The Anonymous Widower

More Open Access Services Could Be On The Way

In the February 2024 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article which is entitled First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths.

The article is mainly about FirstGroup’s proposal for a new Sheffield and London service, running under the Hull Trains brand.

But, this is the last paragraph.

Modern Railways understands First is working on a number of proposals for additional open access services, and this is an early statement of intent. Other existing open access proposals include Grand Union Trains’ plans for London to Stirling and Cardiff to Edinburgh services, along with an already approved London to Carmarthen service, and the recently submitted Wrexham, Shropshire and Midland Railway application for a London to Wrexham service. It is understood other organisations, including MTR and Virgin, are also working up plans for new open access services.

These are my thoughts.

Grand Union Trains

These posts talk about Grand Union Trains services, where a proposal has been filed with the Office of Rail and Road.

• Grand Union Trains – Cardiff and Edinburgh – Cardiff – Edinburgh Open Access Train Service Proposal Under Development
• Grand Union Trains – Carmarthen and London – Regulator Approves New Grand Union Train Service From Carmarthen To London Paddington
• Grand Union Trains – Stirling and Euston – Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions

Note.

1. All three services are substantially electrified.
2. Cardiff and Edinburgh is not electrified between Severn Tunnel Junction and Doncaster, which is 180.7 miles, but 258.4 miles are electrified.
3. Once the Midland Main Line is electrified, the longest section of unelectrified track is the 72.5 miles between Severn Tunnel Junction and Bromsgrove.
4. Carmarthen and London has 145.1 miles of electrification between London and Cardiff and about 75 miles of unelectrified track West of Cardiff.
5. Stirling and Euston is fully electrified.

A bi-mode or tri-mode train with an independent range at least 190 miles would be able to handle all three services. It would also allow extension of the Stirling service to Perth, if later that was felt to be a better terminus.

Trains able to be used would include.

• CAF Tri-Mode Train – As being built for LNER
• Class 221 train – Will be released soon by Avanti West Coast.
• Class 222 train – Will be released soon by East Midlands Railways
• Class 802 train
• Class 755 train – A Greater Anglia driver told me, the train is designed for 125 mph.
• Class 93 locomotive and a rake of coaches.

Note.

1. All trains except the Class 221 and Class 222 trains would be able to make use of the electrification.
2. The Class 93 locomotive option is not a 125 mph train.
3. CAF Tri-Mode Train and the Class 802 train have digital signalling as standard, which could allow some 140 mph running.

But I do believe after the completion of the Midland Main Line electrification, a battery-electric high speed train with an independent range of around 100 miles could also handle all routes with perhaps charging in a couple of stations, like Carmarthen.

The services could of course be commenced using refurbished Class 221 and Class 222 trains from Avanti West Coast and East Midlands Railways respectively.

I can see a bidding and design war going on between CAF, Hitachi and Stadler to supply Grand Union Trains.

Liverpool Lime Street Station

Liverpool Lime Street station has been updated and has the capacity for extra services.

I also feel, that with the improvements to the West Coast Main Line and especially between Crewe and Liverpool in preparation for High Speed Two, that journey times between London and Liverpool will improve to around two hours.

Given the attractions of Liverpool, this will increase passenger numbers on the route and I believe extra services will be viable.

The Wikipedia entry for the station says this about a proposal from Virgin.

In June 2019, Virgin Trains lodged an application for an open access service from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street calling at Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street to rival the future West Coast Partnership franchise Avanti West Coast from December 2022.

It does seem to have gone quiet.

A Fast Zero-Carbon Route Between England And Ireland

This OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool South Parkway station and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Note.

Liverpool South Parkway station is in the North-West corner of the map.

The orange track at the top of the map is the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.

At the bottom of the map, the long runway of Liverpool John Lennon Airport can be seen.

I believe that a fast link could be developed between the station and the airport.

• Initially this would be a coach.
• But later it could be developed as a tram-train from the City Centre, that also would call at Liverpool South Parkway station.

Operation of the airport could be ideal for up to 30-seater electric airliners.

Destinations served could include.

• Belfast City – 151 miles
• Bristol – 135 miles
• Cardiff – 135 miles
• Derry/Londonderry – 210 miles
• Dublin – 140 miles
• Glasgow – 186 miles
• Haverfordwest – 127 miles
• Humberside – 104 miles
• London City – 176 miles
• Norwich – 180 miles
• Ronaldsway – 89 miles
• Southend – 172 miles

Note.

1. Liverpool appears to sit in circle of airports
2. An Eviation Alice has a range of 290 miles with 9 passengers.
3. The Wikipedia entry for Heart Aerospace, says their 30-seater electric airliner says it has a range of 124 miles or more if less passengers are carried.
4. The East-West runway is also in line with the prevailing wind, which should help take-off.
5. Liverpool Airport is located such that there is access to plentiful supplies of green electricity and hydrogen.

I will be very surprised if Liverpool Airport doesn’t develop into an airport for zero-carbon flights.

This could attract open access rail services from London and across the country.

Huddersfield

In First Bid For Sheffield To King’s Cross Paths, I postulated that Huddersfield station could be an ideal extension of FirstGroup’s proposed open access service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield.

 

 

February 14, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Class 221 Train, Class 222 Train, Class 802 Train, East Midlands Railway, Eviation Alice, FirstGroup, FirstGroup's Proposed Sheffield Service, Grand Union Trains, Heart Aerospace ES-30, Hull Trains, Liverpool Airport, Office Of Rail And Road, Open Access Operators