TfL To Ban Private e-Scooters and e-Unicycles From Its Premises
The title of this post, is the same as this article on City AM.
I am no fan of these devices, especially, when they are ridden on pavements at speed, as they are very often in London.
I have also seen several instances of Darwinian behaviour, which would increase the quality of the gene pool.
The sooner the riders of these devices are made to obey the law the better.
Fortescue Making Plans To Test ‘Green’ Locomotives At Rail Operations In 2022
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on International Mining.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The decarbonisation of Fortescue Metals Group’s (Fortescue) locomotive fleet is ramping up with the arrival of two additional locomotives at Fortescue Future Industries’ (FFI) research and development facility in Perth, Western Australia.
The two four-stroke locomotives will undergo further testing on the new fuel system, joining the first two-stroke locomotive which underwent testing earlier this year.
FFI aim to test the locomotives in 2022.
Reading the International Mining article reveals an interesting philosophy for decarbonisation.
FFI have set up a Green Team and it appears that they have a free rein to stick their noses into any decarbonisation issue in Fortescue Metals Group’s business.
I know it is a technique that works from personal experience.
When I worked for ICI Plastics Division in the early 1970s, I was in their Computer Techniques Section. The section had been setup by the Divisional Board to see if these new-fangled computers had a use in the running and development of the business outside of the company’s billing and accountancy.
We had a right to stick our noses anywhere.
It certainly gave me a wonderful apprenticeship into how to apply computers to diverse and difficult problems.
Rail Minister Officially Opens Werrington Tunnel
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Werrington Tunnel, an underground freight tunnel running beneath the East Coast Main Line near Peterborough, has been formally opened by Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.
A key step in the £1.2bn East Coast upgrade, the opening of the tunnel allows for freight services to be ran underneath the main rail artery, significantly improving passenger service reliability on the East Coast Main Line.
I also think, that the tunnel will be used creatively by passenger and freight operators.
Electrification
There is a possibility that the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE) between Werrington and Doncaster via Lincoln could be electrified.
- It would allow the many freight trains using the route to be hauled by electric locomotives.
- It would create a by-pass for the East Coast Main Line during engineering works, that could be used as a diversion route by electric trains.
- Werrington and Lincoln are just over fifty miles and might be handled by battery-electric trains, if the GNGE were to be partially electrified.
According to one report, the Werrington Tunnel has been readied for electrification, should that be decided.
An Improved Peterborough And Lincoln Service
In the past, I have travelled between London and Lincoln with a change at Peterborough. In one case, I just missed my connection, as it was a long crowded walk between the two platforms.
The Werrington Tunnel will enable trains to and from Lincoln to use platforms on the West side of Peterborough station.
Train times and platform allocations could be arranged to make connections at Peterborough easier.
A London And Lincoln Service Via Spalding And Sleaford
There are two possible routes between London King’s Cross and Lincoln
- The current LNER service leaves the East Coast Main Line at Newark.
- An alternative route would leave the East Coast Main Line at Peterborough and be routed via the Werrington Tunnel, Spalding and Sleaford.
These notes apply to the alternative route.
- The Lincoln service wouldn’t call at Grantham and Newark.
- Some services could also call at other stations.
- The current hourly Peterborough and Lincoln service via Spalding is run by a Class 153 train , which stops four times and takes fourteen minutes longer than LNER’s service via Newark.
- An easy connection to and from Skegness could be arranged at Spalding,
LNER also plans to extend some Lincoln services to Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes. Timings will dictate which will be the better route.
The Werrington Tunnel would add a large degree of flexibility in routing services between London King’s Cross and Lincoln and Lincolnshire.
Splitting And Joining At Peterborough
If the Werrington Tunnel makes Lincoln timings via Spalding and Sleaford viable, I wonder if it would be possible for trains to split and join at Peterborough.
- One train would go to Lincoln via the Werrington Tunnel, Spalding and Sleaford.
- The other might go North to Bradford, Hull, Middlesbrough, Scarborough or York.
The Werrington Tunnel again adds flexibility.
A Round-The-Wash Service Between Doncaster And Ipswich/Norwich
In Is There A Case For A Round-The-Wash Service Between Doncaster And Ipswich/Norwich?, I suggested this service, which would be an hourly Doncaster and Cambridge service via Scunthorpe, Grimsby Town Cleethorpes, Lincoln, Sleaford, Spalding, Werrington Tunnel and Peterborough that would alternatively extend to Ipswich or Norwich.
