London Bus Cuts: Sadiq Khan Pulls Handbrake On Planned Changes
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
In The Mayor Of London Is Pruning The North London Bus Network Again, I pointed out Sadiq Khan’s lopsided pruning of the London bus network.
Sadiq Khan has now changed his mind, as this paragraph indicates.
Transport for London (TfL) has announced it will only get rid of three bus routes following a consultation which saw more than 20,000 replies.
These paragraphs explain the changes in detail.
As a result of the consultation, 17 routes which had been proposed to be cut will be saved and kept as they currently operate. Another 40 services will also no longer be changed as initially planned.
Only three routes will be removed entirely – the 521 between Waterloo and London Bridge, the 507 between Victoria and Waterloo, and the 332 between Brent Park and Paddington – while alterations will be made to another 11 services.
Of the plans consulted on:
Routes 4, 12, 14, 24, 31, 45, 72, 74, 78, 242, 349, C3, D7, N31, N72, N74 and N242 will be saved and kept as they are
Planned tweaks to routes 15, 19, 27, 43, 47, 49, 53, 56, 88, 98, 100, 113, 135, 148, 171, 189, 205, 214, 236, 254, 259, 277, 279, 283, 328, 343, 388, 414, 430, 476, D3, D8, N15, N19, N27, N98, N133, N205, N414 and N430 will no longer happen
Proposed changes to routes 3, 6, 11, 23, 26, 59, 77, 133, 211, C10 and N26 will still go ahead
TfL said the consultation had raised issues with the plans and as a result the mayor of London had been able to find extra funding to ensure the cuts did not happen on such a large scale.
That is certainly a substantial U-turn!
An Expedition To Muswell Hill To Get Some Lovely Liver
After my plea in Need To Regularly Eat A Large Plate Of Calves’ Liver, I got a recommendation to try The Cilicia at Muswell Hill.
It was delicious and just what my body wanted. The liver had been cooked in sage butter with tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes.
I shall return!
The only problem is that Dalston and Muswell Hill is not the easiest journey to make by public transport.
My route was as follows.
- I took by taking a 141 bus from close to my house to Manor House station.
- I then got a Piccadilly Line train to Turnpike Lane station.
- From there it was a 144 bus to Muswell Hill Broadway.
It took about 45 minutes.
But it might be quicker to take a 102 bus from Bounds Green station.
Or go to the Angel Islington and get a 43 bus from there to Muswell Hill Broadway.
But my route could all have been so different.
This map shows the Muswell Hill branch which was closed by British Rail and has since been mainly built over.
The Muswell Hill branch would have been part of the comprehensive Northern Heights Plan.
- The Northern Line would have been extended from Edgware to Bushey Heath.
- The Mill Hill East branch would have been extended to Edgware.
- If you look at the maps in Wikipedia, the Northern Line would be very different through London.
- The Muswell Hill branch would have given better access to the magnificent Alexandra Palace.
But Austerity after World War II meant the extension never happened.
I can see a case could be made for some parts of the Northern Heights plan, but it is too late now, as viaducts have been demolished and routes have been built over.
My feeling is that if there was a need for the Northern Heights plan in the 1930s, then as London has expanded, that need will need to be fulfilled in the future.
So when Austerity hits as it did after World War II and as it is happening now due to Covid-19 and Vlad’s war in Ukraine, we should make sure we don’t compromise our plans for the future.
I believe that with a small amount of safeguarding in the 1960s, the Northern Line would now have a useful branch to Alexandra Palace and Muswell Hill.
More Than Half Of London-Edinburgh Travellers Now Going By Train Instead Of Plane
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on The Independent.
As Lumo seem to be a success on London and Edinburgh, surely a similar service should run between London and Glasgow.
Grand Union are trying to run a London and Stirling service, but it doesn’t seem to be getting close to starting.
Battersea Power Station To London Bridge – 18th September 2022
I took a Thames Clipper from Battersea Power Station to London Bridge.
Note.
- The South Bank is generally to the left in the pictures.
- I took a Northern Line train to Battersea Power Station pier.
- As I finished at London Bridge pier, it was convenient for the Northern Line.
- I took these pictures from the back of the boat in the open as the windows were so dirty.
- In some pictures you can see the power of the boat, as it pulls away from the stops.
- The boat passed three of the super sewer sites.
- There were large numbers on the South Bank queuing to pay their respect to The Queen.
The fare was £7.70 on my Oyster card and the journey took under forty minutes.
Transport Enterprise Leasing To Integrate Cummins X15H Hydrogen Engine Into Heavy Duty Trucks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Fleet Equipment.
This is the first paragraph.
Transport Enterprise Leasing and Cummins Inc. announced recently that TEL has signed a letter of intent planning to purchase Cummins’ 15-liter hydrogen internal combustion engines when available. TEL will integrate the Cummins’ X15H hydrogen engines into their fleet of heavy-duty trucks.
This second paragraph is very significant.
Hydrogen engines can use zero-carbon green hydrogen fuel, produced by Cummins-manufactured electrolyzers. The projected investment in renewable hydrogen production globally will provide a growing opportunity for the deployment of hydrogen-powered fleets utilizing either Cummins fuel cell or engine power.
Cummins would appear to be aiming to be a one-stop shop to decarbonise your fleet of heavy trucks or anything that is powered by a Cummins diesel engine.
I did a small amount of work for Cummins about twenty years ago and one of the companies objectives was to be able to provide a diesel engine to fit anybody’s application.
So if someone wanted a diesel engine with a particular power, that fitted in an unusually-shaped or confined space, they would rearrange the layout of the engine to make it fit.
