Where’s The Emergency Train Power For Crossrail?
Things that can go wrong in a deep rail line do happen and even in the Channel Tunnel, there have been incidents.
There have been two major fires in the Channel Tunnel in 1996 and 2008 and there have also been various train failures.
I am not being alarmist, but as each Class 345 train can carry 1,500 passengers and twenty-four trains per hour will be going through the line for much of the time, there will be an awful lot of people underground at times.
If you look at the specification of a Class 345 train, it has features surely will help recovery if a train breaks down.
I found this snippet on the Internet which gives the formation of the new Class 345 trains.
When operating as nine-car trains, the Class 345 trains will have two Driving Motor Standard Opens (DMSO), two Pantograph Motor Standard Opens (PMSO), four Motor Standard Opens (MSO) and one Trailer Standard Open (TSO). They will be formed as DMSO+PMSO+MSO+MSO+TSO+MSO+MSO+PMSO+DMSO.
This formation and the train design could have positive implications for safety.
- It looks to me that the train will be two half-trains. Can they be driven independently, as Class 373 trains in the Channel Tunnel can?
- Half-trains must get around some train failures. If say the pantograph fails on one half-train, the other half-train can take the train to a suitable place like the next station to evacuate the passengers.
- The trains will also be walk through, so let’s assume that a passenger’s laptop or mobile catches fire, passengers can be moved to another safe part of the train.
I suspect that all the experience of running electric trains in long tunnels for several decades all over the World, will have been used in validating the design of Class 345 trains.
My biggest worry as an electrical engineer and a Londoner, is a complete electrical failure in the capital.
They don’t happen often, but this article on the BBC is entitled Blackout hits London’s Soho on Black Friday.
It describes London’s power failure of last week.
Power failures do happen, so what happens if a computer virus or extreme weather blacks out London?
I have just read this article in Rail Engineer, which is entitled Crossrail – approaching the final stages.
This is said about the power supply in the tunnels.
The Crossrail route will be powered by a 25kV overhead line system using a Cariboni 110mm deep rigid overhead conductor bar throughout the tunnels. Although from a different manufacturer, this design concept is similar to the one being installed in the Severn Tunnel that doesn’t require weights and pulleys.
In the central section, 25kV traction power for the Crossrail trains will be provided by two new bulk supply points from National Grid 400kV, at Pudding Mill Lane in the east and Kensal Green to the west. Super grid transformers have been installed and fitted with fans and additional coolants.
A 22kV high-voltage network will be installed in the central section from Royal Oak Portal in the west to Limmo Peninsula in the east with an 11kV high-voltage non-traction spur to be installed from Limmo through to Plumstead. This network will supply mains power to each Crossrail station, shaft and portal within the central section.
Note.
- It is a very simple power layout, for the trains, with a continous overhead rail providing power.
- There is only two feed points for the overhead power to the trains, but these feed points seem to be of a robust design.
- Trains in the middle will be fed by power coming a long way in the conductor rail.
- Conductor rail must be a more robust power supply to the trains, than the typical overhead wires.
- All Crossrail stations and shafts will use Crossrail’s own dedicated power supply.
The article though doesn’t mention two things.
- How is an emergency power failure handled?
- How is the power from regenerative braking fed back into the power network?
I’ll deal with the power failure first.
It would appear that a Central London power failure such as last Friday should have little effect on an independently-powered Crossrail. I wouldn’t expect anything less.
But there are always unexpected reasons, why a train may be isolated without power. So how does a train get to the next station or evacuation shaft, with its valuable load of passengers?
With respect to the regenerative braking, the power is usually fed into the overhead wires and used by another train nearby.
But, I do wonder if Crossrail will be doing things differently, as I like to think of the line as the latest and most energy-efficient of train lines.
Both the braking and failure problems are made easier, if the train is fitted with an on-board energy storage system or batteries in everyday parlance.
A fully-loaded Crossrail train going at its maximum speed of 145 kph will have an energy of 105 KwH, so if it stored this energy on the train when it brakes and stops, it could use it when it accelerated away.
Using batteries for regenerative braking has other effects.
- It relegates the overhead rail to providing top up power as the train proceeds through the tunnel.
- The overhead rail and its power supply, only has to cater for energy going to and not coming from the train.
- The engineering on the train is simpler, as braking energy doesn’t have to be raised to 25 KVAC to feed back into the overhead rail, using perhaps a heavy transformer.
But most importantly, it means that the train has stored energy to proceed to the next station or safe place, if the overhead power should fail.
I have no evidence that this is actually the case, but Bombardier have said that the train will have a remote wake-up facility as I discussed in Do Bombardier Aventras Have Remote Wake-Up?, so that the driver will turn up and find a train ready for action. Try doing that without a substantial on-board power source, without leaving the train plugged in to electricity all night.
Bombardier are only stealing ideas, from some of the latest cars, if I’m right.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t be surprised if Crossrail’s Class 345 trains are fitted with on board energy storage. The storage would handle.
- Regenerative Braking
- Emergency get you to safety power.
- Remote wake-up of trains.
The design would also mean that the Crossrail and its new trains would be more energy efficient.
Exploring The Great Western Branches – 29th November 2016
On this morning, I explored the three branches of the Great Western Main Line, that are closest to London, to look at the progress of electrifying their connecting stations on the main line.
I then repeated the trip to add in two more branches.
I was also looking to see how services could be run with say four-car Class 387 trains, that had been fitted with on-board energy storage, as I wrote about in Rumours Of Battery-Powered Trains.
All the branches are described in order from London.
Electrification At West Ealing Station And On The Greenford Branch
These pictures show the electrification at West Ealing station, where the Greenford Branch Line connects to the main line.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the area in the photographs, at the Southern end of the Greenford Branch Line.
The Southern End Of The Greenford Branch
Notes and queries.
- The pictures of the lines were taken from a footbridge over the line, behind the Access Self Storage.
- The lines in the map show an older layout.
- The track in the bay platform 5 has access to both tracks on the Greenford Branch, which means that two trains could work the line to provide a four trains per hour (tph) service.
- The Up Slow line has access to both tracks on the Greenford Branch and to the new West Ealing sidings.
- The island for Platforms 4 and 5 appears to be more or less complete.
- Platform 3 needs to be lengthened.
- There are signs of foundations for the footbridge, past the end of the current Platform 3 and in the construction works beyond Platform 5.
- Will the Bay Platform 5 be double-sided? There’s no foundations for a bridge on the Platform 4/5 island.
- Will Platforms 1 and 2 be reconstructed or removed?
