More Steam Up For The Borders Railway Extension To Carlisle
This article on the BBC, which is entitled Call for Borders Railway extension to Carlisle renewed during Lamington work, is typical of many articles in papers like the Glasgow Herald and Scotsman, and on vartious media web sites.
In ‘Encouraging signs’ on Borders Railway Extension to Carlisle, I felt that as Network Rail are creating a hub to connect all the scenic routes in the Borderland together, that the Borders Railway should be extended to Carlisle and other routes should either be electrified or upgraded so that passenger services could be run by four-car electric trains or IPEMUs.
The failure of the Lamington viaduct and its closure until March, illustrates why we need more diversion routes, not just in the Borderlands, but everywhere it is feasible.
A Class 700 Train On Test
I took this picture of a Class 700 train just North of Norwood Junction station.
A Class 700 Train On Test
After halting for a minute or so, it turned off towards Crystal Palace.
During the day, I also saw a couple of bright-red Class 387/2 Gatwick Expresses running around. In one case, I felt that it wasn’t just an eight-car formation, but possibly a twelve-car. As I was in a waiting room at East Croydon station, I can’t be sure, but it certainly appeared to be a long train.
According to this page on the Thameslink web site, the Class 700 trains will start to be introduced on the 16th April 2016.
The Thameslink web page also says that the introduction of trains will be completed in June 2018. So give or take a month, that is twenty-five months to introduce sixty eight-car and fifty-five twelve-car trains. So that is a rate of somewhere between four and five trains per month.
At present the Thameslink service is run by three different types of trains.
- Twenty-nine Class 387/1 trains, which are supposed to be going to the Great Western Railway, but can’t as there are no overhead wires.
- Thirty-two Class 377 trains, which could go to Southeastern to improve their services. Clare Perry has promised new trains and these would fit.
- Upwards of fifty Class 319 trains, which I suspect will do what Mark 3 based stock does best and fill in where operators have a shortage of trains. Handsome is as handsome does!
It does appear that as time progresses there will be a number of Class 387 trains, available to provide a quality service.
It’s why I think, thast some will be converted into IPEMUs.
And as GTR, have lots of experience and drivers for Class 387s, it would appear logical that Class 387 IPEMUs would be used to replace the Class 171 trains on the services on the Oxted Line and the Marshlink Line.
Musical Trains In Sussex
This article from Rail Magazine is entitled Class 387/2s enter traffic with GTR.
It says that as Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) already has Thameslink drivers qualified to drive the trains and the training for drivers on Gatwick Express hasn’t been completed yet, then two of the new Class 387/2 trains for Gatwick Express have started to be used on Thameslink services to replace the ugly Class 319 trains.
The Class 700 trains, start to be delivered this spring on Thameslink and will obviously replace the remaining 319s first. But as numbers increase, what is going to happen to the displaced new Class 387/1 trains, currently running the route with the 319s?
Surely to park them in sidings, until the much-delayed Great Western Electrification is completed will be a scandal.
It is also complicated by the fact that after Bombardier finish the Class 387/2s for Gatwick Express, they are going to build another twenty-eight four-car trains to add to the collection in the sidings.
Unless of course, someone decides that they will be better off earning revenue.
It’s all gone rather quiet on the IPEMU front, except for a presentation in Derby by Network Rail to the IMechE, but surely if the technology works, wouldn’t it be better to fit batteries to some of these trains and use them on services, where IPEMUs are an alternative to full electrification.
GTR could even use a few of the IPEMU variant of the Class 387 train on their Southern franchise to replace their diesel Class 171 trains on the Oxted Line and the Marshlink Line.
Surely, if there was ever a low-risk strategy to try out these innovative IPEMU trains in revenue earning service, it is on these two lines.
- GTR has a lot of experience with running and training drivers for Class 387 trains.
- Both the Oxted and Marshlink lines need an increase in capacity.
- I suspect, that modifications need to be done to allow four-car trains to run on the Oxted Line to Uckfield.
- Four-car trains already run on the Marshlink Line.
- GTR would end up with an all-electric passenger train fleet.
But surely the main reason, is that some modern diesel trains in good condition, would become available for cascade to places, where they are really needed.
I’ve just found this article on the Southern Railway web site, which is entitled Uckfield line platform extensions. It describes how all platforms on the line are being lengthened for twelve-car trains. This is said on timescales.
Permanent works started in September 2015 at some sites and they will start in the New Year for others. The stations will be completed on a staggered basis between February and July 2016.
The article also says that until February 19th, there will be a replacement bus service from Crowborough to Uckfield via Buxted. So it is reasonable to assume that from the end of this month, that at least the last three stations on the line will be able to take longer trains. This surely says that if selective door opening is used on a few stations, then by the May 2016 timetable change, longer trains can be used on the Uckfield branch.
