Funding Secured For New Entrance At Stratford Tube Station
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on IanVisits.
The new entrance will give those coming from the Carpenters Estate direct access to Stratford station.
This Google Map shows the South East section of the station.
The main station building has the two station symbols on the top and the Jubilee Line platforms run Southwards from the building.
It would appear that the new entrance will be close to the Southernmost corner of the station building in a staff car park.
Knowing the station well, I suspect it will be a very useful new entrance for both residents and visitors to the Olympic Park.
It will make it easier to avoid the clutches of Eastfield.
The only details on the cost of the scheme is this sentence from Ian’s article.
Newham council has agreed to contribute £1 million to the scheme, which is being funded from its Community Infrastructure Levy.
As it incorporates some extra lifts in the station, the scheme is probably going to be more than a million pound one, but the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is involved, I suspect that everything is securely funded.
Should There Be Other Small Schemes Like This?
At Shepherd’s Bush station on the Overground, in 2015, a new entrance was built to give better access to Westfield. It is not very busy during the day, but I suspect that workers at Westfield use it more than shopper. Wikipedia says it cost £1.35 million, so I should think that the Stratford scheme wouldn’t cost a great deal more.
I believe there are other places, where extra entrances could be built.
Simple Ungated Entrances
Entrances don’t have to be grand, as I showed in An Ungated Entrance Used To Create Step-Free Access At Crofton Park Station.
These two entrances are just a hole in the station fence, Oyster readers and a bit of tarmac. There must be other places, where these entrances can be installed.
An Entrance At Hackney Central Station Into Graham Road
In It Looks Like The Hackney Downs/Central Link Is Ready To Open, I also talk in detail about adding a Southern entrance to Hackney Central station, that would lead directly into Graham Road. Eith a pedestrian crossing and changes to the bus stops, it would be a very useful step-free entrance for those living between the centres of Hackney and Dalston.
A Second Entrance At Highbury & Islington Station
In Could We Create A Second Entrance To The Overground At Highbury And Islington Station?, I investigated creating a West-facing entrance at Highbury & Islington station, that would improve access for those going to football.
Conclusion
I believe that a lot of stations can be improved, by adding extra entrances in convenient places.
It is probably easier to do in London’s Oyster/contactless card area, as a couple of readers can sort out ticketing.
A First Ride In One Of LNER’s New Azumas
The Azuma is the name given by LNER‘s new Class 800 trains.
I rode in one today from Peterborough to Kings Cross after deliberately doing the trip the other way in an InterCity 125.
I took these pictures.
These are my thoughts.
The Brand-Name
The Azuma brand-name is one of those names, that was either thought-up for a fee of several million pounds by a specialist agency or it was thought up by a few serious real-ale drinkers in a comfortable pub, in front of a roaring fire or a blazing sun.
- It is actually Japanese for East, so I doubt it will be controversial.
- It is catchy and if say Simon Calder said that he liked the new Azuma, it might result in extra ticket sales.
- It will differentiate LNER from their competitors running differently-liveried examples of the same Class 800 train.
- Does it suggest speed in English, with the zoom in the middle?
LNER obviously like it, as Wikipedia says they retained the name, which was devised by the previous franchise holder; Virgin Trains East Coast.
Thinking through the history of the East Coast Main Line, I can only remember one class of locomotives or trains, that got a name; the Class 55 locomotive or Deltic. For those of my generation, Deltics are often iconic. In The Thunder of Three-Thousand Three-Hundred Horses, I describe a memorable trip behind a Deltic.
The Livery
The livery is distinctly cheeky, with an eye suggested around the front side-window!
The eye certainly stands out, which could be a good way to get extra seat sales.
It also appears that the livery has changed from the original Virgin East Coast design.
I like it!
The Interior
The interior is simple, practical and bright with some innovative touches.
- I was in Standard and there were a reasonable number of good-sized tables, which is always welcome.
- The seats seemed better than those fitted to the Class 800 trains on Great Western Railway (GWR).
- The electronic seat registration status displays were clear and understandable.
