Cumbrian Coast’s Coal Comeback?
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in Issue 874 of Rail Magazine.
When I saw this article, I thought it was rather surprising, as coal is rather the arch-demon to environmentalists.
But this is not about coal for producing electricity, but metallurgical coal, that will be used in steelmaking.
West Cumbria Mining are proposing the mine and ofn their web site, the following is said.
West Cumbria Mining is investing in developing plans for the creation of a metallurgical coal mine off the coast near Whitehaven in West Cumbria to supply the UK and European steel-making coal market, which currently imports around 45 million tonnes per annum.
I would assume the 45 million tonnes refers to the total of the UK and European markets. S there is certainly a large market to supply, if the price is right.
Woodhouse Colliery
This extract describes how the mine will be created.
Woodhouse Colliery would be created using the access tunnels to old anhydrite workings at the former Sandwith Drift Mine, on the edge of Whitehaven. Until 2004, the site was occupied by the Marchon chemical works.
Studies have determined that sufficient coal reserves could be accessed to sustain mining operations for at least 50 years.
This picture was taken from their web site.
It doesn’t look to be a stereotypical coal mine.
Much of the coal would appear to be mined offshore.
Use Of The Railway
This extract talks about the use of the Cumbrian Coast Line, that passes through Whitehaven.
One of the things that actually makes the project realistic and viable is that we have access to existing infrastructure. There are lots of projects where actually the biggest capital cost is the infrastructure required. We have to remove everything by rail – one: because of the volume of material; but two: we wouldn’t be able to get planning if it was a road solution.
An agreement has been reached with Freightliner to transport the coal to Redcar. With the mine in full production, six trains per day would operate Monday-Friday.
More details about the rail transport are also given.
- There would be a single-track siding for loading.
- The siding would be connected to the mine by a 1.4 mile coal conveyor.
- Everything is covered, so there no dust and gas.
- The loading will be in an acoustically-closed building.
- Trains will have 23 wagons.
- Class 66 or Class 70 locomotives will be used.
It does appear that they are designing most things to a high standard.
These days, if planning permission with conditions is given, the conditions are usually adhered to, as sanctions are now easier to apply through the Courts.
I do have a few thoughts.
Route Between Whitehaven And Redcar
Trains would probably go via Carlisle, Newcastle and Middlesbrough
There would not be much electrification on the route, except for on the East Coast Main Line.
I would estimate that trains would take around three hours between the Woodhouse Colliery and Redcar
Rolling Stock
The article states that the wagons would be a dedicated fleet for the operation.
Surely, they could be designed for fast and quiet operation.
Locomotives
I feel that locomotives that meet the latest European regulations should be used. Class 66 locomotives do not, Class 68 locomotives do!
I also feel that in the next five years or so, more environmentally-friend;y and quieter locomotives will become available.
Improving The Cumbrian Coast Line
The article describes how the Cumbrian Coast Line will be improved if the mine gets Planning Permission.
Conclusion
If we are going to continue to make and use steel in the UK and Europe, it looks like this mine could create wealth in a part of the UK that needs it, without causing too many negatives.
It’s an interesting project.
Insurers Seek Rule Change To Invest In Green Power
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in today’s copy of The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
The mouthpiece for the insurance industry has called on the regulator to overhaul rules to make it easier to invest in green energy projects, such as wind farms and solar power.
Green energy projects are bad investments for the first few years, as they just burn money during construction. After that, the wind or solar farm, just produces electricity, which gives an adequate return fpr perhaps around thirty years.
As the rules stand, the returns in the construction phase are a dodgy investment.
The Prudential Regulation Authority, who make the rules, was setup in 2013, with probably a bunch of dinosaurs drawing up the rules, based on the past not the future.
These figures show the total energy generated by wind power for the last few years.
- 2008 – 5.4 GHh
- 2009 – 6.3 GWh
- 2010 – 7.9 GWh
- 2011 – 12.7 GWh
- 2012 – 20.7 GWh
- 2013 – 24.5 GWh
- 2014 – 28.1 GWh
- 2015 – 40.4 GWh
- 2016 – 37.4 GWh
- 2017 – 49.6 GWh
Note
- Between 2013 and 2017 electricity generated by wind power has doubled.
- In 2017, seventeen percent of our electricity was generated by wind.
