The Anonymous Widower

Could Hull Station Be Electrified?

I took these pictures, as I passed through Hull station yesterday.

It appears that Hull station has a similar Victorian roof to Liverpool Lime Street and London Paddington, so I suspect the answer is yes.

These pictures show the platforms and overhead electrification at Liverpool Lime Street station, since the recent remodelling.

The electrification seems to be very traditional, with lots of steel gantries over the tracks.

These pictures show the platforms and overhead electrification at London Paddington station.

Note.

1. The roof seems to have extra tie-bars reaching across.
2. The wires seem to be hung from the roof.
3. At the end of the platform they are fixed to large arch supports.
4. Because Liverpool Lime Street’s electrification is newer than Paddington’s, it seems to have much more professional look.

After looking at the electrification in Liverpool Lime Street and Paddington, I believe that Hull station could be successfully electrified.

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the platform layout at Hull station.

Note.

1. Yesterday, my trains arrived in and left from Platform 7, which is the Northern-most platform.
2. Other pictures in this blog show Hull Trains’s London service in Platform 7.
3. Yesterday all Class 802 trains to and from London run by Hull Trains and LNER used Platform 7.
4. I have been told by station staff, that Platform 7 can take a nine-car LNER Azuma.
5. In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I talk about ten-car Class 802 trains running to and from Hull.
6. Platform 7 or another platform at Hull station must be able to handle a ten-car train, which means that Hull station can handle a train, that is 260 metres long.

Looking at the station map, I believe that Hull station’s capacity for long express trains, is on a par with that of Liverpool Lime Street station.

I could see both stations handling two trains per hour (tph) across the Pennines and to and from London, with if necessary trains being formed of a pair of five-car trains.

How Many Services From Hull Station Can Be Run With Battery Trains?

Hull Trains service between London and Beverley travels for 44.5 miles on unelectrified track between Temple Hirst junction and Beverley.

Typically Hull Trains services wait in Hull station for the following times.

• Going between London King’s Cross and Beverley – Between ten and fifteen minutes.
• Returning to London King’s Cross – Upwards of twenty-five minutes.

I believe these waits in Hull station would mean that.

• A train going North to Beverley will have a battery containing enough electricity to get the train to Beverley and back, which is a distance of 16.7 miles.
• A train going South from Hull  will have a battery containing enough electricity to get the train to Temple Hirst junction, which is a distance of 36.1 miles.

I believe that Hull Trains are currently working a timetable, that has been designed for operation by trains with a range on batteries of around fifty miles, provided there is electrification in at least one platform at Hull station to charge the trains.

It is also interesting to look at LNER’s two services that serve Hull.

• The 0700 to London, is scheduled to arrive at Hull station at 0635 from stabling at Doncaster and waits up to twenty-five minutes before leaving for London.
• The 2004 from London, is scheduled to arrive at Hull station at 2004 and waits up to twenty-five minutes before going South to overnight stabling in Doncaster.

It looks like LNER’s two trains follow Hull Trains rules.

• They use Platform 7 in Hull station.
• Trains going South have up to twenty-five minutes in the station.

It appears to me, that both Hull Trains and LNER are running a timetable, that would allow their services to be run using trains with a battery that had a range of around fifty miles, that could be fully-charged at Hull station before going South.

TransPennine Express run an hourly service to Liverpool Lime Street via Leeds and Manchester Victoria.

According to OpenRailwayMap’s map of electrification, when the TransPennine Upgrade is complete, the only section of the route without electrification will be the 42.1 miles between Hull and Micklefield.

As TransPennineExpress have some of the same Class 802 trains as Hull Trains, if there were at least two electrified platforms in Hull station, then Hull and Liverpool services could be run by battery-electric trains, with a similar specification to those of Hull Trains.

Northern Trains run an hourly service to Halifax via Leeds.

According to OpenRailwayMap’s map of electrification, , the only sections of the route without electrification will be the 42.1 miles between Hull and Micklefield and the 17.5 miles between Leeds and Halifax.

As Leeds and Micklefield is timetabled for seventeen minutes, I suspect this would be enough time to fully charge a battery-electric version of CAF’s Class 331 train and with charging in Hull station, then this route could be electrified.

Northern Trains also run other services, but because the Goole swing bridge is closed, I can’t get all the distances without electrification from Hull.

Ones I can find are.

• Beverley – 16.7 miles for return trip.
• Bridlington – 31.1 miles
• Doncaster – 40.8 miles
• Micklefield – 42.1 miles
• Scarborough – 53.8 miles
• Sheffield – 59.4 miles
• Temple Hirst – 36.1 miles
• York – 41.1 miles – Hull and Church Fenton

Note.

1. York and Doncaster are electrified.
2. Bridlington and Scarborough have suitable platforms where 25 KVAC overhead electrification could be installed to charge trains.
3. Sheffield and Doncaster is only 18.6 miles and this may be the way to electrify between Sheffield and Hull.
4. In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, I state that Hitachi’s battery-electric trains have a range of 43.5 miles

It looks if enough platforms are electrified at Hull, all current services from the city could be run by battery-electric trains.

Conclusion

I believe that by electrifying Hull station, that Hull could have a station consistent with the HumberZero philosophy, with battery-electric trains running hither and thither, handling all rail traffic to and from the City.

 

June 7, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Architecture, Battery-Electric Class 331 Train, Battery-Electric Trains, Class 802 Train, Electrification, Hull Station, Hull Trains, HumberZero, Liverpool Lime Street Station, LNER, Micklefield Station, Paddington Station, Selby Station, TransPennine Express, TransPennine Upgrade