Have Bombardier Got A Cunning Plan For Voyagers?
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled Bi-Mode Aventra Details Revealed.
A lot of the article takes the form of reporting an interview with Des McKeon, who is Bombardier’s Commercial |Director and Global Head of Regional and Intercity.
This is a paragraph.
He also confirmed Bombardier is examining the option of fitting batteries to Voyager DEMUs for use in stations.
The Voyager family of trains has three members.
- Class 220 trains – Voyagers – 34 trains of four cars – operated by CrossCountry.
- Class 221 trains – Super Voyagers – 44 trains of four or five cars – operated by CrossCountry
- Class 222 trains – Meridians – 27 trains of four, five or seven cars – operated by East Midlands Trains.
The trains have the following characteristics in common.
- They are diesel electric multiple units.
- Each car is powered by an underfloor Cummins QSK19 diesel engine of 750 hp/560 kW.
- They are capable of 125 mph running.
- Some trains are fitted with tilting, which isn’t used.
- The trains have rheostatic braking.
- They meet or could easily meet the latest accessibility regulations for passengers of reduced mobility.
- Train length appears to be flexible and cars seem to be able to be swapped around in a particular class.
I think it is true to say that the operators have a few problems with these trains.
- Some passengers think the trains are rather cramped.
- There is also a noise and vibration problem when the engines are working hard.
- There have been problems with seawater getting in the resistor banks for the rheostatic braking on Class 220 trains at Dawlish.
- CrossCpuntry would welcome extra capacity.
- Both operators would probably welcome better fuel consumption on the trains.
How Would You Fit A Battery To A Voyager?
All these trains seem to be fitted with rheostatic braking.
Effectively, the traction motors generate electricity when they work in reverse to slow the train. On a modern train this electricity is either returned through the electrification to power other trains or stored in a battery.
But on these Voyagers, it is passed through resistors on the roof and used to heat the sky.
Consider these facts for a four-car Class 220 train.
- The train has an operating speed of 125 mph.
- Each car has its own diesel engine.
- The train has a weight of 185.6 tonnes.
- The train has seats for two hundred passengers.
- If we assume that each passenger weighs 90 Kg. with their baggage this gives a total train weight of 203.6 tonnes.
Calculating the kinetic energy of the train for various speeds gives
- 75 mph – 32 kWh
- 90 mph – 46 kWh
- 100 mph – 56 kWh
- 125 mph – 89 kWh.
Every time a train stops, this energy goes to waste.
The simplest thing to do, would be to divert this energy to an appropriately sized battery in each car. As there is four cars in the train, a battery of 50 kWh in each car would probably be sufficient.
If the battery was full, then the energy would still go to the resistors on the roof.
You’ve now got a full battery, but how would you use the energy in a productive manner?
The easiest and probably best thing to do with it, is to power the hotel functions of the train like air-conditioning, lights, doors and toilets. This is an approach taken by Hitachi on their Class 800 trains, as this diagram confirms.
The diagram is contained in this document on the Hitachi Rail web site, which is entitled Development of Class 800/801 High-speed Rolling Stock for UK Intercity Express Programme.
The document is a fascinating read.
Using the energy to power the traction motors and move the train might be possible, but I suspect it might be too complicated and expensive.
The simple system of the braking energy charging the battery and then using this energy for hotel power has advantages, both for Hitachi and Voyagers.
- The engines generally won’t need to run in a station to provide hotel power,as Des McKeon noted.
- The control electronics would be reasonably simple.
- Many of the existing expensive components like engines and traction motors probably wouldn’t need to be changed.
- There might be maintenance savings on the brakes.
- Less fuel will need to be expended to provide hotel power.
- If say the train has to halt perhaps because of a signalling or track fault, hotel power can be provided without running the engines.
- If batteries are supplying the hotel power, the train may have more power for traction.
I obviously don’t know how independent each car is from the next, but if each is independent, then there could be further advantages in converting, testing and maintaining the cars.
Conclusion
It looks to be a good plan.
In
Maghull North Station – 29th June 2018
I went to the new Maghull North station today.
There are still a few things to do, like add the grass and complete the lifts, but the station is now operational.
Other issues include.
Car Parking
I have a feeling that this could be a station, where the car parks could be a victim of the station’s success. There weren’t many spaces today.
Car parking does appear to be free and a p[passenger who lives nearby, said that you can never park at Maghull station, which is the next station towards Liverpool.
Kiosk
There didn’t appear to be a kiosk of any sort.
Ticketing
I didn’t see a ticket machine and the ticket office was closed!
