The New Ipswich Station Forecourt
These pictures show the new forecourt at Ipswich station.
It is certainly a lot better than it was, especially, if you want to get to Portman Road, as you have a clear route to the pedestrian crossing.
I should think the taxi drivers aren’t pleased, as they are no longer directly in front of the station.
Greater Anglia’s New Manningtree Depot – 26th August 2017
Work has started on clearing the site for Greater Anglia’s new Manningtree Depot.
There’s still a fair part of the old industrial buildings left, so it is unclear how much of the whole site the deport will occupy.
This visualisation is from Greater Anglia’s web site.
And this Google Map shows the site.
Note the access road and the conveniently placed Norwich to London express train on both images.
There are other visual clues that suggest to me that although taking a substantial part of the derelict, there will be space around the depot for substantial development.
The train is about 220 metres long, with the building in the new depot being described as 300 metres long.
Electrification ‘Very Unlikely’ To Come Back Into EWR Scheme
The title of this post is the same as this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is a quote from Andy Free, who is head of engineering of the alliance that is building the East West Rail Link.
The steer from the DfT is that wherever the Alliance is building a new structure it needs to be clear and suitable for electrification, “and we must do nothing that hinders future electrification, but it is not on the short- or medium-term horizon.
Given the developments in bi-mode trains in recent years, I suspect this is a sensible policy.
Electrification is probably cheaper to fit to a train in a nice warm factory in Derby or Newton Aycliffe, than at a remote location in the pouring rain and the howling wind.
In the case of the East West Rail Link, where sections of the route are well defined, as they are existing rail alignments, building the route would involve.
- Raising any over-bridges to be clear of future electrification.
- Building any bridges or flyovers, where the new railway crosses over roads and other railways.
- Preparing the track bed.
- Laying the track.
- Building or rebuilding the stations.
Note I have ignored signalling, as ideally that will be in-cab by radio.
Building the line without electrification must give advantages.
- Network Rail seem to find it impossible to do electrification projects to time and budget.
- Stations without electrification are safer places and easier to design and build.
- There is less visual intrusion for Nimbys to complain about.
- The cost of connecting the electrification to the National Grid is zero.
- There is less copper cable to steal.
In Is A Bi-Mode Aventra A Silly Idea?, I outlined what I believe the ultimate bi-mode train will be like.
A bi-mode Aventra would be a sophisticated train with the following characteristics.
- Electric drive
- Regenerative braking.
- 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third rail capability.
- Automatic pantograph deployment.
- Onboard energy storage.
- Automatic power source selection.
- Diesel or hydrogen power-pack
The first four are probably already in service in the Class 345 train.
A train going from between Reading and Bedford on the East West Rail Link, would charge its energy storage at the terminals and then use this power along the route. If the train detected that the stored energy was running low, the diesel or hydrogen power-pack would cut in and charge the energy storage.
Conclusion
It is my view, that if you are building a new rail line that is not high speed or high frequency, that there is no need to electrify the line, as intelligent bi-mode trains will be able to work the route economically and without the noise, pollution and vibration problems of their diesel engines working all the time.
HSTs For 2020
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways.
It describes how Wabtec in Doncaster will be updating the InterCity 125 train, so that meet the latest Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) regulations, which come into force in 2020.
The fitting of power doors and retention toilets will see the following trains in service for a number of years after 2020.
- CrossCountry – 5 x 2+8 sets.
- GWR 11 x 2+4 sets.
- Scotrail – 17 x 2+5 sets
- Scotrail – 9 x 2 +4 sets
This totals up to eighty-four Class 43 power cars and two hundred and five Mark 3 coaches.
Work On The Power Cars
With the exception of some interlocks, there appears to be little work being done on the power cars, which is probably because of the good care, that the trains have had over the years.
Although, they’ll obviously be serviced and painted.
Work On The Coaches
This is summed up as follows.
- Sliding power doors for passengers will be fitted.
- A test rig will simulate fifteen years of use.
- Controlled emission toilets are being fitted.
- If a coach has two toilets , only one can be retained due to space limitations, caused by the pockets for the sliding doors.
- Most of the coaches are receiving new universal access toilets.
- From a picture caption in the article, it appears that less work on the interiors will be done on the CrossCountry coaches.
Production details are also given.
- The first GWR and CrossCountry sets will be released in early November.