Progress on the platform lengthening seems tro be going well, as I wrote in A Trip To Uckfield.
But where are they going to get serviceable four-car trains, let alone twelve-car ones to run on the Uckfield branch?
Perhaps they are going to use two Class 37 locomotives and a few clapped-out coaches.
My devious mind thinks that running the two Gatwick Express trains on Thameslink, frees up two four-car Class 387 trains, which could go to a convenient depot to be fitted with their batteries and IPEMU capability.
After all, when Bombardier created the Class 379 demonstrator for the technology, they didn’t take the train out of service for more than a few months.
There is also this paragraph in Network Rail’s Route Specification for the South East published in April 2015, in a sub-section called Electification Strategy under Route Specification Sussex. This said.
For routes for which it is unlikely that a case can be made for conventional electrification, there could be an opportunity for alternative solutions to be considered in place of diesel traction, for example battery train operation through an Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU).
Could Network Rail have decided that now is the time to facilitate IPEMU introduction on the two lines in Sussex, that are not electrified?
Replacing two Class 387/1 trains with two Class 387/2 trains, releases the trains for modification.
At the end of the month, when the Class 387/2 trains are needed to start services on Gatwick Express, the modified Class 387/1 trains can be returned to service and run without using their IPEMU capability.
When the Class 700 trains are approved for Thameslink, the Class 387/1 with the IPEMU capability can go where they are needed.
As Network Rail are spending money on platform lengthening on the Uckfield Branch, I think we’ll be seeing some of the first IPEMUs serving it in the near future.
Politics says they’ll turn up before the First of May!
Capturing The Benefits Of HS2 On Existing Lines
This is the title of a report written in 2011 by Greengauge 21.
This is how the report starts.
When High Speed Two (HS2) is complete, the longer distance, non-stopping trains on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) will in the main transfer to the new, quicker, route, freeing up valuable capacity. However, until now plans for services on the WCML once HS2 is open have been broad brush assumptions made for the purposes of completeness in the economic appraisal. This report looks ahead in more detail to consider what services should operate on the existing rail network once HS2 is open. The aim is to help kick start the development of this wider strategy in which the benefits of HS2 are maximised, not just for those using the new line, but for travellers on the existing railway. The effective re-use of the capacity released by HS2 is a key project benefit. It will allow new local and regional passenger and new freight trains to operate: services that are and will continue to be prevented by network capacity constraints.
It is well worth reading the full document, even though it was written in 2011,, as I think it explains how HS2 could benefit those other than those, who want to get quickly between London and Birmingham.
Places With Better Services To And From London
The report singles out three areas, that could benefit from a freed-up West Coast Main Line between London and Birmingham.
It says that the following places.
- Walsall
- Shropshire
- Mid and North East Wales.
Could all gain new direct services to and from London.
Feeders To The West Coast Main Line
The report talks about how three new or improved lines and schemes will act as feeders to the services on a West Coast Main Line, that will have more capacity for semi-fast services, connecting London with Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland.
- The Croxley Rail Link will link Watford to a wide area of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
- The East-West Rail Link intersecting the WCML at Milton Keynes would improve services from a lot of the South Midlands and East Anglia.
- Improvements between Leamington and Nuneaton (Nuckle) would improve connections for Warwickshire.
These three schemes are now progressing and will be fully working by the time HS2 opens in 2026.
Chiltern Electrification
The three feeder schemes mentioned above all contain two ambitious words Chiltern Railways.
Consider the following.
- The Croxley Rail Link could and probably will be extended to Amersham via Rickmansworth.
- TheEast West Rail Link will deliver a Chiltern service from Marylebone to Milton Keynes via Aylesbury.
- The Greengauge 21 report talks of a Marylebone to Coventry service via Leamington and Kenilworth.
- Oxford to Milton Keynes will be electrified.
- Chiltern use some rather elderly but excellent diesel trains.
- Coventry, Milton Keynes and Watford are already electrified.
I can’t believe that there is not more talk about electrifying the Chiltern Railways network.
I don’t think that Chiltern Railways would need full electrification, if they were to use IPEMU technology in conjunction with some limited electrification.
- The Snow Hill Lines in Birmingham, perhaps as far south as Leamington.
- The southern section of the Chiltern Main Line, perhaps between Marylebone and High Wycombe.
Electrification is a future aspiration of Chiltern Railways and it could give a second 125 mph line between London and Birmingham.
This would mean that a much increased number of towns would have a high speed connection to both major cities and many places in between and North of Birmingham.
I think that enabling electric trains to use the Chiltern Main Line and the Snow Hill Lines, should be given a high priority.
