OLE Upgrades Complete At Anglia As Part Of £46m Transformation
The title of this article, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
I hope this is actually the case.
- I’ve had enough of rail replacement buses, when trying to get to football at Ipswich on a Saturday.
- For at least the last three years, I’ve probably seen more away matches, than those at Portman Road.
- Three hours each way to Ipswich, effectively means, the only pleasurable thing you do is see the match.
- This work has probably hit attendances at both Norwich and Ipswich.
- I’ve renewed my season ticket fort next season, but if it is as thin on home matches as this one has been, it will be my last season of travel.
What puzzles me, is why can’t Network Rail adjust their work schedule, so that at least important matches like the two Derbies have trains?
But then you wouldn’t rate Network Rail highly for Project Management!
Discontinuous Electrification For Valley Lines?
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article in the May 2018 Edition of Modern Railways.
The Valley Lines in question are the Cardiff Valley Lines, that fan out from Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations in various directions.
- Some of the lines into the valleys are quite steep.
- The lines in the Cardiff area seem to be typical coastal lines and fairly flat.
- The lines are a mixture of single and double track.
- There are various plans to extend some of the branches.
According to the article, it would appear that the current diesel system would be replaced with a system, with these characteristics.
- Light rail vehicles
- Discontinuous electrification
- Use of stored energy.
- Street running is expected to be in the specification for the vehicles to be used, to allow extension in the Cardiff Bay area and perhaps other places.
The proposal would save costs against full electrification and heavy rail.
My observations follow.
Batteries
Batteries will be an integral part of the design of the new rail vehicles.
Powering The Trains
The article states that battery power will be used to power the trains on sections that are difficult to electrify, like the mile-long Caerphilly Tunnel.
Battery power could also be used on level and downhill sections of track up to a few miles, but I suspect on steep uphill sections, electrification will be needed.
Handling Regenerative Braking
I believe that regenerative braking will be employed on the rail vehicles and the energy generated will be stored in the batteries.
The main advantage of this is that it simplifies the power supply to the electrification, as it only has to handle power going to the train.
This less complex electrical system, saves construction costs.
Recovering The Train’s Potential Energy
A train travelling from Cardiff to one of the terminal stations at the heads of the valleys, will need to acquire an amount of potential energy, based on the train’s mass and the height involved. This will be provided by the train’s traction system powered by the electrification and the energy in the batteries.
Coming down the hill, the regenerative braking will control the speed of the train and store any energy generated in the batteries.
This will save on the cost of energy to operate the system.
Charging The Batteries
The batteries will be charged from both the overhead electrification and the regenerative braking.
Extensive simulations of the route on computers would be able to calculate the following, for a wide range of scenarios.
- The size of the batteries.
- The power of the traction motors.
- Where the electrification needs to be installed.
- The maximum power output of the electrification system.
These calculations could also lead to an energy-saving operating philosophy, that could be programmed into the train’s computer system.
I suspect the worst case scenario, would be a train full of the heaviest Welshmen after an important rugby match at the Millennium Stadium.
Electrification
My thoughts on how various sections of track would be electrified follow.
Tracks With A Significant Uphill Gradient
These would need to be electrified, as I doubt battery power on the steepest gradients, would be enough to take a fully-loaded train to the top of the hill.
Electrification would be lighter-weight 750 VDC overhead wires.
The picture shows some of the overhead wires in Birmingham, that are used by the Midland Metro’s Urbos 3 trams.
Tracks With A Downhill Gradient
These would not need to be electrified, as Newton’s friend gravity would do most of the work.
However, as batteries will be fitted, these can have three important functions on downhill stretches of track.
- Give the tram a nudge if needed.
- Restart the train after a stop at a station.
- Store any energy created by regenerative braking.
Note that we could have the unusual situation on a double-track section of line, where the uphill track was electrified and the downhill track was left without electrification.
Level Tracks
These would not need to be electrified, as battery power would be used to propel the train.
Selected Stations
Some stations could need to be electrified to ensure that the service was reliable. These might include terminal stations or those with tricky gradients on either side.
Tracks With 25 KVAC Electrification
Some of the tracks used by the trains on the Cardiff Valley Lines should be electrified with 25 KVAC, by the end of December 2018.
Class 399 tram-trains, that are used in Sheffield can use either 750 VDC and 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
it would probably be a good idea, if the new vehicles on the Cardiff Valley Lines could also use both voltages.
Automatic Pantographs
The pantographs on the vehicles would be raised and lowered automatically to access the electrification. This could even be GPS-controlled and able to be carried out at line speed.
Tram-Trains?
I very much feel, that tram-trains could be used to advantage.
