Germany Builds The World’s First Hydrogen Train Filling Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on electrek.
Hydrogen Trains In Germany
The hydrogen filling station for trains is described under this heading.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The town of Bremervörde in Lower Saxony, Germany, has broken ground on the world’s first hydrogen filling station for passenger trains. Chemical company Linde will construct and operate the hydrogen filling station for the Lower Saxony Regional Transport Company.
It will provide approximately 1600 Kg of hydrogen per day.
The Supergroup Of ‘Green Energy’
This is a second section, which I find an interest sting concept.
These are the introductory paragraphs.
Oil giant Shell and Dutch utility Eneco have won the tender to build a super-hybrid offshore wind farm in the Netherlands. It will consist of two sites located 11.5 miles (18.5 km) off the west coast, near the town of Egmond aan Zee.
The Shell/Eneco consortium, CrossWind, will build the Hollandse Kust (noord) project. They will pair the offshore wind farms with floating solar facilities and short-duration batteries. It will also generate green hydrogen via an electrolyzer, according to GreenTech Media.
It will be operational in 2023 and have an output of 759 MW.
Westbury Station – 30th July 2020
I went to Westbury station today and took these pictures.
I found Westbury station to be a station in extremely good condition.
It also had a buffet, where I was able to purchase a delicious ice cream.
Passenger Services Through Westbury Station
I was at the station for about an hour and several trains passed through.
Great Western Railway services through the station include.
- One train per two hour (tp2h) – London Paddington and Exeter St. Davids – Stops
- One tp2h – London Paddington and Penzance – Passes through
- One tp2h – London Paddington and Plymouth – Passes through
- One train per hour (tph) – Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour – Stops
- One tp2h – Great Malvern and Westbury
- One tp2h – Gloucester and Weymouth – Stops
- One tp2h – Swindon and Westbury
Train classes included Class 800 trains and Class 166 trains.
South Western Railway services through the station include.
- Five trains per day – Salisbury and Bristol Temple Meads – Stops
Train classes include Class 159 trains.
Battery Trains Through Westbury
Hitachi’s Class 800 train with a battery electric capability or Regional Battery Train, is described in this infographic from the company.
The proposed 90 km or 56 mile range could even be sufficient take a train between Westbury and Bristol Temple Meads stations on a return trip.
Many of the trains through Westbury go to the same stations.
Distances are as follows.
- Bristol Temple Meads – 28 miles
- Newbury – 42 miles
- Salisbury – 24 miles
- Swindon – 32.5 miles
- Taunton – 47 miles
It looks like all of these places should be in range of an electric train with a battery capability, providing there is a charging facility at the other end.
An Electrification Island At Westbury Station
I have been advocating an island of electrification around Westbury station for some time and feel about a dozen miles of electrification through the station would be sufficient for Class 800 trains with a battery capability to bridge the gap.
- At Newbury, trains would access the current electrification into London Paddington.
- Between Exeter and Taunton, the rail route runs alongside the M5, so why not electrify this stretch, as the wires will not be so noticeable?
Looking at Westbury, to my untrained eye, it would appear that a short section of electrification around the station, would not be the most challenging of projects.
I believe that discontinuous electrification between Newbury and Exeter would be possible and could gradually be extended across Devon and Cornwall.
It should also be noted that one of Hitachi’s Regional Battery Trains has a range of 56 miles, so that these places from Westbury could be an return trip on batteries, with a well-driven train with excellent energy management.
- Bath Spa – 17 miles
- Bradford-on-Avon – 7 miles
- Bristol Temple Meads – 28 miles
- Chippenham – 16 miles
- Frome – 6 miles
- Salisbury – 24 miles
- Trowbridge – 4 miles
- Warminster – 9 miles
Obviously, the number of stops and the terrain will play a part.
Freight Might Drive Full Electrification Through Westbury Station
As the pictures show, there are heavy freight trains going through the area, which bring long and weighty loads of stone from the Mendips to London.
- There are regularly two or three stone trains in an average hour of the day.
- Like in the picture, I suspect they are usually hauled by a noisy, smelly, polluting and carbon-dioxide emitting Class 66 Locomotive. Not all of these, are as clean and well-maintained, as the one in the picture.
- Some trains start at Merehead Quarry, which is about fifteen miles from Westbury station.
I believe that we must decarbonise freight trains.
But freight and electric haulage is not a simple subject.
- I once had extensive talks with a Senior Crane Driver at the Port of Felixstowe during an Ipswich Town Away match. Ports don’t like overhead wires, as containers do get dropped and fall off rail wagons.
- Suppose a historic line without electrification, like the Settle and Carlisle has a serious land-slip, which it did a couple of years ago. How do you haul in the materials for repair?
