New Direct Rail Link To Seaham: How This Picturesque Seaside Town Will Connect To London Starting December 2025
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Travel and Tour World.
This is the first paragraph.
Starting December 2025, the picturesque seaside town of Seaham in County Durham will become even more accessible with a new direct rail link to London. This marks an exciting chapter in the town’s history, as Seaham’s first direct rail service will make it easier for tourists and business travelers alike to visit this charming coastal destination. Known for its stunning clifftop vistas, rocky beaches, and no fewer than 10 fish and chip shops, Seaham is already a popular spot for day-trippers, and this new rail service will only add to its appeal.
This section in the Wikipedia entry for Seaham station, gives the current rail services from the town.
As of the May 2021 timetable change, the station is served by an hourly service between Newcastle and Middlesbrough. Most trains continue to Hexham (or Carlisle on Sunday) and Nunthorpe. Two trains per day (three on Sunday) continue to Whitby. All services are operated by Northern Trains.
With Grand Central trains, serving Seaham four times per day in each direction, Seaham could be a very convenient place to explore the North-East of England.
If the timing of the services is right, Seaham could also become popular with visiting football fans at Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland, wanting to combine an away match with a weekend away.
This Google Map shows the town.
Note.
- The station is indicated by the red arrow.
- Beaches stretch along the town.
- There is a port with a lighthouse.
- There is even a 5-star hotel; Seaham Hall on Lord Byron’s Walk. The hotel has 21 suites and a spa.
- I can certainly see the hotel having a zero-carbon mini-bus meeting all eight Grand Central Trains.
I don’t think Grand Central Trains will be short of passengers on this route. Especially as from 2028, they will serving the town with new Hitachi battery-electric trains.
Conclusion
How many other towns in the UK could benefit from a four trains per day service to London?
A Long Ride In An Electric Bus
In the last few weeks, I’ve started to use the 243 bus, a lot more, as I’ve been on a course at St. Leonards Hospital and bus serves Dalston Junction, St. Leonards Hospital, Old Street station and a couple of other places I visit regularly.
On Thursday, I used it from my GP’s surgery and the William Harvey Heart Centre, where I volunteer.
I noticed that the buses on the route were now brand-new Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliner battery-electric buses.
This morning, I took a ride on a 243 bus from ~Old Street to Wood Green to make a better assessment of the bus.
These were the pictures I took.
I can compare it with four other common London buses.
- In common with the 243 bus of a few weeks ago, the 141 bus, that I use regularly has a collection of Wrightbus hybrid buses of a certain age, which need to be replaced.There is no comparison between the two buses, as the Streetdeck Electroliner has better ride, seats and interior fittings and also comes with phone charging, with every passenger having their own USB port.
- In addition to being fully electric, the bus is a step-up from the New Routemaster, in that the Electroliner is much quieter.
- In British Buses For British Bottoms, I was impressed with the Electroliner’s single-deck sibling and as most would expect, the buses are of similar standard and quality.
- I regularly ride on 43 buses, which are based on a Chinese chassis. I would rate the ride on these buses to have inferior passenger ride, than both the Electroliner and the New Routemaster.
I have a few other thoughts.
Is The Range Sufficient?
The web page for the Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliner, says this about range.
StreetDeck Electroliner is not a regular electric bus, its optimised power from a 454kW zero-emission battery electric power train is the ideal battery capacity for a UK Double Deck bus. It powers it to a range of up to 200 miles and a fast charge time of just 2.5 hours ensures daily scheduling aligning with driver breaks.
The buses are based at Tottenham Garage, which could mean they go back to there to charge, as it is on the route.
I asked Google AI, where the buses on route 243 were charged and got this answer.
London’s electric buses, including the route 243, primarily charge their batteries at bus garages using plug-in charging points. However, some routes, like the 358, utilize pantographs (overhead charging systems) at the ends of routes to provide rapid charging during the day, minimizing the need for lengthy garage charging. Arriva London, which operates route 243, has ordered new Volvo BZL electric buses for this route, and these buses will likely be charged using a combination of garage charging and opportunity charging via pantographs.
