Short-Notice Spaghetti Trains Organised To get Pasta Across The Alps
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
DB Schenker has organised the transport of several hundred tonnes of pasta by rail from Italy to Germany, enabling 650 Aldi supermarkets to replenish supplies which had been depleted by customers stocking up during the coronavirus pandemic.
I can’t help feeling that this story pays homage to Richard Dimbleby‘s classic April Fool story about the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland.
Dutch Test Hydrogen Train As EU Alliance Set To Launch
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Euractiv.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The Netherlands wrapped up testing on its first foray into hydrogen train technology at the weekend, as the European Commission readies a strategy for the clean fuel that will debut on Tuesday (10 March).
I shall be interested to see what the European Commission says tomorrow.
I indicated in Alstom Coradia iLint Passes Tests, that hydrogen-powered trains could run through The Netherlands all the way to Germany.
Alstom Coradia iLint Passes Tests
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Age.
This is the first paragraph.
Alstom has performed 10 days of tests of the Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell train—the world’s first passenger train powered by hydrogen fuel cells—on the 65-kilometer line between Groningen and Leeuwarden to the north of the Netherlands.
These details of the tests were given.
- No passengers were carried.
- The tests were done at night.
- A mobile filling station was used.
- The train ran up to a speed of 140 kph.
As green hydrogen was used, the tests were zero carbon.
The Test Route
This map clipped from Wikipedia, shows the Groningen and Leeuwarden route, used for the tests.
Note.
- It appears to be only single-track.
- It is roughly 65 kilometres long.
- There are eight intermediate stops.
Checking the timetable, the service seems to be two or three trains per hour (tph)
Hydrogen Trains Could Go All The Way To Germany
In From Groningen To Leer By Train, I took a train and a bus from Groningen in The Netherlands to Leer in Germany and eventually on to Bremen Hbf. The route is not complete at the moment, as a freighter demolished the rail bridge.
Once the bridge is rebuilt, a hydrogen-powered train, which could also use the catenary in the area could travel from West of Leeuwarden to possibly as far as Bremen and Hamburg.
It is interesting to note, that Alstom’s hydrogen-powered trains for the UK, which are called Breeze and are currently being converted from British Rail-era Class 321 electric trains, will not lose their ability to use the overhead electrification.
A train with that dual capability would be ideal for the Dutch and German rail network in this area, which is partially electrified.l
Eurostar Confirms Start Date For Amsterdam – London Through Services
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
Points made in the article include.
- A preview service ran on February 4th.
- Two services a day will run from Amsterdam Centraal to London from April 30th.
- Journey times will be around four hours.
- Through journeys from Rotterdam to London will be possible from May 18th.
- Tickets will be available from February 11th.
I’m fairly sure that after the success of the London to Amsterdam Centraal service, which will be four trains per day (tpd), by the end of this year and five tpd by the end of 2021, that this could be the start of something similar.
- Five tpd would mean a capacity of 4,500 passengers or about the same as eleven Ryanair 737 Max 8 aircraft.
- Four hours between city centres.
- Current prices for a trip this month are under fifty pounds or under ninety for Premium Economy.
As Paris has sixteen tpd and Brussels has seven tpd, I could see that five tpd will be increased.
- All London to Amsterdam Centraal services stop at Brussels to pick up passengers.
- I’m sure that a method will be found to allow Amsterdam Centraal to London trains to drop passengers at Brussels.
- If Rotterdam will get direct services, surely Antwerp and Schipol Airport should as well.
- Thalys between Paris and Amsterdam Centraal runs at 10 tpd.
- Thalys and Eurostar are merging and surely Eurostar between London and Amsterdam Centraal and Thalys between Paris and Amsterdam Centraal should be combined between the Belgian and Dutch capitals.
Get the Brussels and Amsterdam Centraal route right, after the merger of Thalys and Eurostar and I can see the following.
- Two trains per hour (tph) between Amsterdam Centraal and Brussels.
- One tph starting in London and the other in Paris.
- Ability to pick up and set down International and domestic passengers at the intermediate stations; Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schipol Airport.
Surely, if a two tph service works between London and Edinburgh is highly successful, two tph between Brussels and Amsterdam Centraal would be the same.
