The Anonymous Widower

Third Rail Or Batteries Could Replace Southern Diesel Trains

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.

I first wrote about the Uckfield Branch eight years ago, in Future-Proofing The Uckfield Branch.

Since then I have written about this branch several times and I have also read several articles in the railway press.

These are some of my posts.

It is an utter disgrace that no decision has been made in eight years about how to decarbonise to Uckfield.

The Railway Gazette article says this about third-rail electrification.

GTR is one of two operators participating in a Rail Safety & Standards Board project reviewing the safety, legal and regulatory issues around third rail electrification infill projects. This is looking at whole transport system safety, project and economic risks.

Bi-monthly South of England Diesel Replacement Programme meetings are held by DfT, Network Rail and GTR to review progress and options for third rail electrification of the Uckfield line or battery train trials. This includes reviewing the lessons learned from the use of bi-mode trains by GWR and LNER, and the failed attempt to deploy tri-mode Class 769 units on GWR’s North Downs services.

Could it just be that there is such fear that there will be a major incident, where several people are killed, that third-rail electrification is always turned down, by the Office of Road and Rail?

The Railway Gazette article also says this about battery trains, under a heading of Batteries Viable.

In the absence of electrification, GTR says battery powered trains are also a viable option for its diesel routes. Batteries can be charged while trains are running on electrified lines or through a rapid recharging facility at a terminus, although additional infrastructure and electrical upgrades may be needed.

I suspect that after a few teething troubles, Merseyrail would agree.

Hydrogen is also dismissed with this paragraph.

GTR has considered hydrogen but says it can only be considered a net zero-compliant fuel if it is produced from low or zero-carbon energy sources. It is also relatively inefficient with studies indicating an efficiency rate of around 35% to 40%.

It looks to me, that battery-electric trains are a viable solution.

So would it not be a good idea to take the decision to create a battery-electric prototype from a four-car Electrostar or a Class 350 train, so that the final decision can be taken after everybody on the committee has have a ride first?

Better still, why not stage a competition, where manufacturers, leasing companies or remanufacturers can build a four-car train and enter.

Allow the public to ride in them and then see what is best against a range of criteria.

The King could even get involved, as he’s probably one of the few people left, who rode the original British Rail BEMU between Aberdeen and Ballater, to get to Balmoral.

 

March 7, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

UK Set To Provide Record GBP 800 Million Support For Offshore Wind Projects

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The UK government has revealed the budget of over GBP 1 billion (approximately EUR 1.2 billion) for this year’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 6 (AR6) with the majority of it, GBP 800 million (around EUR 936 million), earmarked for offshore wind.

These three paragraphs explain the three pots.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirmed that over GBP 1 billion will be set aside for the budget, divided into three pots.

Within the overall budget, GBP 120 million is designated for established technologies like solar and onshore wind in Pot 1, while GBP 105 million is set aside for emerging technologies such as floating offshore wind and geothermal in Pot 2.

According to DESNZ, following an extensive review of the latest evidence, including the impact of global events on supply chains, the government has allocated a record GBP 800 million for offshore wind, making this the largest round yet, with four times more budget available to offshore wind than in the previous round.

I am glad to see the support for geothermal energy.

Whilst, these three paragraphs explain the pricing.

This follows the increase in the maximum price for offshore wind and floating offshore wind in November and will help to deliver the UK’s ambition of up to 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, including up to 5 GW of floating offshore wind, according to the government.

Last year, CfD Round 5 attracted no investors with the former maximum strike prices set at GBP 44/MWh for offshore wind with fixed-bottom foundations, which was too low for the developers who were facing the consequences of inflation and supply chain challenges. The maximum bid price for floating wind was GBP 114/MWh.

Now, the maximum price available for offshore wind projects with fixed-bottom foundations has risen by 66 per cent, from GBP 44/MWh to GBP 73/MWh. The maximum strike price for floating offshore wind projects increased by 52 per cent, from GBP 116/MWh to GBP 176/MWh ahead of AR6 which will open on 27 March.

Prices have certainly risen, but this paragraph explains a limiting mechanism, which is straight out of the Control Engineer’s Toolbox.

The funding for the support will be sourced from energy bills rather than taxation. However, if the price of electricity surpasses the predetermined rate, additional charges will be applied to wind power, with the excess funds returned to consumers.

I would hope that extensive mathematical modelling has been applied to test the new pricing structure.

