Vivarail Targets Overseas Markets
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
This is an extract from the article.
Shooter told RAIL: “We are at the moment putting together a bid for an operator – not in this country – where the routes would be up to 500 miles long, to be provided totally with battery trains using this device.
“This bid we are putting together contemplates trains that are running for several hours – 60 to 70 miles between charging stations, but possibly going twice that far in emergency if the charging station should go down.”
By this device I suspect they mean their Fast Charge device, which is described in this press release from Vivarail.
This extract describes how it works.
The concept is simple – at the terminus 4 short sections of 3rd and 4th rail are installed and connected to the electronic control unit and the battery bank. Whilst the train is in service the battery bank trickle charges itself from the national grid – the benefit of this is that there is a continuous low-level draw such as an EMU would use rather than a one-off huge demand for power.
The train pulls into the station as normal and the shoegear connects with the sections of charging rail. The driver need do nothing other than stop in the correct place as per normal and the rail is not live until the train is in place.
That’s it!
That sounds simple to me.
Where Would This Possible Order Be From?
I have ridden in a Vivarail battery train, as I wrote in Battery Class 230 Train Demonstration At Bo’ness And Kinneil Railway.
I have also ridden the diesel variant, as I wrote in A First Ride In A Revenue-Earning Class 230 Train.
I very much feel, I can list a few of the good qualities of the trains.
Big Windows
The big windows give a good view, so I wonder if the trains would work well on a railway noted for its scenery.
Quietness
I have ridden in two battery trains.
The other was Bombardier’s Class 379 BEMU, that I wrote about in Is The Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) A Big Innovation In Train Design?.
Both were extremely quiet.
No Infrastructure Required
Except for the charging stations, no infrastructure is required.
Sturdy Engineering
Although the trains were only originally built for the London Underground, they are sturdily-built trains, as they used to share tracks with full-size trains.
I suspect, they are certified to share tracks with freight trains, as they do on the Marston Vale Line.
A Range Of Interiors And Customer Facilities
Although the trains tend to use the old London Underground seat frames, they have a range of interiors, which seem to be well-designed and comfortable.
I have been on Class 230 trains, with tables, a single toilet, onboard Wi-Fi, and electrical charging points.
Zero-Carbon
The trains are probably as near to zero-carbon, as any! Especially, if all the Fast Charge stations are powered by renewable electricity.
Remote Servicing
The trains have been designed for remote servicing.
Conclusion
All of these qualities lead me to think, that an ideal line in the UK could be the Far North Line, between Inverness and Wick and Thurso.
Although the train ticks a lot of boxes, it could well be too slow, It is also only a 160 mile route and not five-hundred
But there must be quite a few long, scenic lines in countries, where a passenger service needs to be added to a freight line, that perhaps serves a remote mining town.
Sweden and Norway are surely possibilities, but Finland is ruled out because it is Russian gauge.
Could the trains end up in parts of Africa, Canada and the United States?
Who knows?
Flywheel-Lithium Battery Hybrid Energy Storage System Joining Dutch Grid Services Markets
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Storage News.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A hybrid energy storage system combining lithium-ion batteries with mechanical energy storage in the form of flywheels has gone into operation in the Netherlands, from technology providers Leclanché and S4 Energy.
These are some points from the article.
- The system contains 8.8MW / 7.12MWh of lithium-ion batteries.
- Six flywheels add up to 3MW of power.
- The 5,000kg KINEXT flywheel operates at 92% efficiency.
- The flywheels do not suffer from long-term degradation.
The article finishes with a discussion about the pros and cons of flywheel storage.
In the 1960s, when I worked at Enfield Rolling Mills, I heard stories of their 97-tonne flywheel on their main rolling mill for reducing copper wirebars to coils of wire for drawing into electrical wire for use in its myriad applications.
- Copper wirebars, were bars of refined copper about a metre long and perhaps ten centimetres square, which arrived at Enfield by barge from the London docks up the River Lea.
- The main rolling mill had arrived in Enfield, as reparations after the First World War. It had the Krupp trademark of three interlocked railway tyres all over it. It was probably built just after the start of the Twentieth Century.
