My First Trip On The Northumberland Line – 18th December 2024
Yesterday, I took Lumo to Newcastle and took my first ride to Ashington on the Northumberland Line.
These are some of the pictures I took.
Note.
- Much of the route is double-track.
- Bridges over the tracks indicate, that some stations will have two platforms.
- I suspect some stations could take a five-car train.
- One guy said that there is a lot of landscaping to do.
- The standard is very similar to the Borders Railway.
I have some other thoughts.
The Blyth Valley Is Well Supplied With Electricity
Several high-capacity connections to wind farms and Norway are planned to come ashore at Blyth and it appears from the pictures that the area is well connected to the grid.
This must have nudged Britishvolt to put their battery plant at Blyth.
But no matter for those jobs, as with a rail service to Greater Geordieland and lots of electricity, there must be other energy-hungry businesses like datacentres or small modular reactor factories, who would want the site.
The Long Platforms
I am fairly sure that some of the platforms have been sized to take a five-car Hitachi Class 80x train, which are only 130 metres long and can carry around 400 passengers.
This must enable the ability to use the Northumberland Line as a diversion for the East Coast Main Line.
Some services could perhaps stop at Blyth for the large factories and/or Northumberland Park for the Metro.
It looks to me, that the Northumberland line was designed for large factories or businesses with lots of workers, that needed lots of electricity.
Development North Of Ashington
This OpenRailwayMap shows the area North of Ashington.
Note.
- The orange line going up and down the map is the East Coast Main Line.
- Morpeth station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Ashington station is in the South-East corner of the map.
I think there might be scope to develop this area to make the heavy components needed for wind farms and small modular reactors,
H2Rescue Truck Smashes World Record With 1,806 Miles On A Single Hydrogen Fill!
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Fuel News.
This is the sub-heading.
H2Rescue Truck Sets New World Record in Hydrogen Transportation
These first two paragraphs add more detail.
A groundbreaking milestone in hydrogen-powered transportation has been achieved by the H2Rescue truck, a prototype heavy-duty vehicle capable of addressing energy challenges during disaster relief. Built by Accelera (a division of Cummins), with support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other federal agencies, the truck recently achieved a Guinness World Record by traveling an astonishing 1,806 miles on a single fill of hydrogen fuel.
What makes this feat remarkable is the environmental implications of the technology. While a traditional internal combustion engine would have emitted 664 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the same distance, the hydrogen-fueled H2Rescue truck produced zero CO2 emissions. Hydrogen-powered vehicles like this one exemplify cutting-edge innovation in decarbonizing transportation.
This last paragraph describes the use of the vehicle in emergencies.
More than just a long-distance performer, the H2Rescue truck is an essential tool during emergencies. It can provide 25 kilowatts of power for critical relief operations, such as lighting, medical equipment, and communication systems, for up to 72 hours without refueling. This capability could make a significant difference in disaster zones, where reliable energy sources are often scarce.
Cummins are certainly serious about the innovative use of hydrogen.
London And Newcastle In A Day By Lumo
On Monday, the weather for yesterday in the North-East seemed set fair, I was able to get tickets on Lumo both ways for a reasonable price and the new Northumberland Line had opened.
So I decided to go for it.
My outward journey was on the 10:45 and the return was on the 17:52, which gave me more than enough time to take a train to Ashington and back.
I took these pictures as I arrived in and changed cmy trains at Newcastle.
Note.
- The weather in Geordieland was gorgeous.
- Is there another station in the UK, with an approach with such a large number of bridges over a large river.
- I took the bridge pictures from the lobby of the train.
- The blue railway bridge is on the East side of the train.
- The modern road bridge is on the West side of the train.
- In The Bridges of Newcastle, there are more pictures of Newcastles’s bridges.
- To change trains, I had to cross from one side of the station to the other on a stiff bridge without lifts.
- The Northumberland Line trains run every thirty minutes.
These are some further thoughts on Newcastle station, which I will write later.
Timings Going North
The train left Kings Cross at 10:45½, which was just thirty seconds late.
It arrived in Newcastle at 13:48, which was four minutes late.
The journey time had been three hours and two and a half minutes.
Timings Going South
The train left Newcastle at 17:52, which was on time.
It arrived in Kings Cross at 21:17, which was thirty-three minutes late.
The thirty-three minute delay, must raise the possibility of delay repay.
It does!
Three Hours London Newcastle?
These timings must raise the possibility of a sub-three hour time. on the train, between London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.
The digital signalling that is currently being installed, with perhaps a few timetable tweaks should do it for both Lumo and LNER.
Could The Trains Absorb The Airline Passengers?
Consider.
- In 2023, 437,735 passengers flew between London Heathrow and Newcastle airports.
- This is just 1,200 passengers per day.
- A five-car Class 803 train has 403 seats.
It would appear that a few extra trains and some targeted marketing, could convert London and Newcastle into an all-electric train route.
Seats
Train seats are a bone of contention to many rail passengers these days.
I first rode on Lumo to Scotland in 2021 and wrote about it in London To Edinburgh On Lumo, where I was fairly complimentary about the seats.
They certainly are better than some train seats I have ridden in.