- Some of the Valley Lines are also used by freight trains, so couldn’t be converted to trams-only.
- Tram-trains like the Class 399 tram-train, under test in Sheffield can work on both 750 VDC and 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- Tram-trains can use conventional railway signalling.
- Tram-trains could work on the South Wales Main Line to Newport.
- Modern tram-trains like the Class 399 tram-train have performance, that is about the same as a Class 142 train, which is a Pacer, that works the Cardiff Valley Lines, in large numbers.
- Tram-trains could run on the streets as trams, as they do in Sheffield.
Several manufacturers make tram-trains, which I believe could be suitablefor the Cardiff Valley Lines.
Stadler’s Class 399 Tram-Trains
Nothing is said about the vehicles, that would be used, but I think they need the following characteristics.
- Ability to climb the steepest section of the routes using 750 VDC overhead electrification.
- Ability to store energy.
- Regenerative braking to charge the batteries coming down the hills into Cardiff.
- A similar capacity to a Class 150 train, which is around 150 seats.
- It would be a bonus if they could use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, which will be available on part of some of the routes.
- Ability to raise and lower the pantograph quickly and automatically.
- Ability to run on the National Rail network.
- Ability to run on the street.
This specification is virtually the same as a Class 399 tram-train with the following additions.
- More seats and possibly an extra car.
- Batteries.
Class 399 tram-trains are a UK version of the Stadler Citylink tram-train. The German version is used in Karlsruhe to climb into the hills surrounding the city, on routes that are as challenging as the Cardiff Valley Lines.
So I have no worries about a version of the Class 399 train handling the Cardiff Valley Lines.
I certainly believe after my experience in Karlsruhe, and looking at other Citylink variants, that Stadler can come up with a tram-train for Cardiff based on the Class 399 tram-train.
And Then There’s CAF!
CAF have provided the Urbos 3 trams for Edinburgh Trams and the Midland Metro.
These are modern trams, that will be doing the following in a few years in the Midlands.
- Running on stored energy in the centre of Birmingham and to Wolverhampton station.
- Sharing the South Staffordshire Line with heavy freight on a new route to Merry Hill Shopping Centre.
This sounds like a tram-train with stored energy.
Wikipedia also lists a version of the Urbos family, called an Urbos TT, which is described like this.
The Urbos TT series is built with tram-train technology, connecting existing heavy rail infrastructure directly to urban tramway systems.
This document on the CAF web site, gives more details of Urbos variants, including the Urbos TT.
Looking at the modular nature of the design, you could have a custom-built tram-train tailored to the rail network.
But surely, the major factor with CAF, is that they have recently opened a factory at Newport.
If CAF get the order for the Cardiff Valley Lines, they could do a substantial part of the train building in a factory connected directly to the lines.
Converting The Valley Lines
I think that there are advantages and cost savings to be had, by good design in this area.
Could The Rail Vehicles Be Designed To Fit The Existing Platforms?
The first thing to do would be to design, build and fully test the rail vehicles.
Could the tram-trains be built, so that they fitted all the existing platforms?
- Class 150 trains are 2.82 metres wide.
- Urbos 3 trams on the Midland Metro are 2.65 wide.
If the tram-trains could run without platform modifications, this would be a big cost saving and still allow diesel units to use the lines, at the same time.
Testing The Trains
If the tram-trains were being given a 25 KVAC capability, they could even be tested on the quadruple-track the South Wales Main Line after the line is electrified through Newport.
Electrifying The Lines
It could be that the only sections of the valley lines that will need electrification, are the steep lines into the hills, as all other sections could use stored power or the 25 KVAC, where it exists.
- It would probably be possible to put up the simpler 750 VDC overhead lines during weekend and perhaps longer possessions.
- The electrification could be designed so that it doesn’t interfere with existing services.
- The lines would be converted one at a time.
- ,Note that tram-trains could share track and platform with the current diesel trains working the lines.
If CAF were to get the order surely the Ebbw Valley Line, which could be connected easily to the factory would be the first to be converted.
Conclusion
Obviously, the devil will be in the detail, but it does look like a viable plan will emerge.
I think that if CAF get the order, that they could be big winners.
The Cardiff Valley Lines could demonstrate the following.
- Running on main lines with 25 KVAC electrification.
- Running on 750 VDC electrification.
- Running on batteries.
- Running on lines with steep hills.
- Street running.
- Sharing tracks with freight trains and other passenger services.
- The tram-trains could also connect to Cardiff Airport.
It is a world-class demonstration and test track for innovative tram-trains, designed to cope with challenging rail networks.
With a factory close by at Newport, the selling of the tram-trains to other operators would be a salesman’s dream.
