A Tale Of Two Trains
Last week I attempted to have rides in two ground-breaking trains.
- A battery-powered version of Vivarail‘s Class 230 train.
- A hydrogen-powered Alstom Coradia iLint.
Some months ago, I also had an early public run in a Crossrail Class 345 train.
The latter trains have now been introduced more fully into service, although there are still some Class 315 trains in service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield stations.
Transport for London performed the introduction with plenty of well-trained staff about to both handle any problems and ask passengers for feedback.
It was all very professional and despite Crossrail’s well-reported lateness, it is difficult to find bad reports about the performance of the Class 345 trains between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
Vivarail’s Class 230 Train
I went to the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, to see this train last Wednesday and wrote about the train in Battery Class 230 Train Demonstration At Bo’ness And Kinneil Railway.
- This service was not a paid-for public service but a free demonstration open to all, who wanted to turn up.
- Many people did for the first run at 11:00 and they looked to be a mixture of locals, people with transport interests, families and enthusiasts.
- Vivarail came mob-handed with engineers, designers, public relations staff and the Chairman; Adrian Shooter.
- There was no restrictions as to who talked to whom.
Search the Internet and it is very difficult to find negative reaction to the demonstration.
This article with a video in the Scotsman is entitled Video: Battery Trains On Track To Cut Emissions and gives a lot of information.
- Each car weighs thirty tonnes.
- Chassis and body are aluminium.
- Each car has two 100 kWh batteries underneath.
- New batteries in 2019 will enable sixty mph for forty miles and take just four minutes to charge.
- Regenerative brakes recharge the batteries.
The article has a very positive, typified by this paragraph.
Beyond the recycled exterior, Adrian explains how renewable energy and eco-friendliness are at the heart of the train’s design and a sign of things to come.
I haven’t read any reports from bloggers, enthusiasts or the general public about the train, but like myself, I suspect many went home quietly satisfied after watching a very professional demonstration.
My only negative comment about the Vivarail demonstration, is that it could probably have done with a modicum of classic marketing and upsexing.
Alstom’s Coradia iLint
Last week was the second time, that I tried to get a ride on this train.
- But as with my first trip, although I saw a train, none were actually running.
- This time, I heard that there was a shortage of drivers and one train had gone back to the manufacturer.
- These innovative trains are going to attract visitors from all over the world and I think that Alstom are not being at all professional with their handling of the testing.
- There was just no information, let alone staff at any of the stations, that will be served by the hydrogen-powered trains.
The important people were happy enough to turn up for the grand launch, but did not see fit to provide the information for the general public, who are interested in a genuine innovation, that could cut carbon emissions.
Conclusion
We will see a diesel-powered Class 230 train in service this December and it will then be possible to judge this innovative train on a fair basis.
But after the professional demonstration I saw in Scotland, I very much feel that this launch will not be handled in a sloppy way, such that it leaves a lot of disillusioned travellers.
But I am beginning to wonder, if Alstom’s project was launched too early without real planning to gain lots of brownie points about green issues.
It is one thing to get a new train working on a test track, but passengers with their own needs and appointments to keep, add a whole new dimension.
Alstom may well not be alone, as Porterbrook seem to be having troubles with launching their innovative Class 769 train.
Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Launch First Hybrid Rail Project In The UK With MTU Hybrid PowerPacks
The title of this post is the same as that on this Press Release from Porterbrook.
Porterbrook, Eversholt and the other train leasing companies have a problem, that can be turned into an opportunity to make money in a way, few will find unacceptable.
There are several fleets of trains in the UK, that are reasonably new and have plenty of life left in their basic structure, running gear and traction equipment.
But compared to modern rolling stock, they are like a twenty-year-old BMW, Jaguar or Mercedes. Good runners and comfortable, but not up to the standards, passengers, rail operators, rail staff and environmentalists expect.
So the train leasing companies are looking for ways to update their fleets, so that they can continue to earn money and satisfy everybody’s needs and aspirations.
Class 769 Train
Porterbrook started this innovation by taking redundant Class 319 trains and converting them into Class 769 trains, so they could be used on lines without electrification.
The picture shows one of Northern’s Class 319 trains.
Thirty-five of these trains have been ordered. So far, due to design and testing issues none have been delivered. Hopefully, as testing has now started, some will be in traffic before the end of the year.
This project could create upwards of fifty much-needed four-car bi-mode trains for running on partially-electrified routes.
Class 321 Hydrogen Train
Eversholt have also teamed up with Alstom to create a hydrogen-powered version of their Class 321 train.
