Romania Wants To Buy Hydrogen-Powered Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Romania Insider.
This is the first paragraph.
Romania’s minister of transport announced that the National Relaunch and Resilience Plan (PNRR) includes the purchase of some 10-12 hydrogen-powered trains for the Bucharest-Pitesti route.
Note that Bucharest and Pitesti are about 120 kilometres apart.
Conclusion
It looks like an ideal route for hydrogen trains.
- New hydrogen trains can probably take over from the current diesel trains with only a few modifications to the tracks and signalling.
- A hydrogen refuelling station would need to be provided.
- The route is not overly long.
- The train manufacturer could be delivering a standard fully-financed package of trains, hydrogen refuelling system and training.
As it is effectively, a replacement of one self-powered train with another, from the time order to in service could be a fairly short time of a couple of years or so.
It’s Time To Detopsify Stratford Station
Stratford Station has grown like Topsy for too long and has several problems and possible future expansions.
Not least of these include.
- The final arrival of Crossrail.
- A direct connection to Chingford.
- A Stansted Express service.
- Massive housing developments in the area.
- More hotels
- New cultural developments like the branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
- A new campus for University College London.
This article on IanVisits is entitled Stratford Station Set For Massive Transformation.
This is his opening paragraph.
Stratford station could be radically redeveloped under plans being worked on by the rail companies and local council.
That is rather understated!
The station will become several times busier and needs a complete rethink, many more services and deTopsification.
These are my thoughts.
The Development Of The High Meads Loop
The High Meads Loop exists and is a double-track loop that can turn trains arriving at Stratford station via Lea Bridge station.
- It is underneath the Eastfield Shopping Centre – Westfield is in the West of London.
- Each track of the loop has its own long platform in the station. – Platform 11 is for clockwise trains and Platform 12 is for anti-clockwise.
- It has been used in the past for a Stansted Express service.
The Wirral Line in Liverpool like the High Meads Loop is now a modern loop for turning trains.
- The Wirral Loop is only single-track.
- It gives connections for over thirty stations on the Wirral and in Cheshire and North Wales to Liverpool City Centre.
- It is run by fifty-year-old Class 507 and Class 508 trains.
- The loop has now been improved and can handle upwards of the fourteen trains per hour (tph) it currently does.
Merseyrail will soon be introducing new Class 777 trains on the Wirral Line in the near future and will be increasing services and the number of destinations.
British Rail’s vision for Liverpool, that was cruelly cut-short by Liverpool MP; Harold Wilson, is finally coming to fruition.
Newcastle also got its British Rail tunnel which is now being used by the Metro, but what would have happened in Manchester if British Rail had been allowed to build the Picc-Vic Tunnel?
I have a strong belief, that a Lea Valley Metro can be developed on the West Anglia Main Line.
- It would have two Southern terminals – Liverpool Street station and the High Meads Loop at Stratford.
- When it opens, Crossrail will mean that Liverpool Street and Stratford stations will be seven or eight minutes apart with a frequency of at least 12 tph.
- Northern terminals would include Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Chingford, Enfield Town and Hertford East.
- Crossrail 2 was planned to have a frequency of 10 and 15 tph between Tottenham Hale and Broxbourne stations.
I believe that if services in East London are thoroughly reorganised, that all the benefits of Crossrail 2 can be brought to East London by the use of the High Meads Loop and the upgrading of existing lines.
Stansted Express Services
Go to Stratford station and there is an out-of-date sign at the end of Platform 1 and 2, where the Overground trains terminate.
It directs passengers to Platform 12 for Stansted Airport.
The picture was taken in 2017, but there is still a walk-through to Platform 12, that I use regularly, if I’m changing between London Overground and Greater Anglia or TfL Rail services to destinations on both the West Anglia or Great Eastern Main Lines.
I believe that there is still a need for a Stansted Express services from Stratford, as for some people, including myself, it is easier to get to Stratford, than Liverpool Street.
From some places the connections to and from Stansted are not very good. Try going between London Bridge, Canterbury, Euston, Victoria or Waterloo and Stansted with a few mobility issues like a heavy suitcase and/or a baby, without a degree in Ducking-and-Diving!
An additional Stansted Express service from Stratford would make things a lot easier to get to the airport for many travellers, because of Stratford’s connections to the Central, Jubilee and North London Lines and SouthEastern’s Highspeed services.
Better Connection Between High Speed One And The High Meads Loop For Passengers
Some passenger connections are missing at Stratford.
This is indicated in the IanVisits article.
This map from cartometro.com shows the Topsy-like nature of the platforms at Stratford.
Note.
- The Docklands Light Railway is shown in turquoise.
- The DLR platforms in the North-West corner of the map are those of Stratford International station.
- High Speed One and the four platforms of Stratford International station are shown in black.
- The North London Line of the London Overground is shown in orange.
- The North London Line terminates in Platforms 1 and 2, which have a level link to Platform 12.