March 7, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Centrica Completes Work On 20MW Hydrogen-Ready Peaker In Redditch

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

Construction is complete on Centrica’s new 20MW hydrogen-blend-ready gas-fired peaking plant in Worcestershire, transforming the previously decommissioned Redditch power plant.

These paragraphs give more details of the project.

The plant is designed to support times of high or peak demand for electricity. Peaking plants only operate when production from renewables can’t meet demand, supporting the energy transition by maintaining a stable electricity supply. The Redditch site can power the equivalent of 2,000 homes for a full day, helping to maintain stability and reliability on the grid.

The plant is capable of using a blend of natural gas and hydrogen, futureproofing the site and supporting the UK’s transition towards a decarbonised energy system.

The Redditch peaking plant forms part of Centrica’s plans to invest between £600m – £800m a year until 2028 in renewable generation, security of supply, and its customers, including building out a portfolio of flexible energy assets. That includes the redevelopment of several legacy power stations, including the Brigg Energy Park in to a power generation and battery storage asset, and the first power station in the UK to be part-fuelled by hydrogen.

I also wrote Centrica Business Solutions Begins Work On 20MW Hydrogen-Ready Peaker In Redditch, about this project.

HiiROC

I wonder if this power station will be fitted with a HiiROC system, which will split the natural gas into two useful products; hydrogen and carbon black.

I wrote about HiiROC in Centrica Partners With Hull-Based HiiRoc For Hydrogen Fuel Switch Trial At Humber Power Plant.

I can see lots of HiiROC systems creating a hydrogen feed, to decarbonise various processes.

Whose Engines Are Used At Redditch?

Centrica still haven’t disclosed, whose engines they are using.

 

March 6, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Hydrogen | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

First Look Inside £2.2bn Silvertown Tunnel

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

These are the first five paragraphs.

For the first time, Transport for London has invited journalists inside what is one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the capital.

The Silvertown Tunnel is 1.4km (just under one mile) long and stretches from Silvertown in Newham to the Greenwich Peninsula.

Inside the tunnel, it is extremely wide. A lot bigger than other tunnels like the supersewer or Crossrail. Boring was finished a few weeks ago.

Transport for London (TfL) says the scheme will address queues at the Blackwall Tunnel and reduce pollution. But it has faced fierce opposition from those who think it will do the total opposite and increase pollution and congestion.

And the big question is – even with mitigation – can a road tunnel ever be green?

Note.

  1. There is a good picture, showing the width of the tunnel.
  2. It is very wide and can’t be much narrower than the four-lane Queensway Tunnel, which was opened under Mersey in 1934.

These are my thoughts.

I Am Against The Tunnel Being Built

My main reason I am against the Silvertown Tunnel is that Transport for London’s mathematical modelling of and rerouting of buses past my house has been some of the worst I’ve seen. I talk about the bus problems I now have in Is The Nightmare On The Buses Going To Get Worse?

So until the two tunnels; Blackwall and Silvertown are complete and open with tolling, I won’t trust any of Transport for London’s pronouncements.

I also feel that as the Silvertown Tunnel will allow trucks to pass though, there will be times, when they will cut through the East End to get to the Motorways going North.

But now, it’s more or less finished, we will probably need to use it.

How Is The Tunnel Being Paid For?

The Wikipedia entry for the Silvertown Tunnel has a section called Costs, where this is said.

In 2012, the cost was stated to be £600m. A consultation in 2015 stated that the cost of construction was estimated to be £1bn. In March 2020, the cost was increased again, to £1.2 billion. Operation, maintenance and financial costs of the tunnel over 25 years is expected to cost another £1bn.

The £2.2 billion will be repaid by tolls on both tunnels. Effectively, it’s a Private Finance Initiative or PFI.

Can A Road Tunnel Ever Be Green?

This is the question the BBC asked in the last paragraph of my extract.

Although, I am very much against this tunnel, I do believe this tunnel can be green.

  • Suppose, the tunnels were made free for zero-carbon vehicles, that were powered by batteries, hydrogen or possibly ammonia.
  • This might nudge vehicle owners and operations to go zero-carbon.

This extra number of zero-carbon vehicles would help to clean up London’s air.

I wonder which will be the preferred route for trucks associated with construction to go to and from sites in Central London?

  • These trucks are major polluters in Central London.
  • There are sensible moves to make construction sites zero-carbon.

If the Silvertown Tunnel didn’t have tolls for zero-carbon trucks, then surely this would nudge, this sizeable group of trucks to go zero-carbon to the benefit of everyone in Central London.