This project could create around a hundred four-car 100 mph, zero-emission electric trains, for running on routes with no or only partial electrification.electrification.
The Four-Car High Speed Train
Everybody loves High Speed Trains and Scotrail and Great Western Railway are taking a number of them and creating four-car quality trains to increase their rolling stock.
The picture shows a High Speed Train under test in Glasgow Queen Street station.
They are already running in Cornwall and they should be running in Scotland before the end of the year.
Updating The Class 170 Trains
The Press Release announces Porterbrook’s latest project and gives this picture.
There are 122 Class 170 trains on the UK rail network, which were built around twenty years ago. There are also nearly a hundred other Class 168, 171 and 172 trains with a similar design.
They are 100 mph trains, that are diesel-powered and some are used on long distances.
As a passenger, they are not a bad train, but being diesel, they are not that environmentally friendly.
The Class 172 trains, which are currently running on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, would surely be a much better train with a smoother electric transmission, that had regenerative braking. Although, as they have a mechanical transmission, rather than the hydraulic of the other Turbostars, this might not be possible.
On the other hand, West Midlands Trains will soon have a fleet of thirty-five Class 172 trains of various sub-types, so fuel savings could be significant.
This is from the Press Release.
Rolls-Royce and Porterbrook, the UK’s largest owner of passenger rolling stock, have agreed the delivery of MTU Hybrid PowerPacks that can convert Class 168 and Class 170 ‘Turbostar’ DMUs from diesel-only to hybrid-electric operation. Hybrid technology allows for the cleaner and quieter operation of trains in stations and through urban areas.
As I understand it, the current hydraulic traction system will be replaced by an electric one with a battery, that will enable.
- Regenerative braking using a battery.
- Battery electric power in urban areas, stations and depots.
- Lower noise levels
- Lower maintenance costs.
This should also reduce diesel fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Conclusion
The good Class 170 trains, are being improved and should give another twenty years of service.
How many other projects like these will surface in the next few years?
Hybrid Regional Train To Be Tested
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Plans to convert a TER regional multiple-unit into a prototype overhead electric, battery and diesel hybrid unit were announced by SNCF and Alstom on September 17.
The Grand Est, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions and Alstom are to spend €16.6m converting and testing the Régiolis unit, which will be taken from the Occitanie region’s fleet. Two of the four diesel engines will be replaced with high-capacity lithium-ion batteries able to store regenerated braking energy.
It looks to me, that each Régiolis train has four slots in which to put a diesel engine. So are they doing what Stadler are doing with the tri-mode Flirts for the South Wales Metro and allowing operators to fill each slot with a diesel engine and generator or a lithium-ion battery.
Hopefully, the modules are designed, so they are just Plug-and Play.
The train’s computer would decide what power is best and swap between electric/diesel and battery power automatically or under the control of the driver.
The concept is simple and it could have some interesting outcomes.
- The ability to use regenerative braking on an electrified line, that can’t handle the reverse currents.
- Extending routes efficiently on non-electrified lines, where noise and pollution could be a problem.
- As battery technology gets better and can hold more energy, all diesel engines might be replaced with batteries.
It does seem that Alstom are taking battery trains seriously.
It also appears that the number of existing trains, that are being improved by the addition of batteries is growing.
Is This The Solution To A Charging Station For Battery Trains?
This page on the Opbrid web site has a main title of Automatic High Power Charging for Buses, Trucks, and Trains.
It also has a subtitle of Furrer+Frey Opbrid Charging Stations for Battery Trains.
Furrer + Frey are a Swiss railway engineering company, that design and build railway electrification systems.
The web page gives this introduction.
Since 2009, Furrer+Frey has developed a multi-modal ultra high power charging station for battery-powered vehicles that is already radically changing the way traction power is delivered to road and rail vehicles. In particular, the Furrer+Frey Railbaar system targets existing low traffic diesel traction routes as well as new light rail and tram projects. The technology applies to battery powered trams and trains (Railbaar), buses (Busbaar) and trucks (Trukbaar) with a design rooted in proven Swiss electric rail technology already successfully deployed by Furrer+Frey across Europe and the world.
The web page has an interesting image for a Swiss company.
Shown is a Class 379 train, at a station, which I’m pretty sure is Cambridge.
Liverpool Street to Cambridge is a fully-electrified route, so why would a charging station be needed on this service?
I can’t think of a reason.
So I suspect, it’s just that to illustrate the web page, they needed to use a train that had the capability of running under battery power, which the Class 379 did in the BEMU trial of 2015.
It could also be that Furrer + Frey are working with Bombardier and it’s a Bombardier library picture.
