The Anonymous Widower

How Many Trains Are Needed To Run A Full Service On High Speed Two?

The latest High Speed Two schedule was published in the June 2020 Edition of Modern Railways.

The Two Train Classes

Two separate train classes have been proposed for High Speed Two.

Full-Size – Wider and taller trains built to a European loading gauge, which would be confined to the high-speed network (including HS1 and HS2) and other lines cleared to their loading gauge.

Classic-Compatible – Conventional trains, capable of high speed but built to a British loading gauge, permitting them to leave the high speed track to join conventional routes such as the West Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two has a section entitled Rolling Stock, where this is said about the design.

Both types of train would have a maximum speed of at least 360 km/h (225 mph) and a length of 200 metres (660 ft); two units could be joined together for a 400-metre (1,300 ft) train. It has been reported that these longer trains would have approximately 1,100 seats.

These are some of my thoughts.

Seating Density

I would assume that this means that a single 200 metre train, will have a capacity of approximately 550 seats or a density of 2.75 seats per metre. How does that compare with other trains?

• 9-car Class 801 train – 234 metres – 611 seats – 2.61 seats/metre
• 7-car Class 807 train – 182 metres – 453 seats – 2.49 seats/metre
• 9-car Class 390 train  – 217.5 metres – 469 seats – 2.16 seats/metre
• 11-car Class 390 train  – 265.3 metres – 589 seats – 2.22 seats/metre
• 12-car Class 745/1 train – 236.6 metres – 767 seats – 3.24 seats/metre
• 16-car Class 374 train – 390 metres – 902 seats – 2.31 seats/metre

Note.

1. What I find strange with these figures, is that I feel most crowded and cramped in a Class 390 train. Could this be because the Pendelino trains are eighteen years old and train interior design has moved on?
2. But I always prefer to travel in a Hitachi Class 80x train or a Stadler Class 745 train.

I very much feel that a seating density of 2.75 seats per metre, designed using some of the best modern practice, could create a train, where travelling is a very pleasant experience.

Step-Free Access

I have travelled in high speed trains all over Europe and have yet to travel in one with step-free access.

Surely, if Stadler can give their trains step-free access everybody can.

The pictures shows step-free access on Stadler Class 745 and Class 755 trains.

If I turned up pushing a friend in a wheelchair, would I be able to push them in easily? Or better still will they be able to wheel themselves in?

A Greater Anglia driver tp;d me recently, that now they never have to wait anymore for wheelchairs to be loaded.

So surely, it is in the train operator’s interest to have step-free access, if it means less train delays.

Double-Deck Trains

In my view double-deck trains only have one only good feature and that is the ability to see everything, if you have a well-designed window seat.

I may be seventy-three, but I am reasonably fit and only ever travel on trains with airline-sized hand baggage. So I don’t find any problem travelling upstairs on a double-deck bus or train!

But it could have been, so very different, if my stroke had been a bit worse and left me blind or in a wheelchair for life.

I have seen incidents on the Continent, which have been caused by double-deck trains.

• A lady of about eighteen in trying to get down with a heavy case dropped it. Luckily it only caused the guy she was travelling with, to roll unhurt down the stairs.
• Luggage is often a problem on Continental trains because of the step-up into the train and access is worse on double deck trains.
• I also remember on a train at Leipzig, when several passengers helped me lift a guy and his wheelchair out of the lower deck of a double-deck train, which was lower than the platform, as they often are with double-deck trains.

I am not totally against double-deck trains, but they must be designed properly.

Consider.

• High Speed Two’s Full-Size trains will only use London Euston, Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange, Birmingham Curzon Street, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly, East Midlands Hub and Leeds stations.
• All stations used by Full-Size trains will be brand-new or substantially rebuilt stations.
• Someone sitting in a wheelchair surely has the same right to a view from the top-deck of a double-deck train as anybody else.
• Jumbo jets seemed to do very well without a full-length top-deck.
• The A 380 Superjumbo has been designed so that entry and exit on both decks is possible.

