Selby Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Selby station is on the list.
These pictures show the station and the current bridge,
The existing pedestrian bridge has the following.
- Steep stairs at both ends.
- No provision for step-free access.
he bridge does appear to be in good condition.
Possible Electrification Through Selby Station
Perhaps most importantly, the current bridge could be too low for 25 KVAC overhead electrification to be erected underneath the bridge.
Although, it might be possible to lower the track or use one of Network Rail’s proven solutions to squeeze the electrification underneath.
At present though, it seems unlikely that the route through Selby will be electrified, due to the problem of the Selby Swing Bridge and Government policy.
Installing Step-Free Access
It could be feasible to add lifts to the existing footbridge, but it doesn’t solve the problem of the steep stairs.
In Winner Announced In The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition, I wrote how the competition was won by this bridge.
So could a factory-built bridge like this be installed be installed at Selby station?
This 3D Google Map shows Selby station.
The platforms to the South of he footbridge are wide and there is lots of space.
Could the new bridge be installed there?
Thello Bids To Run Milano – Paris High Speed Service
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
This is the first paragraph.
Trenitalia subsidiary Thello has notified rail regulator ARAFER of its intention to launch the first open access passenger services on the French high speed network. The regulator announced on June 4 that Thello had requested paths from SNCF Réseau for a twice-daily service between Milano and Paris to start from June 2020.
These are more details of the service.
- Services will leave both cities around 07.00 and 15.00 each day.The journey time would be under 7 hours.
- Intermediate stops would be at Torino, Modane, Chambery Challes Les Eaux and Lyon Part Dieu.
- Services would be worked by Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa 1000 trainsets.
- Trains would use LGV Sud-Est.
- Each train would be able to carry up to 457 passengers, with 300 standard class seats, 76 Premium, 69 Business and 10 Executive.
SNCF also run a service between Milano and Paris, which I have used between Novara and Paris.
I wrote about that trip in From Novara To Paris.
It looks to me that the Trello service could be a better experience.
- It could be faster as it will use the Torino to Milano High Speed Line.
- It runs twice a day.
Combined with Eurostar, it would make London to Milan in a day feasible.
But whether you would want to do that is another matter!
I have come home in a day from Barcelona, Geneva, Karlsruhe, Madrid, Munich and Novara.
- But then, I can be in my bed at home in under twenty minutes from when the Eurostar arrives in St. Pancras.
- Leaving the UK, I will often fly to my starting point.
- I will also come home in half-day-sized journeys, breaking the trip in a reasonable hotel each night.
There are various developments making this mode of travel around Europe easier and more comfortable.
- More high-speed lines are being developed.
- Austrian Railways are developing more sleeper trains, that they call NightJet.
- The availability of affordable hotels is getting better.
At certain times of the year, hotels and train tickets can be arranged easily in every overnight stop.
Meridian Water Station Has Opened
Meridian Water station opened yesterday, so I went there this morning to have a look.
It was surprisingly deserted, although the lifts and displays were working.
There was no-one around, so I just walked through the station building, down the stairs to Platform 2/3 and along to the country end of the platform.
These are my observations.
Platform 1
There is no platform or track in the position, where a Platform 1 will be on the side of the station nearest to Tesco and IKEA.
It could be turned into a through line, a through line with a platform or another bay platform as required in the future.
Platform 2
Platform 2 is currently arranged as a bay platform with buffer stops.
Platform 3
Platform 3 shares an island platform with Platform 2 and is a through platform on the West Anglia Main Line for trains towards London.
Trains will stop as required by the timetable.
Use Of Platforms 2 And 3
Use of Platforms 2/3 could be as follows.
- The two trains per hour (tph) shuttle to Stratford station, will use Platform 2.
- Trains from Platform 2 will use the new third track to Lea Bridge Junction.
- Two tph stop at Platform 3 on their way to London.
- Trains that stop in Platform Platform 3 will use the West Anglia Main Line to Lea Bridge Junction.
- After the two tracks merge at Lea Bridge Junction, they will continue as a single line until Stratford.
This adds up to the promised four tph.
It should also be noted that trains take 15-18 minutes to go between Meridian Water and Stratford stations and about ten minutes to go between Meridian Water and Lea Bridge stations.
Platform 4
Platform 4 is a through platform for trains leaving London.
Trains will stop as required by the timetable.
Platform Lengths
The platforms are long and could easily accommodate an eight-car train.
How Will The Shuttle Trains Run On The New Third Track?
To go between Lea Bridge and Meridian Water stations takes ten minutes, so with perhaps five minutes to turn the train round, will mean a twenty-five minute round trip from Lea Bridge station.
This would allow the promised two tph for the shuttle trains, North of Lea Bridge station.
How Will The Shuttle Trains Turnback At Stratford?
Currently, the two tph going between Stratford and Bishops Stortford or Hertford East stations use Platform 11 or 12 at Stratford station.
