Liverpool Shows The World How To Plan A New Station
Liverpool and Liverpudlians tend to do things differently.
This article on Liverpool Business News is entitled First Look At New Baltic Triangle Station.
This is the first paragraph.
St James station closed in 1917 but images and a video fly-through of a proposed new Merseyrail station to serve the fast-growing Baltic Triangle in Liverpool have been released – and you can help choose a name.
These are my thoughts about the new Liverpool St. James station.
The Video Fly-Through
Merseyrail produced a high-class video fly-through for Headbolt Lane station and it is my belief that these types of presentation are the best way to show everybody what the Transport Authority, Local and National Government are planning to deliver.
Note.
- The station is very cycling-friendly.
- The proposal includes a cafe and toilets.
- There are escalators from the surface to the platforms.
My only fault with the video, is that it uses the old Class 508 trains, rather than the new Class 777 trains. But that is being picky!
The Station Name
Liverpool already has a station called Liverpool James Street station.
The UK also has seven railway stations with James in the name and the whole world has a total of twelve, which are listed in Wikipedia.
So to avoid any possible confusion, the three chosen names seem to be a good idea.
- Liverpool Baltic
- Liverpool Parliament Street
- Liverpool Riverside
Cast your vote before February 18th by clicking here.
I can’t remember a station name being chosen by an Internet vote.
At least a write-in name is not allowed, which should avoid a silly name like Station McStationFace.
Conclusion
Liverpool are to be congratulated on their planning exercise for the new station.
Energy Storage Could Emerge As The Hottest Market Of 2022
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Nasdaq.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A few years ago, battery energy storage began drawing attention as what one industry executive at the time called the Holy Grail of renewable energy. In the years since, EVs have stolen the spotlight but now battery storage is back, larger than life and, quite likely, twice as expensive.
I would wholeheartedly agree.
Although, I do think, that some of the major players over the next few years will not be based on lithium-ion batteries.
I have invested in Gravitricity and Rheenergise and would have invested in Highview Power, if I had had the chance.
My stockbroker has also invested some of my pension in energy storage and battery funds.
Does Anybody Know Of A Covid Travel Consultancy?
There are a few places in Europe, that I’d like to go for a couple of days.
I can book all the train tickets and hotels myself, but what I would like is someone to review my route for a fee and send me a pack of all the things I need to do and take.
Countries, I would like to visit include France, Germany, Hungary and The Netherlands.
Six Operators Award Joint Contract For Up To 504 Tram-Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These are the first three paragraphs.
A consortium of six German and Austrian transport bodies has awarded Stadler a framework contract for the supply and maintenance of up 504 tram-trains worth €4bn, the largest contract in the Swiss company’s history.
The VDV TramTrain framework contract was awarded on January 14 by Karlsruhe’s VBK and AVG, Saarbrücken’s Saarbahn Netz, Schiene Oberösterreich, the Land of Salzburg and Zweckverband Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb.
It includes a €1·7bn firm order for the supply of 246 Citylink tram-trains over 10 years from 2024, and the provision of 16 years of maintenance. There are options to order up to 258 more vehicles and to extend the maintenance to 32 years.
That will keep the factories running for a few years.
Note that all these Stadler Citylink tram-trains are similar to the Class 399 tram-trains, that run between Sheffield and Rotherham.
More Stadler Citylink tram-trains will start running in the next couple of years in Cardiff.
I can also envisage these tram-trains being used on the following projects in the UK, if they were to go ahead.
- Reopening The Don Valley Section Of The Former Woodhead Line Between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria To Passenger Services
- Beeching Reversal – South Yorkshire Joint Railway
- Reinstatement Of The Barrow Hill Line Between Sheffield And Chesterfield
- Plans To Reopen The Brentford To Southall Railway
- Tram-Trains To Hale Station
- Manchester Metrolink To Gorton And Glossop
- Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – Tram-Trains Between Sheffield And Doncaster-Sheffield Airport
- Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – Renewal Of Supertram Network
- Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – A New Tram-Train Route To A New Station At Waverley
- Could There Be A Tram-Train Between Ipswich And Felixstowe?
- Could A Class 399 Tram-Train With Batteries Go Between Manchester Victoria And Rochdale/Bury Bolton Street/Rawtenstall Stations?
Note.
- Six are extensions to the Sheffield Supertram network.
- Three projects are extensions to the Manchester Metrolink.
- These are possible orders, that if the projects go ahead would likely have Stadler Citylink as the first choice of tram!
- All the tram-trains would be of a similar design.
How many other projects are under discussion in Europe?
Conclusion
Stadler have designed a tram-train that everybody likes and that generates orders.
I think Stadler will soon need to increase production of these Citylink tram-trains.
Equipmake & Beulas Join Forces With Go-Ahead London: In-Service Trials Of New Double Deck Electric Bus To Begin Q1 2022
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on the the Equipmake web site.
I was alerted to the bus by an item on BBC Breakfast this morning. It was before seven, so it should be easy to find on iPlayer.
These two paragraphs describe the bus.
Designed and developed in the UK, Equipmake’s Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED) offers operators three modular battery pack options of up to 543kWh – the largest capacity battery of any two-axle double decker electric bus in the world. This delivers an unmatched electric driving range of up to 300 miles, which is more than sufficient to ensure the Jewel E can easily complete an entire duty cycle without the need to stop and recharge. Equipmake’s modular design enables operators the flexibility to scale the amount of battery throughout the life of a bus future-proofing it for a range of routes and distances.
