Do We Need More Bikes Like This?
When I moved back to London in 2010, bikes like this were rare!
Now, you see various bikes every day delivering bread, children, dogd and parcels in the City and East End of London.
It swhould be noted that in a circle of two to three miles from Bank, London is fairly flat and ideal cycling terrain.
But we still need more!
Have we got enough people, prepared to ride them?
The Wrong Kind Of Bleach?
This article on Railnews is entitled 9 September: News In Brief.
It has the following sub-title.
Wrong Bleach Took Caledonian Sleepers Out Of Service
This is the first sentence.
Cleabers who used the wrong specification of bleach in the toilets and shower rooms on Caledonian Sleepers caused significant damage after the chemicals reacted with stainless steel pipes,
To my knowledge stainless steel, especially when it contains increased levels of chromium and some molybdenum, can be very proof to attack from most substances.
Look at this Butler Shba cutlery made in Sheffield from stainless steel with black Delrin plastic handles, which have seen continuous use in my household for fifty years.
Now that’s what I call stainless steel!
Perhaps, the Spanish used the wrong type of stainless steel?
Delrin is a form of polyoxymethylene, which is an engineering plastic.
This plastic has a wide spectrum of usage, including in zips, bagpipes and metered dose inhalers, to name just three of hundreds.
Thoughts On Hounslow Station
These are my thoughts in no particular order.
Step-Free Access
There are only eight railway stations in the London Borough of Hounslow and only Chiswick and Hounslow stations are not step-free and no plans have been published about creating fully-accessible stations.
This is the rather old-fashioned footbridge at Hounslow station.
Current Train Service
The main current Off Peak train service is four trains per hour (tph) using the Hounslow Loop Line, which conveniently pass each other in the station.
There are also two tph between Waterloo and Weybridge, which means the station has a six tph service.
There are also a couple of extra services in the Peak.
Hounslow Track Layout
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the track layout at Hounslow station.
The crossovers on either side of the station probably allow trains to be turned back at the station.
A train arriving from London, which is to the North East would do the following.
- Stop in the Southern Platform 2.
- Wait whilst the driver changes ends.
- Return to London using the North Eastern crossover to change to the correct track.
It would probably take between three and four minutes.
West London Orbital
Hounslow station has been proposed to be one of the terminals of the new West London Orbital Railway.
It will have four tph from West Hampstead Thameslink via the Dudding Hill Line.
How will these trains be trains be turned?
Use The Existing Track Layout
There appears to be almost fifteen minutes gaps between trains through the station, so would it be possible to use the existing North-East crossover and the Southern Platform 2 to turn the trains?
When you consider, that London Overground generally allow between five and twelve minutes to turn a train, timing could be tight. Especially, if the driver needed to take a toilet break!
And what would happen, if a train failed or there were several passengers of limited mobility to unload from or load on the train?
I feel, that this current method would only be used as a little-used fallback.
A Turnback Siding
This Google Map shows the station and the track to the South West.
Note that there is probably enough space to put a turnback siding to the South West of the station, with some realignment of the tracks.
This method was used at West Croydon station by services on the East London Line, but recently, the service has started to use the bay platform at the station.
- The train would stop in Platform 2 and unload the passengers.
- It would move to the turnback.
- At the appropriate time it would move into Platform 1 and load passengers.
It would then be ready to start the service to West Hamstead Thameslink.
A Bay Platform
This Google Map shows the North-Eastern (London) end of the station.
There is a road called Whitton Road alongside the station, where a London-facing bay platform would be built. The crossover would need to be rebuilt to allow trains from London to cross into the bay platform.
But operationally, it would be easier.
- Returning trains to West Hampstead Thameslink would not block the Hounslow Loop Line.
- Passengers using the West London Orbital would only cross the line, if they were continuing their journey from Platform 2..
- I doubt many passengers arriving in Platform 2 would want to use the West London Orbital.
- Passengers with reduced mobility changing between the West London Orbital and bus, car or taxi at Hounslow station would have a step-free route between street and train.
- Drivers would have time for a comfort break.
I will be very surprised if a bay platform is not built to handle the West London Orbital.
A Rebuilt Station
If the West London Orbital is built, which I feel would be highly sensible, the station will probably need to be remodelled to incorporate a bay platform to turn trains.
