Hackney Central Before Levelling Up
This press release from Hackney Council is entitled £19m Funding Boost For Town Centre At Hackney’s ‘Beating Heart’.
This summary is in the first two paragraphs.
A greener, safer and more welcoming Hackney Central is one step closer after Hackney Council’s successful application for £19m in Levelling Up funding.
The award will see five acres of public space transformed, bringing new green space, trees and seating along Amhurst Road, investment in Hackney Central Library, a much-needed redesign of Pembury Circus junction, new creative workspace and a rejuvenated Hackney Town Hall Square.
This is the summary from the Government’s levelling-up document.
£19 million for renovating public spaces in Hackney Central, such as the iconic Town Hall Square, as well as new creative workspace and upgrades to the Hackney Central Library.
So. this afternoon I went for a walk around Hackney Central and took these pictures.
Note.
- The roundel is missing outside the Graham Road entrance to Hackney Central station.
- Hackney Town Hall is a Grade II Listed Building, dating from the 1930s.
- I wrote abut the Hackney Picturehouse in The Film That Changed My Life!.
- The Hackney Empire is a Grade II* Listed Building.
- The Pizza Express is new, swanky and spacious, and not what I’d expected. I had a late lunch there.
- The bridge carrying the Overground over Mare Street needs improvement.
- I wrote about the Hackney Marks and Spencer in Levelling Up – The Marks & Spencer Way.
- St. Augustine’s Tower is the oldest building in Hackney.
- The main building of Hackney Central station is now a bar and music venue.
In words that could be attributed to legendary estate agent; Roy Brooks, it is an area with potential.
These are some thoughts.
The Town Hall Square
What puzzles me about the garden in front of the Town Hall, is the two trees, which I would associate with warmer climes.
Even today, when it was rather cold, there were still flowers in front of the Town Hall.
The Overground
I argue that the coming of the London Overground raised the standard of Dalston, Hackney, Whitechapel and other parts of East and South London to that of their more desired and affluent neighbours.
We can’t really attribute the the creation of the London Overground to any one politician, as it has been an aspiration of several politicians and rail professionals since the 1990s. This History section in the Wikipedia entry for the Overground lists all the false starts and hopes.
But one man; Peter Hendy has been there most of the time and has worked with all three of London’s Mayors and several Transport Ministers.
I do wonder how much the Overground benefited from a sane, quiet hand from someone like Lord Hendy.
The Overground has certainly done its best for Hackney and we need more of its common sense approach to levelling-up all over the country.
Marks And Spencer
When I moved back to London, Hackney had a terrible Marks and Spencer.
As one of their biggest London stores, is just three stops away on the Overground, it might have been financially prudent to close the store at Hackney Central.
But Marks did the opposite and converted it into an upmarket food store, which is much more Knightsbridge than East End.
It’s certainly convenient for me, as I can get a bus there and a bus back, with only a hundred metre level walk at both ends.
The Graham Road Entrance To Hackney Central Station
This makes it easier to travel around Hackney and to get to the Town Hall, Theatre, Cinema and Library area.
How many extra entrances to railway stations will improve journeys and attract more passengers?
The Continuous Development Of The Hackney Central And Hackney Downs Complex
Since I moved to Hackney three projects have been completed on the station complex.
- A walkway has been built between the two stations to ease interchange.
- Lifts have been added to the footbridge at Hackney Central.
- The Graham Road entrance has been opened.
Two other projects have been proposed, but nothing has been actioned.
- A replacement entrance to Hackney Central station on the North side of the station.
- Step-free access to Hackney Downs station.
Will either of these projects be covered by the levelling up funding?
Pizza Express
This opened in December and I hadn’t seen it before, but you won’t notice it, unless you walk or ride on a bus up Mare Street, which I rarely do these days, since Hackney Wick station has been rebuilt.
So I was surprised to see it and like the Marks and Spencer it is more upmarket than other pizzadromes in East London.
- There is a lot of space.
- It has a proper wheel-chair entrance, that no-one could fault.
- Seating is upmarket, with several tables having a good view of the street outside. Ideal for someone eating alone, as I do regularly.
The restaurant still has a few rough edges, but it has the potential to be a pizzadrome to visit.
