The Ultimate 125 mph Bi-Mode Train
This post puts together my thoughts on 125 mph bi-mode trains from other posts in the last couple of months.
Yesterday, I had my first ride in a Class 800 train. I went from Paddington to Swindon in two-five car trains, working as a ten-car formation.
- The route is fully-electrified between Paddington and Didcot Parkway station
- The train was full.
- The train was doing 125 mph for substantial parts of the electrified route.
- On the sections without electrification, a lot of the running was over 100 mph.
I didn’t notice any noise or vibration from the diesel generators. As only, three-cars of a five-car train have them, I may have been in a car without a diesel generator.
Class 800 Trains
The Class 800 and its similar siblings are the nearest we have to an ultimate bi-mode train.
125 mph On Electricity And 100 mph-plus On Diesel
Hitachi’s trains do not yet have the ability to cruise at 125 mph on diesel, but they will get closer in the next few years.
Batteries To Handle Regenerative Braking
I cover this fully in Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?
In the related post,I include this schematic of the traction system.
Note BC which is described as battery charger.
The diagram came from this document on the Hitachi Rail web site, which has the following description.
The system can select the appropriate power source from either the main transformer or the GUs. Also, the size and weight of the system were minimized by designing the power supply converter to be able to work with both power sources. To ensure that the Class 800 and 801 are able to adapt to future changes in operating practices, they both have the same traction system and the rolling stock can be operated as either class by simply adding or removing GUs. On the Class 800, which is intended to run on both electrified and non-electrified track, each traction system has its own GU. On the other hand, the Class 801 is designed only for electrified lines and has one or two GUs depending on the length of the trainset (one GU for trainsets of five to nine cars, two GUs for trainsets of 10 to 12 cars). These GUs supply emergency traction power and auxiliary power in the event of a power outage on the catenary, and as an auxiliary power supply on non-electrified lines where the Class 801 is in service and pulled by a locomotive. This allows the Class 801 to operate on lines it would otherwise not be able to use and provides a backup in the event of a catenary power outage or other problem on the ground systems as well as non-electrified routes in loco-hauled mode.
This is all very comprehensive, but it doesn’t say anything about batteries, except that the auxiliary power supply incorporates a battery charger.
It would appear the batteries might be used to provide emergency power, but the document doesn’t say, if they can be used as traction power.
I suspect that in the next version generator units (GUs), and batteries will work together to make a more efficient train, that can use braking energy for traction.
Using batteries in this way, means that regenerative braking is available in both electric and diesel modes.
Emergency Power
Note how in the above extract, it states this.
On the other hand, the Class 801 is designed only for electrified lines and has one or two GUs depending on the length of the trainset (one GU for trainsets of five to nine cars, two GUs for trainsets of 10 to 12 cars).
This will be very handy for short diversions or when the electrification fails, to get the train to the next station.
Ability To Split And Join Automatically.
This is an extract from the document on the Hitachi Rail web site.
Because the coupling or uncoupling of cars in a trainset occurs during commercial service at an intermediate station, the automatic coupling device is able to perform this operation in less than 2 minutes.
It is fascinating to watch the closely related Class 395 trains do this at Ashford International station.
Plug And Play Trains
The document on the Hitachi Rail web site, explains in detail, how the train’s computer works out what coaches have been coupled together, to create the actual train.
It even automatically adjusts everything if two trains are split or joined together.
Acceptable Noise And Vibration
On my short ride, I didn’t notice the noise of the diesel engine, but on a first look, it appears to be acceptable.
Fast Changeover From Electric To Diesel And Vice-Versa
As I didn’t notice the change to diesel, somewhere past Didcot Parkway station, I must assume, this can be done at line speed.
Conclusion On Class 800 Trains
I feel that the next generation of these trains will be more advanced and efficient, and will be capable of 125 mph on both electrification and diesel.
Routes For 125 mph Bi-Mode Trains
There are several roues, where a 125 mph bi-mode train could be an ideal train to serve the route.
Kings Cross To King’s Lynn
This is a route, that I wouldn’t have thought about, as it is electric-only until I read a short article in Edition 849 of Rail Magazine, which was entitled Call For ETCS On King’s Lynn Route, which advocated the following for the route.
- 125 mph trains
- Modern digital signalling, which would include ETCS.
These would increase the capacity South of Hitchin on the East Coast Main Line and make timetabling of the Fen Line much easier.
Then in the next edition of the magazine, there was an article, that advocated the reopening of the King’s Lynn to Hunstanton branch line.
At just fifteen miles this would be ideal for bi-mode trains or ones with sufficient battery capacity.
There are other routes, which feature the following.
- 125 mph running on a high speed line, which is fully or partly electrified.
- An extension on a branch line without full electrification.
A few example routes include.
Euston to Chester
Kings Cross to Harrogate
Kings Cross to Hull
Kings Cross to Middlesbrough
Midland Main Line
The new East Midlands franchise for the Midland Main Line will go the 125 mph bi-mode route.
- The InterCity 125 trains don’t meet the disability regulation after December 2019.
- No more electrification will be added to the route in the next few years.
The Department for Transport says this in this consultation on their web site, about the new franchise.
The new franchise operator has a key role to play in facilitating the delivery of new infrastructure and delivering the benefits the investment is funding, including the benefits delivered to passengers through a modern fleet of bi-mode trains. Bi-modes will deliver passenger benefits sooner than electrification would without the disruption from putting up wires and masts along the whole route.
But some improvements should be completed by December 2019.
- The route will be electrified from St. Pancras to Kettering and Corby.
- The route will be four tracks from St. Pancras to Glendon Junction, where the Corby branch leaves the Midland Main Line.
- The overhead line equipment South of Bedford will be upgraded to allow 125 mph running.
Bi-mode trains capable of 125 mph, would appear to be a necessity of running the Midland Main Line efficiently.
