Eurostar And Deutsche Bahn Advance Plans For Direct London to Germany High-Speed Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on Global Railway Review.
This is the sub-heading.
Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn have signed an MoU to pursue direct high-speed trains linking London with Cologne and Frankfurt from early 2030s
These three paragraph add some extra details.
Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have formally begun work on establishing a direct high-speed train link between London and Germany after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in early December. The development aims to introduce non-stop long-distance passenger services between the UK and major German cities including Cologne and Frankfurt, potentially from the early 2030s.
The service would cut journey times to around four hours between London and Cologne and just over five hours to Frankfurt, delivering a direct city centre-to-city centre connection with no interchange. The routes would use Eurostar’s forthcoming Celestia fleet, a double-deck high-speed train offering 20% additional capacity and up to 50% energy savings.
This announcement comes just over a month after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved Virgin Trains’ access to the Temple Mills International depot in East London, adding fresh momentum to plans for new cross-border services through the Channel Tunnel.
These are my further thoughts.
Is There A Brussels And Frankfurt High Speed Line?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Yes, direct high-speed trains run between Brussels and Frankfurt. The journey takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes, operated by Deutsche Bahn using ICE (Intercity Express) trains.
Route and Service Details
Train Type: German ICE high-speed trains.
Travel Time: Fastest trips take roughly 3 hours and 19 minutes.
Frequency: Around 7 direct trains run each day.
Key Stops: Liège-Guillemins, Aachen Hbf, and Cologne (Köln) Hbf.
Note.
- It looks like the London and Brussels service is being extended to Frankfurt.
- There doesn’t seem to be much new infrastructure.
- Eurostar currently takes seven minutes under two hours between London and Brussels.
Using the same Celestia trains by both Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn surely makes sense operationally.
Do German High Speed Trains Run Between Frankfurt And Berlin?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Yes, German high-speed ICE (Intercity Express) trains run direct routes between Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof and Berlin Hauptbahnhof. The fastest non-stop services take about 3 hours and 43 minutes, reaching speeds up to 300 km/h (186 mph) over a distance of roughly 262 miles (422 km).
Route and Schedule Details
Frequency: Direct trains run hourly or more during peak times, with dozens of daily departures.
Speed/Type: Operated by Deutsche Bahn, standard ICE trains and select high-speed ICE Sprinter services manage the corridor.
Stops: Many services run non-stop or make brief stops at major hubs like Erfurt or Halle depending on the specific schedule.
Note.
- A London and Berlin service would only require one change of train at Frankfurt.
- There doesn’t seem to be much new infrastructure.
With a good cross-platform interchange in Frankfurt, I estimate that the journey could be slightly less than nine hours.
Onward To Warsaw And Beyond
This is the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for Rail Baltica.
Rail Baltica is an under-construction rail infrastructure project that is intended to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network. The project envisages a continuous rail link for passenger and freight services with stations from Tallinn (Estonia) to Warsaw (Poland), via Pärnu (Estonia), Riga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania), with two branches extending from the main line towards Riga International Airport and Vilnius (Lithuania). Its total length in the Baltic states is 870 kilometres (540 mi), with 213 kilometres (132 mi) in Estonia, 265 kilometres (165 mi) in Latvia, and 392 kilometres (244 mi) in Lithuania.
It is an ambitious project.
This map shows the routes.
Note.
- I believe that the map is in Latvian.
- Rail Baltica is shown as starting from Berlin in Germany.
- A possible extension to Helsinki is shown, which would require a tunnel.
- Ukraine is shown in the South-East corner of the map.
- Part of Belarus is above Ukraine, with part of Russia above it.
If Ukraine joins the EU, then I’m certain that there could be a Warsaw-Kiev branch.
When Will Rail Baltica Be Open Between Warsaw and Tallinn?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The Rail Baltica high-speed line between Warsaw and Tallinn is scheduled for an initial operational opening by 2030. According to the European Commission’s phased milestones, a functional single-track, electrified connection from Tallinn through Latvia and Lithuania down to the Polish border will be completed by 2030, enabling initial passenger services.
Project Timeline & Phasing
2030 Target: Completion of Phase 1, providing a continuous single-track operational line across the Baltic states connecting to Poland.
