An Energy Analysis Of Merseyrail’s New Trains
Various factors come into this anaysis and I’ll detail them first.
Merseyrail’s New Trains
Merseyrail‘s new trains from Stadler have the following known characteristics, according to various sources I quote in Thoughts On Merseyrail’s New Trains
- The trains will have regenerative braking.
- The trains will weight in at 99 tonnes.
- The trains will have a capacity of 486 passengers.
- The trains are four cars and 64 metres long.
It should also be noted that the current trains have a maximum speed of 121 kph, although the Northern Line has a maximum speed of 97 kph and the Wirral Line one of 110 kph.
I also suspect that the trains will be pretty good aerodynamically, as most modern trains are. My linked article quotes an energy saving of twenty per cent.
Merseyrail’s Tunnels
Merseyrail’s tunnels date from the Loop and Link Project of the 1970s, where the three electrified lines coming into Liverpool, were connected together.
- The Loop Line allows trains from the other side of the Mersey to access four stations in Central Liverpool and gave a substantial capacity increase.
- The Link Line joined the Northern suburban lines to Kirkby, Ormskirk and Southport to the Southern suburban line to Hunts Cross.
Currently, the Loop Line is having a major upgrade with slab track and other goodies and if it is not to the same standard, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Link Line improved as well.
I suspect that when the work is finished, Merseyrail’s tunnels will not offer much resistance to the trains passing through.
If the new trains use regenerative braking with batteries, there is one big advantage in the tunnels.
Some braking energy is stored on the train and used to accelerate the train when needed. So hopefully, the flow of electricity between track and train is reduced, which means less heat generation in the tunnel as the currents flow through to and from the train.
Let’s assume that a train running at line speed in a tunnel has X KwH of kinetic energy. For a stop, this energy must be absorbed by the regenerative brakes and turned into electrical energy. It won’t be 100 % of the energy but I suspect that with modern systems it could be as high as 80%. Batteries are an efficient way to store this energy and I suspect, with the best systems, virtually every KwH you put in the battery can be retrieved later, if the battery is large enough.
Merseyrail’s Branches
Unlike Manchester, Liverpool is not surrounded by hills, so I would expect that most of the lines have fairly gentle gradients.
These are a few altitudes.
- Aintree – 13 m.
- Chester – 32 m.
- Garston – 23 m.
- Hunts Cross – 40 m.
- John Lennon Airport – 24 m.
- Kirkby – 26 m.
- New Brighton – 43 m.
- Ormskirk – 52 m.
- Southport – 6 m.
- West Kirby – 9 m.
These examples, show that the network is not an arduous one. I suspect that the lowest part of the network is in the tunnels under Liverpool. Judging by the escalator lengths, I suspect it could be around thirty metres below ground.
Kinetic Energy Of A Full Train
The mass of a train is 99 tonnes plus say 70 kg for each of 486 passengers.
This gives a mass of 133 tonnes for the fully-loaded train.
Suppose it is travelling at 100 kph.
This gives a kinetic energy of 51.3 MJ.
Or converting that to everyday units we get 14.25 KwH.
As a typical transport battery for somethig like a hybrid bus is around 75 KwH, I would think that such a battery could handle regenerative braking on the trains with ease.
How Far Could A Train Run On Batteries Away From Electrification?
This is a bit like asking the old question about how long is a piece of string.
Merseyrail’s lines are generally fairly flat and if the trains have regenerative braking with batteries, I suspect the range could be longer than expected.
Other factors will also affect the range.
- Driving aids.
- Wheel-slip protection.
- Good driving.
- The weather.
- Accurately-positin slab track.
I also think the range on batteries will be deliberately restricted to a conservative distance, as running out of energy, would not be tolerated.
I would also expect the achievable range to get longer, as the operator and its drivers, learn how to conserve energy.
The Female Of The Species Is More Deadly Than The Male
The title of this post is from a poem by Rudyard Kipling, but could the 2017 General Election be a rerun of the 1983 General Election, where Margaret Thatcher gave Michael Foot, the order of the boot?
Jeremy Corbyn is actually two years younger than Michael Foot was at the 1983 General Election, which was incidentally when he was elected for the first time.
At the 1983 General Election Margaret Thatcher was in her late-fifties and now Theresa May is in her early-sixties.
I think that humorists and cartoonists will be having a good election, drawing comparisons.