I think there’s more to CAF coming to Newport, than was apparent, when the deal for the factory was signed.
Huge Outlay On Motorways Despite Reduction In Traffic
The title of this post, is the same as a small news item in The Times on Friday.
According to the Commission on Travel Demand, individuals used cars and other vehicles fourteen percent less than they did in 2002.
Reasons given include internet shopping, Netflix and flexible working.
They also say that many in their teens and early twenties shunning car ownership altogether.
There is a graph in the article, which shows that the reduction has been largest in Greater London. That seems to fit with my observations.
- I’ve chatted to several youngsters , who have no intention of learning to drive for some years. It’s all just too costlyin the Capital and there are few places to park securely.
- I’m also sure, that my road which is wide and has cars parked on both sides, is less crowded than when I moved here nearly ten years ago. Now, when I get a parcel delivery, there is always space for the van outside.
- In Dalston, we have also benefited from the Overground and lots of new buses, although the frequency of the latter hasn’t increased.
- I wouldn’t underestimate the fact that those of a certain age, like myself, get free public transport in Greater London.
- There has also been a tremendous increase in the use of bicycles for commuting.
I don’t think that all parts of London have seen as much reduction as the North and East.
It always seems that traffic is busy, when I go to Chelsea, Westminster or the West End. But I don’t think we can stop, those with large 4x4s going to the local Waitrose and Harrods.
I also think, that Crossrail will reduce traffic across a whole swathe of London from Ealing to Ilford via Paddington, the West End and the City.
It will be a well-designed stylist railway with trains every few minutes.
According to the article, Metropolitan areas are also seeing a reduction in car use.
Although, they haven’t got as comprehensive, a public transport network as London, over the last ten years, several large metropolitan areas have improved public transport considerably.
Traffic also seems to have reduced slightly in what the report calls shire towns, resort and rural.
I would put this down to the three factors said earlier by the article; internet shopping, Netflix and flexible working.
The only places not showing a less significant decline is districts with industry and new towns.
But a lot of these have been built for car use.
Conclusion
It is a thought-provoking article.
Given that Greater London has shown the biggest decline in traffic and it has the most comprehensive public transport system in the UK, the question has to be asked if more money is spent on public transport, could it reduce the amount of money spent on the roads!
I would do the following.
- Build more welcoming new stations with adequate parking like, Apperley Bridge , Bromsgrove, Cambridge North, Ilkeston, Kenilworth, Kirkstall Forge and Maghull North.
- Update some of the worst stations in the country to a modern standard.
- Put more seats on busy routes.
- Increase train frequency where possible.
- Make certain everybody who wants to, can work flexibly from home.
- Use more sophisticated and better managed home delivery systems.
- Build HS2 as fast as possible.
- Develop more rail-based freight solutions.
- Make it possible to get to most Airports by public transport.
Hopefully, with local mayors and other devolved bodies, we’ll see more areas of the country taking the decisions they need.
Greater Anglia’s Class 755 Trains Seem To Have Bags Of Grunt
This article on Rail Magazine, is entitled IN PICTURES: Greater Anglia Unveils First New Stadler Bi-Mode Train In Switzerland.
The text with the excellent and numerous pictures is informative, with other details of the Class 755 trains.
Dynamic Testing
This starts in July and involves.
- Sixteen trains.
- Eight teams.
- Seven locations across Europe including the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Romania and Switzerland.
No-one can say that Stadler are not being thorough.
Entry Into Service
The bi-modes will enter service in Summer 2019, when Greater Anglia hope to have twenty trains in service.
The first Class 755 train will be delivered to Norwich Crown Point depot in October.
Articulated Trains
The trains are articulated and the article has a good image of two carriages showing the join.
Power Car And Car Lengths
The article says that the engines will be located in a power car. There is also an image looking through the power car.
I’m still unsure, whether the length of the train, includes the power car!
There are two versions.
- Three-car Class 755/3 trains.
- Four-car Class 755/4 trains.
This clipped image from Wikipedia shows the train formats.
It looks like the four-car Class 755/4 trains, a three-car train with an extra passenger car.
The Class 755/4 train would appear to consist of the following
- Two full-length drive cars, with passenger accommodation.
- A half-length power car.
- Two full-length passenger car.
The three-car Class 755/3 car train would not have the extra full-length passenger car.
So in terms of full-length passenger cars, train lengths could be as follows
- Class 755/3 trains – 3 cars
- Class 755/4 trains – 4 cars
Wikipedia says that each train has the following number of seats
- Class 755/3 trains – 166 seats
- Class 755/4 trains – 224 seats
Calculating the seats per car, gives the following.