- Platform 12 is on the anti-clockwise platform for the High Meads Loop and has step-free access to the subway system underneath the station.
- Platform 11 is on the clockwise platform for the High Meads Loop and has level access to Platform 10a and full step-free access,
- Platform 10a is used by some services to East Anglia.
- Crossrail is shown in blue.
- The Central Line is shown in red.
- The Jubilee Line is shown in silver.
It is not the best passenger-friendly station layout.
- Inevitability, you often find yourself trudging a long way at Stratford station.
- Changing to or from any high speed services is supremely difficult.
- Often you have to walk through the busy Eastfield Shopping Centre.
Particularly annoying for me is coming back from Kent on High Speed One and needing to take the North London Line, as I do several times a year.
As it involves a long walk through the Shopping Centre, I now take the easy way out and carry on to St. Pancras and get a taxi home.
As Stratford International is one of the draughtiest stations in England, the station is a real Design Crime and it needs a serious makeover.
Conclusion
Sort it!
On Track – Network Rail Reaches Key Milestone On Dartmoor Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news release on the Network Rail web site.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The reopening of the railway line between Okehampton and Exeter is one step closer after Network Rail finished relaying the new track and sleepers this week.
Following the confirmation of government funding in March, engineers started immediately and have worked tirelessly upgrading this 14 mile stretch of track between Okehampton and Coleford Junction, where the Dartmoor Line joins the existing railway line to Exeter.
Perhaps the most significant fact about this project, is the speed with which work has progressed since it started.
So far it appears the following has been done.
- 11 miles of track has been laid.
- 24.000 new concrete sleepers have been installed.
- 29,000 tonnes of ballast has been installed.
Much of the work was done by a clever machine which is shown in a video.
I do wonder if this machine, when it finishes in Devon will be sent all the way to Newcastle to relay the Northumberland Line in the same manner.
A New Reston Station
This page on the Scotland’s Railway web site, gives an overview of the project to build a new Reston station on the East Coast Main line about 3.5 miles North of Berwick-upon-Tweed station.
This is the project summary given on the web page.
Network Rail has developed proposals to create a new station at Reston in the Scottish Borders.
We worked with local partners and stakeholders to develop plans for the station and liaised with the local community in advance of submitting a planning application to Scottish Borders Council.
Planning consent was granted in February 2021 and the team are gearing up to deliver a challenging programme of work to create the new station.
The page also says that work on the station started in March 2021. Certainly, by May 2021, there was quite a bit happening.
This Google Map shows the village of Reston.
Note.
- The A1 running East-West at the top of the map.
- Main Street running East-West across the middle of the map.
- The East Coast Main Line runs North West-South East across the South-West corner of the map.
The station would appear to be East of the road called The Orchard.
Station Facilities
Looking at the video the station appears to have the following facilities.
- Two platforms.
- About seventy car-parking spaces, which is designed to be expanded
- Five disabled car-parking spaces.
- Electric car charging.
- Bicycle storage
- Full step-free access, at the South-Eastern end of the station.
There does not appear to be any avoiding line for freight trains or a bay platform to reverse trains.
But there appear to be a pair of crossovers to the North of the station site.
Distances Between Reston Station And Selected Towns
This are road distances between Reston station and selected towns.
- Duns – 10 miles
- Galashiels – 38 miles
- Hawick – 47 miles
- Kelso – 26 miles
Are there plans for new housing in the area?
Services Between Newcastle And Edinburgh
The following services run between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
- CrossCountry – 1 tph – Plymouth and Edinburgh/Glasgow – Stops at Alnmouth (irregular), Berwick-upon-Tweed (irregular), Dunbar (1tp2h)
- East Coast Trains – 5 tpd – London Kings Cross and Edinburgh – Stops at Morpeth
- LNER – 1 tph – London Kings Cross and Edinburgh – Stops at Berwick-upon-Tweed
- LNER – 1 tph – London Kings Cross and Edinburgh – Stops at Alnmouth (1tp2h)
- TransPennine Express – 1 tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh – Stops at Morpeth
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- tph is trains per hour.
- tp2h is trains per two hours.
- All services are run by 125 mph trains
- All services stop at Edinburgh and Newcastle.
- A typical service averages around 88.9 mph between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
The timetable appears to be arranged to ensure at least 4 tph between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
I have a few thoughts.
How Many Services Should Call At Reston?
On an urban line, stopping frequencies of services of up to four or even six tph are common, which would probably be in excess of what is needed at Reston.
Most rural main or secondary lines have frequencies of one or two tph.
I would suggest that if you’re designing and building a station, that will cost several million pounds, then the station must have at least an hourly service, but that two tph would be much more preferable.
In an ideal world, there might be two tph.
- A slow train that stopped at all the larger stations, which could include East Linton, Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Almouth and Morpeth.
- A fast train that stopped just once at Reston station between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Note.
- Like Reston station, East Linton station is also under construction.
- Reston station, is likely to have a selection of buses to Galashiels and other towns in the Borders.
- Reston station has space for a sensible amount of parking.