Thatcher won her biggest victory in the Falklands, so will May win her victory in the Brexit negotiations?
I certainly feel that far outposts like the Falklands and Gibraltar could figure in this election.
Is Hackney Downs Station A Suitable Case For Treatment?
Some of the stations on the London Overground, are architectural gems.
The picture shows some the internal detail of the refurbished Grade II Listed Crystal Palace station. The cafe was created in an area of the station, that few realised existed.
There is also work going on at Peckham Rye station, where an enormous Victorian waiting room has been discovered. An architect called Benedict O’Looney seems to be on a mission to restore the station to its former glory.
Peckham Rye station could be step-free as early as 2019, so I suspect that the station could become more important in the grand scheme of things.
What would Del Boy have thought?
There is also Camden Road station, which is in pretty-good nick.
If Camden Road station has a problem, it is that the station possibly needs more passenger capacity and perhaps one of the closed platforms to be reopened.
I’d love to know what is behind those windows on the top floor.
Hackney Central station has a similar building to Camden Road station.
It looks like Hackney Central will get a modern station building to go with the step-free footbridge. But I suspect everything is on hold until the plan for Crossrail 2 is finally decided.
Yesterday, I was in Hackney Downs station and I was told that the bland station building abandoned by British Rail, might be worth restoring.
Who knows what lies behind the brick walls and lurks in the dark spaces under the tracks in the old station building?
Knowing the way, many of these railway stations were built, I wonder if London Overground could come up with an imaginative scheme to create a Victorian counterbalance to the more modern Hackney Central, in what will inevitably be Hackney Interchange.
The Sun God Has Blessed Hackney Wick
If you look at my pictures over the weekend of the Hackney Wick Station Subway Installation, there’s two common factors – The sun and no rain.
Imagine having to do all that heavy work in an intense storm named Jeremy or Nigel.
Obviously, the Queen too, hasn’t been near Hackney Wick.
The Mammoths Are Leaving
I went back to Hackney Wick station in the afternoon and the mammoths were lined up, with the 2,000 tonne subway standing on its own feet.
The mammoths really are impressive beasts.
The New Hackney Wick Station Opened On Time
This morning and I was up early to catch the first train train from Dalston Kingsland station to the new Hackney Wick station.
The train was precisely on time at 06:23.
Note that the herd of mammoths, that I photographed on Thursday are still underneath the new embankment.
This is a previous picture from Thursday.
From the pictures it would appear that they have picked up the station subway and given it a twirl.
It has certainly been an impressive project to demolish a railway on an embankment, insert a new subway and then rebuild and reopen the embankment, all in four working days.
I feel that they got the project nmanagement spot-on for this project, witn not a minute of wasted time.
But the biggest factor was surely, that the only work they did with the electrification was switch it off at the start and switch it on and test it, at the finish. They also probably used the most careful digger and crane operators they could find!
I wonder, if we’ll be seeing similar robust construction techniques to create and rebuild stations in double-quick time!
Could Third-Rail Tram-Trains Work The Epsom Downs Branch?
The Epsom Downs Branch is a single-track branch line from Sutton to Epsom Downs station.
Currently, it has a service to Victoria of around two trains per hour (tph), but it doesn’t seem to generate much business.
In 2015-16, Epsom Downs station had 112,000 passengers, whereas Sutton station had 7,111,000.
As the three stations on the branch are all single-platform stations with few facilities, can it be viable to run Class 377 and Class 455 trains on the branch?
When the London Tramlink arrives in Sutton, I wonder if the branch would be more suited to be running by trams.
But as the line is electrified with the standard 750 VDC third-rail system, is it one of those places, that could it be served by a third-rail tram-train, as I proposed in The Third-Rail Tram-Train?
I think the answer is in the affirmative.
Consider.
- The tram service could terminate at the proposed Streatham Common Interchange station.
- It takes less than ten minutes to go between Sutton and Epsom Downs
- In the Peak or when more capacity is needed, Class 377 trains could still run the service.
- The tram-trains could provide a step-free service.
Running the service with tram-trains, would give one big advantage; the ability to run a service to the Royal Marsden Hospital, which according to this document from the hospital is not the best, when it comes to public transport.
A single-track branch from the Epsom Downs Branch could start South of Belmont station and tram-trains running on batteries could serve both the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research.
This Google Map shows Belmont station and the hospital.
Note.
- The rail line from Belmont station to Epsom Downs station running down the West side of the map.