I feel if High Speed Two want to run double-deck trains, an elegant solution can surely be found.

A Crude Estimate On The Number Of Trains

This is my crude estimate to find out how many trains, High Speed Two will need.

Western Leg

These are the services for the Western Leg between London , Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

• Train 1 – London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre Full-Size – 45 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 2 – London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre Full-Size – 45 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 3 – London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 400 metre Full-Size – 45 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 4 – London Euston and Lancaster – Classic Compatible – 2 hours 3 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
• Train 4 – London Euston and Liverpool – Classic Compatible – 1 hours 34 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 5 – London Euston and Liverpool – Classic Compatible – 1 hours 34 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 6 – London Euston and Macclesfield – Classic Compatible – 1 hours 30 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 7 – London Euston and Manchester – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 11 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
• Train 8 – London Euston and Manchester – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 11 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
• Train 9 – London Euston and Manchester – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 11 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
• Train 10 – London Euston and Edinburgh – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 48 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
• Train 10 – London Euston and Glasgow – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 40 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
• Train 11 – London Euston and Edinburgh – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 48 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
• Train 11 – London Euston and Glasgow – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 40 minutes – 8 hour Round Trip – 8 trains
• Train 12 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh or Glasgow – Classic Compatible – 3 hours 20 minutes – 7 hour Round Trip – 7 trains
• Train 13 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester – 200 metre Full-Size – 41 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
• Train 14 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester – 200 metre Full-Size – 41 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains

Note.

1. I have assumed 400 metre Full-Size trains will be a pair of 200 metre trains.
2. Trains 4, 10 and 11 are pairs of 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains, that  split and join at Crewe. Carlisle and Carlisle respectively.
3. Trains 5 and 6 are single 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains.
4. The full schedule will need 34 Full-Size trains and 56 Classic-Compatible trains

According to Wikipedia, the first order will be for 54 Classic-Compatible trains, so I would assume, that more trains will be ordered.

Eastern Leg

These are the services for the Eastern Leg between London , Birmingham, East Midlands Hub, Leeds, Sheffield, York and Newcastle.

• Train 15 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds – 200 metre Full-Size – 49 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
• Train 16 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds – 200 metre Full-Size – 49 minutes – 2 hour Round Trip – 2 trains
• Train 17 – Birmingham Curzon Street and Newcastle – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 57 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
• Train 18 – London Euston and Sheffield – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 27 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 18 – London Euston and Leeds – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 21 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 3 trains
• Train 19 – London Euston and Leeds – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 21 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
• Train 20 – London Euston and Leeds – 400 metre Full-Size – 1 hour and 21 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 6 trains
• Train 21 – London Euston and Sheffield – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 27 minutes – 4 hour Round Trip – 4 trains
• Train 21 – London Euston and York – Classic Compatible – 1 hour 24 minutes – 3 hour Round Trip – 3 trains
• Train 22 – London Euston and Newcastle – Classic Compatible – 2 hour 17 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains
• Train 23 – London Euston and Newcastle – Classic Compatible – 2 hour 17 minutes – 5 hour Round Trip – 5 trains

Note.

1. I have assumed 400 metre Full-Size trains will be a pair of 200 metre trains.
2. Trains 15 and 16 work as a pair,
3. Trains 18 and 21 are pairs of 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains, that split and join at East Midlands Hub.
4. Trains 22 and 23 are single 200 metre long Classic-Compatible trains
5. The full schedule will need 16 Full-Size trains and 29 Classic-Compatible trains.

Adding the two legs together and I estimate that 50 Full-Size trains and 85 Classic-Compatible trains, will be needed to run a full schedule.

