My First Ride In A Nova 3 Train
Nova 3 is the name that TransPennine Express have given to their new fleet of Mark 5A coaches hauled by Class 68 locomotives.
The first few pictures were taken, when I saw a Nova 3 at Manchester Victoria station and the ither during and after a ride between Manchester Victoria and Leeds stations.
These are a few of my thoughts.
Comfort, Noise And Vibration
It was certainly good and up there with the best.
Tables For Four
There were quite a few tables, but not everyone got one.
Ride And Performance
There was nothing wrong with the ride, but we were only doing 75 mph across the Pennines.
Next time, I’m in the North, I’ll take one of these trains up the East Coast Main Line to Scarborough or Redcar to feel them at a faster speed.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t object to having these coaches with a Class 88 electric locomotive running between London and Nowich via Ipswich.
A Toned Down Automatic Leon In Leeds Station
Leon have opened a new outlet in Leeds station.
It’s toned-down with an automatic order facility.
Dancing Azumas At Leeds
This picture shows the 1749 arrival at Leeds from London Kings Cross.
Train details were as follows.
- The train had left Kings Cross at 1533.
- It was formed of two five-car trains working as a pair.
- The train was perhaps a couple of minutes late, arriving in Leeds.
- The train arrives in Platform 6.
- The complete ten-car formation left for Harrogate at 1800.
My train for London, which was another pair of five-car trains arrived in Platform 8 at Leeds at 1806 from Harrogate. The train left on time at 1815.
At present there is no joining and splitting, but if this is used by LNER, the following timings are possible.
- 1533 – Two five-car trains working as a pair leave Kings Cross.
- 1749 – The train arrives in Platform 6 at Leeds and the two trains are uncoupled.
- 1800 – A second driver gets into the rear train and he drives it towards Harrogate.
- 1800 – The front train stays in the platform.
- 1806 – The Harrogate to London service arrives from Harrogate and couples to the train in Platform 6.
- 1815 – The pair of five-car trains leave for London.
I think it is all rather elegant.
- Harrogate gets a five-car Azuma service, which is probably sufficient for the town’s need.
- Five-car trains probably fit all platforms easily on the Harrogate Line, where stops are planned.
- Will platforms at Headingley station be extended, so that London trains can stop during Test matches?
- The inbound and outbound services to and from Harrogate pass each other on the double track.
- The rear train from London reverses and goes to Harrogate..
- The front train just fills up with new passengers and after coupling with the train from Harrogate goes back to London.
- As Class 800 trains are supposed to be able to couple and uncouple in under two minutes, there should be only a small delay.
- LNER are running two trains per hour between London and Leeds, but they could be running four separate services per hour Between London and Yorkshire.
But the biggest advantage is that the front train from London can go somewhere else! Bradford? Huddersfield?
Possible Destinations
These are possible destinations, distances and times.
- Bradford – 13 miles – 25 minutes
- Harrogate – 18 miles – 30 minutes
- Huddersfield – 17 miles – 35 minutes
- Hull – 20 miles – 60 minutes
- Ilkley – 16 miles – 26 minutes
- Middlesbrough – – 76 miles – 84 minutes
- Scarborough – 67 miles – 75 minutes
- Skipton – 26 miles – 43 minutes
- York – 25 miles – 30 minutes
Harrogate would probably pair well with Bradford, Huddersfield, Skipton or York
Note.
- I have added Ilkley although it doesn’t have a service to London.
- Bradford Forster Square and Skipton already have one train per day (tpd) from London via Leeds.
- Routes to Bradford Forster Square, Ilkley and Skipton are electrified.
- Network Rail has plans to electrify the routes to Huddersfield and York.
- There are at least thirty tpd between London and Leeds in both directions run by LNER.
Six tpd, as are now running to Harrogate and Lincoln to all six destinations would need just eighteen tpd to split and join at Leeds.
Stations That Could Be Served
All these stations could be given a direct service to and from London.
- Apperley Bridge – On the route to Bradford Forster Square – This is a new Park-and-Ride station.