Bridges Around Crouch Hill Station
I took these pictures to show a few of the problems and easy bits of electrifying the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, around Crouch Hill station.
For comparison, this is Google Map of the station and the bridge and tunnel to the East.
Crouch Hill Station
Note the Victoria Road Bridge and the meting of several roads over the Crouch Hill Tunnel.
I think you can make the following observations.
- There is quite a large green margin to each side of the rail line. This surely should make design of the overhead wires and the various support services like power supplies and control gear easier.
- The Victoria Road Bridge appears to be in good condition and I suspect the arches are large enough to accommodate the overhead wires.
- Is the Crouch Hill Tunnel large enough?
- The bridge at Crouch Hill station appears to be a tight fit and I suspect, the track will need to be lowered to allow space for the overhead wires.
- The current platforms at the station are probably not long enough for four-car trains, but note that there are unused sections of the platforms that could be brought back into use.
- In the picture showing the Victoria Rosad Bridge, you can just see one of the piles at the end of the unused platform extension.
In common with much of the line, the infrastructure seems generally to be in good condition.
I think the updating and electrification of Crouch Hill station will be very typical of other stations on the line.
Moving Towards A Pan-European Locomotive
This article on Global Rail News is entitled Traxx approved for entire DACH region.
The article talks about how the Bombardier Traxx Last Mile locomotive has been approved for Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH). The Global Rail News article, says this about the locomotive.
The Last Mile variant, although an electric locomotive, has a low-emission diesel engine and battery on board, allowing it to run on both electrified and non-electrified routes.
One of my first thoughts, was it’s a pity that the standard Traxx is probably two large for the UK’s small loading gauge.
But then I found this article in Railway Gazette, about a proposed UK version of the locomotive. This is said.
Bombardier believes that the Traxx P200 AC UK Bo-Bo electric locomotive fitted with a ‘last mile’ diesel engine would offer ‘a lot of value for money’ for UK operators such as Greater Anglia. Whereas the MkIII coaches used on London – Norwich inter-city services are ‘excellent’ vehicles that may last for another 20 years, the Class 90 locomotives will need to be replaced before that.
Lacchini emphasises that a 25 kV 50 Hz version of the Traxx family suitable for the UK with its small loading gauge will not require a special design to be developed. About 60% of components are common to all versions of the Traxx, one feature being the location of the main traction package in the centre of the locomotive rather than on either side of a central aisle. This makes it relatively easy to build a smaller and narrower version that would fit the UK loading gauge, Lacchini indicated.
It looks to me that Bombadier have designed a powerful family of electric locomotives, that can be used in much of Europe.
With the Class 88 locomotive also due to be delivered soon, it does appear that the UK may have a choice of modern locomtives for freight trains and fast passenger services in the near future.
The Return Of Red Star Parcels
In the 1970s, I used to use Red Star Parcels regularly. As there was no Internet, if I wanted to send a software update of Artemis to London, I’d go into Ipswich, pay a fee to register the parcel with Red Star and they’d put it on the next train to Liverpool Street. I’d phone the train time through and someone in London would pop over to Liverpool Street station and collect it.
C and other lawyers in her Chambers, also used the service to get briefs between London, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich.
The service worked very well and there is nothing to match it today, except for paying for a courier with a high-speed bike or car.
Perhaps, the best story about Red Star was one that appeared in the Sunday Times.
Parents had bought one of the first Andrews Maclaren baby buggies for their child, but the frame had broken at the back, a day before they were going on holiday. A call to the firm in Derby, told them to Red Star the buggy to Derby station, which they duly did. A few hours later, they were phoned by the company to say that the buggy would arrive in London on the 19:00 train.
The story was true, but you wonder how much was spin on the part of Andrews Maclaren and British Rail.
Network Rail are trying to make their assets sweat. I did see a report a couple of years ago, where Colas Rail and TNT were experimenting with bringing freight trains into Euston for deliveries to shops like Sainsburys and Ryman using electric and low carbon delivery trucks.
A company called InterCity RailFreight is now starting a service using high-speed passenger trains. This is said on their web-site.
We have proven that using passenger trains works – for everything from ultra-time-critical tissue samples delivered to testing laboratories, to fresh seafood carried from fishing boats into the kitchens of top London restaurants.
Not only is our service fast, frequent and reliable – it is cheaper and greener
It sounds very much like the reincarnation of Red Star Parcels.
They are helped by some of the rolling stock that work the services. The InterCity 125s have a generous amount of space in the power car for luggage and some of the driving van trailers used to Norwich can take a copious amount of goods, but what attracted me to the service was this article in Rail Magazine, which is entitled Plans submitted to modify Mk 3s as freight vehicles.
