The Anonymous Widower

Battery EMUs Envisaged In Southeastern Fleet Procurement

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the first paragraph.

Southeastern has invited expressions of interest for the supply of new electric multiple-units with an optional battery capability for operation away from the 750 V DC third-rail network.

This article on bidstats is entitled Supply Of And Maintenance Support For New Rolling Stock For Southeastern, and gives more details.

These are my thoughts.

Southeastern HighSpeed Services

There would appear to be no changes in this contract to the Class 395 trains, that work on High Speed One, as this is said in the bidstats article.

Full compatibility with Southeastern infrastructure (excluding High Speed 1 infrastructure)

which appears to rule out running on High Speed One.

In addition, this article on Rail Magazine is entitled Southeastern’s Class 395 Javelin Train Sets Are To Receive A £27 million Facelift.

Southeastern Have Both 75 and 100 mph Trains

In addition to their Class 395 trains, Southeastern have the following trains in their fleet.

• Class 375 trains – 100 mph – 10 x 3 cars
• Class 375 trains – 100 mph – 102 x 4 cars
• Class 376 trains – 75 mph – 36 x 5 cars
• Class 465 trains – 75 mph – 129 x 4 cars
• Class 466 trains – 75 mph – 36 x 2 cars
• Class 707 trains – 100 mph – 18 x 5 cars

Note.

1. Running a mixed fleet of 75 and 100 mph trains can’t be very efficient.
2. The Class 465 and 466 trains are the oldest trains and date from 1991-1994.
3. They are often to be seen in ten-car formations of 2 x 465 trains and a Class 466 train.
4. Another twelve Class 707 trains are planned to join Southeastern.

I would expect the Class 465 and Class 466 trains to be replaced first.

What Length Will The New Trains Be?

If you look at the new suburban electric trains, they have the following lengths.

• c2c – Class 720 trains – 5 cars
• Greater Anglia – Class 720 trains – 5 cars
• Northern – Class 331 trains – 3 and 4 cars
• Southeastern – Class 707 trains – 5 cars
• South Western Railway – Class 701 trains – 5 and 10 cars
• West Midlands Trains – Class 730 trains – 3 and 5 cars

Note.

1. Southeastern already run five-car trains as pairs.
2. A significant proportion of existing suburban trains are five-car trains.
3. Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express run five-car Hitachi trains, with more companies  to follow.
4. A pair of five-car trains make a pair of a convenient length for most platforms.

I would be fairly confident, that the new trains will be five-car trains, with the ability to run as pairs.

What Will Be The Operating Speed Of The New Trains?

To match the speed of the Class 375 and Class 707 trains, I would expect them to be 100 mph trains.

The Quietness Of Battery-Electric Trains

All of the battery-electric trains I have ridden, have been mouse-quiet, with none of the clunking you get for a lot of electric trains.

This is said in the bidstats article says this about the interiors

Interiors suitable for metro & mainline operation.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of these trains on commuter routes to attract passengers.

Battery Power

This is said in the bidstats article about battery power.

Inclusion of options for traction batteries with capability for operation in depots and sidings without the need for external power supply, and with the capability to operate on the main line where power supply is not available due to isolations or incidents, or for non-electrified line sections of up to 20 miles.

Although Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains are not in service yet, I find it interesting that the proposed Southeastern trains will be similarly-fitted with a small battery for depot and siding operation.

The twenty mile battery range is specific and I wonder if it will be used innovatively. I suspect it could be a bit longer in the future, as battery technology improves.

Possible Electrified Routes Using Battery Power

These are a few possibilities.

The Hoo Branch

In Effort To Contain Costs For Hoo Reopening, I discussed running electric trains to a proposed Hoo station.

I made these two points.

• Hoo junction to Hoo station is no more than five or six miles.
• There are also half-a-dozen level crossings on the route, which I doubt the anti-third rail brigade would not want to be electrified.

It would appear that a battery-electric train with a range of twenty miles would handle this route easily.

• Charging would be on the nearly thirty miles between Hoo junction and Charing Cross station.
• No charging would be needed at Hoo station.