These figures show the total energy generated by solar power for the last few years.
- 2008 – 0.17 GHh
- 2009 – 0.20 GWh
- 2010 – .0.33 GWh
- 2011 – 2.6 GWh
- 2012 – 1.3 GWh
- 2013 – 2.0 GWh
- 2014 – 4.1 GWh
- 2015 – 7.6 GWh
- 2016 – 10.3 GWh
- 2017 – 11.5 GWh
Note
- Between 2013 and 2017 electricity generated by solar power has increased fivefold.
- In 2017, 3.4 percent of our electricity was generated by the sun.
This paragraph from Wind Power In The UK on Wikipedia, shows the major growth in offshore wind power.
The total offshore wind power capacity installed in the United Kingdom as of February 2019 is 8,183 MW, the largest in the world. The United Kingdom became the world leader of offshore wind power generation in October 2008 when it overtook Denmark. It also has the largest offshore wind farm in the world, the 175-turbine London Array wind farm, located off the Kent coast.
I don’t think the Prudential Regulation Authority saw that one coming.
Conclusion
The rules should be changed
Schools Should Have ‘No Idling Zones’, Public Health England Chief Says
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
Public health chiefs have proposed a ban on cars idling outside school gates in a bid to cut air pollution.
The measure is among a series of UK-wide recommendations put forward by Public Health England.
PHE medical director Paul Cosford told the BBC: “We should stop idling outside schools and we should make sure that children can walk or cycle to school.”
The article also lists other measures.
- Redesigning cities so people aren’t so close to highly polluting roads by, for example, designing wider streets or using hedges to screen against pollutants
- Investing more in clean public transport as well as foot and cycle paths
- Encouraging uptake of low emission vehicles by setting more ambitious targets for installing electric car charging points
- Discouraging highly polluting vehicles from entering populated areas with incentives such as low emission or clean air zones
All motherhood and apple pie, but it will be a vote loser for any Government, that tries to i9mplement it.
A Lonely Electric Bus
I found this bus at its terminus by the old Barts Hospital.
It is an Alexander Dennis Enviro200ev.
They are built in Britain on a Chinese chassis from BYD.
This week, I read the obituary of Simon Norton, who was a mathematician, who had an interest in group theory and bus routes and timetables.
He could have worked out a strategy, of how to keep London’s fleet of electric buses fully charged.
Consider.
- London’s single-deck routes are generally the shorter ones, so are probably ideal for electric buses.
- My instinct is telling me, that if all small buses were to be replaced with electric ones, the tight network would show up places for charging points.
- Would some be at the end of routes and some where several routes crossed?
It would be a fun calculation.
I suspect, I would solve it using a graphical method.
Norwich In Ninety And Ipswich In Sixty Is Just Seventy Days Away!
This article on the Norwich Evening News is entitled At Last! High Speed Train Service Delivering Norwich To London In 90 Minutes Will Soon Begin.
This is the key section.
The first of the faster services are due to come into service on Monday, May 20.
The 90-minute services will depart from Norwich at 9am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and will call at Ipswich at 9.33am and 5.33pm.
Meanwhile the London Liverpool Street service departs at 11am and 7pm, Monday to Saturday, and calls at Ipswich at 11.55am and 7.57pm.
Greater Anglia said it will shave 12 minutes off the current fastest journey between Norwich and London and cut the fastest journey between Ipswich and London by four minutes.
I shall be on the first train from London as far as Ipswich.
I don’t want to get tainted do I?
Comparing Trams And Tram-Trains In Manchester And Sheffield
In Could A Class 399 Tram-Train With Batteries Go Between Manchester Victoria And Rochdale/Bury Bolton Street/Rawtenstall Stations?, I discussed how Class 399 tram-trains might be used on a route in the Manchester area.
This was my conclusion.
Could we see tram-trains running from Bury Bolton Street, Hebden Bridge, Rawtenstall and Rochdale into Manchester Victoria and then taking to the existing tram network?
If you’ve ever been to Karlsruhe, as I have to see the Class 399 tram-trains German cousins, you wouldn’t rule out anything.
That would include tram-train services to Blackburn, Buxton, Chester, Glossop, Hebden Bridge, Sheffield, Southport and Wigan.
So how do Manchester’s M5000 trams, Sheffield’s Supertrams compare to the Class 399 tram-train?