The same philosophy could then be applied to the London/Paris routes via Brussels to Cologne/Frankfurt.
- Eurostar has stated it wants to serve the two German cities.
- Thalys runs services between Paris and Dortmund via Brussels, Liege, Cologne and Essen.
- The Thalys frequency between Paris and Cologne is five tpd.
The London and Paris services could combine to run a joint service into Germany.
- Destinations could be Cologne, Dortmund and Frankfurt with stops at Liege and Aachen.
- London and Germany could probably sustain the currently proposed Amsterdam frequency of five tpd.
I’m looking forward to taking a direct train from London to Cologne.
World’s Largest Green Hydrogen Plant Begins Operation In Austria
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Recharge.
This is the subtitle, which says it all.
The 6MW facility in Linz, running Siemens electrolysers, will provide clean H2 for steel production.
Steel-making is a large source of carbon-dioxide emissions and this is said about how hydrogen can be used in the process.
In light of global climate targets, Voestalpine is currently investigating the practicality of a hybrid technology to bridge between the existing coke/coal-based blast furnace route and electric arc furnaces powered with green electricity partly generated using green hydrogen,” says Voestalpine. “If economically feasible, from today’s perspective this option would reduce the group’s CO2 emissions by around a third sometime between 2030 and 2035.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see steel-makers beat that target, especially as renewable energy production and hydrogen electrolyser capacity increases.
The article also details two other large green hydrogen production electrolysers.
A 10MW PEM electrolysis plant, REFHYNE, is under construction at Shell’s Rheinland refinery in Wesseling, Germany, and is due to be completed in the second half of 2020, while a 30MW pilot — part of a 700MW project — is expected to be up and running in northwest Germany by 2025.
There’s more about REFHYNE on their web site.
This is the introduction on the web site.
The REFHYNE project is at the forefront of the effort to supply Clean Refinery Hydrogen for Europe. The project is funded by the European Commission’s Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) and will install and operate the world’s largest hydrogen electrolyser the Shell Rhineland Refinery in Wesseling, Germany.
The plant will be operated by Shell and manufactured by ITM Power. The electrolyser has a peak capacity of 10 MW (megawatts) and will be able to produce approximately 1,300 tonnes of hydrogen per year. This decarbonised hydrogen can be fully integrated into refinery processes including the desulphurisation of conventional fuels
Hydrogen is coming.
It could be coming in a big way to the UK, as we have the capability to generate gigawatts of off-shore wind power and ITM Power have the world’s largest PEM electrolyser factory in Rotherham.
Battery Trains To Be Tested In Denmark
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Suppliers are to be invited to test battery-powered trains on regional lines in late 2020 and early 2021, ahead of a potential order which could see battery trains enter passenger service from 2025.
This order follows on from three confirmed or possible German battery train orders in Schleswig-Holstein, Baden-Württemberg and Chemnitz.
So far interest in battery trains in the UK, has not been so strong, with only orders in Wales.
Amsterdam – London Through Train Agreement To Be Signed Shortly
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
The international agreement which would permit the operation of through passenger services between the Netherlands and the UK is expected to be signed in October, State Secretary for Justice & Security Ankie Broekers-Knol told the Dutch parliament’s lower house on September 25.
I can’t wait!
Hopefully, a similar agreement will be signed soon with the Germans to allow direct London and Frankfurt services via Cologne.
I can only see one problem!
What if Amsterdam, Germany, Bordeaux and all the other destinations that are being talked about are hugh successes?
Will St.Pancras cope?
Baden-Württemberg Backs Battery Mireos
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
The Land of Baden-Württemberg has decided to order a fleet of 20 Mireo battery-electric multiple units from Siemens Mobility to operate the Netz 8 Ortenau package of regional lines, the state government announced on August 2.
Routes to be operated include.
- The electrified line between Offenburg and Freudenstadt/Hornberg
- Rench Valley Railway between Appenweier and Bad Griesbach – 29.1 km.
- , Acher Valley Railway between Achern and Ottenhöfen. – 10.4 km.
- Harmersbach Valley Railway between Biberach and Oberharmersbach-Riersbach – 10.6 km.
Reading about the area, it could be a nice place to go for an explore.
But it also could be the sort of area, that is ideal for battery-electric trains.