Full Buildout (Double-Track): Full expansion to a double-track network will continue past 2030, dependent on subsequent funding availability.
Public Sentiment: Opinions on the r/BalticStates subreddit are mixed, with some observers skeptical about meeting the tight 2030 deadline due to previous setbacks, while others note visible construction acceleration driven by EU oversight.
Expected Travel Benefits
Travel Time: Reduces the journey between Tallinn and Warsaw to just over 6 hours.
I would certainly love to be able to ride a train from London St. Pancras to Tallinn.
Putin Won’t Like It!
He probably believes that all railways East of Berlin should be Russian gauge.
But what are the odds, he has an untimely accident?
Conclusion
I believe that if Eurostar to Frankfurt can create a rail route between the UK and Finland and the Baltic States, it will create large amounts of growth in tourism all over Europe.
There are also two projects with similar completion dates.
- Eurostar to Germany aims to introduce non-stop long-distance passenger services between the UK and major German cities including Cologne and Frankfurt, potentially from the early 2030s.
- Completion of Phase 1 of Rail Baltica, providing a continuous single-track operational line across the Baltic states connecting to Poland has a 2030 target.
I believe competition between the two groups will mean both are on time.
Meet The 6×6 Toyota Hilux Built To Tackle Electric Car Fires
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on Select Car Leasing.
This is the sub-heading.
A car fire is never a good thing, and if the car is electric, the results could be even worse. If it all goes up in flames while the vehicle is in a multi-storey car park, then the consequences could be dire, with limited space available for fire services to control the situation.
This introductory paragraph adds some more details.
Such incidents happen — more than 1,000 cars were destroyed in a fire in Liverpool, while a multi-storey collapsed in Stavanger — so a UK company has converted a Toyota Hilux pickup into a six-wheel EV fire-fighting machine to keep us all safe.
A lot more details are given on the vehicle’s web site, which is called the 6 x 6 HILOAD.
I was alerted to the need for such a vehicle by this article in The Times, which is entitled How Scotland’s New £30k Fire Engines Left Crews Walking To Wildfires.
The pictures on the 6 x 6 HILOAD web site, show a vehicle with a Czechnia registration.
So, I typed “6 x 6 HILOAD Czechnia” into Google AI and received this answer.
The 6×6 Hiload (developed by Prospeed Motorsport) is a custom, six-wheeled conversion of the Toyota Hilux designed specifically for emergency response, particularly targeting electric vehicle (EV) battery fires.In Czechia, the 6×6 Hiload is undergoing trials with Czech Fire & Rescue Services (Hasiči) to test its capabilities in fast-response and confined environments. Key features of the vehicle in action include:
EV Firefighting: It utilizes specialized equipment like the Coldcut Cobra system, which pierces EV battery casings to extinguish fires directly with a minimal amount of water, reducing the risk of thermal runaway.
Low Profile: Standing at less than 1.9 metres tall, it can easily navigate low-clearance urban underground and multi-storey car parks that traditional, larger fire engines cannot access.
High Payload: The custom six-wheel chassis stretches the Hilux and increases its payload capacity to roughly 3,000kg, allowing it to carry heavy fire and rescue equipment without sacrificing off-road mobility.
This chassis will have more uses than a Swiss army knife.
I suspect the Ukrainians could find several uses.
Ukraine Is Turning The Tide Against Putin. What Happens Next Should Terrify Europe
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Telegraph.
This is the sub-heading.
A ceasefire in Ukraine would not demobilise the Russian army… It would release ex-convicts.
This is the first paragraph.
Whisper it quietly, but the tide may be turning in the war in Ukraine. Yet what comes next should worry us all.
The article is by a Lib-Dem MP; Mike Martin and it paints a frightening picture of the future.
KCC Leader Writes To The Minister For Future Of Roads About The Increase In Dartford Crossing Charges
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Kent County Council.
Although it is a long letter, it would be wrong to publish only part of it in this post.
As the newly elected Leader of Kent County Council, I would welcome dialogue about the increase in the charge for the Dartford Crossing due to come into effect from September.