Am I Tired Today?
Not particularly! But I wasn’t very energetic during my four hours in the North.
Tickets For Onward Journeys
The main purpose of my trip was to ride the Northumberland Line to Ashington.
I made the mistake of not buying my ticket for the second train in London, as I hadn’t realised that my train from London and the Ashington train used different sides of the station.
- It was a stiff walk for me between trains.
- In order to buy a ticket, you need to pass through the barriers twice to get to the ticket office or a machine.
- There was no ticket facilities on the far side of the station, where the Lumo train arrived.
- The ticket machines didn’t accept contactless cards.
- Information was lacking.
The outcome was that I nearly missed my train to Ashington.
So to be sure of catching your connection, if you are changing trains at Newcastle, make sure you buy your tickets before you leave your first station.
Landsec Buys Liverpool One Shopping Centre For £490m
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Tje Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Commercial property group adds to its portfolio with another bet on ‘destination’ bricks and mortar
I know Liverpool well and I think this is a smart purchase.
The Mersey Tidal Barrage
If all goes well in a few years time, Liverpool One will be just a short walk from one of England’s most spectacular tourist attractions – The Mersey Tidal Barrage, which will allow you to walk or cycle across the Mersey.
The Pierhead, Waterfront And Merseyrail
Note.
- The Mersey Ferry Terminal is to the left,
- The Liver Building is in the centre.
- The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs between the two, to give access for narrow boats to the Albert Dock.
- There is a Merseyrail station to the right.
The famous waterfront is already a major calling port for cruise ships and is connected to the rest of Merseyside, by one of the world’s best urban railways.
The Improved Rail Service From London
In the new year, Liverpool will get a second hourly rail service from London with new faster Hitachi trains and as Lime Street station is only a couple of stops on Merseyrail or a downhill walk for the average urban walker to Liverpool One, many will go and do their day’s shopping with a meal and some entertainment in the City.
The New Everton Stadium
From next year, that entertainment could be watching football at Everton’s new stadium, which is on the waterfront.
Battery High Speed Trains Across The Pennines
The trains across the Pennines will be improved soon, when new battery-electric high speed Hitachi trains come into service.
Hotels And Golf
The one thing that Liverpool One and the waterfront needs is some world class hotels. The Liverpool area already has a few golf courses good enough for the Open Championship.
The area has marketed itself in the past, as the Golf Coast.
Future Development
Liverpool One, the Pierhead and the Waterfront, can develop massively over the next ten years.
America Is Building The World’s Biggest Battery—And It Will Run On Rust
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Popular Mechanics.
It is the first article, that I’ve found that gives a good explanation of Form Energy’s battery, that uses iron oxide for energy storage.
Given the backing of the likes of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, this could be a serious player in the energy storage market.
The article is certainly worth a read.l
First High-Speed Rail Service From Rochdale To London In 25 years Secures Political Support
The title if this post, is the same as this article on Rochdale Online.
These are the first three paragraphs.
MPs, local council leaders, businesses and academics gathered in Manchester to show their support for a new high-speed rail service linking Rochdale with London for the first time in 25 years, in a boost to local jobs, growth and connectivity in the North West.
Lumo, which already delivers more reliable, cheaper train travel along the East Coast Main Line, plans to run six return trains a day between Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay to London Euston from 2027, providing 1.6 million more people in Greater Manchester with a direct link to the capital.
The three-hour service will knock 2hrs 15mins off current journey times by car, secure important emissions savings and create at least 124 direct jobs along the route.
How many other larger towns and cities could use a service like this proposed one to Rochdale?
But Rochdale’s service is more than just a one-dimensional route to and from London.
- Rochdale and Warrington Bank Quay forms a convenient long-range cross-Manchester service.
- Connections at Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay provide links to Liverpool and North West England, Wales and Scotland.
- Connections at Manchester Victoria and Eccles provide links to most of Great Manchester.
- Liverpool’s and Manchester’s plans mean that connectivity will only get better.
It will be interesting to see how Lumo’s Rochdale service evolves and develops in the next few years.
Other cities will certainly want one.
Does Ocado Cut Food Waste?
I haven’t done an analysis, that would have been acceptable to a Chartered Accountant, but my fridge doesn’t seem as full before Ocado delivers, as it was when I started to use their service.
Small factors may be nudging me to buy less food.
- You can see what you’re buying visually.
- Pricing is more obvious.
- You tend not to buy too many smaller things.Do you respond to pictures?
- A lot of research has been done on layout and order to make you buy more.
But I do get the impression I’m buying less.
House Sitting With Ocado
I like animals and I miss having cats, dogs and horses around.
I particularly miss our stallion ; Vague Shot, who had a nickname of Cyril. When I was feeling down, he always had time for a chat and a cuddle.
It may seem strange, but when C died, Cyril was the first I told. But then as he was a stallion, the stud was his personal domain. Hence his understanding.
Recently, I’ve taken to doing my shopping at Ocado, which means that my coeliac disease, is not a problem, if Ocado deliver.
I had thought about house and pet sitting before, but my coeliac disease and the fact I don’t drive seemed to end discussions.
