Councils Back Cheaper Crossrail Extension Option To Kent
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on New Civil Engineer.
These two paragraphs describe the preferred scheme.
The council’s opted for the cheaper extension option which would see Crossrail extended from Abbey Wood east to Slade Green, Dartford, Greenhithe and Swancombe before stopping near to HS1 station at Ebbsfleet with a stop at Northfleet.
The report notes: “The preferred scheme is one that would see 8 of the 12 Elizabeth Line trains per hour that are currently planned to terminate at Abbey Wood be extended eastwards, sharing the existing North Kent line tracks with the Southeastern and Thameslink services.
Currently, the following services use the proposed route between Abbey Wood and Northfleet.
- Southeastern – two tph – London Cannon Street and London Cannon Street via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
- Southeastern – two tph – London Cannon Street and Dartford via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
- Southeastern – two tph – London Charing Cross and Gravesend via Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe and Northfleet
- Thameslink – two tph – Luton and Rainham via Abbey Wood, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe and Northfleet.
Note that tph is trains per hour.
These services provide these frequencies at the stations between Abbey Wood and Northfleet.
- Abbey Wood – eighteen tph, which assumes twelve tph from Crossrail.
- Belvedere – four tph
- Erith – four tph
- Slade Green – six tph
- Dartford – four tph
- Stone Crossing – four tph
- Greenhithe – four tph
- Swanscombe – four tph
- Northfleet – four tph
Note twelve tph from Crossrail terminate at Abbey Wood.
If Crossrail were to run eight tph to Northfleet, this would provide these frequencies at the stations.
- Abbey Wood – eighteen tph, which assumes twelve tph from Crossrail.
- Belvedere – twelve tph
- Erith – twelve tph
- Slade Green – fourteen tph
- Dartford – twelve tph
- Stone Crossing – twelve tph
- Greenhithe – twelve tph
- Swanscombe – twelve tph
- Northfleet – twelve tph
Note four tph from Crossrail terminate at Abbey Wood and eight tph at Northfleet.
These are my thoughts.
A Turnback Facility At Northfleet Station
There will need to be a turnback facility at Northfleet station.
- It will have to handle eight tph
- Nine-car Class 345 trains used by Crossrail are 205 metres long.
Eight tph would suggest that two platforms would be needed.
This Google Map shows Northfleet station.
Note.
- The North Kent Line goes diagonally across the map from North-West to South-East.
- Northfleet station is a two-platform station.
- To the South of the station, there are sidings, which are connected to the North Kent Line.
This picture shows the sidings from Northfleet station, with Ebbsfleet station about a mile away.
It appears that there would be space to add two well-appointed turnback platforms at Northfleet station.
These pictures show some of the features of the current Northfleet station.
Rebuilding to add the turnback facility, could also include.
- Full step-free access
- Modern station buildings
- A deep clean of the pedestrian tunnel.
- An appropriately-sized bus station, with a zero-carbon shuttle bus to Ebbsfleet station.
- Future provision for a high-tech people-mover to Ebbsfleet station.
It is not one of the better stations on the Southeastern network.
But it certainly could be!
I very much feel that Northfleet station needs to be rebuilt with at least two extra platforms.
A People-Mover Between Ebbsfleet And Northfleet Stations
I wrote So Near And Yet So Far! about the poor connection between Ebbsfleet And Northfleet stations.
It is a design crime of the highest order.
There has been a lot of pressure in the past to build a pedestrian link between the two stations, as reported by the Wikipedia entry for Northfleet station.
The station is very close to Ebbsfleet International station (the NNE entrance is only 334 yards (305 m) from Northfleet’s station), but passengers (using public transport) will find it far easier to access Ebbsfleet International from Gravesend or Greenhithe, as these stations are more accessible and offer easy access to Fastrack bus services. The walking route between the two stations is 0.6 miles (1 km) or 0.8 miles (1.3 km) and a suitable pedestrian link has not been built because of funding issues and objections from Land Securities.
Why when Ebbsfleet International station was built in the early 2000s for opening in 2007, was a pedestrian link not built between the two stations?
It sounds like it was a Treasury design for Civil Servants, who work in Westminster and wouldn’t dream of living in Gravesend.
How much did omitting the link save?
Probably in the the long term, about two-fifths of five eighths of f***-all!
The specialists in this type of people-mover are the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group, who in the UK have built the Emirates Air Line and the Air-Rail Link at Birmingham Airport. Currently, they are building the Luton DART people mover.
Wikipedia says that the Emirates Air-Line cost £60 million.
Wouldn’t something similar be an ideal way to welcome people to the UK?
The London Resort
The London Resort, is described like this in its Wikipedia entry.
The London Resort is a proposed theme park and resort in Swanscombe, Kent. The project was announced on 8 October 2012 and, if given planning permission, it is estimated that construction will begin in 2022, with a first gate opening in summer 2024 and a second gate by 2029.
It certainly sounds the sort of place I avoid, but just like Disneyland Paris, I feel the developers will want a rail connection.