- I didn’t use the wi-fi or the charging points, but others were using them and one guy said they worked fine.
- Our ticket collector had a moan and I suspect there are a few problems that will be corrected as necessary.
But then trains always get a lot better after their first major update.
Comparison With Great Western Railway’s Version
The general consensus between two other passengers and myself, was that the seats in the Azuma were more comfortable, than those of GWR’s Class 800 trains.
A Three Class Train
Like some other services in the UK, the Azuma is effectively a three-class train.
- First Class
- Standard Class with a table.
- Bog Standard Class
I find it interesting that East Midlands Railway are promising that all seats will have tables, which already happens on some services on Chiltern Railways.
I wonder if LNER’s competitors; East Coast Trains, Grand Central and Hull Trains will offer more tables.
As a regular user of Chiltern Railways, I can see more tables being added to all main line services.
Performance
As the pictures show, I followed the train speed with the Speedview app on my phone.
After accelerating away from Peterborough 125 mph was held to Stevenage and then after slowing for the twin-track section over the Digswell Viaduct, the train maintained 100 mph for most opf the way until Kings Cross.
I think we will see improved performance onf the East Coast Main Line, with speeds increasing and journey times decreasing.
- There are plans to add extra tracks between Huntingdon and Peterborough.
- The flyunder at Werrington will be completed.
- There are plans for improvements to the North at Newark, Doncaster and York.
- Digital signalling will allow 140 mph running of Azumas and other Class 800 trains.
- It has been suggested that capacity on the route would improve with 125 mph trains running to Kings Lynn.
If all operators were running Class 800 trains, this would surely increase capacity.
Splitting And Joining
This document on the Hitachi web site is entitled Development of Class 800/801 High-Speed Rolling Stock For UK Intercity Express Programme.
This is a sentence from the document.
It also incorporates an automatic coupling system that shortens the time taken to couple or uncouple trains while stopped at a station.
Their Kentish cousins have been at it for several years.
LNER have not disclosed how they will use splitting and joining, but there are possibilities, where two five-car trains leave London as a ten-car train and then split en route to serve two destinations.
- London to Aberdeen and Inverness, splitting, at Edinburgh.
- London to Harrogate or Skipton and Middlesborough, splitting at Leeds.
- London to Lincoln and Hull, splitting at Newark.
Trains would join at the same stations, when returning South.
The splitting and joining has advantages over the current fixed-length InterCity 125 and InterCity 225.
- A five-car Azuma, only needs a 130 metre long platform. So services to destinations like Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Scarborough and Sunderland without a long platform become possible without expensive platform extensions.
- Train paths on the East Coast Main Line are being used more efficiently, as in some cases two destinations are served by one service into Kings Cross.
There are some disadvantages.
- Travellers must make sure they get into the correct part of the train.
- There is probably more staff on the train, as both five-car trains need a full crew.
- Returning South, trains must keep to time precisely to the joining station, to avoid delaying another service.
- All possible calling points on the East Coast Main Line, must be able to handle ten-car trains But as these are less than twenty metres longer than an InterCity 225, lengthening shouldn’t be a major exercise.
It’s probably best to consider the two five-car trains as separate services, which happened to be coupled together on the Southern section of the East Coast Main Line.
It should also be noted that several stations like Kings Cross, Doncaster, York and others have entrances in the middle of the platform, which is convenient for either the front or rear train.
Bicycles, Surf Boards And Oversized Luggage
I don’t think you get many surfboards on London to Leeds services, but a member of LNER’s staff told me, that during the recent Tour de Yorkshire, there were a lot of passengers with bicycles. This could be a problem on the Azuma,, as the nine-car train has only four spaces, with a five-car just two.
With the conversion of Scottish services to Azumas, I can see that luggage could be a problem.
I took this picture at Edinburgh, where this luggage is about to be swallowed by the locomotive of an InterCity 125.
I can see a time, when there will be a need to add another car to some nine-car trains, to make sure all the bicycles, surf boards and oversized luggage can be accommodated on the train.
- Are LNER cutting themselves off from upmarket golf tours, where passengers travel between London and Gleneagles in First Class luxury?