The footbridge at the station will also need to be replaced with a fully-accessible one.
So Hounslow station will probably need to go through a thorough refurbishing, if not a full rebuild.
Climbing Stairs Two At A Time
This set of stairs is at Syon Lane station.
It is typical of many sets of stairs in London and all over the UK.
I have recently found that it is easier and faster for me to climb stairs like these, two steps at a time.
Sometimes, I will climb up the right side of the stairs pulling myself with my good right arm.
I can understand, why when using my good arm, it is easier and faster, as I am pushing with two limbs and pulling with one.
But the surprise is that if I walk up the middle of the stairs, it’s easier too!
Is it down to the fact that most stairs are to the same standard, which was designed to fit the mechanics of the average human.
I suspect too, that practice helps.
Construction Has Started On Feltham Depot
A new depot foe electric multiple units is being created on the site of the old Feltham Marshalling Yard.
I took these pictures as I passed on a train.
I talked about the depot before in SWR Applies To Build New London Maintenance Depot.
Progress At Syon Lane Station – 8th September 2019
It looks like the builders have started to dig the foundations for the step-free footbridge at Syon Lane station.
I wonder, if the digging further down the platform indicates that there has been a change of design.
Riding Sunbeams Deploys Solar Array
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These are the introductory paragraphs.
Riding Sunbeams Ltd has installed a 30 kWp solar test unit with around 100 panels near Aldershot which is directly supplying electricity to power signalling and lighting on Network Rail’s Wessex Route.
This will enable data to be gathered to assess how much larger solar arrays could be used to power trains.
Note that kWp is peak kW. On a very sunny day, 30 kW is the highest power level that will be supplied.
This page on the Energy Saving Trust is entitled Costs and Saving and this is said.about solar generation in the South of England.
A 4kWp system in the south of England can generate around 4,200 kilowatt hours of electricity a year – that’s the same amount of electricity as it takes to turn the London Eye 56 times. It will save around 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
For comparison, they say this about solar generation in Scotland.
A 4kWp system in Scotland can generate about 3,400 kilowatt hours of electricity a year – that’s the same amount of electricity as it takes to turn the Falkirk Wheel 2,200 times. It will save approximately 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
I’d be interested to know, the two locations, where they measured the sunlight.
It was a lovely sunny day recently, when I passed through Aldershot station, so I’ll use the Southern England figures.
- Uprating the Energy Saving Trust figures by 30/4 gives a yearly output of 31,500 kWh,
- The daily output is 86.3 kWh.
- The hourly output based on a 0600-2200 sixteen hour day is 5.4 kWh
There would probably be a battery to make the most of the electricity generated.
Powering Feeder Stations For Third-Rail Electrification
As the Railway Gazette article says, the trial installation at Aldershot station will be used to power signalling and the station, which will then give figures to assess how trains can be powered.
In the September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled Wires Through The Weald, which discusses electrification of the Uckfield Branch in Sussex, as proposed by Chris Gibb. This is an extract.
He (Chris Gibb) says the largest single item cost is connection to the National Grid, and a third-rail system would require feeder stations every two or three miles, whereas overhead wires may require only a single feeder station for the entire Uckfield Branch.
It would appear that 750 VDC rail-based direct current electrification needs many more feeder stations, than 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
Could a solar system from Riding Sunbeams supply power in the following situations?
- Places where there was space for a solar array.
- Remote locations, where a connection to the grid is difficult.
- Places, where the power supply needed a bit of a boost.
How large would an individual solar feeder station need to be?
Consider a feeder station on a rail line with these characteristics.
- Third-rail electrification
- Four-car trains
- Each train uses three kWh per vehicle mile.
- Two trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
- Electrification sections are three miles long.
- Trains run from six in the morning to ten at night.
- Trains pass at speeds of up to 100 mph.
The hourly electricity need for each section would be 144 kWh or 2304 kWh per day and 841 MWh for the whole year.
The Energy Saving Trust says this.
A 4kWp system in the south of England can generate around 4,200 kilowatt hours of electricity a year.
Using these figures says that a solar array of 800 MWp will be needed to provide the power for one feeder station.
Consider.