- Batley – On the route to Huddersfield
- Ben Rhydding – On the route to Ilkley
- Bingley – On the route to Skipton
- Bradford Forster Square
- Burley-in-Wharfedale – On the route to Ilkley
- Burley Park – On the Harrogate Line
- Church Fenton – On the route to York
- Cononley – On the route to Skipton
- Cottingley – On the route to Huddersfield – Could be replaced by White Rose.
- Crossflats – On the route to Skipton
- Cross Gates – On the route to York
- Deighton– On the route to Huddersfield
- Dewsbury – On the route to Huddersfield
- East Garforth – On the route to York
- Frizinghall On the route to Bradford Forster Square
- Garforth – OLn the route to York
- Guiseley – On the route to Ilkley
- Harrogate – Terminus
- Headingley – On the Harrogate Line
- Hornbeam Park – On the Harrogate Line
- Horsforth – On the Harrogate Line
- Huddersfield – Terminus
- Ilkley – Terminus
- Keithley – On the route to Skipton
- Kirkstall Forge – On the route to Bradford Forster Square – This is a new Park-and-Ride station.
- Menston – On the route to Ilkley
- Micklefield – On the route to York
- Mirfield – On the route to Huddersfield
- Morley – On the route to Huddersfield
- Pannal – On the Harrogate Line
- Ravensthorpe – On the route to Huddersfield
- Saltaire – On the route to Skipton
- Shipley – On the route to Bradford Forster Square
- Skipton – Terminus
- Steeton & Silsden – On the route to Skipton
- Weeton – On The Harrogate Line
- York – Terminus
I have included every station, which the LNER trains pass, in this list.
But why not?
- These modern trains can make a station stop much quicker than older trains.
- They would improve the local service to Leeds.
- Some stations might be too small for five-car Azumas, that are 130 metres long.
- No electrification would be needed, but it could be added.
Leeds could become an even more important rail hub for North Yorkshire.
Azumas Now Have A Virtuous Sister
As I arrived in Kings Cross tonight from Leeds, one of Hull Trains’s new Paragons was in the next platform to the LNER Azuma, that I arrived in.
The Azuma is a Class 800 train and the Paragon is a Class 802 train.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a strong commercial battle, between the two train companies on the route between London and Hull
- Both companies are running new, modern trains.
- At present LNER run just one train per day to and from Hull, with Hull trains running around half-a-dozen trains per day.
- Hull Trains are the only company that runs on Sunday to Hull.
- It should be noted that the Hitachi trains seem to be fairly agile and I wouldn’t be surprised that they could reach Scarborough via Beverley, Driffield and Bridlington.
I don’t think passengers to and from East Yorkshire will be losing out!
The Proposed Development Under Cavendish Square
These pictures show Cavendish Square.
Note
- Underneath the square is a very expensive car park
- Harley Street, with its medical connections, lies at one cornet.
- John Lewis sits on another corner.
It is a very pleasant place to sit and have lunch on a sunny day.
This article on IanVisits is entitled A Shopping Centre Under Cavendish Square?.
Ian details how, plans are emerging to turn the Cavendish Square car park into a shopping centre and medical complex, spread over four floors under a re landscaped Cavendish Square.
Ian also discloses how the square was used as an access point to build the Victoria Line in the 1960s.
This development could change the area in several ways.
- Cavendish Square could become an even better landscaped garden.
- The medical complex would be a much-needed modern extension to Harley Street.
- Could the development be used to create the much-needed step-free access to Oxford Circus station?
- Would upmarket shoppers be drawn to the development?
- Could the square become electric vehicles only?
I very much think this development could be a valuable addition to the area.
The Former BHS Building
I always remember this building as the BHS Building, which I used to use as a cut-through from Regent Street to John Lewis.
Some years before it closed, BHS cut off this route and I never bought anything in an Arcadia Group store again!
So I certainly have no affection for this heap of concrete.
