The Anonymous Widower

East-West Rail: Electrification

The first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, says this about electrification.

As of March 2020, electrification of the line is not planned, but the 2019 decision (to rule it out) is under review.

But I don’t think it’s a simple decision of electrify or not!

These observations are guiding my thoughts.

Milton Keynes Central Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and whether they are electrified in Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The short platform is Platform 2A, which can take a five-car train and was built recently to terminate the Marston Vale Line service.
  3. Could Platform 2A be ideal for handling and charging, battery-electric trains, that terminate in Milton Keynes station?

The Wikipedia entry for Milton KeynesCentral station, has a section called Platforms and Layout, which gives full details.

Bletchley Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and whether they are electrified in Bletchley station.

Note.

  1. Lines shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
  2. The wide swath of red going North is the West Coast Main Line.
  3. The smaller patch of red to the East of the West Coast Main Line are electrified sidings.
  4. All low-level platforms at Bletchley station are electrified.
  5. The viaduct platforms, are shown in black as they are not electrified.
  6. A non-electrified line leads North-West from the viaduct towards Milton Keynes Central.
  7. The Milton Keynes end of the line between Milton Keynes Central station and the viaduct is electrified.
  8. A non-electrified line leads North-East from the viaduct towards Fenny Stratford and Bedford.

The Google Map shows a 3D visualisation of Bletchley station.

I can’t see much sign of any electrification.

Bedford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the electrification around Bedford station.

Note.

  1. All platforms at Bedford station are electrified.
  2. The lines to the West of the station are the electrified Midland Main Line.
  3. The Marston Vale Line services terminate in the short Platform 1A, which is the South-East corner of the station.
  4. The track into Platform 1A is electrified for about two hundred metres, through the sidings South of the station.

This picture shows the electrified track as it crosses over the river.

Could Platform 1A be ideal for handling and charging, battery-electric trains, that terminate in Bedford station?

It’s odd that there is the same platform layout at both ends of the Marston Vale Line.

Is it just a coincidence or does Engineer Baldrick have a cunning Plan?

Oxford Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the electrification around Oxford station.

Note.

  1. The dotted red and black tracks, indicate electrification is planned.
  2. The planned electrification will connect Oxford station to Didcot Junction station.
  3. The two bay platforms at the North of the station are not electrified and Platform 2 is now used by Chiltern’s London services.
  4. Platform 1 could be used by trains on the East West Railway that terminate at Oxford.

When Oxford station is electrified, it wouldn’t be the largest project to add 25 KVAC overhead electrification to the two bay platforms.

Aylesbury Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms and the lack of electrification around Aylesbury station.

Note.

  1. No tracks are electrified.
  2. Platforms are numbered 3, 2, 1 from the top, so 2 and 3 are paired in the middle.
  3. All freight trains go through Platform 2 and most seem to go via Princes Risborough and High Wycombe.
  4. Chiltern services use Platforms 1 and 3.

Putting a charging system in Aylesbury station could be tricky.

I wonder if the simplest system for East West Railway would be to electrify between Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations.

Chiltern Railway’s time between the two stations is as much as seven minutes.

Some trains to Aylesbury take over twenty minutes to do the short journey to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return, which is more than enough to fully-charge a battery-electric train.

You can even have Chiltern’s hourly Aylesbury Parkway service, sharing the same stretch of electrification with East West Railway’s Aylesbury service, as there is a loop, which creates double-track for some of the way.

It should be noted that between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations is only 41.1 miles, so some battery-electric trains could do that with a full charge at one end.

East West Railway Distances

In Trains Needed For The East West Railway, I calculated some of these distances.

  • Oxford and Bedford – 46.8 miles
  • Oxford and Milton Keynes – 33.4 miles
  • Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 25.9 miles

With charging at both ends, all of these routes are possible using modern battery-electric trains, where even a Class 777 IPEMU, designed for extending Merseyrail’s suburban network has done 84 miles on one charge.

On To Cambridge

In this document on the East-West Rail Consortium web site, these services are suggested, for when the East West Railway is complete.

