Does One Of Baldrick’s Descendents Work For Avanti West Coast?
I have been looking at the problems of maximising traffic and reducing journey times on the West Coast Main Line to the North of Crewe.
I think that what Avanti West Coast intend to do has a touch of the Baldricks about it.
Trains that go North from Crewe include the following Avanti West Coast services.
- Blackpool, which branches off at Preston.
- Glasgow, which goes up the West Coast Main Line via Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme and Carlisle.
- Liverpool, which branches off at Weaver Junction, between Crewe and Warrington.
- Manchester, which branches off at Crewe.
I find it interesting that according to Wikipedia, Avanti West Coast will be running their new Hitachi electric trains to Blackpool and Liverpool, but not Manchester.
Could it be that as these trains will be sharing tracks to the North of Crewe in the future with High Speed Two services to Preston, Carlisle and Scotland, that these trains will be built to have the same operating speed on the West Coast Main Line, as the classic-compatible High Speed Two trains, that will serve the route?
The Manchester Branch is slower, so will remain 125 mph Pendelino territory.
The Number Of Electric Trains Ordered
Doing a rough estimate< I reckon the following.
- One train per hour (tph) to Liverpool needs five 125 mph Pendelinos.
- One tph to Blackpool needs six 125 mph Pendelinos.
- .Two tph to Liverpool needs ten 125 mph Pendelinos.
- If the new Hitachi trains, are capable of 140 mph, I reckon two tph to Liverpool might need eight 140 mph trains.
The order of new Hitachi trains is not large enough to run both Blackpool and Liverpool services.
Will The New Hitachi Trains Be Used On London and Liverpool?
Consider.
- It would probably the best policy to run each route with one class of train.
- A two tph London and Liverpool service is much needed.
- Running the new Hitachi trains on London and Liverpool, would release extra trains for London and Blackpool and London and Birmingham.
- Two tph to Liverpool needs eight 125 mph Pendelinos or eight 140 mph Hitachi trains.
But it would also mean installing ERTMS signalling on the London and Liverpool route to enable 140 mph running.
It does appear that ten new Hitachi trains, able to run at 140 mph could service the London and Liverpool route and release five Pendelinos for other routes.
Could The Pendelinos Run At 140 mph?
They were designed for this speed, as were the InterCity 225 trains and only don’t run at this speed because of the lack of digital signalling on the West Coast Main Line.
The Wikipedia entry for the Class 390 Pendelino train says this about the speed of the train.
The Class 390 Pendolino is one of the fastest domestic electric multiple units operating in Britain, with a design speed of 140 mph (225 km/h); however, limitations to track signalling systems restrict the trains to a maximum speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) in service. In September 2006, the Pendolino set a new speed record, completing the 401 mi (645 km) length of the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow Central to London Euston in 3 hours, 55 minutes.
Perhaps it is time to unleash the Pendelinos?
Could the planned refurbishment of the Pendelinos install the required equipment, allow the trains to run using digital signalling at 140 mph?
What Is The Cunning Plan?
These are the possible objectives of adding the extra ten trains.
- One tph between London and Glasgow in around four hours.
- Two tph between London and Liverpool in around two hours.
Would this be one possible way to achieve these objectives?
- Install digital signalling on the West Coast Main Line to allow 140 mph in places, where the track allows.
- Improve the track of the West Coast Main Line, where necessary.
- Run new Hitachi trains between London and Liverpool.
- Release the current Pendelinos to other routes.
- Upgrade the Pendelinos with digital signalling to allow 140 mph running, where possible.
- Run 140 mph Pendelinos between London and Blackpool, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The real plan will probably be a lot better and more comprehensive, but it does show how the two objectives can be met.
Conclusion
To improve services between London and Birmingham, Blackpool, Liverpool and Scotland, appears to need the following.
- Ten new Hitachi trains.
- Full digital signalling on the West Coast Main Line.
- Track improvements on the West Coast Main Line
- Upgrading of the Pendelinos to allow 140 mph running.
This should reduce London and Glasgow to around four hours and London and Liverpool to around two hours.
The Anonymous Widower 
Blackpool trains can now run through Manchester after electrification. Perhaps that explains the defecit?
Comment by Hannah KLL | December 15, 2019 |
EUS MAN trains are three an hour, but only one an hour via Crewe, the other two turn off at either Colwich or Norton Bridge junctions.
The line up through Stoke has more curves than the southern WCML so the Pendelinos are well suited for this as they are for the twisty sections through the lake district, although there are lower speed limits there anyway,
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | December 15, 2019 |
Three trains per hour is part of the problem, as it is a nightmare to schedule. It should be four.
If Crewe were to be remodelled with perhaps four faster local trains from Piccadilly, all with single-platform interchange at Crewe to Southbound services, it might be an idea. Incidentally, my Liverpool friends never moan about the fast train service to London. Could it be that it’s easier to catch your desired hourly train, but three trains per hour causes mistakes?
It always seems to me when I leave Piccadilly, that London services are full of Manchester commuters, who only go one or two stops.
So perhaps Manchester needs some fast commuter trains.
Liverpool’s connecting railways are better and more numerous!
Comment by AnonW | December 16, 2019 |
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