The Anonymous Widower

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.

Note.

  1. The airport will be designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Buro Happold.
  2. Initially the airport is planned to have two runways, but will eventually be expanded to four.
  3. The combined airport and railway station is planned to serve 40 million passengers per year, double the size of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
  4. 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.

 

October 10, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Shall Be Going To The Opening Of Blyth Bebside Station On Sunday, the 19th October

In Railway Station Opening Date Announced, I said that Blyth Bebside station will open on October 19th.

I intend to go and add my travel times, when I book tickets.

October 10, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel, Uncategorized | , , | 1 Comment

Unlocking Efficiency With Cryogenic Cooling Of GaN Traction Inverters

The title of this post, is the same as this insight on the Ricardo web site.

This is the introduction.

As the mobility sector accelerates toward zero-carbon propulsion, hydrogen fuel cell systems (HFCS) are emerging as a cornerstone technology for aviation, marine, and long-haul road transport. Among the most promising innovations in this space is the use of liquid hydrogen (LH₂) not only as a fuel source but also as a cryogenic coolant for electric powertrains. This dual-purpose approach offers transformative potential in system efficiency, packaging, and weight reduction—especially when paired with Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors.

It is a very simple concept, but it appears to give worthwhile efficiency gains.

This was the article’s conclusion.

Ricardo’s cryogenic GaN inverter concept represents a bold leap toward ultra-efficient, lightweight, and integrated hydrogen propulsion systems. While challenges remain in materials, packaging, and reliability, the experimental results are compelling. With efficiencies nearing 99.8% and mass reductions over 50%, cryogenic cooling could redefine the future of electric mobility.

As the hydrogen economy matures, innovations like this will be pivotal in delivering clean, scalable, and high-performance solutions across all mobility sectors.

I very much suggest, that you take the time to read the whole insight.

Using The Concept In a Liquid Hydrogen Carrier

This Wikipedia entry describes the design and operation of an ocean-going liquid hydrogen carrier.

This is a paragraph.

Similar to an LNG carrier the boil off gas can be used for propulsion of the ship.

Ricardo’s concept would appear to be advantageous in the design of liquid hydrogen carriers and I would expect, it could also be applied to the design of LNG carriers.

I would not be surprised to see liquid hydrogen and LNG carriers were the first application of Ricardo’s concept.

This Wikipedia entry describes the Suiso Frontier, which is the world’s only liquid hydrogen carrier.

I believe that Ricardo’s concept could lead to the construction of a more of these ships. Will they mean that liquid hydrogen carriers will deliver hydrogen from sunny climes to places like Europe, Japan, Korea and Canada.

The concept would also enable efficient small liquid hydrogen carriers, that could deliver hydrogen on routes like the North of Scotland to Germany.

Using The Concept In A Railway Locomotive

I could see freight locomotives being designed as a large liquid hydrogen tank with appropriately-sized fuel cells and added electrical gubbins.

  • They would be self-powered and would not require any electrification.
  • They would be much quieter than current diesels.
  • They could pull the heaviest freight trains, between Europe and Asia.
  • They could even pull passenger trains, if an electrical hotel supply were to be arranged.
  • They could be designed with very long ranges.

But above all they would be zero-carbon.

Note that I’ve written about long freight routes before.

I believe that a long-distance liquid-hydrogen locomotive, that was based on the Ricardo concept, would be ideal for some of these routes.

A Specialised Hydrogen Delivery Train

In April 2022, I wrote The TruckTrain, where this is a simple description of the concept.

The Basic Design Concept

The leaflet on their web site describes the concept.

This visualisation at the bottom of the leaflet shows four TruckTrains forming a train carrying twelve intermodal containers, each of which I suspect are 20 feet long.

I believe that the TruckTrain concept could be converted into a hydrogen delivery train.

  • It would be an appropriate length.
  • It would be powered by the on-board hydrogen.
  • The hydrogen would be stored as liquid hydrogen.

It would be able to go most places on the UK rail network.

Conclusion

Ricardo’s concept could revolutionise the use of hydrogen.

 

October 8, 2025 Posted by | Design, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The New Entrance To Battersea Power Station Station – 7th October 2025

The new entrance to Battersea Power Station station opened recently, so I went to have a look.

Note.