- Because freight can be of a random and unpredictable nature, to electrify freight, you probably need to electrify the whole rail network.
For these and other reasons, we need independently-powered freight locomotives and I feel that a new freight locomotive will develop, that will be needed by the rail industry all over the world.
There are several solutions.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is the simplest solution and would mean that the current diesel locomotives could be used.
In Grant Shapps Announcement On Friday, I talked about Government support for an industrial process, that has been developed by Oxford University and their spin-off company; Velocys, from the the Fischer-Tropsch Process, which can produce, the following fuels from household and industrial waste.
- Aviation biofuel.
- Biodiesel.
A plant to process 500,000 tonnes per year of Lincolnshire finest waste is now being built at Immingham to create 50,000,000 litres of fuel, by Altalto, which is a partnership between Velocys, British Airways and Shell.
If nothing else, waste-to-fuel is the interim solution to the decarbonisation of tricky sectors like heavy rail freight, rail construction, large diesel-powered machines, ships or long-distance aviation.
This fuel could be ideal to haul the heavy stone trains from the Mendips.
Hydrogen
I did think, it would be hydrogen powered, but I’m not so sure now, as hydrogen trains and locomotives seem to have a slow development cycle.
Although, there is one factor, that might influence the use of hydrogen as a fuel, which I wrote about in Thirsty High-Rollers … Mining’s Heavy Haulers Prime Candidates For Hydrogen Conversion.
Mining and quarrying don’t have a good green image, but converting mines and quarries to hydrogen power, would surely have operational and good public relational advantages.
It would also ensure a plentiful and convenient supply of hydrogen, for any hydrogen-powered locomotives.
Hydrogen-powered locomotives, with their electric transmissions, would probably be able to use electrification for traction power, so they would put pressure on the Government to electrify between Westbury and Newbury stations, so that there was a fully-electrified route between the Mendips and London.
Rolls-Royce’s Staggering Development
Staggering is not my word, but that of Paul Stein, who is Rolls-Royce’s Chief Technology Officer.
He used the word in a press release, which I discuss in Our Sustainability Journey.
To electrify aviation, Rolls-Royce has developed a 2.5 MW generator, based on a small gas-turbine engine, which Paul Stein describes like this.
Amongst the many great achievements from E-Fan X has been the generator – about the same size as a beer keg – but producing a staggering 2.5 MW. That’s enough power to supply 2,500 homes and fully represents the pioneering spirit on this project.
This generator is designed for flight and the data sheet for the gas-turbine engine is available on the Internet.
- It has a weight of under a couple of tonnes compared to the thirteen tonnes of the diesel engine and generator in a Class 68 locomotive.
- It is also more powerful than the diesel.
- It looks to be as frugal, if not more so!
- Rolls-Royce haven’t said if this gas-turbine can run on aviation biofuel, but as many of Rolls-Royce’s large engines can, I would be very surprised if it couldn’t!
Rolls-Royce’s German subsidiary is a large producer of rail and maritime diesel engines, so the company has the expertise to customise the generator for rail applications.
I can see this generator ending up in a high-powered heavy independently-powered electric locomotive for hauling stone and inter-modal container trains.
As with hydrogen-powered locomotives, this new breed of gas-turbine locomotive with its electric transmission, will be able to use electrification, where it exists.
So would locomotive developments drive the electrification through Westbury and especially between Westbury and Newbury?
I would rate is likely, that in the future, increasingly rail locomotives will have sophisticated electric transmissions, between their prime motive power of diesel, hydrogen, gas-turbine or whatever and their traction system. All of these locomotives will have pantographs and/or third-rail shoes to access electrification, where it exists.
These locomotives will surely add to pressure to electrify between Westbury and Newbury.
Biodiesel is surely the interim freight solution, if one is needed.
Future Zero-Carbon Passenger Services
Passenger services through Westbury can be divided into three groups.
Great Western Railway’s Services Between London Paddington And Devon And Cornwall
From Beeching Reversal projects put forward over the last few months, it looks like these services will increase and stop at several new and refurbished stations.
I can see discontinuous electrification being used to create a series of electrification islands to allow Class 800 trains, with a battery capability reach the Far South West of Cornwall.
Electrification islands could be at places like
- Around Westbury station.
- Between Taunton and Exeter St. Davids stations alongside the M5.
- Between Plymouth station and the Royal Albert bridge.
- Around Bodmin Parkway station
- Around Truro station
- At Newquay station
- At Penzance station
Obviously, the number and type of the various installations will depend on the methods used and the engineering required.
I do believe that with Hitachi trains, that meet their specification, that trains will be able to travel between Paddington and Penzance without touching a drop of diesel.
Great Western Railway’s Cardiff Central And Portsmouth Harbour Service
The service can be split into the following legs.