Merseyrail’s Battery Intentions
In New Merseyrail Fleet A Platform For Future Innovations, I quoted from this article on the Rail Technology Magazine web site.
The article mainly is an interview with David Powell, who is programme director of rolling stock at Merseytravel.
This is a direct quote from the article.
We will be exploring, with Stadler, what the options are for having the trains becoming self-powered. This isn’t the bi-modes that lots of other people are talking about in the industry; this is on-board electrical storage.
The Wikipedia entry for Merseyrail links to this document, which puts a lot more flesh on Merseyrail’s intentions for battery trains.
It outlines strategies for the following routes.
Ellesmere Port And Helsby
The document says this.
There is a reasonable business case for extending the Merseyrail service through to Helsby.
However this is likely to be best served by the use of Merseyrail battery powered enabled
services. This will be tested on the new units in 2020.
According to Wikipedia, the sixth Class 777 train to be delivered will be fitted with batteries.
Currently, the service between Liverpool Central and Ellesmere Port stations is as follows.
- A train every thirty minutes.
- Trains take eighty-five minutes to do the round trip from Ellesmere Port round the Wirral Loop under Liverpool and back to Ellesmere Port.
- There are thirty-one stops on the route.
- There is a five minute turnround at Ellesmere Port station.
Two trains are needed to run the service.
The Current Class 507/508 trains and the future Class 777 trains both have the same operating speed, but there are performance differences.
The British Rail trains have 656 kW of power per train, whereas every new Stadler train will have 2,100 kW. The speed may be the same, but the acceleration will be much greater if needed and and the regenerative braking should be powerful and smoothly controlled.
- Figures for the Class 313 train, which is similar to the Class 507/508 trains show a top speed of 75 mph and an acceleration of 0.67 m/s².
- Figures for the Class 777 train show a top speed of 75 mph and an acceleration of 1.1 m/s².
These figures mean that a Class 507 train will get to 75 mph in 125 seconds, whereas the new Stadler trains will take just 76 seconds.
In addition, loading and unloading of passengers with their increasing levels of extras will be much faster due to the hollistic design of the trains and the platforms on the new Stadler trains.
It would not be unrealistic to see around a minute saved at every stop.
I think this level of improvement could be expected, with all the modern trains in the UK.
The extended service between Ellesmere Port and Helsby stations is not much extra distance and time.
- Just over five miles each way.
- About thirteen minutes each way , based on existing services on the route.
So if the terminus were to be moved to Helsby, when the new trains are in service, the time savings between Ellesmere Port and Liverpool should cover the extra distance.
It should also be noted about Helsby station.
- It has four platforms and could probably handle four trains per hour (tph).
- A platform with a charging station could be created.
- It has a wide selection of services including Chester, Llandudno, Manchester and Warrington.
To my mind, Liverpool to Helsby would be an ideal route for a battery electric train.
Ormskirk-Preston Enhancements
The document says this.
This incorporates both electrification from Ormskirk through to Preston and the potential
reintroduction one or both of the Burscough Curves. In view of the deferral of electrification
proposals, and the relative low ranking of the electrification proposal in the Northern Sparks
report, it is unlikely that the electrification proposal is expected to be taken forward in the
near future. In addition to this, the business case for extending electrification to Burscough,
and the introduction of the southern Burscough Curve, is poor. The potential use of battery
powered Merseyrail units may improve the business case for both proposals. This will be
reviewed after the Merseyrail units have been tested for battery operation in 2020.
Currently, the service between Ormskirk and Preston stations is as follows.
- A train every hour.
- Trains take around thirty minutes to go between the two terminal stations.
- The route is fifteen and a half miles long.
- There are three stops on the route.
- There is a long turnround in a bay platform at Preston station.
At the present time, the service seems rather erratic, with some services replaced by buses and long connection times at Ormskirk.
The service between Liverpool Central and Ormskirk stations takes thirty-five minutes with eleven stops and is generally every fifteen minutes, with a half-hourly service in the evening and at weekends.
If a Class 777 train could use battery power, I estimate it could run between Liverpool Central and Preston stations within an hour.
This would surely open up the possibility of a new service between Liverpool and Preston.
- It would take only a few minutes longer than the fifty-one minutes of a direct train between Liverpool Lime Street and Preston stations.
- It would connect a lot of stations to the West Coast Main Line at Preston.
- It would link the major sporting venues of Aintree, Anfield and Goodison or Everton’s new ground to the North.
- At the Southern end, it could connect to Liverpool Airport.
The Class 777 trains would need to be able to do about thirty miles on battery power and if required, the technology exists to either top up the batteries at Preston or use a pantograph to access the overhead wires of the West Coast Main Line.
At the present time, the Ormskirk Branch Line between Ormskirk and Preston stations is only single track and probably needs resignalling, but I suspect that a four tph service could be run between Liverpool and Ormskirk, with two tph extended to Preston.
Extra track work, North of Ormskirk and the reinstatement of the Burscough curves would allow.
- Four tph between Liverpool and Preston via Ormskirk.
- A service between Liverpool and Southport via Ormskirk.
- A service between Preston and Southport.
There is even the possibility of extending Liverpool and Preston services to Blackpool South station, if they used the overhead electrification through Preston to charge the batteries.
Borderlands Development
The document says this.
While the aspiration is to fully electrify the line, and incorporate it into the Merseyrail
network, this is very much a long term aspiration. In the interim period the aim is to develop
the line through the introduction of an improved diesel service. Merseytravel will work
closely with relevant cross-border organisations such as Growth Track 360 to bring this
about. There are a number of new station proposals for the line, the principal being a new
station close to the Deeside Industrial Park, which would improve the ability of the
workforce to access the site via public transport.
The Borderlands Line provides a service between Liverpool and Wrexham Central station with a change at Bidston station.