Mark 3 coaches don’t seem to know, when the time is right, to make a dignified exit to the scrapyard.
They would certainly make very good high-speed freight cars for high value goods. We might even see some complete InterCity 125s converted to freight to bring sea food from the far South West or England and the far North of Scotland to places, where they will be consumed.
Could we also see Royal Mail using them as long distance mail and parcel carriers?
Lines Through Hampstead And Harringay
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the layout of railway lines through Hampstead.
Lines Through Hampstead
I believe that it is a network that will be changed dramatically in the next few years.
In the west of the map, there is a triangular junction to the north of Cricklewood station, which connects the Dudding Hill Line to the Midland Main Line.
Also to the North of Cricklewood station is the old Cricklewood TMD (traction maintenance depot), which is now being developed as Brent Cross Cricklewood with houses, oficces, an extension to the Brent Cross Shopping Centre and a new station called Brent Cross Thameslink.
In the east of the map, Gospel Oak station is prominent and if you take a close look you can see how a double track spur connects the Gospel Oak to Barking Line (GOBlin) at Junction Road Junction to the Midland Main Line at Carlton Road Junction. This short length of line, which is used by freight trains, is also being electrified, so that freight trains can be electric-hauled from Barking and then up the Midland Main Line.
From Carlton Road Junction, freight trains can sneak up the western side of the Midland Main Line and either go North to freight depots like the proposed Radlett or take the Dudding Hill Line to connect with the West Coast Main Line or the Great Western Main Line. You can see the tracks that freight trains would use is this image taken looking south from the bridge at West Hampstead Thameslink station.
Lines Through West Hampstead Thameslink Station
The tracks that freight trains will use are to the far right.
Transport for London’s Transport Plan for 2050 talks about improving the Overground, by using existing lines to create a circular railway based on the GOBlin. It could be routed via the Dudding Hill Line to Hounslow.
Looking at the above image, it would appear that it could be fairly easy for trains from the GOBlin to stop at West Hampstead Thameslink on their way to the Dudding Hill Line. This Google Map shows the station.
West Hampstead Thameslink Station
It would appear that there may even be space for an island platform, but I suspect a bi-directional platform sharing with the current Platform 4, will be much easier to create and more affordable.
The extended GOBlin would then call at Cricklewood station, from where it could either go straight down the Dudding Hill Line or perhaps via a reverse at the new Brent Cross Thameslink station.
This Google Map shows the area between Brent Cross and the Midland Main Line.
Brent Cross
Note the large area of the current Cricklewood TMD to the North East of the triangular junction with Cricklewood station south of the area. The development will be partly on the northern part of the TMD.
The advantage of the indirect route, would be that the Shopping Centre and all the new development in the area, gets good connections from Hounslow and Acton in the West to Holloway, Tottenham and Walthamstow in the East.
If the trains run at the current four trains per hour of the GOBlin, then this line would be a valuable link across North London connecting to the Midland Main Line and Thameslink at either Brent Cross or West Hampstead stations.
It is an interesting proposition.
But it might get even better!
London’s two big problems are housing and transport, so look sat this Google Map of the area to the East of Gospel Oak station.
A Site To The East Of Gospel Oak Station
There is a large site around the triangular junction formed by the GOBlin in the North, the Midland Main Line in the South and the link between the two lines in the East.
It could be used for much-needed housing and other developments in the future. At the present time, it is owned by J. Murphy and Sons, who by chance are the contractors working on the electrification of the GOBlin.
Look at the map and I think that there is enough space to put a new station on the eastern side of junction.
So trains from Upper Holloway station to the Dudding Hill Line could go through.
- Junction Road if that station is built.
- Murphy’s Town
- West Hampstead Thameslink
- Cricklewood
- Brent Cross Thameslink
I think that some of the out-of-the-box-thinkers at Transport for London will come up with some extensive knitting in North London.
Look at this Google Map, which shows the GOBlin through Harringay.
Lines Through Harringay
The GOBlin is or could be very well connected.
- The connection to the East Coast Main Line is being electrified.
- Harringay Green Lanes station sits on top the Piccadilly Line.
- Seven Sisters station will be connected to South Tottenham station by Crossrail 2.
- It is linked to the Lea Valley Lines south of Tottenham Hale station.
Who knows what Transport for London will do with the GOBlin?
I wonder if in conversations in the pub near TfL’s offices, they wish that they still had the Palace Gates Line to play with. You can see it’s line on the map above as it goes away to the North West from Seven Sisters station.
I do find it strange however, that the route of Crossrail 2 from Seven Sisters to New Southgate, very much follows the route of the Palace Gates Line.
So can we assume, that the Victorians got that one right too?
The Anonymous Widower 