TransPennine Express Releases Blueprint For Improving Service And Fleet Upgrade
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the sub-heading.
TransPennine Express (TPE), which transferred to the government’s owning group (DOHL) earlier this year, has set out its plans to address many of the issues which have caused problems and disruption for rail customers.
These three paragraphs summarize their plans.
Making Journeys Better: A Prospectus gives clear detail of the issues TPE has faced during the past two years as well as outlining how TPE, under DOHL, will work to make things better, having completed an in-depth review of the business.
Part of the plans involve the operators plans for its new fleet. Its New Trains Programme outlines its long term view for decarbonisation. The report states that TPE will look towards new technology on its fleet to overcome the lack of clarity on the full electrification of the line.
This, it states will help with the cascading and removal of diesel trains faster across its network.
It always looked to me, that TPE under First Group, brought rather a dog’s breakfast of trains, when a unified fleet of Class 802 trains, as per Hull Trains, might have been easier to operate.
- They are already retiring the Class 68 locomotives and their Mark 5 coaches, so surely to decarbonise their services, a number of battery electric high speed trains would be an idea.
- They are already testing Class 802 battery-electric trains for Hitachi and Eversholt Rail.
- I also feel that CAF could offer a suitable battery-electric train, based on the Class 397 train.
TPE say in the example, that they expect a decision later in the month.
TransPennine Express Services And Battery Electric Trains
These are their services and how they would be effected by battery-electric trains.
- Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle – Fully-electrified after TransPennine Upgrade.
- Liverpool Lime Street And Hull – Fully-electrified after TransPennine Upgrade.. – 42 miles unelectrified – Service could be run by a battery-electric train that charged between Leeds and Micklefield.
- Manchester Airport and Saltburn – Fully-electrified between Manchester Airport and Northallerton after TransPennine Upgrade. – 33.6 miles unelectrified – Service could be run by a battery-electric train that charged between Leeds and Northallerton. Would eliminate overnight noise problems at Redcar.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Newcastle – Fully-electrified after TransPennine Upgrade.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Scarborough – Fully-electrified between Manchester Piccadilly and York after TransPennine Upgrade. – 42.1 miles unelectrified – Service could be run by a battery-electric train that charged between Leeds and York.
- York and Scarborough – Electrified at York – 42.1 miles unelectrified – Service could be run by a battery-electric shuttle train that charged at York.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield – Electrified at Manchester Piccadilly – 25.5 miles unelectrified – Service could be run by a battery-electric shuttle train that charged at Manchester Piccadilly.
- Leeds and Huddersfield – Electrified at Leeds – 17.2 miles unelectrified – Service could be run by a battery-electric shuttle train that charged at Leeds.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes – 125,6 miles unelectrified – In Electrification Of The Hope Valley Line, I show how this route can be run by battery-electric trains that charged on existing electrification a short new section of electrification at Cleethorpes.
Note.
- If Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield, is not electrified, battery-electric trains would be able to cross the 25.8 miles of unelectrified track on battery power.
- If Leeds and Huddersfield, is not electrified, battery-electric trains would be able to cross the 17.2 miles of unelectrified track on battery power.
- I am assuming that the TransPennine Upgrade between Manchester and Leeds will be completed, so that between Liverpool Lime Street and Leeds is fully-electrified.
- The only new infrastructure needed would be electrification at Cleethorpes to charge the trains.
All services except for Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes could be run using battery-electric trains with a range on a full battery of at least 100 miles and with no additional electrification.
Electrifying Cleethorpes Station
This Google Map shows Cleethorpes station.
These pictures show the station in June 2023, when it appears to be going through a platform refurbishment.
I don’t think it would be the most difficult station to electrify.
- There are four platforms.
- As the station is likely to get more battery-electric services, including one from King’s Cross, I would suspect that at least three out of the four platforms would be electrified.
- Although, the station is Grade II Listed, there doesn’t appear to be any canopies or important architectural details, that would get in the way of electrification.
Once Cleethorpes station had been successfully electrified, similar installations could be applied at other stations like Saltburn, Scarborough and Skegness.
Conclusion
If TransPennine Express were to buy the right number of battery-electric trains with a hundred mile range, they can decarbonise all their routes in a train factory.
Blackwall And Silvertown Tunnels: Mayor Proposes Discount For Some Users
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The London mayor has written to the government to say he is considering a low-income residents’ discount for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels.
These paragraphs outline the story.
Both east London tunnels will have tolls from 2025, although no specific charge has been decided.
Sadiq Khan said the impact on Londoners who might struggle to afford the fees needed to be mitigated.
Mr Khan has asked that any discounts should not affect funding for Transport for London (TfL).
itvX has an article with this title Drivers Could Be Charged £5.25 To Use Blackwall And Silvertown Tunnels, Sadiq Khan Suggests.
My view is that the phrase about a pig and lipstick applies to the Silvertown Tunnel.
London’s Cluttered Pavements Are A Chronic Issue, Report Finds
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Central London has “chronic issues” with street clutter, making it a worse place to live, visit and work in, a think tank has warned.
And this is the first paragraph.
A-boards, disused phone boxes and rubbish bags all make pavements unwalkable, especially for those who are mobility or sight impaired.
As someone, who was stopped from driving because of bad eyesight, I’ll agree with that paragraph.
But the biggest clutter are hire bikes just left anywhere in the middle of the pavement.
How do we stop idiots doing this?
This problem is one, where we need sensible action from the Mayor.
One of my criteria, in who gets my vote at the next Mayoral election, will be what they will be doing about street clutter.
Bikes left in places, where they shouldn’t be is easy to solve.
Transport for London should have a few trucks picking up bikes, that have been left in illegal places.
The hire companies would then need to pay an appropriate fine to get the bikes back.
