Strong Business Case For Proposed West London Orbital Overground, TfL Says
The title of this post is the same as that on this article on the Finchley Times.
This is the first two paragraphs.
West London is one step closer to a new train line which will connect the outer boroughs and relieve pressure on existing transport infrastructure.
The proposed West London Orbital would run from Hendon or West Hampstead through Acton to Hounslow.
It is my view, that now TfL have got a strong business case, they should get this project started.
- The only problem is money and that could be raised by abandoning the fare freeze.
- Or increasing the size of the Congestion Charge Zone.
- Hard on some, but we should be less selfish.
- I would accept a few restrictions on my Freedom Pass.
There has been too much waffling and it is now time for action.
Japanese Car Rental Firms Discover New Trend Of Renting Vehicles For A Nap Or Quiet Lunch
The title of this post is the same as that of this story on The World News.
It was flagged up first on BBC Breakfast.
But is it any difference to my behaviour?
I generally get up, do all my daily chores and have a bath.
Then, I’ll go out about nine and take an Overground train or a bus to somewhere quiet for breakfast.
I will sometimes go as far as Richmond for breakfast in Leon.
And if the weather is hot like is it is now, I might even just sit on an air-conditioned train and read my paper or watch the news on my phone, stopping where I fancy for a coffee or a drink.
All I need to ensure, is that at some point, I stop off at a Marks and Spencer to get the food I need for supper.
Courtesy of my Freedom Pass, all this travel costs me a big fat zilch.
I call it Freedoming.
Today, though I’m roaming a bit further; Manchester. Hopefully, I’ll get a ride in one of the new Class 195 trains to Manchester Airport.
‘Grave Concern’ As Sales Of Low Emission Cars Fall
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Sales of low emission cars in the UK have fallen for the first time in more than two years, the industry has said.
The decline comes as overall sales of new cars continued to fall, dropping 4.9% in June from the year before.
Confusing policies and the end of subsidies are being blamed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Many of the reasons given in the article are probably valid, but I think there could be two main types of car owner.
- Those who care about the environment and would be happy to buy a low emission car. Many have probably bought one already!
- Those who say, I’m not being told by the government what type of car to buy.
The second group will have lots of reasons.
- I’m not buying a low performance car.
- When China, India and the United States stops burning coal, I’ll think about it.
- My last car lasted twenty years and my current on is only four years old.
- I live in Surrey and it will be a pain driving to Manchester to see United play!
I also suspect that many hope that the new Tory Prime Minister might change the rules to get votes at the next General Election.
Conclusion
As a non-driver, I don’t care!
Wimbledon Comes To The City
I took these pictures in Spitalfields today.
Perhaps, we should do it more often!
Vivarail Wins Environment Award For Class 230 Train
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Vivarail has announced that they have won the Environment award for their Class 230 battery train and fast charge system.
The awards are one of the industry’s top events.
The article also says this about the Class 230 trains.
- 60 miles range between charges
- 10 minute recharge time
- And can be fitted with range extenders (such as pantograph, genset or fuel cells)
Trains are getting more like houses.
After one useful life, someone comes along and gives them trains a makeover and they have a second useful life.
Romania Could Buy Hydrogen-Fueled Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Romania Insider.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Romania could become the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to buy hydrogen-fueled trains for passenger rail transport, according to Club Feroviar online publication quoted by Economica.net.
Five such trains might be purchased to serve the new North Railway Station – Bucharest Airport line in the country’s capital city, a route that might be opened in 2020, the source said.
It looks like the trains could be off-the-shelf Alstom Coradia iLint trains, like the one in this picture at Buxtehude.
The article says that because the trains are non-polluting, European funding might be available.
TfGM Announces Contactless Payments On Metrolink Trams
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
Passengers will be able to ‘touch-in’ using their contactless cards on Manchester Metrolink trams from July 15, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) announced today.
I shall be there with my contactless credit card on Monday week, to check that this is not fake news.
I look forward to the day, when Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds are all one contactless card area for trams, trains and buses.
When you consider that the combined area will be smaller than Greater London’s contactless area and that the distance between Lime Street and Leeds or Sheffield, is less than Reading to Shenfield, which will be contactless when Crossrail opens, the problems can’t be technological.
If the leaders of the four major Northern cities can agree this advance in ticketing, they will do more for the North, than any other short-term transport development will achieve.
William Hill Plans 700 Store Closures Putting 4,500 Jobs At Risk
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the first three paragraphs.
Bookmaker William Hill has said it plans to close about 700 betting shops, which could lead to 4,500 job losses.
The firm said the move followed the government’s decision in April to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to £2.
Since then, the company added, it had seen “a significant fall” in gaming machine revenues.
So should we protect problem gamblers from themselves or those who work in betting shops?
I should add, that my late wife was a barrister specialising in family matters. She would say that many divorces were the result of at least one of the four main additions; alcohol, drugs, gambling and tobacco.
In my view, it was an enormous mistake to allow fixed odds betting terminals into betting shops in the first place.
Anybody with a modicum of sense or knowledge of the betting industry, knows of the problems gambling can create.
The terminals were introduced in 2001, when Tony Blair was Prime Minister and Gordon Brown was Chancellor.
As Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Phil Hammond and John McDonnell don’t look the sort to wager a lot of money on these machines, it will be interesting to see, who gets the blame for the job losses at William Hill and the additional job losses that will surely happen at other betting shop chains.
East Midlands Railway’s New Look
The title of this post, is the same as a short article in Issue 882 of Rail Magazine.
What is interesting, is that it shows a visualisation of a Class 360 train in the new livery.
In Abellio East Midlands Railway’s Plans For London And Corby, I came to this conclusion.
I wouldn’t be surprised, if East Midlands Railway brought in Class 379 or Class 360 trains as a stop-gap and replaced them with electric versions of the bi-modes in 2022.
The best solution would be to obtain three twelve-car all-electric versions of the bi-modes by December 2020, to run the initial service.
Hitachi has a 125 mph electric Class 801 train and a 125 mph bi-mode Class 802 train.
Stadler has a 125 mph electric version of Greater Anglia’s Class 745 train and I suspect a compatible 125 mph bi-mode train.
Bombardier are working on a 125 mph bi-mode Aventra and have been quoted as saying Aventras can be stretched to 125 mph.It will be interesting to see what trains East Midlands Railway chooses.
By showing, a Class 360 train in their new livery, are they attempting to do one or all of the following.
- Get better terms for the nine interim trains they may need.
- Get better terms and earlier delivery for enough new twelve-car electric trains to run a 125 mph service between London and Corby.
- Trying to get better terms with the leasing companies to take back Class 379 and Class 360 trains, currently at Greater Anglia.
The Dutch can be tough negotiators.
The Anonymous Widower 