New Rail Station For Mid Devon
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Exeter Today.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Devon is set to benefit from a major transport funding boost as the Government today confirmed plans for a new railway station in Cullompton and approved a long-awaited upgrade to the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot.
The announcement, part of a £92 billion national transport investment programme, includes over £47 million to reinstate passenger services between Portishead and Bristol — and, crucially for Devon, two brand-new stations along the Exeter to Taunton line, one of which will be in Cullompton.
It does appear, that according to its Wikipedia entry, Collumpton station has been a bit on-and-off.
In the October 2021 budget, development funding of £5m was allocated for the reopening of Wellington and Cullompton stations. However, in 2024 the Minister of State for Rail, Peter Hendy, stated that the proposed reopening of Cullompton station would no longer be funded by the UK government. Following the government’s spending review in June 2025, funding was confirmed for the station.
But now it appears to be definitely on.
This Google Map shows, the railway and the M5 passing Collumpton.
Note.
- The M5 runs North-South across the map, with Junction 28 about half-way.
- North-west of the junction are Collumpton Motorway Services.
- The Bristol-Exeter Line runs North-South to the West of the services.
This second Google Map shows the Northern end of the services.
Note.
- Parking at the services appears rather limited.
- Trucks seem to be parked at the Northern end of the services.
- I feel there would be space to put a platform on either side of the rail lines.
- I doubt a bridge with lifts would be a problem.
- The station could share the facilities of the services.
- Could some of the fields to the West of the railway be used to create parking?
- The station could be built to accept nine-car Class 802 trains.
Collumpton station could be built to have a high capacity and direct access to the town and the M5.
I have some thoughts.
Could Collumpton Station Function As A Parkway Station?
I believe it certainly could for Exeter, Bristol and even London.
In Darlington Station – 26th June 2025, I showed how Network Rail are creating a 650-place car park at the station, which could be a major draw for travellers.
Could a large car park be provided here to attract travellers?
South West Rail Resilience Programme
This is the first paragraph of this article on Modern Railways.
The Government has paused the third phase of Midland main line electrification to Sheffield and Nottingham, plus the final phase of the South West Rail Resilience Programme (SWRRP), which involves strengthening cliffs at Holcombe.
If the final phase of the South West Rail Resilience Programme is paused, what happens if God decides to block the line through Teignmouth.
I have thought for some time, that one of the purposes of Okehampton Interchange station is to provide an alternative route to the South-West.
If the sea should destroy the coastal railway, as it did a few years ago, then passengers for the South-West could be ferried to and from Okehampton Interchange station by high-speed hydrogen-powered coaches along the A30, to catch trains to Exeter and London.
So, I would build a hydrogen filling station at Collumpton services, so that if the sea destroys the coastal railway again, the alternative of hydrogen coaches is ready.
If Okehampton Interchange station can also be used as an alternative, two alternatives might just ensure that the alternative routes never need to be used.
KCC Leader Writes To The Minister For Future Of Roads About The Increase In Dartford Crossing Charges
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Kent County Council.
Although it is a long letter, it would be wrong to publish only part of it in this post.
As the newly elected Leader of Kent County Council, I would welcome dialogue about the increase in the charge for the Dartford Crossing due to come into effect from September.
The increase is capped at £1, but this represents a 40% uplift on the current £2.50 charge in each direction for those without a pre-pay account. This is the only crossing option east of London until the Lower Thames Crossing is open (in 2032 at the earliest) and so Kent residents and businesses have no viable alternative when using this important route. The alternative is to drive into Greater London, potentially incurring a further charge for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and the paying even more (£4 each way) to use the Blackwall or Silvertown tunnels.
Whilst most local residents in Dartford benefit from unlimited crossings for a fixed £25 annual fee, this ignores the fact that there is no reasonable alternative route for anyone in Kent making the journey to the Midlands, North and beyond. This is a constraint on the local and national economy.
The Crossing’s accounts for 2023-24 show that cash receipts were £221.6m with operating costs of £134.9m, leaving a net profit of £86.7m. Clearly the crossing is not on the cusp of losing money.