I would also allow private individuals and companies to collect illegally-parked bikes. It could be a nice little earner.
Could Sheffield Station Become A Battery-Electric Train Hub?
Promised Improvements To Train Services At Sheffield
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.
Sheffield station gets several mentions of improvement to these routes.
Sheffield And Hull
This is said about train services between Sheffield and Hull.
The number of trains between Hull and Sheffield will be doubled, to 2 per hour, with capacity also doubled.
These points describe typical current services.
- The route is 59.4 miles long.
- Modern Class 170 trains take 78 minutes.
- There are stops at Meadowhall, Doncaster, Goole and Brough.
- The maximum speed of the line is mostly around 70 mph, with one short section of 100 mph.
- The average speed is 45.7 mph.
- The train continues to Scarborough after a six-minute stop at Hull.
I believe that if this route were to be electrified, that a time around an hour would be possible between Sheffield and Hull.
Sheffield and Scarborough takes two hours and 45 minutes. With electrification, this time could be less than two hours and 30 minutes.
But it would be around 113 miles of new double-track electrification.
I believe that Sheffield and Hull is a route that could be run by battery-electric trains, that would be charged at both ends of the route.
Sheffield And Leeds
This is said about train services between Sheffield and Leeds.
The line between Sheffield and Leeds will be electrified and upgraded, giving passengers a choice of 3 to 4 fast trains an hour, instead of 1, with journey times of 40 minutes. A new mainline station for Rotherham will also be added to the route, which could give the town its first direct service to London since the 1980s, boosting capacity by 300%.
These points describe typical current services.
- The route is 41.1 miles long.
- Modern Class 195 trains take 56 minutes.
- There is a few miles of electrification at the Leeds end.
- There are stops at Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate.
- The maximum speed of the line is mostly around 60-70 mph.
- The average speed is 44 mph.
I believe that if this route were to be electrified, that a time around fifty minutes might be possible between Sheffield and Leeds.
That is not really good enough, but if they went through a new mainline station for Rotherham, the trains would be able to use 100 mph tracks all the way to Leeds. There would also be electrification between South Kirby junction and Leeds.
I suspect forty minutes should be possible with 100 mph running between Rotherham and Leeds.
I believe that Sheffield and Leeds is a route that could be run by battery-electric trains, that would be charged at both ends of the route.
Sheffield And Manchester
This is said about train services between Sheffield and Manchester.
The Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield will also be electrified and upgraded, with the aim of cutting journey times from 51 to 42 minutes and increasing the number of fast trains on the route from 2 to 3 per hour, doubling capacity.
In Electrification Of The Hope Valley Line, I talked about electrification of the line and how the services on the line could be run by battery-electric trains.
This was my conclusion in the linked post.
I believe that full electrification of the Hope Valley Line is not needed, if battery-electric trains are used.
I also believe that battery-electric trains and the current improvements being carried out on the Hope Valley Line will enable a forty minute time between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.
I believe that the Hope Valley Line could be speeded up, by the use of intelligent engineering, rather than expensive and disruptive electrification.
Don Valley Line
This is said about the Don Valley Line.
Communities will be reconnected through the reopening of lines and stations closed under the Beeching reforms of the 1960s. This will include the restoration of the Don Valley Line between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria, and new stations at Haxby Station, near York, Waverley, near Rotherham, and the Don Valley Line from Sheffield to Stocksbridge.
I’ve talked about the Don Valley Line before in Reopening The Don Valley Section Of The Former Woodhead Line Between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria To Passenger Services.
The Don Valley Line has a comprehensive Wikipedia entry, which is well worth a read.
Could the Don Valley Line be worked by battery-electric trains?
It would appear that these promised improvements to and from Sheffield could be worked by battery-electric trains.
Now that battery-electric trains are being developed, it could also have services, using these trains.
Could Battery-Electric Trains Improve Other Services At Sheffield?
These are some possibilities.
Chesterfield And Sheffield Victoria
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled East Midlands To Benefit From £9.6 billion Transport Investment.
This news story also talks about the Stocksbridge Line and Sheffield Victoria, where this is said.
Funding will also be provided for the Barrow Hill Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield Victoria, with a new station at Staveley in Derbyshire.
I wrote about the Barrow Hill Line in Reinstatement Of The Barrow Hill Line Between Sheffield And Chesterfield.
In the related post, this was my conclusion.
This looks to be a very sensible project.
- It could be run with either trains or tram-trams.
- It should be electrified, so it could be zero-carbon.
- Tram-trains could be used to make stations simpler.
- It could give an alternative route for electric trains to Sheffield station.
- The track is already there and regularly used.
But surely the biggest reason to built it, is that it appears to open up a lot of South and South-East Sheffield and North-East Chesterfield for development.
Now that battery-electric trains are being developed, Chesterfield and Sheffield could also have services, using these trains.
Sheffield And Adwick
Nothing is said in the news story about train services between Sheffield and Adwick.
Consider.
- Sheffield and Adwick is 22.7 miles.
- Journeys take fifty minutes.
- There are seven intermediate stations.
- This is an average speed of 27.2 mph.
- Adwick and Doncaster is 4.4 miles and electrified.
- There are generous turn-round times at both ends of the route.
- There are rather unusual reversing arrangements at Adwick.
I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.
Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?
- The train could fully charge between Adwick and Doncaster and at Adwick.
- It is only a short route with a round trip under sixty miles.
I believe this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.
Sheffield And Huddersfield
Nothing is said in the news story about train services in the Penistone Line between Sheffield and Huddersfield.
Consider.
- Sheffield and Huddersfield is 36.4 miles.
- Journeys take one hour and nineteen minutes.
- There are fifteen intermediate stations.
- This is an average speed of 27.6 mph.
- Huddersfield is being electrified as part of the TransPennine Upgrade.