So I think, I’m going to do a bit of house and small pet sitting, mainly to get a welcome change of scenery. I’ll leave the logistics to Ocado.
Consider.
- I have no pets myself.
- I am a non-smoker.
- I am more or less tee-total these days.
- I have no children or grandchildren under 23.
- I will tell Ocado, as I have no connection with them, except as a customer, who uses their services regularly.
What do my readers think?
British Gas Partners With Strata And Daikin To Launch Eco-Tech Low Bill Homes
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.
This is the sub-heading.
British Gas is set to supercharge sustainable living across the UK with the launch of Low Carbon Homes – a ground-breaking pilot in partnership with Strata and heat pump manufacturer, Daikin.
These are the first four paragraphs, which fill out a bit of detail.
In anticipation of The Future Homes Standard, customers will move into new build homes which have been fitted with a full range of the latest low-carbon technology at no extra cost to the housebuilder or owner. The homes will be equipped with a 6-8 kWh Daikin air source heat pump, 4 kWh solar panels, 5 kWh battery storage, Hive electric vehicle charger and thermostat. These items will be integrated into Hive’s award-winning app, providing customers with one-stop visibility and control of their energy usage.
The first trial phase will launch at a Strata’s “Breathe” development site in Kiveton, Rotherham. As a thank you for participating in the pilot, British Gas is giving homeowners access to a fixed rate tailored British Gas tariff. Participants in the trial will also have access to a dedicated British Gas energy manager to help them optimise the technology and keep bills as low as possible, while still meeting their desired comfort levels.
Each home will be fitted with a Hive hub, which connects to the WIFI network and acts as the home’s operating system, integrating all the sustainable technology. The customers energy and heat schedules and budget will be optimised by the Hive Hub for further savings.
When the customer connects to Hive’s app they will be able to control and maximise efficiency by setting schedules and spending budgets and allowing the Hub to help them reduce their bills.
Note.
- As a Control Engineer, this to me is a good start.
- I suspect that a 6-8 kWh Daikin air source heat pump, 4 kWh solar panels and 5 kWh battery storage will keep the average house warm.
- I would expect that the three companies have optimised the ratios between the sizes of the components to give the best performance.
It is amazing to think that it was in the early seventies, that in the two sections, where I worked at ICI, engineers had just started controlling and optimising flows, pressures and temperatures in complex chemical plants.
If you’d asked any of us, when our houses heating systems would be as fully controlled, we’d have given twenty years at most.
What kept the world so long?
I have a few thoughts.
Could The Housing Have Gas For Cooking??
Yes! Centrica owns a big share with Hyundai, Kia and others of a start-up company called HiiROC.
- This is the HiiROC web site.
- HiiROC can take any hydocarbon gas and split it into green hydrogen and carbon black.
- Green hydrogen is obviously useful and the carbon black can be used for making tyres for vehicles, anodes for lithium-ion batteries and in agriculture for soil improvement.
- Waste off-gas from a chemical plant can be split into green hydrogen and carbon black.
- Biomethane from a sewage plant can be split into hydrogen and carbon black. Could a sewage plant on an estate be used to create biomethane for cooking and feeding to the HiiROC plant? Yes!
- Could green hydrogen produced on the estate be used to drive vehicles like cars, vans and ride-on-mowers. Yes! If the manufacturer of the vehicle allows it!
- How convenient would it be to have Hydrogen-at-Home?
How Much Does A British Gas Hive Save On My Energy Bill?
I asked Google and I got this answer from Home Hive.
£119. A smaller carbon footprint and a smaller bill – our award-winning smart thermostat could cut your energy bills by up to £170 a year. Join Hive Plus to boost your thermostat’s savings – and get exclusive access to £60 bill credit with any fixed British Gas dual fuel tariff.
At present, I have no intention of changing my energy supplier, but come the summer or if my health or energy circumstances change, I might see what is available.
Will British Gas Develop A Hive For a Smaller Dwelling?
I suspect in ten years, if I’m still of this world, I shall be living in the following circumstances.
- Alone.
- In a two bedroom house, cottage or flat.
- Some form of probably electric central heating or perhaps even hydrogen.
- No car.
- A short walk to the bus stop and/or train station.
- Communal gardens to sit in.
- An Ocado style delivery for food, groceries and other essentials.
- A local gluten-free cafe.
- Full Wi-Fi
Perhaps, British Gas and others will develop a community for people like me?
Tower As Tall As The Shard Approved For Square Mile
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A skyscraper the same height as The Shard has been approved by the City of London Corporation.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
One Undershaft, will be the tallest in the City of London, containing 74 storeys.
It will also feature a public garden on the 11th floor and a London Museum education centre.
The plans were approved by the City of London Corporation on Friday but some consultees remain opposed to the plans, including Historic England and Tower Hamlets Council.
I have read the Wikipedia entry for the Shard and feel this building could have a few problems before it is finished.
The queue opposing the building appears to be forming starting with Historic England and Tower Hamlets Council.
I also wonder, if the City of London keeps on putting up mega-scrapers like this, whether there’ll be enough men, women, machines, money and materials to build them.
And workers to fill them.
The Anonymous Widower 