Battery powered Trains!

 Filling in gaps between Mainlines?

Beaching in some ways destroyed Britain's railway networks, because of lack of traffic in the 1960's without vision, but today many of these branch and freight lines are being returned to public use!

The battery powered train is the future here for all the new housing projects and the need to connect with other mainlines, as is already at play in west-London with trials completed a small line is now operational and many are to follow?

Only the Newcastle Metro has met the tram-rail as yet, but is to be soon met with the Cardiff city expansion to the valley lines to reinforce commuter traffic to the capital morning and evening and at the weekend for night life!

There are at least one hundred connection that could be made across the U.K. and N-Ireland, if not many other islands that have existing rail or tram lines?

New fuel for Shipping!

 Cheaper than the Electric engines for the New Year?

It is amazing that this has now been discovered and that battery powered tramps working on a loop keep steady power, something that could be adapted in the U.K. for the London Underground Circle line and also the clockwork orange in Glasgow in Scotland!

If investment could open the Hirwaun loop in south-Wales it would be an eye opener for travel and business, with many other applications in Cardiff and elsewhere?

Military drones are becoming more effective in the Ukraine and its security situation with Russia, but this is not same in the Middle-East, so one has to wonder is it really true or just British/European propaganda!

Despite all the advances, it looks like the U.S. will start mining coal again and the fossil fuel issues is not going away with the piracy of the high seas, driving prices up for all?

Happy New Year and a peaceful Eastern-Christmas!

Railways Infrustructure!

Investment well overdue?

Britain is seeing a revolution in its railways from newlines to stations and ticketing, but the older stock is still a problem to shift on as new trains are being introduced? Line re-building and repair is taking up valuable time and cutting in to shedual but it is hoped that there will be enough equipment purchased to cover the long term investments being now in place?

London despite much new ideas, Cross rail and extensions, new stock and planning, still is suffering from lack of investment! Brexit is not helping the economic climate and there is a lack of initiative by the London Mayors to ask for the money!

The other cities in the U.K. are pressing on with trams as the future, we can be critical that they should not have stopped but the new lines are far more versatile than what was in place before? The introduction of electric vehicles will be an ever needed factor in our future transport needs, cutting carbon emissions from fossil fuels now in the advent of the end of the Diesel engine!

Rail and Tram options. Two.

London Overloaded?

Currently the capital of the United Kingdom is overloaded in relation to pressure on transport needs? Millions is being spent on Cross rail, planned extension's to the Bakerloo Line and the DLR, but this still will not stop the problems of overloading?

Plans are a foot to replace the diesel bus fleet with new Italian Electric buses, some are already in service. But what they lack is capacity and this short term ploy will not really help the situation that worsens daily?

Thames link  has purchased a fleet of plug trains that are walk through, and these are much longer than previous stock, thus much work is underway to make station platforms longer!

The opportunity of extending the tram network in London would help, even if it was based on the original layout?

Cost is not a problem for the capital, but lack of vision is and until some really good city Mayor comes to the fore, things will only get slower and tempers frayed??

Rail and Tram Options. One.

Road-rail and Trams.

The introduction of the tram in nearly every city in Britain, has been a welcome sign of something that was lost in the 1950's. The tram was very much part of British culture in relation to its cheapness and popularity, and for many a sad loss to see go?

Today urban planning is dominated by the car, bus and coach, because they are not limited by track or overhead wiring. Many conversions are now being introduced from petrol/diesel to electric engines, which for now are claimed to reduce carbon emissions?

There is still the alternative in between form of transport, which for some unknown reason has not been tried and that is the road-rail vehicle which could offer the best of both worlds?

Retrun of the Trams.

The three U.K. Types.

The need for the tram has returned to the United Kingdom, not for love of them but rather for their vital need in inner city urban fast transport. Great Britain was the origins of the trams from Swansea in Wales to Yorkshire to Blackpool. From horse drawn to their hey day in electrification.

The first trams suffered from two problems one they were hard to turn and two if the line was blocked end of the journey. Today priority has been granted to the three types in operation across the U.K with more being planned for Scotland and Wales.

Bombardier M5000 Flexity-2 Swift working Manchester, these 70 seats have a speed of 43 mph.  These are one of three different types in service. The Sheffield Super Tram and more than six new type Stadler trams for the Croydon area network in south-London.

Not all areas have been mentioned, but hope to follow on looking at each type. The DLR, Newcastle Metro and Glasgow tube will be dealt with in separate articles, as some already have been.