But then Furrer + Frey probably work with all the major train manufacturers.
And as Bombardier have just released a new battery train, that I wrote about in Bombardier Introduces Talent 3 Battery-Operated Train, it would be logical that the two companies are working together, as battery trains will surely need charging in stations to develop longer routes.
Note the blue box in the middle of the picture. It says.
Download White Paper On 25 Kv Train Charging
If you download the white paper, you will find a very comprehensive and detailed description of how battery trains could be charged in stations. This is the introductory paragraph.
Battery-powered trains are rapidly becoming the vehicle of choice for the replacement of diesel
trains on non-electrified rail lines. Often there is not enough traffic on these lines to justify the expense of erecting overhead line equipment (OLE) along the track. In many cases, the train runs under OLE for part of its route where the battery train can charge via its pantograph. However, sometimes additional charging is required. While it is possible to erect additional kilometers of OLE for charging, it is more cost effective to charge the train via pantograph while stopped at a station using a very short length of overhead conductor rail and a 25 kV power supply.
I will now try to explain the solution.
The white paper gives this physical description of the solution.
The physical structure of the charging station is quite simple.
It consists of a short length of overhead conductor rail, approximately 20 m to 200 m in length. This length depends on the type, length, and number of battery trains that will be charging at one time. The conductor rail is supported by normal trackside posts and high voltage insulators. Insulated cables lead from the power supply to the conductor rail, with the return path from the running
rails. Furrer+Frey makes 25 kV and 15 kV overhead conductor rail systems that are ideal for this
purpose.
The design seems to use readily available components.
What Is Overhead Conductor Rail?
This picture, that I took on the Thameslink platforms at St. Pancras station, shows the overhead conductor rail, used to power the trains.
St. Pancras is one of the best places to see overhead conductor rail in London, although overhead conductor rail will be used by Crossrail in the tunnels.
How Would Overhead Conductor Rail Be Used To Charge A Train’s Batteries?
A short length of such a rail, would be mounted above the track in the station, so that it could be accessed by the train’s pantograph.
The rail would be positioned so that it was exactly over the train track, at the height required by the train.
What Voltage Would Be Used?
The normal overhead voltage in the UK, is 25 KVAC. There is no reason to believe that any other voltage would be used.
The overhead conductor rail/pantograph combination has a lot of advantages and benefits.
The Overhead Conductor Rail Is Standard
The overhead conductor rail is a standard Furrer + Frey product and it can be supported in any of the appropriate ways the company has used around the world.
This picture shows conductor rail fixed to the wall in Berlin HBf station.
Or it could be fixed to gantries like these at Gospel Oak station, which carry normal overhead wiring.
Note that gantries come in all shapes and sizes.
The Overhead Conductor Rail Can Be Any Convenient Length
There is probably a minimum length, as although drivers can stop the trains very precisely, a few extra metres will give a margin of error.
But there is no reason why at a through platform on a line served by battery trains, couldn’t have an overhead rail, that was as long as the platform.
The Train Pantograph Is Standard
The pantograph on the train, that collects the current from the overhead conductor rail can be an almost standard unit, as it will be doing the same job as it does on electrified sections of the route.
The white paper goes into this in detail.
As in the UK, our overhead line voltage is 25 Kv, the train can receive 1 MW with a current of 40 A, which is probably low enough to be below the limit of the conductor rail/pantograph combination. This would allow around 80 kWh to be transferred to the train in a five minute charge.
Could Trains Use Two Pantographs To Charge Batteries?
The white paper says that the system could handle more than one train, if the overhead conductor rail was long enough.
Bombardier’s Class 345 trains are effectively two half-trains, which each have their own pantograph.
So could a train use both pantographs to charge the batteries?
A Sophisticated Pantograph Control System Could Be Used
The train would probably have a sophisticated control system to automatically raise and lower the pantograph, so as to maximise the charge, whilst the train was in the station.
The System Should Be Safe
The overhead conductor rail would be no closer to passengers and staff, than overhead wires and conductor rail are at any other station platform in the UK.
I also suspect, that the power to the overhead conductor rail would only be switched on, if a train was being charged.
Standard Solutions Could Be Developed
One application of battery trains is to use them on a branch without electrification from an electrified line to a simple station in a town, housing or commercial development or airport..
The terminal stations would be very simple and surprisingly similar.
- One platform.
- An overhead conductor rail on gantries, a wall or some other simple support.
- A power supply for the overhead conductor rail.
A station building,, shelters and information displays could be added to the solution or designed specifically for the location.
Solutions for a wide range of countries would only differ in a few areas.
- The height of the platform.
