The Anonymous Widower

Possible Destinations For An Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train

Currently, the following routes are run or are planned to be run by Hitachi’s Class 800, 802, 805 and 810 trains, where most of the route is electrified and sections do not have any electrification.

• Avanti West Coast – Euston and Chester – 21 miles
• Avanti West Coast – Euston and Shewsbury – 29.6 miles
• Avanti West Coast – Euston and Wrexham General – 33 miles
• Grand Central – Kings Cross and Sunderland – 47 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Bedwyn – 13.3 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads- 24.5 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Cheltenham – 43.3 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Great Malvern – 76 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Oxford – 10.4 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Penzance – 252 miles
• GWR – Paddington and Swansea – 45.7 miles
• Hull Trains – Kings Cross and Hull – 36 miles
• LNER – Kings Cross and Harrogate – 18.5 miles
• LNER – Kings Cross and Huddersfield – 17 miles
• LNER – Kings Cross and Hull – 36 miles
• LNER – Kings Cross and Lincoln – 16.5 miles
• LNER – Kings Cross and Middlesbrough – 21 miles
• LNER – Kings Cross and Sunderland – 47 miles

Note.

1. The distance is the length of line on the route without electrification.
2. Five of these routes are under twenty miles
3. Many of these routes have very few stops on the section without electrification.

I suspect that Avanti West Coast, Grand Central, GWR and LNER have plans for other destinations.

A Battery Electric Train With A Range of 56 Miles

Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train is deescribed in this infographic.

The battery range is given as 90 kilometres or 56 miles.

This battery range would mean that of the fifteen destinations I proposed, the following could could be achieved on a full battery.

• Chester
• Shewsbury
• Wrexham General
• Bedwyn
• Bristol Temple Meads
• Cheltenham
• Oxford
• Swansea
• Hull
• Harrogate
• Huddersfield
• Lincoln
• Middlesbrough

Of these a return trip could probably be achieved without charging to Chester, Shrewsbury, Bedwyn, Bristol Temple Meads, Oxford, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Lincoln and Middlesbrough.

• 86.7 % of destinations could be reached, if the train started with a full battery
• 60 % of destinations could be reached on an out and back basis, without charging at the destination.

Only just over a quarter of the routes would need, the trains to be charged at the destination.

Conclusion

It looks to me, that Hitachi have done some analysis to determine the best battery size. But that is obviously to be expected.

December 30, 2020 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, Class 800 Train, Class 802 Train, Class 805 Train, Class 810 Train, Grand Central Trains, Great Western Railway, Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, Hitachi Regional Battery Train, LNER