- Two production lines will be setup.
- The CrossCountry sets are targeted for completion by May 2018.
- The Scotrail sets are targeted for completion by May 2019.
- The final ten GWR sets will be rebuilt last.
Initially coaches will be modified to a 40-day turnround, which should be halved for the Scotrail sets.
Conclusions
Wabtec seem to be doing a comprehensive and quality job in updating the Msrk 3 coaches.
Consider.
- Wabtec are setting up two production lines for the modifications.
- At twenty days to modify a train, that means in a year, they can refurbish 36 coaches or probably four trains.
- Greater Anglia have fifteen rakes of recently-refurbished Mark 3 coaches, one of which has been sold to be used with 60163 Tornado.
- East Midlands Trains have twelve InterCity 125 sets.
- Virgin Trains East Coast have sixteen InterCity 125 sets,
I wonder if any of these extra sets will be converted at Wabtec?
Where would they be used?
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern will probably need some more coaches for their services to Birmingham, Oxford and in the future; Milton Keynes.
If partial electrification should happen on their routes, Chiltern could replace the current Class 68 locomotives for a bi-mode like a Class 88 locomotive.
The New East Midlands Franchise
The new East Midlands franchise could go for a fleet of InterCity 125s for Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield services given than electrification won’t happen.in the near future.
It should be noted that HS2 will reach the new East Midlands Hub station around 2032/2033, so this will become a date, when London to East Midlands services will change forever.
CrossCountry
CrossCountry has a capacity problem and might find more InterCity 125s a very well-proven solution, that is liked by passengers.
Long Distance Services
Some long-distance routes like Norwich to Liverpool and Cardff to Manchester might be ideal for shortened InterCity 125s.
New Services
It is well-known that passengers very much like travelling on InterCity 125s and after my trip from Edinburgh to Inverness in the cab, I am convinced that drivers and probably other staff too, have a lot of affection for these superb trains from a very different era.
It is these thoughts and feelings, that led Scotrail to go down the route of introducing shortened InterCity 125s on their major inter-city routes North of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
So could we see Scotrail’s example used in other places in the UK?
Chris Stokes in the September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, finishes his column, after talking about scenic railways in the rest of the world, with this paragraph.
There are limited examples in Britain, such as the ‘Jacobite’ steam service between Fort William and Mallaig and the expensive and exclusive ‘Royal Scotsman’ service. But elsewhere on the Kyle line, the Cambrian Coast or Settle-Carlisle, all you get is a Class 158, with, if you’re lucky seats aligned with the windows. We could do so much better.
A shortened InterCity 125, perhaps with a regional buffet car would certainly be a lot better.
Scotrail could perhaps start the process by running a Glasgow to Leeds service via the Glasgow South Western Line and the the Settle to Carlisle Line.
Where Are The Class 707 Trains?
This article on Global Rail News is entitled Class 707s Enter Service On Windsor Routes.
This is the first paragraph.
The first two Class 707 EMUs have entered passenger service on the Windsor routes – a few days before the franchise is handed over to First/MTR.
I have been to Waterloo several times this week and the Class 707 trains are conspicuous by their absence.
So where are the trains?
Perhaps, South Western Railway have dragged them off to be repainted or vinyled and have appropriate signs and information fitted?
When, these trains enter service, they will allow another batch of trains to be reliveried.
Improving The Wisley Interchange
It is probably nearly ten years since I drove through the Wisley interchange where the M25 and A3 meet.
The BBC this morning is discussing a proposal to improve this junction by taking some land from the RHS Wisley Garden.
This Google Map shows the area.
Note how close Wisley Garden is to the A3, which all proposals say should be widened from three lanes to four.
Two proposals have been put forward by Highways England.
This is Option 9, which is a four-level flyover.
And this is Option 14.
I suspect as far as Wisley Garden is concerned it’s a choice between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!
Just out of curiosity, I looked up on the RHS Wisley Garden site, how I could get there easily by public transport.
Effectively, it means taking a train to Woking and a taxi!
Wisley Garden can’t have it both ways, as they encourage people to drive to the Garden and yet are objecting to widening of the A3.
A Wider Problem
Wisley Garden illustrates the wider problem, of how so many attractions are only easily accessible by car.
Some attractions like Brighton and Hove Albion’s new Falmer Stadium, have been built with decent public tyransport access, but others assume everybody comes by car.