I would also expect bus and train services to obey these conditions.
- Be timetabled to arrive and leave at the same time each hour.
- Run from early until late.
- Provide an easy interchange, so that travellers don’t have to endure too much unfriendly weather.
- Have a comprehensive ticketing system to attract passengers.
I also think that a warm waiting room and cafe should be provided.
Will Reston Station Have A Direct Service To London And The South?
Both of LNER’s services between Edinburgh and London call at York, Darlington and Newcastle, with only one service calling at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
This Google Map shows the location of Berwick-upon-Tweed station.
Note.
- The long island platform between the tracks.
- There are 124 parking spaces.
- The A1 is some distance away to the West.
It all looks very cramped.
So if, one of LNER’s London services stopped at Reston, would it be better for all travellers and operators.
I would suggest that it would probably be ideal if one of LNER’s two services stopped at Berwick-on-Tweed and the other stopped at Reston.
It would also probably be a good idea for ticketing to consider Reston as a Berwick-on-Tweed station.
Will ERTMS Signalling Be Used Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
I don’t think this is a question of will, but more one of when.
- It will enable trains to run at up to 140 mph.
- It will handle trains efficiently, when they are running at different speeds.
- It will allow the increasing of the frequency of trains on the double-track route.
- All trains on the route will probably be fitted with equipment to run under in-cab digital ERTMS signalling in a few years.
I would expect that ERTMS signalling could be used to run an increasingly complex pattern of trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Will There Be 140 mph Running Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
I have flown my helicopter along the route between Edinburgh and Newcastle and ridden it in a 125 mph train many times.
Given how Network Rail have squeezed increased speeds out of routes like the Midland Main and Great Eastern Main Line, I have no doubt that some 140 mph running will be possible between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
I estimate that with a substantial amount of 140 mph running between Edinburgh and Berwick-on-Tweed could save as much as fifteen minutes on current timings.
What Trains Will Be Used Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
Consider.
- It is a fully-electrified double-track railway.
- There will be 125 mph and possibly 140 mph express trains passing through.
I suspect that to avoid getting in the way of the expresses, trains with at least a 110 mph capability would be needed.
Some of the redundant Class 350 trains would probably do fine.
How Will LNER’s Extra Paths Affect Trains Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
In the December 2020 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes.
This is the last paragraph.
Infrastructure upgrades are due to prompt a timetable recast in May 2022 (delayed from December 2022), from which point LNER will operate 6.5 trains per hour out of King’s Cross, compared to five today. As an interim measure LNER is retaining seven rakes of Mk. 4 coaches hauled by 12 Class 91 locomotives to supplement the Azuma fleet and support its timetable ambitions until new trains are delivered.
In A New Elizabethan, I suggest that one of these extra paths could be used to run a third hourly service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.
I would think it likely, that it only would only stop at Newcastle, if it provided a fast service between the two capitals.
Is Reston Station About Borders Unemployment?
This post has been up for a few days now and there have been comments about the cost of this station and the more-than-adequate car-parking provision for the small villages.
This article on the Southern Reporter is entitled Unemployment In Borders Up Almost 120% Year On Year.
Could it be that one of the purposes with its expandable car-parking is to allow people to get to jobs in Edinburgh and Newcastle?
- It should also be noted that Britishvolt are planning to build a £4 billion battery factory at Blyth, which according to reports will employ between three and five thousand people.
- It is a distance of seventy miles and Google says it will take nearly an hour-and-a-half.
- I suspect a 110 mph train between Reston and Bebside stations on the Northumberland Line would take about forty-five minutes.
- Bebside station is on the Northumberland Line and will have a shuttle bus to the Britishvolt factory.
- Porterbrook are developing a battery/FLEX version of their 110 mph Class 350 trains.
By choosing to build a station will the possibility of large amounts of parking are the Scottish Government doing the best for the unemployed in the Borders?
You can imagine a scenario in the employment office at Britishvolt.
- They are getting a lot of letters and e-mails asking about jobs.
- Someone does a bit of counting and realises their planned car-park is too small.
- Problems are outlined to ministers in the UK and Scottish Governments.
- The reopening of the Northumberland Line and the building of Reston station do appear to have been accelerated.
Perhaps the rail developments are a small price for both governments to pay to secure a £4 billion investment,
Conclusion
There’s a lot more to Reston station, than first appears.
A New Elizabethan
I can remember The Elizabethan, which was a steam-hauled non-stop express between London and Edinburgh between 1953 and 1961.
- The steam-hauled train took six-hours-and-a-half.
- It used to be the longest non-stop railway service in the world.
- Today, the service could be run by the current or refurbished Azumas or perhaps a new flagship train, built for the service.
- It could be easily under four hours.
It could be an interesting concept, to increase capacity between London and Edinburgh.
The Fastest Rail Journey Between London King’s Cross And Edinburgh
This section in the Wikipedia entry for the Class 91 locomotive is entitled Speed Record. This is the first paragraph.