They could even want to have another people-mover from Ebbsfleet station.
Go-Ahead Group Signs Contract For Its First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Intelligent Transport.
This is the first paragraph.
Brighton & Hove and Metrobus have ordered 20 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which are set to be delivered in June 2022, signalling the Go-Ahead Group’s first order of hydrogen powered buses.
The vehicles are single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV buses.
These buses can be configured to carry up to ninety passengers and they have a range of up to 640 miles.
The article says these buses are for Faraway-branded express buses, so the long range will enable buses to be garaged centrally and refuelled once a day.
It looks like this could be the first of several orders from Go-Ahead for hydrogen buses.
London Overground Restoring Night Services In Time For Christmas
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
This paragraph details what will be happening.
TfL has announced that from Friday 17th December, there will be Night Overground services between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate running every 15 minutes throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays.
I’ve never use thed Night Overground, but I know several people who used to use it regularly.
Long Duration Energy Storage Council — A New Global Industry Body — Launched At COP26
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Recharge News.
This is the first paragraph.
The CEO-led organisation aims to ensure that fossil-fuel back-up is replaced with long-lasting zero-carbon alternatives by 2040.
The membership includes major players in energy and energy storage.
Hopefully, they’ll ensure the world has enough energy storage.
Read the article.
Two More Stations For The Northumberland Line Are Approved
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Northumberland Post Leader.
- Northumberland Park and Ashington stations have already been approved.
- Bedlington and Seaton Delaval stations have just been approved.
- That leaves Bebside and Newsham to be approved.
It could soon be all systems go for the builders.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Locomotives Ready To Take Over Freight Rail Systems
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on autoevolution.
The article describes how Canadian Pacific are developing hydrogen-powered freight locomotives.
They are converting a couple of locomotives to run on hydrogen and also building two hydrogen plants; one for green hydrogen and one for blue.
It does look that the Canadians are determined to get it right, so are looking at everything they can.
The article is certainly worth reading.
Green Hydrogen Can Save Us. But Waiting For It Won’t.
I saw the title of this post on the side of a green bus.
Route 43 goes between London Bridge station and Friern Barnet via Bank, Moorgate, Old Street (Silicon Roundabout) and The Angel.
So it goes right through the centre of the City of London.
Andrew Forrest is intending to get his message across to the City.
To find out more, you could always connect to the web site on the bus.
Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industries Inks Deal With Kingdom of Jordan For Green Hydrogen Study
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The West Australian.
I can’t read the contents without subscribing, but I assume the title says it all.
However, I have a few thoughts.
This Google Map shows the Kingdom of Jordan.
Jordan is outlined in red.
The map suggests how hydrogen could be produced.
- I would assume that there is plenty of sun in Jordan and there appears to be plenty of space for solar panels.
- What is the potential for wind energy in the desert?
- It would appear to me, that there are two routes to export the hydrogen. By pipeline across Israel to the Mediterranean Sea or by tanker from a port on the Red Sea, which just creeps onto the map in the South-West corner.
- Perhaps, a giant electrolyser and export terminal could be built near Aqaba, which is Jordan’s only seaport.
What I like about this plan, is that to the North-East and South-East of Jordan, lie the deserts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Could these in future be carpeted with solar panels, where the electricity is fed to Aqaba to create more green hydrogen?
Andrew Forrest is a busy man and seems to be organising a one man project to provide the world with green hydrogen.
- I wrote about his deal with Argentina in Australia’s FFI Plans $8.4 Billion Green Hydrogen Project In Argentina.
- I wrote about his deal with JCB in JCB Signs Green Hydrogen Deal Worth Billions.
He is the second richest Australian according to Wikipedia.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see some more hydrogen deals at COP26, where Andrew Forrest is involved.
Mineral Carbonation International Win COP26 Clean Energy Pitch Battle
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Gasworld.
I have been following Australian company; Mineral Carbonation International for a few months and I am glad to see their technology, which turns carbon dioxide into bulk solid materials like building blocks and plasterboard, has now been recognised at a high level.
This is a screen capture of their home page.
The company certainly has a dream!
Read the website.
I believe that it is technology like this that will help to save the world from climate change.
I am glad that the great and good at COP26 are thinking along the same lines as myself!
Financial Incentive Needed To Drive UK Energy Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on pv Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
The lack of an incentive regime for battery projects and the like – whether a fixed feed-in tariff or market-driven contracts-for-difference program – is likely to see the COP26 host miss its 100%-clean-power-by-2035 commitment, according to K2 Management.
As a Control Engineer, I would go for a market-driven contracts-for-difference program, which if properly setup should give feedback, so that eventually, storage and renewable energy production are in equilibrium with the power needed.
It’s not as if, we’re short of ideas for energy storage in the UK.
I think the breakthrough will come, when one of the big energy storage funds like Gresham House or Gore Street decides to back one of the viable environmentally-friendly energy storage concepts, that are currently under development.
I am watching energy storage, as I suspect there could be a big announcement at COP26.
The Anonymous Widower 