The Anonymous Widower

Hitachi Rail And Angel Trains To Create Intercity Battery Hybrid Train On TransPennine Express

The title of this post, is the same as that of this Press Release from Hitachi Rail.

The press release starts with these three points.

• Hitachi Rail, Angel Trains and TransPeninne Express (TPE) agree to trial retrofitting battery on intercity train
• Trial, starting next year, can cut fuel usage by at least 20% and reduce emissions on Transpennine network from 2022 onwards
• Tri-mode service can cut noise pollution in urban areas and improve air quality.

Hitachi also point to this infographic.

This very much looks to be a step forward from the Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train that was announced in December 2020 in this press release from Hitachi which is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%.

The Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train is described in this Hitachi infographic.

The specifications are very similar, except for the following.

• The battery range is given as five kilometres.
• Fuel savings are up to 30% instead of at least 20%.
• A performance increase of 30 % is claimed.
• The upgrade appears to be able to be fitted to Hitachi intercity trains, as opposed to a straight replacement of one engine by batteries.

It looks to me, that Hitachi have been working hard to improve their design.

I think this paragraph of the press release is key.

The trial will see a diesel engine replaced by batteries to help power a five-carriage train, along with the two remaining engines. The power provided by the batteries will help to reduce the amount of fuel required to operate the train.

Hitachi don’t say, but I suspect the trains and their batteries have a lot of energy saving features.

• Regenerative braking is already used to power some services like lighting and air-conditioning on the trains.
• But I suspect regenerative braking will also be used to recharge the batteries.
• A sophisticated computer system will drive the train in the most optimal manner.
• Hopefully, diesel will only be used as a last resort.

Features like these and others will enable the trains to jump gaps in the electrification. As more and more tricks are added and batteries hold more charge, the gaps the trains will be able to cross will get larger.

Five kilometres might not sound much, but I think it could be surprisingly useful.

I will use an example from the Midland Main Line to illustrate how the trains and discontinuous electrification might work.

In Discontinuous Electrification Through Leicester Station, I described the problems at Leicester station and how discontinuous electrification could solve the problem.

The following is a modified extract from that post.

This Google Map shows the bridge and the Southern end of the station.

It looks to me, that Leicester station and the road, would have to be closed to traffic for some time, if the bridge were to be rebuilt, to allow the erection of electrification through the area. Leicester and all train passengers would love that!

A solution could be discontinuous electrification.

• The electrification from the South, would finish on the South side of bridge.
• The electrification from the North, would finish at a convenient point in Leicester station or just to the North.
• Electric trains would cover the gap of up to five kilometres on battery power.

Note.

Pantographs could be raised and lowered, where the wires exist.

Trains would probably use a stopping profile in Leicester station, that ensured they stopped with full batteries.

This would mean they had enough electricity to get back up to speed and reconnect to the electrification on the other side of the station.

To get an idea at how long five kilometres is in the Centre of Leicester, this Google Map shows the Leicester station.

Note that the platforms are around three hundred metres long.

In other words the electrification can be kept well away from the station and its troublesome bridge.

How much money would be saved and disruption avoided?

Application To The TransPennine Express Routes

These are the various routes, where Class 802 trains could be used.

Liverpool Lime Street And Edinburgh, Newcastle, Scarborough Or York

Sections are as follows.

• Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria – 31.7 miles – Electrified
• Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge – 8 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• Stalybridge and Huddersfield – 18 miles – Diesel
• Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• Dewsbury and Leeds – 9.2 miles – Diesel
• Leeds and York – 25.6 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• York and Newcastle – 80.2 miles – Electrified

Note.

1. All services take a common route between Liverpool Lime Street and York.
2. A surprising amount is electrified.
3. A further 42 miles are being electrified.
4. The 3 km Morley Tunnel between Dewsbury and Leeds might not be electrified.
5. The 5 km  Standedge Tunnel between Huddersfield and Stalybridge might not be electrified.

It looks to me that the 5 km battery range will avoid electrification of two long Victorian tunnels.

Manchester Airport And Newcastle Or Redcar Central

Sections are as follows.

• Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria – 13.2 miles – Electrified
• Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge – 8 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• Stalybridge and Huddersfield – 18 miles – Diesel
• Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• Dewsbury and Leeds – 9.2 miles – Diesel
• Leeds and York – 25.6 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• York and Newcastle – 80.2 miles – Electrified
• Northallerton and Redcar Central – 29 miles – Diesel

The route goes through the Morley and Standedge tunnels.

Manchester Piccadilly And Hull

Sections are as follows.

• Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge – 7.5 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• Stalybridge and Huddersfield – 18 miles – Diesel
• Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Electrified probably by 2024
• Dewsbury and Leeds – 9.2 miles – Diesel
• Leeds and Selby – 21 miles – Diesel
• Selby and Hull – 31miles – Diesel

The route goes through the Morley and Standedge tunnels.

Manchester Piccadilly And Huddersfield

The route goes through the Standedge tunnel.

Huddersfield And Leeds

The route goes through the Morley tunnel.

Manchester Airport And Cleethorpes

The Hope Valley Line which is part of this route has three tunnels.

• Cowburn – 3.4 km.
• Disley – 3.5 km.
• Totley – 5.7 km.

Perhaps they will use a bit of diesel to get through Totley.

The Future

This paragraph sums up what Hitachi and Angel Trains could see as a possible future direction.

Once complete, the trial provides a pathway for Hitachi Rail, the train builder and maintainer, and Angel Trains, the train’s owner to develop plans to retrofit batteries to the wider fleet.

These plans will probably go in the directions like decarbonisation, more efficient operation and better standards for passengers.

Conclusion

This looks like a solution that has been helped by real ale in an appropriate hostelry.

• The battery range has been chosen so Network Rail don’t necessarily have to electrify the tunnels.
• Full electrification can be used either side of the tunnels.
• Will any stations not be electrified. After all if the trains are using battery power in stations do they need electrification?
• It might be useful to have some more bi-mode freight locomotives, that could traverse the tunnels on diesel or batteries.

Hitachi and Network Rail certainly seem to be cooking up a solution.

 

 

 

November 10, 2021 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Diesel/Electric/Battery Hybrid Trains, Discontinuous Electrification, Hitachi, Hitachi Intercity Battery Hybrid Train, Hope Valley Line, Huddersfield Line, Leicester Station, Midland Main Line, Network Rail, TransPennine Express