- The flywheel was spun by an electric motor and the rolling mill itself, where wirebars snaked through a series of rollers of diminishing size, was driven from the flywheel.
- The arrangement meant that continuous power was supplied by the motor rather than intermittent power.
It was a fascinating process to watch, as the wire snaked through and was turned at each mill by an operator called a catcher, with a large pair of tongs. That was not a job for weaklings. The section I worked for, were always dreaming of automating the catching process. But I don’t think they ever did!
The flywheel was the source of legendary stories, many of which which have probably been exaggerated over the years.
One concerned its installation, where it was realised that there was no crane big enough to lift it from where it was delivered to the mill.
So the chief engineer, an Austrian Jew called Schimmatovich, devised a plan where men were used to roll it in to place. Like with the pyramids or in a concentration camp, where Shimmy had been incarcerated, as he said at the time.
It was successfully done on a Sunday morning, and after it was successfully secured, the Managing Director, who was called something like Freddy Pluety, suggested everybody join him in the Sports and Social Club for a drink.
So Freddy led a crocodile of perhaps a hundred across the road and walked into the Club, where the steward was just shutting up. Freddy ordered the drinks, but was told No! So Freddy picked him up and sat him on the bar. Freddy then noticed there were two very large and thirsty men on either side, so he said to them, “Are you going to hit him first or am I?”
They all got their drinks.
There must be many legendary industrial stories like this, that have been forgotten.
Wigan North Western Station Set For Platform Extension Work
The title of this post. is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
This is the first three paragraphs.
Wigan North Western is set to undergo a multi-million-pound platform extension to provide passengers between Manchester and Leeds with longer trains.
The work is part of the Great North Rail Project and will see Platform 3 made longer to allow four-carriage trains to call at the station.
Northern can then provide extra capacity for passengers and move trains in and out of its new £46m depot at Ince-in-Makerfield.
This Google Map shows Wigan North Western station.
Note.
- The six platforms are numbered 1-6 from North-East to South-West.
- Platforms 1, 2 and 3 are used for trains that start at the station and go to the Alderley Edge, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.
- Platform 1 is quite long and regularly handles two trains at the same time.
- Platforms 2 and 3 could probably be longer.
- Platforms 1, 2 and 3 appear to have their own private access track direct to Wigan Springs Branch TMD to the South, where multiple units can be serviced and washed.
- The access track sneaks down the East side of the West Coast Main Line, so that trains don’t block the track, when transferring to and from the depot.
- The double-track going North between the station and the large building leads to Wigan Wallgate station.
This picture shows the Platforms 1, 2 and 3 at the station.
If you look at the train movements early in the morning, trains come out of the depot and start their first diagram from one of the three platforms on the left.
Lengthening Platform 3 will make this easier and more efficient.
Wigan North Western Station, West Coast Main Line And High Speed Two
Wigan North Western station is currently served by the following Avanti West Coast services on the West Coast Main Line.
- London Euston and Glasgow Central – Hourly
- London Euston and Glasgow Central or Edinburgh via Birmingham New Street – Hourly
- London Euston and Blackpool – Four trains per day
TransPennine Express also run four trains per day between Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central.
The station is also planned to get two hourly High Speed Two services, which should be delivered in Phase 2a of the project.
- London Euston and Lancaster via Old Oak Common, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Preston.
- Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh or Glasgow via Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and some other stations, depending on the Scottish destination.
It certainly looks like Wigan North Western station is being updated to have a comprehensive network of local electric services to give a large number of stations, good access to current West Coast Main Line and future High Speed Two services.
High Speed Two Through Lancashire Stations
The direct London and Scotland services are proposed to be as follows.
- They will run at a frequency of two trains per hour (tph)
- They will be formed of two classic-compatible 200 metre long trains.
- They will split and join at Carlisle, to give both Edinburgh and Glasgow a two tph service from London.
- One tph will stop at Old Oak Common, Preston and Carlisle in England.
- The second train will also stop at Birmingham Interchange in England.
Adding the services together, it would appear that the following services will run through Lancashire.
- One tph – London Euston and Lancaster – One 200 metre train
- Two tph – London Euston and Scotland – Two 200 metre trains.