Trains Per Hour On Each Section

It is possible to make a table of how many trains run on each section of the High Speed Two network in trains per hour (tph)

• London Euston (stops) – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
• London Euston and Old Oak Common – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
• Old Oak Common (stops) – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
• Old Oak Common and Birmingham Interchange – 1-11, 18-23 – 17 tph
• Birmingham Interchange (stops) – 2, 3, 7, 11, 20 – 5 tph
• Birmingham Curzon Street (stops) – 1-3, 12-14, 15-17 – 9 tph
• Birmingham and Crewe – 4,5, 7-9, 10-14 – 10 tph
• Crewe (stops) – 4,5 – 2 tph
• Crewe and Liverpool – 4,5 – 2 tph
• Crewe and Lancaster – 4, 10-12 – 4 tph
• Crewe and Manchester – 7-9, 13, 14 – 5 tph
• Crewe and Wigan via Warrington – 4 – 1 tph
• Crewe and Wigan via High Speed Two (new route) – 10-12 – 3 tph
• Lancaster (stops) 4 – 1 tph
• Lancaster and Carlisle  – 10-12 – 3 tph
• Carlisle and Edinburgh – 10-12 – 2.5 tph
• Carlisle and Glasgow – 10-12 – 2.5 tph
• Birmingham and Stoke – 6 – 1 tph
• Stoke (stops) – 6 – 1 tph
• Stoke and Macclesfield – 6 – 1 tph
• Macclesfield (stops) – 6 – 1 tph
• Birmingham and East Midlands Hub – 15-17, 18-20, 21-23 – 9 tph
• East Midlands Hub (stops) – 15-17, 18-20, 21 – 7 tph
• East Midlands Hub and Sheffield – 18, 21 – 2 tph
• Sheffield (stops) – 18, 21 – 2 tph
• Midlands Hub and Leeds – 15, 16, 18-20 – 5 tph
• Leeds (stops) – 15, 16, 18-20 – 5 tph
• East Midlands Hub and York – 17, 21-23 – 4 tph
• York (stops) – 17, 21-23 – 4 tph
• York and Newcastle – 17, 22, 23 – 3 tph
• Newcastle (stops) – 17, 22, 23 – 3 tph

These are a few thoughts.

Capacity Of The Southern Leg

The busiest section is between London Euston and Birmingham Interchange, which handles 17 tph.

As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives a path for recovery, according to the article.

Trains Serving Euston

The following train types serve London Euston station.

• Full-Size – 8 tph
• 400 metre Classic-Compatible – 5 tph
• 200 metre Classic-Compatible – 4 tph

In the current service proposal, , Trains  5,6, 22 and 23 are just single 200 metre Classic Compatible trains.

This is inefficient and another four tph could be run into Euston station, by the use of appropriate splitting and joining.

• Train 5 could run an identical manner to Train 4 to give extra services to Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay.
• Train 6 to Macclesfield is a problem and perhaps should call at Birmingham Interchange, where it could split and join to serve somewhere else like Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.
• Trains 22 and 23 could split and join at East Midlands Hub and serve other places in the East of England like Cleethorpes, Hull, Lincoln, Middlesbrough and Scarborough.

Paths are expensive entities to provide and every path into Euston should support a 400 metre train or a pair of 200 metre trains.

Platform Use At Euston

This page on the High Speed Two web site, gives details of Euston High Speed Two station.

HS2 will deliver eleven new 400m long platforms, a new concourse and improved connections to Euston and Euston Square Underground stations. Our design teams are also looking at the opportunity to create a new northerly entrance facing Camden Town as well as new east-west links across the whole station site.

So how will the eleven platforms be used?

Destinations served from London are planned to be as follows.

• Birmingham Curzon Street – Full-Size – 3 tph
• Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
• Lancaster – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
• Leeds – Full-Size – 2 tph – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph

Liverpool – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph

• Macclesfield – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
• Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size – 3 tph
• Newcastle – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
• Sheffield – Classic-Compatible – 2 tph
• York – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph

That is ten destinations and there will be eleven platforms.

I like it! Lack of resources is often the reason systems don’t work well and there are certainly enough platforms.