Trains also take eight minutes to go between Lea Bridge and Stratford stations, so adding five minutes to turn round, will mean a twenty-one minute Round trip from Lea Bridge station.
In other words, the promised four tph is impossible in a single platform.
But running two tph into both platforms 11 and 12 would allow the promised four tph.
However, although 11 and 12 are adjacent numbers, they are not adjacent platforms at Stratford and are connected by a subway.
Using two platforms would not be a passenger-friendly idea.
Does this mean that the High Meads Loop will be brought into use to turn the trains. This has been used in the past to turn Stansted Express trains, when they had a service to Stratford.
The signs still exist, as this picture shows.
So could local trains use Platform 11 and in the future Stansted Expresses might use Platform 12? Or might a succession of trains, just use a single platform?
I have always believed that to get the required capacity, the High Meads Loop needs to be used.
It appears though, that Greater Anglia will not be running four tph to Meridian Water station until September.
Will Trains To And From Liverpool Street Station Call At Meridian Water Station?
I don’t see why not!
- It would make it easy for passengers going between Liverpool Street and Meridian Water stations.
- Especially, as Greater Anglia’s new Class 720 trains, should be able to execute a stop much quicker.
Two tph to each London terminal would give Meridian Water four tph.
Future Proofing
Provision has been made for an extra Platform 1, but have other things been done.
I feel, one possibility would be for Southbound trains to split into two routes, just North of Meridian Water station.
- Trains for Liverpool Street, would continue to use Platform 3, as it appears they do now or will do.
- Trains for Stratford, would use Platform 1
All Southbound trains to Stratford would use the new third track exclusively.
The picture shows the end of Platform 2 and what lies behind.
Once Angel station has been demolished, will the track be modified, so that trains can go to Stratford, through Platform 1?
Field Day Festival Friday 7th June And Saturday 8th June 2019.
The Field Day Festival will be held this weekend and they are recommending using Meridian Water station.
The National Rail timetable is showing late services to Liverpool Street, are stopping at Meridian Water station to bring festival goers back to Central London.
Where Are The Trains?
I watch Nation Rail departures page and I haven’t found any trains actually running.
Perhaps, something is not going to plan.
Conclusion
It looks like we have a station that is ready and waiting, but that the trains aren’t running according to plan.
Let’s hope it’s all right by Friday for the Field Festival!
Toshiba Unveils Tri-Mode Locomotive Demonstrator
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Toshiba Railway Europe unveiled a electric-diesel-battery hybrid traction technology demonstrator locomotive at the Transport Logistic trade show in München on June 4.
The company has a contract to supply 50 diesel-battery centre cab locomotives to DB Cargo from 2021, TRE Managing Director Hinrich Krey told Railway Gazette. The demonstrator is intended to showcase the company’s design work to date as well as highlighting future development options.
It is based on the frame and bogies of a heavy shunting locomotive.
- There are two MAN 471 kW gensets.
- The diesel engines are compatible with EU Stage V emissions regulations.
- There are two SCiB 62 kWh lithium titanate oxide traction batteries.
- Battery life is quoted as up to ten years.
- The design is modular, so that a diesel engine can be replaced with another battery pack.
- A pantograph working with common European voltages can provide electric power.
The locomotive is aimed at heavy shunting and light freight.
Conclusion
The power of the locomotive is probably about 1MW, which is less than half the power of a Class 66 locomotive. But locomotives like the Class 66 are often used for tasks, where a smaller locomotive could do an excellent job.
The low pollution of the Toshiba locomotive probably means it could work in sensitive areas or close to a workforce.
The locomotive appears to be a well-designed locomotive for an important niche market.
If this design and others like the Stadler Class 93 locomotive succeed it will lead nearer to the ultimate goal of a high performance heavy freight zero-carbon locomotive to replace the polluting diesel locomotives, that are so common on the railways of the world.
Plans Shown Off For A Bridge Across The Thames At The Barrier
The title of this post is the same as that of an article on IanVisits.
This Google Map shows the location of the Thames Barrier.
Note the City Airport to the North and Charlton to the South.
I think it could be a valuable link for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Northern End
The Northern end of the bridge would be a pleasant five-minute stroll through Thames Barrier Park to the Pontoon Dock DLR station, as this Google Map shows.
Note that there is a cafe in the park.
The Southern End
What would happen at the Southern end of the bridge is less clear, as this Google Map shows.
The Thames Barrier is visible at the top of this map.
Could a network of cycle and walking routes be created between Maryon Park and the bridge?
These could also extend East to Charlton station and The Valley and West to Woolwich Dockyard station, which is just on the map.
Conclusion
I think it could be a valuable link for pedestrians and cyclists, through a new cross-river park.
If This Is The End For The £1.3bn M4 Relief Road, Radical Thinking Is Needed
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Wales Online.