I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.
Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?
Sheffield And Lincoln
Nothing is said in the news story about train services between Sheffield and Lincoln.
Consider.
- Sheffield and Lincoln is 48.5 miles.
- All Sheffield and Lincoln services start in Leeds.
- Journeys take one hour and twenty-five minutes.
- There are nine intermediate stations.
- This is an average speed of 34.2 mph.
- There is no electrification.
- Turn-round time at Lincoln is 26 minutes.
- All trains terminate in Platform 5 at Lincoln.
I wonder if electric trains on this route, would knock a few minutes off the journey time because of the better acceleration and deceleration of electric trains.
Could this route be another route from Sheffield suitable for battery-electric trains?
- Platform 5 could be electrified at Lincoln.
- There may need to be a battery top-up at Sheffield and Leeds.
I believe this route could be very suitable for battery-electric trains.
Electrification Between Sheffield And London
Consider.
- The Midland Main Line electrification is creeping up from London.
- It should soon be installed between St. Pancras and Market Harborough.
- Sheffield and Market Harborough is 81.9 miles.
- The Class 810 trains that will run the Sheffield and London route can’t be far off entering service.
There might be scope for running battery-electric trains on the route, until the electrification is complete.
A Battery-Electric Train Hub At Sheffield
I believe that a fair proportion of services to and from Sheffield could be run using battery-electric trains or bog-standard electric trains.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the platforms at Sheffield.
Note.
- The lilac tracks are those of the Sheffield Supertram.
- The darker lines are the tracks in the station.
- Tracks could be electrified as required.
Eventually, Sheffield will be a fully-electrified station, because of the Midland Main Line electrification.
But why not do it sooner rather than later, so that by running new or refurbished battery-electric trains to places like Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, London and Manchester?
- Services would be speeded up by around a minute or two for each stop.
- Faster journeys may attract more passengers.
- Routes would be creating less carbon emission and pollution.
- In some cases, routes would be zero carbon.
Some routes would need electrification at the terminal to charge the trains, but Leeds, London St. Pancras and Manchester are already fully electrified.
Charging Long Distance Battery-Electric Trains When They Stop In Sheffield
These long distance services stop in Sheffield.
- CrossCountry – Plymouth and Edinburgh
- CrossCountry – Reading and Newcastle
- East Midland Railway – London and Leeds
- East Midland Railway – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich
- Northern – Leeds and Lincoln
- Northern – Leeds and Nottingham
- Northern – Sheffield and Cleethorpes
- TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes
battery-electric trains could be given a top-up, as they pass through.
I am assuming that CrossCountry, East Midland Railway, Northern and TransPennine Express will be running suitable battery-electric trains.
Battery-Electric Train Hubs
To be a battery-electric train hub, a station probably needs to have all or nearly all of its platforms electrified.
- It should be able to fully-charge any battery-electric trains terminating in the station, provided that the turn-round time is long enough.
- It should be able to give a through battery-electric train a boost if required, so that it gets to the final destination.
It would appear that there are already several battery-electric train hubs in the England, Scotland and Wales.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool Lime Street station, with electrified tracks shown in red.
It would appear that the station is fully electrified and is an excellent battery-electric train hub.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Manchester Piccadilly station, with electrified tracks shown in red.
It would appear that the station is fully electrified, except for the Northernmost platform, and is an excellent battery-electric train hub.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Leeds station, with electrified tracks shown in red.
It would appear that the station is fully electrified and is an excellent battery-electric train hub, with twelve electrified bay platforms.
Conclusion
I can see a very comprehensive scheme being developed for Sheffield, based on a hub for battery-electric trains at Sheffield station.
Improvements To Leeds And Hull Services
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.
This is said about Leeds and Hull services.
Hull will also be brought into the Northern Powerhouse Rail network, reducing journey time from Leeds from 58 minutes to just 48. The number of trains between Hull and Sheffield will be doubled, to 2 per hour, with capacity also doubled. Journeys from Hull to Manchester will drop from 115 to 84 minutes, enabling 2 fast trains to Leeds.
I shall look at the 10:15 Northern Trains service between Hull and Leeds on the 13th October 2023.
- The distance is 51.8 miles.
- There are seven stops.
- The service is run by a diesel Class 158 train.
- Journey time is 69 minutes.
Ten minutes off this time would be worthwhile.
I shall look at the 10:03 TransPennine Express service between Hull and Leeds on the 13th October 2023.
- There are two stops.
- The service is run by a diesel Class 185 train.
- Journey time is 54 minutes.
Ten minutes off this time would be difficult.
Note.
- The line between Micklefield and Leeds is being electrified.
- The distance between Hull and Micklefield is 42 miles.
- The route has a maximum speed of between 75 and 90 mph.
There is also an historic swing bridge at Selby, which would probably be difficult to electrify.
How Many Minutes Could Electric Trains Save Between Leeds and Hull?
Electric trains have better acceleration and deceleration, when compared to diesel trains, so two minutes per stop and for the acceleration and deceleration at Hull and Leeds, would give the following times.
- Northern Trains – 53 minutes
- TransPennine Express – 48 minutes
As electrification is not mentioned for between Leeds and Hull, the only electric trains, that could work the route will be battery-electric trains.
Battery-Electric Trains Between Leeds and Hull
Consider.
- TransPennine Express already have Class 802 trains, from which the battery-electric version is being developed.
- Northern Trains would need a suitable battery-electric train. There has been talk of a CAF battery-electric Class 331 train, but nothing more. These would surly be ideal.
- Trains could be charged on new electrification in Hull station and between Micklefield and Leeds.
The trains would need a range of just 42 miles.
A Second Fast Train Between Leeds and Hull
What does this statement in the news story imply?