The only problem with making zero-carbon vehicles toll-free, is that it probably ruins the finances of the tunnels, from the point of view of the investors.

Conclusion

I can see lots of conflict starting over the operation of this tunnel.

March 5, 2024 Posted by | Finance & Investment, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Woking: Train Derailed On 90mph Line After Hitting Object On Track

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

Disruption has hit a rail operator’s entire network after a train hit an object on a 90mph track in Surrey.

These three paragraphs describe the derailment.

The incident initially closed four tracks between Woking and Surbiton before disruption spread across the South Western Railway (SWR) network.

Network Rail said the train hit the object at about 05:50 GMT in a 90mph area near Walton-on-Thames in Surrey.

SWR said services were impacted between London, Exeter St David’s, Portsmouth Harbour and Weymouth.

It appears that no-one was hurt.

But derailments like this have happened before.

This article from The Mail is entitled Furness Passengers Able To Walk Away From Major Rail Accident.

These paragraphs detail the story.

Furness rail passengers were woken from their slumbers 50 years ago as the carriages of an express train heading for Barrow came off the rails at 80mph.

Half-dressed and dazed sleeper-car travellers from London were led to safety up a grass embankment near Warrington in 1967.

Amazingly, not one of the passengers was killed or badly injured in what could easily have been a major disaster

The Mail on Friday, September 15, in 1967 noted: “Furness and West Cumberland passengers hung on for their lives when 11 coaches of the London-Barrow express hurtled off the rails at 80mph near Warrington today.

“The coaches bounced and zig-zagged for nearly a quarter of a mile, tearing up the permanent way and completely blocking the main London-Glasgow line.

“Miraculously, only one of the 60 passengers, who included many people from Furness and West Cumberland, was injured.

“He was Rohan Kanhai, the West Indian test cricketer, who was on his way to Blackpool.

“He was taken to Warrington Infirmary with an arm injury. After receiving treatment he was allowed to continue his journey.

I remember the story for two reasons.

  • Obviously, because a well-known sportsman was involved.
  • But also because British Rail put the low injuries down to new couplings between the coaches, which kept the train together.

Could it be that over fifty years after the Warrington derailment, no injuries occurred because the improved design of the train kept it all in one piece and most of the damage was to the infrastructure?

March 5, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | 2 Comments

Work Starts On World’s Largest Floating Solar Project, Part of RWE’s OranjeWind

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The Nautical SUNRISE consortium partners have commenced the project whose goal is to facilitate research and development of offshore floating solar systems and its components. The project aims to integrate a 5 MW offshore floating solar system within RWE’s OranjeWind, a wind farm to be built 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast.

These three paragraphs outline the project.

Research and development on the offshore floating solar (OFS) systems and its components of the EUR 8.4 million project, supported by EUR 6.8 million of the Horizon Europe programme, kicked off in December 2023.

The project will enable the large-scale deployment and commercialisation of offshore floating solar systems in the future, both as standalone systems and integrated into offshore wind farms.

The project aims to design, build, and showcase a 5 MW OFS system using the modular solution of the Dutch floating company SolarDuck.

Note.

  1. It’s only the fourth of March and this is the second floating solar project of the month.
  2. The first was SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital And New Developments S.R.L. Sign Collaboration Agreement For A Grid-Scale Offshore Hybrid Wind-Solar Project In Italy.
  3. I can understand Italy, but surely a solar farm in the Dutch waters of the North Sea, is being at least slightly optimistic.

But the home page of the Oranjewind web site, does have a mission statement of Blueprint For The New Generation Of Offshore Wind Farms.

Under a heading of The Perfect Match, this is said.

RWE’s OranjeWind offshore wind farm will be located 53 kilometers from the Dutch coast. To tackle the challenges of fluctuating power generation from wind and flexible energy demand, RWE has developed a blueprint for the integration of offshore wind farms in the Dutch energy system.

A combination of smart innovations and investments will be used to realise this perfect match between supply and demand.

Under Innovations At OranjeWind, this is said.
In order to realise system integration and accelerate the energy transition, RWE is working together with a number of innovators on new developments in offshore wind farms. The company is realising and testing these innovations in the OranjeWind wind farm.

These innovations include offshore floating solar, a subsea lithium-ion battery, LiDAR power forecasting system and a subsea hydro storage power plant off-site.

These technologies have their own sections, which give more information.

The web site also says this about knowledge from OranjeWind.