- GWR have a similar problem on South West England services and I think, it will get more serious in the next few years, as more people take up cycling and surfing.
- It appears GWR have resorted to banning surf-boards.
- ScotRail have opted to convert redundant single-car Class 153 trains, into multi-purpose additional carriages to enhance services on the West Highland Line.
I can also see a problem on the London to Inverness services. In Promoting The Highland Main Line, I wrote about the efforts of the Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership to encourage more visitors to their iconic line and the surrounding area.
Many of the visitors that are attracted to the area, might come with bicycles, golf bags, climbing equipment and other oversized baggage.
So could we see an extra multi-purpose car added to some Azumas working between London and Scotland?
- The Class 800 trains can be lengthened to as long as twelve cars.
- Manufacturing of extra cars in the next few years, should be relatively easy.
- Adding extra cars is a simple cut-and-paste, with the train software ascertaining the train formation.
- Most platforms are probably long enough for at least ten-car trains.
- A ten-car Class 800 formation is only fifteen metres longer than a nine-car InterCity 225.
- There may be opportunities to carry high-value, urgent or perishable freight.
Obviously, the train operators’ needs to satisfy their markets and their finances will decide if extra cars are worth adding.
But I think, that we’ll see some ten-car Azumas on the London and Aerdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness routes.
Conclusion
The train appears to meet the specification, but as regards bulky luggage, it could be that the specification is lacking.
London Overground Timetable Changes After Delay In New Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Watford Observer.
This is the first paragraph.
Passengers could face some difficult journeys to work over the next few months after a delay in delivering new electric trains.
The late delivery of Class 710 trains have struck again.
Instead of four trains per hour from May 19th, the service will stay as three trains per hour on an unusual 15, 15, 30 time interval.
Probably more annoying than a disaster.
Breeze Hydrogen Multiple-Unit Order Expected Soon
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
Alstom Transport is hopeful of confirming an order before the end of this year for its Breeze hydrogen multiple-unit trains being developed in partnership with leasing company Eversholt Rail, suggesting that the first trains could enter service ‘as early as 2022’.
It then goes out to fill out some of the thinking behind the Alstom Breeze hydrogen-powered train.
The Breeze Is A Stop-Gap
Alstom are quoted as indicating the Breeze is an interim solution, until the next generation of train is available.
But after a ride to Southend recently in a Class 321 Renatus, I’m sure that the ride and passenger acceptance will be of a high standard.
And that’s what counts. Hydrogen is only the train’s personal power supply.
Alstom Are Not Building A Suburban Trundler
The Alstom Coradia iLint is not an exciting train.
- It has a cruising speed of 87 mph.
- It has a range of 370-500 miles.
- It has a noisy mechanical transmission.
- It always runs on hydrogen-power.
- The prototypes have covered 100,000 km.
In my view, it is very much a first generation compromise design.
The article says more about the Alstom Breeze.
- It has a slightly faster cruising speed of 90 mph
- The Breeze will have 50% more power than the iLint. Does this mean better acceleration and/or a longer and heavier train?
- It will have a 1,000 km range.
- It will have regenerative braking to the train’s batteries.
- It will have a new AC traction package, as does a Class 321 Renatus. So will the two systems be the same? Or at least similar?
I am also fairly sure, the train will be able to use electrification of both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail, as Class 321 trains can now!
Train Capacity
This is said about train capacity.
Despite the loss of some seating space, each set of three 20 m vehicles would provide slightly more capacity than a two-car DMU with 23 m cars which it would typically replace.
The Class 172/0 trains, that are two-car 23 metre diesel multiple units, have 124 seats.
In Hydrogen Trains Ready To Steam Ahead, I estimated that a three-car Alstom Breeze would have a seating capacity of around 140 seats, with the ability to perhaps take an additional 160 standees.
So was my seat estimate fairly good? I also think, that as the Breeze has been designed with bags of grunt, I suspect that the basic train could be increased in size by adding extra trailer cars.