- Class 755/3 trains – 55.3 seats/car.
- Class 755/4 trains – 56 seats/car.
This suggests to me, that the interior of a passenger car is very similar to that of a driver car, which must mean manufacturing cost savings.
Diesel Engines
Both trains are fitted with 16 litre V8 engines supplied by Deutz which produce 478 kW.
The power cars have the following numbers of engines
- Class 755/3 trains – 2 engines – 956 kW – 319 kW per car
- Class 755/4 trains – 4 engines – 1912 kW – 478 kW per car.
I suspect that a fifth car could be added to a Class 755 train. This would have 1912 kW and 382 kW per car.
Add a sixth car and this would have 1912 kW and 319 kW per car.
Comparison With A Class 170 Train
Compare these figures with a diesel Class 170 train, which has 315 kW per car.
Both trains are 100 mph trains, built from aluminium, so I suspect that the performance of three-car Class 755/3 and Class 170 trains are roughly the same.
But the four-car Class 755/4 trains have fifty percent more power per car, than the Class 170 train, so these will be no sedate rural trundlers.
Looking at the power figures for five-car and six-car units, they would still have at least as much power per car as a Class 170 train.
Other Possible Routes For Class 755 Trains
Could Class 755 trains be a replacement for routes like the following?
- Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury
- Basingstoke to Exeter – Stadler are doing third-rail in Liverpool
- Birmingham to Stansted Airport
- Cardiff to Holyhead
- Cardiff to Shrewsbury
- Holyhead to Liverpool via Halton Curve
- Holyhead to Manchester Piccadilly
- Liverpool to Norwich
- Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly
- Swansea to Shrewsbury
Trains could be any suitable length from three to six cars.
Note that electric FLIRTs can attain 125 mph, so could we see a train with the following characteristics?
- 125 mph on electrified lines, where operating speeds allow.
- 100 mph on lines with no electrification.
This performance is not far off Hitachi’s Class 802 train.
The other major competition could be Bombardier’s proposed 125 mph bi-mode Aventra, that I wrote about in Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power.
The winners will be the train operating companies and their passengers.
A Video
Greater Anglia have put a video on YouTube.
Conclusion
The Class 755 trains certainly seem to have bags of grunt!
Thameslink Information At London Bridge Station – 3rd March 2018
This picture was taken at the foot of the escalators leading to the Thameslink Platforms 4 and 5 at London Bridge station.
The trains were fairly crowded, although it was mid-afternoon.
But at the bottom of the escalators under the tracks going through the station, in the vast space, there were relatively few travellers.
I should visit in the Peak.
But it does seem the design is working.
First Qatar Airways Flight From Doha Lands In Cardiff
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
The story is also reported in the Business section of The Times under a title of Direction Of Travel Brings Qatar Airways To Cardiff Airport.
This is the first paragraph from the latter article.
Trade winds from the Middle East have brought a whiff of what a successful Brexit might look like: a 300-seat, state-of-the-art Qatar Airways jetliner carrying a full business-class cabin and several tonnes of freight that has travelled from the 35C of Persian Gulf heat to 10C of Welsh drizzle.
To some it might seem to be a surprising new route.
As a former private pilot, who knew many of the UK’s airports pretty well, Cardiff Airport has many advantages.
- It has a long runway.
- It is not very busy.
- Air traffic control and other services are top class.
- It has a terminal capable of handling a large number of planes.
- British Airways have a large maintenance centre at the Airport.
- Ground transport to Cardiff includes buses and a railway station at Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station.
It could be an airport, that just needs more airlines and passengers to take advantage of its facilities.
The two articles suggest various reasons, why Qatar are going to run a service, that will be daily by July.
- It gives Cardiff a direct link to the world’s fastest growing hub airport at Doha.
- Qatar have lots of investments all over the UK.
- Doha gives direct access flights to to Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand, to give six examples.
- Cardiff Airport wants to develop as a warehousing hub and Qatar Airways is big in freight.
- The export market for Welsh food and other perishables could be transformed.
- The Times reminds us there are nine million sheep in Wales.
The Times also has this memorable phrase.
Quite why the flights have been launched has as much to do with Welsh lamb as it does with not being Bristol.
But I think there are other reasons.
New Routes For Qatar Airways To North America
Look at Qatar Airways routes to North America.
- They serve mostly Eastern seaboard destinations from Doha.
- Chicago and Los Angeles are also served from Doha, but they are long flights of over sixteen hours.
- San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver are not served.
So would Cardiff with its top-class facilities make an excellent hub for Qatar Airways?