I suspect that London’s New Routemaster buses have a special version of Cummins B Series engine, designed for its unusual location halfway up the back stairs.
Will Cummins produce a hydrogen internal combustion engine for the New Routemaster?
- The buses could become zero-carbon, at less cost than new buses.
- Passengers would notice no difference in ride comfort and experience.
- Drivers would just need to use the hydrogen systems.
- Maintenance staff would only need to be trained n handling the hydrogen system, as much of the buses would be unchanged.
- Cummins could sell an electrolyser to each garage.
- London would get some good publicity for tourism.
London’s iconic bus would look the same.
UK In Hydrogen Breakthrough As New £26m Deal With Japan To Help Tackle Energy Crisis
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
These two paragraphs explain the deal.
The UK has received a major boost to its hydrogen ambitions as a Japanese energy company is set to sign a £26million deal to develop green hydrogen projects in Wales.
The local council of Bridgend in Wales has signed a memorandum of understanding with Marubeni, a Japanese green energy specialist company. The agreement sets out proposals to develop a new 5MW-class green hydrogen initiative after the company decided to pick Wales as the preferred UK location for a green hydrogen demonstrator project.
These two paragraphs describe how the hydrogen will be used.
Through this deal, the Welsh Government hopes that the project would generate clean fuel for fleet vehicles ranging from council gritters to recycling and refuse collection lorries.
The company is also trying to figure out how hydrogen fuel might be used to heat buildings such as schools, residential homes, and local swimming pools.
We need more projects like these to cut carbon emissions.
When is Sadiq Khan going to produce a hydrogen strategy for London, to help clean up the city’s polluted air?
London Now Has A Large Communal Cool Room For The Elderly And Disabled
I would suspect that most elderly and disabled people, who live in the London boroughs have a Freedom Pass entitling them to free public transport.
London’s new cool room is large and fully air-conditioned, and stretches eight miles right across the city between Paddington and Canary Wharf.
It is officially called the Elizabeth Line, but others call it Crossrail or the Lizzie Line.
Perhaps, the seats in the stations are hard, to discourage overstaying in the well-controlled cool atmosphere.
These seats are used on most stations.
I wonder how many passengers will choose the Elizabeth Line in this heat?
I certainly will!
Vote Hydrogen For London
London has an air pollution problem, as do many cities around the UK and the world.
This web page from Imperial College is entitled Air Pollution Research in London.
It starts like this.
Why Do Research In London?
- Air pollution is a very large public health issue in London. It shortens the lives of Londoner’s leading to up to 9,400 extra deaths per year.
- We still do not fully understand the health effects of air pollution.
- London is a good place to do air pollution research, and acts as a giant laboratory.
- Air pollution is well recorded in London, starting in 1993 and now covering about 200 sites.
- London has a large population and good data on health, movement and population.
Surely, 9,400 extra deaths per year are 9,400 extra deaths too many!
These pictures were taken close to where I live in Hackney, mainly on the Bals Pond Road and Moorgate.
All show heavy diesel trucks, spewing out large amounts of carbon dioxide and other emissions.
So how can we reduce the pollution from these heavy trucks?
Consider.
- I doubt that despite what Elon Musk says, these six- and eight-wheeled trucks can’t be powered by batteries.
- Nearly all of these trucks, never go far from London.
- Many of these trucks could be converted to hydrogen and thus become zero-carbon.
- When they are replaced, these trucks should be replaced by zero-carbon hydrogen trucks.
But there is one big problem. Unlike Aberdeen, Birmingham, Glasgow and a few other areas, London has no hydrogen infrastructure and the Mayor has no plans to develop one.
I will not vote for any politician, who doesn’t support developing a hydrogen infrastructure and a hydrogen policy for London.
London’s Other New Underground Line
In the middle of next month, Phase One of London’s other new Underground line will open.
The Bank station upgrade may only be a short section of new Southbound tunnel and track for the Northern Line and a much expanded station, but it promises to do proportionally for the City of London, what Crossrail will do for the whole of London.
The lucky Ian of IanVisits has been allowed to descend into the depths of the new section of the station with his camera and has posted this report on his web site, which is entitled Behind The Scenes At Bank Tube Station’s Huge Upgrade Project. The report contains twenty-four revealing photographs.
If ever there was a must-read, then Ian’s article must be it.
‘Upgrade East Coast Main Line Before HS2’ If Leeds And Yorkshire Want Faster Rail Links To London
The title of this post, is the same as that of this letter to the Yorkshire Post.
This is the opening paragraph.
The decision to scrap HS2 running to Leeds is controversial but those who travel to London should not despair.
The writer makes these points.
- High Speed Two will probably charge a premium fare because of the speed.
- The current journey time to the capital is two hours 13 minutes at a cost of £28-60, if purchased in advance.
- Planned improvements on the East Coast Main Line will reduce the journey time to London King’s Cross to one hour 56 minutes.
- High Speed Two will take one hour 22 minutes.
- If the line between Doncaster and Leeds were to be improved, the journey time could be reduced to one hour 45 minutes.
The writer finishes by saying that if the government ‘four tracked’ the entire East Coast route, 140mph LNER’s Azuma trains would match the times of High Speed Two.
In What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?, I came to this conclusion.
It looks like a non-stop service between London and Leeds running at 140 mph, with perhaps some sections at perhaps a bit faster, could be able to match the High Speed Two times.
Running non-stop saves a total of eighteen minutes.
In an hour, I would give Leeds one non-stop and one stopping service to London.
The Anonymous Widower 