I suspect that the station is ready for a four tph diesel shuttle to Greenford, but the Bay Platform 5 can’t be wired until the bridge is in place.
Could Electric Trains With On-Board Energy Storage Work The Greenford Branch?
A few facts and thoughts.
- The service is not possible at present, as there are no wires in the Bay Platform 5 at West Ealing station, where the trains would need to charge their storage between trips.
- Trains would probably wait between three and five minutes at West Ealing station, which would be more than enough to top up the batteries.
- The bay platform at Greenford station and platforms at the other stations will probably need lengthening, but there would probably be little other infrastructure work.
- Incidentally, there is a tunnel on the branch, where blocks of housing have been built over the line, so electrification of the line could be difficult, unless provision was made, when the housing was built.
- Without doubt, the track layout at West Ealing has been designed, so that two trains could provide a four tph service.
- Two four-car trains could probably be parked in the bay platform. This could give operational flexibility.
Passenger routes between main line and Greenford Branch services would be as follows.
- With Eastbound services on the main line, the change would a very easy walk of a few metres across the island platform.
- With Westbound services on the main line, use of the bridge would be needed. But it looks like the footbridge has been positioned at the optimal position for both services and passengers joining or leaving the railway at West Ealing station.
As there will be frequencies of at least 8 tph on the main line and 4 tph on the branch, waiting will be a maximum of fifteen minutes.
The West Ealing Sidings
The pictures show the Orange Army swarming all over the new West Ealing Sidings, which will provide stabling for the new Class 387 trains.
I also took these pictures of the sidings as I returned to London.
Incidentally, as I passed through Old Oak Common on the way back to London, there were upwards of six of the new trains squatting in Hitachi’s new depot for the Class 800 trains.
If in the future, there is a variant of these trains with on-board energy storage, these sidings are certainly conveniently placed for the Greenford Branch.
Traffic On The Brentford Branch Line
These pictures were taken from Southall station of a train going onto the Brentford Branch Line.
I’d never seen any traffic here before and I only included the pictures, as Hounslow Council have aspirations for a passenger service on this line, that I wrote about in Could The Golden Mile In Houslow Get A Station?
If it was decided to open the Brentford Branch Line to passenger trains, then Class 387 trains with on-board energy storage would be a possibility to provide services.
A Heathrow Connect Class 360 Train in Platform 5 At Hayes and Harlington Station
I didn’t expect to see this.
A Heathrow Connect Class 360 Train in Platform 5 At Hayes and Harlington Station
But there were signalling issues, so they appeared to be using the Class 360 train as a shuttle to Heathrow.
Electrification At Slough Station And On The Windsor Branch
These pictures show the electrification at Slough station, where the Windsor Branch Line or more correct, the Slough to Windsor and Eton Line connects to the main line.
Note.
- There are overhead gantries over Platform 1 at Slough station, which is the bay platform for the Windsor Branch Line.
- There is a line of overhead line gantries on the outside of the curve, as the Windsor Branch Line leaves Slough.
- The gantries on the branch are lighter than those on the main line.
- The Class 166 train in the picture had three-cars, so the platform could probably be lengthened for a four-car Class 387 train.
As there appears to be no work anywhere else on the branch, I have to assume, that the electrification doesn’t go very far along the Windsor Branch Line.
This Google Map shows the lines at the start of the Windsor Branch Line.
There are two main tracks at the start of the Windsor Branch.
The track closest to the blue building, is the actual branch.
- It is a single track that goes between Windsor and Eton Central station and the Bay Platform 1 at Slough station.
- Trains take six minutes for the journey.
- The current frequency is three tph.
- The bay platform 1 and a short length of the branch could be electrified.
The track furthest from the blue building is a long spur off the Down Main, that allows trains to be moved to and from the Windsor Branch Line.
- It appears to be long enough for train to be parked on the spur.
- It appears that the spur is being electrified for about a couple of hundred metres.
- The spur could be extended or reconfigured to become a passing loop.
There also appears that there is a crossing that allows trains to move to and from the bay platform 1.
Could Electric Trains With On-Board Energy Storage Work The Windsor Branch?
Operation of the Windsor Branch would be as follow with a train fitted with on-board energy storages.
- Trains enter the branch by going to the end of the spur and reversing into the bay platform 1.
- Trains charge their on-board energy storage in Platform 1.
- Trains run to and from Windsor using on-board energy, charging after each trip.
- Trains leave the branch by going to the end of the spur and reversing onto the Down Main.
I have a feeling that if needed, that with small modifications, four tph might be possible, using two trains.
One of the possibilities unlocked by four tph could be to use the train to get passengers to the town from a Park-and-Ride site, beside Junction
Windsor And Eton Central Station
I took these pictures of Windsor and Eton Central station.
It certainly has several quality food outlets.
Electrification At Maidenhead Station And On The Marlow Branch
These pictures show the electrification at Maidenhead station, where the Marlow Branch Line connects to the main line.
Note.
- Platform 5 is almost fully-electrified and the wires curve away onto the Marlow Branch.
- Platform 4 and its connection to the Marlow Branch appears to be fully electrified.
- There is a reversing siding to the West of the station in there somewhere.
- There is an unfinished gap in the electrification of all lines to the East of Maidenhead station.
I wouldn’t think it would be long before all the electrification work is finished at Maidenhead station.
Could Electric Trains With On-Board Energy Storage Work The Marlow Branch?
So how will the various services to and from Maidenhead and on the Marlow Branch be handled, if Class 387 trains with on-board storage were available?
- Between London and Maidenhead services would be worked using overhead power.
- Between Maidenhead and Bourne End, services would be worked using on-board energy storage, that would be charged in Platform 5 at Maidenhead or on the main line to and from London.
- Between Bourne End and Marlow, the trains couldn’t run as they are too long and a two-car Class 166 would work the service and connect at Bourne End.
From the layout of the overhead wiring, I suspect that which of Platforms 4 or 5 is used at Maidenhead is flexible and which is actually used by a particular service would depend on many factors.
Electrification At Twyford Station And On The Henley Branch
These pictures show the lack of electrification work at Twyford station, where the Henley Branch Line connects to the main line.
The two slow platforms 3 and 4 at Twyford station, which will be used by Crossrail and Platform 5 which is used by the Henley Branch trains, show no signs of electrification, although work has been done on the fast platforms 1 and 2.
In the December 2016 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article by Roger Ford entitled Electrical Clearances: The Plot Thickens.
As the stations either side of Twyford, which are Maidenhead and Reading, are both almost fully wired, there must be a serious reason why there isn’t any work started on Platforms 3, 4 and 5 at Twyford. Could it be that without either rebuilding the bridge or lowering the track and rebuilding the platforms, the new regulations can’t be met?
