The Anonymous Widower

High Speed Yorkshire

In December 2019, I wrote Could High Speed Two Be A One-Nation Project?, which I started like this.

As currently envisioned, High Speed Two is very much an English project, with the following routes

  • London and Birmingham
  • London and Liverpool via Birmingham
  • London and Manchester Airport/Manchester via Birmingham and Crewe
  • London and Sheffield via Birmingham and the East Midlands Hub
  • London and Leeds via Birmingham and the East Midlands Hub

There are large numbers of mid-sized towns and cities that it won’t serve directly.

This is what I said about the East Coast Main Line in the post.

The East Coast Main Line serves the following routes.

  • London and Bradford
  • London and Cambridge
  • London and Edinburgh via Doncaster, York and Newcastle
  • London and Harrogate via Leeds
  • London and Hull
  • London and Kings Lynn via Cambridge
  • London and Lincoln via Newark.
  • London and Leeds via Doncaster
  • London and Middlesbrough
  • London and Skipton via Leeds
  • London and Sunderland

The East Coast Main Line could become another high speed line.

Extra services could be added.

  • London and Norwich via Cambridge
  • London and Nottingham
  • London and Grimsby and Cleethorpes via Lincoln.
  • London and Sheffield via Retford.

Add the East Coast Main Line and High Speed Two together and there could be a wider range of towns and cities served.

  • Peterborough and Doncaster could play the same role in the East as Birmingham and Crewe will play in the West.
  • The East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster will be upgraded to in-cab ERTMS signalling in a few years time, which will allow 140 mph running on several sections of the route.
  • Improvements are either under way or being planned to reduce bottlenecks on the East Coast Main Line.
  • If High Speed Two can handle eighteen trains per hour (tph), then surely the East Coast Main Line, which has a lot of quadruple track, can handle upwards of twelve 140 mph trains per hour between London and Doncaster, after the improvements to track and signalling.
  • I estimate that 140 mph running between London and Doncaster could save as much as twenty minutes.
  • I feel that Barnsley, Doncaster, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York could all be reached in under two hours from London using the existing Azuma trains.
  • This morning the 0700 from Kings Cross is timetabled to reach York at 0852. Would it be possible for London and York to be around just ninety minutes?
  • Savings would also apply to trains between London and Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Scotland and Sunderland.
  • Sub-four hour journeys between London and Edinburgh would be commonplace.

Note that the Internet gives a driving time of nearly three and a half hours between London and Leeds. Surely, two hours or less on High Speed Yorkshire would be much preferable.

I would add this infrastructure.

  • There might be a good case to create electrified routes to Hull and Sheffield and between Sheffield and Leeds, but they wouldn’t be needed to start the service or obtain the time savings. But they would ease operation, cut carbon emissions and save a few more minutes.
  • A station at Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.
  • A parkway station at Barnsley on the Dearne Valley Line with direct services to Doncaster, Leeds, London and Sheffield.

The two latter improvements have been proposed in Sheffield Region’s transport plans.

High Speed Yorkshire should be finished as soon as possible. A completion date of 2024 is not unreasonable.

This was the first time I used the term High Speed Yorkshire.

Benefits Of Digital Signalling On The East Coast Main Line

The obvious benefit is there will be 140 mph running on several stretches of the East Coast Main Line.

But as a Control Engineer, I believe that the digital signalling can be used to eliminate two major bottlenecks on the route.

Digital Signalling will also offer techniques to run more trains per hour on the route.

LNER Orders CAF Tri-Mode Sets

The title of this section, is the same as this article in the December 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, which has this paragraph.

Modern Railways understands the new fleet will be maintained at Neville Hill depot in Leeds and, like the ‘225’ sets, will be used predominantly on services between London and Yorkshire, although unlike the ‘225s’ the tri-modes, with their self-power capability, will be able to serve destinations away from the electrified network such as Harrogate and Hull.

Note.

  1. This surprised me, as I’d always expected the Yorkshire routes will be served by Hitachi battery-electric trains.
  2. But it does look that both Harrogate and Hull stations, have long enough platforms to hold a ten-car train.
  3. With their tri-mode technology, it also looks like the CAF trains won’t be needed to be charged before returning to London.

The last point would enable them to try out new routes.

But it does look like LNER are planning to strengthen their Yorkshire routes.

It could just be that, it’s easier to sell rail tickets to Yorkshire folk, than Lancashire folk.

FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service

The title of this section, is the same as that of this press release from First Group.

These two paragraphs outline FirstGroup’s initial plans.