The answer is based on this article on this article on route-one.net which is entitled Arriva London orders 51 Volvo BZL Electric Double-deckers, where these are the first two paragraphs.
Arriva London has placed an order for 51 Volvo BZL battery-electric double-deckers. They represent the first order for the BZL from Arriva and will be deployed from Tottenham depot on Transport for London (TfL) routes 243 and 341.
Delivery is to commence in 2025 and the buses will be 10.9m long. High-backed seating will be fitted along with USB charging points and glazed skylights. Each will have 470kWh of energy storage with the 200kW driveline including a two-speed automated manual gearbox.
I have some questions.
- Has my camera lied about the buses it saw on the 243 route?
- Do the Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners use opportunity charging on the 243 route?
I shall investigate.
Hackney Downs Station To Aldgate By Volvo Electric Bus
I’d ridden one on route 242 earlier in the week, so on this trip I investigated them more.
Route 242 doesn’t normally serve Hackney Downs station, so I only got the change because of road works in Central Hackney,
These were the pictures I took.
Note.
- It was a generally well-designed and well-riding bus, with some nice touches.
- But is the great lump at the front on the left the battery?
- I particularly liked the stop indicator above the door.
- The bus was built on a Volvo chassis by MCV in Egypt.
- I must add some exterior views of the buses.
It was a lot better than the earlier Egyptian buses on route 30.
Has Aldgate Bus Station Been Fitted With Opportunity Charging?
In Hackney Downs Station To Aldgate By Volvo Electric Bus, I described my second ride in a Volvo BZL electric bus.
When I arrived at Aldgate bus station, I asked the driver, if he would be charging the bus. He answered in the affirmative.
I then took these pictures.
Note.
- Some of the buses were backed into parking spaces, with their back wheels up against one of two raised strips.
- The 242 bus I’d arrived on parked that way.
- A couple of New Routemasters were also parked each side of it.
- The 242 bus, I’d arrived on appeared to shut off all power for a few minutes. Was it charging at that time?
This Google Map shows the layout of the bus station.
Note.
- Ignore the yellow line, as it just the route of the Circle Line, which runs underneath.
- The strips are clearly visible.
- It looks there are about ten of them.
- Click on the map to show it to a larger scale.
I suspect some form of contactless charging could be used, as some people do with their mobile phone.
Power for the charging could even be taken from the Circle Line.
Completing Northern Powerhouse Rail
The Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two Connection To Manchester Airport Station
This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail connections that terminate at Manchester Airport station.
Note.
- The two runways are clearly shown.
- Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow near the top of the map.
- The orange tracks are rail lines.
- The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
- Rail and tram services approach the airport station from the East.
- The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two
- The black dotted line appears to be an extension of the tram line to the airport.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the lines around the airport station to a larger scale.
Note.
- Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow at the bottom of the map.
- The orange tracks are rail lines.
- The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
- The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
- The Manchester Metrolink now makes a loop around the Airport.
I think the following will happen.
- A large proportion of passengers and staff travelling between Manchester Airport and Manchester City Centre will use Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
- Passengers and staff, who live locally will use the Manchester Metro loop.
- Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two will replace some of the current train services.
- Some services on the Castlefield Corridor will migrate to Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
There could be as many as twelve trains per hour (tph) between Manchester Airport and Manchester City Centre on Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two. But a new urban line like that, which was mostly in a tunnel could probably handle 20 tph.
Manchester Airport And Crewe
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Manchester Airport and Crewe stations.
Note.
- Manchester Airport station is indicated by the blue arrow at the top of the map.
- The orange tracks are rail lines.
- The red track going down the left hand side of the map is the West Coast Main Line.
- The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
- The red dotted line is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
- Crewe station is at the bottom of the map in the middle.
There could be as many as 12 tph between Manchester Airport and Crewe.
Manchester Airport And Manchester Piccadilly
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.
Note.
- Manchester Airport station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- The orange tracks are existing rail lines.
- The green lines are Manchester Metrolink tracks.