Surely, in this age, where the environment matters, no development should be allowed without due consideration of well-thought out public transport.
Is The BBC Anti-Rail?
Consider.
- One of the lead stories on BBC Breakfast this morning, is very negative about how there is tremendous disruption because of engineering work this weekend.
- They keep finding negative stories about the upgrading of Waterloo, when all my observations seem to have been positive.
- One of the most significant rail events of this month has been the start of running of the Aventra trains for Crossrail has been ignored.
I am going to the football in Ipswich on Saturday and according to the BBC, services out of Liverpool Street are severely disrupted.
But I have looked at the Internet and services appear like any other Saturday.
The BBC would appear to have an agenda.
‘Self-driving’ Lorries To Be Tested On UK Roads
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC. This is the first three paragraphs.
Small convoys of partially driverless lorries will be tried out on major British roads by the end of next year, the government has announced.
A contract has been awarded to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to carry out the tests of vehicle “platoons”.
Up to three lorries will travel in formation, with acceleration and braking controlled by the lead vehicle.
It is a long time since I used to hitch-hike all over the UK in the 1960s and had many a ride in the front of a truck.
One of my memories is sitting there and watching how cars kept jumping into gaps between the truck I was riding in and the one in front.
I have a feeling that platooning is one of those automation ideas, that will work well in theory and practice to a certain degree, but that the behaviour of individuals will give it problems.
Generally, this idea hasn’t been well received, by commentators.
The Greener Alternative
I feel that overall we need to move freight from the roads onto the railways.
In The Go-Anywhere Express Parcel And Pallet Carrier, I proposed converting redundant four-car electric multiple units like the Class 321 trains into 100 mph bi-mode parcel and pallet carriers, which I dubbed High Speed Parcel Train or High Speed Pallet Train.
HSPTs would have the following advantages for parcel and pallet traffic.
- Stations could be used as terminals, especially at night!
- As they are 100 mph trains, they would probably be faster over long distances.
- They would probably emit less carbon emissions.
- Capacity per crew member would be higher.
- There are few parts of the UK, the trains couldn’t go.
- Class 321 trains are built from steel and are as tough as the proverbial brick outhouse.
- The trains could carry a fork-lift if needed.
- The trains could be wrapped in advertising.
The trains would be the ultimate green long-distance delivery truck.
- Recycled trains.
- Proven technology
- Electrically-powered where possible.
- ;Using existing infrastructure where possible.
They wouldn’t be the most expensive trains to create and run.
Risky Business: Train Fleets In A State Of Flux
The title of this post is the same as this article in Rail Magazine.
The article is certainly in the must-read category and it illustrates the perils of not getting your investments right.
You could argue that rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) are sucking money out of the UKs railways.
I would argue differently.
The cause of the troubles for the ROSCOs is threefold.
- Train operating companies would prefer to have lots of similar trains, as this makes, maintenance, training and timetabling easier and more affordable. Some successful companies like c2c, London Overground, Virgin Trains and Merseyrail are one- or two-class companies and others like TransPennine Express and Great Western Railway are moving that way.
- New leasing companies have seen the returns, that the three original ROSCOs have made and have entered the market. As they are leasing new trains, they make it more difficult to find homes for existing rolling stock, many of of which have perhaps twenty years of life left and are priced accordingly.
- The ROSCOs have also badly misjudged the technology. Bombardier, CAF and Stadler have come up with innovative solutions to the problems of our unique Victorian-designed railway and the train operating companies have liked what they have seen and ordered them.
It is interesting to note, that few of the large orders for rolling stock have not been financed by the three original ROSCOs; Angel Trains, Eversholt and Porterbrook.
Greater Anglia
As I know Greater Anglia well, I’ll look at their current fleet, which is being replaced train-for-train by new rolling stock.
- Class 90 locomotives – These are thirty years old and will probably end up pulling freight or be cannibalised for spares.
- Mark 3 coaches – These do not meet the latest regulations for passengers of reduced mobility and most will probably be scrapped, although one rake has been sold to be used by 60163 Tornado.
- Driving Van Trailers – I doubt these will find a use and will join the many others in store or they will be scrapped.
- Class 153 trains – At twenty-five years old, I doubt these single-carriage trains will see serious passenger use again.