For the increase to be intended to manage demand, without an alternative route there is no way of managing routing, so it will only suppress the journeys for the very poorest in our society. This is hardly equitable. It will also increase costs to the supply chain which will be passed onto customers – furthering the cost-of-living pressures for so many hard-working people.
Our residents still remember that the toll was meant to end when the infrastructure was paid for, but changes in policy mean the charge has continued indefinitely. Effectively another tax for making journeys to work, visiting friends and family, and spending hardearned money at local resorts and attractions.
Given the impact on Kent is so great, there is a strong argument that KCC, as the Highways authority for Kent, should be passported a proportion of this money each year to aid the upkeep of the road network. When one considers the amount of foreign traffic that transverses Kent’s roads, alongside the amount of traffic from other counties within the UK, it is fair to say Kent is the Gateway County. And with that in mind we feel that lack of any financial benefit KCC receives from the Dart Charge needs to be considered as we struggle to maintain our road networks. This new funding stream would enable us to make a tangible difference to the condition of our Local Road Network or help fund major improvement schemes on the Strategic Road Network, including funding towards the new Lower Thames Crossing – unlocking growth and opportunities, and helping to offset the detrimental impact of the increased crossing charge. Kent occupies a strategic position between the UK and Europe, and its transport network is vital for UK supply chains and British businesses, therefore investment in Kent is an investment in the national economy.
I hope you carefully consider this possibility if you move forward with the toll increase.
Yours sincerely
Linden Kemkaran
Linden Kemkaran was elected to Kent County Council as a Reform UK Councillor.
This article on the HuffPost is entitled New Reform UK Council Leader Calls Ukraine War ‘A Distraction’.
This is the sub-heading.
Linden Kemkaran promised to take the Ukraine flag down in Kent’s county council chamber.
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
A new Reform UK council leader has called the Ukraine war a “distraction”.
Linden Kemkaran, named leader of Kent County Council a week after Reform UK’s sweeping victories in the local elections, appeared to downplay the impact of the largest conflict in Europe since World War 2.
Speaking after she was named as council leader on Thursday evening, she promised to remove the Ukrainian flag from the chamber.
She may have a point about the Dartford Crossing, but her dismissal of Ukraine as a distraction, marks her out in my book as one of Putin’s friends.
Also published today, is this article on the BBC, which is entitled Three men found guilty of Wagner-linked arson attack in London.
As the arson attack took place in Bexley, just over the Kent border with London, I wonder what her view will be on the undoubtedly long sentences these terrorists working for Russia will receive. Are they just a distraction?
A Thought On The Texas Floods
I asked Google AI, if Texas is bad for natural disasters.
This was the reply.
Yes, Texas is known to be susceptible to a high number of natural disasters, particularly when compared to other states in the US. Texas experiences a wide variety of natural hazards, including hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, hail storms, sinkholes, and droughts. The state has also experienced earthquakes, potentially linked to the extraction of natural resources like oil and gas.
I certainly wouldn’t want to live there, as my one experience of a bad storm in the UK nearly killed me. I wrote about my experiences in The Great Storm.
Government Response To Crossing Petition ‘Shameful’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The government has “moved the goalposts” in its response to calls for an underpass to be installed at a busy level crossing, an MP has said.
These three opening paragraphs add more detail.
More than 4,500 people signed a petition calling for any replacement of the level crossing at London Road in Bicester to include access for cars, as well as for cyclists and pedestrians.
In its response, the Department for Transport said vehicular access to any crossing replacement would be “subject to both affordability and feasibility”.
Callum Miller, the MP for the north Oxfordshire market town, said the response – and in particular the suggestion of a footbridge – was “shameful”.
A few weeks ago, I went to see this important level crossing and wrote Bicester Village Station – 28th May 2025.
Severe Delays At Blackwall Tunnel, Woolwich Ferry And Dartford
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Murky Depths.
These three paragraphs give more details.
There are severe delays at all crossings of the Thames between east and south east London and beyond this afternoon after a collision on the Dartford crossing.