However, there could be a possible solution.
These trains will be using the station in a few years.
- Class 800 trains, which are bi-mode.
- Class 345 trains, which I believe could be fitted with on-board energy storage for other reasons, like tunnel emergencies.
- Class 387 trains, which I believe could be fitted with on-board energy storage.
So could we see Platforms 3 and 4 at Twyfrord station without wires?
I’ve no idea!
But it does seem strange that no electrification work has been started at Twyford station, except on the fast lines, through Platforms 1 and 2.
Could Electric Trains With On-Board Energy Storage Work The Henley Branch?
So how will the various services on the Henley Branch be handled, if Class 387 trains with on-board storage were available?
Consider.
- The branch is only a short one with a total length of 4.5 miles.
- There are one tph on the branch, with extras to Paddington in the Peak.
- Trains turn round in about four minutes.
- From 2018, Twyford station will be served by 2 tph from Crossrail and 4 tph from GWR in each direction.
- Platforms at all stations seem long enough for at least four-car trains.
- There used to be a passing loop at Shiplake station.
- Trains going to and from Paddington could charge their energy storage on the main line.
Two trains working a reconfigured branch could possibly create a 4 tph service.
Creating a four tph service on the Henley Branch, is the sort of problem, that engineers solve in the traditional way. – In a suitable hostelry!
I think that spending the money on a passing loop, some means of charging the trains and possibly a rebuilt Shiplake station, will be much better value, than electrifying the branch and the Crossrail platforms at Twyford station.
Electrification At Reading
In the December 2016 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled Loco-Hauled EMUs On GWR.
The article starts by saying.
GWR’s new Class 387 trains will be loco-hauled to and from their depot at Reading, until electrification between Maidenhead and Reading is completed.
Could this all be because, Network Rail don’t have a plan to electrify Twyford?
At least the depot seems electrified.
I didn’t see a Class 387 in their depot, but there were at least half-a-dozen parked at Hitachi’s depot at North Pole.
Electrification From Didcot To Oxford
The Cherwell Valley Line between Didcot and Oxford can be described as follows.
- It is a double-track hemmed in on both sides.
- The two stations at Radley and Culham are on narrow strips of land and could be difficult to electrify.
- There is a tail of electrification gantries from Didcot Parkway onto the branch, which is typical of some other branches like Windsor and Marlow.
- There were electrification piles in several places, either in the ground or just lying around.
- The track could have be reconfigured to incorporate a new South-facing bay Platform at Oxford station.
These are some pictures.
One of Chiltern’s Class 168 trains was also hanging around, training drivers.
Could Electric Trains With On-Board Energy Storage Work Didcot To Oxford?
Didcot to Oxford is about 10.5 miles, so I suspect range is not a problem, especially if the new Southern Bay Platform is built, which would mean trains would not have to cross the lines wasting energy North of the station.
What would drive this, is not technology, but if Chiltern are running a service at their usual standard from Oxford to Marylebone, it could be take passengers from the GWR.
New Class 387 trains with on board energy storage could be a good weapon with which to fight back!
But then so would Class 800 trains!
Oxford Station
I took these pictures at Oxford station on the 1st of December.
Note GWR’s 13:01 arrival from Banbury into the new bay Platform 2.
Was I watching the first scheduled train into the new platform?
There certainly wasn’t any dignitaries!
National Rail’s Arrival and Departure details on the Internet certainly showed that Banbury services were using the new Platform 2 later in the day.
Conclusions
From my explorations I have come to the following conclusions.
- There is a large gap in the electrification works at Twyford station.
- It looks to my untrained eye, that the Greenford, Windsor and Marlow branches are being wired, so the branches could be served by electric trains with on-board energy storage.
- The Orange Army is furiously at work creating new sidings at West Ealing for the Class 387 trains.
- It is possible for trains to use the new bay Platform 2 at Oxford station.
It will be interesting to take a Chiltern service to Oxford, when the service opens on the 11th of December.
It certainly was a good day to take photographs.
Are Greater Anglia Making Ipswich Station A Better Interchange?
Services In A Few Years
By the end of this decade, Greater Anglia will be running the following services through or from/to Ipswich station.
- 3 trains per hour (tph) Norwich to London, taking sixty minutes to London – Platform 2
- 3 tph London to Norwich, taking 30 minutes to Norwich – Platform 3
- 1 tph Peterborough to Colchester – Platform 2
- 1 tph Colchester to Peterborough – Platform 3
- 1 tph Ipswich to/from Cambridge – Platform 4
- 1 tph Ipswich to/from Felixstowe – Platform 0 or Platform 1
- 1 tph Ipswich to/from Lowestoft – Platform 0 or Platform 1
I have assumed a new Platform 0 is built outside of Platform 1, is as I speculated in A Good Look At Platform 1 At Ipswich Station And The Work On The Far Side.
A Service Pattern
As each of these trains has fairly clear routes in and out of Ipswich station, could we see a sequence like this at the station, at a fixed time in every hour?
- Trains from Cambridge, Felixstowe and Lowestoft arrive in their respective platforms.
- London-Norwich and Norwich-London call at the station.
- Trains leave for Cambridge, Felixstowe and Lowestoft.
As the Peterborough-Colchester service provides a second service between Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds, this would be scheduled thirty minutes after the Cambridge-Ipswich service.
Services To Nearby Towns
It is worth showing a table of frequencies to nearby towns.
- Bury St. Edmunds – 2 tph
- Cambridge – 1 tph
- Colchester – 4 tph
- Felixstowe – 1 tph
- Lowestoft – 1 tph
- Manningtree – 4 tph
- Newmarket 1 tph
- Norwich – 3 tph
- Stowmarket – 5 tph
- Woodbridge – 1 tph
There are also places, that lack a direct service from Ipswich, such as Cambridge North, Aldeburgh, Harwich, Sudbury and Yarmouth
Independently-Powered Trains
Services from Ipswich to stations that are not on the Great Eastern Main Line, will need to use independently-powered trains.
Greater Anglia will have three possible types of independently-powered trains.
- The existing Class 170 trains, some of which may be retained.
- The new bi-mode Flirts.
- The new Aventras, which could be fitted with on-board energy storage.
All are modern trains, with at least a 100 mph capability.
Extra Services From Ipswich
Intriguingly, because the current one tph Ipswich-London service has been extended to Norwich, there is probably space to terminate another service from the South.
To the South, there are only two possibilities for extra services.
