The Anonymous Widower

Southeastern Keen On Battery EMUs

The title of this post, is the same as that of a small section in the August 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.

This is said.

Southeastern is to seek pre-qualification interest from manufacturers and leasing companies for a replacement fleet for the Networker Class 465 and 466 inner-suburban stock, now over 30 years old. The company intends to compare the price of new and cascaded stock.

Southeastern MD Steve White told Modern Railways his preference is for a bi-mode EMU, capable of working off both the third rail supply and batteries. Battery EMUs were originally proposed for the Networker replacements so they could work through services to the unelectrified Isle of Grain branch, after Medway Council put forward plans to restore passenger services on the Hoo peninsular to serve new housing there.

Despite the extension of services to Sharnal Street on the Isle of Grain having since been put on hold by Medway Council on cost grounds (p13, May issue).

Southeastern is still pursuing battery EMUs, even though the company’s existing network is all electrified on the third rail system.

Merseyrail is already adopting battery EMU technology, with seven of the new fleet of 53×4-car Class 777 units being equipped with batteries to enable them to serve the unelectrified extension to Headbolt Lane (p82, July 2022 issue).

Mr. White says there are a number of reasons battery EMUs are attractive.

• • Increasing levels of mental health issues in society have led to trespass being a major issue the railway: battery EMUs would make it feasible to keep trains moving at slow speed when the current supply has to be switched off to protect a trespasser.
  • Battery EMUs would be able to keep moving on occasions when the third rail supply fails, due to technical failures or ice on the conductor rail. This would avoid the compounding of problems, as when delayed passengers got out on the track at Lewisham in March 2018 when the third rail iced up, forcing Network Rail to cut the electricity supply and making it more difficult to get trains moving again.
  • Battery EMUs would make it feasible to remove third rail from depots, making them safer places in which to work. A train cleaner was electrocuted and died at West Marina depot in St. Leonards in May 2014, and the Office of Road and Rail has well-publicised concerns on safety grounds about any extensions to the third rail system.
  • Battery EMUs would be able to cater for service extensions on unelectrified lines, such as the Isle of Grain.

Mt. White says the trespass issue is the major driver, and if the principle of battery EMUs becomes established it might prove feasible to remove the third rail from platform areas at inner-suburban stations with a persistent trespass problem. He points out this approach might unlock extension of third rail to routes such as the Uckfield line, allowing station areas to be left unelectrified. Replacement of DMUs by electric stock on the Uckfield branch would eliminate diesel working at London Bridge, with air-quality and carbon removal benefits for the capital.

There are a 5-star hotel and a major hospital close to the diesel-worked plstform at London Bridge.

I will now look at some of the issues in detail.

Range Of A Battery EMU

I discuss range of battery EMUs in these posts.

• Stadler FLIRT Akku Battery Train Demonstrates 185km Range
• New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery

Note.

1. Both trains are built by Stadler.
2. 135 km. is 84 miles.
3. A Bombardier engineer told me eight years ago, that the prototype battery-electric Class 379 train had a range of sixty miles.

I feel it is reasonable to assume that a 100 mph battery-electric train, designed to replace Southeastern’s Networkers could have a range of at least sixty miles.

Distances Of Cannon Street Metro Services

These are distances of services from Cannon Street.

• Erith Loop via Greenwich, Woolwich Arsenal and Bexleyheath – 28.5 miles
• Gravesend – 24.5 miles
• Orpington – 12.6 miles
• Grove Park – 7.1 miles
• Slade Green – 14.5 miles

Note.

1. The Erith Loop services start and finish at Cannon Street station.
2. The Gravesend service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
3. The Orpington service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
4. Grove Park and Slade Green are depots.

If trains could be fully charged at Cannon Street station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of forty miles.

Charging At Cannon Street

Consider.

• All Cannon Street services arrive at the station via London Bridge station.
• All Cannon Street services leave the station via London Bridge station.
• Trains typically take 4-5 minutes between Cannon Street and London Bridge station.
• Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Cannon Street station before leaving.
• Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from London Bridge to London Bridge would probably take a minimum of fifteen minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between London Bridge and Cannon Street would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

I suspect that with some slight timetable adjustments, all Cannon Street services  could be run using battery EMUs.

Distances Of Charing Cross Metro Services

These are distances of services from Charing Cross.

• Maidstone East – 38.9 miles
• Dartford – 17.1 miles
• Gravesend – 23.8 miles
• Hayes – 14.3 miles
• Sevenoaks – 22.2 miles
• Grove Park – 8 miles

Note.

1. The Gravesend service terminates in an electrified bay platform, which could be used to charge the train before return.
2. The Maidstone East service terminates in an electrified platform.
3. Grove Park is a depot.

If trains could be fully charged at Charing Cross station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of fifty miles.

Charging At Charing Cross

Consider.

• All Charing Cross services arrive at the station via London Bridge station.
• All Charing Cross services leave the station via London Bridge station.
• Trains typically take 10 minutes between Charing Cross and London Bridge station.
• Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Charing Cross station before leaving.
• Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from London Bridge to London Bridge would probably take a minimum of twenty minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between London Bridge and Charing Cross would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

I suspect that with some slight timetable adjustments, all Charing Cross services  could be run using battery EMUs.

Distances Of Victoria Metro Services

These are distances of services from Victoria.

• Gillingham – 37.2 miles
• Orpington – 14.7 miles
• Dartford – 18.9 miles

Note.

1. The Orpington service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
2. The Gillingham service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
3. The Dartford service terminates in an electrified platform.

If trains could be fully charged at Victoria station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of fifty miles.

Charging At Victoria

Consider.

• All Victoria services arrive at the station via Shepherds Lane junction.
• All Victoria services leave the station via Shepherds Lane junction.
• Trains typically take five minutes between Victoria and Shepherds Lane junction.
• Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Victoria station before leaving.
• Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from Shepherds Lane junction to Shepherds Lane junction would probably take a minimum of seventeen minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between Shepherds Lane junction and Victoria would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

Conclusion

It certainly appears that if the Networker Class 465 and Class 466 trains were replaced by new trains with the following specification.

• 100 mph operating speed.
• Range of fifty miles on battery power.
• Ability to charge batteries in fifteen minutes.
• Third-rail operation
• It might be an idea to add a pantograph, so the trains could use 25 KVAC overhead wires where necessary and charge batteries on a short length of overhead electrification.

Then a substantial part of the Southeastern Metro network could be made safer, by selective removal of third rail at trespassing hot spots.

August 12, 2023 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Cannon Street Station, Class 465 Train, Class 466 Train, Class 777 Train, Headbolt Lane Station, Isle Of Grain, London Bridge Station, Merseyrail, Southeastern, Stadler, Stadler FLIRT Akku, Uckfield Branch, Victoria Station | 18 Comments