February 23, 2012

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Low emission trains arriving at a station near you

February 20, 2012 By

Low emissions is a phrase that’s bandied around the transport industry a lot at the moment, first sparked by the arrival of hybrid and electric vehicles in the latter part of the 1990s, when Honda and Toyota introduced the world’s first production hybrids.

We’re all familiar with the benefits of low emission cars and how important the emissions rating has become. Trains are a different proposition altogether, because if you attributed emissions to head counts, then trains are obviously doing a lot better job on being environmentally friendly than individual cars. But train technology has also advanced in recent years to reduce the amount of emissions produced by rail transport.

The development of the diesel genset locomotive has been crucial. This is where the diesel engine can switch itself off when not needed – a little like stop start technology in cars.

The actual fuel efficiency of a freight train in motion has vastly improved over the last quarter century. It’s possible for a modern locomotive to move a ton of freight over 400 miles on just one gallon of fuel. The main reason for trains being low on fuel efficiency and high on emissions is for the hours that trains spend idling, while their cargo is being loaded or unloaded in rail yards.

The genset switcher locomotives can be started as quickly as a truck, so there’s no need for them to stand idling and polluting the local atmosphere with particulates.

The development of the genset has resulted in 80% reduction of nitrous oxide and particulates, as well as reducing CO2 emissions by around 50%. This is achieved by monitoring the amount of time the engine remains idling and changing to a sleep mode when a period of inactivity has been detected.

Technology will keep making advances so that the emissions statistics of trains will drop even further as fuel efficiency rises. It’s just a question of time.

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InterRailing – not just for students

November 21, 2011 By

Although it may seem like people have been interRailing aroundEuropesince the railways were built, in fact it’s a relatively recent phenomenon.

It all started in 1972, with the first issue of the European InterRail pass. This was the first time that one ticket would get you train travel through a number of different European countries – making travel through Europe a realistic possibility for people on a budget.  The only catch then was that the ticket was only available to people under the age of 21, so it was really only beneficial to students.

Now the age restriction has been lifted and anyone can buy an InterRail card. The number of countries you can travel to and through has also been increased.  As the European community has grown, new member countries have been included in the InterRail network.

AnInterRailGlobalPasswill allow holders to visit 30 countries, whileEurailPassgives you access to 21 countries. One of the main benefits of travel by train is that you always arrive in the heart of the city, so you don’t have to take another form of transport to get to the main sightseeing destinations.

There are some destinations, however, that InterRail passes can’t always get you to directly. These tend to be places outside of the cities – natural beauty spots or remote monasteries and other historical monuments. If you want to reach these kinds of places, it’s best to do so under your own steam.

The easiest way to do this is by car. Rather than drive from home, you can hire a car just for the sections of your trip that you need one – it’s easy to pick up a car for a day or two, or even a week and mix and match with your InterRailing. If you’re conscious about the effect that your travels will have on the environment, it’s possible to hire hybrids or other low emission cars.

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Solar train tunnel powers 4000 trains

October 25, 2011 By

Another milestone for solar powered transport has been reached with the opening of a two-mile solar powered train tunnel on the Paris-Amsterdam line.
The tunnel has 50,000 square metres of solar panels on its roof which will produce 3.3 Mw/hours of energy a year. That’s the equivalent to the electricity used by 1,000 households in a year. The project has cost $20 million and is the brainchild of Belgian rail infrastructure company Infrabel and clean energy company Enfinity.
The solar panels have been designed to be hardwearing so that they can withstand vibrations caused by the trains.  An added bonus is that the tunnel will protect trains below from the chance of being hit by any trees that grow alongside the track.
The power that’s produced by the solar tunnel will power both conventional and high-speed trains on the line, as well as some electrical installations in Antwerp station.  Solar power produced by the tunnel will power 4,000 trains a year and the trains will draw the power from the tunnel as they pass through at 186 mph.
Train travel has always been viewed as more eco-friendly than people using their own cars, even when the trains are powered by diesel which emits particulates and other toxic emissions as well as carbon dioxide. High-speed rail is already thought of as a green technology as it is so efficient, but using power sources such as solar energy will only serve to increase its green credentials.  Other green energy progress in European train technology includes the development of hybrid train engines and biogas powered trains.
The new tunnel should reduce CO2 emissions by 2,400 tons per year. Together with initiatives such as Honda UK launching the most affordable ever hybrid vehicle on the UK market, and thus helping increase ownership of Honda hybrid cars in the UK, the solar train tunnel helps to meet the stringent air quality directives that have been set by European Union legislation.