Germany Is Going Green In Local Rail Services
There have been other stories of hydrogen and battery-electric trains in Germany.
- Battery Answer To Schleswig-Holstein’s Diesel Replacement Question
- World’s Largest Fleet Of Fuel Cell Trains’ Ordered
- My First Ride In An Alstom Coradia iLint
- Bombardier Introduces Talent 3 Battery-Operated Train
- Flirt Akku Battery Multiple-Unit Unveiled
- Alpha Trains Commits To Hybrid Retrofit For Diesel Fleet
Manufacturers involved include Alstom, Bombardier, Rolls-Royce MTU, Siemens and Stadler.
Who will win the battle of zero-carbon technologies?
My money is on a new design of train, that is built specifically around battery or hydrogen technology.
- I’m sure Bombardier’s Aventras use battery technology, as an integral part of their excellent design.
- Stadler’s launch of the Class 755 train, shows they’ve got a top-of-the-range platform on which to install battery or hydrogen power.
Will Siemens battery-powered Mireo be another challenger.
Rip-Off Ticketing At Bremen Hauptbahnhof
I am experienced user of Deutsche Bahn and generally buy my tickets at one of their reliable machines.
Note that queuing up at a Ticket Office sometimes takes up to thirty minutes and quite frankly I have better and more important thingfs to do with my life.
This picture shows a typical German ticket.
The two stations; Buxtehude and Cuxhaven are clearly shown.
But imagine my surprise at Bremen Hauptbahnhof, when the ticket machine dispensed this.
It is about one by four centimetres and the only readable writing on the front is EErw.
- Does it look like a ticket to you?
- There were no notices up about the change of ticket.
- How do you sort out today’s ticket from yesterday’s?
- What if you’re partially sighted?
I thought the machine had failed and curt off the ticket early.
So I tried again. With the same result!
I then tried the Ticket Office for an explanation, but the guy just played stumm, as Deutsche Bahn employees always do, when they know, there’s been a customer relations failure.
I did ascertain, that I had to put the ticket in a machine to validate it before travelling.
I did think about not doing this, so that I would get arrested on the train, but in the end, I can’t remember whether I did.
However, as tickets were not checked on the train, it didn’t matter.
It is the most arrogant system of ticketing I’ve ever found.
When I got home, I found I had been charge for two tickets.
My bank;Nationwide are trying to refuse one of the psyments.
I’ll update this post, to give you the result of their argument.
From Groningen To Leer By Train
On my recent trip to the Netherlands and Germany, I didn’t get to do this trip by train and had to make do with a slow bus ride.
However I’ve just found this video on YouTube.
The Freisenbrücke is about an hour from the start of the video.
I should fast forward, as there is only so much travelling on a single-track rail line, that you can watch before falling asleep.
I got this impression of the route in the video, which was made in October 2014.
- The route is mainly single-track, with some passing loops at stations.
- the track is not electrified, except for short sections at either end.
- The track was almost straight.
- The track, stations and signalling appear to be in good condition.
- There were a large number of level crossings.
- The train took around one hour and twenty minutes between Groningen and Leer stations.
I can imagine that Deutsche Bahn and Arriva Netherlands were a good bit more and just annoyed, when the MV Emsmoon destroyed the bridge.
Wikipedia says this about the accident.
On 3 December 2015, Emsmoon collided with the Friesenbrücke [de], which carries the Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway over the Ems. The cause of the accident was reported to be miscommunication between the bridge operator and pilot on board the ship. The bridge could not be raised as a train was due, but the ship failed to stop and collided with the bridge, blocking both railway and river. The bridge was so severely damaged that it will have to be demolished. Replacement is expected to take five years
I suspect, it’s not just an massive inconvenience for the railway, as a couple of miles South on the River Ems, is the Meyer Werft shipyard, where cruise ships up to 180,000 tonnes are built.
I found this document on the NDR.de web site and gleaned the following information.
- The cost of rebuilding could be up to eight million euros.
- The new bridge will be finished in 2024, if all goes well.
- Environmentalists are bringing lawsuits against the construction of the bridge.
It will be a challenge to rebuild this bridge.
This video shows the new bridge
Let’s hope that one of those large cruise ships doesn’t hit the bridge.
Conclusion
This surely has been a very costly accident.
The Anonymous Widower 