- The largest solar array in the UK is Shotwick Solar Farm, which has a capacity of 72 MWp.
- Shotwick covers 730 acres.
Am I right to question if that enough electricity to create a feeder station to power trains, can be produced reliably from a solar array and a battery?
I’d love to have the electricity usage and bill for one of Network Rail’s typical third-rail feeder stations. Not that I’d want to pay it!
How Would Station Stops Be Handled?
When a modern electrical multiple unit stops in a station, there is a three-stage process.
- The train decelerates, hopefully using regenerative braking, where the braking energy is returned through the electrification to hopefully power nearby trains.
- The train waits in the station for a minute or so, using power for air-conditioning and other hotel functions.
- The train accelerates away using track power.
Would a Riding Sunbeams system provide enough capacity to accelerate the train away?
In What Is The Kinetic Energy Of A Class 710 Train?, I calculated the kinetic energy of a very full Class 710 train, which is just about as modern and probably efficient, as you can get.
These were my results.
- 50 mph – 15.3 kWh
- 60 mph – 22.1 kWh
- 90 mph – 49.4 kWh – Operating speed of a Crossrail Class 345 train.
- 100 mph – 61.3 kWh – Operating speed of many electric multiple units.
These kinetic energy values are low enough to make it possible that a modern electric multiple unit can run using on-board batteries.
- Regenerative braking would be captured in the batteries.
- Hotel power in the station can be provided by batteries.
- Batteries can cruise the train through sections of line without electrification or with a poor electrical supply.
Suppose there is a twenty mile gap between two stations; A and B, where trains cruise at 90 mph.
- The train arrives at station A, with a battery that has been charged on previous parts of the journey from the electrification.
- Regenerative braking energy will be stored in the battery on braking.
- Acceleration to 90 mph will need 49.4 kWh of electricity from the battery.
- Using my 3 kWh per vehicle mile figure, going from A to B, will need 4 cars * 20 miles * 3 = 240 kWh of electricity.
It looks like a battery with a capacity of 300 kWh would handle this situation
Could this be fitted into a four-car train, like an Aventra?
In this article in Global Rail News from 2011, which is entitled Bombardier’s AVENTRA – A new era in train performance, gives some details of the Aventra’s electrical systems. This is said.
AVENTRA can run on both 25kV AC and 750V DC power – the high-efficiency transformers being another area where a heavier component was chosen because, in the long term, it’s cheaper to run. Pairs of cars will run off a common power bus with a converter on one car powering both. The other car can be fitted with power storage devices such as super-capacitors or Lithium-ion batteries if required. The intention is that every car will be powered although trailer cars will be available.
Unlike today’s commuter trains, AVENTRA will also shut down fully at night. It will be ‘woken up’ by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift
This was published over eight years ago, so I suspect Bombardier have refined the concept.
If 424 kWh can be fitted under the floor of a two-car Class 230 train, I’m sure in a train designed for energy storage at least 500 kWh or maybe as high as 1000 kWh could be fitted to a four-car Aventra.
A 500 kWh battery would give a battery range of just under forty miles, whilst a 1000 kWh battery would give a ninety-five mile range.
Obviously, the battery would need to be charged, but in many cases the range would take the train between two existing electrified lines. Think Ipswich -Cambridge, Newcastle-Carlisle, the Fife Circle Line, the Uckfield Branch and Ashford-Hastings!
Conclusion
Riding Sunbeams may be suitable for providing local power for signalling and stations, but batteries on trains looks like it could be a better way of powering trains.
Alstom Digital Train Control System Enters Service On Wuppertal Suspension Railway
The title of thiis post is the same as that of this article on Railways Africa.
It describes how Alstom have fitted digital signalling with ETCS to Wuppertal’s Schwebebahn.
Surely, if you can fit digital signalling to the city’s weird and wonderful railway, it can be applied to any other railway.
RTRI Tests Fuel Cell Multiple Unit
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first two paragraphs.
JAPAN: Railway Technical Research Institute has started test running with a prototype multiple-unit which can work as a conventional or battery EMU or using a fuel cell powerpack.