- The red dotted line going up the middle of the map is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
- Manchester Piccadilly station is at the Northern end of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the City Centre between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations.
Note.
- Manchester Piccadilly station is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The red dotted lines creeping into the map is the current proposed path of Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two.
- All the platforms in Manchester Piccadilly station can be picked out, with the Castlefield Corridor breaking away to the West.
- The current plans will need demolition of buildings to the North of Manchester Piccadilly station.
- Manchester Victoria station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The green line of the Manchester Metrolink route picks out the walking route between Manchester’s two main stations.
- About halfway between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations is the open space of Piccadilly Gardens.
This Google Map shows Piccadilly Gardens.
Note.
- The Manchester Metrolink running through.
- There are two Metrolink stops ; Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens, in the area.
- It appears any stop on the Manchester Metrolink can be reached with no more than a single change from one of these two stops.
Looking at the map showing Victoria and Piccadilly stations, I wonder, if a Lizzie Line of the North could be built under Manchester City Centre.
- There would be underground platforms at Piccadilly station, with two through platforms and two to terminate trains from the South.
- Local services from Piccadilly station could continue as now, although services to Manchester Airport could be simplified.
- There would be an underground station at Piccadilly Gardens with two through platforms , to connect with an expanded Manchester Metrolink, buses and walking routes.
- There would be underground platforms at Victoria station, with two through platforms and two to terminate trains from the East.
- Local services from Victoria could continue as now.
- There could be as many as 12 tph between Manchester Victoria, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport.
Just as the Lizzie Line was slotted into London, with the minimum of disruption, I am fairly certain, a similar but smaller construction process could be carried out in Manchester City Centre.
- Manchester doesn’t have an Underground to avoid.
- The stations could be very similar to each other and like Custom House station on the Lizzie Line, they could be built with giant concrete Lego.
- There would only be four stations to create.
- The tunnel would be about fifteen miles at most.
- The tunnel would not need to be electrified as the trains could run on batteries.
As a Manchester Rail Tunnel has been talked about for decades, I suspect there is a big knowledge base of ground conditions, which would help with the design and construction.
Between Manchester Victoria And Leeds
Consider.
- The electrification between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations has recently been switched on.
- Part of the electrification between Leeds and York stations has been switched on.
- Full electrification is being installed between Leeds and Manchester Victoria stations.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Huddersfield Line between Manchester Victoria station and a few miles short of Huddersfield station.
Note.
- Manchester Victoria station is indicated by the blue arrow in the South-West corner of the map.
- Huddersfield station is just off the map in the North-East corner.
- Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations is fully electrified and shown in red.
- Stalybridge and Huddersfield stations is being electrified and is shown as black and red dotted.
- Electrification between Huddersfield and Leeds is underway under the TransPennine Upgrade.
This section will be completed, when the Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel is connected to the Huddersfield Line.
Connecting The Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel To The Huddersfield Line
This Google Map shows where the Huddersfield Line crosses the M60 Motorway to the West of Ashton-under-Lyme.
Note.
- The newly-electrified Huddersfield Line runs across the map.
- The M60 Motorway is on the left.
- There are facilities for athletics, cricket and football.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eastern portal of the Manchester City Centre Rail Tunnel was in this area.
But looking at Google Maps between this site and Manchester Victoria, there are other sites.
Conclusion
I now feel that it is possible to create a Northern Powerhouse Rail/High Speed Two route using a tunnel under Manchester.
Obviously, there is more work to be done.
German court Rejects Deutsche Bahn’s Appeal To Share Stuttgart 21 Cost Overruns With Partners
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These three paragraphs add more details.
A court has rejected Deutsche Bahn’s argument that the financial responsibility for cost overruns on the Stuttgart 21 project should be shared with its partners, which include the Land of Baden-Württemberg, the Stuttgart regional authority, Stuttgart city council and Stuttgart airport.
When launched in 2010, the project to remodel the local rail network, which includes 57 km of new line and a rebuilt Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof with underground platforms, was expected to cost €4·1bn.