A Class 91, 91010 (now 91110), holds the British locomotive speed record at 161.7 mph (260.2 km/h), set on 17 September 1989, just south of Little Bytham on a test run down Stoke Bank with the DVT leading. Although Class 370s, Class 373s and Class 374s have run faster, all are EMUs which means that the Electra is officially the fastest locomotive in Britain. Another loco (91031, now 91131), hauling five Mk4s and a DVT on a test run, ran between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds on 26 September 1991. This is still the current record. The set covered the route in an average speed of 112.5 mph (181.1 km/h) and reached the full 140 mph (225 km/h) several times during the run.
Seconds under three-and-a-half-hours was an amazing time nearly thirty years ago, from a short-formation InterCity 225, that went on to become the mainstay of the services on the route.
It makes High Speed Two’s proposed time of three hours and forty-eight minutes appear to lack ambition.
But to be fair to High Speed Two, train services have historically been faster on the the East side of Great Britain.
What Time Could Be Possible Between London King’s Cross And Edinburgh?
In What Is Possible On The East Coast Main Line?, I took a hard look at times on the route, taking into account improvements of the last thirty years and those that will happen in the next few.
This was my conclusion.
I started by asking what is possible on The East Coast Main Line?
As the time of three-and-a-half hours was achieved by a short-formation InterCity 225 train in 1991 before Covids, Hitchin, Kings Cross Remodelling, Power Upgrades, Werrington and lots of other work, I believe that some journeys between Kings Cross and Edinburgh could be around this time within perhaps five years.
To some, that might seem an extraordinary claim, but when you consider that the InterCity 225 train in 1991 did it with only a few sections of 140 mph running, I very much think it is a certainly at some point.
As to the ultimate time, earlier I showed that an average of 120 mph between King’s Cross and Edinburgh gives a time of 3:16 minutes.
Surely, an increase of fourteen minutes in thirty years is possible?
I believe that timings will decrease significantly on the East Coast Main Line with the current trains.
Extra Paths For LNER
In the December 2020 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes.
This is the last paragraph.
Infrastructure upgrades are due to prompt a timetable recast in May 2022 (delayed from December 2021), from which point LNER will operate 6.5 trains per hour out of King’s Cross, compared to five today. As an interim measure LNER is retaining seven rakes of Mk. 4 coaches hauled by 12 Class 91 locomotives to supplement the Azuma fleet and support its timetable ambitions until new trains are delivered.
There would certainly appear to be a path available if LNER wanted to increase the frequency of trains between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh from the current two trains per hour (tph) to three.
What Would Be The Route?
I feel there could be three possible simple routes.
- A direct non-stop London King’s Cross and Edinburgh service.
- A London King’s Cross and Edinburgh service with a single stop at Newcastle.
- A London King’s Cross and Edinburgh service with stops at Leeds and Newcastle.
Each route would have its own advantages and drawbacks.
Route 1
My thoughts about Route 1.
- This would be the fastest route.
- It would be a serious challenge to the airlines on the London and Edinburgh route.
It would be a marketing man’s dream.
Route 2
My thoughts about Route 2.
- This would be the second fastest route.
- It would be a serious challenge to the airlines on the London and Edinburgh route.
- It would give Newcastle a third hourly service to the capital.
- It would give Newcastle a non-stop train to London every hour.
- It would probably be the fastest train between King’s Cross and Newcastle.
- It would beef up the challenge to the airlines on the London and Newcastle route.
Serving Newcastle may generate extra passengers.
Route 3
My thoughts about Route 3.
- This would be the slowest route as it is 23 miles longer.
- It would be a challenge to the airlines on the London and Edinburgh route.
- It would give Newcastle and Leeds a third hourly service to the capital.
- It would give Leeds a non-stop train to London every hour.
- It would probably be the fastest train between London and Leeds.
- It would beef up the challenge to the airlines on the London and Newcastle and London and Leeds routes.
- There could be an extra call at York
Serving Leeds and Newcastle may generate extra passengers.
Obviously, passenger numbers will determine the best route.
Conclusion
I very much feel that properly thought through, this service could be a success.
What Is Possible On The East Coast Main Line?
In the Wikipedia entry for the Class 91 locomotive, there is an amazing story.
This picture shows one of these locomotives at Kings Cross.
Note.
- They have a design speed of 140 mph.
- They have a power output of 4.8 MW.
- They were built around 1990 by British Rail at Crewe.
They were designed to run services between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh as fast as possible, as the motive power of the InterCity 225 trains.
This section in the Wikipedia entry for the Class 91 locomotive is entitled Speed Record. This is the first paragraph.
A Class 91, 91010 (now 91110), holds the British locomotive speed record at 161.7 mph (260.2 km/h), set on 17 September 1989, just south of Little Bytham on a test run down Stoke Bank with the DVT leading. Although Class 370s, Class 373s and Class 374s have run faster, all are EMUs which means that the Electra is officially the fastest locomotive in Britain. Another loco (91031, now 91131), hauling five Mk4s and a DVT on a test run, ran between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds on 26 September 1991. This is still the current record. The set covered the route in an average speed of 112.5 mph (181.1 km/h) and reached the full 140 mph (225 km/h) several times during the run.