- Harwich, which already has a very limited service from Ipswich.
- Sudbury, which will be served from Colchester Town.
Neither is an obvious terminal for services, So I think it likely, that no Southern services would be added at Ipswich.
The only other possibility for extra services South from Ipswich, would be if it was decided to create a second route across East Anglia connecting Ipswich and Colchester to Cambridge and the East West Rail Link, via Sudbury and Haverhill, using the existing Gainsborough Line and a rebuilt Stour Valley Railway.
But if a Suffolk Circular Railway is ever built, it will be a long time coming.
Services along the Ipswich to Ely Line to Cambridge and Peterborough, will be as follows in a couple of years.
- Bury St. Edmunds – 2 tph
- Cambridge – 1 tph
- Ely – 1 tph
- Newmarket 1 tph
- Peterborough – 1 tph
- Stowmarket – 5 tph
It’s certainly better than it was, when I lived in the area, but there is a big new station at Cambridge North, that needs to be adequately served from Bury St. Edmunds, Ipswich and Suffolk.
Passengers from Bury St. Edmunds and Ipswich to Cambridge North will have a choice of three routes.
- Take a Peterborough service and change at Ely.
- Take a Cambridge service and change at Cambridge.
- Take a Cambridge service and change at Cambridge to the Cambridge Guided Busway.
None is ideal and the last can get stuck in Cambridge’s legendary traffic jams.
Greater Anglia’s full plans have not been disclosed, but Wikipedia says this.
- 5tph to Cambridge, with 2tph continuing to London King’s Cross; 1tph continuing to London Liverpool Street and 1tph continuing to Stansted Airport.
- 4tph to Ely, with 1tph continuing to King’s Lynn, 1tph continuing to Birmingham New Street and 1tph continuing to Norwich.
So all stations to Birmingham get a direct service, but Suffolk doesn’t!
Consider.
- Norwich-Cambridge services will be extended to Stansted, releasing a bay Platform 5 at Cambridge station.
- Trains can’t go between Cambridge North and Bury St. Edmunds will have to reverse at Ely station.
- Kennett to Ely could be double-tracked to improve freight routes between Felixstowe and Peterborough.
- Soham station could be reopened.
- This Network Rail document talks of improving connections at Newmarket.
- The East West Rail Link will connect to Cambridge at a proposed Cambridge South station.
I can see a package of work emerging, that would include.
- Dualling from Kennett to Ely.
- Provision for Soham station.
- Improvements to Ely station and the various lines in the area.
- Improvements to the junctions between Newmarket and Kennett.
- Provision for connection to the East West Rail Link.
This would enable more capacity for freight trains.
It would also allow a second Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds service to Cambridge, via Kennett, Soham, Ely and Cambridge North stations.
- There would be capacity in Platform 4 at Ipswich and Platform 5 at Cambridge for the service.
- Between Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds there would be three tph.
- The new station at Soham would have excellent connectivity.
- Kennett station has excellent connectivity, is surrounded by space and is close to the A14 and A11. Could it be developed as a Parkway station?
- A chord might be built at Ely to connect the lines to Cambridge and Kennett, which would avoid the reverse at Ely.
- Greater Anglia will have trains for the route.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years, but services to Cambridge will call the tune.
Along The Felixstowe Branch
In the December Edition of Modern Railways magazine there is an article entitled Loop Planned For Felixstowe Branch.
The Proposal
To allow an increase in the numbers of freight trains on the line from 33 to 47 every day, Network Rail propose to do the following.
- Create a 1.4 km loop at Trimley. Note that 775 metres is the maximum train length in the UK.
- Close six level crossings
- Create a bridge for a bridleway.
Network Rail hope that this will be sufficient for a few years, but in the future the aspiration is for double-tracking and electrification all the way between Felixstowe and Nuneaton.
I have flown my helicopter along the route and it is single track all the way between Westerfield and Trimley stations, with the exception of a passing loop East of the Spring Road Viaduct, which is centred on Derby Road station.
This Google Map shows the Branch Line East of Trimley station.
The Eastern End Of The Felixstowe Branch Line
Trimley station is in the North West corner of the map, whilst Felixstowe station is in the South East corner.
Just before the level crossing at Trimley, the line splits into two and the two tracks run together for a time, before the Southern track branches off to the North Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe.
The other track then continues East and splits with one branch going straight into Felixstowe station and the other going to the South Terminal at the Port.
All tracks are single track, except between Trimley station and the first junction.
The Intermediate Stations
I think it is probably true to say, that Westerfield, Derby Road and Trimley stations are one the worst run of three stations in the country.
In James Cook Station – The Reinvention Of The Halt, I talked about the new James Cook station, that serves Middlesborough Hospital. This station had 23,000 passengers in 2014/15, as against the 30,000 average for these three Suffolk stations in the same year.
I’m sure if they were of the same standard as James Cook station, they would see an increase in passengers.
This Google Map shows Westerfield station.
Westerfield Station
Note how the single-track Felixstowe Branch leaves the double-track East Suffolk Line to the East of the station.
A large housing development called Henley Gate, which is part of the Ipswich Garden Suburb could be built to the West of the station. This might be an opportunity to improve the station and the level crossing. This web page on the Ipswich Borough Council web site, shows a map and a few details.
If the thousand houses promised for the site are built, I’m sure Westerfield station could be one that attracted a few more passengers, who cycled to the station.
According to Wikpedia, this Derby Road station used to be a lot busier. This is said.
People living on the eastern side of the town generally preferred to use Derby Road when travelling to Felixstowe and the station could be very busy on sunny weekends with day trippers to Felixstowe Beach and Felixstowe Pier stations. They could reach the station on the Ipswich Tramway which terminated outside the station entrance.
But this Google Map, of the area round the station show that it surrounded by housing.
Around Derby Road Station
The station is at the South West corner of the map, with The Ipswich Hospital is at the North East corner of this map. I ask these questions.
- Is there a shuttle bus between the station and the hospital?
- Is there secure bicycle parking at Derby Road station?
- Could it be that if a decent train with greater capacity and perhaps better provision for bicycles and buggies ran through the station, that there could be an increase in passengers?
From what I’ve seen of the station, it’s suffering from Abellio’s Managed-from-Norwich Syndrome, which a lot of stations in East London did, until placed under the control of Transport for London.
The next station after Derby Road used to be Orwell station, which served the villages of Orwell and Nacton.
At some point in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a station between Derby Road and Trimley, either inside or outside of the A14.
Trimley station is virtually derelict, but there are plans to convert it for community use.