Could platforms be allocated something like this?

• Birmingham Curzon Street – Full-Size
• Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible
• Leeds – Full-Size
• Liverpool – Classic-Compatible – Also serves Lancaster
• Macclesfield – Classic-Compatible
• Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size
• Newcastle – Classic-Compatible
• Sheffield – Classic-Compatible – Also serves Leeds and York

Note.

1. No  platform handles more than three tph.
2. There are three spare platforms.
3. Each platform would only be normally used by one train type.
4. Only Birmingham Interchange, East Midlands Hub, Leeds, Preston and York are not always served from the same platform.

Platform arrangements could be very passenger- and operator-friendly.

Platform Use At Birmingham Curzon Street

Birmingham Curzon Street station has been designed to have seven platforms.

Destinations served from Birmingham Curzon Street station are planned to be as follows.

• Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
• Leeds – Full-Size – 2 tph
• London Euston – Full-Size – 3 tph
• Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size – 2 tph
• Newcastle – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph
• Nottingham – Classic-Compatible – 1 tph

Note.

1. The Nottingham service has been proposed by Midlands Engine Rail, but will be running High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
2. That is six destinations and there will be seven platforms.

I like it! For the same reason as London Euston.

Could platforms be allocated something like this?

• Edinburgh/Glasgow – Classic-Compatible
• Leeds – Full-Size
• London Euston – Full-Size
• Manchester Piccadilly – Full-Size
• Newcastle/Nottingham – Classic-Compatible

Note.

1. No  platform handles more than three tph.
2. There are two spare platforms.
3. Each platform would only be normally used by one train type.
4. Only East Midlands Hub is not always served from the same platform.

Platform arrangements could be very passenger- and operator-friendly.

Back-to-Back Services via Birmingham Curzon Street

The current plan for High Speed Two envisages the following services between the main terminals served by Full-Size trains.

• London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street – 3 tph – 45 minutes
• London Euston and Leeds – 2 tph – 81 minutes
• London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 3 tph – 71 minutes
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds – 2 tph – 40 minutes
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly – 2 tph – 41 minutes

Suppose a traveller wanted to go between East Midlands Hub and Manchester Airport stations.

Wouldn’t it be convenient if the Leeds to Birmingham Curzon Street train, stopped in Birmingham Curzon Street alongside the train to Manchester Airport and Piccadilly, so passengers could just walk across?

Or the two services could be run Back-to-Back with a reverse in Birmingham Curzon Street station?

Note.

1. The current fastest times between Nottingham and Manchester Airport stations are around two-and-a-half hours, with two changes.
2. With High Speed Two, it looks like the time could be under the hour, even allowing up to eight minutes for the change at Birmingham Curzon Street.

The design of the track and stations for High Speed Two, has some interesting features that will be exploited by the train operator, to provide better services.

Capacity Of The Western Leg Between Birmingham And Crewe

The section is between Birmingham and Crewe, will be running 10 tph.

As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.

But where will they come from?

High Speed One copes well with a few interlopers in the shape of Southeastern’s Class 395 trains, which run at 140 mph, between the Eurostars.

High Speed Two is faster, but what is to stop an operator running their own Classic-Compatible trains on the following routes.

• Birmingham Curzon Street and Liverpool via Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway.
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Holyhead via Crewe, Chester and an electrified North Wales Coast Line.
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Blackpool via Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston.
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Blackburn and Burnley via Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western and Preston.

Note.

1. If these trains were say 130 metres long, they could call at all stations, without any platform lengthening.
2. I’m sure that the clever engineers at Hitachi and Hyperdrive Innovation could come up with battery electric Classic-Compatible train, that could run at 225 mph on High Speed Two and had a battery range to reach Holyhead, with a small amount of electrification.
3. A pair of trains, could work the last two services with a Split/Join at Preston.

The advantages of terminating these service in Birmingham Curzon Street would be as follows.