  1. The first picture shows the terrible train indicators in Moorgate station.
  2. Comparing the next three pictures with the first, show how much better the lighting is in Battersea Power Station station is compared to Moorgate station.
  3. Someone had the thought to put up a sign to indicate the new entrance.
  4. The entrances are at opposite ends of a spacious ticket hall.
  5. There are lifts to the surface.
  6. Exit is direct into a parade of smart shops.
  7. The Leon is more upmarket, than their Hanover Square outlet.
  8. There is a Boots, an M & S Food and a Zara close to the new entrance to the station.
  9. There was a lot more greenery, than when I last visited.

I finished my visit by walking down to the river to catch the Thames Clipper back to London Bridge station.

October 7, 2025 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My 78-Year-Old Legs Are More Reliable Than The New Chinese Buses On London’s 141 Bus Route

So we all know what we’re talking about, here’s a few pictures.

Note.

  1. The buses seem to have no serious faults from a passenger point of view.
  2. One middle-aged lady on the plump side, said she didn’t like the buses.
  3. The aisle between the front seats doesn’t seem to be built for large people.
  4. The seats are reasonably comfortable.
  5. One morning, I stood on a long journey and I felt the road-holding wasn’t as good as a New Routemaster.
  6. On several buses, the interior route display has not been working.
  7. As I don’t wear a watch, I find a non-working display annoying.
  8. I haven’t been upstairs yet.
  9. As picture numbers three and four show, the bus looks a bit pokey at the back downstairs.

But I am very suspicious about the buses’s  reliability or ability to handle the route, which is fairly long.

Take this morning, when I was coming home from London Bridge station.

  • There was only a 43 bus at the shared stop with the 141 bus.
  • As the routes are identical until Old Street station, I took the 43 bus to Moorgate station.
  • At Moorgate station, I took a 76 bus, which gets me within walking distance of where I live.
  • Someone said, that a 141 bus would mean a wait of ten minutes.
  • In the end my 78-year-old legs delivered be home.

I didn’t see a 141 bus going my way on my journey.

I have seen behaviour like this several times, since some Chinese electric buses were introduced on to the route.

As a graduate Electrical and Control Engineer, it looks to me, that there is one of two problems with these buses.

  • The batteries aren’t large enough for the route.
  • Not enough time is allowed for charging the batteries at the end of the route.

This page on the Wrightbus website is entitled Wrightbus Electroliner ‘Most Efficient Double-Deck Battery-Electric Bus’, and it contains this paragraph, which probably explains their philosophy and ambition.

We have already gained a strong reputation for our hydrogen double deck but we want to lead the world in zero-emissions full stop. Wrightbus has the best brains in the business when it comes to technology and our StreetDeck Electroliner puts us squarely at the front of the pack. We haven’t weighed the bus down with a high battery volume just so we can say it’s got the most power or range; instead, we’ve made it the most efficient vehicle on the road by combining optimum power with a class-leading rapid charge, meaning our electric bus spends more time on the road than any other.

It also probably sets a very high bar, which the Chinese can only achieve by adding battery volume and making their buses pokey.

To be fair to the buses, the 141 route is probably nearly 20 miles long.

In Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus, I wrote about what it says in the title.

In that post, I said this about hydrogen buses running on the 141 route.

Wrightbus Hydrogen Buses For My Local Bus Route 141

Consider.

  • The 141 bus route is my local bus, which gets me to Moorgate, Bank, London Bridge and Manor House.
  • The length of the full route is twenty miles and it takes about an hour to go from London Bridge station to Palmers Green.
  • The route is currently run by older Wrightbus hybrid diesel-electric buses.
  • I suspect that modern hydrogen buses could last almost all day on one fill of hydrogen, with perhaps a top-up at lunchtime.

They would have no difficulty handling the route  and would greatly increase the customers current rock-bottom satisfaction.

I am sure, they would improve the horrendous reliability of the route.

I also wonder, if Wrightbus have another solution.

In UK Among Tri-Axle Zero-Emission Wrightbus StreetDeck Prospects, I talk about Wrightbus’s new Tri-Axle Zero-Emission Wrightbus StreetDeck bus and how it would be ideal for the 141 bus route.

  • The 141 bus route is the old 641 trolleybus route, so all clearances are generous.
  • The tri-axle design can probably carry a better-optimised battery.
  • There used to be two bus routes on the route and now there is only one, so more capacity is needed.
  • The 141 bus route bridges the gap between the Northern section of the Piccadilly Line and the Elizabeth Line, Bank and London Bridge.
  • The new air-conditioned Piccadilly Line trains, will increase the passengers on the line.
  • There will be a lot more housing built in Enfield, at the Northern end of the Piccadilly Line and more bus capacity will be needed between Manor House and the City of London.