I believe, all the intermediate stations on this line could have a future. Factors involved could be.
- Nearby housing and/or commercial development.
- Cycle-and-Ride passengers.
- A decent train to Ipswich and Felixstowe, with plenty of space for bicycles and buggies.
- A reliable clock-face hourly service.
- Easy connection to Long distance trains at Ipswich station.
- A cafe or coffee kiosk
Passengers, who are going to work, need a service that is totally reliable, and this service has suffered in the past few years.
Dualling The Line
If my virtual helicopter ride, showed one thing, it was that there are wide margins around the current single track from Derby Road to Trimley, which hopefully would make installation of a second track reasonably straghtforward.
However, I did count six level crossings with barriers and what looked like five crossing points without. All will have to be upgraded for the second track or removed.
It is interesting to see, that Network Rail are proposing to close six crossings in their current plan, so is this to get rid of one of the major problems of the dualling early?
Perhaps, they have decided that removing six level crossings and dualling the line at the same time, would raise too many simultaneous problems for their legal department. But doing the level crossings first with a less ambitious dualling is less likely to be challenged.
The other big problem could be widening the bridge over the A14 dual-carriageway.
This Google Map shows the bridge.
The Felixstowe Branch Line Crosses The A14
But it looks to me, that everything is there to just slip in a second span.
So that could be at least future-proofed!
Where Is The Proposed Dualling?
According to the article in Modern Railways, the loop at Trimley is 1.4 km. long.
My estimate is that the distance between the two junctions, where the two branches go off to the Port of Felixstowe, is about this distance.
So could it be, that the loop is not for freight trains, but to allow the passenger trains to access Felixstowe station?
- The Northern track would be bi-directional and connect Trimley and Felixstowe stations and would be for exclusive use of passenger trains.
- The Southern track would be bi-directional and connect Trimley station to both the lines to the Port of Felixstowe and would be for exclusive use of trains to and from the Port.
- At night, the track could be configured, so that two bi-directional tracks, that joined just to the West of Trimley station, went to each freight terminal The Northern track would serve the South Terminal and the Southern Track would serve the North Terminal.
The Port of Felixstowe has argued at times, that the Felixstowe Branch Line should be freight-only. Is this Network Rail’s proposal to create two separate freight and passenger lines using the same track?
From my observations at Ipswich that I wrote about in Curious Rail Construction At Ipswich Station, I am convinced that they have simplified track layout around Ipswich Freight Yard, so that freight and passenger trains, don’t conflict with each other at Ipswich.
So does this proposal remove conflicts at Felixstowe?
I think it does.
After the proposed loop is built, the line will be effectively in three sections.
- A core line between Westerfield and Trimley stations with the existing passing loop at Derby Road.
- At the Felixstowe end, there will effectively be separate lines into Felixstowe station, and the North and South Freight Terninals.
- At the Ipswich end, there will be separate lines into Platforms 0 and 1 at Ipswich station, Ipswich Freight Yard and to both directions on the Great Eastern Main Line.
- All of the connecting end lines would work with the simple rule of only allowing one train on the line at any one time.
At Felixstowe, freight trains might even be paired with one going into the North Terminal at the same time as one came out of the South Terminal. And vice-versa!
The train coming out, would wait at a signal before the junction for its branch and then when the other train had cleared the other junction going into the Port, it would be allowed to proceed through Trimley.
At night, trains could also be assembled as flights, so that several trains came in and out of the port in a stream. The reorganised Ipswich Yard must help in this.
As the new passenger trains will be somewhat faster than the current Class 153 trains and will be able to get away from stations quicker, I wonder if the timings will be such that two trains per hour might be possible.
These are current timings between Westerfield and Trimley in the core section.
- Passenger train – 14 minutes
- Freight train – 16 minutes
As trains don’t conflict on the double-track outer sections and have their own separate routes, it should be possible to have one 14 minute passenger and one 16 minute freight cycle in every half-hour, provided the trains pass at Derby Road.
With faster trains, fitting in two passenger trains and two freight trains in both directions in every hour might well be possible.
But you also have to content with other services on the East Suffolk Line and other constraints, so I suspect that by being extremely thorough and downright devious, that the published figure of 47 trains a day is very feasible. And feasible when running two tph between Ipswich and Felixstowe!
Two passenger trains would be needed for the service.
Higher Speed Between Westerfield And Trimley
Once all the improvements at the two ends of the line are complete, the major constraint on capacity on the line is the time a train takes between Westerfield and Trimley.
The line is configured for 75 mph, but I wonder what sort of speed could be reached could be attained safely on the line between Westerfield and Trimley, with the following.
- Removal of level crossings
- Improved signalling.
- Some minor track improvements.
It should be born in mind that there are no junctions from where the Felixstowe Branch leaves the East Suffolk Line at Westerfield and Trimley.
The speed limit would then probably be set by the maximum speed over the Spring Road Viaduct.
The distance between Westerfield and Trimley is almost exactly 10.5 miles.
This means that the freight train averages about 40 mph and the passenger train a miserly 45 mph.
So what sort of speeds can the various trains achieve.
- Class 153 – 75 mph
- Class 170 – 100 mph
- Class 66 – 65/75 mph
- Class 67 – 125 mph
- Class 68 – 100 mph
- Class 70 – 75 mph
- Class 88 – 100 mph
It could be that the slow speed of the Class 66 locomotives are one of the constraints on the line, as timings must assume that locomotives could be the 65 mph variant.
If it were possible to raise the line speed to 90 mph, it could reduce timings on the line between Westerfield and Trimley.
These figures certainly show, why Network Rail are so keen to remove the level crossings on the line.
I suspect that suitable trains and locomotives could reduce times as follows if the line had a 90 mph limit.
- Freight – 13 from 16 minutes.
- Passenger – 12 from 14 minutes.
It might only save a couple of minutes with my crude estimate, but it certainly shows there are savings to be made by upgrading the line and using modern trains and locomotives.
Class 66 Locomotives
I don’t like Class 66 Locomotives and have believed for some time, that they have little place on the electrified lines in built-up areas. I wrote The Noisy Class 66 Locomotive on the subject a couple of years ago.
My crude analysis in the previous section shows that their slow speed actually cuts capacity.
Freightliner are one of the big operators of |Class 66 locomotives to and from the Port of Felixstowe. Wikipedia has a section on Class 66 Locomotives operated by Freightliner.
This is said.
Freightliner followed EWS by initially ordering five new Class 66/5 locomotives, and have continued to order in small batches. As of summer 2010, the 66/5 fleet had reached 98 examples; 66521 was withdrawn after the 2001 crash at Great Heck and later scrapped.