I do wonder, if the upmarket Marks and Spencer and Pizza Express are in a way an endorsement of Hackney’s plans for the future, by two market leaders of the High Street.
Buses
There are a lot of bus routes going through the area, which is a good thing.
But the information could also be improved.
Clapton Bus Garage
This map shows the location of Clapton bus garage.
Clapton bus garage is the large building in the North-East corner of the map, red buses with white roofs outside.
This document on the Hackney Council web site is entitled Draft Hackney Central And Surrounds Masterplan, where this is said.
Relocate Clapton Bus Garage to an alternative site, to develop the site for mixed use, commercial/
residential development, and create a new route from St John-at-Hackney Churchyard Gardens to
Bohemia Place and beyond.
This sounds like a good idea, as part of the congestion in the area is caused by buses having to fight their way into the garage, when the roads are busy.
If they built, the right flats there I might be interested, as the site has good transport connections and an excellent Marks and Spencer.
Ashurst Road And Pembury Circus
This paragraph is in Hackney’s press release.
The award will see five acres of public space transformed, bringing new green space, trees and seating along Amhurst Road, investment in Hackney Central Library, a much-needed redesign of Pembury Circus junction, new creative workspace and a rejuvenated Hackney Town Hall Square.
Cut out what I have already covered and you get.
The award will see public space transformed, bringing new green space, trees and seating along Amhurst Road and a much-needed redesign of Pembury Circus junction.
This map shows Amhurst Road and Pembury Circus.
Note.
- Amhurst Road runs NW-SE across map.
- Hackney Central station is at the bottom of the map on the North London Line, which runs East-West.
- Hackney Downs station is the other station in the middle of the map.
- Pembury Circus is to the East of where Amhurst Road runs under the railway, at the top of the map.
- Dalston Lane runs between Pembury Circus Hackney Downs station.
I know the area around Hackney Downs station well.
- I regularly take a train to Hackney Downs station and get a 30 or 56 bus to my home from a bus stop on Dalston Lane.
- It can be a very unfriendly and cold place to catch a bus late at night.
But saying that, I’ve never had any trouble.
Improvements in that area, would certainly make my journey easier.
I would like to see the bus stops at Hackney Downs station moved to under the railway bridge to both improve shelter and cut the walking distance.
Conclusion
This could be £19 million very well spent and all residents of Hackney, myself included, could benefit.
Belmont Station – 20th January 2023
These pictures show Belmont station.
Note.
- The first four pictures show the remaining double track between Sutton and Belmont stations. The double track finishes shortly before the station.
- All trains use the only platform, which is numbered One.
- The remains of the second platform.
- There is sufficient space to put in a second track and restore the second platform.
- The steel stairs up to the bridge over the railway.
- The bus station outside the station.
- The S4 bus takes everybody to and from the Royal Marsden Hospital.
- There was no signage on the station about which bus to take to the hospital.
There is a large amount of traffic outside the station, which very much seems in a hurry.
Balham – Gateway To The Royal Marsden
With apologies to the late great Peter Sellers and his iconic Balham – Gateway To The South.
After breakfast this morning at Leon on Moorgate, I decided to go and look at Belmont station, which is the nearest station to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton.
Currently, Belmont has a two train per hour (tph) service from Victoria which goes via Clapham Junction, Balham and West Croydon.
From Moorgate the easiest route was to go via the iconic Balham station, where I took these pictures.
Note.
- There are two fast and two slow tracks through Balham station.
- There is a cafe on the two slow platforms.
I transferred here to an Epsom Downs train for Belmont.
The only problem was that I just missed one train and had to wait half-an-hour for the next.
The service between Victoria and Belmont needs to be increased in frequency.
Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests mtu Engines With Pure Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These are the two bullet points.
- mtu gensets and cogeneration units to be further developed for 100% hydrogen use
- First use in the new CO2-neutral container terminal in the German inland port of Duisburg
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) today announces that it has conducted successful tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engine running on 100% hydrogen fuel. The tests, carried out by the Power Systems business unit, showed very good characteristics in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion. These tests mark another important step towards the commercial introduction of hydrogen solutions to meet the demand of customers for more sustainable energy.