Some of TfL’s rerouting of buses in North London, was a crime against mathematics.

October 4, 2025 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How To Take A Ride On A New Docklands Light Railway Train

This article on the BBC is entitled After Delays, New Trains Finally Arrive On The DLR.

This is the sub-heading.

The first of 54 new trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is now in service, featuring “the latest technology”, according to Transport for London (TfL)

These two paragraphs add more details.

The new carriages are air-conditioned, have mobile device charging points and dedicated spaces for wheelchair users.

They will replace the oldest trains in the DLR fleet, some of which have been in service for more than three decades, with “modern, high-capacity trains designed to meet the needs of a growing city”, said TfL.

I travelled to West Ham station this morning and took these pictures on a journey to Woolwich Arsenal.

Note.

  1. The Docklands Light Railway and the Jubilee Line are on the same level and connected by the bridge in West Ham station.
  2. The old DLR trains have red bodywork and the new trains have light blue bodywork.
  3. The first train through was a test train.
  4. The last row of pictures show the comparative length of the two trains at Woolwich Arsenal station.

These are some more detailed thoughts.

The Length Of The New Trains

The original cars are 28 metres long.

  • Running as a 2-car train, the trains are 56 metres long.
  • Running as a 3-car train, the trains are 84 metres long.
  • The new 5-car trains are 86.7 metres long.

I asked Google AI how many seats were in a DLR train and received this answer.

A DLR (Docklands Light Railway) train’s seat count varies by the specific rolling stock, but newer trains have a higher capacity; for example, the new B23 rolling stock is a 5-coach unit replacing older, coupled 3-car trains and offers a total capacity of 790 passengers, with 156 seats. Older trains typically consist of two cars and have 70 seats per car for a total of 140 seats.

Newer B23 Rolling Stock:
Each 5-coach train has 156 seats.
It can carry a total of 790 passengers.

Older Trains:
These trains generally consist of two cars coupled together.
Each car has 70 seats, making for a total of 140 seats in a typical two-car train.
Older, single-unit trains may have had fewer seats, as a current 3-car train had about 680 passengers in total capacity.

West Ham Was A Good Place To Start A First Ride

Consider.

  • At the present time, there aren’t many trains running on the DLR.
  • There may only be a couple of trains running between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal.
  • West Ham is an island platform, so the train goes by on both sides, which also makes it easy to get on a single train.
  • West Ham is a well-connected station.

I did have to wait about thirty minutes for the train to arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Huddersfield Station – 30th September 2025

This press release on the Network Rail Media Centre is entitled Huddersfield Station Set To Reopen Next Week With New Temporary Layout.

As it is now next week, I went to have a look at the progress today.

I made a mistake and got on a Grand Central Train, which meant, I had to change at York.

Speeding past Drax power station on the Selby Diversion, I took these pictures.

We were only in a 125 mph diesel, so we couldn’t take advantage of the 160 mph running, that the East Coast Main Line’s new signalling might allow on this section. The Wikipedia entry for the Selby Diversion, says this about the possible speeds.

The line was the first purpose-built section of high-speed railway in the UK having a design speed of 125 mph; however, research by British Rail in the 1990s indicated that the route geometry would permit up to 160 mph operation, subject to the necessary overhead line equipment and signalling upgrades. The new line also avoided the speed restriction over the swing bridge at Selby. The former ECML route, the NER’s 1871 York and Doncaster branch line, was closed from Selby northwards.

As the Selby Diversion opened in 1983, I wouldn’t be surprised that the calculations were performed on British Rail Research’s Pace 231-R, which was similar to the one I used at ICI and the pair, that NASA used calculate how to land Apollo on the moon.

When I eventually got to Huddersfield, I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. In I’ve Just Glimpsed The Future Of Train Travel Across The North Of England And I Like It, there are pictures of Huddersfield station, that were taken on the 21st August, soon after the work started.
  2. In Huddersfield Station – 15th December 2023, there are pictures of Huddersfield before the work started.
  3. Much of the work seems to have been done at the Western end of the station to lengthen the platform on the Penistone Line to Sheffield.
  4. Platform 2 for the Penistone Line has also been renumbered Platform 1.