Conclusion
It looked to be a well-built and functional step-free station.
Liverpool South Parkway Station Stands In For Lime Street
I went to Liverpool to see the new Maghull North station and a few other things in the Second City.
Liverpool Lime Street station is closed at the moment due to major works, so all London trains are going only as far as Liverpool South Parkway station.
These pictures show the station.
The station was coping well, as passengers from outside Liverpool ytansferred to Merseyrail to continue their journeys to the City Centre.
On my visit to Liverpool, I went first to Maghull North station, so I got a Southport train on Merseyrail’s Northern Line to Sandhills station, where I changed trains.
There are not many cities in the UK, which have the luxury of an alternative terminus of the quality of Liverpool South Parkway station to stand in, when the main station has to be closed.
When we left for London, the train initially went towards Liverpool and then crossed over to the line to London, before coming back through the Liverpool South Parkway station.
This was because the station wasn’t designed for use as a terminus and there is no other way to get the train on the right line for Crewe and the South.
It would also appear from the pictures, that to cope with the length of the eleven-car Virgin Pendelinos, that a temporary platform extension has been built.
More On Tri-Mode Stadler Flirts
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled KeolisAmey Wins Welsh Franchise.
This is said about the Stadler Tri-Mode Flirts on the South Wales Metro.
The units will be able to run for 40 miles between charging, thanks to their three large batteries.
In Tri-Mode Stadler Flirts, I said this.
I would expect that these trains are very similar to the bi-mode Stadler Flirt DEMUs, but that the power-pack would also contain a battery.
As an Electrical and Control Engineer, I wouldn’t be surprised that the power-pack, which accepts up to four Deutz diesel engines, can replace one or two of these with battery modules. This could make conversion between the two types of Flirt, just a matter of swapping a diesel module for a battery one or vice-versa.
Note that the three-car Class 755 trains for Greater Anglia have two diesel engines and the four-car trains have four engines.
So could it be that the tri-mode Stadler Flirts have three batteries and just one diesel engine in the four slots in the power-pack in the middle of the train?
I wonder how much energy storage you get for the weight of a V8 diesel, as used on a bi-mode Flirt?
The V8 16 litre diesel engines are made by Deutz and from their web site, it looks like they weigh about 1.3 tonnes.
How much energy could a 1.3 tonne battery store?
The best traction batteries can probably store 0.1 kWh per kilogram. Assuming that the usable battery weight is 1.2 tonnes, then each battery module could store 120 kWh or 360 kWh if there are three of them.
How Far Would A Full 360 kWh Battery Take A Three-Car Flirt?
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which probably has a terrain not much different to the lines to the South and West of Cardiff.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
This would mean that a 360 kWh battery would take a three-car train between twenty-four and forty miles. The claim in Modern Railways of a forty mile range, isn’t that out of line.
How Much Energy Is Needed To Raise A Three-Car Flirt From Ystrad Mynach To Rhymney?
In Tri-Mode Stadler Flirts, I estimated the following about the weight of three-car Flirt.
- I reckon, that the weight of the train will be around 130 tonnes.
- I will assume 150 passengers at 80 Kg. each, which gives a weight of 12 tonnes.
Raising it through the 125 metres between Ystrad Mynach and Rhymney, will need 48 kWh.
But what about stopping and starting at the seven stations on the route?
At every stop, a proportion of the energy will be recovered. If 20% is lost at every station, I think we can add about another 20 kWh of energy use.
And then there’s the power rneeded to run the train. Using the Ian Walmsley formula shown earlier, we get between
three-cars x 10 miles x 3kWh and three-cars x 10 miles x 5 kWh or between 90 kWh and 150 kWh.
It would appear there is certainly enough power from a full battery, that will have been charged all the way from Cardiff to drive a three-car Flirt up to Rhymney on battery power.
For a four-car train my weight estimate is 166 tonnes, which means Raising the train between Ystrad Mynach and Rhymney, will need 57 kWh.
I estimate that losses for stopping and stasrting would be about 24 kWh
Train running power would be between 120 kWh and 200 kWh.
It would still be possible to go between Ystrad Mynach and Rhymney on battery power.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that Stadler have designed a tri-mode train on steroids!
Additional Double Track In South Wales
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled KeolisAmey Wins Welsh Franchise.
This is said about the additional double track on the South Wales Metro.
Additional double track will be needed in 15 locations to support increased Core Valley Lines (CVL) frequencies.
So where are these locations?
I shall start by listing all the single platform stations.
I have ignored the following.
- Terminal stations.