Note.
- Rolls-Royce mtu have converted and tested a natural gas version of the Series 4000 L64 engine.
- The Class 43 power cars used in the iconic InterCity 125 train and powered by mtu V16 4000 R41R engines.
Are the two engines related? If so, can Rolls-Royce mtu build a hydrogen engine that could power an InterCity 125?
It was a rapid development.
Andrea Prospero, an engineer at Rolls-Royce responsible for the development of the hydrogen engine, is quoted as saying.
We are very pleased with the rapid progress. The very low engine emissions are well below the strict EU limits, no exhaust gas aftertreatment is required.
Due to the different combustion behaviour of hydrogen compared to natural gas, some engine components including fuel injection, turbocharging, piston design and control, were modified in the test engine. However, by using proven technologies within the Power Systems’ portfolio, such as mtu turbochargers, injection valves, and engine electronics and control, the development of the engine to use hydrogen was advanced quickly and efficiently.
Diesel and natural gas internal combustion engine manufacturers like Cummins, Rolls-Royce mtu and several other companies, have a long history of research, that they have the knowledge to convert diesel or natural gas engines to hydrogen.
So far only Cummins, JCB and Rolls-Royce mtu have disclosed a multi-fuel line of engines.
First Deployment For CO2-Neutral Power Supply At Duisport
There is a section in the press release called First Deployment For CO2-Neutral Power Supply At Duisport, where this is said.
Duisport, one of the world’s largest inland ports, is working with several partners to build a hydrogen-based supply network for its new terminal, ready for operation in 2024. In the future, most of the electricity required by the port itself will be generated directly on site from hydrogen in a CO2-neutral manner. This will be achieved by two combined heat and power plants with mtu Series 4000 hydrogen engines (with a total installed capacity of 2MW) as well as three mtu fuel cell systems (with a total installed capacity 1.5MW).
As part of its sustainability program, Rolls-Royce is realigning the product portfolio of Power Systems towards more sustainable fuels and new technologies that can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
There is also this Rolls-Royce graphic, which shows the energy sources.
It would appear batteries, combined heap and power (CHP), grid electricity, hydrogen electrolyser, hydrogen storage and renewable electricity are being brought together to create a climate-neutral energy system.
Is this a world-first, where hydrogen engines and fuel cell systems will be working together?
UK Round 4 Offshore Wind Winners To Start Paying Option Fees With Lease Agreements Now Signed
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Crown Estate has signed Agreements for Lease for all six offshore wind projects selected in the UK’s Round 4 offshore wind seabed leasing. This enables the developers to now further progress their plans and also kicks off the period in which they will be paying annual option fees of almost GBP 900 million to The Crown Estate and HM Treasury.
The article then lists the wind farms.
- RWE’s Dogger Bank South East & West (3 GW).
- EnBW and BP’s Morgan and Mona (3 GW).
- TotalEnergies and Corio Generation’s Outer Dowsing (1.5 GW).
- Cobra and Flotation Energy’s Morecambe (480 MW).
This is just under 8 GW.
The article then goes on to show what developers will pay to the Crown Estate.
These two paragraphs explain the fees paid.
By signing the Agreements for Lease, which can be in effect for a maximum of ten years, the developers have committed to at least three years of option payments and will pay an annual option fee for each project until they are ready to enter into a lease for the seabed site.
The option payments, totalling some GBP 979 million per year, reduce as a project moves into a lease, or leases, and cease when a lease(s) for the maximum capacity/whole site is granted, at which point developers will move to paying rent.
It looks to me that developers will pay nearly a billion pounds per year for at least a minimum of three years and not more than ten years.
Once a project moves into a lease, rent will be paid.
It seems to be a very profitable occupation to own loads of empty sea!
Nucor Introduces Elcyon(TM), First Sustainable Steel Product Engineered Specifically For Offshore Wind Energy Applications
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Nucor Corporation.
This is the first paragraph.
Nucor today introduced Elcyon™, the Company’s new sustainable heavy gauge steel plate product made specifically to meet the growing demands of America’s offshore wind energy producers building the green economy and its necessary infrastructure. Nucor will manufacture Elcyon at the company’s new, $1.7 billion state-of-the-art Nucor Brandenburg steel mill in Kentucky , which produced its first steel plate at the end of December 2022.
