The Anonymous Widower

Extending The Elizabeth Line – High Speed Trains On The Elizabeth Line

This may seem rather fanciful, but could it be the way to maximise the use of the Elizabeth Line?

• I feel that the Elizabeth Line will eventually serve other destinations like Basingstoke, Beaulieu, Oxford, Southend and Swindon.
• The capacity of the Elizabeth Line will grow to over thirty trains per hour (tph) under control of digital signalling.

These are a few thoughts.

The Design Of The Trains

As any train would have to be compatible with the platform-edge doors in the central tunnel of the Elizabeth Line, the trains would have to be dimensionally identical to the current Class 345 trains.

• Nine cars
• Possibility of lengthening to ten cars.
• 204.73 metres long.
• 6 sets of doors per carriage
• Ability to run under full digital signalling.

They would be designed for a higher speed of at least 110 or 125 mph, to enable running on the fast lines of these routes.

• East Coast Main Line
• Great Western Main Line
• Midland Main Line
• West Coast Main Line

They would also be able to run at 100 mph on the Chiltern Main Line, the Great Eastern Main Line and the North Kent Line.

The faster running would ease scheduling of the trains.

Extra facilities could include.

• Toilets
• Tables
• A third-rail capability for running in Kent.

Effectively, it would be a Class 345 train with more features and considerably more grunt.

Note that in A High Speed Train With An IPEMU-Capability, I started the post with the following.

Bombardier were reported by Ian Walmsley in the April 2016 Edition of Modern Railways, to be developing Aventra, with a 125 mph capability.

Bombardier have also told me, that all Aventras will be wired so they could be fitted with on-board energy storage.

Could it be that the design of a Class 345 train could be modified to run at higher speeds? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Oxford To Southend Victoria

This could be a typical route.

• Between Oxford and Paddington, it would follow a route similar to the GWR’s Oxford service with stops at just Reading and Slough.
• At Paddington the train would take the Central Tunnel of the Elizabeth Line and travel under London, at the same speed as the other trains.
• It would emerge at Stratford and move to the Great Eastern Main Line.
• It would probably stop at Stratford, Romford, Shenfield and all stations to Southend Victoria.

Note.

1. Digital signalling would enforce the precise timekeeping needed.
2. Much of the Oxford and Paddington section would be up to speeds of at least 125 mph.
3. Times in the Central Tunnel of the Elizabeth Line would be identical to the current Class 345 trains.
4. Much of the Stratford and Southend section would be up to speeds of at least 100 mph.

I estimate that total time would be a few minutes under two hours.

Connecting To The Central Tunnel Of The Elizabeth Line At Royal Oak

I discuss this in Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connecting Great Western Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel.

Connecting To The Central Tunnel Of The Elizabeth Line At Stratford

I discuss this in Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connecting Great Eastern Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel.

 

 

Connecting To The Central Tunnel Of The Elizabeth Line At Abbey Wood

This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout at Abbey Wood.

Note.

1. The Elizabeth Line is shown in purple.
2. The North Kent Line is shown in black.
3. The North Kent Line platform to London is the Southernmost platform and is numbered 1.
4. The North Kent Line platform from London is the other Southern platform and is numbered 2.
5. The Elizabeth Line platforms are numbered 3 and 4.
6. Platform 4 is the Northernmost platform.

At present the Elizabeth Line service to Abbey Wood station is twelve tph, with each platform handling six tph.

This picture shows trains in both Platform 3 and 4 looking towards the station buildings.

Note.

1. Platform 3 is on the right.
2. Platform 4 is on the left.

In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I talk about this proposal as described in this article on Ian Visits.

One of the key features of Crossrail To Ebbsfleet (C2E) project is that instead of all trains terminating at Abbey Wood, trains will terminate as follows.

• Abbey Wood – 4 tph
• Northfleet – 4 tph
• Gravesend – 4 tph

This will mean that 8 tph would pass through Abbey Wood station.

• Platform 4 could certainly handle the four that terminated on the Elizabeth Line.
• Platform 3 would need to handle eight tph in both directions or sixteen tph to fulfil the proposed C2E service.
• This would be one train every 225 seconds.

I believe that digital signalling could handle this easily and safely.

I am fairly sure that the track layout at Abbey Wood allows eight tph to go both ways between the North Kent Line and the Elizabeth Line Central Tunnel.

The Maximum Capacity At Abbey Wood Station

Because of the current track layout at Abbey Wood, I believe that without track modifications, Abbey Wood station will not be able to handle more than 12 tph.

Thameslink

These proposed trains would also be compatible with Thameslink, as this route has no platform edge doors.

No platform extensions would be needed, as the Class 345 trains are shorter than the 12-car Class 700 trains.

If they were 125 mph trains, then this would ease timetabling on the East Coast Main Line, as the trains could mix it with the expresses on the fast lines.

Could These High Speed Trains For The Elizabeth Line Have A Cruising Speed Of 140 mph?

It is likely, when full authority digital ERTMS signalling is installed on main lines out of London, that 140 mph will be possible on some at least these routes.

• East Coast Main Line
• Great Western Main Line
• Midland Main Line
• West Coast Main Line

The extra speed would maximise capacity.

August 4, 2022 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Basingstoke Station, Beaulieu Park Station, Class 345 Train, Class 700 Train, Crossrail To Ebbsfleet (C2E), East Coast Main Line, Elizabeth Line, Extending The Elizabeth Line, Gravesend Station, Great Eastern Main Line, Great Western Main Line, North Kent Line, Northfleet Station, Oxford Station, Southend Victoria Station