- The twenty-seven miles between Wrexham Central and Bidston are not electrified.
- The line is double-track throughout.
- There are twelve stations on the line.
- The service is hourly, but probably needs to be at least half-hourly.
- The service takes about an hour between Wrexham and Bidston stations.
Using Class 777 trains on the route, using battery power between Bidston and Wrexham Central stations would enable.
- A direct service, that terminated in the Wirral Loop under Liverpool.
- An increased capacity at Bidston station.
- A faster service.
I estimate that a time of perhaps seventy to eighty minutes between Liverpool Central and Wrexham Central stations will be possible.
There would be very little infrastructure work, except for new stations and the possible ability to top up batteries at Wrexham Central.
I suspect that political problems, rather than any railway ones will be larger.
Bootle Branch Electrification
The document says this.
A long term proposal which will need to be considered alongside the developing freight
strategy for the region and the expansion of the Port of Liverpool. The proposal envisages
the introduction of passenger services which will operate from the Bootle Branch into Lime
Street. An initial study is required to understand fully the freight requirements for the line
and what the realistic potential for operating passenger services over the line is.
The Bootle Branch is known as the Canada Dock Branch in Wikipedia.
Class 777 trains with a battery capability and the ability to use the overhead electrification into Liverpool Lime Street would be able to serve this route, without the need for electrification.
Obviously, if for freight efficiency, the route was electrified, the trains could use it as needed.
North Mersey Branch
The document says this.
A long term proposal; this envisages a new service operating from Ormskirk via Bootle into
Liverpool. It was reviewed as part of the Merseyrail Route Utilisation Strategy in 2009 which
identified a poor business case.
I can’t identify the actual route, but there are various rail alignments into and through the Docks.
Skelmersdale
The document says this.
Merseytravel is currently working with Lancashire County Council and Network Rail to
develop the Merseyrail network from Kirkby through to Skelmersdale. This work is expected
to be completed in 2019. Further development work will be required before this project is
implemented. While 3rd rail electrification is being considered currently, alternatives will be
considered later in the development process. A new station at Headbolt Lane to serve the
Northwood area of Kirkby is an integral part of this proposal. The potential to extend the
network further through to Wigan will need to be developed separately.
I wrote about this plan in Merseyrail To Skelmersdale – How To Plan A New Rail-Link.
Thoughts On Battery Size And Range
Thjis article on Railway Gazette is entitled Battery Trial Planned For New EMU Fleet.
This is the first paragraph.
The sixth of the 52 four-car 750 V DC third rail electric multiple-units which Stadler is to supply for Merseyrail services around Liverpool is to be fitted with a 5 tonne battery to test the business case for energy storage. While all the EMUs will be equipped for regenerative braking, this is not seen as optimal on the Merseyrail network.
I find the last part of this paragraph difficult.
Does it mean the trains can use regenerative braking, but that it is not worth using?
This media release on the Stadler web site is entitled Stadler Signs Contract To Build And Maintain 52 Metro Trains For
Liverpool City Region.
This is a sentence.
The units will also be equipped with batteries that allow independent movement of the units in the workshop and depot areas.
Out of curiosity, what will be the kinetic energy of the four-car trains at the full speed of 75 mph
- The train weight is given as 99 tonnes in Wikipedia.
- The passenger capacity is 484, with a weight of 90 Kg each.
- This gives a train weight of 142.56 tonnes.
Putting these figures into Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator gives a kinetic energy of 22.3 kWh.
I feel that this fairly low amount of energy could be held in a 60 kWh battery, that would probably come from a hybrid bus and weigh about 600 Kg.
I would be very surprised if Stadler are not using a smaller battery to do the following.
- Handle regenerative braking.
- Independent movement in the workshop and depot areas.
- Train power in sidings and platforms.
It could also handle, train rescue to a safe evacuation point, in the event of power failure. I suspect that like Crossrail in London, Merseyrail would be very happy to have an independent recovery system in the tunnels under Liverpool, Birkenhead and the River Mersey.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I estimated that using 3 kWh per vehicle mile is not a bad estimate for the energy use of an electric train running at speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Using this figure would give a range on a 60 kWh battery of at least five miles, which would move the train out of the tunnels if the power failed.
But we’re talking about a modern lightweight train running on probably newly relaid track and my 3 kWh per vehicle mile could be a little on the high side.
Stadler are talking of fitting the sixth train with a fifty five battery, which would probably have a capacity of around 500 kWh.
Using various consumption figures, the range would be as follows.
- 3 kWh per vehicle mile – 42 miles
- 2 kWh per vehicle mile – 62 miles
- 1 kWh per vehicle mile – 125 miles
Stadler and their battery supplier are probably working on.
- A train that uses less electricity.
- More efficient regenerativer braking.
- A more intelligent train control system.
- Increased energy density in the battery.
- Efficient charging systems.
- A plug-in battery pack that can be added and removed in minutes.
As a Control and Electrical Engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that the control, electrical and software system of trains with and without the five tonne battery are identical and some just have a larger amount of energy storage.
Range on battery power can only increase!
Consider the lengths of some of the routes discussed earlier.
- Ellesmere Port and Helsby – 5 miles
- Ormskirk and Preston – 16 miles
- Bidston and Wrexham Central – 27 miles
Only the last route might need a charging station at the remote terminal.
My Own Speculation On Routes
I think there could be other routes that could easily be run by Class 777 trains running on battery power.
Onward From Hunts Cross
The current service between Hunts Cross and Manchester Oxford Road stations is only two tph, using rather suspect rolling stock.
- Under Merseyrail and London Overground rules, it should be at least four tph to give travellers a Turn-Up-And-Go service.
- The stations are of variable quality, but are being improved and will soon be joined by a new station at Warrington Wrst.