• A lot more places get a fast connection to the High Speed Two network.
• Passengers can reach London with an easy change at Birmingham Curzon Street station.
• They can also walk easily between the three Birmingham stations.

But the big advantage is the trains don’t use valuable paths on High Speed Two between Birmingham Curzon Street and London Euston.

Crewe Station

In the current Avanti West Coast timetable, the following trains pass through Crewe.

• London Euston and Blackpool – 4 trains per day (tpd)
• London Euston and Chester – 1 tph
• London Euston and Edinburgh/Glasgow – 2 tph
• London Euston and Liverpool – 1 tph
• London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly – 1 tph

Most trains stop at Crewe.

In the proposed High Speed Two timetable, the following trains will pass through Crewe.

• London Euston and Edinburgh/Glasgow – 2 tph
• London Euston and Lancaster/Liverpool – 2 tph
• London Euston and Manchester – 3 tph
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Edinburgh/Glasgow  -1 tph
• Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester – 2 tph

Note.

1. Only the Lancaster and Liverpool trains stop at Crewe station.
2. North of Crewe there will be a three-way split of High Speed Two routes to Liverpool, Wigan and the North and Manchester Airport and Piccadilly.
3. High Speed Two will loop to the East and then join the West Coast Main Line to the South of Wigan.
4. High Speed Two trains will use the West Coast Main Line to the North of Wigan North Western station.

This map of High Speed Two in North West England was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.

Note.

1. The current West Coast Main Line (WCML) and Phase 2a of High Speed Two are shown in blue.
2. Phase 2b of High Speed Two is shown in orange.
3. The main North-South route, which is shown in blue, is the WCML passing through Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western as it goes North.
4. The Western Branch, which is shown in blue, is the Liverpool Branch of the WCML, which serves Runcorn and Liverpool.
5. High Speed Two, which is shown in orange, takes a faster route between Crewe and Wigan North Western.
6. The Eastern Branch, which is shown in orange, is the Manchester Branch of High Speed Two, which serves Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
7. The route in the East, which is shown in blue, is the Macclesfield Branch of High Speed Two, which serves Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield.

The route of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester Airport and Liverpool has still to be finalised.

Liverpool Branch

Consider.

• The Liverpool Branch will take  two tph between London Euston and Liverpool.
• In the future it could take up to 6 tph on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester Airport.

I believe that Liverpool Lime Street station, after the recent updating can handle all these trains.

Manchester Branch

This document on the Government web site is entitled HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg Design Refinement Consultation.

It indicates two important recently-made changes to the design of the Manchester Branch of High Speed Two.

• Manchester Airport station will have four High Speed platforms instead of two.
• Manchester Piccadilly station will have six High Speed platforms instead of four.

These changes will help the use of these stations by Northern Powerhouse Rail..

Consider.

• The Manchester Branch will be new high speed track, which will probably be built in a tunnel serving Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.
• The Manchester Branch will terminate in new platforms.
• The Manchester Branch will take  five tph between Birmingham Curzon Street or London Euston and Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
• In the future it could take up to six tph on Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool and Manchester Piccadilly via Manchester Airport.
• London Euston and Old Oak Common will be new stations on a tunnelled approach to London and will handle 18 tph.

If London Euston and Old Oak Common can handle 18 tph, I can’t see why Manchester Airport and Piccadilly stations can’t handle somewhere near a similar number of trains.

At the moment eleven tph have been allocated to the Manchester Branch.

I believe that if infrastructure for Northern Powerhouse Rail was designed so that as well as connecting to Manchester and Liverpool, it connected Manchester and the West Coast Main Line running North to Preston, Carlisle and Scotland, services to the following destinations would be possible.

• Barrow
• Blackburn
• Blackpool
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow
• Windermere

Note.

1. Edinburgh and Glasgow would probably be a service that would alternate the destination, as it is proposed for High Speed Two’s Birmingham and Scotland service.
2. There would probably be a need for a North Wales and Manchester service via Chester.
3. All trains would be Classic-Compatible.

