The Anonymous Widower

Chiltern Sets Out New Fleet Ambitions

The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the September 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Chiltern Railways deserves to be the next operator to order new trains, its Managing Director Richard Allan has told Modern Railways.

On 7 August the operator published a tender notice seeking proposals for the supply of between 20 and 70 new or converted low-emission trains. This followed the unveiling on 19 July of its ‘RightRoute’ vision setting out the case for investment in new trains, which was presented to stakeholders and parliamentarians in Westminster.

Chiltern is prioritising replacement of its Class 165 DMU fleet, which comprises 89 vehicles. It carried out a pre-market engagement exercise last Autumn, and Mr. Allan said the view is that a battery train would be suitable for the Marylebone to Aylesbury route, either operating solely on battery power or additionally picking up power from the London Underground four-rail system South of Amersham.

These are my thoughts.

Electrification At Amersham

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Amersham station.

Note.

1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
2. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
3. All three platforms are electrified.

The track layout allows both Chiltern and London Underground trains to pass through Amersham station on electrified lines.

Electrification Between Amersham And Harrow-on-the-Hill

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Northwood station.

Note.

1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
2. All four platforms are electrified.
3. Some sections are only double-track.

All tracks between Amersham And Harrow-on-the-Hill stations are electrified.

Electrification At Harrow-on-the-Hill

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Harrow-on-the-Hill station.

Note.

1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
2. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
3. All six platforms are electrified.

The track layout allows both Chiltern and London Underground trains to pass through Harrow-on-the-Hill station on electrified lines.

Electrification Between Harrow-on-the-Hill And Finchley Road

Willesden Green station is typical of the stations on this section

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Willesden Green station

Note.

1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
2. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
3. The two tracks South of the station are the Chiltern tracks.
4. All Chiltern Trains along this route use these two separate tracks, that are not electrified.

Stations with this layout include Northwick Park, Preston Road, Wembley Park, Neasden, Dollis Hill, Willesden Green, Kilburn and West Hampstead.

The Chiltern Tracks Alongside The Metropolitan Line

I took these pictures as I journeyed from West Hampstead to Harrow-on-the-Hill.

Note.

1. The Chiltern Tracks are those farthest from the train without electrification.
2. There also seemed a lot of graffiti, where the tracks weren’t electrified.
3. Platforms 1 and 2 at Harrow-on-the-Hill station are electrified and used by Chiltern’s diesel trains.

Finding a Jubilee or Metropolitan Line train with clean enough windows for photography was difficult.

Distances Between Stations

These are the distances, times and electrification, between selected stations, between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.

• Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.2 miles – 13 minutes – Not Electrified
• Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham – 14.3 miles – 24 minutes – Electrified
• Amersham and Aylesbury – 15.3 miles – 23 minutes – Not Electrified
• Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway – 2.3 miles – 7 minutes – Not Electrified

Note.

1. The 24 minutes between Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham, should be enough to fully-charge the batteries.
2. Harrow-on-the-Hill to Marylebone and return is 18.5 miles.
3. Amersham to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return is 35.2 miles.

As Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains  have achieved 83.9 miles on battery power, I am fairly sure that Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway could be achieved by a battery electric multiple unit, that has been designed for the route.

Rolling Stock

Bombardier built the Class 378 Electrostar train, so that it would run on the London Underground four-rail system to Richmond. so I’m sure that Alstom could build Aventras, that could use the Underground electrification.

I’m also sure that other UK trains manufacturers and suppliers like CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler have the expertise.

The article mentions between twenty and seventy trains. The number probably depends on the train length.

I think we’ll see some interesting bids.

Train Charging Issues

The main charging will be done between Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham using the London Underground four-rail system already installed for the Metropolitan trains between London and Amersham and Chesham.

As the electrification will be powering six trains per hour in both directions between Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham and charging the batteries on the Chiltern trains, I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that the power system will be uprated.

I also suspect, that the trains could have the ability to use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, as this could allow short lengths of electrification to be used to charge the trains at terminal stations.

Speed Issues

If you look at the speeds and times, you get the following.

• Current Chiltern Class 165 trains are 75 mph trains.
• Current Underground S Stock trains are 62 mph trains.
• Chiltern take 33 minutes between Amersham and Marylebone.
• Trains in both services run every half hour.
• There is also an every half hour service between Chesham and Aldgate, which means there are six trains per hour between Chalfont & Latimer and Harrow-on-the-Hill.
• I suspect Chiltern set the timetable, by going through first with the slower Amersham and Chesham services following.
• This means that if the new Chiltern trains are 100 mph trains, it shouldn’t make much difference to the operation of the trains.