There is a lot to learn in an innovative project such as OranjeWind. While developing the wind farm, RWE started the OranjeWind Knowledge programme. This programme aims to generate and share knowledge to accelerate the energy transition.

In strong partnerships with TNO and Dutch universities, research is carried out in parallel to the development and operation of OranjeWind. By sharing research results, lessons learned, and relevant in-house expertise, RWE aims to close knowledge gaps and provide valuable insights in key focus areas for system integration. The generated knowledge will become openly available to educational and research institutes, governments and the market.

To ensure the dissemination of knowledge, RWE will actively partner with educational institutions of all levels across the Netherlands. These partnerships allow RWE to share its expertise and provide the future workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to enable the energy transition.

It certainly appears that RWE intends to get as much out of this project as they can.

I don’t think that they can be criticised for that objective.

 

March 4, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Happened In Moscow Today?

I woke up this morning and deliberately stayed at home to watch Navalny’s funeral, as logic told me something serious would happen.

The day started how I would have expected, with hundreds of police lined up ready to arrest those who showed the wrong attitude or laid flowers.

Putin’s parents lost both their first two sons because of illness and WW2. A friend of mine also lost two older brothers and his mother was so overprotective, that it seriously affected his mental health. Later in life, he retrained as a psychotherapist to excise his personal demons.

Putin also has the problem, that his father was a member of an NKVD destruction battalion (think Katyn!), so I suspect he had a good line in bedtime stories for his son.

I wonder if something unexpected happened today.

  • Did the sight of Navalny’s mother and her grief, awaken Putin’s memories of his own mother and he backed off?
  • Or did the police on the ground, take a words will never hurt us attitude to the crowd? It might have helped, that a proportion of the police probably held some of the same views as Navalny.

I have some further thoughts.

The Grosvenor Square Protests Against the Vietnam War

I can find two references to these in this Wikipedia entry, which is entitled List Of Protests Against The Vietnam War.

  • July 3, 1966. A crowd of over 4,000 demonstrate outside of the U.S. Embassy in London. Scuffles break out between the protesters and police, and at least 31 people are arrested.
  • March 17, 1968. In London, a violent protest not supported by the Old Left leads to over 300 arrests.

A policeman friend of mine, who was on duty, told me that trouble is defused, if the police have common ground with the demonstrators.

The Number Arrested Today In Moscow

This was given as six, which is consistent with the number arrested at non-violent protests in London against the war in Gaza.

My Experience Of Moscow Police

In September 2001, I went to Moscow to see Ipswich beat Torpedo 2-1. See More…

After the match, the police were looking at the Ipswich supporters, as if they wanted a fight. So I broke ranks and offered both hands to the guy, who looked to be in charge. He shook my hands, gave me a hug and a smile and everybody walked to the coaches.

Nobody wanted a fight, so one didn’t happen.

My Experience Of Minsk Police

In October 2008, I went to Minsk to see England beat Belarus 3-1. See More…

A lot of the England fans were worried after being badly treated by Moscow police, the year before.

But there was no need to worry, as the Belarus Police were dressed to be friends and there was no trouble.

Conclusion

Whatever happened today could be significant!

 

March 1, 2024 Posted by | World | , , , , , | Leave a comment

SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital And New Developments S.R.L. Sign Collaboration Agreement For A Grid-Scale Offshore Hybrid Wind-Solar Project In Italy

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SolarDuck.

These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.

  • 540 MW hybrid offshore wind-solar farm offshore Corigliano, Calabria
  • Milestone project to accelerate scaling of Offshore Floating Solar Photovoltaic (OFPV)
  • Strategic collaboration proves the potential of the technology in Italy and the wider
    Mediterranean region

These three paragraphs outline the project.

SolarDuck, leader in OFPV technology, Green Arrow Capital, leading Italian Independent Asset
Manager in the alternative investment world, and New Developments s.r.l., one of Italy’s
most experienced developers, have agreed to collaborate on the development of a landmark
120MWp OFPV farm integrated with 420MW Floating Offshore Wind (FOW).

The project will install SolarDuck’s unique elevated platform technology that allows PV panels
to be deployed in significant wave heights whilst maintaining a safe working environment for
access and maintenance and minimizing environmental impact. In addition, the collaboration
will also allow the harnessing of the complementarity of wind and solar energy resources.

