The Anonymous Widower

Where Will Lumo Strike Next?

Yesterday, First Group reported that they had added more possible services to their network of open-access services.

I gave my view in FirstGroup Acquires London – South Wales Open Access Business And Plans Lumo To Devon.

Their list of possible services and destinations include.

• Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Beverley via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden, Brough, Hull Paragon and Cottingham
• Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Hull Paragon via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough
• Hull Trains – London King’s Cross and Sheffield via Worksop and Woodhouse
• Lumo – London Euston and Rochdale via Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles and Manchester Victoria
• Lumo – London King’s Cross and Edinburgh/Glasgow via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth
• Lumo – London Paddington and Carmarthen via Bristol Parkway, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Cardiff Central, Gowerton and Llanell
• Lumo – London Paddington and Paignton via Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St David’s and Torquay

I believe that all services could be run by identical versions of Hitachi’s high speed Intercity Battery Electric Train, which are described in this page on the Hitachi web site.

The London Paddington and Paignton service would require the longest running without electrification at 210 km. and I don’t believe First Group would have put in a bid, unless they were certain zero-carbon trains with sufficient performance would be available.

Other possible open access services  could be.

Hull And Blackpool Airport

Note.

1. This could be the first half of a Green Route between the North of England and the island of Ireland, if zero-carbon aircraft can fly from Blackpool Airport.
2. Trains would call at Selby, Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Manchester Victoria, Blackburn and Preston.
3. Blackpool Airport has good access from Squires Gate station and tram stop, which could be improved.
4. Blackpool Airport could be well supplied with green electricity and hydrogen from wind power.

These are distances to possible airports.

• Belfast City – 111 nm.
• Belfast International – 114 nm.
• Cardiff – 143 nm.
• Cork – 229 nm.
• Donegal – 200 nm.
• Derry/Londonderry – 163 nm.
• Dublin – 116 nm.
• Inverness – 228 nm
• Ireland West Knock – 204 nm.
• Kerry – 253 nm.
• Ronaldsway, IOM – 59 nm.
• Shannon – 220 nm.

Note.

1. The Wikipedia entry for the all-electric Eviation Alice, gives the range with reserves as 250 nm.
2. The Belfast and Dublin airports could be within range of a round trip from Blackpool without refuelling.
3. ,Cork, Kerry and Shannon airports may need to go by another airport, where a small battery charge is performed.
4. The Isle of Man is surprisingly close.

Blackpool has reasonably good coverage for the island of Ireland.

London Euston And Holyhead

This could be the first half of a Green Route to Dublin, if the trains met a high speed hydrogen-powered catamaran to speed passengers across to Dun Laoghaire.

London King’s Cross And Aberdeen Or Inverness

Why not? But these routes would probably be best left to LNER.

London King’s Cross And Grimsby Or Cleethorpes

In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I talked about how LNER  had run a test train to Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

The Government might prefer that an open access operator took the risk and got all the blame if the route wasn’t worth running.

Humberside is very much involved in the energy industry, with several gas-fried power-stations at Keadby.

It might be more efficient in terms of trains and infrastructure, if this service was an extension of the Lincoln service.

London King’s Cross And Scarborough Via Beverley

This would probably be one for Hull Trains, but it would also serve Bridlington and Butlin’s at Filey.

The BBC was running a story today about how holiday camps are making a comeback. Surely, one on a direct train from London wouldn’t be a bad thing. for operators, train companies or holidaymakers.

London King’s Cross And Middlesbrough, Redcar Or Saltburn

As with the Grimsby and Cleethorpes service, the government might think, that this might be a better service for an open access operator.

Teesside is heavily involved in the offshore wind industry and may add involvement in the nuclear industry.

London Paddington And Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven Or Pembroke Dock

Note.

1. This could be the first half of a Green Route to Southern Ireland, if the trains met a high speed hydrogen-powered catamaran to speed passengers across to Rosslare or an electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft from Haverfordwest Airport.
2. These three ports and one airport will feature heavily in the development of offshore wind power in the Celtic Sea.
3. RWE are already planning a hydrogen electrolyser in Pembrokeshire, as I wrote about  in RWE Underlines Commitment To Floating Offshore Wind In The Celtic Sea Through New ‘Vision’ Document.
4. According to the Wikipedia entry for Fishguard Harbour station, it was built as a station to handle ship passengers and is now owned by Stena Line, who run the ferries to Rosslare in Ireland.
5. I can see a tie-up between FirstGroup and Stena Line to efficiently transfer passengers between Lumo’s planned service to Carmarthen and Stena Line’s ships to Ireland.

All four secondary destinations would be a short extension from Carmarthen.

Summing Up

Note how energy, a Green Route to Ireland and other themes keep appearing.

I do wonder if running a budget train service to an area, is an easy way of levelling up, by attracting people, commuters and industry.

Have the budget airlines improved the areas they serve?

They’ve certainly created employment in the transport, construction and hospitality industries.

Zero-Carbon Ferries And Short-Haul Aircraft

These will be essential for Anglo-Irish routes and many other routes around the world.

I will deal with the ferries first, as to create a zero-carbon ferry, only needs an appropriate power unit to be installed in a ship design that works.

But with aircraft, you have to lift the craft off the ground, which needs a lot of energy.

This article on Transport and Environment is entitled World’s First ‘Carbon Neutral’ ship Will Rely On Dead-End Fuel, with this sentence as a sub-heading.

The Danish shipping giant Maersk announced it will operate the world’s first carbon-neutral cargo vessel by 2023. The company had promised a carbon-neutral container ship by 2030 but now says it will introduce the ship seven years ahead of schedule following pressure from its customers. While welcoming Maersk’s ambition, T&E says the company is betting on the wrong horse by using methanol which may not be sustainable and available in sufficient amounts.

Note.

1. I’d not heard of this ship.
2. Pressure from customers brought the date forward by seven years.
3. As always, it appears that the availability of enough green hydrogen and methanol is blamed.

Perhaps, Governments of the world should put more teeth in green legislation to ensure that companies and governments do what they say they are gong to do?

But worthwhile developments in the field of shipping are underway.

For instance, I estimate that this Artemis Technologies hydrofoil ferry could take passengers across the 54 nautical miles between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead in around 90 minutes.

This ferry is being designed and built in Northern Ireland and I can’t believe, it is the only development of its type.

A Fast Green Route To Ireland

I have talked about this before in High-Speed Low-Carbon Transport Between Great Britain And Ireland and I am certain that it will happen.

• Air and sea routes between the UK and the island of Ireland carry a lot of traffic.
• Some travellers don’t like flying. Especially in Boeings, which are Ryanair’s standard issue.
• It is the sort of trip, that will appeal to a lot of travellers and most probably a lot with Irish connections.
• An electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft or a fast surface craft will be able to cross the Irish Sea in a quick time.
• High speed trains and then High Speed Two will consistently reduce the travel times on the UK side of the water.

Cross-water travel routes, be they by aircraft, ferries, bridges or tunnels are generally popular and successful.

Conclusion

Given the opportunity at Fishguard, I can see that FirstGroup next move would be to extend the Carmarthen service to Fishguard Harbour.

December 6, 2024 Posted by AnonW | Energy, Transport/Travel | Artemis Technologies, Blackpool Airport, Celtic Sea, Decarbonisation, Devon, Dun Laoghaire, FirstGroup, Fishguard Harbour Station, Green Hydrogen, Green Methanol, Green Route To Ireland, High Speed Catamaran, Hull Trains, Island Of Ireland, LNER, Lumo, Offshore Wind Power, Open Access Operators, Pembroke Net Zero Centre, Stena Line, Wind Power | Leave a comment