After all, the legendary Class 442 train is a five-car train, with a power-car in the middle. South Western Railway, think they are worth pulling out of the scrapyard and refurbishing to run expresses between Waterloo and Portsmouth.
I am fairly certain, that Alstom can create a five-car Class 321 Breeze with the following characteristics.
- A capacity of about three hundred seats
- A smaller three-car train would have 140 seats.
- A near-100 mph top speed on hydrogen-power.
- A 100 mph top speed on electrification.
- A 1000 km range on hydrogen.
- Regenerative braking to an on-board battery.
- The ability to use 25 KVAC overhead and/or 750 VDC third rail electrification.
The trains could have the ability to run as pairs to increase capacity.
The train would be ideal for the following routes.
- Liverpool and North Wales via Chester
- Norwich and Derby
- Newcastle and Carlisle
- Preston and Carlisle via Barrow
- Cardiff and the South Coast of England
- Borders Railway
- Southampton and Ashford
- Waterloo and Exeter
All of these routes have partial electrification, which would reduce the amount of hydrogen needed to be carried around.
Now that is an interesting multi-variable calculation!
Hydrogen Infrastructure
Alstom seem to be developing infrastructure solutions to supply hydrogen for fleets of ten or more trains, which could be shared with other applications. The obvious one could be where a train depot and a fleet of buses share a facility in say a large city like Exeter, which has an extensive diesel train network.
The article also says this about the source of hydrogen.
Ideally, the trains would use ‘green’ hydrogen manufactured by electrolysis using surplus renewable energy rather than ‘brown’ hydrogen from steam methane reforming.
I agree wholeheartedly with that!
Delivery In 2022?
Consider what has already been achieved in other projects.
- Alstom have proved they can generate enough electricity to power a practical train.
- Eversholt have proved that you can turn Class 321 trains into comfortable and efficient 100 mph Class 321 Renatus trains for routes up to a hundred miles.
- Several classes of Mark 3-based electrical multiple units have been re-engined with AC traction, including the Class 321 Renatus.
- Engineers all over the UK have modified Mark 3-based coaches and multiple units to create better and more-efficient trains.
Helping delivery of the project, is a legacy of drawings and philosophy from British Rail Engineering.
If Alstom say 2022, I believe that that could be a feasible date.
Conclusion
The ghost of British Rail Engineering is certainly a benign one allowing all sorts of worthwhile development paths.
The Jeremy Kyle Show Axed By ITV After Death Of Guest
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
I won’t make any comment about the show, as I’ve never seen it.
That is not because I object to programmes of this type, but because I rarely watch programmes with advertising.
The only exception I make is with sport.
I’ve never for instance seen an episode of Downton Abbey.
Trainspotting At Oakleigh Park Station
Around 1960, my friend; Richard Plumb and myself, used to go trainspotting on the East Coast Main Line through Barnet and Hadley Wood. One of the places, we used to go regularly was Oakleigh Park station, where we would stand on the pedestrian bridge to the North of the main part of the station.
These pictures show the station today.
It hasn’t really changed that much over the sixty years.
- Wikipedia says it was remodelled for the electrification in 1975.
- The steel bridge, where we used to stand i very much the same.
- There are a lot of new houses on surplus railway land.
- The whole area is a lot greener, due to an increase in tree cover of the sides of the railway.
The step-free access is as it was in 1960 and totally non-existent. Wikipedia doesn’t detail any plans for the future.
This Google Map shows the layout of the station.
Note.
- The two island platforms, with four faces.
- The North bridge, where we used to watch the trains.
- The South bridge, which is the station footbridge with steep steps down to the platforms.
It is a station that has most of the things it needs, except for that step-free access!
Could Oakleigh Park Station Be Made Step-Free?
I have to ask this question.
Before I answer it, the following should be considered.
- The station doesn’t appear to have an open Booking Office or any ticket gates, but has ticket machines and Oyster readers on both platforms.
- It also has coffee stalls on both platforms.
- It might be possible to put a lift to Platforms 3-4, but because of the Booking Office, it might be difficult for Platforms 1-2.
- The station has about a million passengers a year.