The article is a good analysis of one of South Wales’ major transport problems; How do you relieve capacity on the ageing M4 around Newport?
I haven’t been on that section of road for perhaps twenty years or even longer, but I can’t ever remember the road, not being full of traffic.
Abolition Of Tolls Not The Smartest Move
This is a subsection of the article about the abolition of tolls on the Severn Crossing, where this is one sentence.
The abolitions of tolls, as predicted, have already driven a 20% rise in traffic levels on the existing M4, which will only put more pressure on its resilience.
Any sensible person could have told you that.
Surely, the extra capacity should have at least been planned before the tolls were abolished.
But then politicians like buying votes with unsustainable decisions that benefit their electorate.
As another example, look at the problems, Sadiq Khan’s fare freeze has caused Transport for London. But then you can’t expect a lawyer and politician to get their sums right. My late wife was a lawyer and many of our friends in Suffolk were in the same profession. Few had any clue about handling numbers properly.
Garforth Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Garforth station is on the list.
These pictures show the station and the current bridge,
This Google Map shows the station.
Leeds is to the West and York is to the East.
The Commuter Parking Problem
Like other stations in my exploration of some of the stations going step-free in the list, Garforth station is not ideal for commuters, who need step-free access.
The car park is ideally-placed for those travelling to work in Leeds.
- The car park is currently free to rail users and after parking, you are ready to get a ticket and catch a train.
- Passengers can if they need buy a ticket in the Ticket Office or a machine, if they need one.
- Then without much ado, you just walk onto the platform and await the train for Leeds.
Coming back from Leeds is the problem.
- The train arrives in the opposite platform.
- To get to your car, you need to walk to the back of the train and cross over the iron footbridge to the other platform.
It is not an efficient procedure and it will be difficult, if you’re in a wheel-chair, are pushing a child or children in a buggy or you are trailing a heavy case.
To complicate the problem at Garforth station, the bridge must also be used to get to and from buses from the Leeds-bound platform.
A step-free route across the railway, with a higher capacity than the present bridge, is needed.
Replacing The Existing Bridge
The existing bridge could be replaced with a new brick-and-concrete structure with steps and lifts.
- But this would effectively close the station for as long as it takes to rebuild the new bridge.
- It would also need a temporary bridge or some other means of crossing the railway to be erected, during the construction period.
Sometimes, minimising the disruption a project creates, is a major part of the project costs.
Building A Second Bridge
Suppose though a second bridge was built at another position in the station.
It would have steps and lifts.
Once the new bridge is complete, the original bridge could either restored to create extra capacity or demolished.
This simple sequence means the following.
At all time, until the new bridge opens, there is as much capacity as there is now!
After the new bridge opens, there is extra capacity and step-free access.
The building of the second bridge, doesn’t disrupt trainms or passengers to any great extent.
In Winner Announced In The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition, I wrote how the competition was won by this bridge.
So could a factory-built bridge like this be installed, towards the York end of at Garforth station?
If it could, it would have the following advantages.
- Quality should be good for a factory-built bridge.
- Work on site would be minimised.
- The bridge could be delivered and assembled from the railway.
Costs might be more affordable.
Todmorden Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Todmorden station is on the list.
These pictures show the station and the current subway,
This is a Google Map of the station.
Note how the railway clings to the hillside and is hemmed in by roads and other buildings.
As the pictures show, access to the platforms is by means of a subway under the railway and steep steps to the platforms.
An Increasingly Busy Station
For the last few years, there has been a continuous increase in the number of trains through the station.
I wonder, if on some journeys across the Pennines, there is a change at Todmorden, where the Blackburn and Leeds services to Manchester Victoria connect.
As this could require a platform change at Todmorden, you only want someone in a wheelchair to try to use Todmorden as an interchange and you get delayed trains at best and God knows what, at worst.
Manchester Airport Services
Under Future Services in the Wikipedia entry for Todmorden station, this is said.
New through services to Chester, Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street (marketed under the “Northern Connect” brand)
Passengers to Manchester Airport, will be more likely to have heavy luggage, which could be difficult at the station.
Installing Lifts
More trains and passengers will inevitably lead to more calls for step-free access.
The solution to step-free access is probably to put a lift to each platform from the subway.
There also appears to be plenty of space on the pltforms for the lifts.
It might not be the easiest installations, as it looks like the station is built from solid Pennine stone.
Conclusion
Todmorden station needs step-free access and with good design can probably be added without too much difficulty.
Trafford Park Line – June 2nd 2019
In Walking From Pomona To MediaCityUK, I showed the progress of the Trafford Park Line in February 2019.
These pictures show the current progress.
They were taken from a tram arriving at Pomona.
A Map, An M & S, But No Clock At Manchester Victoria Station
Manchester Victoria station has improved recently, with a map and an M & S Simply Food.
But it doesn’t have a proper clock.
The Anonymous Widower 