“With the current momentum, we believe this is a unique opportunity for the offshore
renewable energy industry to help shape a favorable regulatory framework and facilitate the
scaling of OFPV. This is not just important for Italy, but also for other countries in the
Mediterranean. Our collaboration with New Developments and Green Arrow Capital can also
serve as a catalyst for OFPV in Italy”, says SolarDuck CEO, Koen Burgers.

This Google Map shows the location of Corigliano at the foot of Italy.

Note.

  1. Corigliano is indicated by the red arrow.
  2. There is an explanatory video of their technology on SolarDuck’s web site.

Opposite Corigliano on the other side of the can be seen the Italian Naval Base of Taranto, which was the scene of the Battle of Taranto, which was one of the most significant naval battles of Second World War, if not the most significant.

  • This web page has the Fleet Air Arm’s account of the battle.
  • I have a book, that shows the Japanese visiting Taranto after the battle.
  • Did the Japanese use what they learned to plan their successful raid on Pearl Harbor?
  • Without Pearl Harbor, would the Americans have stayed out of the Second World War?

I visited Taranto in the 1980s and stood on the Dockside. Perhaps, it is time to go again?

Conclusion

I have a feeling that a hybrid offshore wind-solar farm can generate more electricity in a given area, by making better use of the space available.

It will be interesting to see how this hybrid wind farm performs.

In an area with plenty of sun and wind, it could be a better solution.

Only the mathematics will tell.

March 1, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lumo In Discussions To Operate Glasgow Services

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from FirstGroup.

These four paragraphs give more details.

FirstGroup, the leading private sector transport operator, today announces that its popular open access rail service Lumo is in discussions with Transport Scotland and Network Rail to extend some of its London-Edinburgh trains to and from Glasgow.

Having identified opportunities to extend a number of daily journeys to and from Glasgow in the timetables for 2025 and beyond, work will now continue with Transport Scotland and track infrastructure manager Network Rail to agree final route options and timings ahead of an application for access rights to the Office of Rail and Road (‘ORR’), the industry regulator.

If successful, the new services could be in operation from next summer.

Lumo’s proposed new offering will improve links for customers travelling between Newcastle and Glasgow, giving people a choice of services without needing to change trains. In addition, a significant number of users of Lumo’s current London-Edinburgh trains go on to travel through to Glasgow via other connections, and through this move, Lumo aims to offer a direct through service for these customers.

I have a few thoughts.

There Appears To Be A Need For An Affordable London And Glasgow Service

This is the last sentence of my extract from the press release.

In addition, a significant number of users of Lumo’s current London-Edinburgh trains go on to travel through to Glasgow via other connections, and through this move, Lumo aims to offer a direct through service for these customers.

This looks to be a service, that has been suggested by an analysis of passengers’ tickets.

Which Station Will Lumo Use In Glasgow?

Consider.

  • The current LNER service between London King’s Cross and Glasgow, uses Glasgow Central station and it takes 66 minutes between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central stations.
  • LNER’s service also calls at Haymarket and Motherwell.
  • ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street take about 49-50 minutes.

I suspect, that Lumo will take the faster route.

Newcastle And Glasgow Is A New Route

Currently, all passengers between Glasgow and Newcastle have to change at Edinburgh.

This will be the first direct train in my memory, except for LNER’s single daily service between London and Glasgow Central, which stops at Newcastle.

What About The Football?

Glasgow is very much about football.

Would it be possible to use Lumo to see a match starting at 15:00 on a Saturday afternoon, if you lived in London?

  • The 05:48 train from King’s Cross on a Saturday arrives in Edinburgh at 10:07.
  • Trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow take fifty minutes, so I feel it would be reasonable to be able to get to Glasgow by 10:57.

This time would be more than early enough to have a few swift halves and see the match if it started at 15:00.

But would it be possible to get back to London after the match?

  • The last train leaves Edinburgh at 17:55 and arrives in King’s Cross at 22:26.
  • Applying the fifty minute journey time between Edinburgh and Glasgow means it will leave at 17:05.
  • It appears that from Ibrox and Celtic Park to Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street station is about twenty minutes.

On the current timetable, it would appear to be possible, but tight.

One alternative would be to take the Caledonian Sleeper back to London. But it doesn’t appear to run on a Saturday night.

Coaches do run and an overnight coach costs around twenty pounds.

It looks like if Lumo ran a service about 18:00 on a Saturday to London, it wouldn’t run empty.

Will Lumo Need More Trains?

In the press release, FirstGroup plc Chief Executive Officer Graham Sutherland, is quoted as saying.