- There is a lot of new developments along the route.
- The service terminates in a convenient bay-platform at Manchester Oxford Road station.
- The service calls at Deansgale station for the Manchester Metrolink.
The route could be developed into a City-Centre-to-City-Centre and commuter route for both Liverpool and Manchester.
So could this route be run by Class 777 trains using battery power?
Consider.
- Hunts Cross and Manchester Oxford Road are just twenty-seven miles apart.
- The last couple of miles to Oxford Road is electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- Hunts Cross is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail.
It will be a Liverpool and Manchester Railway for the Twenty-First Century
I think it is one of those problems, where the engineering is easy, but the politics will be very difficult.
Onward From Headbolt Lane
The current service between Liverpool and Kirkby, which will be extended to the new station at Headbolt Lane, is a a Turn-Up-And-Go service of four tph. But the onward service to Wigan and Manchester is just a very inadequate hourly-service.
Consider.
- Headbolt Lane and Wigan are just twelve miles apart.
- Plans are being developed to create a proper transport interchange at Wigan for the arrival of High Speed Two.
- Wigan North Western is electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- Kirkby is and Headbolt Lane will be electrified with 750 VDC third-rail.
It would appear to be very possible to extend Class 777 trains from Kirkby to Wigan using battery power.
More Trains For Merseyrail
This is a paragraph from the Stadler media release about Merseyrail’s new trains.
The new four-car trains will all be in service by 2021, with the first unit arriving for testing by the middle of 2019.
The value of the manufacture and maintenance contracts for the 52 trains is up to £700m and Merseytravel
also has the option to procure an additional 60 units of rolling stock.
If the options are taken up, this would more than double the size of the Merseyrail’s fleet.
But where will these trains connect to Liverpool City Centre?
Helsby, Preston, Skelmersdale, Wrexham Central and the other routes in Liverpool will all need more trains, but nothing like sixty trains.
So will we see Wigan and Warrington added to Merseyrail’s destinations? And what about Manchester?
Never say no to Liverpool and their Swiss co-conspirators!
Conclusion
It is a comprehensive expansion strategy, where much of the work to create the various extensions is performed by adding equipment to the trains in factories or depots, rather than by the disruptive installation of electrification.
It looks very much like a case of Have Swiss Train Will Travel.
But then, I think the London Overground is using a similar strategy to expand in partnership with Bombardier.
Other networks like the Tyne & Wear Metro and those in cities like Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and Leeds will be using similar philosophies of battery trams, tram-trains and trains.
Cardiff has already disclosed their plans and Stadler are building the trains for the South Wales Metro.
Merseyrail Reveals Latest Station Closures For Upgrade Work Ahead Of New Trains
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Liverpool Business News.
This is the first paragraph.
Merseyrail has announced details of the next phases of station closures as it upgrades is platforms to make them ready its new £460m fleet of trains due to come into service in 2021.
In total, there are eleven phases of work to give all platforms level access to the new trains.
I am fairly sure that no other local rail network in the UK, will have this quality of level access.
Some stations on the London Overground have similar access, but not that many. When you consider, that many station platforms have been rebuilt and they are only used by Class 378 trains, I believe an opportunity was missed.
The article says this about Merseyrail‘s new Class 777 trains.
Swiss manufacturer Stadler has started the manufacturing process at its Szolnok plant in Hungary on the new fleet of 52 trains. There, the car-body production is under way with the units being machined, welded, sandblasted and coated in special protection and premium quality paint to combat corrosion, caused by the contact with sea-water.
Most of the current Class 507/508 trains are forty years old, but they appear to me to be one of the most bottom-friendly suburban trains in the UK, with desirable 2+2 seating. I regularly travel on Class 313 trains, which are similar trains of the same vintage, into and out of Moorgate, and these are scrapyard specials compared to Merseyrail’s spotless, spacious and comfortable trains.
These pictures from March 2017, show the current trains.
They certainly look to be in good enough condition to see all the new trains into service and through their inevitable teething troubles in the next couple of years.
Conclusion
,The care being taken by Merseyrail and Stadler in the preparation for and design of their new trains, seems to indicate that they are intending to get forty years out of the new fleet.
Extra Intermediate Stations On Crossrail
Various groups and councils regularly ask if there could be an extra station on Crossrail, that would be convenient for their needs.
Can Extra Stations Be Accommodated In The Timetable?
There is not much point in building an extra station, if it means that a realistic timetable can’t be achieved.
Every station stop will introduce a delay intro the timetable. The train may only be stationary for thirty seconds or so, but there is extra time in the braking and acceleration either side of the stop.
But the Class 345 trains have been designed so that the times to execute a station stop are minimised.
Rapid Acceleration And Deceleration
The trains have been designed with eight motored cars out of a total of nine.
- This high-proportion of powered axles gives the trains acceleration and deceleration, which is fast, but well within the levels for passenger safety and comfort.
- The trains also have regenerative braking, which is powerful and smooth.
- At times on the current service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, I have noticed the trains waiting at stations for a couple of minutes, to allow the timetable to catch up.
These trains have the performance to execute a station stop in the smallest time possible.
Wide Doors And Spacious Lobbies
The trains have been designed with wide double doors and spacious lobbies.
This enables fast unloading and loading of passengers at each station.
Level Access Between Train And Platform
Trains and platforms could be arranged, so that all passengers can embark and disembark as fast as possible.
Precision Driving And Automatic Train Control
As much of the route uses modern digital signalling and the trains have a comprehensive driver assistance system, the trains should be driven to a high degree of precision.
Conclusion
All of these factors will make it possible to execute station stops very quickly.
Thus, if it is desired to add a new station stop, the stop might only add a few minutes to the timetable.
You wouldn’t want to add half a dozen stops between Stratford and Shenfield, but the odd stop here and there shouldn’t be a problem!