The increase is capped at £1, but this represents a 40% uplift on the current £2.50 charge in each direction for those without a pre-pay account. This is the only crossing option east of London until the Lower Thames Crossing is open (in 2032 at the earliest) and so Kent residents and businesses have no viable alternative when using this important route. The alternative is to drive into Greater London, potentially incurring a further charge for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and the paying even more (£4 each way) to use the Blackwall or Silvertown tunnels.
Whilst most local residents in Dartford benefit from unlimited crossings for a fixed £25 annual fee, this ignores the fact that there is no reasonable alternative route for anyone in Kent making the journey to the Midlands, North and beyond. This is a constraint on the local and national economy.
The Crossing’s accounts for 2023-24 show that cash receipts were £221.6m with operating costs of £134.9m, leaving a net profit of £86.7m. Clearly the crossing is not on the cusp of losing money.
For the increase to be intended to manage demand, without an alternative route there is no way of managing routing, so it will only suppress the journeys for the very poorest in our society. This is hardly equitable. It will also increase costs to the supply chain which will be passed onto customers – furthering the cost-of-living pressures for so many hard-working people.
Our residents still remember that the toll was meant to end when the infrastructure was paid for, but changes in policy mean the charge has continued indefinitely. Effectively another tax for making journeys to work, visiting friends and family, and spending hardearned money at local resorts and attractions.
Given the impact on Kent is so great, there is a strong argument that KCC, as the Highways authority for Kent, should be passported a proportion of this money each year to aid the upkeep of the road network. When one considers the amount of foreign traffic that transverses Kent’s roads, alongside the amount of traffic from other counties within the UK, it is fair to say Kent is the Gateway County. And with that in mind we feel that lack of any financial benefit KCC receives from the Dart Charge needs to be considered as we struggle to maintain our road networks. This new funding stream would enable us to make a tangible difference to the condition of our Local Road Network or help fund major improvement schemes on the Strategic Road Network, including funding towards the new Lower Thames Crossing – unlocking growth and opportunities, and helping to offset the detrimental impact of the increased crossing charge. Kent occupies a strategic position between the UK and Europe, and its transport network is vital for UK supply chains and British businesses, therefore investment in Kent is an investment in the national economy.
I hope you carefully consider this possibility if you move forward with the toll increase.
Yours sincerely
Linden Kemkaran
Linden Kemkaran was elected to Kent County Council as a Reform UK Councillor.
This article on the HuffPost is entitled New Reform UK Council Leader Calls Ukraine War ‘A Distraction’.
This is the sub-heading.
Linden Kemkaran promised to take the Ukraine flag down in Kent’s county council chamber.
These are the first three paragraphs of the article.
A new Reform UK council leader has called the Ukraine war a “distraction”.
Linden Kemkaran, named leader of Kent County Council a week after Reform UK’s sweeping victories in the local elections, appeared to downplay the impact of the largest conflict in Europe since World War 2.
Speaking after she was named as council leader on Thursday evening, she promised to remove the Ukrainian flag from the chamber.
She may have a point about the Dartford Crossing, but her dismissal of Ukraine as a distraction, marks her out in my book as one of Putin’s friends.
Also published today, is this article on the BBC, which is entitled Three men found guilty of Wagner-linked arson attack in London.
As the arson attack took place in Bexley, just over the Kent border with London, I wonder what her view will be on the undoubtedly long sentences these terrorists working for Russia will receive. Are they just a distraction?
How Jewish is Volodymyr Zelensky?
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Jewish Chronicle.
This is the sub-heading.
The Ukrainian President is hailed as one of the few Jewish world leaders not from Israel, but how Jewish is he
The article is a must read, as it gives a valuable insight into what drives Zelensky.
These two paragraphs describe his upbringing.
Zelensky grew up in the Russian-speaking city of Kryvyi Rih, in the eastern part of Ukraine. Like most Soviet Jews, his parents were highly educated but limited in where their careers could go. His father was a professor of mathematics and his mother studied engineering.
Zelensky said he grew up in an “ordinary Soviet Jewish family,” which was to say, not very religious, since “religion didn’t exist in the Soviet state as such.”
We could certainly do, with more world leaders, who understood science and had less religion.