The Werrington Tunnel again opens up possibilities.
Conclusion
I’m sure that the Werrington Tunnel and the technology that built it will be imitated elsewhere.
HS2 Ltd Awards Landmark Rolling Stock Contracts To Hitachi-Alstom Joint Venture
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from High Speed Two.
The press release gives two major bullet points.
- Major boost for UK train-building as HS2’s state-of-the-art fleet of 225mph (360km/h) high speed trains will be built by Alstom and Hitachi Rail at their factories in County Durham, Derby and Crewe
- Landmark contract set to support 2,500 jobs across the UK and boost the economy by over £157m each year
The press release then gives a link to this video clip.
The video doesn’t appear to show much.
These are my thoughts.
The Train Specification
This document on the Government web site is the Train Technical Specification for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.
The Bare Bones Of The Contract
These three paragraphs in the press release outline the contract.
HS2 Ltd today confirmed that a Hitachi/Alstom JV has been awarded the contracts to build Britain’s next generation of high speed trains at their factories in Derby and County Durham in a major deal set to support 2,500 jobs across the UK.
The landmark contracts – worth around £2bn – will see the JV design, build and maintain a fleet of 54 state-of-the-art high speed trains that will operate on HS2 – the new high-speed railway being built between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.
Capable of speeds of up to 225mph (360km/h), the fully electric trains will also run on the existing network to places such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the North West. Building on the latest technology from the Japanese Shinkansen ‘bullet train’ and European high-speed network, they will be some of the fastest, quietest and most energy efficient high-speed trains operating anywhere in the world.
The third paragraph is probably the most significant, with the last few words standing out.
They will be some of the fastest, quietest and most energy efficient high-speed trains operating anywhere in the world.
That is a high bar and let’s hope the joint venture achieves it.
The Fastest Trains?
In Wikipedia’s section on High Speed Rail, this is said.
China has the fastest conventional high-speed rail in regular operation, with the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway reaching up to 350 km/h (217 mph).
It may not be the fastest, when it opens, but the Hitachi/Alstom JV train will certainly put the wind up the Chinese.
The Quietest Trains?
In Class 345 Trains Really Are Quiet!, which I wrote in May 2017, I said this.
This morning I was sitting waiting on Platform 8 at Stratford station.
Platform 8 is separated from Platform 9 by just two tracks, so you notice a train, when it goes through Platform 9 at speed.
Usually, the trains that go through Platform 9 at speed towards Liverpool Street station are Class 321 trains or rakes of Mark 3 coaches oulled by a Class 90 locomotives.
Today, a new Class 345 train went through and the level of noise was extremely low compared to other trains.
Bombardier have applied world class aviation aerodynamics to these trains. Particularly in the areas of body shape, door design, car-to-car interfaces, bogies and pantographs.
Remember too, that low noise means less wasted energy and greater energy efficiency.
I have since confirmed the quietness of Aventras many times.
I know the Aventra is only a suburban trundler, but have the JV applied all the knowledge that makes an Aventra such a quiet train to their new high speed train.
One of the best ways to cut noise on a vehicle or train, is to make sure all the components are as quiet as possible.
On a train, a surprising amount of high-frequency noise comes from the pantograph.
This article from Rail Technology Magazine is entitled HS2 Ltd Awards Hitachi-Alstom JV Landmark Rolling Stock Contracts. This is said about the pantograph.
The new trains will utilise a pioneering low noise pantograph, the arm which collects power from the overhead wires developed by Hitachi Rail. The technology was first developed in Japan and will make the new HS2 trains quieter than comparable high speed trains.
There’s nothing wrong with that logic.
The Most Energy Efficient Trains?
There are several clues to the energy efficiency of these trains.
The Rail Technology Magazine article also says this.
Regenerative braking to boost energy efficiency.
Nothing is said about whether the energy is returned to the track in any of the articles on the train.
But in the specification for the train, in Section 7.3 Braking, this is said.
The Unit shall be capable of achieving this deceleration for any payload up to Normal
Payload (HDL) without regenerating to the 25kV power supply.
So what does the train do with the energy?