But the faster Chiltern trains could knock eight minutes off the time between Amersham and Harrow-on-the-Hill stations.

In an ideal world, where TfL had more money, faster Underground trains would allow more services to the area.

Leamington Spa Services

Chiltern Railways run two local services from Leamington Spa station.

• One service goes to Stratford-on-Avon, which is a distance of 15.3 miles.
• The other service goes to Birmingham Moor Street, which is a distance of 22.7 miles.
• Both services are run by Class 165 diesel trains.
• Both services have a frequency of one train per two hours.

I suspect that these services could be run using battery-electric trains with charging at Leamington Spa.

Timescale

This is said about timescale.

Under the plans set out in its ‘RightRoute’ prospectus, Chiltern wants to agree scope and funding for new trains this year and launch the first new trains by 2027 between London and Aylesbury, and upgrade infrastructure and trains on the West Midlands route between 2028 and 2035.

West Midlands Route

This is said about the West Midlands route.

Mr Allan said that after ‘165’ replacement consideration would be given to the best solution for the main line between London and the West Midlands, including whether this would involve partial or full electrification, with a rolling stock solution to succeed the Class 168 DMUs and loco-hauled sets to be devised accordingly. Chiltern’s Interim Engineering & Safety Director Tim Sayer told Modern Railways one potential option the Government and Network Rail are keen on is third party funding of electrification, which could be built into a manufacturer’s contract for new stock.

Note.

1. I must admit that I like the idea of bundling rolling stock and electrification in one contract.
2. After all, rolling stock and maintenance have been bundled together for some years and it seems to work.
3. I disclose some of Hitachi’s thinking in Solving The Electrification Conundrum, which is based on an article in Modern Railways.

I wonder if Hitachi will come up with a solution something like this.

• A number of five-car battery-electric trains.
• High quality interiors.
• They would serve Birmingham Moor Street, Oxford and Stratford-on-Avon.
• Short lengths of electrification in terminals and perhaps at strategic locations in the middle. Banbury?
• Automation as needed.

It could be a service that’s a viable alternative to High Speed Two for some passengers.

Charging At London Marylebone Station

I recently took these pictures at Marylebone station.

Note.

1. It is a surprisingly spacious station and I feel that Furrer+Frey or some other specialist company could add some form of charging to the platforms.
2. In its simplest form it would be a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
3. Charging would be performed using the train’s pantograph.

It appears that the turnround time in Marylebone is typically twelve minutes or more, which should be adequate to fully charge a train.

Charging At Oxford Station

These pictures show the bay platforms at Oxford station, where Chiltern services terminate.

I wouldn’t be surprised, if these two platforms were designed for future 25 KVAC overhead electrification.

Marylebone And Oxford Services

Marylebone and Oxford are only 66.7 miles apart and I believe that a battery electric train would be able to shuttle between the two terminals, charging as required after each journey.

Charging At Birmingham

These pictures show the bay platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station, where some Chiltern services terminate.

Note.

1. Currently, Birmingham Moor Street station has two through platforms and two bay platforms.
2. None of the platforms are electrified.
3. Some plans include adding two more bay platforms to the station.
4. Electrifying the bay platforms 3 and 4, would allow the charging battery electric trains from London.

The two through platforms could also be electrified to help Birmingham’s local trains decarbonise and allow London services to reach Birmingham Snow Hill station.

Marylebone And Birmingham Services

Consider.

• Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street are only 111.7 miles apart.
• Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations are only 0.6 miles apart.
• Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations could be easily connected by an electrified line.
• Stadler are talking of battery-electric trains having a range of over 125 miles.
• It might be sensible to electrify Banbury to give the batteries a top up.

I believe that a battery electric train would be able to shuttle between Marylebone and Birmingham, charging as required after each journey.

Conclusion

It seems a sound plan!

August 21, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Aylesbury Station, Aylesbury Vale Parkway Station, Battery-Electric Trains, Birmingham Moor Street Station, Chiltern Railways, Class 165 Train, Class 378 Train, Harrow-On-The-Hill Station, Marylebone Station, Metropolitan Line | 8 Comments