It also publishes a story of four brothers that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
“Three of them, their parents and their families became victims of the Holocaust. All of them were shot by German occupiers who invaded Ukraine,” he said. “The fourth brother survived. … Two years after the war, he had a son, and in 31 years, he had a grandson. In 40 more years, that grandson became president, and he is standing before you today, Mr. Prime Minister.”
Zelensky has come one hell of a journey and it has been very much a Jewish journey.
In addition to all the pogroms, persecutions and the Holocaust, he would probably know all the various medical problems and diseases, that members of the Jewish faith seem to have suffered, in Eastern Europe.
Today, The Times published an article which is entitled Zelensky: Putin Will Die Soon And The Ukraine War Will End.
IThe article has this sub-heading.
The Ukrainian leader says after Nato summit that the Russian president is near death and fears losing his grip on his people.
I would believe, that the Ukrainian leader is talking from a position, where he is sure of his facts, because of his Jewish heritage and what he knows of Putin’s heritage, which is partly Jewish, and his life and medical history.
Consider.
- As a coeliac, who lost his son indirectly to coeliac disease, I believe that it is a dangerous disease to have, if it is undiagnosed and you are not on a gluten-free diet.
- From some of the stories, I’ve read about Putin, I wonder, if he could be an undiagnosed coeliac. As I spent fifty years of my life that way, I know what it’s like.
- According to the NHS, coeliac disease is much more common in women and backing this up, is the fact that I’ve only ever met two male adult coeliacs.
- Is coeliac disease in Russia, very much a girly disease, that action men, like Vlad the Butcher can’t get?
- If Vlad is an undiagnosed coeliac, there could be something nasty, like a stroke or cancer lurking in his genes.
Given his upbringing, Zelensky is probably giving us, a scientific analysis of the facts about his adversary.
Putin Apologises Over Plane Crash, Without Saying Russia At Fault
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has apologised to the president of neighbouring Azerbaijan over the downing of a commercial airliner in Russian airspace, in which 38 people were killed – but stopped short of saying Russia was responsible.
These three paragraphs give more details on the crash.
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin said the “tragic incident” had occurred when Russian air defence systems were repelling Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky said Russia must “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike.
The plane is believed to have come under fire from Russian air defence as it tried to land in the Russian region of Chechnya – forcing it to divert across the Caspian Sea.
Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Putin?
UK And Germany To Upgrade Some Sea Kings For Ukraine
Yesterday, the UK government issued a press release, which is entitled Landmark UK-Germany Defence Agreement To Strengthen Our Security And Prosperity.
This is the sub-heading.
A landmark defence agreement will be signed by Defence Secretary John Healey MP and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in London today in a major moment for NATO, and European security and prosperity. It is the first-of-its-kind agreement between the UK and Germany on defence.
This introductory paragraph, lays down the tone and objectives of the agreement.
The signing of the Trinity House Agreement marks a fundamental shift in the UK’s relations with Germany and for European security. This agreement between Europe’s two biggest defence spenders will strengthen national security and economic growth in the face of growing Russian aggression and increasing threats.
It is a wide-ranging document, but in this post, I will concentrate on one topic; Sea King helicopters, which are talked about in this paragraph.
New Ukraine support – new joint work to enable German Sea King helicopters to be armed with modern missile systems as well as work on capability coalitions.
As Ukraine is a mainly landlocked company, I do think it must be a compliment to the Sea Kings’ capabilities that the Ukrainians find the naval helicopters useful.
These three paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry for the Westland Sea King, document the history of operations of the Sea King in the Ukrainian Naval Aviation.
In November 2022, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine the United Kingdom announced they were donating three former Royal Navy Sea Kings to Ukraine. In January 2023, the first Sea King was videoed being used by the Ukrainian Naval Aviation.
In April 2023, the BBC did an interview with one of the co-pilots of a UK donated Sea King to Ukraine. These helicopters served in the Falklands War so they are at least some 40 years old. The co-pilot has said that the Sea King is used for rescuing pilots who have ejected, delivering soldiers, and conducting reconnaissance, among other tasks. One engineer also told the BBC: “They are old…but they have gone through modernisation, and we need them very much. I believe this is just the start of our work together.” The BBC also reports that a third Sea King is being prepared to be sent to Ukraine in the “coming weeks”. The third Sea King HU.5 was delivered to Ukraine in May 2023.