Work still to be carried out at Huddersfield station, includes refurbishing the roof, installing the electrification and adding a couple of new platforms.

These are my thoughts.

Which Platforms Will Be Electrified?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the proposed electrification in Huddersfield station.

Note.

  1. The blue arrow in the North-East corner of the map indicates Huddersfield atation.
  2. The two red-and-black tracks going diagonally across the map are the Hudderfield Line.
  3. The red-and-black colour, indicates that the two tracks will be electrified.
  4. South of these two tracks, the Penistone Line sneaks into Platform 1 at Huddersfield station.
  5. The Penistone Line goes to Sheffield in a South-Westerly direction.
  6. There appears to be a crossover, so that trains from the Penistone Line can use both Platforms 1 and 2 in Huddersfield station.
  7. The OpenRailwayMap appears to show planned electrification between Stalybridge and Leeds stations.
  8. To the East of Leeds planned electrification is shown as far as Micklefield and Church Fenton stations.

Once installed, this electrification will create a complete electrified route across the Pennines from Liverpool Lime Street in the West to the East Coast Main Line in the East.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the planned electrification between Micklefield and Hull stations.

Note.

  1. Red tracks are electrified.
  2. Black tracks are not electrified.
  3. York is in the North-West corner of the map, with the electrified East Coast Main Line going through the station North-South.
  4. South of York, the East Coast Main Line now splits.
  5. The Western branch includes an electrified line to Micklefield station, Neville Hill depot and Leeds station.
  6. The Eastern Branch is the Selby Diversion, which is an electrified 160 mph line, that avoids the Selby coalfield.
  7. Running West-East across the map is the unlectrified Micklefield and Hull Line, which goes via Selby.
  8. Hull is in the South-East corner of the map.
  9. Hull is 42 miles from Micklefield and 36.1 miles from the Temple Hirst junction on the Selby Diversion, so it is within range of battery-electric trains, with charging at Hull station.
  10. Hitachi’s battery-electric Class 802 trains, used by Hull Trains and TransPennine Express, which are currently on test, should certainly be able to serve Hull.

Hull can become an electrified station, without the expense and disruption of full electrification.

How Long Is Platform 1 At Huddersfield Station?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the new Platform 1 at Huddersfield station.

 

Note.

The blue arrow indicates Huddersfield station.

  1. The three darker orange lines indicate the two through platforms 2 and 3, and the reconfigured bay platform 1.
  2. There is a cross-over between platforms 1 and 2, which connects Platform 2 to the Penistone Line.
  3. In the South-West corner of the map is a hundred metre scale.
  4. Using the scale, I estimate that the length of the bay platform 1 is around 120 metres.
  5. In the last two rows of pictures in the gallery of this post, a three car Class 150 train is shown in Platform 1.
  6. A three car Class 150 train is approximately sixty metres long.

Looking at the pictures, I wouldn’t be surprised if the new platform has been designed to take two three-car Class 150 trains. It would certainly take a pair of two-car Class 150 trains.

Other trains and their lengths that might use the platform include.

  • Class 170 – three-car – 70.85 metres
  • Class 195 – two-car – 48.05 metres
  • Class 195 – three-car – 71.40 metres
  • Class 195 – 2 x two-car – 96.10 metres
  • Class 810 – five-car – 120 metres

The Class 810 uses 24 metre cars, so that a pair of trains, will fit in St. Pancras. But with perhaps selective door opening could a single Class 810 train run a St. Pancras and Huddersfield service, perhaps with a split and join at Sheffield.

Electrification Across The Pennines

The TransPennine Route will be electrified between Liverpool Lime Street and Micklefield stations, once the current works between Huddersfield and Leeds are complete.

Sections without electrification include.

  • Bradford Interchange and Doncaster – 52.1 miles
  • Cleethorpes and Doncaster – 52.1 miles
  • Harrogate and Leeds – 18.3 miles
  • Hazel Grove and Doncaster – 52.6 miles
  • Hull and Micklefield – 42 miles
  • Hull and Temple Hirst junction – 36.1 miles
  •  Saltburn and Northallerton – 28.1 miles
  • Sunderland and Northallerton – 46.8 miles
  • Scarborough and York – 42.1 miles

I expect that Hitachi trains with batteries or CAF’s tri-mode trains will be able to handle these routes in a low-carbon manner.

Electrification Between Stalybridge And Huddersfield

This section is shown as being electrified on OpenRailwayMap.