Note.
- For the British locomotive speed record, locomotive was actually pushing the train and going backwards, as the driving van trailer (DVT) was leading.
- How many speed records of any sort, where the direction isn’t part of the record, have been set going backwards?
- I feel that this record could stand for many years, as it is not very likely anybody will build another 140 mph locomotive in the foreseeable future. Unless a maverick idea for a high speed freight locomotive is proposed.
I have a few general thoughts on the record run between Kings Cross and Edinburgh in three-and-a-half hours.
- I would assume that as in normal operation of these trains, the Class 91 locomotive was leading on the run to the North.
- For various reasons, they would surely have had at least two of British Rail’s most experienced drivers in the cab.
- At that time, 125 mph InterCity 125 trains had been the workhorse of East Coast Main Line for well over ten years, so British Rail wouldn’t have been short of experienced high speed drivers.
- It was a Thursday, so they must have been running amongst normal traffic.
- On Monday, a typical run between Kings Cross and Edinburgh is timetabled to take four hours and twenty minutes.
- High Speed Two are predicting a time of three hours and forty-eight minutes between Euston and Edinburgh via High Speed Two and the West Coast Main Line.
The more you look at it, a sub-three-and-and-a-half hour time, by 1980s-technology on a less-than-perfect railway was truly remarkable.
So how did they do it?
Superb Timetabling
In Norwich-In-Ninety Is A Lot More Than Passengers Think!, I talk about how Network Rail and Greater Anglia created a fast service between Liverpool Street and Norwich.
I suspect that British Rail put their best timetablers on the project, so that the test train could speed through unhindered.
Just as they did for Norwich-in-Ninety and probably will be doing to the East Coast Main Line to increase services and decrease journey times.
A Good As ERTMS Signalling
Obviously in 1991, there was no modern digital in-cab signalling and I don’t know the standard of communication between the drivers and the signallers.
On the tricky sections like Digswell Viaduct, through Hitchin and the Newark Crossing were other trains stopped well clear of any difficult area, as modern digital signalling can anticipate and take action?
I would expect the test train got a signalling service as good as any modern train, even if parts of it like driver to signaller communication may have been a bit experimental.
There may even have been a back-up driver in the cab with the latest mobile phone.
It must have been about 1991, when I did a pre-arranged airways join in my Cessna 340 on the ground at Ipswich Airport before take-off on a direct flight to Rome. Air Traffic Control had suggested it to avoid an intermediate stop at say Southend.
The technology was arriving and did it help the drivers on that memorable run North ensure a safe and fast passage of the train?
It would be interesting to know, what other equipment was being tested by this test train.
A Possible Plan
I suspect that the plan in 1991 was to use a plan not unlike one that would be used by Lewis Hamilton, or in those days Stirling Moss to win a race.
Drive a steady race not taking any chances and where the track allows speed up.
So did British Rail drive a steady 125 mph sticking to the standard timetable between Kings Cross and Edinburgh?
Then as the Wikipedia extract indicated, at several times during the journey did they increase the speed of the train to 140 mph.
And the rest as they say was an historic time of 3 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds. Call it three-and-a-half-hours.
This represented a start-to-stop average speed of 112.5 mph over the 393 miles of the East Coast Main Line.
Can The Current Trains Achieve Three-And-A-Half-Hours Be Possible Today?
Consider.
- The best four hours and twenty minutes timings of the Class 801 trains, represents an average speed of 90.7 mph.
- The Class 801 trains and the InterCity 225 trains have similar performance.
- There have been improvements to the route like the Hitchin Flyover.
- Full ERTMS in-cab signalling is being installed South of Doncaster.
- I believe ERTMS and ETC could solve the Newark Crossing problem! See Could ERTMS And ETCS Solve The Newark Crossing Problem?
- I am a trained Control Engineer and I believe if ERTMS and ETC can solve the Newark Crossing problem, I suspect they can solve the Digswell Viaduct problem.
- The Werrington Dive Under is being built.
- The approaches to Kings Cross are being remodelled.
I can’t quite say easy-peasy. but I’m fairly certain the Kings Cross and Edinburgh record is under serious threat.
- A massive power supply upgrade to the North of Doncaster is continuing. See this page on the Network Rail web site.
- ERTMS and ETC probably needs to be installed all the way between Kings Cross and Edinburgh.
- There may be a need to minimise the number of slower passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line.
- The Northumberland Line and the Leamside Line may be needed to take some trains from the East Coast Main Line.
Recent Developments Concerning the Hitachi Trains
There have been several developments since the Hitachi Class 800 and Class 801 trains were ordered.
- Serious engineers and commentators like Roger Ford of Modern Railways have criticised the lugging of heavy diesel engines around the country.