- The gauge of the track.
- The overhead conductor rail voltage.
But I do believe that in this example of a standard system, there will be surprising commonality across the world.
As the white paper identifies, there is at least one tricky problem.
The High Voltage Power Supply
Providing high-quality, reliable high-voltage supplies may not always be that easy in some areas, so innovative electrical solutions will certainly be needed.
One solution suggested in the white paper involves using energy storage and then creating the 25 KVAC to power the overhead conductor rail.
I like this solution, as there are many applications, where these forms of independent power supplies are needed to power industrial premises, villages and equipment like flood pumps, often in remote locations. They could also incorporate a wind turbine or solar panels.
Someone will develop these systems and providing 15 or25 KVAC will be just another application.
Conclusion
I will add the conclusion from the white paper, as it says it all.
Battery trains are now available to replace diesel
trains on existing non-electrified tracks. They can
be charged using AC 25 kV 50 Hz or AC 15 kV 16,7
Hz either while running under catenary or when at
a standstill at a station using a short length of
overhead conductor rail and an appropriate power
supply. Standstill charging avoids the need to
build long stretches of catenary along a track
thereby saving money, and allowing the electrification
of track previously thought to be uneconomic
to electrify. Battery trains also enable the
use of renewable energy sources. Moving towards
green energy sources reduces harmful emissions
and noise which positively impacts climate change
and improves health
I am sure, we’ll see a lot of uses of this simple and efficient method of charging battery trains.
Bombardier Introduces Talent 3 Battery-Operated Train
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on InsideEVs.
This picture of the train is from Bombardier’s web site.
This is said.
Bombardier recently presented the Talent 3, which according to the press release, is the first of its kind to enter passenger operation in Europe in over 60 years.
The first prototype has a range of 40 km (25 miles), but the second one scheduled for 2019 will go 100 km (62 miles) on a single charge.
There’s even a nifty little video.
All the features and benefits of the train are detailed.
- Bridging gaps in electrification.
- Modular batteries, so more can be added to increase range.
- Regenerative braking to save energy.
- Lower infrastructure costs.
- Electric instead of diesel trains under city centres.
- Low noise.
- No CO2 emissions.
- Low cost of ownership.
But this is all about a Talent 3 train, that is designed to a Continental loading gauge. Wikipedia says this about the design.
The Talent 3 is based on the earlier Talent and Talent 2 designs, with a wider carbody, larger doors, and a lower floor to increase capacity and improve passenger flow at station stops. Depending on the intended service pattern, the Talent 3 can be specified with either a 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) or 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) top speed. Talent 3 trainsets can vary in length based on customer requirements—ÖBB ordered six-car sets with a passenger capacity of 300, while Vlexx ordered three-car sets that carry up to 160 passengers.
The picture and the video look like a three-car train.
How Large Are The Batteries On A Talent 3?
What do we know about the train?
- It appears to have three cars.
- According to this page on the Bombardier web site, the train has four batteries.
- I estimate that according to weights in Wikipedia, a three-car Talent weighs 86.5 tonnes
- A three-car Talent 3 can carry 160 passengers.
My calculation is as follows.
- 160 passengers at 90 Kg each with baggage, bikes and buggies weigh 14.4 tonnes.
- I’ll assume each battery weighs a tonne.
- This gives a total train weight of 104.9 tonnes.
At a speed of 160 kph, the Omni Kinetic Energy Calculator gives a kinetic energy of 28.8 kWh.
So four batteries of 25 kWh each would be sufficient to handle the regenerative braking energy.
What about the UK?
Bombardier’s equivalent product for the UK is the Aventra, which unlike the Talent 3 is a substantially all-new design, although it does use proven technology from previous trains.
It has also received six orders for a total of over 400 trains.
I have always thought, that after the successful BEMU trial with a Bombardier Class 379 train, that batteries will become an important part of rail technology and they will feature in the design of the Aventra.
You may think, that looking at the video, that we’ll have trouble with the UK’s small loading gauge putting the batteries on the roof of the train, but the actual size of batteries is not large and they can go underneath.
I sometimes wonder, If the reason for the delay of the Class 710 trains, is that when they are successfully running, Bombardier will finally come clean in the UK, about how batteries are used on the Aventra. You wouldn’t want the trains to be unreliable, so they are making sure that all systems, including the important batteries are 100 % reliable.
In Don’t Mention Electrification!, I state why I believe that the Barking Riverside Extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line could be built without electrification.
So I’m fairly certain that the Class 710 trains are designed to run this section of the route on battery power.
When Did I Last Ride A Trolleybus?