FirstGroup plc, the leading private sector transport operator, has today submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between London and Sheffield to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its award-winning Hull Trains business, building on their successful existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between Hull and London.

Note.

  1. FirstGroup want to run two trains per day (tpd) between London King’s Cross and Sheffield stations via Retford.
  2. Services will be non-stop between London King’s Cross and Retford.
  3. The service will be run by Hull Trains.
  4. I suspect that Hull Trains will use a fleet of identical Hitachi trains for both services.
  5. Hull Trains could decarbonise the services by using battery-electric trains.
  6. I believe a time of 82 minutes will be possible between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.
  7. High Speed Two were promising a time of 87 minutes for their route from London Euston via Birmingham and Nottingham.

I believe there could be up to seven tpd to both Hull and Sheffield.

Timings On High Speed Yorkshire

In FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service, I felt the following is possible, between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.

  • After the digital signalling is completed between King’s Cross and Retford, I suspect that a 135 mph average speed can be maintained between Woolmer Green and Retford. This would mean that a King’s Cross and Retford time of 68 minutes would be possible.
  • If Network Rail improve the track between Retford and Sheffield, I believe that a 70 mph average could be achieved on the Retford and Sheffield section. This would mean that a Retford and Sheffield time of 20 minutes would be possible.
  • I would expect at least six minutes would be saved by missing stops.

This gives a time of 82 minutes between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.

I will use these timings to calculate other possible times.

  • Current time between London King’s Cross and Retford – 82 minutes
  • Digitally signalled average speed between Woolmer Green and Retford – 135 mph
  • Digitally signalled time between London King’s Cross and Retford – 68 minutes
  • Digitally signaled time between London King’s Cross and Sheffield – 82 minutes

These are my estimated timings from London King’s Cross.

Barnetby via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 114 minutes

Barnetby via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 128 minutes

Barnsley via Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 112 minutes

Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield

Beverley

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Bradford Foster Square via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 146 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Bradford Interchange via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 166 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Brighouse via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 143 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Brough

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Cleethorpes via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 141 minutes

Cleethorpes via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes

Darlington

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 116 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 127 minutes

Doncaster

Operator: Grand Cenreal, Hull Trains, LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 76 minutes

Durham

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 136 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 160 minutes

Eaglescliffe

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Edinburgh

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 220 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 234 minutes

Grantham

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 53 minutes

Grimsby Town via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 134 minutes

Grimsby Town via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 148 minutes

Halifax via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 153 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Harrogate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 147 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Hartlepool

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 175 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Horsforth

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 124 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Huddersfield via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 161 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Huddersfield via Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 140 minutes

Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield

Hull

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 114 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Keighley via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 178 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 81 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 116 minutes

Lincoln via Newark Northgate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 85 minutes

Lincoln via Peterborough

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 99 minutes

Market Rasen via Newark Northgate and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 101 minutes

Market Rasen via Peterborough and Lincoln

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 115 minutes

Meadowhall via Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 90 minutes

Note: Uses Penistone Line and Hull Trains times to Sheffield

Middlesbrough

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 155 minutes

Mirfield via Doncaster

Operator: Grand Ccentral

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 136 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Newark Northgate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 60 minutes

Newcastle

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 137 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 145 minutes

Northallerton

Operator: Grand Central, LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 126 minutes

Peterborough

Operator: Grand Central, LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 40 minutes

Pontefract Monkhill

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 103 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Retford

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 68 minutes

Selby

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 92 minutes

Note: Uses Hull Trains times from Doncaster

Sheffield

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 87 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 82 minutes

Shipley via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 168 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Skipton via Leeds

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 191 minutes

Note: Uses LNER times from Leeds

Sleaford

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 83 minutes

Spalding

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 61 minutes

Sunderland

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 194 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Thirsk

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 116 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Northallerton

Thornaby

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 146 minutes

Wakefield Kirkgate

Operator: Grand Central

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 118 minutes

Note: Uses Grand Central times from Doncaster

Wakefield Westgate

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 95 minutes

Worksop

Operator: Hull Trains

Served by High Speed Two: No

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 81 minutes

York

Operator: LNER

Served by High Speed Two: Yes

High Speed Two time to/from London Euston: 84 minutes

Time to/from London King’s Cross: 98 minutes

Note.

  1. Times have improved because of the digital signalling.
  2. As the digital signalling goes further North timings will will come down further.
  3. Unelectrified branches like those to Beverley, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Sheffield will be improved and further bring down times.

Sheffield could be as low as 80 minutes, with York at 91 minutes.

January 21, 2024 - Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , ,

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