The STAR Track Connection At Lea Bridge Station – 25th April 2018
This picture taken from the end of the platform at Lea Bridge station, shows the new connection, that links the third track being built to the Lea Valley Lines though the station.
Note how trains going North will be able to join the third track and those coming South can join the track to Stratford.
These pictures were taken as I took a train North, a few minutes later.
Note the track layout and that nothing is completed yet.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the track layout at Lea Bridge station.
Note.
- The original track layout from the 1800s is shown dotted.
- The original crossover was a double one.
- Lea Bridge station used to have a third bay platform and space has been left for one.
- The two parallel tracks originally connected via the Hall Farm Curve to the Chingford Branch.
This Google Map shows the area to the East of where the Lea Valley Lines and the Chingford Branch cross.
Adding in the curve at a later date would not appear to be compromised, by the current works.
I’m Now Following The Queen’s Example
By Legend, the Queen never carries any cash.
I’m now deliberately following a similar policy, but I only use a contactless bank card for most of my daily purchases, like my paper and food.
I’ve even still got a couple of John Lewis vouchers gathering dust in my wallet, as sincve the new M & S Food opened in Dalston, I rarely go need a Waitrose.
One thing I find with M & S Food, is that on a typical purchase the average price is two pounds per item. So to keep under the thirty pound contactless limit, I rarely buy more than fourteen items. These unusually fit easily into usable bag.
Buying my paper in M & S or a station also means I can use contactless for the purchase.
A couple of days ago, I was approached by an aggressive tin rattler for a charity I would never suppose because of some of their practices. So I waved my card and asked. “Do you do conactless?” I got a smiling “Sorry! No!”
I still use cash for three purposes.
- Restaurants with waiter/waitress service, so the tips go to the staff. It also means at busy times, in cafes I use a lot, I always get a table.
- Black cabs, when I occasionally use one.
- Personal services from local tradesmen, where the value is small. Otherwise it’s a bank transfer.
But it’s amazing, how little cash you now need.
50% Of All TfL Pay As You Go Journeys Are Now Made Using Contactless Payments.
The title of this post is the same as the title of this article on SmartRailWorld.
This is the first paragraph.
Londoners and visitors to the British capital have embraced the contactless way to pay, with more than 17 million pay as you go journeys on bus, Tube and rail services made a week using the technology according to the latest figures from Transport for London (TfL). This total equates to around half of all pay as you go journeys now being made using contactless payment cards or mobile devices.
The article goes on to say New York and Sydney are going to similar systems.
Can anybody tell me, why other large cities and conurbations in the UK, aren’t installing similar systems based on contactless payments?
Especially, as London ain’t seen nothing yet!
Break Free And Go Somewhere Better
This is a TSB advertising slogan and it looks like many of their customers will be doing this, after the fiasco of changing computers, reported in this article on the BBC, which is entitled TSB Online Banking Chaos Continues Despite Apology.
I would have left TSB immediately they were taken over by a Spanish bank, as keeping your banking details on a foreign server, exposes them to a whole new set of risks.
Britain Powers On Without Coal For Three Days
The title of this post, as the same as that on this article on the BBC.
This is the first paragraph.
Britain has not generated electricity from coal for more than three days – the longest streak since the 1880s.
Let’s hope we keep out our commitment to phase out coal completely by 2025!
Hitachi Ships TransPennine Express’s First Class 802 From Japan
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Global Rail News.
To my mind, the Japanese do some inefficient things when building trains.
- It could be sensible to build the first of each different sub-fleet in Japan and ship it to the UK by sea, but what puzzles me is that the body shells are all built and painted in Japan and then shipped half-way round the world.
- The shipping delay must make production difficult to plan and inefficient.
- I would have thought they would have built a body plant somewhere in Europe.
CAF may send their trains by ship, but that is only a short sea crossing and because the Spanish rail gauge they can’t tow them through the Channel Tunnel, as the other European manufacturers do.
Photos From The Disused Tunnels Now Helping The Bank Tube Station Upgrade
The title of this post is the same as that of this informing article on Ian Visits.
The title probably, says it all and Ian describes how London always seem to have a spare tunnel, where it is needed.