  • An hourly train via Norwich terminating at Great Yarmouth.
  • An hourly train via Ipswich terminating at Manningtree.

These are distances on these routes that are not electrified, that are to the East of Cambridge.

  • Ely and Norwich – 53.7 miles
  • Norwich and Great Yarmouth – 18.3 miles
  • Cambridge and Haughley Junction – 40.3 miles

Note.

  1. The Manningtree service would be able to charge its batteries after passing Haughley junction going East and it would be nearly an hour before it needed to use the battery for traction.
  2. If the Yarmouth service could handle the full route on batteries, then it could return to Cambridge with an efficient charger at Great Yarmouth, which for 25 KVAC overhead electrification trains is an off the shelf item.
  3. But it does look to me that the trains must leave Cambridge with full batteries, so they can reach electrification at Bedford, Haughley or Norwich.

This map shows the route of the East West Railway between Bedford and Cambridge.

Note.

  1. Bedford is on the electrified Midland Main Line to London.
  2. Tempsford is on the electrified East Coast Main Line to London.
  3. Cambridge has two electrified main lines to London.
  4. These connections should ensure a good power supply to the East of Bedford for electrification.

I suspect the easiest option will be to add some more electrification at one or more of these places.

  • At the Eastern end of the Bedford and Cambridge section.
  • To the West of Haughley junction, when it is rebuilt.
  • To the North of Ely, when the railways in that area are improved.

Although, as it will be a new route, it might be best to build Bedford and Cambridge as an electrified railway.

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

East-West Rail: Along The Marston Vale Line

For the initial phase of the East West Railway, it doesn’t appear that the Marston Vale Line will be improved.

As I write this, I have not heard of any improvements between Bedford and Bletchley.

Perhaps, with all the arguments about the section of the East West Railway between Bedford and Cambridge, the Government, Network Rail and the East West Railway feel that the best approach, is to do what they can with the existing track layout and the rebuilt viaduct at Bletchley.

These are my thoughts.

The Capacity Of The Marston Vale Line

In the Wikipedia entry for the Marston Vale Line, this is said about the infrastructure of the line.

Apart from a short length of single track at both ends, the line is double track, and is not electrified. It has a loading gauge of W8 and a line speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). The line’s signalling centre is at Ridgmont.

The line has a length of only 16.5 miles.

I believe with modern signalling and well-trained drivers, that the line could accommodate at least two trains per hour (tph) in both directions.

At its simplest every half hour, a train would leave both end stations and the two trains would pass each other on the long double-track section in the middle.

Proposed Train Services

Train services on the East West Railway will be as follows, when it opens between Oxford and Milton Keynes and Bedford, are proposed to be as follows.

  • 2 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Milton Keynes Central via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley
  • 1 tph – East West Railway – Oxford and Bedford via Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Woburn Sands and Ridgmont
  • 1 tph – West Midlands Trains – Bletchley and Bedford via Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St Johns

If the East West Railway uses the Marston Vale Line between Bletchley and Bedford, then there will be two tph along the Marston Vale Line.

I believe that if the Marston Vale Line is not improved until later, then the proposed initial train service pattern can be achieved.

The New Bletchley Viaduct

The tracks appear to have been laid on the Bletchley Viaduct.

This Google Map shows the tracks on the viaduct.

Note.

  1. The double-track viaduct runs North-South in the middle of the map.
  2. The two platforms appear to be substantially complete.
  3. The two lift and stair towers are at the Southern end of the platforms.

This second Google Map shows the section of the viaduct by the roundabout.

Note.

  1. The viaduct splits with two tracks going North-West to Milton Keynes Central and two tracks going North-East to Bedford.
  2. There is a complicated junction, which appears to allow a lot of flexibility for train operations.

I have followed the Milton Keynes tracks and there are cross-overs, so that trains can go between Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station and either of the viaduct platforms at Bletchley station, which they will need to do to run services between Oxford and Aylesbury, and Milton Keynes Central.

This Google Map shows the tracks between the viaduct and Fenny Stratford, which is the first station towards Bedford.