- Cardiff Central and Filton Junction – 33 miles – Electrified
- Filton Junction and Bristol Temple Meads – 5 miles – Not Electrified
- Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury – 28 miles – Not Electrified
- Westbury and Salisbury – 24 miles – Not Electrified
- Salisbury and Southampton Central – 15 miles – Not Electrified
- Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour – 26 miles – Electrified
It would appear that a train with the performance and range on batteries of Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train should be able to handle the route, provided the following conditions are met.
- It can leave the Great Western Main Line at Filton Junction with a full battery.
- It can leave the electrification at Westbury station with a full battery.
- It can leave Southampton Central station with a full battery.
- Third-rail shoes are fitted for working between Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour stations.
Recharging batteries at Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury stations, although probably welcome, are not necessary.
I can envisage Hitachi Class 800 and Class 385 trains being able to fulfil this role, along with Bombardier Electrostars and Aventras and Siemens Desiros.
As Great Western Railway have forty-five Class 387 trains, conversion of some of these to battery electric operation must be a possibility.
Great Western Railway’s Gloucester and Weymouth Service
The service can be split into the following legs.
- Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads – 39 miles – Not Electrified
- Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury – 28 miles – Not Electrifield
- Westbury and Dorchester Junction – 52 miles – Not Electrified
- Dorchester Junction and Weymouth – 4 miles – Electrified
It would appear that a train with the performance and range on batteries of Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train should be able to handle the route, provided the following conditions are met.
- It can leave Gloucester station with a full battery.
- It can leave Bristol Temple Meads with a full battery.
- It can leave Westbury with a full battery.
- It can leave the South Western Main Line at Dorchester Junction with a full battery.
It would be a tight trip for a battery electric train and I suspect, that there would be some extra electrification between Westbury and Dorchester Junction or perhaps charging facilities at Frome or Yeovil Pen Mill stations.
The alternative would be to fit larger batteries on the train.
As to the train to be used, a Class 387 train with a battery capability would surely be ideal.
Great Western Railway’s Swindon and Westbury Service
The service can be split into the following legs.
- Swindon and Chippenham – 16 miles – Electrified
- Chippenham and Westbury- 16 miles – Not Electrified
It would appear that a train with the performance and range on batteries of Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train should be able to handle the route, provided the following conditions are met.
- It can leave Chippenham station with a full battery.
This would have sufficient charge to do the thirty-two mile round trip from Chippenham to Westbury and back.
As to the train to be used, a Class 387 train with a battery capability would surely be ideal.
South Western Railway’s Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury Service
The service can be split into the following legs.
- Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury – 28 miles – Not Electrified
- Westbury and Salisbury- 24 miles – Not Electrified
t would appear that a train with the performance and range on batteries of Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train should be able to handle the route, provided the following conditions are met.
- It can leave Bristol Temple Meads station with a full battery.
- It can leave Westbury with a full battery.
- It can leave Salisbury with a full battery.
But, I do wonder, if with a slightly larger battery, a well-driven train could work the route with only charging the battery at Westbury station?
Conclusion
Could Westbury station develop into a zero-carbon rail transport hub for Wiltshire?
- It has an hourly train service between London Paddington and Exeter St. Davids.
- It has an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth.
- There are hourly services to stations like Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Bristol Temple Meads, Chippenham, Dorchester, Frome, Swindon, Taunton, Trowbridge and Yeovil
It could be electrified to charge battery electric trains as they pass through.
New Measurement Train – 30th July 2020
Whilst I was at Westbury station today, the New Measurement Train arrived.
It is the first time, that I’ve been up close enough to take pictures.
With all the spare InterCity 125 trains at present, will Network Rail create a second train?
Speeding Down To Bristol By Train
On Wednesday, I went to Bristol to take a few photographs.
I took these pictures, where the electrification ran out at Chippenham station.
There is some half-hearted erection of electrification going on between Chippenham station and Box Tunnel, but despite the fact, that the iconic tunnel is ready for wires, construction work seemed noticeable by its absence.
Line Speed Observations
I had my personal dynamometer car connected for much of the journey.
- Between Southall and Slough we were at times running at only a few miles short of 130 mph. Are Great Western Railway starting to wind up the speed.
- Most of the journey, when well clear of stations, we were at around 125 mph until Chippenham station.
- At Chippenham, it was noticeable that the diesel engine under my seat kicked in.
- Onwards from Chippenham, we were at around 100 mph on diesel.
I suspect that London and Bristol services could be improved and/or speeded up.
- Timings could be reduced between London Paddington and Reading by running at faster speeds under digital ERTMS signalling. The train certainly felt comfortable at 128 mph.
- Any increase in electrification past Chippenham station will increase the the reach of a Class 800 train with a battery capability on a mile-for-mile basis.
