s 4000 family are used in Class 43 power cars, so surely these developments could lead to hydrogen-powered freight locomotives.
The picture shows a Class 43 power car at Glasgow Queen Street station.
Could Rolls-Royce mtu hydrogen power keep these iconic trains running for a few more years?
In ‘Spirit of Innovation’ Stakes Claim To Be The World’s Fastest All-Electric Vehicle, I look at Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Innovation, which set the record for an electric vehicle at 555.9 km/hour.
As the InterCity125 already holds the record for the fastest diesel train, perhaps Rolls-Royce will attempt to set a record for the fastest hydrogen-powered train?
Decarbarbonising The CAF Class 195, 196 And 197 Trains
If Rolls-Royce mtu develop a hydrogen version of the 1800 diesel engine, then this could be used to fully decarbonise the CAF trains.
The operators may consider it’s not worth it and continue with using sustainable fuels.
But the possibility is surely there.
There must also be the possibility of developing a fuel cell replacement for the 1800 diesel, that can be slotted into the train.
Decarbarbonising The Hitachi Class 80x Trains
Hitachi are developing battery packs and the data sheet can be downloaded from this page on the Hitachi web site.
Decarbarbonising The CAF Tri-Mode Trains
I feel that as CAF usually use Rolls-Royce mtu engines, I suspect these trains will be designed, so they can be converted to hydrogen.
Conclusion
Rolls-Royce mtu appear to be on a path to decarbonise all their diesel engines.
Set Back As Badgers Undermine 11 km Of Railway
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
These four paragraphs outline the problems.
Deutsche Bahn reports that burrowing badgers have undermined about 11 km of embankment on the Fröndenberg – Unna railway, and repairs are likely to be very expensive and take a long time as the damage is more extensive than expected.
In some places the repairs will be equivalent to new construction, and DB says the planning and approval phase alone could take several years as the route passes through protected environments. Local media reports that the financial viability of reopening is being questioned.
DB first discovered the damage in 2022, and initiated repairs using a concrete spraying process. It also began to examine the rest of the route and 140 sett entrances have now been discovered, leading to an extensive tunnel system which is believed to have a total length of around 1 500 m spread over the entire length of the embankment.
The line runs through a nature reserve, so investigations had to be suspended over the summer until a special permit was obtained. Trees and bushes also needed to be cut back. Regional train service RB54 remains suspended between Unna and Fröndenberg and replaced by buses, extending journey times by 7 min.
Note.
- The railway appears to be only single-track from Google Maps.
- Unna station is the Easternmost station of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn.
- The RB 54 – Hönnetal-Bahn runs between Fröndenberg and Unna.
I wouldn’t be surprised that this serious problem will be resolved by either closing the railway permanently or by using an expensive rebuild.
How Network Rail Deal With Badgers
I did find this document on the Network Rail web site, which appears to be part of a Safety Course.
There is this page on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled Badgers Sett To Keep Their Homes As Railway Works Around.
Unfortunately for the Germans, they seem to have whole armies of badgers, whereas we seem to have just a couple of families in the second document.
It does look like in the video in the second example, that a certain amopunt of psychology is used to persuade the badgers to do, what Network Rail wants them to do.
Sheep And The M62
When I was at Liverpool University in the 1960s, the Veterinary Department had a contract to design fencing to keep the hardy Pennine sheep off the motorway.
They found that the sheep had little difficulty climbing over a six foot high wire mesh fence.
Perhaps DB should ask Liverpool, if they have any tips!
Carew Castle Express Unveiled In Carmarthen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail UK.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The ‘Carew Castle Express’ has been unveiled to mark the introduction of brand-new Transport for Wales (TfW) trains between Swansea and Carmarthen.
Named as part of TfW’s Magnificent Train Journey competition, the name ‘Carew Castle Express’ was chosen by year 5 pupil Rhys Protheroe from Johnstown Primary School in Carmarthen.
But perhaps, this extract is the most significant statement in the article.
Soon every service west of Carmarthen will be on one of the brand-new trains.
Alexia Course, chief commercial officer for TfW, said: “We’re excited to be running our brand-new trains in West Wales and we’re adding more to our network every few weeks.
CAF and TfW don’t seem to be hanging about in getting these new trains into service.
But then, I suspect some of the trains they replace, will be going to the scrapyard in Newport.
How Will These Trains Be Decarbonised?
My one worry is that these Class 197 trains and the similar Class 195 trains at Northern and the Class 196 trains at West Midlands Trains are diesel powered.
Nothing has been said about how these 141 trains will be decarbonised.
But all three fleets have the same Rolls-Royce mtu 6H 1800 R85L engines, so at least one solution will fit all!
A Thought About LNER’s New Trains
These trains appear to have been delivered quickly.
Did this influence the decision of LNER to buy CAF trains for their fleet expansion?
Is This Better News For Offshore Wind Farm Developers?
Two months ago this article on offshoreWIND.biz was published, which was entitled Offshore Wind Developers Take A Pass On UK’s Fifth CfD Round As Maximum Bid Price Was Too Low.
This was the sub-heading.
The UK government has awarded 3.7 GW of renewable energy projects with Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in its fifth allocation round. Among the 95 new projects that secured CfDs are onshore wind, solar and tidal energy developments – and not a single megawatt of offshore wind.
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
According to the government, the global rise in inflation and the impact on supply chains presented challenges for projects participating in this round. The government also noted that similar results have been seen in countries such as Germany and Spain.
The industry does not disagree, however, multiple players have voiced their disappointment that the government had not taken these pressures into account for this round and emphasised that the UK’s goal of having 50 GW of offshore wind and 5 GW of floating wind could now be jeopardised.
Last year, the UK awarded CfDs to 7 GW of offshore wind projects alone.
Today, articles with these titles and sub-headings were published on offshoreWIND.biz.
- 50 Developers Express Interest To Build Wind Farms Offshore Portugal
Fifty entities, including individual companies and consortia, from more than ten countries have submitted their expressions of interest to develop offshore wind projects in Portugal as the country prepares for its first auction.
2. Fugro To Survey Site For Lithuania’s First Offshore Wind Farm
Ignitis Renewables has awarded Fugro a contract to conduct a geophysical survey at Lithuania’s first offshore wind farm site.
3. Norway’s Offshore Wind Tender Attracts Seven Applications
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received seven applications to participate in the tender for the Southern North Sea II offshore wind project area.
4. Project To Retrofit CTV With Hydrogen Fuel Cells Kicks Off
A project to retrofit a crew transfer vessel (CTV) with hydrogen fuel cells, to cut CO2 and NOx emissions while servicing offshore wind farms, has kicked off.
5.Terna Energy Secures Survey Permit for Wind Farm Sites Offshore Greece
Terna Energy has been granted one out of the two first exploration and survey licences issued for pilot offshore wind projects in Greece.
6. UK Increases Offshore Wind Strike Price Ahead Of Next Auction
The government of the United Kingdom has increased the maximum strike price for offshore wind projects in the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction by 66 per cent for fixed-bottom and by 52 per cent for floating wind projects.
All would appear to be positive stories.
- Story 1 is about success in Portugal. What are the Portuguese doing right?
- Stories 2 and 5 are about offshore wind development in new countries; Lithuania and Greece.
- Story 3 may not appear significant, but Terje Aasland, who is Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy seemed pleased in the article.
- Story 4 is about development of new technology, which wouldn’t be done if the market was non-existent.
- Story 6 is surely good news for wind farm developers in the UK.
I did leave out three stories, one of which was negative and two were rather boring. But six out of nine isn’t bad.
Is it Getting Better All The Time, as The Beatles once sang?
The Anonymous Widower 