Note.

  1. The Princes Way roundabout in the West of the map.
  2. The Milton Keynes and Bedford tracks divide close to the roundabout.
  3. Fenny Stratford station in the East of the map.
  4. The tracks gradually combine from West to East, so there is only one track for the single platform at Fenny Stratford station.

This Google Map shows the Western section of the tracks between the viaduct and Fenny Stratford.

Note, how the two tracks on the viaduct join into one for going towards Fenny Stratford in the North-East corner of the map..

I’m certain, that this track layout, allows a train to go between the single platform at Fenny Stratford station and either of the viaduct platforms at Bletchley station.

A Milton Keynes Central And Bedford Service

In the Wikipedia entry for the Marston Vale Line, there is a section, which is entitled Extension to Milton Keynes Central, where this is said.

In June 2005, the then franchisee, Silverlink Trains announced an intention to extend the Marston Vale service via the West Coast Main Line to Milton Keynes Central, where a new platform and track would be built alongside the up slow track. Work began on 4 December 2006 at the station to prepare for a service connection. The platform was ready for use in January 2009 but the service did not materialise and there are no longer any published plans for it to do so. A firm service pattern on East West Rail remains to be announced but the illustrative pattern has no Bedford–Milton Keynes Central service; passengers will continue to have to change at Bletchley. There is no east-to-north chord between this line and the WCML: As of December 2020, the route the chord might take is occupied by trade outlets and a warehouse.

But.

Supposing a Milton Keynes to Bedford train did this.

  • It ran from Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central to the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  • It would then reverse and run to Bedford along the Marston Vale Line.
  • It would terminate in Platform 1A at Bedford station.

And supposing a Bedford to Milton Keynes train did this.

  • It ran from Platform 1A at Bedford to the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  • It would then reverse and run to Milton Keynes Central along the tracks alongside the West Coast Main Line.
  • It would terminate in Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central station.

Note.

  1. There would be some bi-directional running.
  2. Trains would only reverse on the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct.
  3. Platform 2A at Milton Keynes Central would handle 4 tph.
  4. Platform 1A at Bedford station would handle 2 tph.

As the only reversing happens on the Northbound platform on the Bletchley viaduct, would it be sensible for a new driver to step-up, so that the reverse was fast?

I believe that with some innovative running, that a Milton Keynes and Bedford service is possible, because of the comprehensive track layout that has been installed.

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 10 Comments

East-West Rail: Aylesbury Spur

This map from East West Rail shows the complete route of the East West Railway between Oxford and Cambridge.

Note the spur to Aylesbury, which is shown dotted, which the legend says means it is a Potential Future Section of the EWR.

The papers in the area have different views.

  • This article on Bucks Herald is entitled Aylesbury Spur Excluded From Government’s Latest East West Rail Route Outline.
  • This article on Buckinghamshire Live is entitled East West Rail Aylesbury ‘Spur’ Plans Remain On The Table As Route Announced For £5bn Project.

So what do I feel about the Aylesbury Spur?

Train Services

In the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, it is stated that there will be an hourly service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central stations, that would call at Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley.

Wikipedia also states that there will be no Marylebone and Milton Keynes or Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly services.

I am surprised that a Marylebone and Milton Keynes service is ruled out, for these reasons.

  • A Marylebone and Milton Keynes service would give Winslow a direct service to London.
  • Aylesbury Vale Parkway has an hourly service from Marylebone, which could be extended to Milton Keynes Central to create the service.
  • Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Marylebone have as many as three trains per hour (tph) in the Peak. Does this make timetabling of an hourly Marylebone and Milton Keynes  service difficult?

The Wikipedia entry for Aylesbury Vale Parkway, says this about a Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway service.

It was proposed that, if services are extended to the north, trains between Milton Keynes Central and Marylebone would run via High Wycombe and not Amersham.

This dates from 2012.

But.

  • There may be troubles with the timings of a Marylebone and Milton Keynes service between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Milton Keynes.
  • A separate Aylesbury and Milton Keynes service would give a half-hourly service between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Aylesbury, whereas an extended service only gives the current hourly service.