- Trains should be able to increase speed towards 125 mph for some of the twelve miles between Chippenham and Bath Spa stations.
- As trains would not be swapping between diesel and electricity in Chippenham station, would panning up and down happen automatically further West?
- It might be possible to fit in a third London Paddington and Bristol service, that doesn’t stop at Chippenham station.
None of these improvements would need the line through Bath Spa station to be electrified.
Bristol Temple Meads Station – 28th July 2020
I took these pictures of Bristol Temple Meads station, when I visited.
Note.
- The station is Listed to the highest level of Grade 1.
- London services seem to use Platforms 15 and 16.
- There is quite a fair bit of space between the tracks.
.Do Network Rail need all the hassle of full electrification of one of Brunel’s most famous creations?
Bristol Temple Meads Station And Trains With a Battery Capability
Hitachi’s Class 800 train with a battery electric capability or Regional Battery Train, is described in this infographic from the company.
The proposed 90 km or 56 mile range would even be sufficient take a train between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads stations on a return trip. So this means that one of these trains could work the London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads stations service via Bath Spa using the electrification between London Paddington and Chippenham stations.
But where could trains reach, if they were able to leave Bristol Temple Meads station with a fully-charged battery?
- Bristol Parkway – 6 miles
- Cardiff Central – 5 miles to the electrified Great Western Main Line.
- Cheltenham Spa – 41 miles
- Filton Abbey Wood – 4 miles
- Gloucester – 39 miles
- Newport – 5 miles to the electrified Great Western Main Line.
- Severn Beach – 13.5 miles
- Taunton – 45 miles
- Westbury – 28.5 miles
- Weston-super-Mare – 19 miles
Note.
- Return trips to Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Severn Beach and Western-super-Mare would be possible.
- The other destinations will need charging facilities.
Other local destinations could be added as the Bristol Metro develops.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The curving nature of the platforms doesn’t make 25 KVAC overhead electrification easy.
- Trains to and from London appear to use the two Eastern platforms 13 and 15.
- It might be possible to increase platform lengths to run longer trains to and from places like London.
I believe that there are three possible ways of charging the trains in Bristol Temple Meads station.
25 KVAC Overhead Electrification
This could be short length of standard 25 KVAC overhead electrification in platforms, that would be served by trains with pantographs like the Class 800 trains.
The driver would stop in the correct place in the platform and connect the pantograph, whilst waiting in the station.
Note that the Class 800 trains to and from London typically take 35-20 minutes to turn round, which is time enough for a full charge.
750 VDC Third-Rail Electrification
This could be short lengths of standard 750 VDC third-rail electrification in platforms, that would be used by standard third-rail shoes on trains.
The train would connect automatically and charging would take place, whilst waiting in the station.
A Specialist Charging Facility Like Vivarail’s Fast Charge System
Vivarail’s Fast Charge system is described in Vivarail Unveils Fast Charging System For Class 230 Battery Trains.
This extract from this Vivarail press release explains how the system works.
he concept is simple – at the terminus 4 short sections of 3rd and 4th rail are installed and connected to the electronic control unit and the battery bank. Whilst the train is in service the battery bank trickle charges itself from the national grid – the benefit of this is that there is a continuous low-level draw such as an EMU would use rather than a one-off huge demand for power.
The train pulls into the station as normal and the shoe-gear connects with the sections of charging rail. The driver need do nothing other than stop in the correct place as per normal and the rail is not live until the train is in place.
That’s it!
I believe that this system or something like it could be adapted to work with all trains with a battery capability in the UK.
I also believe that this system can be designed so that it is ultra-safe and doesn’t disrupt, the visual impact of the station.
Conclusion
Bristol Temple Meads station could be converted into a station, where a high proportion of trains ran solely on electricity.
Bath Spa Station – 28th July 2020
I took these pictures as I twice passed through Bath Spa station.
These are my thoughts.
Electrification Gantries On The Platforms
As somebody, whose eyesight is on the wane, I am not a lover of electrification, where the gantries are bolted to the platforms. These pictures show some installations of this type at Crouch Hill station.
Would electrification gantries like these, be appropriate in Bath Spa station?
Could Lightweight Electrification Gantries Be Placed Between The Tracks?
These pictures show the wide gap between the two tracks in Bath Spa station.
Could double-track lightweight structures, based on a design like this be placed between the tracks?
These structures are made out of laminated wood and are surely a possibility.
A Makeover For Bath Spa Station
If you look at much of the woodwork and paint in the fabric of the station, it appears tired and in need of refurbishment.
Whether the station is electrified or not, the station will need a high-class makeover.
Services Through Bath Spa Station
Three train companies run services through Bath Spa station.