- Network Rail have upgraded the power supply South of Doncaster and have recently started to upgrade it between Doncaster and Edinburgh. Will this extensive upgrade cut the need to use the diesel power-packs?
- Hitachi and their operators must have collected extensive in-service statistics about the detailed performance of the trains and the use of the diesel power-packs.
- Hitachi have signed an agreement with Hyperdrive Innovation of Sunderland to produce battery-packs for the trains and two new versions of the trains have been announced; a Regional Battery Train and an Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train.
- East Coast Trains have ordered five five-car Class 803 trains, each of which will have a small battery for emergency use and no diesel power-packs.
- Avanti West Coast have ordered ten seven-car Class 807 trains, each of which have no battery or diesel power-packs.
And these are just the ones we know about.
The Class 807 Trains And Liverpool
I find Avanti West Coast’s Class 807 trains the most interesting development.
- They have been partly financed by Rock Rail, who seem to organise train finance, so that the train operator, the train manufacturer all get the best value, by finding good technical solutions.
- I believe that these trains have been designed so they can run between Euston and Liverpool Lime Street stations in under two hours.
- Does the absence of battery or diesel power-packs save weight and improve performance?
- Euston and Liverpool Lime Street in two hours would be an average of only 96.8 mph.
- If the Class 807 trains could achieve the same start-stop average of 112.5 mph achieved by the InterCity 225 test run between Kings Cross and Edinburgh, that would mean a Euston and Liverpool Lime Street time of one hour and forty-three minutes.
- Does Thunderbird provision on the West Coast Main Line for the Class 390 trains mean that the Class 807 trains don’t need emergency power?
- Have diesel power-packs been rarely used in emergency by the Hitachi trains?
I believe the mathematics show that excellent sub-two hour times between Euston and Liverpool Lime Street are possible by Avanti West Coast’s new Class 807 trains.
The Class 803 Trains And Edinburgh
East Coast Trains ordered their Class 803 trains in March 2019, nine months before Avanti West Coast ordered their Class 807 trains.
In Trains Ordered For 2021 Launch Of ‘High-Quality, Low Fare’ London – Edinburgh Service, I outlined brief details of the trains and the proposed service.
- FirstGroup is targeting the two-thirds of passengers, who fly between London and Edinburgh.
- They are also targeting business passengers, as the first train arrives in Edinburgh at 10:00.
- The trains are five-cars.
- The trains are one class with onboard catering, air-conditioning, power sockets and free wi-fi.
- Stops will be five trains per day with stops at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth.
- The trains will take around four hours.
- The service will start in Autumn 2021.
I also thought it would be a successful service
As I know Edinburgh, Liverpool and London well, I believe there are similarities between the Euston-Liverpool Lime Street and Kings Cross-Edinburgh routes.
- Both routes are between two cities known all over the world.
- Both routes are fully-electrified.
- Both routes have the potential to attract passengers from other transport modes.
The two services could even be run at similar speeds.
- Euston-Liverpool Lime Street in two hours will be at 96.8 mph
- Kings Cross-Edinburgh in four hours will be at 98.3 mph.
Does this explain the similar lightweight trains?
Could Lightweight Trains Help LNER?
There is one important factor, I haven’t talked about in detail in this post. Batteries and diesel power-packs on the Hitachi trains.
I have only mentioned them in the following circumstances.
- When trains are not fitted with battery and/or diesel power-packs.
- When battery developments are being undertaken.
Let’s consider the LNER fleet.
- LNER has thirteen nine-car Class 800 trains, each of which has five diesel power-packs
- LNER has ten five-car Class 800 trains, each of which has three diesel power-packs
- LNER has thirty nine-car Class 801 trains, each of which has one diesel power-pack
- LNER has twelve five-car Class 801 trains, each of which has one diesel power-pack
There are sixty-five trains, 497 coaches and 137 diesel power-packs.
And look at their destinations.
- Aberdeen – No Electrification from Edinburgh
- Alnmouth – Fully Electrified
- Berwick-upon-Tweed – Fully Electrified
- Bradford Forster Square – Fully Electrified
- Darlington – Fully Electrified
- Doncaster – Fully Electrified
- Durham – Fully Electrified
- Edinburgh – Fully Electrified
- Glasgow – Fully Electrified
- Grantham – Fully Electrified
- Harrogate – No Electrification from Leeds – Possible Battery Destination
- Huddersfield – No Electrification from Leeds – Possible Battery Destination – Probable Electrification
- Hull – No Electrification from Temple Hirst Junction – Possible Battery Destination
- Inverness – No Electrification from Stirling
- Leeds – Fully Electrified
- Lincoln – No Electrification from Newark North Gate – Possible Battery Destination
- Middlesbrough – No Electrification from Northallerton – Possible Battery Destination
- Newcastle – Fully Electrified
- Newark North Gate – Fully Electrified
- Northallerton – Fully Electrified
- Peterborough – Fully Electrified
- Skipton – Fully Electrified
- Retford – Fully Electrified
- Stevenage – Fully Electrified
- Stirling – Fully Electrified
- Sunderland – No Electrification from Northallerton – Possible Battery Destination
- Wakefield Westgate – Fully Electrified
- York – Fully Electrified
The destinations can be summarised as followed.