Journeys from Hull to Manchester will drop from 115 to 84 minutes, enabling 2 fast trains to Leeds.
I feel that this statement must be read in conjunction with the benefits of the TransPennine Route Upgrade.
One benefit is given as Faster Journeys, where this is said.
We’re speeding up journeys so you can travel to your favourite towns and cities more quickly. Our fastest journey times are forecast to be 63-66 minutes between Manchester and York and 41-42 minutes between Manchester and Leeds.
The news story says that the fastest journey times between Leeds and Hull will be 48 minutes, which would give a Hull and Manchester time of 89-90 minutes.
Alternatively, there could be these timings on one train.
- Hull and Leeds – 48 mins
- Hull and Manchester Victoria – 84 mins
- Leeds and Manchester Victoria – 36 mins
Note.
- The train would call at Brough, Selby, Leeds, Huddersfield and Stalybridge.
- There may be a new station at Leeds Thorpe Park
- The distance between Hull and Manchester Victoria is 94.7 miles.
- This is an average speed of 67.6 mph.
It almost looks like it’s connectivity East of Leeds and speed between Leeds and Manchester.
Conclusion
Battery-electric trains would provide all the improvements promised between Leeds and Hull.
Electrification Of The Hope Valley Line
This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.
This is said about the Hope Valley Line.
The Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield will also be electrified and upgraded, with the aim of cutting journey times from 51 to 42 minutes and increasing the number of fast trains on the route from 2 to 3 per hour, doubling capacity.
The fast trains are currently TransPennine’s service between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes.
- Between Platform 13 at Manchester Piccadilly station and Sheffield station is 42.6 miles.
- At the Manchester end, there will be electrification between Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations, which is 8.7 miles and takes typically 17 minutes.
- After the electrification of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield, there will be electrification between Dore & Totley and Sheffield stations, which is 4.2 miles and takes typically 8 minutes.
The gap in the electrification between Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove stations will be 29.7 miles.
But it will not be an easy route to electrify.
- At the Western end, there is the Disley Tunnel, which is 3535 metres long.
- In the middle, there is the Cowburn Tunnel which is 3385 metres long, that is also the deepest tunnel in England.
- At the Eastern end, there is the Totley Tunnel, which is 5700 metres long.
Yorkshire doesn’t have an Underground railway, but the combined length of these three tunnels is 7.84 miles, which means that over 26 % of the electrification needed between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield will have to be installed in tunnels.
Could The Route Be Run Using Battery-Electric Trains?
Consider.
- The gap in the electrification between Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove stations will be 29.7 miles.
- There is electrified sections at Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove stations, which will be able to charge the trains.
- Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains have demonstrated a battery range of 84 miles.
- A Stadler Akku train has demonstrated a battery range of 139 miles.
- Hitachi are developing a battery-electric version of TransPennine’s Class 802 train.
- If all trains can run on batteries or be self-powered, there would be no need to electrify the long and possibly difficult tunnels.
I believe that it would be possible to electrify all passenger services between Manchester and Sheffield using appropriate battery-electric trains.
Freight would be a problem and I suspect that hydrogen-hybrid and other self-powered locomotives could handle the route.
Could The Complete TransPennine Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Class 802 trains?
These are the various electrified and unelectrified sections.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway – Electrified – 5.7 miles – 10 minutes
- Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park – Not Electrified – 25.2 miles – 30 minutes
- Trafford Park and Hazel Grove – Electrified – 12.6 miles – 28 minutes
- Hazel Grove and Dore & Totley – Not Electrified – 29.7 miles – 35 minutes
- Dore & Totley and Sheffield – Electrified – 4.2 miles – 6 minutes
- Sheffield and Doncaster – Not Electrified – 18.6 miles – 25 minutes
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes – Not Electrified – 52.1 miles – 78 minutes
Note.
- This is a total of 125.6 miles without electrification.
- The Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield time is 56 minutes.
- The distance is 37.8 miles.
- That is an average speed on 40.5 mph.
- Most of the line between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield has an maximum speed of 70 mph, but there is a short length of track with a 50 mph speed and another longer one with 90 mph.
To achieve 40 minutes between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield would need an average speed of 60.7 mph. Given the improvements being carried out by Network Rail at the current time, I believe that forty minutes between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield should be possible.
I’ll look at a train going East.
- The train will leave Liverpool Lime Street with a reasonably full battery after charging using the current electrification in the station.
- The train will leave Liverpool South Parkway with a full battery after charging using the current electrification from Liverpool Lime Street.
- The train will arrive at Trafford Park with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Hazel Grove.
- The train will arrive at Dore & Totley with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the Midland Main Line electrification to Sheffield.
- The train will arrive at Doncaster with a battery perhaps two-thirds full and the train would wait until it had enough charge to reach Cleethorpes.
I’ll look at a train going West.
- The train will leave Cleethorpes with a full battery after charging using the new electrification in the station.
- The train will arrive at Doncaster with a battery perhaps two-thirds full and the train would wait until it had enough charge to reach Sheffield.
- The train will arrive at Sheffield with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the Midland Main Line electrification to Dore & Totley.
- The train will arrive at Hazel Grove with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Trafford Park.
- The train will arrive at Liverpool South Parkway with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but the route is electrified to Liverpool Lime Street.
Note.
- If the battery range on a full battery was over 90 miles, the two most easterly sections could be run without any charging at Doncaster.
- If the battery range was over 125.6 miles, the journey could be done by starting with a full battery.
- If every time the train decelerated, regenerative braking would recover energy, which could be reused.
- The only new electrification needed will be a short length at Cleethorpes station, that would charge the trains.
I certainly believe that Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes services could be run by battery-electric trains.
Could The Complete TransPennine Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Class 802 trains Without The Midland Main Line Electrification?