If the Manchester Branch were to be built to handle 18 tph, there would be more than enough capacity.

Crewe, Wigan And Manchester

My summing up earlier gave the number of trains between Crewe, Wigan and Manchester as follows.

• Crewe and Manchester – 5 tph
• Crewe and Wigan via Warrington  – 1 tph
• Crewe and Wigan via High Speed Two (new route) – 3 tph

This map of High Speed Two where the Manchester Branch leaves the new High Speed Two route between Crewe and Wigan was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.

Note.

1. The Manchester Branch runs to the South of the M56,
2. The large blue dot indicates Manchester Airport station.
3. Wigan is to the North.
4. Crewe is to the South.
5. Manchester Piccadilly is to the North East.

I believe this junction will be turned into a full triangular junction, to connect Wigan directly to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.

• Barrow, Blackburn, Blackpool, Preston and Windermere could all have high speed connections to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly. Trains could be shorter Classic-Compatible trains.
• A Manchester and Scotland service would take the same route.

Another pair of tracks could leave the junction to the West to create a direct route between Manchester Airport and Liverpool for Northern Powerhouse Rail, by sneaking along the  M56.

Suppose extra services were as follows.

• Manchester and Barrow – 1 tph
• Manchester and Blackburn – 1 tph
• Manchester and Blackpool – 1 tph
• Manchester and Liverpool – 6 tph
• Manchester and Scotland – 1 tph
• Manchester and Windermere – 1 tph

The frequencies from the junction would be as follows.

• To and from Crewe – High Speed Two (Manchester) – 5 tph – High Speed Two (North) – 3 tph = 8 tph
• To and from Liverpool – Northern Powerhouse Rail – 6 tph = 6 tph
• To and from Manchester – High Speed Two – 5 tph – Northern Powerhouse Rail – 6 tph – Local – 4 tph – Scotland – 1 tph = 16 tph
• To and from Wigan – High Speed Two – 3 tph – Local – 4 tph – Scotland – 1 tph = 8 tph.

Only the Manchester Branch would be working hard.

The Liverpool Connection

I indicated that another pair of tracks would need to extend the Manchester Branch towards Liverpool in the West for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

• Would these tracks have a station at Warrington?
• Would there be a connection to allow services between Liverpool and the North and Scotland?

It might even be possible to design a Liverpool connection, that avoided using the current Liverpool Branch and increased the capacity and efficiency of all trains to Liverpool.

Capacity Of The Western Leg Between Wigan And Scotland

The sections between  Crewe and Carlisle, will be running at the following frequencies.

• Wigan and Lancaster – 4 tph
• Lancaster and Carlisle  – 3 tph
• Carlisle and Edinburgh  – 2.5 tph
• Carlisle and Glasgow – 2.5 tph

Note.

1. The unusual Scottish frequencies are caused by splitting and joining at Carlisle and alternate services to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
2. Any local high speed services and a Scotland service from Manchester, will increase the frequencies.

Over this section the services will be running on an improved West Coast Main Line.

But in some cases the trains will be replacing current services, so the increase in total frequencies will be less than it first appears.

Avanti West Coast currently run the following Scottish services.

• One tph – London Euston and Glasgow via the most direct route.
• One tph – London Euston and alternately Edinburgh and Glasgow via Birmingham.

This means that effectively Glasgow has 1.5 tph and Edinburgh 0.5 tph from London Euston.

The capacity of the current eleven-car Class 390 trains is 145 First and 444 Standard Class seats, which compares closely with the 500-600 seats given in Wikipedia for High Speed Two trains. So the capacity of the two trains is not that different.

But High Speed Two will be running 2.5 tph Between London Euston and both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

I would expect, that Class 390 services to Scotland will be discontinued and replaced by High Speed Two services.

Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between Birmingham And East Midlands Hub

The section is between Birmingham and East Midlands Hub, will be running 9 tph

As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.

But where will they come from?