Body Construction
- M5000 – Aluminium
- Supertram – Steel
- Class 399 – Lightweight Stainless Steel
Does the Class 399 use lightweight stainless steel to give enhanced crash protection and better corrosion resistance?
Sections, Doors and Length
- M5000 – 2, 4 and 38.4 metres
- Supertram – 3, 4 and 34.8 metres
- Class 399 – 3, 4 and 37.2 metres
Capacity
- M5000 – 60 or 66 seats, 149 standing, 209/215 maximum
- Supertram – 86 seats, 155 standing, 241 maximum
- Class 399 – 88 seats and 150 standing, 238 maximum
The M5000 is a bit less because it is a shorter vehicle with less standing space.
Entrance Height
- M5000 – 0.98 metres
- Supertram – 0.42 metres
- Class 399 – .425 metres
The Supertram and the Class 399 have obviously been built to be able to use the same tram platforms in Sheffield.
Wikipedia says this about standard UK platform height.
The standard height for platforms is 915 mm with a margin of +0,-25 mm
But it would appear that the M5000 is not far from the UK standard height, but the Class 399 is 0.465 metres too low.
Consider.
- The entrance height of a Greater Anglia Class 755 train, which is a bi-mode FLIRT is 0.96 metres.
- On the South Wales Metro, variants of Class 399 tram/trains and Class 755 trains will share platforms.
So Stadler must have a nifty solution to overcome the platform height difference for these two trains, which is similar to that in Manchester between a Class 399 tram-train and an M5000.
If it’s on the tram-train, then Stadler have a solution, that will allow Class 399 tram-trains to run on the Manchester Metrolink.
The datasheet for the Class 399 tram-train says this about the suspension of the tram-train.
Smooth and silent operation with secondary air suspension and resilient wheels.
Secondary air suspension is not new on trains, as it certainly featured on British Rail Mark 3 coaches from the 1970s, which have a legendary smooth ride. It can still be seen between the bogie and the coach on many Bombardier trains, which trace their ancestry to British Rail designs.
The picture shows the bogie on a Class 378 train.
Note the air-suspension above the frame of the bogie.
Some cars use secondary air suspension with computers to control the amount of air in each rubber bag to improve the ride and road-holding.
Transport for London measure the pressure in the suspension and use this to calculate train loading. I described this application in Is This The Hippest Train Status Displays?
Could the air bags be pumped up to raise the train and and reduced in pressure to drop it a few centimetres?
There are certainly suspension engineers, in the automotive and motor-sport industries, who have relevant experience and could suggest a solution.
All this speculation is a bit like Lew Grasde’s quote on the film Raise the Titanic on which he lost a lot of money.
Raise The Titanic? It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic!
Here it’s a bit of the reverse as if the tram-trains can be adjusted to the platform height, then hundreds of platforms don’t need to be rebuilt.
Suppose the platforms were built to fit an existing tram or train.
- On the Manchester Metrolink the platforms would fit the M5000 trams.
- On the Sheffield Supertram, the platforms would fit the Supertrams.
- On the South Wales Metro, the platforms would fit the Welsh variant of the Class 755 train.
The Class 399 tram-trains running in Sheffield have their suspension adjusted on mnufacture and in the depot, so that there is level access between tram-train and platform.
Could the same tram-trains be adjusted so that they fit the Manchester Metrolink platforms, which are higher?
If they can, then Manchester has got a source of off-the-shelf tram-trains.
The picture shows a Class 399 tram-train at Rotherham Parkgate. Note the level access at the orange door in the foreground.
Manchester would need a different colour as Chelsea Blue wouldn’t be appropriate.
The intriguing idea, is can the same Class 399 tram-trains run in both Manchester and Sheffield, with the tram-train’s computer adjusting the ride height to suit the different height of platforms?
At present the answer is probably no, as if they could then there wouldn’t be dual-height platforms at Rotherham Central station.
Note the slopes down on both sides of the tracks from the high-level train platforms in the background, to the low-level tram platforms in the foreground.
It all depends on whether the suspension design is possible.
If it is, which I doubt, it would get round the bit problem of platforms on tram-train systems.
Weight
- M5000 – 30.7 tonnes
- Supertram – 46.5 tonnes
- Class 399 – .66.1 tonnes
The Class 399 tram-train is a heavy beast so raising it by much might be difficult, as you changed from Sheffield to Manchester heights.