The Jewel E is set to be manufactured in 2022 at an all-new facility in Norfolk. The vehicle body is produced by Beulas in Girona, Spain, a company with more than 87 years of experience in the sector. The vehicle chassis has been specifically designed for the Equipmake Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED) by Agrale in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a leading truck and Bus chassis manufacturer established in 1962.
Apparently, there’s a lot of Formula One expertise in the design.
Lithium In A California Lake Could Help U.S. Gain Energy Autonomy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on NBC News.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The ingredient crucial to electric car batteries is found in the brine of the Salton Sea, a once-busy recreation spot that fell into decay because of toxic runoff.
So where is the Salton Sea?
This Google Map shows the Salton Sea in the middle of the Californian desert.
It looks like a rather bleak hot place to me.
But if we can extract lithium out of little Cornwall, surely the Yanks can extract it from a dying lake.
Sunrise On Ravenstruther Rail Freight Terminal In Scotland
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railfreight.com.
This is the opening paragraph.
The long awaited rebirth of Cloburn Quarry has been celebrated onsite. The former coal handling depot in South Lanarkshire has been inaugurated as a new aggregates terminal, serving the continued growth of the UK infrastructure and construction industry. The onsite quarry will supply materials, with the facility to handle both outbound and inbound loads.
It is a fascinating article, which explains how Cloburn Quarry has opened a rail terminal to supply its customers by rail.
This Google Map shows the Ravenstruther Rail Freight Terminal.
It is very simple being a horseshoe shaped double-track with a connection to the West Coast Main Line.
- Trains would appear to be loaded and unloaded on the Western limb.
- The railway line across the top of the map is the West Coast Main Line..
- Glasgow is to the West with Carstairs station a few miles to the East.
- Glasgow Central and Carstairs stations are 28.7 miles apart.
If the business grows there would appear to be plenty of space to expand.
This second Google Map shows the relationship of the Ravenstruther Rail Freight Terminal and Cloburn Quarry.
Note.
- In the top right corner of the map, the red symbol marks Carstairs station.
- It is possible to pick out the rail freight terminal to the South of the pink arrow making Kingdom Park Homes.
- Cloburn Quarry is the large brown-red scar in the bottom-right corner of the map.
It would appear that the quarry and the rail freight terminal must use heavy trucks along the A70 and A73 to move the aggregate between the two sites.
Operation Of The Quarry
According to the article, the quarry is a source of red granite, which can be used for dressing roads and rail ballast, which is distributed all over the UK and even to Europe.
Having a rail terminal on the West Coast Main Line, must be a big advantage.
As with the rail terminal at Penmaenmawr, which I wrote about in Penmaenmawr Quarry Rail Terminal Opens, this terminal will benefit with locomotive developments that should happen in future.
Both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric capable of using the electrification of the West Coast Main Line, would bring this freight terminal up a level in terms of zero-carbon operation.
It is also likely, that within a few years, there will be heavy eight-wheeler trucks and loading shovels powered by hydrogen to transport and load the aggregates.
Fortescue’s Forrest Says German Hydrogen Deal Is Just The Start
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Reuters.
This is the opening paragraph.
Australian miner Fortescue Metals’ (FMG.AX) newly-announced deal to supply green hydrogen to Germany is just the start as the rest of the world will catch up with Europe’s lead, Fortescue’s chairman told a Berlin industry conference on Monday.
I very much agree with Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, as if countries are serious about commitments to fight global warming, there will be a big rush for hydrogen, so that countries can decarbonise their chemical, steel and other industries.
Some countries like Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the UK and the US will be fine, but others will struggle.
Germany seems to be taking action by buying up supplies from everywhere they can.
Penmaenmawr Quarry Rail Terminal Opens
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Hanson has reopened its Penmaenmawr railhead in north Wales, as part of its strategy to reduce vehicle movements and associated CO2 emissions.
The quarrying company has spent £300 000 refurbishing the facility, including upgrades to the railhead conveyor which was last used in 2012. The first trial service was operated by GB Railfreight and transported stone to the Tuebrook depot near Liverpool to test the equipment and uncover any operational issues within the quarry and at the railhead.
The aim is to one one train per week between North Wales and North West England.
This Google Map shows the Penmaenmawr railhead.
Note.
- Penmaenmawr station is in the top right corner of the map.
- The railhead is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
- The North Wales Expressway is between the railway and the beach.
There is a conveyor leading to the South and this second Google Map shows the vast quarry complex.
Penmaenmawr station is in the top right corner of the map.
It does appear to me, that this is a good move by Hanson.
- If the quarry can be worked economically, it is surely worthwhile exploiting.
- Opening new quarries, is generally not an easy process.
- Even using diesel locomotives on the aggregate trains, probably saves carbon compared to trucks.
- Closing the quarry would probably not be good for the area.
- They only want to run one train per week.
- I wonder, if the train goes through the Halton Curve that opened a couple of years ago.
- Penmaenmawr and Tuebrook Sidings are a route of about eighty miles.
But I think in the future it could be a very good move, as at least one of three things will happen.
- The North Wales Coast Line will be electrified.
- Someone will develop a hydrogen-electric freight locomotive.
- Wabtec will develop their battery-electric locomotive for the UK with a UK-sized FLXdrive battery.
All possibilities will help Hanson lower the carbon footprint of the route.
Given too, that Hanson will probably decarbonise their quarrying operations by using hydrogen-powered equipment, it should be possible to arrange a hydrogen supply at Penmaenmawr.
London’s New 733 Bus Route
London has a new 733 bus route, that runs between Moorgate and Oval stations.
Transport for London do seem to have rounded up some better quality buses, to double for the Northern Line during the close at Bank station.
The Anonymous Widower 