In 2000 a new Class 66/6 sub-class was built, with a lower gear ratio, enabling heavier trains to be hauled, albeit at slower speed. There are presently 25 examples of this class, numbered 66601-625. Some of these locomotives have since been exported for use with Freightliner Poland.
As freight trains are getting longer, it would appear that the slow 66/6 locomotives should be removed from this route as their 65 mph maximum speed is a constraint on maximising traffic between Westerfield and Trimley.
Electrification
Electrification is often talked about with respect to the Felixstowe Branch.
Reasons in favour include.
- Freight trains going to and from London could be electric hauled.
- Engine changes at Ipswich Yard would be minimised.
- Electric haulage is more environmentally friendly.
But there are powerful reasons not in favour.
- Cranes in a Port and 25kV overhead wires are bad bedfellows.
- If the Class 88 Locomotive and other electro-diesel types are a success, they are probably more affordable than electrification.
- Passenger services in the near future will be run by trains with an on-board power source; diesel, bi-mode or battery.
- The main route to the Midlands via Peterborough and Nuneaton is not electrified.
But above all we seem so bad at electrification, the risk in wiring the line is too great.
I don’t think it is likely that the Felixstowe Branch will be electrified until the whole route to the Midlands is wired.
Wattway
I was pointed to this French innovation by the Sunday Times.
Effectively, Wattway, is a system of solar panels that you can put in a road and drive on.
Click here for the Wattway web site.
I have a feeling that it will lead to all sorts of applications, especially where power is needed at a remote location.
I suspect too, that it doesn’t need planning permission as such, whereas even a small wind-turbine might!
The Definitive Branch Line For An Electric Train With On Board Energy Storage
In Curious Rail Construction At Ipswich Station, I described how the current five-car Platform 1 has been electrified and given an electrified route of a few hundred metres to the Felixstowe Branch Line.
I then outlined how an ow an electric train with on-board energy storage, could work the Ipswich-Felixstowe service.
- I’ll assume that a fully-charged train starts from the new depot at Manningtree or some other suitable overnight stabling.
- The train positions early in the morning for the first service from Felixstowe, using overhead power to Ipswich and on-board power on the branch.
- Passengers load at Felixstowe and the train proceeds to Ipswich under on-board power to the current Platform 1 at Ipswich.
- The train would sneak into the platform on the North side of Ipswich Freight Yard, well out of the way of the Great Eastern Main Line and any freight movements.
- If the platform was busy and the train had to wait at a signal, it could even up pantograph to start the recharging of the on-board energy storage.
- Once in Platform 1, the train would either start or continue the charging process.
- The pantograph would be lowered, when the charging was complete or at any time before the train left for Felixstowe.
The process would continue all day.
But things don’t always go to plan, so what happens at Ipswich, if Platform 1 is blocked by a failed train?
As the train will be approaching Ipswich on a dedicated line, it would stop at a signal and wait. As the overhead wire to the station will be continuous, it would immediately up pantograph to start the charging process, to make certain, it wasn’t stuck with a flat battery.
There has been a lot of thought, in how trains with on board storage should be operated.
Similar layouts seem to be being installed at other places.
Maidenhead and the Marlow Branch Line
Maidenhead station is where the Marlow Branch Line connects to the Great Western Main Line.
Platform assignments after Crossrail will probably be.
- Down Fast
- Up Fast
- Down Slow – Crossrail
- Up Show – Crossrail
- Marlow Branch
Note that Platform 5 has recently been extended to the full Crossrail length of 200 metres, so could this platform be shared between the Marlow Branch trains and the Class 387 trains that will start to shuttle between Maidenhead and Paddington in mid-2017.
These are pictures taken at Maidenhead station.
Note the platform 5 for the Marlow Branch and the first couple of hundred metres of the branch are being electrified.
Trains with on-board energy storage between Maidenhead and Bourne End stations could certainly use the same procedure as the one I outlined for trains between Ipswich and Felixstowe. They would probably come into Platform 5 at Maidenhead, as the Marlow Branch trains currently do.
But they also have the advantage at Maidenhead of a very long two hundred metre Platform 5.
Note that four-car Class 387 trains couldn’t go past Bourne End station, so the remainder of the branch to Marlow would probably be served by a diesel shuttle.
On November 25th, 2016, I took this picture from a passing train.
Note.
- I was looking directly down the Marlow Branch.
- The two lines join around the position of the last gantry and the nearest one goes into Platform 4, with the farthest one going into Platform 5.
- You can’t really see it too well in the picture, but the overhead wire appears to be only above the line into Platform 5.
This Google Map shows a close-up of the Western \end of Platforms 4 and 5 and the start of the Marlow Branch.
Hopefully, it will be clearer than mud now!
Note the two-car train in Platform 5.
So why is there no connecting electrification between Platform 4 and the Marlow Branch Line?
It could be that it hasn’t been erected yet, but on the other hand, it could be that it isn’t needed.
- All trains arriving at Maidenhead from Bourne End would use Platform 5.
- These trains would only use the wiring to the West of Platform 5, if say the platform was blocked, by say a failed train.
- Trains between Bourne End and Paddington, after arriving at Platform 5 would up pantograph and after leaving the platform, they would use an existing crossover to access the Up Slow line for Paddington.
- Trains between Paddington and Bourne End would probably use the existing crossovers to stop in Platform 5 after arriving on the Up Slow. Once in Platform 5, they would down pantograph and continue to Bourne End under on-board power.
So a second electrified line not being needed, could be the explanation of only one being created.
Note that when Crossrail starts, Crossrail trains will use Platforms 3 and 4 and will reverse using a reversing siding to the West of the station..
So the Marlow Branch and Crossrail will effectively be two separate systems with their own tracks, trains and arrangements.
Slough And The Slough to Windsor & Eton Line
Slough station is where the Slough to Windsor & Eton Line connects to the Great Western Main Line.
As I passed through Slough station, I noticed that the gantries are such, that just as at Maidenhead, the bay Platform 1 could have a short length of overhead wiring installed, so that the shuttle to Windsor and Eton Central station could be run using an electric train with on-board energy storage.
This small add-on to the electrification, would create a branch line independent of the main line.
- It would be worked as a single train shuttle.
- The train would be electric with on-board energy storage.
- The train would charge at Slough station.
- It would have dedicated platforms in the two terminal stations; Slough and Windsor and Eton Central.
- The train could be worked using the principle of only one train on the line at a time or One Train Working.
- Trains would enter and leave the dedicated branch tracks for servicing and other tasks, as they do now, through a connection to the Fast lines at Slough station.