Midlands Engine Rail is proposing a service between Birmingham Curzon Street and Nottingham.

• It will have a frequency of one tph.
• It will be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
• The journey will take 33 minutes.
• It will run on High Speed Two infrastructure between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub.

If High Speed Two has been designed with this service in mind, I doubt it will be a difficult service to setup.

• There might be enough capacity on High Speed Two  for two tph on the route,
• It could possibly be extended to Lincoln.

It will also depend on the service timing being consistent with an efficient use of trains and platforms.

• Thirty-three minutes is not a good timing, as it means twenty-seven minutes wait in a platform to get a round trip time, that suits clock-face time-tabling.
• The current Lincoln and Nottingham service takes 56 minutes for 34 miles.
• LNER’s London Kings Cross and Lincoln service travels the 16 miles between Lincoln and Newark in 25 minutes.
• I estimate that after track improvements,  with a single stop at Newark Castle station, that Nottingham and Lincoln could be achieved in several minutes under fifty minutes.
• This would enable a sub-ninety minute journey time between Birmingham Curzon Street and Lincoln, with enough time to properly turn the trains at both ends of the route.
• The three hour round trip would mean that an hourly service would need three trains.

This is probably just one of several efficient time-tabling possibilities.

Are there any other similar services?

The obvious one is surely Cambridge and Birmingham

• It would run via Peterborough, Grantham, Nottingham and East Midlands Hub.
• It would connect the three big science, engineering and medical centres in the Midlands and the East.
• It could be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.

It might even be a replacement for CrossCountry’s Stansted Airport and Birmingham service.

Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between East Midlands Hub And Sheffield

The section between East Midlands Hub and Sheffield, will be running 2 tph

As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.

But where will they come from?

This map of High Speed Two where the Sheffield Branch leaves the new High Speed Two route between East Midlands Hub and Leeds was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.

Note.

1. The main route of High Speed Two between East Midlands Hub, is shown in orange and follows the route of the M1 Motorway, towards the East of the map.
2. The Sheffield Branch is new track to Clay Cross North Junction, where is takes over the Midland Main Line to Sheffield, which is shown in blue.
3. The line going South in the middle of the map is the Erewash Valley Line, which goes through Langley Mill and Ilkeston stations.

I suspect Clay Cross to Sheffield will be an electrified high speed line, with a maximum speed of at least 140 mph.

Could the Erewash Valley Line have been used as an alternative route to Sheffield?

This map of High Speed Two captured from their interactive map, shows the connection of High Speed Two and the Erewash Valley Line to East Midlands Hub.

Note.

1. East Midlands Hub is shown by the big blue dot.
2. High Speed Two is shown in orange.
3. The route to Leeds vaguely follows the M1 Motorway.
4. The Erewash Valley Line goes North to the East of Ilkeston.

Would have been quicker and easier to electrify the Erewash Valley Line, as the High Speed Two route to Chesterfield and Sheffield?

• Network Rail updated the route a few years ago.
• It does not have the problems of electrification, through a World Heritage Site, as does the route through Derby.
• It could surely handle two tph, even if they were High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
• Sheffield will be just under ninety minutes from London by High Speed Two, as opposed to two hours now.

I suspect that it all comes down to saving a few minutes to Sheffield and the civic pride of having a High Speed Two connection.

So it looks like we’ll have the following capacity between East Midlands Hub and Sheffield.

• Between East Midlands Hub and Clay Cross North Junction, there will be the High Speed Two capacity of 18 tph.
• Between Clay Cross and Sheffield, there will probably be an upgraded capacity of perhaps 8-10 tph.

It seems a lot of capacity for just two tph.

Consider.