It sounds impressive, but it should be if $1.7 billion has been spent.
This paragraph, says more about the process.
Elcyon is a clean, advanced steel product made using Nucor’s recycled scrap-based electric arc furnace manufacturing process. Nucor’s circular steelmaking route has a greenhouse gas emissions intensity that is one fifth the global blast furnace extractive steelmaking average, based on Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Utilizing Thermo-Mechanical Controlled Processing (TMCP) at the new mill, Elcyon, the only steel of its kind in the United States was created specifically to meet the rigorous quality standards of offshore wind energy designers, manufacturers and fabricators. Along with meeting Euronorm specs, Elcyon is characterized by larger plate dimensions, improved weldability and excellent fracture toughness, as compared to competing products.
What more can a steelmaker want?
- It uses steel scrap to make new steel.
- The process could be powered by green electricity.
- The process cuts emissions to twenty per cent.
- The steel is what customers want.
- The steel has better properties than competing products.
These two paragraphs talk about the prospects for Elcyon.
Nucor Steel Brandenburg is the first steel plant in the world to pursue certification under LEED v4 from the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest standard for sustainable building design, construction, and operation. The new mill is located in the middle of the largest steel plate-consuming region in the country and will be able to produce 97% of plate products consumed domestically, with a potential output of 1.2 million tons of steel annually.
Elcyon and the Brandenburg mill both draw upon Nucor’s 50 years of industry leadership in sustainable steel production. From last year’s launch of Econiq™, the world’s first net-zero steel available at scale, to recently becoming the first major industrial company to join the United Nations 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Global Compact, Nucor has consistently worked to meet the needs of its customers and other stakeholders while protecting the well-being of our planet.
Nucor have certainly done their market research and appear to be very scientifically green.
In the About Nucor section of the press release, this is the last sentence.
Nucor is North America’s largest recycler.
This is some statement to make, if it weren’t true! Wikipedia says this about the company.
Nucor operates 23 scrap-based steel production mills. In 2019, the company produced and sold approximately 18.6 million tons of steel and recycled 17.8 million tons of scrap.
The home page of the Nucor web site also makes this claim.
North America’s Most Sustainable Steel And Steel Products Company
Perhaps, the UK government needs to ask Nucor to build one or more of their scrap-based steel production mills in the country to produce all the steel plate we will need for our growing offshore wind industry.
We certainly have the GW to power the arc furnaces.
Conclusion
Nucor is a big beast to watch!
Levelling Up Funding Will Double Train Services To Belmont In Surrey
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
This project is outlined in these three paragraphs in the article.
An award of £14.1 million to Sutton Council from the government’s Levelling Up Fund will unlock the full potential of the London Cancer Hub and allow the number of trains running to the village of Belmont in South London to be doubled.
The London Cancer Hub is a world-leading life sciences campus that is being developed at Belmont in Surrey, and which will create 13,000 jobs and £1.2 billion each year for the UK economy.
Until now, Belmont has been poorly served by public transport and the money will enable its train services to be doubled to four trains an hour, and extra direct services from Belmont to London Victoria.
This document from Sutton Council gives more details in this paragraph.
This bid will double train frequency between Belmont and London Victoria from 2 to 4 trains per hour by building a siding turnback south of Belmont Station. It will improve accessibility at the station and provide better routes for people walking and cycling to the station from the nearby area and The London Cancer Hub. As a result, public transport accessibility will improve and active travel will increase.
This map from CartoMetro shows the current track layout at Belmont station.
Note.
- The Epsom Downs branch used to be double track, with a second platform at Belmont station.
- There used to be a cross-over South of the station.
I suspect a length of the other track will be reinstated, with a cross-over the other way round to create the turnback siding.
This will allow two extra trains per hour to run between London and Belmont, that will turn back at Belmont.
In Could Third-Rail Tram-Trains Work The Epsom Downs Branch?, I walked up the hill to the Royal Marsden Hospital and it wasn’t an easy walk, as these pictures show.
Perhaps all trains should be met by a zero-carbon shuttle bus.