Unlike the Marlow Branch, it would not need protection for failed trains, as there is only one train.
I would suspect that capacity at the Windsor end of the branch would limit any expansion unless a scheme like the Windsor Link Railway was brought forward and that a four-car electric shuttle train would be sufficient to work the line for many years.
Twyford And The Henley Branch Line
Twyford station is where the Henley Branch Line connects to the Great Western Main Line.
I wrote about using trains with on-board energy storage on the Henley Branch in Twyford Station And The Henley Branch and came to the conclusion, that electric trains of this type could serve this short branch of just four miles in length, with very little change to the infrastructure
Installing a short length of electrification in the bay platform 5 at Twyford station and for a short distance on the branch could be used to charge the trains.
As on the Marlow Branch and the Slough to Windsor and Eton Line, this would create a branch line independent of the main line.
I doubt that this line will ever be fully-electrified.
Certainly, as I passed the line today, there was no sign of any electrification.
West Ealing And Greenford Branch Line
West Ealing station is where the Greenford Branch Line connects to the Great Western Main Line.
But seeing as the last direct train from Greenford to Paddington seems to be on the 23rd of December 2016, the Greenford Branch Line will become an independent branch line with its own bay Platform 5 at West Ealing station, where passengers will have to change to and from Paddington.
In West Ealing Station – 12th October 2016, I showed the progress a couple of months ago and as at Slough gantries are in place, that could be used to electrify the new bay platform.
Once the wires were in place at the platform, all it would need to provide a quality service to Greenford, would be suitable electric train with on-board energy storage.
- The journey would take around ten minutes.
- Trains would charge their storage at West Ealing.
- Two trains per hour would be possible with one train.
- Four trains per hour would be possible with two trains, as the branch has a lot of double-track to allow passing.
The only infrastructure needed, other than the electrification might be some platform lengthening for the new trains.
As I passed the line today, there was some evidence of wires going up, but they probably can’t be completed until the new station is finished at West Ealing station.
Surely, if the branch was going to be run in perpetuity by diesel trains, there would be no evidence of electrification in the bay platform 5 and at the start of the Greenford Branch.
The Emerging Design
If you look at all these examples, most of which are ongoing projects, they have a series of common features.
- The branch line is fairly simple, often just a shuttle between two dedicated terminal platforms.
- The branch line is within the range of an electric train with on-board energy storage, to go out and return.
- Some branches are worked using the principle of only one train on the line at a time or One Train Working.
- At least one terminal platform will be electrified, so that the on board energy storage can be charged.
- The branch line is within the range of an electric train with on-board energy storage.
The only feature not common to all the detailed examples, is where the electrified platform could be shared as at Ipswich and Maidenhead,
In these cases, provision must be made for another train failing in the station.
If Network Rail can get this philosophy right, it has the following advantages.
- New or refurbished environmentally-friendly electric trains can replace elderly diesel trains on suitable routes.
- As the electric trains will typically be four-cars or more, there will be large capacity increases.
- There will be very little infrastructure work, except for platform lengthening and possibly electrifying an extra platform in a station on an already electrified line.
- Network Rail will gain a bit of credibility.
As an example, Ipswich Felixstowe could go from an hourly single -car Class 153 train to an hourly five-car modern Aventra with Wi-fi and lots of space.
Congestion At Ipswich Station
Ipswich station suffers from too much traffic and not enough platforms
This set of pictures was taken as I changed trains for Felixstowe, at around 12:00
In the short time, I was there, I saw the following trains go through the station.
- A Norwich to London Express.
- A London to Norwich Express
- A very long freight train.
- A train arrive from Lowestoft and wait in Platform 1.
- My train arrived from Felixstowe.
What made matters worse was a light engine sitting on the avoiding line between the two main lines.
I took these pictures later on my return from Felixstowe.
The two sets of pictures illustrate some of the problems at Ipswich station.
- There is a large number of freight and passenger trains, that go through the station.
- The platforms available for services to Cambridge, Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Norwich and Peterborough is limited.
- Trains sometimes have to terminate in the Through Up Platform 2.
- Two long passenger trains per hour between London and Norwich, go through in each direction.
Unfortunately, 3 and 4 interact badly with each other and this interaction will get worse with the new Flirt trains, which are longer than the current trains.
One solution would be a second bay platform, alongside the current Platform 1.
The new Greater Anglia Franchise has also had a sort out of services through Ipswich. The two most important ones that will be implemented are.
- Peterborough-Ipswich will be hourly and continues to Colchester. So Colchester has the problem of turning the train.
- The hourly Liverpool Street to Ipswich service will be extended to Norwich, to increase the Liverpool Street to Norwich frequency to three trains per hour.
These two changes reduce the amount of platform space needed, as these services will stop and hopefully be quickly on their way!
A Good Look At Platform 1 At Ipswich Station And The Work On The Far Side
In Curious Rail Construction At Ipswich Station, I wondered what was happening on the far side of Platform 1 in the station.
This morning although there was congestion later, that I wrote about in Congestion At Ipswich Station, the platform was empty long enough for me to take these pictures.
Note that in the pictures and this reasoning, I refer to the construction as Platform 0, but it could be just a ramp so that drivers can access their freight locomotives.
Consider.
- Platform 1 would accommodate a five-car train and it could be lengthened to perhaps six-cars.
- Platform 0 would accommodate a one-car Class 163 train or possibly a two-car train.
- It might be possible to extend Platform 0 towards the main part of the station, by digging out the corner of the car park and moving a few steel girders.
- The end supports for the catenary would need replacing with a longer Platform 0, but that is not difficult electrification.
- An extended Platform 0, wouldn’t need moving of the free bicycle parking and the waiting room.
- If Platform 0 and 1 were for Felixstowe and Lowestoft, interchange between the two lines and London trains would be easy.
- Changing from trains from London to trains at Platforms 0 and 1 would be by using the nearby recently-built step-free bridge.
With two bay platforms 0 and 1, there would be no need to use Platform 2 as a terminus, as my Felixstowe train did today.
The curious point, is that except for the Express London to Norwich services, there are no current or planned electric passenger services to Norfolk or the West from Ipswich.
So why are the wires in Platform 1 and the area that could become platform 0, so comprehensive?
I believe that Greater Anglia might be thinking of running electric trains with on-board energy storage from the station.
Felixstowe is the most likely possibility, as the other routes could be too long.
So could we see a five-car Aventra with on-board energy storage shuttling along the Felixstowe branch?