But as it is only 18 miles and includes the Standedge Tunnels will the route use battery-electric trains?

October 1, 2025 Posted by | Computing, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rolls-Royce To lead EU’s New Clean Aviation project UNIFIED To Transform And Decarbonise Aviation

The title of this post the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.

These two opening paragraphs add a few details.

Rolls-Royce has been selected by the European Union’s Clean Aviation programme to lead one of 12 groundbreaking new projects aiming to decarbonise aviation. These initiatives, which include new aircraft concepts and innovative propulsion technologies, will receive funding of about €945 million.

The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) is the European Union’s leading research and innovation programme for transforming aviation towards a sustainable and climate neutral future.

I asked Google AI about the European Union’s Clean Aviation programme and received this reply.

The European Union’s Clean Aviation programme, part of the Horizon Europe research initiative, is a public-private partnership aimed at developing disruptive, climate-neutral aviation technologies, including hydrogen-powered, hybrid-electric, and ultra-efficient aircraft, to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Launched in 2022, it has a budget of €4.1 billion (€1.7 billion from the EU, €2.4 billion from private partners) and focuses on technologies that will be integrated into a new generation of short- to medium-range aircraft with a target entry into service by 2035. Key goals include a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions and energy efficiency compared to 2020 standards for new aircraft by 2030, with a long-term objective of climate-neutral aviation by 2050.

Note.

  1. Only someone like Trump would think that the key goals in the last sentence were not worthwhile.
  2. €4.1 billion in the right place could be a very good start.
  3. There is a Clean Aviation web site.

The press release says this about the UNIFIED project.

UNIFIED – Ultra Novel and Innovative Fully Integrated Engine Demonstrations

The UNIFIED consortium is led by Rolls-Royce and contains key industrial, academic and research partners across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. Subject to successful completion of grant preparation, the project will enable ground testing of an UltraFan® technology demonstrator at a short to medium range thrust class for future narrowbody aircraft and also enable the preparation of key activities towards future flight test of the UltraFan architecture.

I am not surprised Ultrafan is mentioned.

The Wikipedia entry for the Rolls-Royce Trent has a section about the UltraFan, which starts with these two paragraphs.

The UltraFan is a geared turbofan with a variable pitch fan system that promises at least 25% efficiency improvement. The UltraFan aims for a 15:1 bypass ratio and 70:1 overall pressure ratio.

The Ultrafan keeps the Advance core, but also contains a geared turbofan architecture with variable-pitch fan blades. The fan varies pitch to optimise for each flight phase, eliminating the need for a thrust reverser. Rolls-Royce planned to use carbon composite fan blades instead of its usual hollow titanium blades. The combination was expected to reduce weight by 340 kg (750 lb) per engine.

Note.

  1. 25 % is a very good efficiency improvement.
  2. No thrust reverser.
  3. A saving of 340 kg. in weight per engine.

It should also be noted that October 2028, will see the hundredth anniversary of Henry Royce sketching the R-type engine in the sand on the beach in Sussex.

The R-type was the engine that won the Schneider Trophy outright and enabled Rolls-Royce’s engineers to design the unrivalled Merlin engine that powered Hurricanes, Spitfires, Mosquitos, Mustangs and Lancasters in World War Two.

September 29, 2025 Posted by | Design, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riding The Bakerloop BL1 – 28th September 2025

The Bakerloop BL1 is a new express bus route in London, that runs between Waterloo station and Lewisham Town Centre.

This article on the BBC, which is entitled New Bus Route Launches With Free Fares In Week One, announced the route.

This is the sub heading.

A new bus route that links parts of south-east London has launched with free fares for its first week of operation

These two paragraphs describe the service in more detail.

The Bakerloop will run between Waterloo station and Lewisham every 12 minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.

Electric double-decker BL1 services will operate between 05:00 BST and 00:30 along the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route, stopping at Elephant and Castle, New Cross Gate and Lewisham stations.

I took these pictures as I rode from Waterloo station to Lewisham Town Centre.

Note.

  1. The route starts at Stop D in Waterloo Road on the East side of Waterloo station.
  2. If you leave the station by Exit 2 and then cross Waterloo Road on the light-controlled crossing, then Stop D is less than thirty metres to your right.
  3. Pictures 15-24 were taken as the bus went over Bricklayers Arms flyover.
  4. Picture 23 is a close up of one of the trees along the route. Is it a London Plane.
  5. Despite the Summer, most trees seem to be in a reasonable condition.
  6. Crossing the roads and the information could be better in Lewisham Town Centre.