The final leg of my descent from Mount Pilatus was a trolleybus from the walk down from the cable-car station to Lucerne station.
They are certainly a bit different to the ones I rode in London in the 1950s.
Trolleybus Ascending Jolly Butchers Hill in Wood Green
Will we see more trolleybuses in the future?
Londoners of my age, all have memories of trolleybuses.
- They had faster acceleration than diesel buses.
- They were generally reliable.
But they were sometimes a nightmare to turn round. Near where I live now, you can still see the wide junction between Southgate Road and Ardleigh Road where 641 trolleybuses turned at Mildmay Park.
But the development of battery technology and fast charging stations will mean that battery buses will be able to do the same trip without any wires.
The 641 trolleybus in North London was replaced by the 141 bus, which still runs regularly between London Bridge and Palmers Green.
It was the first route in London to be run using hybrid buses and will probably be one of the first long routes to be run by electric buses.
Clean Drivers To Sport Green Numberplates
The title of this post is the same as that as an article on page 11 of today’s Sunday Times.
The first paragraph gives a few more details.
Electric and hydrogen-powered cars, vans and taxis may be awarded green numberplates in a public display of virtue.Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, said giving clean vehicles a “green badge of honour” was a “brilliant way of helping increase awareness” ans “might just encourage people to think about” getting one themselves.
I think it’s a good idea and apparently Norway, Canada and China have green plates.
I like it as it would be easier to spot a battery taxi, which are so much nicer than the older models.
Jesse Norman, a junior Government minister is also thinking about tax breaks for e-Bikes and for ecargobikes for “last mile” deliveries.
What Are Greater Anglia Going To Do With A Problem Like The Crouch Valley Line?
This post is effectively a series of sub-posts describing the problems of the Crouch Valley Line.
Platform 1 At Wickford Station
These pictures show Platform 1 at Wickford station, where services on the Crouch Valley Line terminate.
The train in the platform is a four-car Class 321 train, which is almost exactly eighty metres long.
After Greater Anglia has renewed the fleet, the shortest electric train they will have will be a five-car Class 720 train, which is over one hundred and twenty metres long.
I don’t think one of these shiny new trains will fit into the current platform.
Electrification
These pictures show the electrification at Burnham-on-Crouch station.
And these show Southminster station.
The overhead electrification on the Shenfield to Southend Line is being renewed and this section is supposedly finished. But it does look very similar to pictures I took in 2016, that are posted in Wickford Station. As the 25 KVAC overhead electrification was installed in 1979, when the line was converted from 6.25 KVAC, I do wonder about the age of some of the gantries.
On the trip, where I took these pictures staff were still complaining about the unreliability of the wires, as they have done before.
There doesn’t appear to have been any work done on the Crouch Valley Line, although the conductor did say that the route was being closed at times for work in the near future.
I do question, whether the overhead wires on the Crouch Valley Line are of a sufficient high and modern standard to be both reliable and easy and affordable to maintain.
Can the electrification handle regenerative braking?
The Timetable
The timetable East of Shenfield is as follows.
- Three trains per hour (tph) between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria stations.
- A train every forty minutes between Wickford and Southminster stations.
- There are also some direct services between Southminster and Liverpool Street in the Peak.
Every time, I go use the line it seems, I always have a long wait at Wickford station.
Current services take thirty minutes between the two end stations with generous turnround times of about ten minutes at each end of the route.
Two trains are needed for the service, which are single-manned with a conductor checking and selling tickets appearing to float between the trains.
A New Nuclear Power Station At Bradwell
There is a possibility of building.of a new nuclear power station at Bradwell.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note.
- Burnham-on-Crouch is the large village on the North Bank of the River Crouch.
- Southminster is a couple of miles to the North of Burnham on Crouch.
- Bradwell is in the North-East corner of the map alongside the River Blackwater.
- You can just see the World War 2 airfield, which was the site of the original Bradwell nuclear power station.
If a new power station is built at Bradwell, I doubt that it will require rail freight access at Southminster, as did the original station.
Transport technology has moved on and heavy goods will surely be taken in and out by barge from the River Blackwater.
But a new station or more likely ; a cluster of small modular reactors will require transport for staff, contractors and visitors.
Although, on balance, with the growth of renewable energy, I don’t think that many more nuclear power stations will be built.
A Battery Storage Power Station At Bradwell
I also wouldn’t rule out the use of Bradwell for a battery storage power station for the electricity generated by wind farms like Gunfleet in the Northern section of the Thames Estuary.
The number and size of these wind farms will certainly increase in the coming years.