Miles of queues are in place at the approach to the Blackwall crossing with traffic backed up for the entire length of the A2 and A102 between the M25 and Greenwich then back into east London.
Extremely long waits for the Woolwich ferry are also seen, with numerous bus routes delayed.
It appears to have been caused by a crash on the Dartford Crossing, that required extensive repairs to the road and barriers.
In 2015, I published No To Silvertown Tunnel.
Since the tunnel opened, I have written Is The Silvertown Tunnel A Silver Elephant?
I am certainly keeping an open mind, after yesterday’s article in Murky Depths.
GE Vernova To Build Up To 18 MW Offshore Wind Test Turbine In Norway
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has granted GE Vernova’s subsidiary Georgine Wind permission to build and operate an 18 MW test turbine in Gulen municipality.
These first three paragraphs add more detail.
The project, which is part of a test programme to advance offshore wind technology, will feature an up to 18 MW turbine, with a maximum tip height of 275 metres and up to 250 metres in rotor diameter.
The turbine is expected to have an annual electricity production of 55 GWh, which corresponds to the annual energy consumption of approximately 2,750 Norwegian households.
The unit is planned to undergo testing for up to five years, after which it will remain on land and generate electricity for an additional 25 years.
Note.
- It is the largest wind turbine to be licensed in Norway.
- The turbine will be erected atSløvåg, which is a few miles North of Bergen.
- It is the first wind power plant in Norway to be licensed within an existing industrial area.
- Research will be done to see how the giant turbine interacts with existing industry.
- I can see a lot of research being done during the 25-year lifetime of the turbine to the reactions of those living and working near the turbine.
I do feel that as GE are an American company with worldwide interests, under normal political circumstances, this turbine would have been erected at a site in the United States.
But with Trump in charge and his opposition to renewable energy, it may be that the Norwegian tax regime makes the installation in Norway, a better financial proposition.
On the other hand, the Norwegians may be looking at decarbonising remote rural areas with single large turbines.
Batteries Ordered For Grand Central Inter-City Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These three paragraphs add detail to the article.
Hitachi Rail has selected Turntide Technologies to supply lithium iron phosphate batteries for use on electric-diesel-battery hybrid inter-city trainsets it is to build for Arriva’s open access operator Grand Central.
Nine five-car trainsets are to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe factory for delivery in 2028 under a order placed by leasing company Angel Trains in March.
Under the latest agreement announced on July 2 Hitachi Rail will place orders worth nearly £10m for Turntide to continue with R&D and supply next-generation LFP batteries, which are designed to be smaller and more powerful than previous lithium-ion batteries. The Safety Integrity Level 2 and IEC 61508 compliant battery management system will detect and mitigate hazards and meet the IEC 62243 cybersecurity standard.
There is also this paragraph, which describes the benefits of the trains.
The battery technology is expected to cut the Grand Central trains’ emissions and fuel consumption by around 30%, with the trains entering and exiting stations in zero-emission mode to improve air quality and reduce noise in urban centres.
Angel Trains, Grand Central, Hitachi Rail and Turntide Technologies seem to be playing this all carefully, as I suppose that they don’t want to be left with a large problem, if the current government decides to take over open access services.
mtu Engines From Rolls-Royce Provide Emergency Power On Offshore Wind Platforms In The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These two bullet points act as sub-headings.
- Four engines from the mtu Series 4000 provide emergency power for two converter platforms
- Norfolk wind farm will generate electricity for demand from more than four million households
This opening paragraph adds more detail.
Rolls-Royce has received a second order from Eureka Pumps AS to supply mtu Series 4000 engines to power emergency power generators for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farm on the east coast of the United Kingdom. Rolls-Royce will thus supply a total of four mtu engines for the first and second phases of the large wind farm, which is operated by energy supplier RWE. The engines will be installed on two converter platforms at sea and onshore, which are the heart of the offshore grid connection: they ensure that the electricity generated at sea can be fed into the power grid. With a total capacity of 4.2 GW, the wind farm is expected to generate electricity for more than four million households during the course of this decade. It is located 50 to 80 kilometers off the east coast of the UK.