I have some further thoughts.

Trains And Bakerloop BL1 Compared

Consider.

  • The bus takes a few minutes over half-an-hour.
  • The train takes 19 minutes.
  • The train runs twice an hour.
  • The bus runs at least four times per hour.

The bus is probably the more affordable option, but the train is faster.

Is The Bakerloop BL1 Fast Enough?

Consider.

  • The bus certainly takes almost twice as long as the trains.
  • But then it is more frequent.
  • The route doesn’t seem particularly hilly.
  • The Alexander-Dennis bus didn’t seem slow.
  • The bus would probably attract more passengers, if it was faster.

It will be interesting to see how this route develops.

Would Hydrogen Buses Help?

Two of the hydrogen buses, I have ridden have been on longer routes and they have used their undoubted extra power to accelerate and climb hills faster.

Their longer range probably allows them to work for much of a day, without refuelling.

So I wouldn’t rule out hydrogen buses on this route, at some point in the future, because of the route’s length.

Is Bakerloop The Right Name?

I don’t think so, as a certain class of tourist, will assume the bus goes to Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Perhaps, it should have been called something descriptive like the Waterloo-Lewisham Express.

Is Bakerloop BL1 Being Used As A Pathfinder For The Bakerloo Line Extension To Lewisham?

I’ve read somewhere that it is.

It wouldn’t be a new idea and a properly structured trial could give valuable information about how many people would use the new rail route.

Surely, a similar approach could be taken to provide projections for passenger usage on the West London Orbital Railway.

Could Other Routes Use A Similar Philosophy?

In Riding Birmingham’s New Hydrogen-Powered Buses, I rode a route across Birmingham, that was run to a similar philosophy to the Bakerloop BL1 route, except thast it used hydrogen buses.

So I’m pretty sure the answer is in the affirmative.

Will Three-Axle Double-Deck Buses Be Useful For Routes Like BakerLoop BL1?

I asked Google AI, if three axle electric and hydrogen double-deck buses were being developed and received this reply.

Yes, Wrightbus and Wisdom Motor have developed and are producing three-axle zero-emission double-decker buses, including both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell models. Wrightbus recently unveiled its 6×2 Streetdeck prototype, and Wisdom Motor partnered with Citybus to develop a three-axle hydrogen double-decker (DD12) for Hong Kong’s bus fleet.

I believe that a three-axle bus may have a greater payload, so for routes like Bakerloop BL1, they may be very useful, if only to carry bigger batteries.

September 28, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Three Baltic Countries Sign The Largest Railway Electrification Agreement In History

The title of this post, is the same as that as this news item on the LTG Group web site.

This is the sub-heading.

Today in Vilnius, the institutions of the three Baltic countries responsible for implementing the Rail Baltica project signed a historic agreement on railway electrification. The contract, valued at €1.77 billion (excluding VAT), has been awarded to COBELEC Rail Baltica – a consortium formed by the Spanish companies Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios S.A. and Elecnor Servicios y Proyectos S.A.U.

These three paragraphs add more detail.

The electrification of the Rail Baltica European railway is considered the largest cross-border railway electrification initiative in Europe, implemented as a single, joint project.

“Rail Baltica is more than just infrastructure – it is an economic and security link to the West. This contract is particularly important for our integration into the European railway network, enabling smooth passenger and freight transport while strengthening the resilience of the Baltic region. It is our strategic pathway to the future,” said Eugenijus Sabutis, Acting Minister of Transport and Communications of Lithuania.

One of the largest contracts in the history of the Baltic States was signed by the institutions responsible for implementing the project: LTG Infra, the infrastructure company of the LTG Group; Eiropas Dzelzceļa Līnijas in Latvia; and Rail Baltic Estonia in Estonia. Representatives from the ministries of transport and communications of all three countries also gathered in Vilnius for the occasion.

Note.

  1. The electrification will be to the European standard of 25 KVAC overhead.
  2. There will be a total of 2,400 km. of electrification.
  3. High-speed passenger and freight trains will operate on the full length of the route.
  4. It is planned that the electricity used will be generated from renewable energy sources.
  5. I feel everybody will be pleased except Putin.

The Russian dictator and war-monger won’t like it, as the railway will not be built to Russian standards.

 

September 27, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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