The Anonymous Widower

Would A Train Manufacturer Save CrossCountry’s Iconic Aberdeen And Penzance Route?

The article in The Times about the cancelling of CrossCountry’s iconic Aberdeen and Penzance route was entitled After 104 Years UK’s Longest Train Route Is Cancelled For Ever, I gave my post the same name and both received a number of nostalgic comments, from those, who had ridden the route or wished they had.

The Characteristics Of The Line

This article on the BBC is entitled We Had To Be On Last Run Of UK’s Longest Train Route.

This is said in the BBC article.

The connection – first established back in 1921 – is 775 miles (1,247km) long.

But electrification is rather thin on the ground.

Between Leeds and Edinburgh stations is electrified and I suspect that some of the route through Birmingham New Street and Bristol Parkway stations are also electrified, so perhaps, a battery-electric train could get a top-up on the way.

But as Leeds and Edinburgh is around 220 miles, there’s about 550 miles of the route or 70 % without electrification.

Battery Power, Hydrogen Power Or Both?

If diesel is ruled out on environmental grounds, it means that only battery or hydrogen power could be used for the route.

Despite some of the progress made by battery-electric trains in the last few years, I feel that unless the route has a large number of charging stations, then battery-electric trains will not be a practical solution.

This is a paragraph from The Times article.

Rail bosses said one of the reasons for ending the train was the difficulty keeping such a long journey on time. The fact that most customers made only short journeys along the route was also a consideration.

And this is another.

As an “express” service it was severely challenged, partly because of the long waits at a number of stations along the way, including 14 minutes at both Edinburgh Waverley and Bristol Temple Meads, and seven minutes at Birmingham New Street and Exeter St Davids.

Stopping regularly to charge the batteries, is going to make timekeeping more difficult and will probably end up with irritable passengers, after all the waiting.

So I suspect, hydrogen would be the ideal power for such a long service over a route with such sparse electrification.

But the trains, would be fitted with regenerative breaking to battery, so that kinetic energy is conserved as much as possible in the station stops.

I believe, that the trains should effectively be tri-mode or hydrogen-hybrid trains, but then many drivers praise the frugality of their hybrid cars.

Would Efficient Hydrogen-Hybrid Trains Attract More Passengers?

Consider.

• All the battery and hydrogen trains and buses, with one exception, that I have ridden on, have been mouse-quiet.
• The exception was a German hydrogen train, that had a very noisy mechanical transmission.
• I also would expect that the trains would be capable of keeping up a cruising speed of 100 mph or perhaps even 125 mph.
• This would enable them to handle the current timetable, which is written for 125 mph Class 222 diesel trains.

An efficient, unobtrusive, reliable and speedy service would surely attract passengers.

What’s In It For The Manufacturer?

Consider.

• There are not many 775 mile routes in the UK.
• But, there are many long rail around the world, that need decarbonising or even creating.
• Some countries, like China, India and France are creating more electrified high speed long-distance lines.
• Others countries, like Australia and the United States are planning and building high speed long-distance lines.

Perhaps, what is needed is a drop-in solution to decarbonise and/or create new high speed long-distance railways.

Could Aberdeen and Penzance be an ideal test bed to trial and demonstrate, your drop-in hydrogen solution?

I am reminded of a story, told to me, by a guy, who was selling an expensive air traffic control radar to an Arab state.

The initial presentations were done in the company’s offices in London.

The only working radar was installed at Prestwick Airport and had been working successfully for a couple of years, so the Arabs would be taken on a visit.

As they were very important clients, the salesman was told, that he was entitled to borrow the chairman’s executive jet for the trip.

The flight to Scotland was uneventful, but as they left the plane, the pilot said to the salesman. “There’s no finer view, than the Scottish Highlands at this time of year, I could fix it, that I gave them the view of a lifetime on the way home.”

After thinking about it for a few seconds, the salesman asked the pilot to fix it.

When they returned to the plane after a successful demonstration, the pilot said. “It’s on if you want it?”

The tale had a very happy ending, in that the Arabs bought an Air Traffic Control radar.

To return to the hydrogen trains; What better route is there to show off the capabilities of your high speed hydrogen-hybrid trains?

• There is the spectacular scenery of the North of Scotland, The Pennines and Cornwall.
• The Firth of Forth is crossed on the Forth Rail Bridge.
• There is running on the wires between Edinburgh and Leeds.
• There is the spectacular views of Durham and York from the train.
• There will be several hours of running on hydrogen.
• The Saltash Bridge is crossed.

What better route is there to sell trains?

Could CrossCountry Customer Service Be Improved?

I’ve never done a long journey on CrossCountry.

But surely, if the trains were designed for the route and the manufacturer was showing them off, the trains could have a top-of-the-range specification and high-quality service?

If you’re going to be stuck on a train for over a dozen hours the service must be good.

Conclusion

Get everything right and the train service would be an unquestionable asset to the UK and extremely good for the manufacturer.

May 17, 2025 Posted by AnonW | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | Aberdeen And Penzance Route, Aberdeen Station, Battery-Electric Trains, Bristol Parkway Station, Class 222 Train, CrossCountry Trains, Edinburgh Station, Hydrogen-Powered Trains, Leeds Station, Penzance Station, Prestwick Airport, Scotland, Tri-Mode Train | Leave a comment