- CrossCountry which only operates diesel trains.
- Great Western Railway operates Class 800 electro-diesel trains and some assorted diesel trains.
- South Western Railway only operates Class 159 diesel trains.
There are also some freight services hauled by diesel locomotives.
Trains leave Bath Spa station using one of three routes via either.
- Bristol Temple Meads station, which is 11.5 miles away without electrification.
- Chippenham station, which is where the electrification to London starts and is 13 miles away.
- Westbury station, which is on the Reading and Taunton Line and 17 miles away without electrification.
Most trains seem to go via Bristol Temple Meads station.
- The distance between Bristol Temple Meads and Chippenham stations are 24.5 miles.
- The distance between Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury stations are 28.5 miles.
Neither distance is that long.
An Alternative To Full Electrification
When I look at the distances between Bristol Temple Meads, Chippenham and Westbury stations, they tell me that they are within the range of Hitachi’s Class 800 train with a battery electric capability or Regional Battery Train, which is described in this infographic from the company.
The proposed 90 km or 56 mile range would even be sufficient take a train between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads stations on a return trip.
Notes for each station follow.
Bristol Temple Meads
Charging facilities would be needed.
Destinations in battery range would include.
- Bristol Parkway – 6 miles
- Cardiff Central – 5 miles to the electrified Great Western Main Line.
- Cheltenham Spa – 41 miles
- Gloucester – 39 miles
- Taunton – 45 miles
- Weston-super-Mare – 19 miles
Note.
- Return trips to Bristol Parkway and Western-super-Mare would be possible.
- The other destinations will need charging facilities.
Bristol Temple Meads station could become a major hub for battery trains.
All local services and all passing longer distance services could be trains with a battery capability.
I write more about Britol Temnple Meads station as a battery train hub in Bristol Temple Meads Station – 28th July 2020.
Chippenham
A train would leave Chippenham station with a full battery after charging on the fully-electrified route from London.
Chippenham and Weston-super-Mare would be in battery range with a charging facility at Weston-super-Mare station.
It should be noted that every extra mile of electrification past Chippenham, can be added to the distance electric trains with a battery capability can reach.
Westbury
Charging facilities would be needed.
Destinations in battery range would include.
- Salisbury – 24 miles.
- Southampton – 49 miles to the electrified South Western Main Line, at Southampton Central station.
- Weymouth – 53 miles to the electrified South Western Main Line at Dorchester Junction.
Note.
- A return trip to Salisbury would be possible.
- Trains would need to have the capability to access 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- A few extra miles of electrification may make operation South from Westbury station easier, more reliable and allow more destinations to be included.
Westbury station could be a major hub for battery trains.
This Google Map shows Westbury station and the lines around it.
I would probably electrify a few miles either side of Westbury, so that passing trains could be in contact with the overhead wires for perhaps five to ten minutes and take a good long drink.
- Electrification could be either 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC overhead.
- Newbury, where the electrification to London starts is 42 miles away and trains can pick it up at speed.
- Taunton is 47 miles away and could be electrified to Exeter St. Davids.
Great Western Railway could run all their services between London Paddington and the South-West using Class 800 trains with a battery capability.
Conclusion
The prolitical, heritage and engineering problems of electrifying through Bath Spa station can be voided, by electrification and charging facilities at stations like Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Westbury and Weston-super-Mare.
VDE Study Finds Battery Trains 35% Cheaper Than Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the International Railway Journal.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A study of the cost-effectiveness of battery electric multiple units (BEMU) and hydrogen electric multiple units (HEMU) as alternatives to diesel found that BEMUs could be up to €59m (35%) less expensive to buy and operate compared with their hydrogen fuel cell equivalents.
It also says that they are more expensive than the diesels they replace over thirty years.
As it is a professional German study, we should take note of what is said.
How Would This Apply To The UK?
There will be differences between the UK and Continental Europe, which will affect costs!
- Our small loading gauge seems to be making the design of hydrogen-powered trains difficult.
- Passenger capacity in a UK train, will probably be reduced when compared to the diesel equivalent.
- Our hydrogen technology is world-class.
- More affordable batteries would benefit both types of trains.
- I believe that companies like Vivarail, will come up with very fast and efficient chargers for battery trains using our third-rail technology, which may not be suitable outside the UK.
On balance though, I suspect that the cost difference worldwide, will be similar.
Conclusion
Companies, developers and engineers will fight a keen battle for supremacy.
There will be some suprising winners and some big losers.
Beeching Reversal – South Fylde Line Passing Loop
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
The Project
This project is described on this page on the web site of the Fylde MP; Mark Menzies, which is entitled Improving The South Fylde Rail Line.
The page lists that these improvements are needed.
Track And Stations
These improvements are listed for track and stations.