Thoughts On Trains Between Cardiff And Swansea
I decided to write this post, when, I read this article on Rail Magazine, which is entitled Cardiff-Swansea wires ‘not sensible’.
This is the first paragraph.
Electrifying the railway between Cardiff and Swansea was not a sensible thing to do, according to Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling.
Some would argue that Chris Grayling holds a controversial view!
The Current Route
Before, proposing anything, I’ll list what we have today.
The Tracks
I have flown my virtual helicopter along the route and nearly all the route is double track, with sections of triple and quadruple track in places.
This Google Map shows a typical section of the line.
Note.
- There are two well-spaced tracks.
- The tracks are not straight, but gently curve.
- There appears to be a lot of green space on either side.
The line appears to be similar to this most of the way.
I may be wrong, but I don’t think much of the line would be that difficult to electrify, from an engineering point of view.
The signalling and operating speed are described under Infrastructure in the Wikipedia entry for the South Wales Main Line.
The signalling is modern and this is said about operating speed between Cardiff and Swansea.
90 mph (145 km/h) from Newport to east of Bridgend; 75 mph (120 km/h) from east of Bridgend to Swansea Loop North junction (with a small section of 100 mph (160 km/h) track through Pyle station); and 40 mph (65 km/h) from Swansea Loop North Junction to Swansea.
It is not a high speed line, although I suspect that things could be improved.
The Stations
These are the stations between Cardiff and Swansea.
- Pontyclun – Two platforms – 300,000 passengers – Reopened in 1992
- Llanharan – Two platforms – 200,000 passengers – Reopened in 2007
- Pencoed – Two platforms – 200,000 passengers – Reopened in 1992
- Bridgend – Two platforms – 1,500.00 passengers – Opened in 1850
- Pyle – Two platforms – 100,000 passengers – Opened in 1850
- Port Talbot Parkway – Two platforms – 500,000 passengers – Opened in 1850
- Baglan – Two platforms – 24,000 passengers – Opened in 1996
- Briton Ferry – Two platforms – 40,000 passengers – Reopened in 1994
- Neath – Two platforms – 800,000 passengers – Opened in 1850
- Skewen – Two platforms – 40,000 passengers – Reopened in 1994
- Llansamlet – Two platforms – 40,000 passengers – Opened in 1994
Note that the passenger figure is the number of passengers given for the past year, rounded to a sensible value.
It should also be noted, that not one of the stations has a layout that allows a fast train to bypass a slow one stopped in the station.
The Trains
Current trains on the route include.
- Class 150 train – 75 mph diesel multiple unit
- Class 158 train – 90 mph diesel multiple unit
- Class 175 train – 100 mph diesel multiple unit
- Class 800 train – 100 mph plus on diesel
Some parts of the route are also used by freight trains.
As much of the route has a operating speed of less than 100 mph, the operating speed of the two 100 mph trains is determined by the track, not the train.
The Services
There appears to be a fast service between Cardiff and Swansea.
- It runs with a frequency of three trains per hour (tph)
- Trains stop at Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway and Neath.
- Two services are run by Great Western Railway and one by Arriva Trains Wales
- Timings are not clock-face by any means.
In an ideal world the frequency of this fast service would be four or more tph.
There is also a slow train, which appears to be once every two hours at the other stations.
It surely should be at least one tph.
Why are the services so limited?
Improving The Route
A new franchise for Wales will be announced and I wouldn’t be surprised to see improvements promised for the route between Cardiff and Swansea.
How could the capacity of the line be increased?
Raising The Operating Speed
I quoted this extract from Wikipedia, about operating speed between Cardiff and Swansea, earlier
90 mph (145 km/h) from Newport to east of Bridgend; 75 mph (120 km/h) from east of Bridgend to Swansea Loop North junction (with a small section of 100 mph (160 km/h) track through Pyle station); and 40 mph (65 km/h) from Swansea Loop North Junction to Swansea.
So except for around Pyle station, the operating speed is below and sometimes well below 100 mph.
Improving the operating speed to as high as possible will reduce the timings between Cardiff and Swansea.
Elimination Of Slower Trains
There is no point in raising the operating speed, if trains that cannot cruise at the improved speed are still running on the line.