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Train Stations.

March 24, 2011 By
Euston_station

Euston_station

London is well connected by trains to and from all parts of the United Kingdom. The main London stations and areas they serve are:

Blackfriars:

This station serves the Bedford to Brighton cross London Thames link route and also customer services to places of south east London.

Cannon Street, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo East.

All these main stations provide access throughout southeast London and Kent. There are also direct trains to get you to Gatwick Airport.

Euston.

Euston station is one of the main stations and provides customers travel to Central, North- west England and western Scotland. This also includes travel to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Carlisle, Chester, and Glasgow with all rail services. Euston is also the London station for travelling on the sleeper services to and from Scotland.

Fenchurch Street

Fenchurch station provides customers to travel to the north side of the Thames including Southend. The nearest tube station to Fenchurch is Tower hill.

Kings cross

This station provides all customers the northeast and eastern Scotland. This also includes connection to Doncaster, Hull, Leeds, York, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. It also provides main services to Cambridge, Hitchin, Kings Lynn, Peterborough and Stevenage.

Liverpool Street.

Liverpool station provides all service throughout East Anglia, which includes Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. This is also the London connection for passengers travelling on Stansted Express services to Stansted Airport.

Marylebone.

This beautiful station provides travel to Central southern Midlands. This also includes High Wycombe, Banbury, Leamington Spa, and Stratford –upon- Avon that is famous for Shakespeare and poetry lovers. It also commutes to central Birmingham.

Moorgate.

This station is mainly serviced for passengers who are travelling locally to north east of London.

Paddington.

This station serves sunny Wales and the West Country. It also connects for the local service alongside The Thames Valley. This is also the London connection for the Heathrow express to Heathrow Airport and the wonderful sleeper service to and from Devon and Cornwall.

Victoria

Victoria station connects south and south east towns including Brighton, Dover, Eastbourne, Hastings and Margate. It also is the gateway for Gatwick Express services to Gatwick Airport.

You cannot buy any tickets inside the underground stations. Before you travel you must buy your tickets at the customer service help desk. You can anticipate waiting up to 15 minutes to enter the station. If you need assistance of any kind, you should try to contact the staff on duty prior to travelling. The sooner you contact them the better you will be able to relax and enjoy your journey.

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The most breathtaking train in Britain.

March 14, 2011 By
Deer Stalker Train

Deer Stalker Train

The most amazing train ride in Britain has to be the overnight Caledonian Sleeper from London to Fort William, it is sometimes known as ‘The Deerstalker.’ You can leave London after work in the evening and arrive at Fort William in the beautiful Scottish West Highlands the next morning. Mountains, streams and woods will surround you. You may even glimpse some deers running away from the train.

It is the most romantic way to get from central London to the heart of Scotland. Every day the two Caledonian sleeper trains leave London Euston’s station. These sleeper trains are like hotels but on tracks. There are 1 and 2 berth sleeping compartments, which are first class and second class. They have proper beds and washroom, they are fully air-conditioned. They also have a lounge car with a steward offering services of wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks and snacks.

If you want to surprise your loved ones, this is one of a lifetime trip, which you should go on. To rekindle you romance, what more do you need than beautiful mountains, breathtaking streams and fresh air!

It is run by Scot Rail, the Scottish train company and is crewed by all Scottish staff. To book online you can go to scotrail.co.uk or you can call them on 08457 550033.

Fares start at £40 one-way or £99 return including breakfast sharing a 2-berth room or £169 with a room to yourself. You can also get online special offers but you have to be quick to get these great deals! If you fancy getting away from everything then this train makes your dream come true.

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The History of Train Travel in Britain

January 27, 2011 By
Planet_replica

Planet_replica

Train or rail travel as it is sometimes known can be traced back to over half a century ago. There is evidence of horse powered trains as well as man driven trains. Train tracks were originally made of stone and wood.
Rail travel 500 years ago wasn’t the sort of train travel you would expect today, the use of train tracks and travel were mainly used for the transportation of things like iron, coal and slate from british mines. Tracks were built deep into mines and then a horse drawn cart would haul coal out of the mine along the rail track.

It was in the 1820′s when the rail system as we know it today appeared, where tracks were built so that the first steam trains/locomotives could travel along them. The steam train became the main form of land mechanized transport for over a century.

The invention of the steam locomotive and the modern railway gave people the chance to travel the length and breadth of Britain with great ease and speed. The opening of the rail road greatly improved tourism and commerce in Britain and to this day is still a favourite way to travel for many people!

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