This Google Map shows Aylesbury Vale Parkway station.

Note.

  1. The station only has a single bay platform.
  2. It appears that there is a step-free walk between the car park and the platform.
  3. There is no bridge or need for one.
  4. There is a single through line at the station on the opposite side to the car park, which is mainly used by trains going to the landfill at Calvert.

It looks from this map, that if the single platform were widened to an island platform, that both terminating and through trains could call in the station.

Perhaps though the modifications at Aylesbury Vale Parkway are too complicated or expensive?

The ruling out of the Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly service is probably easier to understand.

Consider.

  • Milton Keynes Central will have a two tph service to Oxford and was planned to have an hourly service from Aylesbury.
  • Milton Keynes Central has an hourly Avanti West Coast service to Manchester Piccadilly via Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport.
  • Milton Keynes Central has an hourly Avanti West Coast service to Liverpool Lime Street via Crewe and Runcorn.
  • Milton Keynes Central has a two-hourly Avanti West Coast service to Edinburgh Waverley via Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Haymarket
  • Milton Keynes Central has a two-hourly Avanti West Coast service to Preston via Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western. Five trains per day (tpd) are extended to Glasgow and two tpd are extended to Blackpool North.

Note.

  1. A train running between Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly would probably need to be a 125 mph electric train, which would mean electrifying the East West Railway.
  2. A change at Milton Keynes Central would give access to trains for nearly all North-West England and Southern Scotland.

But because of all the connectivity at Milton Keynes Central, it surely puts pressure on providing an Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central service.

The Track

It is possible to follow the track North from Aylesbury Vale Parkway until it joins the East West Railway to the West of Winsford station.

This Google Map shows the junction, just North of the hamlet of Calvert..

Note.

  1. The East West Railway going across the top of the map.
  2. The single track railway to Aylesbury Vale Parkway coming North and then turning East to join the East West Railway.
  3. The railway from Aylesbury Vale Parkway is still used by trains taking landfill.

The Wikipedia entry for Calvert, says this about the landfill site.

Another of the clay pits is now a landfill site. Waste is collected from Bristol, Bath and London each day and transported using rail via Aylesbury to Calvert. The site has a power station capable of producing 14 MWe of electricity from landfill gas, coming from the decomposition of organic matter to convert it into renewable electricity MW.

Looking at the map and the traffic on Real Time Trains, it would appear that there would be enough capacity for both the freight and an hourly passenger train between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

There is also the slight problem, that High Speed Two will be going through the area, as this map shows.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two is shown in yellow (cutting) and embankment (red).
  2. High Speed Two appears to run either on the same route or alongside the route to Aylesbury.
  3. The East West Railway goes across the top of thye map.
  4. The chord that connects the Aylesbury Spur to the East West Railway can clearly be seen.
  5. The Aylesbury Spur will run along the same route as High Speed Two.
  6. Aylesbury Vale Parkway will be just off the South-East corner of the map.

This page on the High Speed Two web site is entitled Boost for Oxford-Cambridge Connections As HS2 Builds Key East West Rail Bridge, describes the installation of a bridge to take the East West Railway goes over High Speed Two.

This picture is from High Speed Two.

As the landfill at Calvert will still need to be filled, I suspect that High Speed Two will leave the route between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and the East West Railway as a fully-serviceable railway, when they tidy up and leave this section of their route.

It looks to me, that once these tasks are complete.

  • High Speed Two relay all the tracks between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and the East West Railway.
  • The junction between the Aylesbury Spur and the East West Railway is completed.
  • Aylesbury Vale Parkway station is updated.

The Aylesbury Spur as needed by the East West Railway to run passenger services between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central could be complete.

And all because of High Speed Two and a landfill site.

Conclusion

I am drawn to the conclusion, that the Aylesbury Spur would not be a difficult railway to build and because it links to the important interchange station at Milton Keynes Central, it could be delivered soon after High Speed Two are finished in the area.

It also appears that Avanti West Coast have already aligned their services with the East West Railway.

 

 

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments