The Anonymous Widower

Arriva’s Grand Central Applies For Extended Track Access Rights

The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Arriva.

These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.

• Grand Central to submit application to the rail regulator for extended track access up to 2038.
• Proposals for a new, greener fleet are outlined as part of the application.
• Application signals Arriva’s long-term commitment to UK rail.

These three paragraphs add more detail to the application.

Arriva Group’s UK open access train operating company, Grand Central, has today announced it is seeking to extend its existing track access rights until 2038, securing its services for the next 15 years and unlocking Arriva’s intentions to invest in new, state-of-the-art trains.

Grand Central has been operating services on the East Coast mainline since 2007 as an open access operator, which means it receives no government funding or subsidy. It directly links 15 destinations, including cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London’s Kings Cross.

The application represents a significant commitment to long-term services and supports its plans to expand services with improved connectivity and increased frequency, as outlined in a previous application, submitted to the Office of Rail and Road in May this year.

These are my observations and thoughts.

Grand Central’s Current Services

Grand Central currently runs two separate services.

• King’s Cross and Sunderland via Peterborough,York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartlepool – six tpd
• King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange via Peterborough, Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor – four tpd

Note.

1. tpd is trains per day.
2. Weekend services are reduced.
3. Peterborough is served by one train in each direction.

Grand Central have applied to run more services.

Distances Without Electrification On Current Services

Only the Northern ends of both routes are not electrified.

• King’s Cross and Sunderland – Longlands junction and Sunderland – 48.5 miles
• King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange – Doncaster and Bradford Interchange – 52.1 miles

Note.

1. Going North, any train batteries could be charged on the East Coast Main Line.
2. Before returning South, train batteries could need to be charged at the two terminals.
3. Battery-electric trains would need infrastructure changes at the two terminals.

The two terminals; Bradford Interchange and Sunderland are not particular spacious.

These pictures show Bradford Interchange station.

And these pictures show Sunderland station, which is underground.

Putting even a short length of catenary to charge battery-electric trains might not be that easy at either station.

Grand Central’s New Trains

Arriva’s news item, gives these details on the new trains.

• Increased capacity: The new trains would feature approximately 20 per cent more seats than the current Class 180 units, providing additional capacity to meet growing passenger demand.
• Modernised fleet: The new Bi-Mode trains would replace the existing 24-year-old Class 180 units bringing new customer focussed features and a more comfortable experience for passengers.
• Greener services: The Bi-mode trains would cut carbon emissions and provide smoother journeys for passengers. They can operate on electric and non-electric tracks, so they can serve long into the future as track electrification gathers pace across the UK.

Note.

1. A five-car Class 802 train has approximately twenty percent more seats than a four-car Class 180 train.
2. Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express all run Hitachi Class 80x trains on the East Coast Main Line, which could ease operations, if all trains were similar.
3. Bi-mode trains are specified. Grand Central will change mode once on each trip.
4. LNER have specified CAF Tri-mode trains for their new fleet. Will these have an extra level of complication, that Grand Central don’t need?

I suspect that rand Central will opt for the Hitachi trains.

Using The Joint Line Between Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln

The diesel Class 180 trains can use this line, in times of incidents or engineering works.

Class 800 and Class 802 trains can also use this diversion, so it might be sensible to be able to use the line in time of trouble.

Chiltern Trains’ London And Birmingham Services

Both Arriva and Chiltern Trains are subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn.

Currently, Chiltern run six-car rakes of Mark 3 coaches, with a Class 68 locomotive at one end and a driving van trailer at the other, between London and Birmingham.

They are nice trains, but they are not zero-carbon.

Could these be replaced by an eight-car Class 802 train?

• Chiltern have said that they are looking for new trains.
• An eight-car Class 802 train could be a similar length to the current trains.
• London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street is only 111.7 miles.
• The Hitachi trains would offer an increase in capacity.
• They might save a few minutes.

But the trains will still be not zero-carbon.

This page on the Hitachi web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.

The trains for London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street would be built as conventional eight-car Hitachi trains, with perhaps four diesel engines.

• Over the years, the Chiltern Main Line would be partially electrified, starting perhaps in the middle around Banbury.
• One by one, the diesel engines would be replaced by batteries, so that the trains could run on battery power between the electrified sections.
• Eventually, the London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street service would be fully battery-electric.
• As Kidderminster is only twenty miles past Birmingham Moor Street, there must surely be possibility for extension of the service.

I believe that Hitachi’s Intercity Battery Train, is going to play a large part in the decarbonisation of UK railways.

Chiltern Trains’ London And Oxford Services

If eight-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains can handle London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street services, then I am fairly sure that five-car Hitachi Intercity Battery Trains could handle London Marylebone and Oxford services.

They would also have more capacity, than the current trains, that serve Oxford and Bicester Village.

Conclusion

It may be advantageous for Deutsche Bahn to put the two orders together.

September 3, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Arriva, Bradford Interchange Station, CAF Tri-Mode Train, Chiltern Railways, Class 180 Train, Class 802 Train, DB, East Coast Main Line, Grand Central Trains, Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE), Hitachi Intercity Battery Train, Hull Trains, King's Cross Station, LNER, Lumo, Sunderland Station, TransPennine Express