In some ways I find it strange, that a diesel generator is used to provide the necessary emergency power.
But when I asked Google if mtu 4000 generators can operate on hydrogen. I got this answer.
Yes, mtu Series 4000 engines, specifically the gas variants, can be adapted to run on hydrogen fuel. Rolls-Royce has successfully tested a 12-cylinder mtu Series 4000 L64 engine with 100% hydrogen fuel and reported positive results. Furthermore, mtu gas engines are designed to be “H2-ready,” meaning they can be converted to operate with hydrogen, either as a blend or with 100% hydrogen fuel.
That seems very much to be a definite affirmative answer.
So will these mtu Series 4000 engines for the Norfolk wind farms be “H2 ready”? The hydrogen needed, could be generated on the platform, using some form of electrolyser and some megawatts of electricity from the wind farms.
Will The Norfolk Wind Farms Generate Hydrogen For Germany?
Consider.
- Germany needs to replace Russian gas and their own coal, with a zero-carbon fuel.
- Germany is developing H2ercules to distribute hydrogen to Southern Germany.
- Germany is developing AquaVentus to collect 10 GW of hydrogen from wind-powered offshore electrolysers in the North Sea.
- The AquaVentus web site shows connections in the UK to Humberside and Peterhead, both of which are areas, where large hydrogen electrolysers are bing built.
- In addition Humberside has two of the world’s largest hydrogen stores and is building a 1.8 GW hydrogen-fired powerstation.
- The Norfolk wind farms with a capacity of 4.2 GW, are not far from the border between British and German waters.
- To the North of the Norfolk wind farm, RWE are developing the 3 GW Dogger Bank South wind farm.
- 7.2 GW of British hydrogen would make a large proportion of the hydrogen Germany needs.
I clipped this map from a video about Aquaventus.
Note.
- The thick white line running North-West/South-East is the spine of AquaVentus, that will deliver hydrogen to Germany.
- There is a link to Esbjerg in Denmark, that is marked DK.
- There appears to be an undeveloped link to Norway, which goes North,
- There appears to be an undeveloped link to Peterhead in Scotland, that is marked UK.
- There appears to be a link to just North of the Humber in England, that is marked UK.
- Just North of the Humber are the two massive gas storage sites of Aldbrough owned by SSE and Brough owned by Centrica.
- Aldbrough and Rough gas storage sites are being converted into two of the largest hydrogen storage sites in the world!
- There appear to be small ships sailing up and down the East Coast of the UK. Are these small coastal tankers, that are distributing the hydrogen to where it is needed?
When it is completed, AquaVentus will be a very comprehensive hydrogen network.
It will also be a massive Magic Money Tree for the UK Treasury.
So why is this vast hydrogen system never mentioned?
It was negotiated by Clair Coutinho and Robert Habeck, back in the days, when Boris was Prime Minister.
A Message From Trump
Donald Trump published this last night, according to a reader’s comment in The Times.
Trump Fragrances are here. They’re called “Victory 45-47” because they’re all about Winning, Strength, and Success For men and women. Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!
Roll up folks, you too can smell like Trump for a very reasonable $249!
I used to have a basset hound, who farts probably smelled better than anything produced by the world’s number one confidence trickster.
I must say, that the more, I read about Trump, the more it gets like a Tom Sharpe novel!
All Trump’s life needs is a good dose of rubber fetishism! He’d certainly look ridiculous in a rubber cat-suit.
GWR Battery-Powered Trains Could Be Used In Future
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Battery-powered trains could be used more frequently after a successful trial by Great Western Railway (GWR).
These three paragraphs give more details.
The rail company says using former underground trains and a rapid-charging system has shown the technology could replace its existing diesel fleet.
The year-long trial was held in west London but the trains will eventually be rolled out in the Thames Valley.
GWR says it can now prove the concept works and hopes to take the initiative to government.
A couple of weeks ago, I used similar trains between Wrexham Central and Shotton stations, which I wrote about in Vivarail Trains And Wrexham Central Station – 6th June 2025.
The Anonymous Widower 