There may be other possibilities for new routes locally to open up new housing developments.

The Sheerness Line

The Sheerness Line has the following characteristics.

• It is double-track
• It is electrified
• It is less than eight miles long.
• For most of the day, the service is one train per hour (tph)
• There are two tph in the Peak.
• Would two tph attract more passengers to the line?
• Does the power supply on the Sheerness Line limit the size and power of trains that can be run on the line?
• Is there a need for one train per day to London in the morning and a return in the evening?
• Could the Sheerness Line be run more economically with battery trains. providing a two tph service all day?

The Isle of Sheppey needs levelling up, perhaps 100 mph trains to London using battery power on the Sheerness Line, might just make a difference.

The Medway Valley Line

The Medway Valley Line has the following characteristics.

• It is double-track
• It is electrified
• It is less than twenty-six and a half miles long.
• For most of the day, the service is two tph.
• In the Peak there are HighSpeed services between Maidstone West and St.Pancras International stations.

If electrification was removed between Paddock Wood and Maidstone West stations, the HighSpeed services could still be run and battery-electric trains with a twenty mile range could still run the Tonbridge and Strood service.

The Marshlink Line

The Marshlink Line has the following characteristics.

• It is mainly single-track with a passing loop at Rye station.
• It is not electrified
• It is 25.4 miles between the electrified Ashford International and Ore stations.
• Services are irregular and less than one tph.

If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of thirty miles, it should be able to handle the Marshlink Line.

The service between Eastbourne and Ashford International stations would need to be moved between the Southern and Southeastern operations.

The Uckfield Branch

The Uckfield Branch has the following characteristics.

• It is a mixture of single- and double-track.
• It is not electrified South of Hurst Green Junction.
• It is 24.7 miles between the electrified Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield station
• Services are one tph.

If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of thirty-miles, it should be able to handle the Uckfield Branch, with a charging system at Uckfield station.

Will Battery-Electric Trains Allow Some Lines To Have Their Electrification Removed?

There are several reasons, why electrification might be removed.

1. It is on a line, where the electrification needs upgrading.
2. It is on a line, where there are lots of trespassers.
3. Possibly at a level-crossing or a stretch of track with several.
4. Possibly in a tunnel, with a large inflow if water.
5. It is a depot or siding, where safety is important to protect the workforce.

Obviously, the electrification would not be removed unless  battery-electric trains can handle all possible services.

These are surely some possibilities for electrification removal.

The Hayes Line

The Hayes Line has the following characteristics.

• It is double-track
• It is electrified
• It is less than eight miles to Ladywell Junction, where the branch joins the main line at Lewisham.
• It is currently run by Class 465 and Class 466 trains, which will likely be changed for the new trains with a battery capability.
• Services are four tph.

If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of twenty-miles, it would be able to handle the route between Ladywell junction and Hayes station.

Erith Loop, Crayford Spur and Slade Green Depot

This map from Cartometro.com shows the Erith Loop, the Crayford Spur and the Slade Green Depot.

Note.

 

Not many trains take the Erith Loop or the Crayford Spur.

• The distance between Slade Green and Barnehurst is less than a mile-and-a-half.
• Dartford station is off the South-East corner of the map.
• The distance between Barnehurst and Dartford is less than three miles.
• The distance between Slade Green and Crayford is less than two miles-and-a-half.
• The distance between Crayford and Dartford is less than two miles.
• The main line through Slade Green would need to remain electrified, as electric freight trains use the line.

I suspect, that quite a lot of electrification could be removed here, much to the disgust of the copper thieves.

It might even be possible to build on top of the depot.

 

 

November 14, 2022 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Ashford Station, Battery-Electric Trains, Class 395 Train, Class 465 Train, Class 466 Train, Class 707 Train, Hayes Line, High Speed One, Hoo Station, Levelling Up, Maidstone West Station, Marshlink Line, Southeastern, Southeastern HighSpeed, Southeastern Metro, St. Pancras Station, Third Rail Electrification, Uckfield Branch