Could Extra Stations Be Added In The Tunnels?
I would hope that Crossrail’s design process wouldn’t have left out an important station in the Underground sections of the line.
In my lifetime only one station has been added to a line after it opened, except on an extension. That station was Pimlico on the Victoria Line, but that was a late addition to the project and opened within fourteen months of the opening of the rest of the line.
I think, that I can safely say that from the history of London’s extensive network of underground railways, that it would be extremely unlikely to add a new underground station to Crossrail.
But I think though the following could happen.
New Entrances To Existing Stations
Even these will be extremely unlikely, if Crossrail have done their planning thoroughly.
But then there are massive property developments, sprouting up all over Central London.
One of London’s latest signature office developments, the Norman Foster-designed Bloomberg London will incorporate an entrance to Bank Underground station.
Hopefully, the entrance will open soon.
Bank station’s new step-free entrance will also incorporate a massive office development on the top.
If a property developer is spending around a billion pounds on a development, and it can be connected to a station, they will seriously look at doing it.
I can’t believe that no new developments will want to have an entrance to a Crossrail station.
The New Museum Of London
The current site of the Museum of London is too small and difficult to find. The Museum is planning to move to Smithfield and will be very close to Farringdon station.
There is a massive over-site development on top of the station, that I wrote about in TfL Gives Go Ahead To Build Above Farringdon Station.
This Google Map shows the relationship between the station and the new site of the museum.
Note.
- The building with the light-green roof is the Poultry Market.
- Thameslink runs under the Poultry Market.
The basement of this Poultry Market together with the site to its West and the triangular site to the South, will be transformed into the new Museum of London.
Much of the space between the Poultry Market and Farringdon station is a Crossrail work-site and whole area is ripe for development, which must surely incorporate some form of connection between the Museum and Farringdon station.
Farringdon, which for many years was just a meat market surrounded by a lot of low grade buildings, should evolve into a visitor attraction in its own right.
For a better look at the current state of the area, visit A Detailed Look At The Space Between Farringdon Station And The New Museum Of London Site.
As a Friend of the Museum of London, I am looking forward to what will happen!
The Liverpool Street-Moorgate Mega -Station
I don’t think many, who use Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations understand what will happen when Crossrail opens.
This visualisation shows the below-ground elements of the Crossrail station, that will connect the two current stations.
Note.
- On the right is the Central Line, which is shown in red and continues South to Bank station under Bishopsgate.
- On the left is the Northern Line, which is shown in black and continues South to Bank station.
- The Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines, which are shown in yellow.
- Crossrail is in blue.
- The ventilation and evacuation shaft for Crossrail in Finsbury Circus.
This Google Map shows the area of the stations.
Note Finsbury Circus in the middle.
I would not be surprised if some redevelopment has access into this mega-station complex, that stretches either side of Finsbury Circus.
This access needn’t be below ground, as I strongly believe that the City of London will become virtually traffic-free in the next ten years.
Missing Interchanges
One of the omissions in the design of Crossrail, is the lack of a link to both the Piccadilly and Victoria Lines.
Consider.
By 2024, these two lines will be running at least thirty-six trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
The capacity of Crossrail in each direction could be thirty tph each carrying 1500 passengers or 45,000.
Dear Old Vicky’s current trains hold 876 passengers, so if she achieves the magic forty tph, which I believe she will, then this equates to just over 35,000.
Siemens will surely ensure, that the capacity of the Piccadilly Line will at least be as high, as that of the Victoria Line.
It is just amazing to think what might be squeezed out of twentieth-century infrastructure, some of which is over a hundred years old.
Oxford Circus Station And The Hanover Square Entrance To Bond Street Crossrail Station
This is the easy interchange between Crossrail and the Victoria Line.
- Oxford Circus station is full-to-bursting and will be rebuilt in the next few years, with wider platforms, more escalators and full step-free access.
- I also think, that provision of an easy walking route to the Hanover Square entrance of Bond Street station will be provided, either by pedestrianising much of the area or perhaps building a pedestrian tunnel with travelators.
- It is probably less than two hundred metres to walk on the surface.
Coupled with some property development along the route, there must be possibilities for an innovative scheme, that would ease passengers on routes between Paddington and Heathrow and North and East London.
I took these pictures, as I walked between Oxford Circus Tube station and Hanover Square.
This Google Map shows the route from Oxford Circus station to Hanover Square.
In the simplest scheme, part-pedestrianisation of Hanover Square and Princes Street might just do it!
- A new entrance to Oxford Circus station could also be constructed in the middle of a large pedestrian area, at the shut off junction of Princes Street and Regent Street.
- A short tunnel would connect the new entrance, to the rebuilt.Oxford Circus station.
- Walking wouldn’t be long, with the possibility of a wait in the gardens in the centre of Hanover Square.
- Appropriate retail outlets could be placed along Princes Street.
- Crossings with lights would enable pedestrians to cross into and out of the gardens.
Was this always Transport for London’s plan to link Crossrail to the Victoria Line?
It’s certainly feasible and works with little or no construction.
The Importance Of Finsbury Park Station
Finsbury Park station has two direct routes to Crossrail; Thameslink to Farringdon and the Northern City Line to Moorgate and could have a third if the Victoria Line has a better connection at Oxford Circus/Bond Street.
Passengers needing to use Crossrail from the Northern reaches of the Piccadilly Line could walk across the platform to the Victoria Line and then use the Oxford Circus/Bond Street connection.
It is not a perfect route, but if Finsbury Park were to be upgraded to a passenger-friendly interchange, it would be a lot better.
So it looks like, it will be Vicky to the rescue again.
Never in the field of urban transport was so much owed by so many to a single railway built on the cheap.
Interchange Between Crossrail And The Piccadilly Line At Holborn Station
Consider.