It must be stored on the train and reused to accelerate the train or provide hotel power, which means the train must have integrated battery storage.
This would contribute to the train’s energy efficiency.
Other factors, that would contribute are a lighter weight and good aerodynamics.
Relationship To The Zefiro 300
The Zefiro 300 is a high speed train, that was built by a consortium of Bombardier and Hitachi Rail in Italy.
This is said in the Wikipedia entry for the Zefiro 300.
An evolution of the Italian version of the Zefiro 300 was also offered by Bombardier (joined with Hitachi Rail) for High Speed 2 commercial tender.
Note.
- The Zefiro 300 uses FLEXX Eco bogies.
- The Zefiro 300 is a 300 kph train.
- The Zefiro 300 is called a Frecciarossa 1000 in Italy.
There is also a Zefiro 380 in China, which is a 380 kph train.
I’ve ridden one of these trains and describe it in Riding The Frecciarossa.
I think the High Speed Two trains will have level boarding.
Bogies
The bogies are one of the most important parts of the train. Like the Zefiro 300, will the train have FLEXX Eco bogies?
This article on Global Railway Review is entitled FLEXX Eco: The Leading Lightweight Passenger Bogie Design and it gives details on the bogie and its history.
Some of the concepts were developed at British Rail Research and some were applied to the bogies of the legendary British Rail Mark 3 and Mark 4 coaches, which ride better than some of today’s trains.
The Rail Technology Magazine article says this about the bogies.
Further supporting the UK rail supply chain, all of the bogies for the new trains will be assembled and maintained at Alstom’s facility in Crewe – which is the first time since 2004 that both jobs have been done in the UK.
It sounds sensible to have one factory to assemble and maintain the bogies.
Will this factory also supply the bogies for Aventras, which are also FLEXX Eco?
Assembly
The press release says this about assembly.
- The first stages including vehicle body assembly and initial fit-out will be done at Hitachi Rail’s facility at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
- The second stage of fit out and testing will be done at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane factory in Derby.
Conclusion
I find it interesting, how improvements in one area help another.
The JV has worked hard to perfect this design.
Solidity Or Speculation, It’s Your Choice
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Investors Chronicle.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Solid-state batteries are made using a technology that promises massive improvements in lithium-ion battery efficiency and capacity, so a breakthrough could see ranges in electric vehicles (EVs) extended well beyond the few hundred miles that the most advanced models can currently achieve.
It then lists four companies, that are possible investments; Gelion Technologies, Ilika, Superdielectrics and Solid State.
I am sure the technology will break through, but finding the winner will be difficult.
Siemens Gamesa Partners On Offshore Wind-to-Hydrogen
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on renews.biz.
This is the first three paragraphs.
Siemens Gamesa has signed a memorandum of understanding with Strohm to collaborate on the development of offshore wind-to-hydrogen infrastructure.
The partnership will focus on the advancement of hydrogen transfer solutions that will look to improve the decentralized green hydrogen concept, whereby green hydrogen is generated in each turbine generator and transported to shore by a subsea pipe.
In this concept power cables are replaced by a pipe infrastructure used for storing and transferring hydrogen.
Thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) will be used.
Andrew Forrest, AGL Partner To Explore Hydrogen Option For Hunter Valley Coal Plants
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on abc.
This is the first paragraph.
Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest said hydrogen would eventually “dwarf” the coal industry as he announced plans to develop a green hydrogen hub in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.
I wish Forrest well with this venture, because if he makes a success of it, it could form a model for lots of other places in the world.
He’s certainly a man on a mission.
Are Short Lengths Of High Speed Line A Good Idea?
In New ‘HS3’ Link To Yorkshire Proposed By Thinktank After Region’s HS2 Axe, I showed that a short length of faster by-pass line could give decent ties savings.
So in this post, I will look at home much time, diversions or by-passes like the Selby Diversion could save.
The diversion runs between Temple Hirst Junction and Colton Junction.
- It is 13.8 miles long.
- A typical train takes 7.5 minutes, which is an average speed of 115 mph.
- But Wikipedia claim that the route was well-designed and British Rail felt it was good for 160 mph.
So what times are possible at various speeds?