Going to a cancer hospital is not a pleasurable experience, especially for a child, so why not liven it up a bit with a ride in the best zero-carbon bus, that can be found?
Toyota Unveils AE86 Hydrogen Car Concept
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Fuel News.
The article is all about Toyota showing off, what they can do with hydrogen internal combustion engines.
It is an article that is very much worth a read.
This paragraph explains the work Toyota did to run the car on hydrogen.
Toyota explained that to create its new H2 burning internal combustion engine vehicle involved changing only “fuel injectors, fuel pipes, and spark plugs,” to make it possible to burn cleanly.
The article also suggests that conversion kits may be made available for older cars.
Hydrogen power is not one technology, but several that all might end up with sizeable shares of the market.
Landmark Levelling Up Fund To Spark Transformational Change Across The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the UK Government.
These are the four bullet points.
- More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund.
- Projects will benefit millions of people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and create jobs and boost economic growth.
- £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration and £594 million to restore local heritage sites.
- Successful bids include Eden Project North in Morecambe, a new AI campus in Blackpool, regeneration in Gateshead, and rail improvements in Cornwall
The press release expands the last bullet point.
Projects awarded Levelling Up Fund money today include:
Eden Project North
Eden Project North will receive £50 million to transform a derelict site on Morecambe’s seafront into a world class visitor attraction. It will also kick-start regeneration more widely in Morecambe, creating jobs, supporting tourism and encouraging investment in the seaside town.
Note.
- Because of its closeness to the West Coast Main Line, it will have excellent rail connections to all over the North of England and Central and Southern Scotland, through Lancaster, which will only be a shuttle train away.
- One of High Speed Two’s direct destinations will be Lancaster, which will be served by High Speed Two by hourly trains to Birmingham, Carlisle, Crewe, London, Preston, Warrington and Wigan and by two-hourly trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lockerbie and Motherwell.
- London and Lancaster will be a journey of just two hours and three minutes.
I believe that this high quality rail access will ensure the success of the Eden Project North.
Cardiff Crossrail
Cardiff Crossrail has been allocated £50 million from the fund to improve the journey to and from the city and raise the economic performance of the wider region.
The Cardiff Crossrail is obviously a good project from the little that I’ve read about it. But it does need a web site to explain the reasoning behind it.
Blackpool Multiversity
Blackpool Council and Wyre Council will receive £40 million to deliver a new Multiversity, a carbon-neutral, education campus in Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway Central Business District. This historic funding allows Blackpool and The Fylde College to replace their ageing out-of-town centre facilities with world-class state-of-the-art ones in the heart of the town centre. The Multiversity will promote higher-level skills, including automation and artificial intelligence, helping young people secure jobs of the future.
Blackpool certainly needs something.
My suggestion in Blackpool Needs A Diamond, was to build a second Diamond Light Source in the North to complement the successful facility at Harwell.
I don’t think the two proposals are incompatible.
Fair Isle Ferry
Nearly £27 million has been guaranteed for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands. The service is a lifeline for the island, supporting its residents, visitors and supply chains, and without its replacement the community will become further isolated.
Note.
- Will it be a British-built ferry?
- Will it be hydrogen-powered? After all by the time it is built, the Northern Scottish islands will be providing enough of the gas to power a quarter of Germany.
- Surely, a hydrogen-powered roll-on, roll-off ferry will be a tourist attraction in its own right.
I hope the Government and the islanders have a good ship-yard lined up
Gateshead Quays And The Sage
A total of £20 million is going towards the regeneration of Gateshead Quays and the Sage, which will include a new arena, exhibition centre, hotels, and other hospitality. The development will attract nearly 800,000 visitors a year and will create more than 1,150 new jobs.
I don’t know much about the Sage, but this project seems very reasonable.
Mid-Cornwall Metro
A £50 million grant will help create a new direct train service, linking 4 of Cornwall’s largest urban areas: Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn. This will level up access to jobs, skills, education, and amenities in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the UK.
I wrote about this scheme in The Proposed Mid-Cornwall Metro, where I came to this conclusion.
I believe that a small fleet of Hitachi Regional Battery Trains could create an iconic Metro for Cornwall, that would appeal to both visitors and tourists alike.