Operating Speed
- M5000 – 80 kph
- Supertram – 80 kph
- Class 399 – .100 kph
Power And Power/Weight Ratio
- M5000 – 480 kW – 15.6 kW/tonne
- Supertram – 1108kW – 23.8 kW/tonne
- Class 399 – 870 kW – 13.2 kW/tonne
Noye.
- By comparison the power/weight ratio of a Class 321 train is just 7.9 kW/tonne
- I have talked to Sheffield tram-drivers and their view is that the Class 399 tram-trains handle Sheffield’s hills better with a full load of passengers.
- The Class 399 has six traction motors, whereas the others have four.
So perhaps, the way that the Class 399 tram-train puts its power to the rail with more driven axles, is important.
Conclusion
I am convinced that just as Sheffield’s Supertram can work happily with Class 399 tram-trains, Stadler have ways and means of making Manchester Metrolink’s M5000 trams work with the tram-trains.
If the Class 399 tram-train is compatible with both tram networks, this will be a great advantage in designing new tram-train routes.
It would also mean that one day, a tram-train service could run from Cathedral in Sheffield to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester via the Hope Valley Line.
I suspect that a lot of local services from the two cities will be run by tram-train services, that cross the cities.
Stadler Rail’s Specification For UK Trains
These are links to the pdf specifications of Stadler Rail’s products in the UK.
- DRS – Class 68
- DRS – Class 88
- Greater Anglia – Class 755
- Merseyrail – Class 777
- Sheffield – Class 399 tram-train
I shall add more as I find them!
Science Has Dim View Of Brexiteers’ Brains
The title of this post is the same as that as an article on Page 3 of The Sunday Times
This is the first three paragraphs.
It is a belief that some pro-Europeans already hold dear, but a group of scientists now claim to have confirmed it: Brexit voters are less bright than remainers.
Researchers gave 11,225 volunteers psycholigical tests before the referendum and asked how they intended to vote. Results suggest that leavers tended to be less numerate, more impulsive and more prone to accept the unsupported claims of authoritarian figures.
“Compared with remain voters, leave voters displayed significantly lower levels of numeracy and appeared more reliant on impulsive thinking.” said the researchers, based at Missouri University.
Nigel Farage is quoted as saying the research was “divisive and arrogant”.
Some would say those two words should be applied to him.
Liverpool Lime Street And Chester Services Via Halton Curve Start In May
This page on the National Rail web site is entitled Changes to the National Rail Timetable.
Under Transport for Wales, this is said.
New services will run between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Runcorn. An hourly service will run, with peak time extensions to Wrexham General.
This sounds like the Halton Curve service to me.
Timing On The Route
Timing on the sections of route are as follows.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Runcorn – 21 minutes – West Midland Class 350 train, with a stop at Liverpool South Parkway.
- Runcorn and Chester – 17 minutes – Parliamentary service as given on Wikipedia.
- Chester and Wrexham General – 14 minutes – Trains for Wales
This gives timings as follows.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Chester – 38 minutes
- Liverpool Lime Street and Wrexham General – 52 minutes
It looks to me that a round trip would be under two hours to both destinations, so two trains would be enough to provide an hourly service.
If Trains for Wales should decide to run a half-hourly service, then four trains would be needed.
Trains On The Route
The Crewe-Liverpool Line has fast services between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe, so I suspect that it has a speed limit of at least 100 mph.
For this reason along, I suspect that all operators and Network Rail, would hope that Trains for Wales will use a train capable of running at up to 100 mph between Liverpool Lime Street and Runcorn.
The operating speed of trains owned or planned by Trains for Wales are.
- Class 150 train – 75 mph
- Class 158 train – 90 mph
- Class 175 train – 100 mph
- Class 769 train – 100 mph on electricity
It seems to me for various reasons that the Class 769 trains would be ideal for this route.
- They could use the electrification between Liverpool Lime Street and Runcorn.
- They are four-car high-capacity trains, that meet all the regulations.
- They are 100 mph trains on electrification.
- They will be straight from the factory with new interiors.
- Northern will have servicing facilities for these trains at Allerton TMD.
- They would give the service some publicity.
They probably won’t be delivered in time for May 2019, but they could replace whatever is used for the initial service.
The Anonymous Widower 