The Anonymous Widower

Running Battery Electric Trains Between London Marylebone And Aylesbury

This post was suggested by Fenline Scouser in a comment to Vivarail Targets Overseas Markets, where they said.

I have long thought that one UK application that would make sense is the Marylebone – Aylesbury via Harrow on the Hill service, the intermediate electrified section lending itself to full recharge on each trip. ? stabling facility at Aylesbury with overnight charging.

It does look to be an idea worth pursuing.

Current And Future Services

Currently, the services between London Marylebone and Aylesbury are as follows.

• London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe
• London Marylebone and Aylesbury via Amersham
• London Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway via Amersham

All services are one train per hour (tph)

In the future, it is planned to extend the Aylesbury Vale Parkway service to Milton Keynes, according to information I found on the East West Rail web site.

• It looks like the service will go via High Wycombe, Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Little Kimble, Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley.
• The service will have a frequency of 1 tph.
• Time between Milton Keynes and Aylesbury is quoted as 33 minutes.
• Time between High Wycombe and Milton Keynes is quoted as 63 minutes.

Will this leave the Marylebone and Aylesbury are as follows?

• 1 tph – London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe.
• 2 tph – London Marylebone and Aylesbury via Amersham

Passengers between London Marylebone and Aylesbury would have the same service.

Distances

These are a few distances, of which some have been estimated.

• London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.18 miles.chains
• Amersham and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 14.27 miles.chains – Electrified
• Aylesbury and Amersham – 15.23 miles.chains
• London Marylebone and High Wycombe – 28.11 miles.chains
• Aylesbury and High Wycombe – 15.28 miles.chains
• Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway – 2.25 miles.chains
• Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Calvert – 8.19 miles.chains
• Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 16.40 miles.chains – Estimated

Note that there are eighty chains to the mile.

Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train

Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train, is the only battery electric train intended for the UK network for which a detailed specification has been released.

This infographic from Hitachi gives the specification.

Note that ninety kilometres is fifty-six miles.

I would suspect that battery trains from other manufacturers, like Bombardier, CAF and Stadler, will have a similar specification.

Battery Electric Trains Between London Marylebone And Aylesbury

I’ll take each possible route in turn.

London Marylebone And Aylesbury Via Amersham

The three sections of the route are as follows.

• London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.23 miles – Not Electrified
• Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham – 14.34 – Electrified
• Amersham and Aylesbury – 15.29 miles – Not Electrified

Note.

1. The total distance is 38.85 miles
2. A typical service takes just under twenty minutes to travel between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham. This should be enough to fully charge the batteries.
3. A train going South from Harrow-on-the-Hill could reach London Marylebone and return.
4. A train going North from Amersham could reach Aylesbury and return.

I am fairly confident, that a battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train could work this route.

London Marylebone And Aylesbury Vale Parkway Via Amersham

The four sections of the route are as follows.

• London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.23 miles – Not Electrified
• Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham – 14.34 – Electrified
• Amersham and Aylesbury – 15.29 miles – Not Electrified
• Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway – 2.31 miles – Not Electrified

Note.

1. The total distance is 41.16 miles
2. A typical service takes just under twenty minutes to travel between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham. This should be enough to fully charge the batteries.
3. A train going South from Harrow-on-the-Hill could reach London Marylebone and return.
4. A train going North from Amersham could reach Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return.

I am fairly confident, that a battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train could work this route.

London Marylebone And Aylesbury Via High Wycombe

The two sections of the route are as follows.

• London Marylebone and High Wycombe- 28.14 miles – Not Electrified
• High Wycombe and Aylesbury – 15.35 miles – Not Electrified

Note.

1. The total distance is 43.50 miles
2. There is no electrification to charge the trains.

A battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train will need charging to work this route.

However, with charging at both ends, this would be a route for a battery electric train.

At the London Marylebone end, there are two possible solutions.

• Electrify the station traditionally, together with perhaps the tracks as far as Neasden, where the routes split. Either 750 VDC third-rail or 25 KVAC overhead electrification could be used.
• Fit fast charging systems into all the platforms at the station.

Note.

1. Turnround times in Marylebone station are typically nine minutes or more, so using a charging system should be possible.
2. Power for the electrification should not be a problem, as the station is close to one of London’s central electricity hubs at Lisson Grove by the Regent’s Canal.

The final decision at Marylebone, would be one for the engineers and accountants.

At the Aylesbury end, it should be noted that much of the under twenty miles of track between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury and on to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Calvert us single-track.

So why not electrify from Princes Risborough and Calvert, where the route joins the East West Railway?

The electrification in Aylesbury station could also be used to top-up trains going to London via Amersham.

I would use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, using lightweight gantries like these, which use laminated wood for the overhead structure.

There is also a video.

Electrification doesn’t have to be ugly and out-of-character with the surroundings.

London Marylebone And Milton Keynes Via High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway

The three sections of the route are as follows.

• London Marylebone and High Wycombe- 28.14 miles – Not Electrified
• High Wycombe and Aylesbury – 15.35 miles – Not Electrified
• Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 16.50 miles – Partially Electrified

Note.

1. The total distance is sixty miles
2. There is some electrification to charge the trains between Bletchley and Milton Keynes.

A battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train should be able to work this route, if they can work London Marylebone and Aylesbury, with charging at Aylesbury.

Milton Keynes Central is a fully-electrified station.

The picture shows Platform 2A, which is South-facing electrified, five-car platform, which could be used by the Chiltern service.

Train Specification

Consider.

• Chiltern Railway’s workhorse is a Class 168 train, which is a diesel multiple unit of up to four cars, with a 100 mph operating speed.
• The longest leg without electrification could be London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe, which is 43.5 miles.
• Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train has a range of fifty-six miles.
• As there is a need to work with London Underground electrification, a dual-voltage train will be needed.

So a battery electric train with this specification would probably be ideal.

• Four cars
• Ability to work with both 750 VDC third-rail and 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
• 100 mph operating speed.
• Battery range of perhaps 55 miles.

Could the specification fit a battery-equipped Class 385 train, which will probably be built for Scotland?

Conclusion

I am convinced that battery electric trains can run between London Marylebone and Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Milton Keynes stations.

The following would be needed.

• A battery electric range of perhaps fifty-five miles.
• Some form of charging at Marylebone and Aylesbury stations.

I would electrify, the single-track route between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.

September 4, 2020 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Aylesbury Line, Aylesbury Station, Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Bletchley Station, Charging Battery Trains, Chiltern Railways, Class 385 Train, East West Railway, Electrification, High Wycombe Station, Hitachi Regional Battery Train, Milton Keynes Central Station | Leave a comment