- Class 156 trains – At nearly thirty years old, these two-car DMUs may have use on rural lines, but they will need refurbishment.
- Class 170 trains – These two- and three-car 100 mph DMUs will certainly find another operator.
- Class 317 trains – At thirty-five years old, but in good condition, these 100 mph EMUs will be difficult to place, as newly-electrified lines will inevitably deserve new trains.
- Class 321 trains – These 100 mph EMUs will be difficult to place, despite some having been recently upgraded.
- Class 360 trains – These 100 mph EMUs are only fifteen years old and will probably find a new operator.
- Class 379 trains – These modern 100 mph EMUs are only a few years old and will will certainly find a new operator.
Quite frankly most of this rolling stock is not worth much!
The Class 360 and Class 379 trains will be the easiest to release.
The sheer numbers of Class 317 and 321 trains, with little new electrification planned, mean that something innovative will, have to be done to find them a home. I speculated aboutwhat will happen to all these Mark 3-based multiple units in What Will Happen To The Class 319, Class 455, Class 321 And Cl;ass 317 Trains? I certainly suspect that some will find uses, with the upgraded Class 321 trains probably the first in the queue.
As I said in the article, I feel that some Class 321 trains could become small parcel and pallet carriers.
The Class 707 Trains
The Rail Magazine article talks about the problem of the Class 707 trains, that were ordered by South West Trains and will be returned by South Western Railway.
It suggests they could be converted to run on 25 KVAC overhead working, but that will be expensive and in my view a new Desiro City is far inferior to a new Aventra.
So would a quality Class 317 or 321 be a good alternative for an operator, that needed some new trains to perhaps open a new electrified route?
It looks even more of a bad decision of Angel Trains to fund the Class 707 trains.
Is It Innovate Or Die?
Porterbrook saw problems coming with the Class 319 trains, they were leasing to Thameslink.
But they got together with Northern and designed an affordable bi-mode, which is now the Class 769 train.
Thirteen have been ordered!
In anotherf project, InterCity 125 trains are being shortened and updated to last another decade.
Will we be seeing more developments like this, where redundant trains are turned into useful ones for a different purpose?
We could even be seeing some innovative export deals!
Conclusion
It’s a tough world out there!
But those that innovate will survive and make money!
Will Innovative Electrification Be Used On The Uckfield Line?
Chris Gibb’s report into the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise recommended electrification of the Uckfield Line. The September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways has a detailed examination of the proposals.
Reasons For Electrification
Various reasons are given for the electrification.
- Removing diesel trains from London Bridge station.
- Operational flexibility.
- More capacity
- Stabling and refuelling considerations with the current Class 171 trains at Selhurst depot.
- Increasing operational efficiency.
The Class 171 trains would probbly be better suited to other routes.
25 KVAC Ovhead Electrification
One of Chris Gibb’s recommendations is to use 25 KVAC overhead rather than 750 VDC third-rail electrification in an area, where third-rail is the norm.
He states that this is on cost grounds.
- Third-rail needs a feed to the National Grid every two to three miles.
- Overhead wires might need just one.
- DC has higher transmission losses, than AC.
He also suggests the following.
- Changeover between the existing third-rail and the new overhead systems would be South of Hurst Green Junction.
- The three tunnels on the route would be electrified using overhead conductor rail.
- Dual-voltage trains would be needed, which would change system on the move.
- Class 377 or Class 700 trains would be used.
He also indicxates that Class 379 trains would be available from 2020.
Stabling At Crowborough
Chris Gibb suggests building stabling for four twelve-car trains at Crowborough for the following reasons.
- It would improve crew efficiency.
- Itwould give more time overnight for maintenance and train cleaning.
- It would eliminate 75,000 miles of empty running a year.
- It would give a £3.6 million a year cost saving.
- It would give more space at Selhurst depot.
This sounds like a good idea.
Project Management And Finance
Chris Gibb gets very innovative about how the project should be managed, by suggesting that SNCF do the design for the electrification and then directly hire the contractor, bypassing Network Rail.
He also suggests an innovative way of financing the project, using private finance.
The Government’s Response
Chris Gibb recommendations of electrification and the stabling of trains at Crowborough have been accepted by the Government.
Conclusion
Surely, if private finance and planning permission can be obtained, this project should go ahead.
The Anonymous Widower 