- Holborn station is due to be rebuilt with a second entrance in the next few years.
- Crossrail passes under Holborn station.
- After rebuilding, Holborn station will probably offer the best interchange to an East-West route from the Piccadilly Line.
- To add extra platforms on Crossrail, would probably mean long closures on the line.
It is one of those projects, that can be done, but not without immense disruption.
But at some point in the future, it is a link that could be added, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the expanded Holborn station will have provision for a link to Crossrail.
New Surface Stations On Crossrail
Usually, when you look at old maps of railway lines there are a number of places, where stations used to be.
However, between Reading and Shenfield stations, there is no station that has been closed. There is a site for Crowlands station that was planned near Romford, in the early twentieth century, but was never built. No-one is suggesting it should be opened now.
So where are stations planned or proposed?
Old Oak Common Station
In fifteen years or so, Old Oak Common station could be one of the most important non-terminal on Crossrail.
Current plans say that the following lines will call at the station.
- Crossrail
- Great Western Railway
- High Speed Two
In addition the following lines may call.
- London Overground
- West London Orbital Railway
- Chiltern Main Line
It could become a very comprehensive interchange station.
This Google Map shows the vast Old Oak Common site.
Note.
- The Grand Union bisecting the site in an East-West direction.
- The inverted-Y of the Overground, with North London Line to Richond going South-West and the West London Line to Shepherds Bush going South-East.
- The Great Western Main Line going East-West across the bottom of the map.
- The West Coast Main Line going East-West across the top of the map.
- The Dudding Hill Line going North-South at the Western side of the map.
Between the Grand Union Canal and the Great Western Main Line, there are currently four rail depots. From South to North, they are.
- Hitachi’s North Pole depot, where they service the Class 800 trains for Great Western Railway.
- The Heathrow Express depot.
- The Great Western Railway depot.
- Crossrail’s main depot.
The Heathrow Express depot is due to be demolished to make way for the new Old Oak Common station.
Wikipedia says this about the station.
The High Speed 2 line will be below ground level at the Old Oak Common site, with the parallel Great Western Main Line and Crossrail tracks on the surface to the south.
This map from Wikipedia, shows how the lines connect.
A few points.
- Considering that the High Speed Two tracks are below the surface and the Crossrail and Great Western tracks will be on the surface, I am fairly sure that a simple clean interchange will be created.
- The different levels will also mean that if say there were to be a Crossrail branch to Watford or High Wycombe, then the High Speed Two tracks are well out of the way.
- The High Speed Two platforms will be almost four hundred metres long, with the Crossrail and Great Western platforms probably about half as long. This should give lots of scope to create good connections to the other lines through the station.
- The new Old Oak Common Lane station will be on the North London Line between Stratford and Richmond stations, will be the way I access High Speed Two from Dalston and it will be 350 metres West of the main station.
- The West London Orbital Railway could have a station on the Dudding Hill Line, which runs to the West of, but close to Old Oak Common Lane station.
- The new Hythe Road station will be on the West London Line between Stratford and Clapham Junction stations and will be 1100 metres from the main station.
- Hythe Road station will incorporate a turnback platform for services from Clapham Junction. It would be ideal for a service between Gatwick Airport and High Speed Two.
- It should not be forgotten that there is going to be a large number of houses built around Old Oak Common.
It looks to me that if I took the wrong train from Dalston Kingsland station to get a High Speed Two train to Birmingham or the North, I might end up at the wrong end of my double-length High Speed Two train, with a walk of up to 1100+400+350 = 1850 metres to get to the required place on my train.
I would hope that the High Speed Two station would have some form of high-tech people mover, that stretched across the station site. It could be like a cable car without the cable.
Hopefully, the designers of Old Oak Common station will create what needs to be one of the best stations in the world.
London City Airport Station
Wikipedia says this about adding a station for London City Airport.
Although the Crossrail route passes very close to London City Airport, there will not be a station serving the airport directly. London City Airport has proposed the re-opening of Silvertown railway station, in order to create an interchange between the rail line and the airport. The self-funded £50m station plan is supported ‘in principle’ by the London Borough of Newham. Provisions for re-opening of the station were made in 2012 by Crossrail. However, it is alleged by the airport that Transport for London is hostile to the idea of a station on the site, a claim disputed by TfL.
In 2018, the airport’s chief development officer described the lack of a Crossrail station as a “missed opportunity”, but did not rule out a future station for the airport. The CEO stated in an interview that a station is not essential to the airport’s success
This Google Map shows the Western end of the terminal at London City Airport and the Docklands Light Railway running to the station at the Airport.
The Southern portal of Crossrail’s Connaught Tunnel can be seen under the DLR at the left end of this map, due to the concrete buttresses across the cutting rebuilt for Crossrail.
Surely, it would not be the most difficult of designs to build a station, somewhere in this area, where the former Silvertown station once stood.
I said more about this station in August 2017 in Action Stations On Crossrail Howler.
I will be very surprised if this station isn’t built.
Ladbroke Grove Station
If Ladbroke Grove station is built, it will because of property development. Wikipedia says this about current plans.
At a site just to the east of the Old Oak Common site, Kensington and Chelsea Council has been pushing for a station at North Kensington / Kensal off Ladbroke Grove and Canal Way, as a turn-back facility will have to be built in the area anyway. Siting it at Kensal Rise, rather than next to Paddington itself, would provide a new station to regenerate the area. Amongst the general public there is a huge amount of support for the project and then-mayor of London Boris Johnson stated that a station would be added if it did not increase Crossrail’s overall cost; in response, Kensington and Chelsea Council agreed to underwrite the projected £33 million cost of a Crossrail station, which was received very well by the residents of the Borough. Transport for London (TfL) is conducting a feasibility study on the station and the project is backed by National Grid, retailers Sainsbury’s and Cath Kidston, and Jenny Jones (Green Party member of the London Assembly).