- One tph – Birmingham and Scotland – One 200 metre train
This totals up to four tph.
I will now look, at the High Speed Two traffic through the various stations.
Warrington Bank Quay
I know Warrington Bank Quay is in Cheshire, these days, but High Speed Two trains will pass through.
Current plans include a by-pass round Warrington will be built for Phase 2b.
- Before by-pass four tph will pass through Warrington Bank Quay, with one stopping.
- After by-pass only one stopping train will pass.
If the High Speed Two service replaces the current Avanti West Coast service to Scotland, any problems at the station should be easy to solve.
Preston
Preston would appear to have three tph from High Speed Two passing through, with all stopping.
Phase 2b will add another tph.
Lancaster
Lancaster would appear to have two tph from High Speed Two passing through, with none stopping.
In addition, one service from Euston will terminate.
Phase 2b will add another tph, that passes thrugh.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that this relatively small project will be worthwhile.
How many other projects of this size need being added to the network urgently? I can think of possibly three within a dozen miles of my house, of which at least one is down to Beeching and/or British Rail’s cost cutting of the 1960s or 1970s.
Gresham House Energy Storage Fund Has Staying Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Tempus column of The Times.
It is a good explanation of how energy storage funds like Gresham House work.
I believe they are very much the future.
Some of the new forms of energy storage, that I talk about on this blog tick all of the boxes and may even satisfy an extreme supporter of Extinction Rebellion.
- Extremely environmentally friendly.
- Higher energy-density than lithium-ion
- Lower cost per GWh, than lithium-ion
- Much longer life than lithium-ion.
- Safe to install in built up areas.
- GWh-scale storage in a football pitch space or smaller.
The UK’s largest battery is the 9.1 GWh Electric Mountain pumped storage system in Snowdonia and there is talk about over 100 GW of offshore wind turbines in UK waters. There will be masses of energy storage built in the UK in the next forty years to support these wind turbines.
Conclusion
Companies like Gresham House Energy Fund seem to have developed a model, that could provide the necessary energy storage and a safe reliable home for the billions of pounds in the UK, that is invested in pension funds.
Lithium-ion batteries will be reserved for mobile applications.
Social Distancing In An Empty Train
On Sunday morning, I went to Croydon to look at Windmill Bridge, in Croydon, which I wrote about in Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme – Lower Addiscombe Road / Windmill Bridge.
On the way, I found myself in a more or less empty carriage, as these pictures show.
It all got me thinking.
- Generally, the rule in most of the world, is that you should keep a given number of metres apart.
- But supposing, that each public space were to be given a figure for the maximum number of people, who can occupy the space.
- I think, this has already happened in London, where thirty passengers seems to be the maximum number allowed on a double-deck bus.
- Buses and train carriages are public spaces.
But supposing each space was to be assigned a figure for the number of people present, below which the wearing of masks would be optional.
On a bus or train, the customer announcements would change appropriately.
Some might argue, it would be confusing, but it might nudge passenger behaviour in the right way.
- More might travel.
- More might travel at less busy times.
- I suspect that many on a long commute, take their masks off, as they get near home, as te train empties out anyway!
- It should be born in mind, that many modern trains, trams and buses, may know how many passengers are on board, as they can count passengers.
Bletchley Viaduct – 1st September 2020
Interestingly-shaped stumps are starting to appear.
I think this will be my last visit, until they start to erect the new viaduct.
Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme – Lower Addiscombe Road / Windmill Bridge
The rebuilding of this bridge is key to the Croydon Enhancement Scheme.
IThe scope is described on this web page.
This is the introductory paragraph.
To provide more platforms at East Croydon station and allow the Selhurst triangle junctions to be remodelled we need to expand the railway from five to eight tracks north of East Croydon. This means we need to rebuild the road bridge over the railway, increasing its span, to provide space for three additional tracks.
This Google Map shows the bridge and East Croydon station.
Note.
- Windmill Bridge is the road crossing the railway at the top of the map.
- East Croydon station is in the South West corner of the map.
- Adding three extra tracks between the new bridge and East Croydon station will be challenging.