Would a pos-Brexit UK be free to allow Qatar Airways to run services from Cardiff to selected destinations in North America?
Remember, it’s also about freight!
Improved Rail Access
This Google Map shows the Airport.
Note.
- Rhoose Cardiff International station is South of the Airport at the bottom of the map.
- The main terminal is on the North side of the Airport.
- The Vale of Glamorgan Line through the station and then skirts past the Eastern end of the runway on its way to Cardiff.
- The Vale of Glamorgan Line is double-track with sections of single-track.
- The Vale of Glamorgan Line was scheduled to be electrified.
It would appear that providing better passenger and freight access would not be the most challenging of problems, if they were to become needed in the future.
Improved Passenger Services
The current service at Rhoose Cardiff International station is as follows.
- An hourly service to Bridgend.
- An hourly service to Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Aberdare.
- On Sundays the service is only two-hourly.
The service needs to be improved.
It would be possible to run a service from Cardiff to Swansea along the Vale of Glamorgan Line.
- The service would call at Rhoose Cardiff International station.
- The service could be run by trains designed for an airport service.
- The service would connect to all the Cardiff Valley Lines at Cardiff Central station.
- The service could be extended at the Western end to Llanelli and Fishguard.
- The service could be extended at the Eastern end to Newport, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.
If bi-mode or diesel trains were to be used no new infrastructure would be needed.
Two trains per hour are needed and may be possible, but it might be necessary to find a solution to the two single-trac sections of line.
Freight Services
After reading, the two articles, I’m convinced that both Cardiff Airport and Qatar Airways are backing the use of the airport as a freight hub.
But all freight would have to leave the airport by truck, as there is no rail connection.
Because of the closeness of the Vale of Glamorgan Line to the airport, it would be possible to create a high-quality cargo-handling facility, with rail access.
In The Go-Anywhere Express Parcel And Pallet Carrier (HSPT), I proposed using four-car Class 321 trains as parcel and pallet carriers.
- These could serve anywhere in the UK from Cardiff Airport.
- If from the Airport to Cardiff were to be electrified, electric freight could go fast to London and the South East.
- Cardiff could be used as an alternative freight hub,, for an over-crowded Heathrow.
I shall be interested to see how Cardiff Airport develops a cargo terminal..
Conclusion
Qatar Airways may have more money than Croesus, but they seem to be spending it wisely, in developing a route to Cardiff.
Birmingham International Station Set For £286m Revamp
The title of this post, is the same as that, of this article on Railway Technology Magazine.
This paragraph, explains the objectives of the revamp.
The plans would see the existing station be transformed into a multi-modal transport exchange, bringing together existing rail, future high speed rail, air, trams, buses, rapid transit, private vehicles, taxis, bicycles by 2025.
Birmingham seems to be growing in ambition.
This Google Map shows Birmingham Airport, the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham International station in the middle.
Transport hubs based around an international airport will become increasingly common.
- Heathrow Airport is improving rail access with Crossrail and a possible Western rail access.
- Gatwick Airport is improving rail access as I wrote about in The Rise Of Gatwick Airport.
- Manchester Airport is improving, rail and tram access.
But we still need more.
To get to many airports, the only convenient way is to drive. Which in these days is not acceptable.
How The Class 717 Trains Are Financed
This is a paragraph in an article in Rail Technology Magazine, which is entitled Brand-New £200m Class 707s Undergo Testing Ahead Of Autumn Roll-out.
The 25 six-car trains, financed by Rock Rail Moorgate, will be the first to be introduced in the UK using a new model for financing rolling stock. In an unprecedented move, the trains will be financed through long-term investment from pension and insurance companies.
So many of us will own a portion of these trains, through our pensions and insurance policies!
Great Northern’s Class 717s Under Test
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Global Rail News.
The title also says it all and it would seem that the aim of having Class 717 trains in service this year on the Northern City Line is feasible.
The article also says that twelve trains have been completed and another twelve are being built.
I suppose Siemens had an advantage, in that except for the end doors, they are probably very similar to the Class 707 trains.
From Lea Bridge Station To Coppermill Junction – 1st May 2018
I walked to the footbridge to the North of Lea Bridge station, before I took a train North.
I took some pictures around the bridge and some from the train.
Lea Bridge Junction was the old name for the junction and has been shown on carto.metro.free.fr.
It would appear there are gaps in the track, so will these be used to put in points to link to possible fourth track or even the Hall Farm Curve, which would link the Chingford Branch Line to Stratford.
One thing that puzzles me about Lea Bridge Junction, is that the crossing appears to be unwired. Does this mean that trains will cross using a mixture of Momentum and/or battery power.
The Anonymous Widower 