This Google Map shows the wider area.
Note.
- Ladbroke Grove is the road running North-South at the right side of the map.
- Canal Way is the twisting road running North of the railway.
- Sainsbury’s supermarket is North of Canal Way.
- The cleared site of the old Kensal gasworks is earmarked for housing.
The Crossrail tracks are on the North side of the railway, so access from a station to the housing could be very easy.
Conclusion
Crossrail is not even open yet and it looks like when it does, it will start a large number of projects to expand its scope.
Some will be about extending the system, some about better transport links and other about property development.
Crossrail will be an unlimited opportunity for London and the South East.
Steam Engine Hits Car At Sheringham Level Crossing
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
As it appears that no-one was hurt, I think that I can quote the article, which includes a less than serious quote from Norfolk Police.
General manager Andrew Munden said the Sweet Briar Lane crossing’s lights and sirens were sounding at the time.
“We are all so relieved that this was a low speed collision and that no-one was injured,” he said.
Services resumed by the afternoon after the Rail Accident Investigation Branch had given permission to clear the site, Mr Munden said.
PC Jon Parker, of Norfolk Police tweeted: “Currently on scene at a train vs car incident. Unsurprisingly, the train emerged the victor.”
I wonder when a steam engine was last involved in a level crossing accident in the UK.
Looking at this section on Wikipedia, there has only been one accident between a road vehicle and a steam engine and that was a horse and cart in 1832.
There must be others! But we all know that Wikipedia always gets its facts right!
That accident is described in detail in the Wikipedia entry for the Leicester and Swannington Railway.
A Detailed Look At The Space Between Farringdon Station And The New Museum Of London Site
I took these pictures as I walked up Charterhouse Street beside the new site of the Museum of London.
Note.
- The buildings to be used for the museum need a lot of work.
- The two buildings which could both be cold stores on the railway side of Charterhouse Street wouldn’t appear to have much architectural merit.
- Once Crossrail works are finished, there will be two big gaps leading to the railway lines and Farringdon station.
This picture from Crossrail says it is the Chaterhouse Street ticket hall.
So it looks like that box in the third picture is an entrance to the station and it’s bang opposite the museum.
This Google Map shows the space on the railway side of Charterhouse Street.
Note.
- Farringdon station at the top of the map towards the left.
- To the left of the station is the site I talked about in TfL Gives Go Ahead To Build Above Farringdon Station.
- Below that site, is another site on the corner of Charterhouse Street and Farringdon Road, that could either be developed in conjunction with the site above it or on its own.
- The Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines curving between Farringdon and Barbican stations.
- What appear to be a couple of sidings are the remains of the Widened Lines, which used to lead to Moorgate.
- There is also a large curved space, which used to be which was used by services between Bedford and Moorgate, before Thameslink was created.
There’s a lot of space in the area to create a building or series of buildings that provide.
- A worthwhile amount of office space.
- A landmark hotel on one of the best-connected sites in London.
- The right amount of retail space, bars, cafes and restaurants.
But above all a short and pleasant walking route between Farringdon station and the new Museum of London could be designed.
An Encounter In A Lift
I don’t use lifts on the trains very often, except when I am lumbered with heavy shopping, or to use a lift is substantially quicker.
This morning my Northern Line train arrived at Kings Cross, so that I alighted right by the lift, in time to see two ladies with babies in buggies, leave the lift and get on the platform.
Now this was a time-saving that was too good to be true, as this lift drops you just by the ticket gates.
I waited to press the button, in case someone else needed the lift.
My only companion turned out to be an attractive tall lady about thirty, who was strikingly dressed, with a very short leather skirt and shoes with the some of the highest heels, I’ve ever seen on the street.
If I do travel in a lift, I like to not be youngest person in the lift, as one has to keep up standards and fight hard against anno domini.
So I said to the lady. “Thanks for coming in the lift, as I make it a rule not to use a lift, unless there’s someone younger than myself on-board!”
She smiled and replied. “I can’t climb the stairs in these f**king shoes!”
Trying to be sympathetic, I said. “Couldn’t you have worn something more comfortable?”
“No!” She replied! “I’m a backing singer going to an audition. One has to impress!”
I hope all her efforts were rewarded!
Building New City-Centre Lines Instead Of Using Existing Network Inflates HS2 Cost By 15%
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
HS2’s second phase will cost more compared to similar overseas schemes because it relies on new dedicated high-speed lines into city-centre terminal stations at Manchester and Leeds rather than using the existing conventional railway.
As the review of the costs of HS2, that showed this, was done by PwC, I suspect the figures can be believed.
Over the last few years, we’ve redeveloped or extended several busy stations like Derby, Kings Cross, Liverpool Lime |Street, London Bridge, Manchester Victoria, Nottingham, Reading and St. Pancras.
I like Reading and London Bridge the best, as the large concourse crossing either over or under the tracks with lots of escalators and lifts, seems to work well Liverpool Lime Street with a wide concourse at one end, seems to work well for a terminal station.
But St. Pancras is a mess for passengers and staff alike with effectively four stations in one one Victorian building.
It would have been better, if the station had been flattered and a new one built.
This approach is being taken at that 1960s monstrosity; Euston, which is being extended for HS2.
The four Northern stations in Phase 2 of HS2 are being treated differently.
- Leeds is getting a dedicated approach to new platforms at right angles to the existing ones.
- Liverpool Lime Street uses the existing approach and platforms have been extended for the new HS2 trains.
- Manchester Piccadilly is getting a dedicated approach to new platforms alongside the existing ones.
- Sheffield uses the existing approach and platforms will be extended for the new HS2 trains.
Liverpool Lime Street is already HS2-ready and can handle at least two normal expresses and one HS2 train in an hour.
The works were completed in a six-month blockade in the Summer of 2018.