- Not Electrified – 2
- Possible Battery Destination – 6
- Fully Electrified – 20
This gives a total of 28.
Could the trains be matched better to the destinations?
- Some routes like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Stirling could possibly be beneficially handled by lightweight trains without any diesel or battery power-packs.
- Only Aberdeen and Inverness can’t be reached by all-electric or battery-electric trains.
- In LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes, I proposed a hydrogen-electric flagship train, that would use hydrogen North of the existing electrification.
There certainly appear to be possibilities.
Example Journey Times To Edinburgh
This table shows the various time for particular start-stop average speeds between Kings Cross and Edinburgh.
- 80 mph – 4:54
- 85 mph – 4:37
- 90 mph – 4:12
- 98.2 mph – 4:00
- 100 mph – 3:56
- 110 mph – 3:34
- 120 mph – 3:16
- 125 mph – 3:08
Note.
- Times are given in h:mm.
- A few mph increase in average speed reduces journey time by a considerable amount.
The figures certainly show the value of high speed trains and of removing bottlenecks, as average speed is so important.
Decarbonisation Of LNER
LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes was based on an article in the December 2020 Edition of Modern Railways, with the same title. These are the first two paragraphs of the article.
LNER has launched the procurement of at least 10 new trains to supplement its Azuma fleet on East Coast main line services.
In a Prior Information Notice published on 27 October, the operator states it is seeking trains capable of operating under 25kW overhead power with ‘significant self-power capability’ for operation away from overhead wires. ‘On-board Energy Storage for traction will be specified as a mandatory requirement to reduce, and wherever practical eliminate, diesel usage where it would otherwise be necessary, although LNER anticipates some degree of diesel traction may be required to meet some self-power requirements. Suppliers tendering are asked to detail their experience of designing and manufacturing a fleet of multi-mode trains with a range of traction options including battery-electric, diesel-electric, hydrogen-electric, battery-diesel, dual fuel and tri-mode.
From this, LNER would appear to be serious about decarbonisation and from the destination list I published earlier, most services South of the Scottish Central Belt can be decarbonised by replacing diesel-power packs with battery power-packs.
That last bit, sounds like a call for innovation to provide a solution to the difficult routes to Aberdeen and Inverness. It also looks as if it has been carefully worded not to rule anybody out.
This press release from Hitachi is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%.
It announces the Hitachi Intercity Tri-mode Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
As the Hitachi press release is dated the 15th of December 2020, which is after the publication of the magazine, it strikes me that LNER and Hitachi had been talking.
At no point have Hitachi stated what the range of the train is on battery power.
To serve the North of Scotland these gaps must be bridged.
- Aberdeen and Edinburgh Haymarket – 130 miles
- Inverness and Stirling – 146 miles
It should also be noted that distances in Scotland are such, that if these gaps could be bridged by battery technology, then probably all of the North of Scotland’s railways could be decarbonised. As Hitachi are the major supplier of Scotland’s local and regional electric trains, was the original Prior Information Notice, written to make sure Hitachi responded?
LNER run nine-car Class 800 trains on the two long routes to Aberdeen and Inverness.
- These trains have five diesel power-packs under coaches 2,3, 5, 7 and 8.
- As five-car Class 800 trains have diesel power-packs under coaches 2, 3 and 4, does this mean that Hitachi can fit diesel power-packs under all cars except for the driver cars?
- As the diesel and battery power-packs appear to be interchangeable, does this mean that Hitachi could theoretically build some very unusual trains?
- Hitachi’s trains can be up to twelve-cars in normal mode and twenty-four cars in rescue mode.
- LNER would probably prefer an all Azuma fleet, even if a few trains were a bit longer.
Imagine a ten-car train with two driver and eight intermediate cars, with all of the intermediate cars having maximum-size battery-packs.
Supposing, one or two of the battery power-packs were to be replaced with a diesel power-pack.
There are a lot of possibilities and I suspect LNER, Hitachi and Hyperdrive Innovation are working on a train capable of running to and from the North of Scotland.
Conclusion
I started by asking what is possible on The East Coast Main Line?
As the time of three-and-a-half hours was achieved by a short-formation InterCity 225 train in 1991 before Covids, Hitchin, Kings Cross Remodelling, Power Upgrades, Werrington and lots of other work, I believe that some journeys between Kings Cross and Edinburgh could be around this time within perhaps five years.
To some, that might seem an extraordinary claim, but when you consider that the InterCity 225 train in 1991 did it with only a few sections of 140 mph running, I very much think it is a certainly at some point.
As to the ultimate time, earlier I showed that an average of 120 mph between King’s Cross and Edinburgh gives a time of 3:16 minutes.
Surely, an increase of fourteen minutes in thirty years is possible?