Judging by the recent success of reopening the Dartmoor Railway to Okehampton in Devon, I think this scheme could be a big success. But it must be zero-carbon!
Female Changing Rooms For Northern Ireland Rugby
There is £5.1 million to build new female changing rooms in 20 rugby clubs across Northern Ireland.
Given the popularity of the female version of the sport in England, Scotland and Wales, perhaps this is a sensible way to level it up in Northern Ireland. As rugby is an all-Ireland sport, perhaps the Irish have already sorted the South?
Could Class 777 Trains Create A Metro Centred On Preston?
Preston station is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, that will be served by High Speed Two.
- Electric long distance services to and from Birmingham, Carlisle, Liverpool, London Euston, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow serve the station.
- Electric and diesel local services fan out from the station to Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Colne, Liverpool, Manchester and Ormskirk.
- Other local services could be developed.
Could the local services be turned into a zero-carbon Metro centred on Preston station, that would possibly use a version of Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains?
The Routes
These routes could be part of the Metro.
Preston And Barrow-in-Furness
Consider.
- This route is 55.8 miles long.
- The service calls at Lancaster, Carnforth, Silverdale, Arnside, Grange-over-Sands, Kents Bank, Cark, Ulverston, Dalton and Roose
- The route is electrified between Preston and Carnforth.
- 28.1 miles of the route are without electrification.
Northern use Class 195 diesel trains on this route.
Preston And Blackpool North
Consider.
- This route is 17.5 miles long.
- The service calls at Kirkham & Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde and Layton
- The route is fully-electrified.
Northern use Class 195, 319 and 331 trains on this route.
Preston And Blackpool South
Consider.
- This route is 19.9 miles long.
- The service calls at Salwick, Kirkham & Wesham, Moss Side, Lytham, Ansdell & Fairhaven, St Annes-on-the-Sea, Squires Gate and Blackpool Pleasure Beach
- The route is electrified between Preston and Kirkham & Wesham
- 12.1 miles of the route are without electrification.
Northern use diesel trains on this route.
Preston And Colne
Consider.
- This route is 29.1 miles long.
- The service calls at Lostock Hall, Bamber Bridge, Pleasington, Cherry Tree, Mill Hill, Blackburn, Rishton, Church & Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Huncoat, Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley Barracks, Burnley Central, Brierfield and Nelson.
- Colne is 165 metres above sea level.
- The route is not electrified.
Northern use diesel trains on this route.
This route could also be extended to Skipton in Yorkshire, which is something that was promised by Government a few years ago.
The extension to Skipton could be another 15 miles.
Preston And Fleetwood
Consider.
- This route is 20.9 miles long.
- The service could call at Salwick, Kirkham & Wesham and Poulton-le-Fylde
- The route is electrified between Preston and Poulton-le-Fylde
- This route would need to be reinstated.
6.6 miles of the route are without electrification.
Preston And Liverpool Lime Street via St. Helens
Consider.
- This route is 35.2 miles long.
- The service calls at Huyton, St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Euxton Balshaw Lane and Leyland
- The route is fully-electrified.
Northern use Class 319 and 331 trains on this route.
Preston And Manchester Airport
Consider.
- This route is 35.2 miles long.
- The service calls at Heald Green, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Deansgate, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Lostock, Horwich Parkway, Blackrod, Adlington (1tph), Chorley, Buckshaw Parkway and Leyland
- The route is fully-electrified.
Northern use Class 195 and 331 trains on this route.
Preston And Ormskirk
Consider.
- This route is 15.3 miles long.
- The service calls at Burscough Junction, Rufford and Croston.
- The route is not electrified.
Merseyrail have their eyes on this route.
Preston And Windermere
Consider.
- This route is 50.3 miles long.
- The service calls at Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal, Burneside and Staveley
- The route is electrified between Preston and Oxenholme Lake District.
- 10.2 miles of the route are without electrification.
Northern use Class 195 diesel trains on this route.
Class 777 Trains
Consider.
- According to Stadler’s specification for the Class 777 IPEMU, the battery-equipped Class 777 trains have a range of 55 km or 34.2 miles.