Converted from an older 1·5 kV DC EMU, the test train comprises a 34 tonne motor car and 29 tonne trailer vehicle. Each car is 19 760 mm long and 2 950 mm wide. It is able to operate as a conventional EMU when running under overhead catenary, or as a battery unit off-wire, with or without the fuel cell in use to trickle-charge the batteries.
These are my thoughts.
The Hydrogen Fuel Cells.
The article says this about the hydrogen fuel cells.
Two polymer electrolyte fuel cells are contained in an underfloor module 2 600 mm long, 2 655 mm wide and 720 mm high, which weighs 1·9 tonnes.
The fuel cells are stated to have a rating of 90 kW at 200 to 350 V.
To get a handle on how powerful the hydrogen fuel cells are, these are some characteristics of a British Rail Class 456 train.
- It is a two-car electric multiple unit.
- It weighs 72.5 tonnes.
- It has an operating speed of 75 mph.
- It is a 750 VDC train.
- It has a power output of 373 kW
I wouldn’t think that the two trains are that far apart in performance and capacity.
The Japanese train has a total power output from the fuel cells of 180 kW, but it can also use power from the battery.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the Japanese fuel cell and battery combination was powerful enough to power the British train.
I also think, they would fit underneath a typical British train like the Class 456 train, which has a width of 2800 mm.
The Hydrogen Tanks
The article says this about the hydrogen tanks and the range.
Hydrogen is stored in four high pressure cylinders at 35 MPa, with a capacity of 180 litres, giving a range of 72 km.
The mass of the hydrogen in the tank according to this calculator on the Internet is around 4.3 Kg.
In How Much Energy Can Extracted From a Kilogram Of Hydrogen?, I showed that a typical fuel cell can produce 16 kWh from a kilogram of hydrogen.
So the hydrogen tank can be considered a battery holding 4.3 * 16 = 68.8 kWh.
That doesn’t sound much, so perhaps the capacity figure is for a single tank. In that case the total for the train would be 275.2 kWh, which seems more in line with the battery size of Vivarail’s two-car battery prototype, which has 424 kWh.
Each tank would be something like 2500 mm long and 300 mm in diameter, if they were cylindrical. Double the diameter to 600 mm and the capacity would be over 700 litres.
The Battery
The article says the train has a 540 kW battery, which I think could be a misprint, as it would more likely be 540 kWh.
Performance
The article says this about the performance.
The four 95 kW traction motors provide a maximum acceleration of 0·7 m/s2, and an electric braking rate of 0·86 m/s2
It also says that the range is 72 km.
My observations on the performance and traction system are.
- The traction power of the two-car Japanese train at 380 kW is very similar to the 373 kW of the similar-sized British Class 456 train
- The acceleration rate is very typical of an electric multiple unit.
- Braking is regenerative and used to charge the batteries. As it should!
This leads me to conclude, that this is a train, that could run a short public service, just as the Class 379 BEMU demonstrator did in 2015.
Thoughts About Range
The range is quoted at 72 kilometres (forty five miles.) This figure is unusual in that it is very precise, so perhaps it’s the Japanese way to give an exact figure, whereas we might say around or over seventy kilometres.
Applying my trusty formula of three kWh per vehicle-mile for cruising gives a energy requirement of 270 kWh for the full range, which is close to the four-tank energy capacity of 275.2 kWh.
Comparison With Alstom’s Breeze
Alstom are building a hydsrogen-powered version of a Class 321 train, which they have named Breeze.
Like the Japanese train, this is a effectively two-car train with respect to capacity as large hydrogen tanks to give a thousand kilometre range are installed.
So do the developers of both trains feel that a hydrogen-powered train to replace two- and three-car diesel multiple units is the highest priority?
Conclusion
If nothing else, it seems the Japanese have designed a two-car electric multiple unit, that has the following characteristics.
- Practical size of two-cars.
- Most equipment underneath the train.
- Useful range.
- Acceleration and braking in line with modern units.
- Regenerative braking.
- Ability to work on overhead, battery and hydrogen power.
I am led to the conclusion, that once their research is finished, the Japanese could design a very practical hydrogen-powered train for production in the required numbers.
Meridian Water Station Is To Be Upgraded
In the Wiukipedia entry for Meridian Water station, this is said.