- 115 mph – 7.5 minutes
- 120 mph – 6.9 minutes
- 130 mph – 6.4 minutes
- 140 mph – 5.9 minutes
- 150 mph – 5.5 minutes
- 160 mph – 5.2 minutes
- 180 mph – 4.6 minutes
They are not great savings, but if you could increase operating speed on straight sections of thirty miles and raise the average speed from 120 to 180 mph, that would save five minutes. It would all mount up.
If you look at the railway maps of the UK, there are sections of the East Coast Main Line, Great Western Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line, where the track is straight and sometimes as many as four-tracks.
Stevenage Station And Stoke Junction
A simple example in a few years could be between just North of Stevenage station and Stoke junction, which after current works and some others could be four tracks all the way.
- It is 72.2 miles.
- Trains take 39 minutes.
- My timings give an average speed of 111 mph.
- There are a number of level crossings.
- Flat junctions at Hitchin and Werrington have been replaced with grade separated junctions.
Note that it is longer than the Cologne-Aachen high speed railway in Germany, which is only 43 miles long and has an operating speed of 250 kph or 155.3 mph.
Savings on the Stevenage and Stoke stretch could be as follows.
- 140 mph – eight minutes
- 155.3 mph – eleven minutes
- 160 mph – twelve minutes
- 180 mph – fifteen minutes.
- 200 mph – seventeen minutes.
This alone could mean that London Kings Cross and Leeds could be around two hours with trains such as the proposed High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.
It couldn’t be extended to the North very easily as Stoke Tunnel is between Stoke junction and Grantham.
This Google Map shows the tunnel.
If it could easily be converted into a four-track cutting, this would add nearly six miles to the four-track section with high speed lines in the middle and slow lines on the outside.
A Diversion At York
When improving speeds and times on the East Coast Main Line, a diversion at York is sometimes mentioned.
The Google Map shows the East Coast Main Line, as it goes through York station.
Note.
- York station is in the South East corner of the map.
- The River Ouse meandering North from near the station, before turning West at the top of the map.
- The East Coast Main Line running North from the station to the West of the river.
The railway crosses the river just to the North of Skelton junction.
This Google Map shows the tracks at York in more detail.
Note.
- The River Ouse in the North-East corner of the map.
- The East Coast Main Line through York station curving round the Railway Museum, before going North.
- A second rail route and sidings to the West of the East Coast Main Line can be seen.
Could a diversion route be created between Holgate and Skelton junctions on railway land?
- It would be about two miles long.
- It could be built to also sort out the bottleneck at Skelton junction.
- It might be possible to extend the fast line to Northallerton station.
This could create up to thirty miles of fast lines between Holgate junction and Northallerton.
A Diversion At Durham
When improving speeds and times on the East Coast Main Line, a diversion at Durham is sometimes mentioned.
The Google Map shows the East Coast Main Line, as it goes through Durham station.
Note.
- I have arranged the map so that the East Coast Main Line goes between the South-West and North-East corners of the map.
- Durham station is clearly visible.
- The railway line curves East towards the station around Nevilles Cross after running North from the South.
This Google Map shows the East Coast Main Line, as it goes through Chester-le-Street station.
Note.
- Chester-le-Street station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The East Coast Main Line runs North-South down the middle of the map.
- About halfway down the map, the East Coast Main Line starts to veer to the East.
If you look at the bigger picture of these maps, it appears that to serve Durham, the line took a loop to the East, so would a diversion cut off the corner between Chester-le-Street and Nevilles Cross and put Durham on a loop?
It would be a bit shorter, but it could be built to enable running at a higher speed.
Short German High Speed Lines
I have travelled a lot on German trains and they have some of our problems.
- Infrastructure dating back to the times of Kaiser Bill.
- A high mileage of track without electrification.
- Less high speed railways than France or Spain.
They are creating several high speed railways.
Earlier, I indicated that the Cologne-Aachen high speed railway, which is only 43 miles long, has an operating speed of 250 kph.
Other short high speed railways include.
- Lübeck–Hamburg railway – 39 miles – 200 kph.
- Lübeck–Puttgarden railway – 55.1 miles – 200 kph.
- Mannheim–Stuttgart high-speed railway – 62 miles – 280 kph
- Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway – 66 miles – 300 kph
- Stuttgart–Wendlingen high-speed railway – 9.5 miles – 250 kph
- Wendlingen–Ulm high-speed railway – 37 miles – 250 kph
Note, that the Germans are still upgrading lines to 200 kph or 125 mph.