- But, according to New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery, these trains have done 135 km or 83.9 miles.
- As there is no third-rail electrification at Preston, but lots of 25 KVAC overhead electrification, the version of the Class 777 train for 25 KVAC overhead will need to be used.
- There is no way that any third-rail electrification can be installed.
One comment to my post; The Stadler Data Sheet For A Class 777 IPEMU, suggests that batteries can’t be used with the 25 KVAC variant of the Class 777 due to lack of space.
I will use a starting point for the Class 777 IPEMU, that can access 25 KVAC has a range of 40 miles, which is just under half of the demonstrated maximum range of the current trains.
Class 331 Trains With Batteries
CAF have proposed a battery-electric version of their Class 331 train.
The closely-related Class 195 diesel trains and Class 331 trains already work some of the routes through Preston.
In Thoughts On CAF’s Battery-Electric Class 331 Trains, I estimated the range of these trains and reckoned that they would be between 35 and 70 miles.
The South Wales Valley Lines Solution
In The Greening Of The Valleys, I describe how the South Wales Metro will use a mix of trains.
- Stadler Citylink tram-trains for local routes.
- Stadler FLIRTs for routes on the main lines.
So could a Metro centred on Preston be based on the same principle?
I’ll look at each line in order.
Preston And Barrow-in-Furness
Consider.
- This route is 55.8 miles long.
- 28.1 miles of the route are without electrification.
- Northern use Class 195 diesel trains on this route.
A Class 331 with a battery range of sixty miles could work this route, charging the batteries between Preston and Carnforth.
Preston And Blackpool North
Any train that could use 25 KVAC electrification could use this route.
Preston And Blackpool South
Consider.
- This route is 19.9 miles long.
- 12.1 miles of the route are without electrification.
- Northern use diesel trains on this route.
A Class 777 with a battery range of 24.2 miles could work this route, charging the batteries between Preston and Kirkham & Wesham.
Preston And Colne
Consider.
- This route is 29.1 miles long.
- Colne is 165 metres above sea level.
- The route is not electrified.
- Northern use diesel trains on this route.
A Class 777 with a battery range of 30 miles could work this route, charging the batteries at Preston and Colne.
It might be prudent to electrify the single track line between Gannow Junction and Colne, so that trains have enough power to climb the hill to Colne and reach Colne with a full battery.
The extension to Skipton would require a range of 30 miles or just fifteen miles, if the 25 KVAC at Skipton was used to recharge the trains.
Preston And Fleetwood
Consider.
- This route is 20.9 miles long.
- 6.6 miles of the route are without electrification.
A Class 777 with a battery range of 13.2 miles could work this route, charging the batteries between Preston and Poulton-le-Fylde.
Preston And Liverpool Lime Street via St. Helens
Any train that could use 25 KVAC electrification could use this route.
Preston And Manchester Airport
Any train that could use 25 KVAC electrification could use this route.
Preston And Ormskirk
Consider.
- This route is 15.3 miles long.
- The route is not electrified.
A Class 777 with a battery range of 30.6 miles could work this route.
Trains would charge on their home network.
Preston And Windermere
Consider.
- This route is 50.3 miles long.
- 10.2 miles of the route are without electrification.
- Northern use Class 195 diesel trains on this route.
A Class 331 with a battery range of 20.4 miles could work this route, charging the batteries between Preston and Oxenholme Lake District.
Electrification Between Preston and Skipton Via Colne
Earlier when discussing the service to Colne and Slopton, I said this.
It might be prudent to electrify the single track line between Gannow Junction and Colne.
But surely, as this would mean, that virtually the whole route between The West Coast Main Line at Preston and the East Coast Main Line would be electrified, it would be sensible to electrify between Preston and Gannow Junction.
If this electrification were to be made continuous, this would mean the following.
- There would be a fully-electrified line between Blackpool and Leeds, which could be worked by Class 331 trains.
- There could be a valuable diversion route to help, whilst the main transPennine routes were upgraded.
- Class 777 trains with batteries would only be needed on the Blackpool South and Fleetwood routes from Preston.
The battery range needed would be just 24.2 miles to handle the longer Blackpool South route.
The Anonymous Widower 