I suspect Sheffield will be made HS2-ready, in a similar way.
Conclusion
Obviously, every station is different.
But Liverpool Lime Street has shown how it is possible to find an affordable, less disruptive approach to some stations.
A Glimpse Of 2035
Today, I was on the first direct train between London and Dublin.
I arrived at Euston early for the eight o’clock departure time and took my seat in First Class of the train built by Spanish company Talgo at Longannet in Fife.
The train appeared to be little different to the High Speed Two trains, that I have ridden extensively since they started running in 2029.
What differences there were, were in the decor and colour schemes, with the train wrapped in a rainbow of colours reflecting the red, white and blue of the UK and the orange, white and green of the Irish Republic.
We left on time and after a brief stop at Old Oak Common to pick up passengers we were soon speeding towards Birmingham whilst eating breakfast. I had requested a gluten-free Full English and the quality showed how far railway food has come in the two decades.
Birmingham at 08:40
Running at 225 mph, the spectacular Birmingham International station was reached on time at 08:40 and there were quite a few passengers who both left and joined.
Birmingham International
Since Heathrow’s plans for a third runway crashed in the planning process and the opening of Gatwick’s second runway, High Speed Two has enabled long distance travellers to use Birmingham Airport, which since the opening of High Speed Two in 2029 and its subsequent extensions to Manchester and Leeds, has grown at a fast pace.
As a jokey advert shown around the world by Visit Britain said, London now has three main airports; London South (Gatwick), London West (Heathrow) and London North (Birmingham).
On a recent trip to the Gambia, I used Birmingham Airport for both flights and coming back, I was in my house in East London, around an hour after I set foot in the terminal at the Airport.
High Speed Two and the expanded Birmingham Airport have certainly improved the economics of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Crewe Before 09:00
Next stop was Crewe station, which from today has been renamed Crewe International, to indicate that you can get trains to England, Scotland, Wales and now Ireland.
The station is unrecognisable from the tired Victorian station, I first passed through in 1965 on my way to Liverpool University for the first time.
Like Birmingham and the West Midlands, the area around Crewe has benefited immensely from the arrival of High Speed Two in 2030 and the continuing expansion of Manchester Airport.
From today, Crewe is now served by these trains in both directions, in each hour.
- London – Belfast and Dublin
- London – Glasgow (2 trains)
- London – Liverpool (2 trains)
- London – Lancaster
The ticketing and capacity is such, that Crewe now has a genuine turn-up and-go service to the capital, which is just under an hour away.
Preston At 09:20
The train was now on the upgraded West Coast Main Line and the train was limited to 140 mph, but Preston was reached on time, just eighty minutes from London.
When High Speed Two opened to Crewe in 2030, the journey time was a few minutes longer, but improvements to trains, tracks and signalling in the intervening years, had reduced the time.
On the journey from Crewe, the train had passed the massive construction site of the new Central Lancashire station, or as Scouse comedians have dubbed it – Wigan International.
This new station will be a hub linking the following.
- The West Coast Main Line
- High Speed Three between Liverpool and Manchester.
- The M6 and M62 motorways
- Manchester Metrolink
- Merseyrail
The station should have probably been built years earlier, when High Speed Three opened in 2029, but all forecasts of the number of passengers who would use the new High Speed Lines, were much lower than they were in practice.
Preston station like Crewe is a station that has been rebuilt to handle two of the 200 metre long trains running as a pair.
These long platforms are now used at Preston to join and split some services, to give Blackpool, Blackburn and Burnley three fast services per day to and from London, in under two hours.
Carlisle At 10:20
We sped through the Lake District at 140 mph, to reach Carlisle in under two and a half hours from London.
It should be noted that timings North of Crewe have improved over the last couple of decades.
- All passenger trains running on the fast lines North of Crewe are capable of matching the speed of the High Speed Two trains
- Some of these trains used for services between Liverpool/Manchester and Glasgow/Edinburgh were built by Talgo to High Speed Two standards.
- The few freight trains running in the day are now hauled by 125 mph electric locomotives.
- The continuous upgrading of the Cumbrian Coast, Settle-Carlisle and Tyne Valley Lines has also allowed some trains to divert away from the West Coast Main Line.
Effectively, the West Coast Main Line North of Crewe has become a high-capacity 140 mph line.
Belfast At 11:30
When I saw that it was planned that trains would reach Belfast from London in the same time that it takes to go between London and Glasgow, I didn’t believe it would be possible.
But we arrived at the Belfast Parkway station on the outskirts of the City on time.
The journey between where we left the now-electrified Glasgow and South Western Line just to the West of Gretna to the bridge across the North Channel had been nearly all at 140 mph and there was little interruption before we ventured onto the bridge to Northern Ireland.
A few minutes later we were waiting to continue our journey at Belfast Parkway.
There had been political arguments about the gauge of the tracks on the thirty mile section between Scotland and Belfast.
But in the end the engineers got their way.
- There is a standard gauge line as far as Belfast Parkway.
- From Belfast Parkway, there is Irish gauge for the rest of the journey.
There would be no change of train at Belfast Parkway, as the Talgo High Speed Trains have had the ability to change gauge at a slow speed for thirty years.
Dublin At 13:30
This has been the slowest part of the journey, but we pulled into Dublin on time to a lot of celebrations.
Conclusion
This route has been a long time coming, since it was first seriously proposed in 2018.
There will be improvement in the next few years.
- A service between Edinburgh and Dublin via Glasgow and Belfast starts next year.
- The West Coast Main Line North of Crewe will allow faster and more trains.
- The EU are funding and building a High Speed Line from the Irish border to Dublin.
- This Irish High Speed Line will be linked to a new deep water port at Shannon.
I can see London to Belfast in three hours and London to Dublin in four.
The Anonymous Widower 