The Germans would appear to favour some shorter high speed lines, so it must be a worthwhile philosophy.
Conclusion
I very much feel there is scope to create some new high speed sections on the current UK network, with only building very little outside of the current land used by the network.
As with Germany would it be worthwhile to upgrade some lines to 125 mph running?
These could be possibilities.
- Basingstoke and Exeter – Currently 121 miles at 90 mph – Not electrified
- London Liverpool Street and Norwich – Currently 114.5 miles at 100 mph – Electrified
- North Wales Main Line – Currently 84.4 miles at 90 mph – Not electrified
- Reading and Taunton – Currently 107 miles at 110 mph – Not electrified
There are probably others.
New ‘HS3’ Link To Yorkshire Proposed By Thinktank After Region’s HS2 Axe
The title of this post, is the same as this article in the Yorkshire Post.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A new “HS3” high-speed rail line between Yorkshire and the Nottinghamshire town of Newark could help make up for the loss of the HS2 eastern leg from Yorkshire, a report by transport think-tank; Greengauge 21 has suggested.
There is also this map from Greengauge 21.
I clipped my copy of the map from this report on Greengauge 21, which is entitled East, West, North And South.
Note.
- As in the Integrated Plan For The North And Midlands, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield have direct connections to London via High Speed Two.
- The Derby leg is extended to Sheffield via the existing Midland Main Line.
- The Nottingham leg is extended to Newark, where it joins the East Coast Main Line.
- A new High Speed Line, which is shown in white and labelled HS3 links Newark to the East Coast Main Line and the line between Leeds and York at a new triangular junction South of Colton Junction.
- Part of the current route between Doncaster and Colton Junction is the Selby Diversion, which according to Wikipedia was built for speeds upward of 140 mph.
- The route splits in the region of Colton Junction with the Western leg going to Leeds and Bradford and he Northern leg going to York and Newcastle.
I feel this is a better plan than the previous one from High Speed Two.
- It adds Bradford, Derby and Nottingham to the High Speed Two network.
- There is a connection to Birmingham and possibly the South West and Wales.
- The East Coast Main Line is effectively four-tracked between Newark North Gate and York.
I have a few thoughts.
Colton Junction
This junction will feature a lot in this post, so I had better explain where it is.
The Selby Diversion was built in the 1980s to create a new route, which avoided the newly-discovered Selby coalfield.
Colton Junction is about six miles South of York and is at the Northern end of the Selby Diversion.
This Google Map shows the junction.
Note.
- The East Coast Main Line going between South-West and North-East across the map.
- The railway going North-East leads to York.
- The village of Colton is at the top of the map.
- Colton Junction is South of the village, where the East Coast Main Line splits.
- The line going South-West is the route without electrification to Leeds, used by TransPennine Express and others.
The line going South is the Selby Diversion, used by all trains on the East Coast Main Line.
East Midlands Hub Or East Midlands Parkway
Some reports indicate that a new Birmingham and Nottingham High Speed Line will go via East Midland Parkway station.
- East Midland Parkway is a fully-functioning four-platform station.
- It is already operating.
- There will soon be a large brownfield site next door, when the coal-fired Radcliffe-on-Soar power-station is demolished.
- It has connections to Nottingham and Sheffield via Derby and Chesterfield.
- Platforms are probably long enough to handle splitting and joining.
- An advanced passenger shuttle could be built to East Midlands Airport.
This map from High Speed Two shows the route of the Eastern leg of High Speed Two, where it passes East Midland Parkway station and Radcliffe-on-Soar power-station.
Note.
- The coloured line is the route of High Speed Two.
- Red indicates viaduct
- Yellow indicates cutting.
- Green indicates green tunnel.
- There is a curious clover-leaf shape to the East of High Speed Two.
This Google Map shows the same area.
Note
- The River Soar and Remembrance Way can be picked out on both maps.
- The Midland Main Line runs North-South in the Google Map and passes through East Midlands Parkway station.
- It is possible to pick out the curious clover leaf shape to the North of the railway station, where the rail line goes into the power station.
- Returning to the High Speed Two map it is possible to pick out the railway and power stations.
This map from High Speed Two shows the route of the Eastern leg of High Speed Two, to the South-West of East Midlands Parkway station.