My personal view is that as more housing is developed between Kings Cross and Welwyn Garden City the train frequency will be increased.
One solution might be to replace the bridge, where Richard and myself, watched the trains, with a new step-free bridge that also bridged Netherlands Road alongside the station.
Did I See Any Trains?
I took this picture of LNER’s new Azuma returning on the first round trip to Leeds.
The Azuma or Class 801 train almost bears a front-end resemblance to Nigel Gresley‘s famous A4 Pacifics. Mallard is a member of this class and set the world speed record for steam locomotives at 126.4 mph.
Although, it is a bit like comparing apples with oranges, it should be noted that Mallard’s speed record is actually faster than the current 125 mph operating speed of the new Class 801 train. But the electric train has another fifteen mph to come with full digital signalling.
But seeing the Azuma coming through Oakleigh Park station, reminded me of summers sixty years ago, when we watched streaks at speed on that same gentle curve.
Transport For The South East Seeks Statutory Status
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The Transport for the South East group of 16 local authorities covering the region from Hampshire and Berkshire to Kent has begun consultation on its draft case for acquiring statutory status as a subnational transport body.
This would give it the right to be consulted on new franchises, a formal role in setting the High Level Output Specification, and powers to deliver a region-wide integrated smart ticketing scheme.
Why not?
The population of the sixteen local authorities must be comparable to some areas like Merseyside or Greater Manchester, which have their own transport bosies.
Chalkwell And Southend East Stations To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Currently, four c2c stations are not step-free.
- Chalkwell – six tph – 1,968,000
- Ockendon – two tph – 1,055,000
- Southend East – four tph – 1,927,000
- West Horndon – two tph – 416,000
Note.
- tph is trains per hour
- The large number is the number of passengers in 2017-18
As Chalkwell And Southend East stations are the two busiest stations without step-free access, they on the list of stations to be improved.
Chalkwell Station
The Current Station
These pictures show Chalkwell station and a selection of views from the path that runs on the seaward side of the station.
This Google Map shows the Eastern End of the station.
I hope it explains some of the pictures.
- The Booking Office and gate-line are in the building identified by the red rail sign.
- There are two bridges over the railway.
- The Western bridge is for pedestrian access between the gate-line and the two platforms.
- There are steep staircases down to the two platforms.
- There is also a separate |Eastern bridge, which is to allow pedestrians, cyclists and dogs to cross the railway and access the coastal path, which runs South of the station.
Note too, that the station is very close to the sea.
Adding Step-Free Access At The Booking Office
I think that my pictures also flag up several problems of making the current pedestrian bridge step-free, either by complete replacement or the addition of lifts.
The Pedestrian Bridge At Station Has A Severe Case Of The Moths
Engineers and those that repair vehicle bodies, often refer to rust in steel structures as moth damage. The pedestrian bridge at Chalkwell station was built in 1933 and it appears to have suffered badly in the salty atmosphere close to the sea.
I do wonder, if a structural engineer has said that the bridge will need replacing within a few years.
It should be noted that the second bridge contains a lot more concrete, so this may be in less risk of collapse.
Would An Electric Lift Work Reliably In a Heavy Gale Blowing In From The Sea?
A knowledgeable station guy told me, that he believed the weather would stop a lift being installed on the seaward platform.
The Current Stairs Are Long And Very Steep
I managed them, but then I have a great advantage in that I’m only 61 Kg and can generally climb most stairs, even if I take it slower than some.
Is There Space To Add Lift Towers To The Current Pedestrian Bridge?
It might be possible by the Booking Office, but I suspect that there is not enough space on the seaward side.
The Pedestrian Bridge Would Be Difficult To Replace Whilst Keeping The Station Open
I think it would be nearly impossible to rebuild the bridge or replace it with a new one, whilst keeping the station open.
Why Not Replace Both Bridges?
It might be possible to replace the two bridges with a new single bridge in the position occdupied by the Eastern bridge, that is separate from the station.
But this would be very disruptive to both train passengers and to pedestrians wishing to cross the railway.