Modern Trains With A Fast Dwell Time
Modern trains like Class 800 trains, Desiros and Aventras are designed to be able to stop from line speed, load and unload passengers and regain line speed as fast as possible.
Off the current trains working on the line, only Class 800 trains are in this category.
Step-Free Access Between Platform And Train
All stations between Cardiff and Swansea should be made step-free between platform and train.
This will help the trains keep to the timetable.
Allow Faster Trains To Overtake Slower Ones
Timetabling is probably made difficult, in that there is nowhere where a fast train can overtake a slower one.
Often this is done in a station, where whilst the slow train sits in the station, the fast train goes straight through.
Rebuilding Some Stations
It might be prudent to rebuild some stations, for better step-free access and allow trains to pass.
Are there any plans for new ones?
Electrification
None of these improvements need or affect any future electrification of the route.
But these improvements don’t need it!
In fact, it might be quite the reverse in that some of the improvements like improving the track may need to be done before electrification!
The Next Generation Of Bi-Mode Trains
In Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power, I discussed Bombardier’s proposed 125 mph bi-mode Aventra.
The information came from this article in Rail Magazine.
A few points from the article.
- Development has already started.
- Battery power could be used for Last-Mile applications.
- The bi-mode would have a maximum speed of 125 mph under both electric and diesel power.
- The trains will be built at Derby.
- Bombardier’s spokesman said that the ambience will be better, than other bi-modes.
If Bombardier are doing this, what are Alstom , CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler doing.
And I haven’t mentioned hydrogen power!
Conclusion
Put all this together and I’m sure this could be the reasoning behind Chris Grayling’s statement that electrifying between Cardiff and Swansea is not sensible.
I am coming round to the belief that it might be better spending the electrification money on improving the line between Cardiff and Swansea, so that something like the following is possible.
- Four fast tph between Cardiff and Swansea.
- Two slow tph between Cardiff and Port Talbot Parkway stopping at all stations.
- Two slow tph between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea stopping at all stations.
Or whatever is needed.
Volunteers Transform Neglected Rail Station Gardens Into Welcoming Area
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Westmoreland Gazette.
In my travels I come across many stations, where volunteers make a difference.
Kents Bank station can be added to that list.
Many more stations need volunteers to do some community gardening and other work.
Could A Three-Car Class 769 Train Be Created?
Some of the applications for bi-mode Class 769 trains on the UK rail network are on routes, where there is a short limit to train length.
Three cars might be a maximum on some routes, so a three-car Class 769 train might be a product with a future.
The formation of a Class 769 train, based on a Class 319/4 train would appear to be.
- DTOC – Driver Trailer Car with Diesel Generator
- PMOS – Pantograph Motor Car
- TOSL – Trailer Car With Universal Access Toilet
- DTOS – Driver Trailer Car with Diesel Generator
Note the train has only one powered-car and three trailer cars.
Could the TOSL car be removed to create a three-car Class 769 train?
In the Wikipedia entry for Class 319 trains, this is said.
Class 321 passenger units and Class 325 postal units were developed from the Class 319 design, using similar traction equipment and the same steel body design, with revised cab designs.
Four-car Class 321 trains have been turned into three-car Class 320 trains, in the past. The Wikipedia entry for the Class 320 train, says this.
The Class 320 is effectively a three-car derivative of the Class 321 units found in and around London and Yorkshire.
Scotrail‘s seven Class 320/4 trains were converted from ex-London Midland Class 321/4 trains in 2015/16. The conversion was done at Wabtec, who are doing work on the creation of the Class 769 trains.
Conclusion
I’m pretty certain, the TOSL car can be removed from a Class 769 train, to create a three-car version, just as it has been in a vaguely-similar four-car Class 321 train to create a three-car Class 320 train.
There are other conclusions.
- Four-car Class 321 Flex bi-mode trains must be possible.
- Three-car Class 320 Flex bi-mode trains must be possible.
As there will be a large number of Class 321 trains from Greater Anglia, going off lease in the next few years, the UK could be overflowing with quality bi-mode trains, based on the Class 769 train design.
The Anonymous Widower 