Note.
- The coloured line is the route of High Speed Two.
- Red indicates viaduct.
- East Midlands Parkway station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The Midland Main Line runs North-South down the Eastern side of the map.
Could the route of High Speed Two be adjusted so that it runs through East Midlands Parkway station?
This Google Map shows a similar area as the second High Speed Two map.
With the exception of the village of Radcliffe-on-Soar, there aren’t many, who would get in the way of the development of a connection between High Speed Two and the Midland Main Line to the South of East Midlands Parkway station.
- High Speed Two crosses Remembrance Way in the South West corner of the map, where there is a junction with the M1 and runs diagonally across the map.
- High Speed Two could probably sneak up the North side of Remembrance Way.
- The station might need to be moved to the North a bit to give space.
- The map also shows the space to the East, that will be created with the demolishing of the power station.
Developing East Midlands Parkway instead of East Midlands Hub could be the more affordable option.
High Speed Two’s Eastern Leg Services
This graphic shows High Speed Two’s services before the Eastern Leg was deleted.
Note.
- Western Leg services are to the left of the vertical black line.
- Eastern Leg services are to the right of the vertical black line.
- Blue indicates a full-size service.
- Yellow indicates a Classic-Compatible service.
Destinations on the former Eastern Leg get the following services.
- Chesterfield – 1 tph
- Darlington – 2 tph
- Durham – 1 tph
- East Midlands Hub – 7 tph
- Leeds – 5 tph
- Newcastle – 3 tph
- Sheffield – 2 tph
- York – 6 tph
Note.
- Two trains will split and join at East Midlands Hub or East Midlands Parkway. But given what I said earlier, the split will take place at East Midlands Parkway.
- Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield could get two tph.
- If the pattern of the currently proposed High Speed Two service is followed, that would mean that 5tph to Leeds and four tph to York and further North would go through Nottingham.
I suspect that there could be a reduction in either High Speed Services on the Eastern Leg or on the East Coast Main Line.
Splitting And Joining At East Midlands Parkway
Consider.
- All Northbound services on High Speed Two and the Midland Main Line pass through East Midlands Parkway station in the same direction.
- All Southbound services on High Speed Two and the Midland Main Line pass through East Midlands Parkway station in the same direction.
- The four platforms at East Midlands Parkway station will give a lot of flexibility.
If trains split and joined at East Midlands Parkway, there would be no need to reverse to serve Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield. I can’t see how this could be performed at East Midlands Hub without the Sheffield train reversing. This probably explains why in the original plans for High Speed Two, Sheffield and Chesterfield had their own spur and Derby was not served directly by High Speed Two.
The redesign in the Integrated Rail Plan For The North And Midlands, which abandons the Sheffield spur, probably reduces the costs significantly.
Nottingham
Nottingham will be an extremely busy station with these services running through.
- High Speed Two – 2 tph – Birmingham Curzon Street and Leeds HS2 via Nottingham – Full-Size – 200 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – Birmingham Curzon Street and Newcastle via Nottingham, York, Darlington and Durham – Classic-Compatible – 200 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – London and Leeds HS2 via Nottingham – Classic-Compatible – 200 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – London and Leeds HS2 via Nottingham – Full-Size – 400 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – London and Leeds HS2 via Birmingham Interchange and Nottingham – Full-Size – 400 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – London and York via Nottingham – Classic-Compatible – 200 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – London and Newcastle via Nottingham and York – Classic-Compatible – 200 metres
- High Speed Two – 1 tph – London and Newcastle via Nottingham, York and Darlington – Classic-Compatible – 200 metres
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – London St. Pancras and Nottingham via Kettering, Market Harborough and Leicester – Class 810
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – London St. Pancras and Nottingham via Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway and Beeston – Class 810
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich via Chesterfield, Alfreton, Nottingham, Grantham, Peterborough and several other stations – Class 158/170
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Crewe and Newark Castle via Nottingham and several other stations – Class 158/170
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Leicester and Lincoln via East Midlands Parkway, Attenborough, Beeston, Nottingham, Carlton and several other stations – Class 158/170
- CrossCountry – 1 tph – Cardiff Central and Nottingham via Derby, Spondon, Long Eaton, Beeston and several other stations – Class 170
- CrossCountry – 1 tph – Birmingham New Street and Nottingham via Derby – Class 170
- Midlands Connect – 1 tph – Leeds and Bedford via Nottingham and Leicester – Classic-Compatible – 200 metres
Note.
