HSTs For 2020
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways.
It describes how Wabtec in Doncaster will be updating the InterCity 125 train, so that meet the latest Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) regulations, which come into force in 2020.
The fitting of power doors and retention toilets will see the following trains in service for a number of years after 2020.
- CrossCountry – 5 x 2+8 sets.
- GWR 11 x 2+4 sets.
- Scotrail – 17 x 2+5 sets
- Scotrail – 9 x 2 +4 sets
This totals up to eighty-four Class 43 power cars and two hundred and five Mark 3 coaches.
Work On The Power Cars
With the exception of some interlocks, there appears to be little work being done on the power cars, which is probably because of the good care, that the trains have had over the years.
Although, they’ll obviously be serviced and painted.
Work On The Coaches
This is summed up as follows.
- Sliding power doors for passengers will be fitted.
- A test rig will simulate fifteen years of use.
- Controlled emission toilets are being fitted.
- If a coach has two toilets , only one can be retained due to space limitations, caused by the pockets for the sliding doors.
- Most of the coaches are receiving new universal access toilets.
- From a picture caption in the article, it appears that less work on the interiors will be done on the CrossCountry coaches.
Production details are also given.
- The first GWR and CrossCountry sets will be released in early November.
- Two production lines will be setup.
- The CrossCountry sets are targeted for completion by May 2018.
- The Scotrail sets are targeted for completion by May 2019.
- The final ten GWR sets will be rebuilt last.
Initially coaches will be modified to a 40-day turnround, which should be halved for the Scotrail sets.
Conclusions
Wabtec seem to be doing a comprehensive and quality job in updating the Msrk 3 coaches.
Consider.
- Wabtec are setting up two production lines for the modifications.
- At twenty days to modify a train, that means in a year, they can refurbish 36 coaches or probably four trains.
- Greater Anglia have fifteen rakes of recently-refurbished Mark 3 coaches, one of which has been sold to be used with 60163 Tornado.
- East Midlands Trains have twelve InterCity 125 sets.
- Virgin Trains East Coast have sixteen InterCity 125 sets,
I wonder if any of these extra sets will be converted at Wabtec?
Where would they be used?
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern will probably need some more coaches for their services to Birmingham, Oxford and in the future; Milton Keynes.
If partial electrification should happen on their routes, Chiltern could replace the current Class 68 locomotives for a bi-mode like a Class 88 locomotive.
The New East Midlands Franchise
The new East Midlands franchise could go for a fleet of InterCity 125s for Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield services given than electrification won’t happen.in the near future.
It should be noted that HS2 will reach the new East Midlands Hub station around 2032/2033, so this will become a date, when London to East Midlands services will change forever.
CrossCountry
CrossCountry has a capacity problem and might find more InterCity 125s a very well-proven solution, that is liked by passengers.
Long Distance Services
Some long-distance routes like Norwich to Liverpool and Cardff to Manchester might be ideal for shortened InterCity 125s.
New Services
It is well-known that passengers very much like travelling on InterCity 125s and after my trip from Edinburgh to Inverness in the cab, I am convinced that drivers and probably other staff too, have a lot of affection for these superb trains from a very different era.
It is these thoughts and feelings, that led Scotrail to go down the route of introducing shortened InterCity 125s on their major inter-city routes North of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
So could we see Scotrail’s example used in other places in the UK?
Chris Stokes in the September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, finishes his column, after talking about scenic railways in the rest of the world, with this paragraph.
There are limited examples in Britain, such as the ‘Jacobite’ steam service between Fort William and Mallaig and the expensive and exclusive ‘Royal Scotsman’ service. But elsewhere on the Kyle line, the Cambrian Coast or Settle-Carlisle, all you get is a Class 158, with, if you’re lucky seats aligned with the windows. We could do so much better.
A shortened InterCity 125, perhaps with a regional buffet car would certainly be a lot better.
Scotrail could perhaps start the process by running a Glasgow to Leeds service via the Glasgow South Western Line and the the Settle to Carlisle Line.