- Stations on the Coryton Line.
I have grouped them by branch.
Aberdare Branch
Merthyr Branch
Rhondda Line
Rhymney Line
These total up to fourteen stations.
As the Butetown Branch will be extended through Cardiff Bay station and this station will need a second platform, does this add up to the fifteen new sections of double-track?
How Difficult Will It Be To Add A Second Track At Stations?
Of the fifteen stations, those on the Aberdate, Merthyr and Rhondda will only see the Stadler Citylink Metro vehicles, which will be running to the same rules as trams.
So could it be that these stations will be arranged like this stop on the London Tramlink, which is typical of many tram stops throughout the UK, Europe and the world?
Note.
- There is no bridge.
- There is full step-free access.
- The overhead wires are kept well out of thew way.
As most tram networks have done in the UK, they could design a modern suite of shelters, ticket machines, information displays, seats help points and other items.
I suspect that the platform height would be designed to fit both the tri-mode Stadler Flirts and the Stadler Citylink Metro Vehicles.
The only stations that are served exclusively by the tri-mode Stadler Flirts and might be given an extra track are Pontlottyn and Brithdir stations at the Northern end of the Rhymney Line.
These stations only get four tph in both directions.
Do Many Stations Have Passing Freight Trains?
I never like to be on a platform, when a freight train goes through and it happens regularly at stations near me like Canonbury and Dalston Kingsland.
I looked on Real Time Trains and there don’t appear to be many such trains on the CVL
I suspect too, that they could use temporal separation, with any freight trains ruining, when the Metro is closed.
Conclusion
I do find it strange that the total number of one platform stations is the same as the number of locations, where the track will be doubled.
But surely, if all stations were on a double-track, this would give the maximum flexibility to run services.
If too, the stations could be built without footbridges to the standards of trams, then construction costs could be saved!
More On Discontinuous Electrification In South Wales
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled KeolisAmey Wins Welsh Franchise.
This is said about the electrification on the South Wales Metro.
KeolisAmey has opted to use continuous overhead line equipment but discontinuous power on the Core Valley Lnes (CVL), meaning isolated OLE will be installed under bridges. On reaching a permanently earthed section, trains will automatically switch from 25 KVAC overhead to on-board battery supply, but the pantograph will remain in contact with the overhead cable, ready to collect power after the section. The company believes this method of reducing costly and disruptive engineering works could revive the business cases of cancelled electrification schemes. Hopes of having money left over for other schemes rest partly on this choice of technology.
Other points made include.
- A total of 172 km. of track will be electrified.
- The system is used elsewhere, but not in the UK.
- Disruptive engineering works will be avoided on fifty-five structures.
- Between Radyr and Ninian Park stations is also proposed for electrification.
Nothing is said about only electrifying the uphill track, which surely could be a way of reducing costs.
Ystrad Mynach To Rhymney
The article also states that on the Rhymney Line, the section between Ystrad Mynach and Rhymney stations will be run on batteries.
- The distance is about ten miles.
- The altitude difference is is about 125 metres.
- The station area at Rhymney station will be electrified.
- Rhymney will be an overnight stabling point.
- Trains will change between overhead and battery power in Ystrad Mynach station.
- Trains could charge the batteries at Rhymney if required.
Effectively, there is a avoidance of at least fourteen miles of electrification.
- Four miles of double track between Ystrad Mynach and Bargoed.
- Six miles of single track between Bargoed and Rhymney.
But as Rhymney to Ystrad Mynach currently takes about fourteen minutes, there will have to be some extra double-track, so that the required frequency of four trains per hour (tph) can be achieved.
None of this extra track will need electrification.
As the trains working the Rhymney Line will be tri-mode Stadler Flirts, with the capability of running on electricity, diesel or battery, I don’t think that KeolisAmey are taking any risks.
The Merthyr Line
The Merthyr Line splits North of Abercynon station into two branches to Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil stations.
- South of Abercynon the branch is double-track.
- Both branches are single track.
- The Aberdare branch is about eight miles long.
- Aberdare is around 40 metres higher than Abercynon.
- Trains take 27 minutes to climb between Abercynon and Aberdare stations and 21 minutes to come down.
- The Merthyr Tydfil branch is about ten miles long
- Merthyr Tydfil is around 80 metres higher than Abercynon.
- Trains take 27 minutes to climb between Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil stations and 21 minutes to come down.
If the proposed four tph are to be run on these branches, there would need to be some double-tracking North of Abercynon.
Will both tracks be electrified, or will it be possible with just electrifying the uphill track?