If the Cavendish Square development goes ahead, that I wrote about in The Proposed Development Under Cavendish Square, I think that this building will be drawn into the development.
- It has a substantial frontage on Oxford Street.
- It could be key to giving step-free access between Oxford Circus station and the Cavendish Square development.
- It could provide step-free access to Oxford Circus station.
Would anybody miss it, if it were to be demolished?
I wonder, who owns this building.
Walking From Cavendish Square To The Marylebone Lane Entrance Of Bond Street Station
I walked from Cavendish Square to the Maylebone Lane entrance Of Bond Street station, taking these pictures as I proceeded.
Note.
- It was an easy walk
- It took me about seven minutes.
- I passed the rear entrances of John Lewis, House of Fraser and Debenhams.
It could be made a bit flatter, by eliminating kerbs
Would this route be a good enough connection between Crossrail and ehe Proposed Development Under Cavendish Square?
Could a pedestrian tunnel be built from Cavendish Square to Marylebone Lane with a travelator?
Or why not just pedestrianise Herietta Street and put a travelator, where the roads used to be?
It’s a big expensive investment under Cavendish Square and they can afford to make it the best.
Oxbourne House Is A Mixed-Use Retail And Residential Project Located On Europe’s Busiest Shopping Street
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the Fletcher Priest web site.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The project includes high quality apartments and a prominent retail provision, as well as step-free access to Bond Street Underground and Crossrail Station below, where a new street-level station entrance has been constructed off Marylebone Lane.
Note that Fletcher Priest are the architects.
These pictures show the state of the building on December 29th, 2019.
This Google Map shows the location along Oxford Street.
Note.
- Oxbourne House is the building along Oxford street with the ribbed structure on its Western end.
- The pedestrianised Marylebone Lane, at the Eastern end of Oxbourne House, running down towards Oxford Street.
- The recently built entrance to Bond Street station is hidden by Oxbourne House.
- The Radisson Blu Edwardian Berkshire hotel on the other side of Marylebone Lane.
This second Google Map shows the wider picture.
Note.
- Marylebone Lane and the Radisson Blu hotel are to the left of this map.
- Cavendish Square is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis are in a line to the East of the entrance.
It looks to be a well-placed entrance.
It Gives Rear Entry To The Department Stores
Will travellers for Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis and Cavendish Square use the pedestrianised Marylebone Lane and Henrietta Place route, in preference to the crowded route along Oxford Street?
Perhaps if Henrietta Place were to be pedestrianised as well and the signage was clear, many savvy duck-and-divers may be tempted!
I describe the current walking route in Walking From Cavendish Square To The Marylebone Lane Entrance Of Bond Street Station.
Access To Harley Street
The Marylebone Lane/Henrietta Place route gives good access to Harley Street and all its consultants, clinics and facilities.
If as I suspect the route were to be pedestrianised or at least had the kerbs removed,, as the Marylebone Lane entrance to Bond Street station has step-free access to all platforms, Harley Street would have better step-free access to public transport, than many hospitals.
Access To The New Cavendish Square Development
This proposed Cavendish Square Development seems to be mainly upmarket shops and medical facilities like consulting rooms and probably expensive diagnostic equipment.
The access from Bond Street station will be better than to Harley Street.
- the route will be built step-free.
- There might only be one road to cross at most.
- It will be shorter.
- As an aside, I suspect taxis will be able to drop and collect visitors from inside the development.
I wonder how many consultants will move from Harley Street to the Cavendish Square development.
Conclusion
The new Marylebone Lane entrance to Bond Street station, gives step-free access to an area to the North of Oxford Street
The new entrance also acts as the foundation for Oxbourne House, whose development probably contributed to the creation of the new step-free entrance.
Thoughts On Step-Free Access At Oxford Circus Station
The London Underground station most in need of step-free access is probably Oxford Circus, where the Bakerloo and Victoria Lines have a cross-platform step-free interchange, which connects to the Central Line.
- Oxford Circus is the third-busiest station on the Underground.