Battery storage power stations are ideal partners for wind farms, as they help turn the intermittent wind power into a constant flow of electricity.
Currently, the largest battery storage power station is a 300 MWh facility that was built in 2016, at Buzen in Japan.
Energy storage technology is moving on fast and I would not be surprised to see 2000 MWh units by the mid-2020s.
Bradwell could be an ideal place to put a battery storage power station.
Passenger Numbers
Passenger numbers on the line over the last few years seem to have been fairly level although there appears to have been a drop in the last year or so. But this drop has happened in lots of places!
Various factors will effect the passenger numbers on the Crouch Valley Line in the future.
- New housing along the route.
- A large energy-based development at Bradwell will atract passengers.
- New trains will attract passengers.
- Will the Internet and new working practices affect passenger numbers?
- A two tph clock-face service will attract passengers.
- Faster and more frequent services between Liverpool Street and Wickford will make the line easier to access.
There is also the possibility of more visitors and tourists to the area. The RSPB have spent a lot of money developing Wallasea Wetlands, which is opposite Burnham-on-Crouch.
In future years, how many people will reach Wallasea, by ferry from Burnham-on-Crouch?
Adding up all these factors, I come to two conclusions.
Predicting the number of passengers will be difficult..
There will always be passengers who need this rail service.
It looks to me that Greater Anglia will have to plan for all eventualities from very low numbers of passengers to a substantial increase.
New Trains
Shenfield-Southend services and those on the Crouch Valley Line will be run using new Class 720 trains.
Bettween Liverpool Street And Southend Victoria
Currently, this service on the route is as follows.
Trains have a frequency of three tph.
- Each train takes an hour for the journey.
- All trains stop at the seven stations between Shenfield and Southend Victotria, Shenfield and Stratford.
- One train in three has an extra stop at Romford.
The new trains have a faster acceleration of 1 metre per second², as opposed to the current trains which can only manage 0.55 metre per second².
This property and their modern design, probably means that the new trains, can do a complete round trip between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria stations in under two hours.
- The journey time between the two stations will be around fifty minutes.
- A three tph frequency will need a fleet of six trains.
- A four tph frequency will need a fleet of eight trains.
This service will be faster than the fastest services between Fenchurch Street and Southend Central stations.
I can certainly see a time, when the frequency between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria stations is increased to four tph.
Passenger numbers are rising strongly at Southend Victoria station.
Southend Airport have big expansion plans and would welcome a better rail service, to and from their very convenient station.
At present times to their London termini from various airports are as follows.
- Gatwick Airport – 31 minutes (Express)
- Luton Airport – 28 minutes
- Southend Airport – 53 minutes
- Stansted Airport – 46 minutes
I think that Southend Airport times with the new trains could be about 43 minutes or less, which because of the closeness of the station to the terminal building could allow Southend Airport to claim faster times to Liverpool Street than Stansted Airport.
If the service does go to four tph, there will be a massive increase in capacity.
There will be 1145 seats in the new trains, as opposed to 927 in the current Class 321 trains.
With four tph. this would mean an increase in capacity of 40%.
I don’t think anybody in Southend will be complaining.
Between Wickford And Southminster
As I said earlier, the new longer Class 720 trains will have difficulty running the current service, as they don’t fit into Platform 1 at Wickford station.
Working the same timetable the new trains with their 544 seats will offer a 76% increase in train capacity.
Trains take thirty minutes with five intermediate stations.
Given the better acceleration and modern nature of the new trains, I wonder, if they will be able to do a round trip in an hour.
If they can do this, then it would be possible to run a two tph service on the route.
But it will be a tough ask!
That still leaves the problem of turning back the trains at Wickford.
Currently, trains between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria going in opposite directions, pass at Wickford station.
If this could be arranged with four tph, then there would be up to fifteen minute windows, where no train was passing through Wickford station.
Suppose the Liverpool Street and Southend services passes through at XX:00, XX:15. XX:30 and XX:45.
Would it be possible for the Southminster trains to leave Wickford at XX:10 and XX:40 and arrive back at XX:05 and XX:35, thus giving five minutes for the driver to get to the other end.
As I said, it would be a tough ask!
But I suspect there is a plan to get two tph between Wickford and Southminster.
- The track could be improved.
- Some level crossings could be closed.
- Operating speed could be faster.
- Better step-free access could probably be arranged at the intermediate stations.
- A step-free bridge could be built at Wickford.
If two tph can be achieved, then this would increase capacity on the route by 134 %.
The Passing Loop At North Fambridge Station
This Google Map shows the station and passing loop at North Fambridge station.
Measuring from the map, I estimate the following.