Where Are The Class 707 Trains?
This article on Global Rail News is entitled Class 707s Enter Service On Windsor Routes.
This is the first paragraph.
The first two Class 707 EMUs have entered passenger service on the Windsor routes – a few days before the franchise is handed over to First/MTR.
I have been to Waterloo several times this week and the Class 707 trains are conspicuous by their absence.
So where are the trains?
Perhaps, South Western Railway have dragged them off to be repainted or vinyled and have appropriate signs and information fitted?
When, these trains enter service, they will allow another batch of trains to be reliveried.
Improving The Wisley Interchange
It is probably nearly ten years since I drove through the Wisley interchange where the M25 and A3 meet.
The BBC this morning is discussing a proposal to improve this junction by taking some land from the RHS Wisley Garden.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note how close Wisley Garden is to the A3, which all proposals say should be widened from three lanes to four.
Two proposals have been put forward by Highways England.
This is Option 9, which is a four-level flyover.
And this is Option 14.
I suspect as far as Wisley Garden is concerned it’s a choice between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!
Just out of curiosity, I looked up on the RHS Wisley Garden site, how I could get there easily by public transport.
Effectively, it means taking a train to Woking and a taxi!
Wisley Garden can’t have it both ways, as they encourage people to drive to the Garden and yet are objecting to widening of the A3.
A Wider Problem
Wisley Garden illustrates the wider problem, of how so many attractions are only easily accessible by car.
Some attractions like Brighton and Hove Albion’s new Falmer Stadium, have been built with decent public tyransport access, but others assume everybody comes by car.
Surely, in this age, where the environment matters, no development should be allowed without due consideration of well-thought out public transport.
Is The BBC Anti-Rail?
Consider.
- One of the lead stories on BBC Breakfast this morning, is very negative about how there is tremendous disruption because of engineering work this weekend.
- They keep finding negative stories about the upgrading of Waterloo, when all my observations seem to have been positive.
- One of the most significant rail events of this month has been the start of running of the Aventra trains for Crossrail has been ignored.
I am going to the football in Ipswich on Saturday and according to the BBC, services out of Liverpool Street are severely disrupted.
But I have looked at the Internet and services appear like any other Saturday.
The BBC would appear to have an agenda.
‘Self-driving’ Lorries To Be Tested On UK Roads
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC. This is the first three paragraphs.
Small convoys of partially driverless lorries will be tried out on major British roads by the end of next year, the government has announced.
A contract has been awarded to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to carry out the tests of vehicle “platoons”.
Up to three lorries will travel in formation, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle.
It is a long time since I used to hitch-hike all over the UK in the 1960s and had many a ride in the front of a truck.
One of my memories is sitting there and watching how cars kept jumping into gaps between the truck I was riding in and the one in front.
I have a feeling that platooning is one of those automation ideas, that will work well in theory and practice to a certain degree, but that the behaviour of individuals will give it problems.
Generally, this idea hasn’t been well received, by commentators.
The Greener Alternative
I feel that overall we need to move freight from the roads onto the railways.
In The Go-Anywhere Express Parcel And Pallet Carrier, I proposed converting redundant four-car electric multiple units like the Class 321 trains into 100 mph bi-mode parcel and pallet carriers, which I dubbed High Speed Parcel Train or High Speed Pallet Train.
HSPTs would have the following advantages for parcel and pallet traffic.
- Stations could be used as terminals, especially at night!
- As they are 100 mph trains, they would probably be faster over long distances.
- They would probably emit less carbon emissions.
- Capacity per crew member would be higher.
- There are few parts of the UK, the trains couldn’t go.
- Class 321 trains are built from steel and are as tough as the proverbial brick outhouse.
- The trains could carry a fork-lift if needed.
- The trains could be wrapped in advertising.
The trains would be the ultimate green long-distance delivery truck.
- Recycled trains.
- Proven technology
- Electrically-powered where possible.
- ;Using existing infrastructure where possible.
They wouldn’t be the most expensive trains to create and run.
The Anonymous Widower 