The bid involves laying around three miles of track between Lytham and St Annes stations, the creation of a new rail platform at Ansdell and Fairhaven Station, the installation of signalling along the line, and potential platform changes at Preston Station. There is scope for improvements to St Annes and Lytham Stations, should Network Rail decide it would rather include those stations within the passing loop – but that would be decided further along the process.
Services
The objective is to be able to run two trains per hour (tph) between Preston and Blackpool South stations.
Trains
Better trains are needed.
It certainly looks like the Pacers have already gone.
The Route
I shall describe the current route in this section.
Blackpool South Station
The Google Map shows Blackpool South station.
Note.
- Entrance to the station is from Waterloo Road, which runs East-West across the map.
- There are a pair of bus stops by the station entrance.
- There is a lot of car parking close to the station.
- I suspect that the single platform can hold a modern eighty-metre four-car train.
- This seventy-year-old has no difficulty waking to the football ground or the Blackpool trams from the station.
With two tph and some updated facilities, this would be a very useful station.
I suspect there is even space to add a second platform in the future, if that were felt to be necessary.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Station
This Google Map shows Blackpool Please Beach station and the nearby Pleasure Beach.
We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of this station. One beautiful late summer Saturday, I was going to see Ipswich play at Blackpool and out of curiosity I had explored the train to Colne station. In those days a decade ago, Colne and Blackpool South was one service and the train from Colne was full of families, by the time it got to Preston. A large proportion, left the train at the Pleasure Beach.
The conductor told me, that the crowds, I had witnessed weren’t untypical.
Squires Gate Station and Blackpool Airport
This Google Map shows Squires Gate station and the nearby Blackpool Airport.
Blackpool Airport after a troubled few years seems to be finding a niche market, with a few business, commercial, offshore and training flights.
But I believe that airports like Blackpool in the future can develop another large niche – electric aviation.
Getting to places like Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Wales by a nineteen-seat electric airliner will need the following.
- As short a flight as possible.
- Close to the coast would help.
- Good public transport links. Blackpool Airport has both tram and train.
- Space for aircraft to be parked, whilst charging.
- Plentiful supplies of renewable electricity. The over-300 MW Burbo Bank Wind Farm is not far away in Liverpool Bay and it will only be joined by more and larger wind farms.
- Frequent public transport.
Blackpool Airport could tick all these boxes, with a thick green marker.
Some example direct distances from Blackpool include
- Aberdeen – 238 miles
- Amsterdam Schipol – 340 miles
- Belfast City – 128 miles
- Cardiff – 165 miles
- Dublin – 134 miles
- Edinburgh – 150 miles
- Exeter – 211 miles
- Geneva – 661 miles
- Glasgow – 155 miles
- London Gatwick – 220 miles
- London Heathrow – 192 miles
- London Southend – 219 miles
- Newcastle – 89 miles
- Paris Orly – 422 miles
- Isle of Man Ronaldsway – 68 miles
- Southampton – 208 miles
These distances fit nicely with the range of the nine-seater Eviation Alice electric aircraft, which is predicted to be 620 miles.
St. Annes-on-the-Sea Station
This Google Map shows St. Annes-on-the-Sea station.
Note.
- Blackpool is to the North-West and Preston is to the South-East
- St. Annes-on-the-Sea is one of those convenient single-platform stations, where you just walk in-and-out on the level.
- The passing loop would start on the Preston side of the bridge.
There would need to be no major infrastructure work at the station, although I would expect the facilities could do with a makeover.
Ansdell And Fairhaven Station
In Should The Blackpool South Branch Be Electrified?, I said this about improvements to Ansdell and Fairhaven station.
Ansdell and Fairhaven station is nearest to the course at Royal Lytham.
-
- The Open Championship is a very important event on the golfing calendar.
- Other important golfing events are also held on the course
- Royal Lytham and St.Annes, last held the Open in 2012 and 2001. So it might come back to Royal Lytham in the mid-2020s.
Ansdell and Fairhaven station used to have two platforms, as described in Wikipedia.
The station was set out as an island platform with tracks on both faces until the singling of the line in the 1980s. Trains now only use the southern face. A disabled access ramp now covers the northern part of the station.
So could a rebuild of the station do the following?
-
- Restore two platforms on an island at the station.
- Put in full disabled access.
- Create a passing loop.
- Longer platforms might be a good idea.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
-
- The disabled ramp winding away.
- The platform is probably about a hundred metres long.
- It would appear that there is space at the far end to extend the platform.
I suspect that an ambitious architect with vision, could design a station that met all objectives.
It could be the best Championship Golf Course railway station in the world.
Lytham Station
This Google Map shows Lytham station.
Lytham station will be the Eastern end of the loop and it is likely, that the single-track will change to double at the Western end of the station.