In January 2024, Germany agreed to send 6 further Sea Kings to Ukraine.
I feel the Ukrainians, with their initiative, will find the elderly Sea Kings very useful.
Klaipėda – Kyiv Rail Freight Plan
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These two paragraphs give more details.
Lithuania’s national train operator LTG Group and Ukrainian Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an intermodal freight service from the Baltic port of Klaipėda to Kyiv via Poland.
Test runs are planned for this year, ahead of regular services.
I have some thoughts.
The Route
This Google Map shows the route.
Note.
- Russia is in the North-East corner of the map, with Moscow clearly marked.
- Lithuania is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Klaipėda is on the Lithuanian coast.
- South-West of Lithuania is the Kaliningrad enclave, which is part of Russia.
- South of the Kaliningrad enclave is Poland, where Gdansk, Warsaw and Krakow are clearly marked.
- Belarus is in the middle of the map, with Minsk clearly marked.
- Ukraine is South of Russia and Belarus and East of Poland.
- Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lyiv in Ukraine are clearly marked.
It looks to me, that a possible route would be along the Eastern Polish Border avoiding both Belarus and the Kaliningrad enclave.
The Gauges
This Google Map shows the gauges between Klaipėda and Kyiv.
Note.
- Black tracks are Standard gauge of 1435 mm.
- Red tracks are Russian gauge of 1520 mm.
- Klaipėda is on the Lithuanian coast in the North-West corner of the map.
- Kviv is in the South-East corner of the map.
It looks to me, that although Lithuania and Ukraine are Russian gauge, the routes through Poland could be standard gauge.
So there may be a need for some rolling stock, that can run on both Russian and Polish gauges.
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled Ukrainian Railways Produces Cross-Border Grain Wagon.
These two paragraphs describe the wagons.
National railway Ukrzaliznytsia has used mostly domestic components to produce a grain hopper wagon which can operate on both the former USSR’s 1 520 mm broad gauge and the 1 435 mm standard gauge of neighbouring EU countries.
The Type 19-8005-U wagon has a capacity of 70 tonnes and 104 m3, with five loading and six unloading hatches. It is designed for operation at up to 120 km/h.
The wagon certainly looks professional in the pictures.
I don’t think that dual-gauge wagons for containers will be a serious engineering problem for the Ukrainians.
Rail Baltica
The Wikipedia entry for Rail Baltica has this introduction.
Rail Baltica is an under-construction rail infrastructure project that is intended to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network. Its purpose is to provide passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve rail connections between Central and Northern Europe, specifically the area southeast of the Baltic Sea.
Note.
- As it is an EU-funded project, it is being built as standard gauge.
- It is being built with operating speeds of 145 mph for passengers and 75 mph for freight trains.
- There will be comprehensive connections to airports, freight terminals and major conurbations.
This page on the Rail Baltica web site has an interactive map of Rail Baltica.
It is thought that Putin is not pleased about Rail Baltica, as his extensive fleet of rail transporters for tanks and other military vehicles, are now built for the wrong gauge to invade the Baltic States.
Putin And Dual-Gauge Tracks And Wagons
As they could be used to bring war-related imports to Kyiv, I suspect Vlad the Genocider is against them.
How Will Ukraine Protect The Trains?
Consider.
- Being West of Kyiv will help.
- I suspect the UK have a few ideas for camouflage.
- Will a few brave Ukrainians ride the trains, with a sophisticated train protection missile?
- Drones probably won’t be as effective as ground attack aircraft at attacking trains.
I do suspect though that the Ukrainians have a plan.
Conclusion
This is going to be an interesting development.
Offshore Drone Challenge Takes Off
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
German energy company EnBW and its project partner, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), have published the conditions of entry and the specific flight tasks for the Offshore Drone Challenge (ODC) for the first time.
This is the first paragraph.
As part of the Offshore Drone Challenge, drone manufacturers and service providers are invited to demonstrate their technologies for transporting maintenance equipment to offshore wind farms.
It’s an interesting idea and would make a good television program.
But I suspect, that the winner will be a Ukrainian company, as recently, they’ve had a lot of practice delivering cargoes with a high level of precision into confined and difficult places.
The Anonymous Widower 