In this section, I’m assuming, that there is no electrification at Sheffield.
These would be the various electrified and unelectrified sections.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway – Electrified – 5.7 miles – 10 minutes
- Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park – Not Electrified – 25.2 miles – 30 minutes
- Trafford Park and Hazel Grove – Electrified – 12.6 miles – 28 minutes
- Hazel Grove and Cleethorpes – Not Electrified – 104.6 miles – 143 minutes
Note.
- This is a total of 129.6 miles without electrification.
- The battery range of the train, should probably be around 120 miles to make sure the train could run between Hazel Grove and Cleethorpes.
- One diesel power-pack could be installed for emergency use.
I’ll look at a train going East.
- The train will leave Liverpool Lime Street with a reasonably full battery after charging using the current electrification in the station.
- The train will leave Liverpool South Parkway with a full battery after charging using the current electrification from Liverpool Lime Street.
- The train will arrive at Trafford Park with a battery perhaps 80 % full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Hazel Grove.
- The train would then eek out what power it had left to reach Cleethorpes.
If necessary, the train could stop in the electrified Doncaster station to top up the batteries from the East Coast Main Line electrification for the run to Cleethorpes.
I’ll look at a train going West.
- The train will leave Cleethorpes with a full battery after charging using new electrification in the station.
- The train will arrive at Doncaster with a battery perhaps 57 % full and the train would wait if needed, until it had enough charge to reach Hazel Grove.
- The train will arrive at Hazel Grove with a battery perhaps one-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Trafford Park.
- The train will arrive at Liverpool South Parkway with a battery perhaps one-thirds full, but the route is electrified to Liverpool Lime Street.
Note.
- If the battery range on a full battery was over 105 miles, the Eastern section could be run without any charging at Doncaster.
- If the battery range was over 129.6 miles, the journey could be done by starting with a full battery.
- If every time the train decelerated, regenerative braking would recover energy, which could be reused.
- The only new electrification needed will be a short length at Cleethorpes station, that would charge the trains.
However, it might be prudent to electrify the through platforms at Sheffield, so that they could be used for emergency charging if required.
Northern Train’s Service Between Sheffield And Manchester Piccadilly Via The Hope Valley Line
There is a one train per hour (tph) Northern service between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly.
- The Class 195 diesel train takes 78 minutes.
- The distance is 42 miles.
- The first mile or so at the Manchester end is electrified.
- Trains seem to take about sixteen minutes to turn round at Manchester Piccadilly.
- Trains seem to take about nine minutes to turn round at Sheffield.
- The service runs via Reddish North, Brinnington, Bredbury, Romiley, Marple, New Mills Central, Chinley, Edale, Hope, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley.
- The max speed is generally 60 mph to the West of New Mills Central and 70 mph to the East, with short lower speed sections.
There would appear to be two ways to run this route withy battery-electric trains.
- As Manchester Piccadilly station is fully-electrified and trains could be connected to the electrification for upwards of twenty minutes, trains will certainly be able to be fully-charged at Manchester. As the round trip is only 84 miles, could trains run the service without a charge at Sheffield.
- Alternatively, there could be a dedicated electrified platform at Sheffield. But the problem with this, is that currently this service uses a random platform at Sheffield.
It looks like, if the train has the required range, that charging at the Manchester end would be the better solution.
Liverpool And Norwich Via The Hope Valley Line
This service uses a similar route between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield, as the Liverpool and Hull service and then it meanders, through the East Midlands.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway – Electrified – 5.7 miles – 11 minutes
- Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park – Not Electrified – 25.2 miles – 33 minutes
- Trafford Park and Hazel Grove – Electrified – 12.6 miles – 26 minutes
- Hazel Grove and Dore & Totley – Not Electrified – 29.7 miles – 28 minutes
- Dore & Totley and Sheffield – Electrified – 4.2 miles – 6 minutes
- Sheffield and Nottingham – Being Electrified – 40.6 miles – 52 minutes
- Nottingham and Grantham – Not Electrified – 22.7 miles – 30 minutes
- Grantham and Peterborough – Electrified – 29.1 miles – 29 minutes
- Peterborough And Ely – Not Electrified – 30 miles – 31 minutes
- Ely and Norwich – Not Electrified – 53.7 miles – 56 minutes
This is a total of 161.3 miles without electrification.
But as Sheffield and Nottingham and Grantham and Peterborough will be fully electrified, this route will be possible using a battery-electric train.
Electrifying Sheffield Station
I said earlier in this post, that electrifying Sheffield station would be an option for electrifying the Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly service.
If this were to be done, it would have collateral benefits for other services that terminate at Sheffield, which could be charged whilst they turned around.
I wrote about Sheffield station as a battery-electric train hub in Could Sheffield Station Become A Battery-Electric Train Hub?
Conclusion
I believe that full electrification of the Hope Valley Line is not needed, if battery-electric trains are used.
I also believe that battery-electric trains and the current improvements being carried out on the Hope Valley Line will enable a forty minute time between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.
Evolyn To Launch Paris To London Route In Competition With Eurostar
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
These first two paragraphs outline the plan.
A company aiming to operate services through the Channel Tunnel in competition with Eurostar has agreed to purchase 12 trains, it said.
Evolyn has stated that it is ready to invest £1 billion in its bid to start cross-Channel rail services in 2025.
It looks like the order will go to Alstom.
It will be interesting to see what sort of product is offered.
A First Trip To Headbolt Lane Station – 13th October 2023
Headbolt Lane station opened a week ago and I went to take a look today, where I took these pictures.
Note.
- It is a three-platform station, with two platforms pointing towards Liverpool and one towards Wigan Wallgate station.
- Changing trains is about a fifty metre walk.
- The toilets are trans-ready. But the toilets at Peterborough station, that I wrote about in A Pair Of Toilets At Peterborough Station were too.