As with St. Annes-on-the-Sea station, I suspect that a good makeover, will be all that will be needed.
Moss Side Station
This Google Map shows Moss Side station.
The only problem here is the level crossing, so do Network Rail want to remove it?
Kirkham And Wesham Station
This Google Map shows Kirkham and Wesham station.
There are three platforms, which from bottom to top on the map are.
- Platform 1 – Trains to Blackpool South
- Platform 2 – Trains to Blackpool North
- Platform 3 – Trains to Preston
All platforms seem to be being electrified in these pictures. that I took during construction.
Note.
- It can’t be described as a station, built down to a small budget.
- In the captions to the pictures, I’ve numbered the platforms from left to right.
- The last picture looks down Platform 1 and there is an electrification gantry at the Preston end.
Could this comprehensive electrification be so that trains to Blackpool North can use both Platforms 1 and 2?
- This would allow overtaking of say a local train by a London express.
- Trains could also be turned back in Platform 1, before the end of its journey, if there was a problem.
- The electrification is also substantial enough for the longest Class 390 trains.
- It could even accommodate a classic compatible High Speed Two train.
So does the last point, mean that Blackpool North station is a possible High Speed Two destination? Provided, the platforms at Blackpool North station are long enough, I think it does!
This Google Map shows Kirkham West Junction, where trains to Blackpool North and Blackpool South stations diverge.
Note.
- The electrification gantries and their shadows can be seen.
- Preston is to the South-East and the route is fully-electrified.
- Blackpool North is to the North-West and the route is fully-electrified.
- Blackpool South is to the West. The double-track becomes single before Moss Side station.
This picture shows the route going off to Blackpool South.
I took the picture from a train going to Blackpool North station.
So why are wires being run along the first few hundred metres of the Blackpool South Branch?
The Timetable
Currently, trains take the following times to do these journey legs.
- Run between Ansdell and Fairhaven and Blackpool South stations – 12 minutes
- Turnback at Blackpool South station – 3 minutes
- Run between Blackpool South and Ansdell and Fairhaven stations – 11 minutes
As the trains will be running every thirty minutes and the three legs total twenty-six minutes, that means there’s four minutes float.
So hopefully, it should be easily stainable, by an experienced rail timetable creator.
The Trains
I have remarked that I find the electrification at Kirkham & Wesham station, both comprehensive and slightly unusual.
Could The Electrification Have Been Designed For Battery Electric Trains To Blackpool South Station?
But there is one very plausible reason for the electrification layout – The Blackpool South Branch has been designed, so that services on the branch can be rum using battery trains.
- The distance between Kirkham & Wesham and Blackpool South stations is just over eleven miles.
- So for a round trip a range of perhaps twenty-five miles on battery power would suffice.
- There would also be a need for a few minutes of hotel power, whilst waiting at Blackpool South station.
These power needs are well within the capabilities of the average battery train.
- Trains could be charged on the nine minute run between Preston and Kirkham & Wesham stations.
- Changeover between electrification and battery power would take place in Kirkham & Wesham station.
An ideal train would surely be CAF’s four-car battery electric version of the Class 331 train, which I wrote about in Northern’s Battery Plans.
- According to an article in the March 2020 Edition of Modern Railways, with the same name, these trains will be working between Manchester Airport and Windermere.
- Class 331 trains without batteries will be running to and from Blackpool North station.
- Four-car trains are probably the right size for the route.
There would also probably be no need for a charging station at Blackpool South station, if trains could leave Kirkham & Wesham station with a full battery.
Where Would The Trains Terminate In The East?
These would be the obvious choices.
- Blackburn – Where there is a convenient bay platform.
- Colne – Where they used to terminate!
- Liverpool – Merseyrail has the trains and Liverpool has lots of punters and the imagination.
- Preston – Where they do now!
- Skipton – If the Skipton-Colne Link is built!
My money would be on Skipton, using a new Skipton-Colne Link, for the following reasons.
- Politicians of all colours and roses are in favour.
- Skipton has an electrified route to Leeds.
- Skipton-Colne would be a valuable by-pass route during the building of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
- Battery-powered trains would be ideal for Skipton-Colne.
Would A Battery Electric Train Be Feasible Between Blackpool South And Liverpool?
Consider.
- An all-stations service would complement the fast service between Liverpool Lime Street and Blackpool North stations via St. Helens, Wigan North Western and Preston.
- The service could either go between Liverpool and Preston via Ormskirk or Southport and a reinstated Burscough Chord.
- The Ormskirk route is 15 miles of unelectrified line and the Southport route is just four miles further.
- A service via Southport would need to reverse at Southport station.