I took these pictures as I walked between around the current Windmill Bridge.
Note.
- The bridge is very busy with traffic.
- It is a nightmare for pedestrians, as pavements are narrow and there is no crossing on the bridge.
- I suspect that it is a bridge, that cyclists hate and avoid.
- I also believe it may have a low weight limit.
It certainly needs replacing, with something wider and more substantial for road traffic.
Benefits
Network Rail lists these benefits of a new bridge.
- Longer bridge to accommodate additional tracks
- Dedicated cycle lanes
- Vehicle weight restriction removed
- Opportunity for new pedestrian and cycle links under the bridge.
It certainly looks like it will be a lot better and my observations will be addressed.
Network Rail’s Proposals
The following is taken from the web page.
The construction of the new bridge would take place early in the programme as it is a key enabler for the rest of the Scheme.
To construct the new bridge, we would:
- Permanently close the southern end of Gloucester Road (the ramp to the bridge)
- Build the new bridge offline south of, and next to, the existing structure, reducing disruption to road users
- Slide the new bridge deck across the railway without closing the track below
- Close the existing bridge to traffic and pedestrians
- Use the new bridge in its temporary location as a pedestrian and cycle route while the existing bridge is closed
- Demolish the existing bridge and slide the new bridge into its permanent position.
I would score Network Rail a full ten out of ten for ingenuity.
I don’t think, I’ve ever heard of a scheme, where the new bridge is used temporarily to get pedestrians and cyclists across an obstacle, before it is moved into its final position.
This visualisation from the site shows the completed bridge and the eight tracks underneath.
It looks like it will be a tight fit.
Other Thoughts
These are other thoughts on various issues.
Project Management
Network Rail are saying they will do this sub-project early,
This will mean that they get the space to do all the rest of the work and keep traffic, pedestrians and cyclists away from the following sub-projects.
On the Introduction page of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, the video shows how the bridge will be installed. It is well worth a watch.
Gloucester Road
It took me about five minutes to cross Gloucester Road, where it joins the bridge and the pedestrian provision is terrible.
But will those who live and work on the Southern part of the road, accept the closure?
These pictures show that part of the road.
Sweden’s HYBRIT Starts Operations At Pilot Plant For Fossil-Free Steel
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Reuters UK.
These are the first paragraph.
Swedish green steel venture HYBRIT, owned by SSAB, state-owned utility Vattenfall [VATN.UL] and miner LKAB, on Monday started test operations at its pilot plant for fossil-free steel in Lulea, Sweden.
The HYBRIT web site outlines the process on its home page.
In 2016, SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall joined forces to create HYBRIT – an initiative that endeavors to revolutionize steel-making. HYBRIT aims to replace coking coal, traditionally needed for ore-based steel making, with hydrogen. The result will be the world’s first fossil-free steel-making technology, with virtually no carbon footprint.
During 2018, work started on the construction of a pilot plant for fossil-free steel production in Luleå, Sweden. The goal is to have a solution for fossil-free steel by 2035. If successful, HYBRIT means that together we can reduce Sweden’s CO2 emissions by 10% and Finland’s by 7%.
This could be a very significant development.
Lunch At Cafe Piazza In The Hays Galleria
I had a gluten-free lunch in Caffe Piazza in the Hays Galleria near to London Bridge station.
I only had a baked potato and chilli con carne with a glass of wine, but that was all I needed.
I’ll definitely go back again.
A Design Crime – Pedestrian Chaos At London Bridge
To get home from London Bridge station, I usually get the 141 bus in the station, or if I’m walking along the riverside, I get a 21 or 141 bus from the stop at the Southern side of the bridge.
There is now, no stop on the bridge, so it meant walking nearly to Bank station to get a bus. Not everybody of my age could manage that!
I hope the pea-brained idiot, who designed the current scheme at London Bridge, with no bus stops in either direction has been given his marching orders.
I know that for COVID-19 and wannabe terrorists something must be done, but surely one of the bus-stops in each direction should be working.
I suspect, it was designed by the same idiot, who decided to close the important Waterloo and City Line.
The Mayor won’t care, as he’s a South Londoner.
The Anonymous Widower 