- The length of the platforms are 160 metres.
- The length of the passing loop is in around 400 metres.
I also suspect that to save money was the line was singled in the 1960s, British Rail made the passing loop as short as possible to cut costs.
The current loop can handle eight-car Class 321 trains, so it can certainly handle a five-car Class 720 trains.
I do wonder if the passing loop were to be lengthened, this would ease operation on the line.
There might even be a length, that enable a two tph service with the current four-car Class 321 trains.
Thoughts On Speed Limits
The speed limit on the line is 60 mph between Battlesbridge and North Fambridge stations and 50 mph at both ends of the line.
Summarising sections of the line, their length and speed limits give.
- Wickford and Battlesbridge – 2 miles 38 chains = 4356 yards = 3983 metres – 50 mph
- Battlesbridge and North Fambridge – – 5 miles 67 chains = 10274 yards = 9395 metres – 60 mph
- North Fambridge and Southminster – 8 miles 15 chains = 14410 yards = 13177 metres – 50 mph
This gives totals of 17160 metres with a 50 mph limit and 9395 metres with a 60 mph limit.
- At 50 mph, the train would cover the 17160 metres in 12.8 minutes
- At 60 mph, the train would cover the 17160 metres in 10.7 minutes
- At 75 mph, the train would cover the 17160 metres in 8.5 minutes
Increasing the speed limit to 60 mph would save two minutes.
Network Rail must have all the figures and costs, but this could be a cost-effective way to save a couple of minutes.
But it does seem if the operating speed of the line were to be increased, time saving could be achieved, that would make a two tph timetable a reality.,
Could Electrification Be Removed From The Crouch Valley Line?
If the track is going to be improved with respect to line speed, level crossings and passing loops, then there will have to be changes to the layout of the overhead electrification.
Most of the serious changes that could be carried out, would be to the East of North Fambridge station.
Would it be sensible if the Class 720 trains have a battery capability, to remove the electrification to the East of North Fambridge station?
- 13.2 km. of single-track would have the electrification removed.
- Some of this electrification will need replacing soon.
- Trains could swap between power sources in North Fambridge station.
- The batteries would be charged between Wickford and North Fambridge stations.
- Only 16 miles in each round trip would be on batteries.
Removing some electrification would cut the cost of any works.
Conclusion
I’m sure Greater Anglia have a solution and it’s probably better than my rambling.
Bombardier’s 125 Mph Electric Train With Batteries
In Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power, I said this.
The title of this post is the same as this article in Rail Magazine.
A few points from the article.
- Development has already started.
- Battery power could be used for Last-Mile applications.
- The bi-mode would have a maximum speed of 125 mph under both electric and diesel power.
- The trains will be built at Derby.
- Bombardier’s spokesman said that the ambience will be better, than other bi-modes.
- Export of trains is a possibility.
Bombardier’s spokesman also said, that they have offered the train to three new franchises. East Midlands, West Coast Partnership and CrossCountry.
It has struck me, that for some applications, that the diesel engines are superfluous.
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, in an article entitled Bi-Mode Aventra Details Revealed.
In a report of an interview with Bombardier’s Des McKeon, this is said.
Conversion to pure electric operation is also a key design feature, with the ability to remove the diesel engines and fuel tanks at a later date.
So why not swap the diesel engines and add an equal weight of extra batteries?
Batteries would have the following uses.
Handling Energy Generated By Regenerative Braking
Batteries would certainly be handling the regenerative braking.
This would give efficiency savings in the use of electricity.
The total battery power of the train, would have to be large enough to handle all the electricity generated by the regenerative braking.
In the Mathematics Of A Bi-Mode Aventra With Batteries, I calculated the kinetic energy of the train.
I’ll repeat the calculation and assume the following for a pure electric train.
- The train is five cars, with say four motored cars.
- The empty train weighs close to 180 tonnes.
- There are 430 passengers, with an average weight of 90 Kg each, with baggage, bikes and buggies.
- This gives a total train weight of 218.7 tonnes.
- The train is travelling at 200 kph or 125 mph.
These figures mean that the kinetic energy of the train is 94.8 kWh. This was calculated using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator.
My preferred battery arrangement would be to put a battery in each motored car of the train, to reduce electrical loses and distribute the weight. Let’s assume four of the five cars have a New Routemaster-sized battery of 55 kWh.
So the total onboard storage of the train could easily be around 200 kWh, which should be more than enough to accommodate the energy generated , when braking from full speed..
Traction And Hotel Power
Battery power would also be available to move the train and provide hotel power, when there is no electrification.