- The service would be run using dual-voltage Class 777 trains fitted with batteries.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification, is already installed between Preston and Kirkham & Wesham stations,
- Using existing electrification, trains would leave Kirkham & Wesham, Ormskirk, Preston and Southport stations with full batteries.
- A coastal service between Blackpool and Liverpool would surely attract visitors.
- Liverpool and Blackpool are the two biggest urban areas on the coast.
- There are several golf courses on the route, including three courses that have held the Open; Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
It may be a bit fanciful. But.
- Merseyrail will have the trains.
- Liverpool has the potential passengers.
- I believe the route could handle a two tph service.
- In Reopen Midge Hall Station, I showed that it was possible to run a two tph service between Liverpool and Preston, with one tph via each of Ormskirk and Southport.
Liverpool also has bags of ambition and imagination.
Would A Battery Electric Train Handle Preston And Skipton?
I estimate that this route is forty-one miles, with a stiff rise from Rose Grove to Colne station.
So would a battery electric train be able to handle this distance?
Hitachi are talking 56 miles for their Regional Battery Train, so I suspect CAF would want and need to be competitive with a similar specification.
Perhaps the logical service would be to run between Leeds and Blackpool South.
- The service would go via Preston, Blackburn, Burnley Central, Colne and Skipton.
- Leeds and Skipton is electrified.
- Preston and Kirkham & Wesham is electrified.
- No extra chargers for trains would be needed.
The only new infrastructure needed would be the Skipton and Colne Link.
Electrification Between Preston And Blackburn
Consider.
- In Colne – Skipton Reopening Moves Closer, I talked about the proposed Huncoat Rail Fright Terminal, that could be built North of Blackburn on the East Lancashire Line.
- Blackburn is a major hub for passenger services.
- An electrified Blackburn would allow Manchester and Clitheroe to be run by battery electric trains. Clitheroe is ten miles and Bolton is thirteen.
- An electrified Blackburn would allow Blackburn and Manchester Victoria via the Todmorden Curve to be run by battery electric trains. The whole route is 39.5 miles.
- It may be possible for battery electric trains to reach Leeds via Hebden Bridge, as it is only fifty miles away, which is within Hitachi’s range.
- As the Blackburn area grows, there will be more pressure for a daily London service.
- Some think, the Calderdale route should be electrified.
- Preston and Blackburn stations are just twelves miles apart.
- There is a multiple unit depot at Blackburn.
- I also feel that battery electric trains fanning out from Blackburn, wouldn’t do the town’s image any harm.
For all these reasons, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a short stretch of electrification added between Preston and Blackburn.
Conclusion
I like this proposal and it could be a big asset to trains across the Pennines.
Financing For 135 Hybrid Trainsets Agreed
The title of this post, is the same as this article on Railway Gazette International.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The European Investment Bank agreed a €450m financing package on July 23 which will support Trenitalia’s plans to order 135 electric-diesel-battery hybrid regional multiple-units at total cost of €960m.
The trains are from Hitachi’s Caravaggio family and will be built in their Italian plant at Pistoia. Their operation is described in this sentence.
They will use conventional overhead electrification where available, with ‘cutting-edge’ engines for operation onto non-electrified routes as well as batteries to eliminate emissions for the ‘last mile’ and in urban areas.
That sounds extremely sophisticated to me.
Is The Powertrain Technology Transferrable To The UK?
I have republished this post with a link to the original article, as it occurs to me, that Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway. LNER and other train operating companies could be in need of a train with a sophisticated Diesel/Electric/Battery Hybrid powertrain.
So will Hitachi be using a powertrain like this in the UK?
Iarnród Éireann Orders Stage V MTU PowerPacks
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on Railway Gazette International.
The IE 22000 Class trains appear to be the main rolling stock of Irish Rail.
The Railway Gazette International article describes in detail how MTU are updating the standard diesel engines in these trains with their latest Hybrid PowerPacks.
The aim is to achieve a reduction of over thirty percent in both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
From reading the article, it doesn’t appear to be a challenging project, once the testing is complete.
It does appear that MTU seem to get these conversion projects right.
Progress On The Porterbrook HybridFLEX Project
There is another engine conversion project, that uses MTU PowerPacks, underway in the UK, which I wrote about in Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Launch First Hybrid Rail Project In The UK With MTU Hybrid PowerPacks, in September 2018.
Porterbrook call it the HybridFLEX project. I wonder how it is getting on.
This article on Diesel and Gas Turbine Worldwide, which is entitled Ricardo Leading Hybrid Train Project In UK, is the last reference I can find in January 2019.
As there are over two hundred trains, that can be converted in the UK, I’m looking forward to the rolling out of Porterbrook’s HybridFLEX project.
I suspect operators are too, as they’d like to save all that diesel.
The Anonymous Widower 