The Rhondda Line
The Rhondda Line splits from the Merthyr Line to the North of Pontypridd station and goes North to Treherbert station.
- South of Porth station, the line is double-track.
- North of Porth station, the line is single-track with a passing loop at Ystrad Rhondda station.
- Treherbert is 90 metres higher than Porth..
- Trains take 28 minutes to climb between Porth and Treherbert and 20 minutes to come down.
If the proposed four tph are to be run on this branch, there may need to be some double-tracking North of Porth.
Will both tracks be electrified, or will it be possible with just electrifying the uphill track?
Conclusion
I suspect there’ll be more savings, as the engineers get to grips with the capabilities of battery trains and discontinuous electrification.
As I said, will it be necessary to electrify downhill tracks?
The tri-mode Stadler Flirts and the Stadler Citylink Metro vehicles could use regenerative braking to their batteries.
The use of gravity in this way to charge the batteries, would increase the efficiency of the South Wales Metro.
Will Crossrail Trains Run 24 Hours?
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the Londonist.
We don’t know the answer yet, but the article feels we should never say never.
After all, if Gatwick Airport has trains on a 24/7 basis, surely Heathrow should!
England In Kaliningrad
There is a good chance, that my great-great-great-grandfather; Robert Muller, came from East Prussia, the capital of which was Konigsberg East Prussia was annexed by the Soviet Union after the Second World |War and Konigsberg was renamed Kaliningrad.
My father was about fourteen, when his grandfather died and my father once told me, that his grandfather had told him, about meeting Robert, who would have been his grandfather’s grandfather.
Apparently, the elderly man didn’t speak any English and only spoke German. Knowing that my male line is Jewish, I wonder if it wasn’t German but Yiddish.
Konigsberg was an important city and the Prussian
Wikipedia has a section about the Jews in Konigsberg, where this is said.
The Jewish population of Königsberg in the 18th century was fairly low, although this changed as restrictions became relaxed over the course of the 19th century. In 1756 there were 29 families of “protected Jews” in Königsberg, which increased to 57 by 1789. The total number of Jewish inhabitants was less than 500 in the middle of the 18th century, and around 800 by the end of it, out of a total population of almost 60,000 people.
Speaking to someone at the German History Museum, a lot of Jewish men had to leave East Prussia, when they became adults, unless they were protected.
As Robert would have been a young adult,, when he turned up in Bexley, I suspect that soon after he qualified as a tailor, he left the area.
This keeping out of the way of trouble, is very much a family trait.
Konigsberg was at that time a port city and there was quite a lot of trade with London. So I suspect getting to London was not that great a problem.
I very much regret not asking my father for more details.
Like me my father was an atheist, although with a Jewish philosophy of life. He was also very much against fascists, communists and dictators of both the left and right. He was proud to have been at the Battle of Cable Street, when the East End of London stopped Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts.
In some ways, I regret not being at the match tonight. But then I was advised that there would be trouble.
I have been to the Polish border with the Russian enclave. I wrote about it in At Poland’s Border With Russia.
Progress On The Northern Line Extension Shafts
This article on IanVisits is entitled London Railway Upgrades – A Progress Report.
This is said about the Northern Line Extension.
The enclosure over the Kennington Green shaft, which protected nearby residents from noise, dust and light pollution from the tunnelling works has been removed, enabling construction of the new headhouse and subway.
This Google Map shows the location of the two shafts at Kennington Green and Kennington Park.
Note the two barn-like green buildings, one of which is labelled Kennington Green.
These pictures, which were taken today, show the site of Kennington Green shaft.
And these show the site of the Kennington Park shaft.
Note.
- The Kennington Green site appears to be nearer to completion, than the Kennington Park site.
- They are asking the public to vote on the options for the brick cladding for the headhouse.
It would appear that the headhouse at Kennington Park will be incorporated in a public building.
Hot Air From The Underground
This article on IanVisits is entitled London Railway Upgrades – A Progress Report.
These are three entries from a long list.
Northern Line
- The pump house steelwork on Islington’s Bunhill scheme has been completed. When working, waste heat from the Northern line will be piped into nearby homes.
Piccadilly Line
The York Road disused station is being studied for a possible heat extraction upgrade, with low grade heat then supplied to a nearby user.
Victoria Line
Work on a feasibility study into a heat extraction scheme at Forest Road vent shaft at the northern end of the Victoria line to reuse the heat for local homes is under way.
It is good to see waste heat from the Underground being used for a serious purpose.
I would hope that extracting heat, also cools the tunnels!
The Anonymous Widower 