- With High Speed Two services London means London Euston and Old Oak Common.
- Two High Speed Two services do not stop in Nottingham
- With several of these routes I have only put in a few intermediate stations to show the routing of the train at Nottingham.
These services total up to twelve tph going through Nottingham and four tph terminating at Nottingham from London St. Pancras and Birmingham New Street.
Nottingham station would need to be able to handle the following with respect to through trains.
- A train every five minutes.
- Some trains would be 400 metres long.
But there is plenty of space in Nottingham station and High Speed Two’s digital signalling will be able to handle 18 tph.
Nottingham And Newark
The Nottingham and Lincoln Line between Nottingham and Newark appears from my helicopter to be fairly straight.
- The line is double track.
- There are eight stations between Nottingham and the East Coast Main Line.
- The maximum speed of the line is 70 mph.
- It is 18.1 miles between Nottingham and the East Coast Main Line.
- I suspect that it could be upgraded to a 100 mph between Nottingham and the East Coast Main Line.
Typical services in tph will be the same as at Nottingham, which is 12 tph. But there are also occasional freight trains and Peak services to and from London St. Pancras.
With digital signalling on this relatively-simple section, if it were to be fitted with High Speed Two digital signalling, that will have to be able to handle 18 tph, what would you do with the other six tph?
- Some paths would be used to handle the occasional freight trains and Peak services to and from London St. Pancras.
- Some of the capacity could also be used by the stopping trains.
The amount of traffic would probably be less than on the Great Eastern Main Line, which is capable of 100 mph running.
Newark
Newark has the notorious flat crossing, where the Nottingham and Lincoln Line crosses the East Coast Main Line.
This Google Map shows the track layout at Newark.
Note.
- Newark Castle station is on the Nottingham and Lincoln Line and is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Newark North Gate station is on the East Coast Main Line and is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The two rail lines run diagonally across the map and cross near the top of the map towards the right.
- Nottingham lies in a South-Westerly direction from this map.
- Lincoln lies in a North-Easterly direction from this map.
- Doncaster, Leeds and York lie in a North-Westerly direction from this map.
- Grantham, Peterborough and London lie in a South-Easterly direction from this map.
Under the Greengauge 21 plan, trains will need to run in the following directions.
- In both directions on the East Coast Main Line.
- In both directions on the Nottingham and Lincoln Line.
- Coming South on the East Coast Main Line, trains will need to be able to go towards Nottingham on the Notting and Lincoln Line.
- Coming from Nottingham on the Nottingham and Lincoln Line, trains will need to be able to go Leeds and York on the East Coast Main Line.
It would be a complicated set of junctions and flyovers for a railway, but not impossible to design and build.
Newark North Gate And Colton Junction
I’ll repeat the map I showed earlier, that shows the routes between Newark North Gate and Colton Junction.
Note.
- The current East Coast Main Line via Doncaster is shown dotted in black.
- The proposed new route, which is called HS3 is shown in white.
- Colton Junction is at the Northern end of the new track.
I suspect that the new route would be built to the same operating standards as High Speed Two.
- Operating speed of 205 mph.
- High specification electrification.
- Signalling capable of handling 18 tph.
- All classic and Classic-Compatible high speed trains would be able to take both routes, but would be limited to 125 mph or 140 mph with in-cab digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line.
- Trains needing to call at Doncaster and freight trains, would use the East Coast Main Line.
- Full-Size High Speed Two trains would generally use the new high speed line.
It looks to be a good way to increase capacity between Newark and Leeds and York.
Timings Between Newark North Gate And Colton Junction
Consider.
- Newark North Gate and Colton Junction are 63 miles apart.
- Trains take 39 minutes.
- There is a stop at Doncaster.
This is an average speed of 97 mph.
If trains went non-stop on the new ‘HS3’ route, there would be these timings at different average speeds.
- 100 mph – 37.8 minutes
- 125 mph – 30.2 minutes
- 140 mph – 27 minutes
- 160 mph – 23.6 minutes
- 180 mph – 22.2 minutes
- 200 mph – 18.9 minutes
Note.