In August 2019, it was announced that funding had been approved for construction of a fourth platform and a new section of track between Tottenham Hale and Meridian Water to enable up to 8 trains per hour to serve the station at peak times.
This must be the earliest upgrade in history, after a new station has opened.
I have searched the Internet and can’t find anything more about the loose statement, I quoted above.
Space has been left for the fourth platform, which will be numbered 1, on the East side of the station, as this picture taken from the island platform 2/3 shows.
Will platform 1 be a terninal platform or will it be a through platform.
A through platform connected to a loop around the island platform would allow Southbound trains to split to the North of the station.
- Trains for Liverpool Street would call in Platform 3 and continue as now to Liverpool Street.
- Stopping trains for Stratford would call in Platform 1 and take the proposed extra track to Tottenham Hale.
- Express trains for Stratford could call in Platform 3 and continue as now to Stratford.
- Platform 2 would still be a bay platform to handle shuttle trains from Stratford.
Eight trains per hour (tph) in both directions calling at the station could be as follows.
- Platform 1 – Two tph from Bishops Stortford to Stratford
- Platform 2 – Two tph Meridian Water to Stratford
- Platform 3 – Two tph from Hertford East to Liverpool Street
- Platform 3 – One tph from Cambridge to Liverpool Street
- Platform 3 – One tph from Cambridge North to Liverpool Street
- Platform 4 – Two tph from Stratford to Bishops Stortford
- Platform 4 – Two tph from Liverpool Street to Hertford East
- Platform 4 – One tph from Liverpool Street to Cambridge
- Platform 4 – One tph from Liverpool Street to Cambridge North
Four tph go to and from each of Stratford and Liverpool Street.
The Extra Track
As I said earlier, the extra track could be a loop through the station with the following layout.
- Start to the North of Meridian Water station, around the area of the former Angel Road station.
- Go through Platform 1 at Meridian Water station.
- Continue South to the East of the other three tracks.
- Go through Northumberland Park station, where provision has been made to add a new Platform 1.
- Continue South.
- It would probably then join with the new Northbound track and go into Platform 2 at Tottenham Hale station.
- Continue South on the recently-built third track to Lea Bridge and Stratford stations.
The operation of the route looks complicated with the number of tracks as follows.
- Between Stratford and Lea Bridge Junction via Lea Bridge station – Two tracks
- Between Lea Bridge Junction and Tottenham Hale station – One track – Bi-directional
- Between Tottenham Hale and Meridian Water via Northumberland Park station – Two tracks
This would enable a four tph service between Stratford and Meridian Water stations.
Would It Not Be Better To Extend The Fourth Track To Lea Bridge Junction?
Possibly!
But by only having a single extra bi-directional track South of Tottenham Hale, they can achieve the required service without replacing the Ferry Lane Bridge and possibly with a simpler track layout at Lea Bridge Junction.
How Would And Stratford and Stansted Airport Services Fit In?
What I think the eight tph service could be, means that on the third track between Tottenham Hale and Lea Bridge stations, there are four Southbound and two Northbound trains in every hour. This can probably be handled by bi-directional running on the single track section.
But other arrangements would probably have to be made to squeeze some more services into the section between Tottenham Hale and Lea Bridge stations.
Perhaps digital signalling would allow Stansted trains to use the main route and only stopping trains would use the new third track. This could probably mean that Stratford had the following services along the West Anglia Main Line.
- 2tph – Shuttle to Meridian Water
- 2 tph – Semi-fast to Bishops Stortford
- 2 tph – Stansted Express
Would some or all of the train use the High Meads Loop to turn round, as some Stansted services to Stratford have done in the past?
Will A Stratford And Stansted Service Be An Extension Of The Norwich and Stansted Service?
This would be possible and Greater Anglia have enough Class 755 trains to run it.
- It would add a fourth service in each hour between London and Norwich.
- It would add a direct service between Cambridge and Stratford.
- If run at a frequency of 2 tph it would greatly improve connectivity up the West Anglia Main Line to Cambridge and Stansted Airport
Passenger numbers will decide what happens.
Train timings are interesting.
With the current Class 170 trains, I suspect that they could run between Norwich and Stansted in just under two hours, to make a round trip in four hours possible but tight. So can the bi-mode Class 755 trains using electricity South of Ely easily achieve the very convenient four hour round trip?