It’s all a bit different from the Class 105 train, that I rode on the route in the early-1960s
As I said a few days ago, it’s all very curious.
Autumn Statement: Is Rail Devolution In London Dead?
This is the title of an article on the BBC web site.
This is how the article starts.
Sadiq Khan is not the first mayor to want more control over London’s rail service.
Previous mayors have managed it – Ken Livingstone took over Silverlink and Boris Johnson gained control of West Anglia.
But it looks like the chances of more takeovers are not that promising.
The article then goes on to make the point, that the timescale for taking over Southeastern metro services is very tight.
As time is a very absolute constraint, action needs to be taken now!
Curious Rail Construction At Ipswich Station
I came into Ipswich station today on a train from Lowestoft and took these pictures before I got on a train to London.
They would appear to show the following.
- An electrified line has been created to the North of Ipswich Yard between the Felixstowe Branch Line and Ipswich station.
- Some construction on the far side of the siding that lies next to the platform used for Lowestoft and Felixstowe trains.
Could the construction, be tye start of work for a dedicated platform for the Felixstowe Branch?
Consider the following about traffic on the Felixstowe Branch Line.
- According to this article in Rail Magazine, there are now twenty-three daily freight trains out of Felixstowe.
- The freight trains are getting longer and I have seen trains hauled by a pair of Class 66 locomotives.
- Passenger trains are a single-car Class 153 train every hour.
- The Class 153 train takes twenty-six minutes.
- The line is around fifteen miles of unelectrified line.
- The Freightliner motive power depot is going to be moved from Ipswich to Felkixstowe.
- The December 2016 Edition of Modern Railways is saying that a 1.4 km loop will be built on the branch and six level crossings will be closed.
Despite the last two points, the single track branch line must be very much full.
There are also issues with the Class 153 trains at Ipswich.
- Do they sometimes find it difficult to get through all the freight trains to the bay platform at Ipswich?
- Sometimes, they use the end of the main platform 2, but as the Flirts will be longer, this won’t be possible when the new trains arrive.
- Various reports have said that two bay platforms are needed; one for Felixstowe services and one for Lowestoft services.
We don’t know their actual plans, but Greater Anglia would probably love to put a modern electric train on the Ipswich-Felixstowe route.
Electrification of the Felixstowe Branch is not even likely.
- Electrification of the Felixstowe Branch without wiring all the way to Nuneaton would probably not be good value for money.
- Where would Freightliner get all the electric locomotives?
- The Port of Felixstowe isn’t wired and might not want wires all over the place with cranes everywhere!
- The Gospel Oak to Barking Line will be electrified and what effects will this have?
The only bright spot on the horizon is Greater Anglia’s new Flirts, which could release fifteen well-maintained and reliable Class 90 locomotives.
A modern two-coach train, even if it was a diesel, would have benefits.
- It would be faster and thus scheduling the crowded route could be easier.
- It might attract more passengers to the line, especially, if there was space for bicycles and buggies.
- It should be more reliable.
But I suspect Greater Anglia would want an electric train with all the trimmings.
So am I right, that a new electrified line has been created into the station in a place where a new platform can be created?
- I might be wrong and it could have been there for years to enable the movements of electric locomotives, without blocking the main line.
- But there are certainly modern style gantries and supports for the overhead wires.
- The existing bay platform 1 is wired. Why? No current or possible electric services could use the platform.
But something is certainly happening.
- Is it a new platform or just tidying up?
- Is it a walkway to enable train drivers to get to locomotives in Ipswich Yard?
- Is it a short platform to take up to a two-car train?
There is one other possibility, that fits with my observations at Maidenhead and the Marlow Branch, that I wrote about in Bourne End Station And Improving The Marlow Branch Line.
At Maidenhead, I came to the conclusion, that electric trains (Class 387s?) with on-board energy storage were going to be used on the Marlow Branch to Bourne End, with a diesel shuttle between Bourne End and Marlow.
Is the current Platform 1 at Ipswich, which could probably accommodate a five-car Aventra going to be used in the same way?
Consider how an electric train with on-board energy storage, would work the Ipswich-Felixstowe service.
- I’ll assume that a fully-charged train starts from the new depot at Manningtree or some othe suitable overnight stabling.
- The train positions early in the morning for the first service from Felixstowe, using overhead power to Ipswich and on-board power on the branch.
- Passengers load at Felixstowe and the train proceeds to Ipswich under on-board power to the current Platform 1 at Ipswich.
- The train would sneak into the platform on the North side of Ipswich Yard, well out of the way of the Great Eastern Main Line and any freight movements.
- If the platform was busy and the train had to wait at a signal, it could even up pantograph to start the recharging of the on-board storage.
- Once in Platform 1, the train would either start or continue the charging process.
- The pantograph would be lowered, when the charging was complete or the train was approaching the limit of the overhead wiring on its way out to Felixstowe.
The process would continue all day.
But Aventras will be a clever train. This is a snippet from an article in the Derby Telegraph.
Unlike today’s commuter trains, Aventra can shut down fully at night and can be “woken up” by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift.
So could we see a train parked at Felixstowe overnight, ready for the driver to get into a nice warm train?
I used to live round the corner from Felixstowe station and as the train would be in full view of the Police Station opposite and electrifically dead, I doubt there would be any security problem.
A five-car Aventra parked overnight with an appropriate all-over paint scheme might even encourage new passengers to give it a try.
Obviously, the suitable Aventra doesn’t exist yet, but putting in a new short platform 0 at Ipswich station, that can accept a three-car train, would mean.
- Platform 2 would no longer be needed for terminating trains at Ipswich.
- Twelve-car Flirts could work the London-Norwich services, without terminating services interfering.
- Felixstowe and Lowestoft services would have a short platform 0 and a longer platform 1, to use appropriately.
- The infrastructure would be ready for the Aventra with on-board storage.
But surely the biggest advantage is that a second bay platform would probably be to make it possible to schedule all trains such that if passengers were changing between the various lines to Bury St. Edmunds, Cambridge, Felixstowe, London, Lowestoft and Norwich, it was a convenient process of less than ten minutes.
Whether an Aventra with on-board storage will ever appear on this route is unknown at present, but there could be other advantages to running such a train on the Felixstowe Branch.
- Electrification of the branch can be kicked into some very long grass or buried at sea.
- The branch gets a massive increase in passenger capacity, without losing any paths for freight trains.
- The extra capacity with plenty of space for bicycles and buggies.
- Greater Anglia get a line for training drivers to use on-board storage.
- Bombardier get a demonstration of a train with on-board energy storage.
It could be a win for all parties.
The Anonymous Widower 