Perry Barr Station – 7th May 2021
Birmingham will be hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Perry Barr station is to be rebuilt for the games.
This page on the West Midlands Railway web site explains what will happen.
This is the first two paragraphs.
From Monday 10 May 2021, Perry Barr Railway Station will be closed for a large refurbishment project. This means trains will not call at the station during this time, and passengers will not be able to get on or off trains from this station.
The closure is part of a large regeneration plan for the area, being built on the existing site. The current station will be demolished to make way for a new, modern and more accessible station for Perry Barr, scheduled to reopen in May 2022.
I took these pictures on a visit.
Note.
- The station certainly needs a lot of improvement.
- The stairs are steep.
- The information displays are total crap.
- There are ramps.
- Crossing the main road outside the station is difficult.
This article on the Construction Enquirer indicates the following.
- There will be a bus and train interchange for the Athletes Village.
- Pictures in the article clearly show lift towers.
It will be a great improvement.
The West Midlands Metro Reaches Towards Five Ways
Whilst I was in Birmingham today, I took a ride on the West Midlands Metro as far as Library and then walked along the route as far as I could get.
I took these pictures,
Note.
- The tracks fit neatly into the road.
- There appears to be no poles for wires to the West of the Library.
- It looks like the trams will be running under battery power between Library and Five Ways.
A worker told me, that it could open in a couple of months.
Will Edinburgh trams use a similar system?
Councillors Approve Train Station For Inverness Airport
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Planning permission has finally been granted for a two-platform train station at Inverness Airport.
The plans were “reluctantly” granted by the Highland Council, as much debate over the Petty Level crossing which is to be removed as a consequence.
Ir certainly looks like there were strong arguments over the level crossing.
This Network Rail visualisation shows the station from a virtual helicopter hovering over the Airport.
And this Google Map shows the Airport from the South-West
Note.
- The link road to the A96 crossing the railway in both images. But from opposite directions.
- In the Network Rail visualisation you can see the roundabout, where the link road joins the A96 in the top left corner.
- The current railway is only single track, but Network Rail will be doubling it.
- From these images and this document on the Network Rail web site, I can deduce this about the station.
- The station will have two platforms that will be capable of handling six-car trains.
- The footbridge is shown with lifts.
- The station will be able to be used as a Park-and-Ride for Inverness.
I suspect there will be a shuttle bus to the Airport terminal.
Travel Between London And Inverness
I’ve been to Inverness twice and and in both cases, I’ve gone by train.
- The first time, I went by a day train from Edinburgh. And I was in the cab courtesy of East Coast. I wrote about it in Edinburgh to Inverness in the Cab of an HST.
- The other occasion, I took the Caledonian Sleeper to Inverness and that is a civilised way to go.
I feel that on this route very keen competition could develop.
Advantages Of Flying
Flying to Inverness Airport has these advantages.
- A shorter journey time.
- A greater choice of destinations.
- Destinations in the sun.
- After the new station is built it will be rail connected all the way to Aberdeen.
This Google map shows Inverness and Inverness Airport.
Note.
- The city of Inverness is at the Southern end of the Moray Firth.
- With all the water, I suspect the airport can be a good neighbour as far as noise and pollution are concerned.
- The Airport would have good access to green hydrogen and electricity from renewable sources.
- Even the Airport train and all the ground-handling equipment could run on hydrogen.
I feel that the Airport could sell itself as an environmentally-friendly way to the Highlands, when sufficient numbers of zero-carbon aircraft are available.
- You should be able to fly in from Amsterdam, Birmingham, Brussels, Geneva, London, Manchester etc. and not feel any environmental guilt.
- Airbus’s proposed hydrogen-powered ZEROe Turbofan is quoted as having a range of 2,000+ nautical miles,
- That distance would put a lot of the sun in range of Inverness Airport.
- Smaller feeder airliners could connect to other airports in the North of Scotland and the islands.
Inverness Airport will not be beaten without a fight.
Advantages Of Trains
Taking the train to Inverness has the following advantages.
- Luxury
- Zero Carbon-Footprint
- The possibility of an overnight trip on a sleeper train.
- The scenery through the Highlands.
I also believe that it would be possible to design a hydrogen-powered luxury train. I laid out my ideas in LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes.
I believe a train could have this specification.
- 140 mph operation on 25 KVAC overhead electrification. This was done by British Rail almost forty years ago.
- Ability to use full digital in-cab signalling. This is on its way and already working in some applications.
- 110 mph operation on hydrogen. Hitachi are planning 100 mph battery trains, so it should be possible.
- 400 mile range on one filling of hydrogen. This is working in Germany.
- Ability to be upgraded to higher speeds on electric power, should the East Coast Main Line be upgraded for higher speeds in the future. The train manufacturers are probably ahead of track designers with this one.
I believe a sub-seven hour time would be possible between London and Inverness.
Conclusion
This is the sort of route, where rail and air will have a hard fight for supremacy.
The Anonymous Widower 