A Conclusion About Step-Free Access At The Booking Office
It will be difficult, if not impossible, to add step-free access to the station, whilst keeping it open to passengers, if step-free access is provided at the Booking Office.
Could A Separate Step-Free Bridge Be Built At The Western End Of Chalkwell Station?
This Google Map shows the Western end of the station.
Note that there is a steep slope up from the platform to the road that passes the station on the Northern side.
This picture was taken of the bridge at Maghull North station.
Note how there is a short bridge to the top of the cutting on the left hand side of the bridge.
- Could a similar arrangement be used at Chalkwell station?
- It should be possible to build a level path along the top of the slope.
- The path could connect into the Booking Office behind the gate-line.
I feel this approach would have several advantages.
During Installation Of The New Step-Free Bridge, Platform Access Would Be As Now
Passengers would not be inconvenienced, whilst the new bridge was being installed.
After Installation Of The New Step-Free Bridge, Passengers Would Enter The Station Through The Same Doors And Gate-line
How convenient, especially for occasional travellers, who might be confused by the new layout.
The New Bridge Could Be Placed In The Most Convenient Place
The new bridge could be placed in the best place for the passengers and the optimum place for train loading.
The New Bridge Could Be Built With Minimum Disruption To Services
There would be a big advantage in that the bridge could be built over a working railway, as was the one at Maghull North station.
After Installation Of The Bridge, There Would Be Two Routes To Each Platform
If it were to be decided that the old pedestrian bridge with its steep stairs were to be demolished, this could be done, at a safe and leisurely pace after the new bridge was deemed to be a good design.
But it may be decided to refurbish the old bridge to keep the two seperate routes.
The Winner Of The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition Could Be Used
In Winner Announced In The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition, I wrote how the competition was won by this bridge.
So could a factory-built bridge like this be installed at Chalkwell station?
An extension from the bridge on one side, would give access to the path to the Booking Office.
Could this bridge be slightly lower, than the current bridge? I suspect, this bridge has been designed so that 25 KVAC overhead electrification can be fixed to the underside of the bridge deck using insulated fittings. The reduced height would make climbing up slightly easier.
Southend East Station
The Current Station
These pictures show Southend East station.
This Google Map shows the station.
There would appear to be plenty of space, but where will the bridge be placed?
If they decided to use a bridge based on the competition winner could probably be placed on the Eastern end of the platforms.
Between Bratislava And Kiev By Train
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled Slovakia – Ukraine passenger service to launch in June.
This is the first three paragraphs.
Slovakian national operator ZSSK and its Ukrainian counterpart UZ have agreed to launch a through passenger service on June 9 on the 146 km route between Košice and Mukachevo via the Čierna nad Tisou/Chop border crossing.
This follows a trial train which ran on April 2. Services are expected to leave Košice at 09.10 and 12.01 and Mukachevo at 13.54 and 17.20, with a journey time of around 4 h including the border formalities.
There will be connections at Košice with trains to and from Žilina, Bratislava and the Czech Republic, and at Mukachevo with trains to Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.
This new train, will open up a new route between Bratislave and Kiev.
- Košice is a large city, that has been European City of Culture.
- Mukachevo looks to be a place to while away a day and according to hotels.com, there are well-rated rooms in the town.
- I should think some knowledge of Hungarian or Ukrainian would help.
I would do the trip by flying to Kiev and after visiting Chernobyl, I would come home by train via this new route to Bratislava.
I’ve already done Bratislava to London by train, as part of my Home Run From Budapest in 2013.
You can find all the posts in Flying To Budapest And Getting The Train Back.
If anybody wants to visit Chernobyl with me and come back from the Ukraine by train, hopefully, I shall be doing this trip sometime in the summer.
The New Underground Station Entrance At Euston Station
The entrance to Euston Underground station has been moved to the piazza outside station.
It appears there have been two objectives.
- To create more seating space in the cramped main station.
- To separate travellers walking to and from the Underground from those standing in the station forecourt.
Compared to Kings Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo, Euston has rather complicated pedestrian flows, which hopefully will be simplified, when the station is rebuilt for High Speed Two.
The Anonymous Widower 