- The capacity of the station probably limits the capacity of the Victoria Line.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the lines through the station.
Note.
- The cross-platform interchange between the Bakerloo and Victoria Lines
- The Central Line running East-West under Oxford Street.
- Crossrail is shown by dotted lines, passing to the South of the station..
South of the Central Line, it would probably be difficult to squeeze in lifts and more escalators, but to the North, there may be space for another entrance building.
- The great advantage of making either the Victoria or Bakerloo Lines at Oxford Circus step-free, is that the other one will get it as well.
- I think it will probably depend on which of the buildings in the area, need to be replaced.
- I also suspect that the areas under Oxford Circus, Oxford Street and Regent Street are well surveyed, as there has been continuous development of Oxford Circus station since the 1960s.
On the other hand, the opening of Crossrail, with a new entrance to Bond Street station in Hanover Square, may mean that passenger numbers reduce at Oxford Circus, thus allowing a simpler solution.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a very innovative solution to provide step-free access at Oxford Circus station.
I feel that the Proposed Shopping Centre Under Cavendish Square could be the elephant in the room.
- An upmarket shopping centre and medical centre needs good access for taxis, cars and public transport.
- Cavendish Square was used to build the Victoria Line.
- Tunnelling techniques have improved since the 1960s.
This Google Map shows Cavendish Square and the area between the square and Oxford Circus station.
Consider the four corners of the map..
- Oxford Circus station is in the South-East corner.
- Harley Street is just on the map at the North-West corner.
- The BBC is just off the map in the North-East corner.
- John Lewis’s flagship store occupies the South-West corner.
But perhaps the most interesting building is the former BHS flagship store, that lies to the East of John Lewis, with Cavendish Square to the North and Oxford Street to the South.
The proposed development under Cavendish Square will be upmarket and it will need high quality access to attract tenants, visitors and clients.
- I doubt there will be masses of car parking, although they could probably dig up to a hundred metres below the square. Could there be an automatic car park, where vehicles are taken and stacked deep underground?
- Good access for taxis, private hire vehicles and delivery trucks will be needed..I suspect that planning permission, would specify electric vehicles only.
- The Bond Street station complex, with Crossrail, Central and Jubilee Lines is perhaps two hundred metres away. I feel the developers of Cavendish Square, will see access to Crossrail as being essential.
- Oxford Street station is closer, but good access will be needed between the station and Cavendish Square.
Access to Bond Street and Oxford Circus stations would probably be via wide, deep tunnels with travelators as are being installed to solve the horrendous access problems at Bank station.
The former BHS building could be key in any design.
- The BHS building has a superb location.
- Tunnels between the two stations and the Cavendish Square complex could go via any development of the BHS building.
- It might be possible to go higher on the site.
- It might even be possible to put another station on the Central Line in the basement.
There is certainly a lot of scope for an innovative solution at Oxford Circus station.
RENFE To Launch Avlo Low-Cost High Speed Rail For Everyone
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
The title says it all and it looks like the Spanish are going the way of the French.
As High Speed Rail networks get larger,and able to handle more trains, it appears that the train operators, run out of premium passengers and turn to other markets.
SNCF have already launched a low-cost service called Ouigo, so it looks like the Spanish are following along similar lines.
In some ways is rail following air travel with low-cost companies offering a more affordable service.
On the whole, the UK, will find it more difficult to offer these services, as we don’t have the rail capacity. In part, this is due to the late development of high speed lines like High Speed Two.
But competitive services using a low-cost model are running or in development.
- Grand Central between London and Bradford and London and Sunderland.
- Hull Trains between London and Hull
- First East Coast Trains between London and Edinburgh.
- Grand Union between London and Wales and London and Stirling.
It should be noted that First East Coast Trains and Hull Trains will be running similar new Hitachi trains to the dominant operator on the route; LNER.
But then Ryanair and easyJet fly similar planes to British Airways and Air France!
Conclusion
It does appear that low-cost operators are providing competition, just as they have done with the airlines.
The Anonymous Widower 