I have a few thoughts.
Could There Be Through Running Between Headbolt Lane and Wigan Wallgate Stations?
This picture shows the walkway between Platform 2 on the South side of the tracks and Platforms 1 and 3 on the North side.
Note.
- Platform 1 is the platform on the left and Platform 2 is on the right.
- Platform 3 is in line with Platform 1 behind the fence at the far end of Platforms 1 and 2.
- The tracks don’t go straight through.
- There are two concrete blocks forming the walkway between platforms.
I suspect the answer is no at the moment.
But I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that the blocks have been designed to be lifted out and there is space to put a footbridge over the tracks, so that if in the future, through running were to be required, it is possible.
How Would A Station To Skelmersdale Be Connected?
In New Express Bus Improves Links Between Skelmersdale And Liverpool, I talked about a new express bus service between Kirkby and Skelmersdale.
This page on Bus Times gives details of the service.
The 319 Trainlink service will surely give useful information on possible passenger numbers.
In Would A Lower Cost Rail Link To Skelmersdale Be Possible?, I looked at options for the rail line.
Wigan’s Comprehensive Local Connections
Wigan North Western and Wigan Wallgate station have services to all these stations.
- Accrington
- Appley Bridge
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Atherton
- Bescar Lane
- Blackburn
- Blackpool North
- Bolton
- Broad Green
- Bryn
- Burnley Manchester Road
- Burscough Bridge
- Clifton
- Daisy Hill
- Deansgate
- Eccleston Park
- Edge Hill
- Euxton Balshaw Lane
- Farnworth
- Garswood
- Gathurst
- Hag Fold
- Headbolt Lane
- Hindley
- Hoscar
- Huyton
- Ince
- Kearsley
- Leyland
- Littleborough
- Manchester Oxford Road
- Manchester Victoria
- Meols Cop
- Moorside
- Moses Gate
- New Lane
- Orrell
- Parbold
- Pemberton
- Poulton-le-Fylde
- Prescot
- Rainford
- Toby
- Rochdale
- Rose Grove
- Salford Central
- Salford Crescent
- Smithy Bridge
- Southport
- Stalybridge
- St Helens Central
- Swinton
- Todmorden
- Thatto Heath
- Upholland
- Walkden
- Wavertree Technology Park
- Westhoughton
Fifty-eight stations is certainly comprehensively connected.
The Connection To High Speed Two At Wigan North Western
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the two Wigan stations; North Western and Wallgate.
Note.
- The orange tracks are the West Coast Main Line, which in the future, will carry High Speed Two services to and from Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Scotland.
- The yellow tracks are the local lines between Manchester in the East and Kirkby and Southport in the West.
- The local lines split after they pass under the West Coast Main Line, with the North-Western branch going to Southport and the Western branch going to Headbolt Lane, Kirkby and Liverpool.
- Wigan North Western is on the West Coast Main Line.
- Wigan Wallgate is on the local lines.
The stations are close enough to be converted into a superb combined station, where local passengers can join high speed services.
This picture shows the platforms of Wigan North Western station.
Wigan North Western station can’t be far off being able to accept pairs of High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains, that will be 400 metres long.
This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.
Only two High Speed Two services stop at Wigan North Western.
- The London and Lancaster service, which splits and joins with a London and Liverpool service at Crewe.
- The Birmingham and Scotland service.
As Wigan North Western has comprehensive local connections to the Northern areas of Liverpool and Manchester, it surely needs more services.
North West To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment
This is the title of this government document, which has this sub-heading.
Multibillion-pound plan to link major cities in the North via bus, rail and new and improved roads.
It says this about Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.
- Greater Manchester will also receive around £1.5 billion from the CRSTS2 budget and around £900 million additional funding – funded from HS2 – which is an unprecedented investment in local transport networks. That is more than double their allocation under the previous programme
- Liverpool City Region will also receive c.£1 billion from the CRSTS2 budget, plus a further £600 million on top – funded from HS2. That is more than double their allocation under the last round
Some of that amount of money could go a long way to improve Liverpool and Manchester connections through Wigan and create a link to High Speed Two.
TransPennine Services Between Liverpool/Manchester And Scotland
Currently, the following services run between Liverpool and Manchester, and Scotland.
- Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central – 1 tp2h – via Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell
- Manchester Airport and Edinburgh Waverley – 1 tp2h – via Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District and Haymarket Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle and Lockerbie and Haymarket
- Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central – 2 tpd – via St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell
Note.
- tp2h is trains per two hours.
- tpd is trains per day.
- Only the Liverpool services go through Wigan.
- North of Preston all trains will use the same route.
- All three services are run by Class 397 trains.
- When High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains start running to Glasgow and Edinburgh, they will use the same route North of Preston.
Point 5 surely means that High Speed Two’s trains will be limited to the same speed as the current Class 397 trains, which is 125 mph. Although, this might be increased to up to 140 mph, by the use of in-cab digital signalling.
Consider.
- Edinburgh to Preston is 191.4 miles.
- The current TransPennine express service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 34 minutes, with five stops, at an average speed of 74.6 mph.
- The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two says that the London-Edinburgh service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 30 minutes, with two stops and a split/join at Carlisle, at an average speed of 76.6 mph.
- The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two says that the Birmingham-Edinburgh service from Edinburgh to Preston is scheduled for two hours and 24 minutes, with four stops, at an average speed of 79.8 mph.
Note.
- The first timing is based on a Class 397 train and the others will be High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains.
- The times would appear to be vaguely in line with each other.
- The removal of the split/join could explain why the Birmingham service is six minutes faster.
The following would appear to be true.
- Both the Class 397 and High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains can run at similar speeds North of Preston.
- The High Speed Two Classic Compatible train may have faster acceleration and deceleration, which could save a few minutes.