• High Speed Two is planning to run three tph between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub
• Midlands Rail Engine is planning to run one tph between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub
• Four tph is considered a Turn-Up-And-Go service, and could exist between Birmingham Curzon Street and East Midlands Hub.
• Sheffield and Leeds, both probably need a Turn-Up-And-Go service, to and from East Midlands Hub.
• Semi-fast services between Sheffield and East Midlands Hub, calling at Chesterfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill and Ilkeston would be possible, by using the Erewash Valley Line.
• The Maid Marian Line will join the Robin Hood Line in adding extra connectivity to East Midlands Hub Station.
• Leeds and East Midlands Hub could have a six tph service courtesy of High Speed Two and Midlands Rail Engine.

Using High Speed Two’s web site, the following times should be possible.

• Sheffield and East Midlands Hub – 27 minutes
• Sheffield and Birmingham Curzon Street – 47 minutes.

Both services allow time for an efficient service.

There are certainly many options to create a Turn-Up-And-Go service between Sheffield and East Midlands Hub and also improve connections to other locations across the area.

Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between East Midlands Hub And Leeds

The section is between East Midlands Hub and Leeds, will be running 5 tph

High Speed Two between Midlands Hub and Leeds is a totally new high speed line.

• As the maximum capacity of High Speed Two is laid down in the Phase One Act as 18 tph, this gives plenty of room for more trains.
• The Southern section of the leg closely follows the M1 Motorway.
• Leeds, York and Newcastle will be 27, 36 and 93 minutes from East Midlands Hub, respectively.

This map of High Speed Two, which shows the route of the line in Yorkshire, was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.

Note.

1. Sheffield is marked by the blue dot in the South.
2. Leeds is marked by the blue dot in the North West.
3. York is marked by the blue dot in the North East.
4. New routes are shown in orange.
5. Upgraded routes are shown in blue.

The route seems to open up several possibilities for extra routes.

• Leeds and Sheffield will be used by Northern Powerhouse Rail and there will be four tph, taking 28 minutes.
• Leeds and Bedford via East Midlands Hub has been proposed by Midlands Rail Engine.
• Services between Sheffield and the North via York must be a possibility.

This map of High Speed Two, which shows the routes to the East of Leeds, was captured from High Speed Two’s interactive map.

I think that two things might be missing.

• A full triangular junction would surely allow services between Leeds and the North via York.
• A high speed connection to Hull.

We shall see in the future.

Capacity Of The Eastern Leg Between York And Newcastle

The section between  York and Newcastle, will be running at a frequency of 3 tph.

Over this section the services will be running on an improved East Coast Main Line.

Conclusion

I shall split the conclusions into various sections.

Route And Track Layout

I think there may be places, where the route and track layout might need to be improved.

• The Manchester Branch probably needs a triangular junction with the Western Leg of High Speed Two.
• How Liverpool is served by Northern Powerhouse Rail needs to be decided.
• The approach to Leeds probably needs a triangular junction with the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
• It is not clear how services will reach Hull.

Hopefully, these issues will become clear in the next year or so.

Capacity

The sections with the highest levels of capacity would appear to be the following.

• London Euston and Birmingham Interchange.
• The Manchester Branch
• The section shared with the East Coast Main Line between York and Newcastle.
• The section shared with the West Coast Main Line between Wigan and Scotland.

But on these sections extra trains can be run.

• Birmingham and North West England
• Birmingham and East Midlands Hub
• East Midlands Hub and Leeds
• East Midlands Hub and Sheffield
• East Midlands Hub and York

I can see, this capacity being filled by high speed local services, like those proposed by Midlands Rail Engine.

Rolling Stock

The only comment, I will make, is that there could be a need for a shorter Classic-Compatible train to work local services.

October 22, 2020 Posted by AnonW | Design, Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, Clay Cross North Junction, Clay Cross North Junction And Sheffield Electrification, Double-Deck Trains, East Coast Main Line, East Midlands Hub Station, High Speed Two, High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, Hitachi, HS3/Northern Powerhouse Rail, Hyperdrive Innovation, Leeds Station, Liverpool Lime Street Station, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly Station, Midlands Engine Rail, Sheffield Station, Step-Free, West Coast Main Line, York Station | 6 Comments