Once preferred route options and timings have been agreed, discussions will continue with Network Rail and the ORR to secure the required approvals. The journeys would be operated within the existing Lumo fleet of all-electric trains and it is anticipated that the additional services could begin in summer 2025.

That looks to me, that they will not be obtaining more trains before next summer.

In Ten-Car Hull Trains, I noted that some of Hull Trains services were now running as ten-car trains.

If the passenger demand is there for ten-car trains to Hull, which is almost exactly half the distance of Edinburgh, I would expect that in the future, Lumo will be running some services as ten-car trains.

In Extra Luggage Racks For Lumo, which is based on an article in the November 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, an alternative view on more trains is taken.

The Modern Railways article finishes with this paragraph.

Lumo celebrated its second birthday in late October and was also set to mark the carriage of its two-millionth passenger. It is understood Lumo is interested in augmenting its fleet, such has been the success of the service; while many operators favour bi-mode units, Lumo is proud of its all-electric credentials so straight EMUs are still preferred, although the possibilities of including batteries which could power the trains may be pursued (the ‘803s’ have on-board batteries, but only to provide power to on-board systems if the electricity supply fails).

I find this development very interesting.

As London King’s Cross and Edinburgh and Glasgow are all electric routes, in normal service batteries should not be needed, but sometimes trains have to use the diversion via Lincoln, which I have estimated is 86.5 miles.

As an electrical engineer, I’ve always believed that the emergency batteries in the Class 803 trains are very similar to the traction batteries that Hitachi are developing for the Class 802 trains.

A traction battery, that was capable of handling the diversion would stop Lumo having to cancel occasional services.

Conclusion

An extension to Glasgow looks like it could be a simple and profitable way to extend the current Lumo service.

But it might need some extra trains in the future.

A Lumo service to Glasgow, might be helped by a seven-day service on the Caledonian Sleeper, so passenger could go North on Lumo and South on the Sleeper to get a full day in Glasgow.

 

February 28, 2024 Posted by | Sport, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

London Overground Train Makes Rare Diversion To London Bridge Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.

This is the sub-heading.

On Sunday morning, a London Overground train paid a visit to London Bridge station — a station that the Overground doesn’t usually visit.

These were the first two paragraphs.

It was here for a test run ahead of a special service that will run on Easter Sunday, and the test was needed to ensure that what worked on paper also worked in practice.

The reason for the Easter Sunday special is weekend engineering works elsewhere which would mean no Southern trains between Victoria and London Bridge, while at the same time, the London Overground south of the river can’t go north.

Note.

  1. Judging by Ian’s pictures, it was a very thorough test of clearances and ramp functions.
  2. According to Real Time Trains, the two services used platform 5 at Crystal Palace and Platform  13 at London Bridge.
  3. The distance was 7.5 miles.
  4. Services took 23 minutes to London Bridge and 19 minutes for the return.

This image shows a London Overground train in Platform 5 at Crystal Palace station.

In Overground To London Bridge Under Consideration, I talked about how Transport for London were thinking about creating a new Overground service between London Bridge and Crystal Palace.

Sunday’s test also shows that if the paths are available, London Overground can run a service between London Bridge and Crystal Palace.

Given that the times for the out and return trips were 23 and 19 minutes on Sunday, it appears to me, that the following is possible.

  • One train could run an hourly service.
  • Two trains could run a two trains per hour (tph) service.

Trains could terminate in platform 3, which is on the right in the image and only has two trains per day.

There would be the following trains to London from Crystal Palace.

  • London Overground – Four tph to Canada Water, Whitechapel and Highbury and Islington.
  • London Overground – Two tph to London Bridge
  • Southern – Two tph to London Bridge
  • Southern – Four tph to London Victoria

These would total to.

  • Canada Water – four tph for Jubilee Line
  • Highbury & Islington – four tph for Victoria and North London Lines
  • London Bridge – four tph for Thameslink, Jubilee and Northern Lines
  • London Victoria – four tph for Victoria, Circle and District Lines
  • Whitechapel – four tph for Elizabeth, Victoria, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City Lines

Note.

  1. The two extra tph to London Bridge even everything up to four tph.
  2. The London Bridge and Crystal Palace service could be run by any suitable train and I suspect it could be eight cars. What about using some of the spare Class 379 trains?

The London Bridge and Crystal Palace service wouldn’t need trains with a tunnel evacuation capability, so could use Class 378, 379, 387 or 710 trains.

 

 

February 28, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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