- The bay platform at Cambridge would be released for other services.
- Just four trains would be needed for an hourly service.
Between Stansted and Stratford a limited stop Express would be comfortably under the hour, especially if the High Meads Loop were to be used.
- Stansted and Stratford would need four trains to run a two tph service,which would probably be Class 720 trains.
- Norwich and Stratford via Stansted would need six trains for an hourly service and twelve for two tph.
The numbers of extra trains required for a joined-up two tph service between Norwich and Stratford, probably make it unlikely.
I think the service will be as follow.
- Hourly Norwich and Stansted using Class 755 trains.
- 2tph Stansted and Stratford using Class 720 trains.
But if the Norwich and Stansted via Cambridge service is as successful, as I think it will be, the passenger numbers might prompt Greater Anglia to add a second train on every hour.
The only problem would be if the new services generated a lot of journeys between Cambridge and Stratford and Greater Anglia felt there should be at least an hourly service.
Will Stansted Services Stop At Meridian Water?
Why not!
- It is going to be a community of ten thousand houses.
- Businesses in the are will increase and could be attracted by an Airport service.
- Modern trains have a very short dwell time.
It will depend on the passenger numbers.
The Shuttle Starts
The station should be receiving the first shuttle trains on Monday the 9th of September,, as I said in The Shuttle Train Between Stratford And Meridian Water Stations Has Appeared In The Timetable.
Looking at the timetable fo Monday from around 14:00, Strastford services through Tottenham Hale station appear to be.
- 13:56 in Platform 3 – Bishops Stortford (13:15) to Stratford (14:10) – Doesn’t use the third track.
- 14:13 in Platform 4 – Stratford (14:00) to Bishops Stortford (14:56) – Doesn’t use the third track.
- 14:13 in Platform 2 – Meridian Water (14:08) to Stratford (14:23) – On the third track between 14:08 and 14:16
- 14:25 in Platform 2 – Stratford (14:16) to Meridian Water (14:31) – On the third track between 14:22 and 14:31
- 14:43 in Platform 3 – Bishops Stortford (13:47) to Stratford (14:40) – Doesn’t use the third track.
- 14:43 in Platform 4 – Stratford (14:30) to Bishops Stortford (15:23) – Doesn’t use the third track.
- 14:43 in Platform 2 – Meridian Water (14:38) to Stratford (14:53) -On the third track between 14:38 and 14:46
- 14:55 in Platform 2 – Stratford (14:46) to Meridian Water (15:01) – On the third track between 14:52 and 15:01
- 14:56 in Platform 3 – Bishops Stortford (14:15) to Stratford (15:10) – Doesn’t use the third track.
- 15:13 in Platform 4 – Stratford (15:00) to Bishops Stortford (15:56) – Doesn’t use the third track.
Note.
- The first time in each entry, is the time at Tottenham Hale.
- All Stratford services from Tottenham Hale leave from the island platform 2/3.
It would appear that the two tph to Bishops Stortford and 2tph to Meridian Water are intertwined.
I can follow the first train through the services in the table.
- The first train leaves Bishops Stortford at 13:15 and arrives at Stratford at 14:10
- It leaves for Meridian Water at 14:16, where it arrives at 14:31
- It returns to Stratford at 14:38, where it arrives at 14:53.
- The train finally leaves for Bishops Stortford at 15:30, where it arrives at 16:23
The 14:10 arrival at Stratford left Bishops Stortford at 13:15 and that the 15:30 arrives back at Bishops Stortford at 16:23, where it forms the 16:47 back to Stratford.
The round trip is three and a half hours and it would need seven trains.
What Trains Will Be Used For The Shuttle?
The current services between Stratford and Bishops Stortford are pairs of Class 317 trains, forming an eight-car train.
These will work well for the time being, but what happens when the new Class 720 trains arrive.
These are five- and ten-car trains and will they be a suitable length to run the Stratford/Bishops Sortford/Meridian Water services?
Five-car may be too short and ten-car may be too long!
The only four-car trains in the area are the Class 710 trains of the London Overground.
Conclusion
There are a lot of questions to answer.
I shall add to this post, when I see what is happening next week.
The Anonymous Widower 