It has since undergone steady cost increases, and is now projected to cost more than €11bn. It was originally expected to be completed in 2019, but has been continually delayed and partial opening is now to take place in December 2026 with full completion in 2027.
With a prospective increase in costs of nearly three times and being eight years late, it does seem that we’re not alone in getting large projects spectacularly wrong.
US Floating Wind Platform Developer Issues RFI To Fabricators Worldwide
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Aikido Technologies, which recently secured a spot at a Norwegian offshore demo site, has released an RFI for its 15 MW ‘AO60’ floating wind platform to offshore wind fabricators.
These are the first four paragraphs which add more details.
The California-based floating wind foundation developer said on social media that it had issued the RFI to more than ten “top-tier offshore wind fabricators from around the world”.
The RFI has been released in three separate packages, each tailored to a specific type of facility: one for standard offshore steel shops, one for tubular/jacket yards, and one for monopile/tower facilities.
“This is how we can build 1, 50 or 100 of these units with existing fabrication capabilities, with components that can be easily transported around the world for final assembly at a local port. No need for custom yards, custom vessels or custom ports”, Aikido Technologies said.
In May 2025, the company was allocated a slot for its AO60 platform at the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) in Norway, where Aikido will deploy what it says is a first-of-its-kind 15 MW demonstration project.
As someone, who wrote project management computer systems for thirty years, I like Aikido’s plans and feel they would be well suited to the UK, where we have quite a few local ports, that would appear suitable for final assembly of the A060 platforms.
In Yarmouth Harbour To Be ‘Completed’ In £60m Project, I describe the expansion of the Port of Great Yarmouth.
These two paragraphs describe the work to be done.
Peel Ports said it would invest between £50m and £60m in Great Yarmouth’s Outer Harbour by developing the southern terminal, creating a roll-on roll-off (RORO) lift ramp and a large storage area.
Port director Richard Goffin said the construction work, which is set to begin in 2026, would “complete” the port as laid out in a business case in the early 2000s.
This image from Peel Ports Group shows how the Port of Great Yarmouth will look after the the proposed development.
As the Port of Great Yarmouth has a depth of ten metres it could be an ideal base for the assembly and maintenance of floating wind turbines.
Hull Trains Allows Delay Compensation To Be Donated To Charity
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
These four paragraphs fill in the details.
Customers of Hull Trains who claim compensation for train delays can now choose to donate their Delay Repay funds to charity.
Hull Trains’ new official charity partner for 2025 is P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery, which supports people across the Humber region affected by acquired brain injury. P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery is based in Hull, and has recently expanded its support to cover communities in north and northeast Lincolnshire, and has ambitions to support people further afield.
The new scheme will allow customers to opt for the delay compensation to be sent directly to the charity. Hull Trains operates trains between Hull and London King’s Cross, stopping at Grantham in Lincolnshire, and serving other stations on the East Coast route, including Doncaster and Beverley.
The founder and CEO of P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery is Paul Spence. In 2012, Paul suffered a brain haemorrhage when he was the victim of an unprovoked attack. After he was discharged from a high dependency unit, he and his family faced a long and challenging road to recovery, and quickly realised that support available in the community was sadly lacking.
I think it’s rather a good idea.
An Interesting Comment From Lord Peter Hendy
This article on Modern Railways is entitled Chiltern FINALLY Signs Mk 5 Deal.
This extract from the article describes the deal.
An agreement for Chiltern Railways to lease the Mk 5A coaches previously operated by TransPennine Express and owned by Beacon Rail Leasing has been signed – and the trains are due to replace the current Mk 3 stock in phases from 2026. A 10-year lease has been agreed for the vehicles.
Chiltern will take on all 13 five-car sets as well as the spare Driving Trailer and the dedicated pool of 14 Class 68 locomotives.
The article also, has this excellent quote from Lord Peter Hendy, who is the Rail Minister at the end.
This government is putting passengers back at the heart of the 21st century railway by investing to make journeys easier, greener, and more comfortable.
“We are continuing to support Chiltern as they develop a plan to introduce additional services into their timetable, giving people more opportunities to work, live, and socialise.