- Nothing substantial has been done to improve the tracks between Edinburgh and Preston.
- As the current times are run without digital signalling and the Class 397 train, is within ten minutes of that, I would be very surprised if digital signalling will be installed before High Speed Two services reach Edinburgh.
I also suspect that if digital signalling and a few other improvements were made to the North of Preston, a few extra minutes could be saved.
The Future Of TransPennine Services Between Liverpool/Manchester And Scotland
Will the TransPennine services between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland continue after High Speed Two services start running to North of the border?
Consider.
- I have never seen any plans from High Speed Two for services between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland.
- If the TransPennine services, aren’t kept, travelling between Liverpool/Manchester and Scotland will need a change at Wigan North Western or Preston.
- The TransPennine services will probably need only a single train per hour (tph) on the West Coast Main Line to the North of Preston.
I can see them continuing. But possibly in a different form.
In 1967, I went from Glasgow to Manchester on a train.
- The Glasgow and Edinburgh trains joined at Carstairs.
- They then split again at Preston.
- One half went to Manchester and the other half went to Liverpool.
I remember that the train was late, because of late arrival of the Edinburgh train at Carstairs.
I needed to take a taxi. But I wrote my first complaint letter and got a cheque from British Rail.
Could similar joining and splitting be used again, as it uses only one train path between Preston and Scotland?
Would it also be better, if the service were to be under the Management of High Speed Two?
There are several possibilities, but I feel the TransPennine services will continue.
High Speed Two To Barrow-in-Furness
There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of speculation of my own.
Barrow-in-Furness Used To Have A Service To London
Barrow-in-Furness station doesn’t have a direct service to London.
This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry, describes how it used to be.
The present station was formerly known as Barrow Central, and at one time it was a terminus for British Rail long-distance or InterCity services. From October 1947 until May 1983 these included sleeper services to and from London Euston. A sleeper service in the London direction only was briefly reintroduced between May 1987 and May 1990.
Note.
- I find it interesting, that the area had both InterCity and sleeper services.
- There are some big employers like BAe Systems and British Nuclear Fuels in the area.
- Rishi Sunak has announced that the Cumbrian Coast Line will be upgraded.
- A High Speed Two service could improve low-carbon access to the Lake District.
- Grimsby/Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, which probably has a similar economic profile to Barrow-in-Furness appears to be getting a service from London as I wrote about in Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route. So why shouldn’t Barrow-in-Furness have a similar service?
It is my view that Barrow-in-Furness station could support a sprinkling of services.
The Current Barrow-in-Furness Service
Barrow-in-Furness station’s current services are described in these two paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry.
Services to the north are provided on Monday-Saturday by Northern, with services approximately hourly during the day to Whitehaven and Carlisle. One train per day operates to Sellafield specifically for workers at Sellafield nuclear plant (BNFL). Evening trains run only as far as Millom. There are 19 northbound departures each weekday; 15 of these go to Carlisle, three to Millom and one to Sellafield. There are 20 arrivals from the northern part of the line: 15 from Carlisle, three from Millom, one from Maryport and one from Sellafield. Some of these services continue along the Furness Line to Lancaster and Preston.
To the south, there are a mixture of stopping services to Lancaster and a number of through services to Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly. These operate on a broadly hourly frequency, with a few peak extras throughout the week (including Sundays).
Hard facts on what the improvements to the line will be, have not been reported. But it does seem that a doubling of frequency to two trains per hour (tph) is being proposed.
What Are The Government’s Plans?
This news story from the Government is entitled North West To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.
Proposed improvements in Cumbria are contained in this paragraph.
A brand new £2.5 billion fund to transform local transport in 14 rural counties, smaller cities and towns. This new money could pay for new stations, further electrification, bus corridors and new integrated public transport networks. The Energy Coast Line between Carlisle, Workington and Barrow will be upgraded, improving capacity and journey times, enabling trains every 30 minutes between Carlisle, Workington and Whitehaven. The upgrade will also accommodate major new freight demands from the new coal mine and provide regular services for the Westlakes Science Park, Nuclear Academy and Sellafield. This could support the creation of over 18,000 jobs.
I have my thoughts.
Will The Route Be Electrified?
The Cumbrian Coast and the Furness Line effectively form a near 120 mile loop between Carnforth and Carlisle stations on the West Coast Main Line.
- A journey from one end to the other takes about three hours and 18 minutes.
- Main towns and places served include Barrow-in-Furness, Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.
- A train between Carnforth and Carlisle can stop at as many as 29 stations.
- The route is not electrified, but it connects to the electrified West Coast Main Line at both ends at Carnforth and Carlisle.
This OpenRailwayMap shows Carnforth.
Note.
- The red line is the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Lancaster.
- Carlisle is to the North.
- Lancaster is to the South.
- The black line going North-West is the Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness.
- The black line going East is the Bentham Line to Settle and Leeds.
This OpenRailwayMap shows Carlisle.
Note.
- The red line is the West Coast Main Line between Scotland and Carnforth.
- Scotland is to the North.
- Carnforth is to the South.
- The black line going South-West is the Cumbrian Coast Line to Workington, Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness.
- The black line going East is the Settle and Carlisle Line to Settle and Leeds.
If it were to be fully electrified, it could be a diversion route for electrified trains on the West Coast Main Line.
This document on the Government web site is the Train Technical Specification for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.
The specification says this about the unit and train formation.
The nominal length of the Unit shall be 200m. It has been determined that all Units should
be the same length, with no requirement for a Unit to be capable of being lengthened or
shortened. This supports the overall HS2 business case.The Unit shall be capable of Normal Operation as a single Unit or as two coupled Units.
On the Wikipedia entry for the Cumbrian Coast Line, there is a picture of a very long steam-hauled train on the line.