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
As the Aventra is probably one of the most modern of electric multiple units, I suspect that an Aventra will be at the lower end of this range.
An Intelligent Computer
The train’s well-programmed computer would do the following.
- Choose whether to use electrification or battery power to power the train.
- Decide when the battery could be charged, when electrification power was being used.
- Arrange, that when a train stopped at a station without electrification, the batteries were as full as possible.
- Manage power load, by shutting off or switching equipment to a low energy mode, when the train was running on batteries.
- Raise and lower the pantograph as required.
The computer could take account of factors such as.
- Passenger load and total weight.
- Route and train’s position.
- Weather.
- Future signals.
The computer would only be doing a similar job that is done by those in the flight control systems of aircraft.
Although, trains run in less dimensions and don’t need to be steered.
How Far Would This Train Go On Batteries?
This is question of the same nature as how long is a piece of string?
It depends on the following.
- The severity of the route.
- The size of the batteries.
- The load on the train.
- The number of stops.
- Any delays from slow-moving trains.
- The timetable to be used.
I would expect that train manufacturers and operating companies will have a sophisticated mathematical model of the train and the route, that can be run through various scenarios.
With modern computers you could do a Monte-Carlo simulation, trying out millions of combinations, which would give a very accurate value for the battery size to have a near hundred percent chance of being able to run the route to the timetable.
After all if you ran out of power with a battery train, you stop and the train has to be rescued.
Suppose you were going to run your 125 mph Electric Train With Batteries from Kings Cross to Middlesbrough.
- You would need a battery range of about fifty miles, to go between Northallerton and Middlesbrough stations and come back.
- You would also need to have enough power to provide hotel power in Middlesbrough station, whilst the train was turning back.
Certain things could be arranged so that the service runs smoothly.
- The train must leave the East Coast Main Line with a fully-charged battery.
- The train must leave the East Coast Main Line as fast as possible.
- The train should have a minimum dwell time at all the intermediate stops.
- The train could be driven very precisely to minimise energy use.
Some form of charging system could also be provided at Middlesbrough. Although it could be difficult as there are only two platforms and trains seem to turn round in a very short time of six minutes
Electrification could also be extended for two hundred metres or so, at Northallerton junction to ensure points 1 and 2 were met.
Effectively, trains would be catapulted at maximum energy towards Middlesbrough.
Points 3 and 4 require good signalling, a good Driver Advisory System and above all good driving and operation.
What Other Routes Could Use 125 mph Electric Trains With Batteries?
Use your imagination!
Braintree Freeport Station
These pictures show Braintree Freeport station on the Braintree Branch.
Note.
- There is one platform that can accommodate an eight-car formation of two Class 321 trains, so it must be at least 160 metres long.
- The platform is used in both directions.
- Like much of the electrification on the Great Eastern Main Line and its branches, it is not in the first flush of youth and some parts had evidence of repair.
- The station information could be better, but that is a problem on a lot of Greater Anglia’s smaller stations.
- The route to the Braintree Freeport Shopping Centre is about four hundred metres and not too taxing.
I suspect that a bit more TLC would improve this station.
But will the electrification on the Braintree Branch be replaced in the near future?
The New Class 720 Trains
I went to Braintree Freeport station in an eight-car formation of two Class 321 trains, which weren’t by any means full.
In Comparing Greater Anglia’s Old And New Electric Multiple Units, I said this.
Given that the Class 720 is a modern train, designed with passengers, staff and operators in mind, I can’t see any problems with replacing the current eight-car trains with a five-car Class 720 train
I also suspect that if required, an extra car could be added to make six-car trains with a length of 146 metres, that would be shorter than an eight-car Class 321 train. .
If a single Class 720 train isn’t enough capacity for the Braintree Branch, then by adding a passing loop at Cressing station, the frequency of trains on the branch can be doubled, which could attract more passengers to the route.
Could the Braintree Branch Have The Electrification Removed?
This may seem like a retrograde step, but consider the following.
- I’m fairly certain, that the Class 720 trains, which are Aventras have been designed to use batteries to handle regenerative braking and the trains have a useful range on battery power.
- The Braintree Branch is only six miles long.
- The electrification will have to be replaced or upgraded in the next few years.
- Building the loop at Cressing station without electrification would be a cost saving.
- There are no other services on the branch, except the occasional diesel-hauled engineering train.
- The batteries would be charged between Liverpool Street and Witham stations.
I would be very surprised, if removing the electrification and using battery power is not being considered.
Conclusion
New Class 720 trains with a battery capability and the addition of a passing loop at Cressing station would improve the Braintree Branch line.
The Anonymous Widower 