I agree with much of what Lord Peter Hendy says, but could we see some actions to back up the words.
I have a few thoughts.
Lumo To Glasgow
I wrote about this new service in Lumo Will Extend Its King’s Cross And Edinburgh Service To Glasgow.
Given the opposition of the Transport Minister to open access services, I didn’t think this innovative service would be approved.
- But it does add an affordable passenger-friendly service to London and Glasgow routes.
- It will certainly be an easier route to London for some in Scotland.
- It also adds some much-needed direct services between Newcastle and Glasgow.
Did Lord Peter Hendy have words to help Lumo get its approval?
As I wrote in Could London And Central Scotland Air Passengers Be Persuaded To Use The Trains?, I also believe that this new Lumo service could persuade more air passengers to take the train to Scotland.
Lumo To Stirling
I wrote about this service in ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling.
- First Group has taken over Grand Union Trains and the service will now be run by Lumo, who will use diesel Class 222 trains.
- But Lumo will have the option of running their electric Class 803 trains on the route, as it is fully electrified, when their fleet receives more trains.
This was another service, that I didn’t think would be approved, as no other services on the West Coast Main Line were approved, as Network Rail objected.
But it certainly meets the words in Lord Peter Hendy’s statement.
Like Lumo’s service to Glasgow, when the Stirling service gets electric trains, it will surely cut carbon emissions of travellers to Central Scotland.
Chiltern’s Replacement Trains
Chiltern Railways are replacing this fleet of locomotive hauled trains.
- 8 Class 68 locomotives
- 25 Mark 3 coaches
- 6 Driving Van Trailers
As services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations consist of one locomotive, five coaches and one driving van trailer, that means there are two spare locomotives, one spare coach and one spare driving van trailer, if there are five rakes of coaches in service.
The new fleet will be.
- 14 Class 68 locomotives
- 52 Mark 5A coaches
- 14 Driving Van Trailers
If services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations consist of one locomotive, four coaches and one driving van trailer, that means there are one spare locomotive and one spare driving van trailer, which gives a possible thirteen rakes of coaches in service.
There are certainly enough to expand Chiltern’s services. The obvious destination would surely be Oxford. These pictures show the two North-pacing platforms at Oxford station.
The platforms would be shared with East-West Rail, but they are around 160 metres in length.
The Modern Railways article quote Arriva Group Managing Director UK Trains Amanda Furlong as saying this.
Upgrading our fleet is a vital next step in Chiltern’s modernisation plans and an important part of Arriva’s wider ambition to support the transition to more sustainable rail travel across the UK and Europe.
We are proud to support this important milestone for Chiltern Railways, which is a great example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration with Government to deliver practical improvements for passengers. We look forward to seeing these upgraded trains improve journeys and lower emissions across the network.
She certainly would agree on some issues with Lord Peter Hendy.
So will Chiltern Railways do something to reduce the carbon footprint of their fourteen Class 68 locomotives?
- The Class 68 locomotives don’t have too many miles on the clock.
- Chiltern have already run some their Class 68 locomotives on HVO, so this must be a possibility.
- In total there are thirty-four Class 68 locomotives in service all of which have Caterpillar engines, so a conversion to zero-carbon power could be worthwhile.
I asked Google for an AI Overview on How many diesel locomotives have caterpillar engines worldwide? I got this answer.
While a precise worldwide count of diesel locomotives powered by Caterpillar (CAT) engines is difficult to pinpoint, it’s estimated that hundreds, if not thousands, of locomotives are equipped with CAT engines. Caterpillar has a long history of supplying engines to the rail industry, with engines like the 3500 series powering both mainline and switcher locomotives. Additionally, CAT engines are also used in generator sets for Head End Power (HEP) in passenger locomotives.
Note.
- It appears that, Caterpillar might have given up making truck engines because of emission issues.
- London Marylebone and Oxford is 66.8 miles
- London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill is 112.3 miles.
Perhaps one of the consultants like Ricardo could convert these locomotives to run on hydrogen.
The Anonymous Widower 