Full electrification would have these advantages.
- In the next few years several 21st century electrical multiple units will be looking for new places to operate.
- I am fairly certain, that a fully-electrified Cumbrian Coast Line could act as a diversion for High Speed Two and the West Coast Main Line between Carnforth and Carlisle.
- It would enable occasional High Speed Two services to Carlisle via Barrow-in-Furness, Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.
- It would also allow electrified freight trains to the new coal mine at Workington and to Sellafield.
But trains from the coal mine would probably need to have hydrogen-hybrid locomotives to get across the Pennines to Teesside for export.
Partial Electrification Of The Line
Partial electrification would probably need the following.
- Installation of electrification between Carnforth and Barrow-in-Furness, so that High Speed Two services can reach Barrow-in-Furness.
- Installation of electrification from Carlisle for enough miles towards Workington to be able to charge the local trains.
- The local trains would need to be able to run about seventy miles on batteries.
Partial electrification would be more affordable, but it would allow the following.
- Battery-electric trains to work between Carnforth and Carlisle.
- It would enable occasional High Speed Two services to Barrow-in-Furness
- Hydrogen-hybrid locomotive-hauled freight trains to the new coal mine at Workington and to Sellafield.
Rail passengers in, to and from Cumbria would probably see a similar level of improvement to that with full electrification.
What Time Would Be Possible At The Present Time?
Consider.
- According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, two hours and twenty-five minutes is the fastest time between London Euston and Lancaster.
- Trains are timed to take one hour and four minutes with the nine stops, between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
- To save time some stops could be cut between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
This would give a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness time of three hours and twenty-nine minutes, but by removing perhaps five stops, the time could be around three hours and fifteen minutes.
What Time Would Be Possible When High Speed Two Lite Opens To Handsacre Junction?
Consider.
- According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, two hours and three minutes will be the fastest time between London Euston and Lancaster, after High Speed Two opens to Handsacre junction.
- Trains are timed to take one hour and four minutes with the nine stops, between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
- To save time some stops could be cut between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
This would give a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness time of three hours and seven minutes, but by removing perhaps five stops, the time could be under three hours.
What Frequency Would Be Needed?
LNER seem to run their secondary services to places like Harrogate and Lincoln using a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).
That could be an ideal frequency.
Would There Be A Path For The Train To And From London Euston?
This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.
Note.
- Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
- Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
- Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.
- The nine paths to the right of the vertical black line will not be needed for some time. If ever!
- It looks like a maximum of only eleven paths will be needed to the South of Birmingham.
- It looks like a maximum of only fourteen paths will be needed to the North of Birmingham.
In Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?, I totted up all the services through Stafford after High Speed Two Lite opened to Handsacre junction and got these figures.
- Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
- Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
- North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
- South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
- Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.
I accounted for services moving from the West Coast Main Line to High Speed Two.
Consider.
- A large proportion of the route between Preston and Handsacre junction, where the route would join High Speed Two Light has two dedicated high speed tracks and two tracks for freight and local services.
- Digital signalling on High Speed Two has been designed to handle eighteen trains per hour (tph) at 225 mph.
- Surely, the two dedicated high speed tracks, if fitted with High Speed Two digital signalling could handle say 16 tph at 140 mph.
- Network Rail are good at juggling trains to squeeze in more services.
- Extra paths could be created by splitting and joining trains at Crewe or Preston.
My Control Engineering training and practice tells me that it should be possible to add perhaps two tph between Lancaster and Euston.
Could High Speed Two’s Lancaster Service Be Extended To Barrow-in-Furness?
I don’t see why some services could be extended the 34.8 miles to Barrow-in-Furness.
Would Much Work Be Needed At Barrow-in-Furness?
This Google Map shows Barrow-in-Furness station.
Note.
Trains to and from Carnforth come and go from the South East.
Trains to and from Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington and Carlisle come and go from the North West.
There are three platforms.
Work needed to be done would include.
- Creation of a 200 metre platform for the High Speed Two trains.
- Electrification.
- Addition of charging facilities to the platform for the local trains, which would probably be standard electrification.
Passengers would walk across between the High Speed Two and local trains.
Conclusion
I believe that High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains could be under three hours between Barrow-in-Furness and London Euston, when High Speed Two Lite opens from Handsacre junction.
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) Partners With Alstom To Showcase The World’s First Passenger Hydrogen Train In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia
The title of this post, is the same as that as this press release from Alstom.
These are the three bullet points.
-
World’s first hydrogen-powered train demo in the Middle East and Africa
-
Alstom’s Coradia iLint train will be used for the demo in the Kingdom
-
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Alstom highlight their commitment to sustainable mobility and carbon emission reduction in the Kingdom
These are the first two paragraphs.
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), in partnership with Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, will operate and demonstrate the world’s first passenger hydrogen-powered train, the Coradia iLint in Riyadh in the month of October. This ground-breaking demonstration marks the first-ever introduction of a hydrogen-powered train in the Middle East and Africa. The collaboration between SAR and Alstom signifies a strong focus by the Kingdom to identify and test innovative sustainable mobility solutions to reduce carbon emissions from transport and meet Vision 2030 targets set by the Kingdom’s leadership.
The planned demonstration follows the memorandum of understanding signed by SAR and Alstom in September 2022 to develop or adapt hydrogen solutions for the needs of the Kingdom. Alstom’s Coradia iLint, a hydrogen-powered passenger train will embark on a first-of-its-kind journey in the Kingdom, travelling 10 to 20 kilometres on Riyadh’s East Network’s Line 1 or Line 2.
Note.
- Hopefully, this is not just green-washing?
- Will the train be powered by green hydrogen?
At least, Alstom will get their trains tested in an atmosphere full of sand.
The Anonymous Widower 