- I have assumed the distance is the same as via the East Coast Main Line.
- I have made no allowance for longer acceleration and deceleration times to and from higher line speeds.
- High Speed Two Classic Compatible Trains could handle up to 205 mph if the track could support it.
It does appear that savings of upwards of fifteen minutes could be possible on all services that could use the new route.
Both East Coast Main Line and High Speed Two services would get time savings.
Colton Junction And York
As I saw and wrote about in London To Edinburgh On Lumo, the route between Leeds and York is being fully electrified.
The East Coast Main Line is already fully electrified, so I doubt the connection between ‘HS3’ and York will be difficult.
Trains will just exchange a 205 mph track for the East Coast Main Line’s 125 mph or 140 mph with in-cab digital signalling.
Colton Junction And Leeds
This High Speed Two Map shows the original planned track layout for High Speed Two to the East of Leeds.
Note.
- The large blue dot indicates Leeds HS2 station.
- The orange lines indicate the new high speed tracks for High Speed Two.
- The track going North-East is High Speed Two’s connection to the East Coast Main Line in the area of Colton Junction.
- The track going South is the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two to East Midlands Hub station, which has now been deleted.
Would it be possible to modify the route of High Speed Two to create a link between the Norther end of Newark and Colton Junction High Speed Line, which Greengauge 21 called HS3 and the proposed Leeds HS2 station?
This map from High Speed Two shows the area, where the High Speed Two Lines were originally proposed to run.
Note.
- The village of Swillington to the East of the proposed route of the Eastern Leg of High Speed Two.
- Junction 45 of the M1 in the North-West corner of the map.
- The River Aire and the Aire and Calder Navigation Canal on the route of High Speed Two to Leeds HS2 station.
This Google Map shows the same area.
I’m no expert, but I do believe that it would be possible to create a chord to allow trains to access Leeds HS2 station from the York direction.
I would suspect that High Speed Two looked seriously at this chord, as it would enable the proposed Leeds HS2 station to have services to York, Newcastle and Edinburgh using the East Coast Main Line.
But there is one problem with this route – It doesn’t allow and easy solution to serve Bradford.
This map from High Speed Two, shows the Leeds HS2 station and the last bit of the approach from the East.
This article on the Architects Journal is entitled Foster + Partners behind designs for Leeds HS2 Station. The article shows.
- Leeds HS2 station is being designed as a terminal station.
- It shares a common concourse with the current Leeds station.
It appears from the pictures in the Architects Journal article, that passengers would have to change trains to get to Bradford.
The alternative would be for trains into Leeds to take the route used by Northern’s service between York and Blackpool North, which goes via Church Fenton, Micklefield, East Garforth, Garforth, Leeds, Bramley, New Pudsey and Bradford Interchange.
But judging by the times of other services, Colton Junction and Leeds would take over twenty minutes and it would be a further twenty minutes to Bradford Interchange.
I can’t think that this is a viable alternative.
Conclusion
I am led to the conclusion, that to get a decent service into Leeds from the East using Greengaige 21’s ‘HS3’ between Newark and Colton junction, would necessitate the building of a new Leeds HS2 station and a new route between the new station and Colton junction.
Zopa Pulls Out Of P2P Consumer Lending As It Blames Cowboy Firms For ‘Damaging Customer Trust’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on City AM.
This is the first three paragraphs.
Peer-to-peer giant Zopa has started to inform customers it is closing down its P2P consumer investment division, transferring its loan portfolio to its relatively new bank unit.
In an email to customers, Natasha Wear, peer-to-peer CEO at Zopa, wrote that “after 16 years of peer-to-peer consumer investments at Zopa, we’ve taken the difficult decision to close this part of our business..
“To support this, Zopa Bank will be buying your entire loan portfolio at current face value without any of the fees you’d normally pay for a loan sale,” the email reads.
This is a very sad day.
I have been an investor in Zopa for fourteen years and it has done me well, returning four to five per cent before tax in that period. My first investment was the money, I received from the sale of C’s Porsche.
I also feel that since Giles Andrews ceased to be at the head of the company, Zopa rather lost its way.
Perhaps, their mathematical modelling wasn’t up to scratch.
But at least, I haven’t lost any money on my investment.
The Anonymous Widower 