- There are two prisons in the South East corner of the map.
- The road from Belmont to the Hospital may only be half a mile, but it is up a steep hill.
- Why is every train arriving at Belmont station, not met by a shuttle bus to the Royal Marsden Hospital?
- There is one train per hour through Belmont station in both directions.
A silent battery tram-train without any overhead wires, climbing up on the railway line and then turning East across Banstead Common calling at the prisons en route to the Hospital, might be acceptable to the Planning Authorities. It would surely be less intrusive than some of cars and vans, I saw rushing through the Downs.
I would think that the hospital needs a frequency of four trains per hour to Sutton, in addition to the current sewrvices between Sutton and Epsom Downs.
A charging station, like a Railbaar, at the end of the short branch might be needed, to make sure that the gradients were conquered.
These pictures show Belmont station and the walk to the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Knowing, what I now know of the Royal Masrsden Hospital, it wouldn’t be my choice of hospital.
I don’t think, I’vw seen a hospital with such terrible access by public transport!
Could Third-Rail Tram-Trains Be Used To Increase Services In South London?
I ask this question, as some of the frequencies on suburban lines in South London aren’t up to their equivalent in the North.
Sutton Loop Line
As an example, Sutton Common station on the Sutton Loop Line of Thameslink, has this Off Peak service according to Wikipedia.
The typical off-peak service from the station is 2 trains per hour to Wimbledon (clockwise around the loop) and 2 trains per hour to Sutton (anticlockwise).
Other stations on the loop with this level of service include Haydons Road, Morden South, St. Helier, South Merton, Tooting, West Sutton and Wimbledon Chase.
On the other side of the loop via Mitcham Junction station, the service is augmented by London Victoria to Epsom services, running at two trains per hour (tph).
People might say, that the solution to the poor service at stations on the Sutton Loop Line is just to run four tph in both directions round the loop.
But that would probably mean the Snow Hill Tunnel with its capacity of 24 tph, will become overloaded.
Thameslink’s Route To Sevenoaks
Crofton Park station on Thameslink’s route to Sevenoaks station has this Off Peak service according to Wikipedia.
Two trains per hour to West Hampstead Thameslink and Sevenoaks.
The passengers moan about it as I wrote in The Natives Are Getting Restless In Crofton Park.
They want four tph now!
But again they can’t have them, as it’s the capacity of the Snow Hill Tunnel.
Transport For London’s Philosophy
Transport for London, have released a report on the Bakerloo Line Extension that they call the Option Selection Summary Report.
It is one of those worthy documents, you get from analysing the data from consultations.
But it is full of several nuggets, which although not directly associated with the Bakerloo Line could be very important for passengers coming from or venturing to South London.
They have also provided this helpful map, which lays out possible actions and improvements.
It seems to me that TfL are following a plan to add more transport hubs to their network South of the Thames.
Currently, the following are important interchanges between Underground, Overground, trains, Tramlink and buses.
- Bromley South
- Clapham Junction
- East Croydon
- Greenwich
- Lewisham
- Wimbledon
- Woolwich
Note.
- East Croydon will benefit in a large way from Thameslink, but so will Greenwich and Woolwich in a smaller way.
- Clamham Junction and Wimbledon will be stations on from Crossrail 2, if it’s ever built.
- Lewisham will become the terminus of the Bakerloo Line.
The map and other sources also show other stations becoming important transport hubs or connections.
- Brixton, where all the lines in the area are in a single station.
- Brockley
- Catford, where the current Catford and Catford Bridge stations become one station.
- Crystal Palace, which will soon get extra services from Whitechapel and Highbury and Islington stations.
- Orpington
- Penge
- Streatham Common
- Sutton
London Bridge station shouldn’t be ignored, as after Thameslink is completed, it will be an efficient interchange between the North-South Thameslink services and the Southeastern services between Charing Cross/Cannon Street and the wider South-East.
Put all of these proposals together and could third-rail tram-trains be a useful addition to transport in South London?
I will detail a few possible routes.
Onward From Beckenham Junction To Bromley South or Orpington
In Could Beckenham Junction To Birkbeck Be Run Using Third-Rail Tram-Trains?, I detailed how third-rail tram-trains could be used between Harrington Lane tram stop and Beckenham Junction station to create more capacity.
If run by tram-trains, this service could be extended to Bromley South or Orpington.
Orpington station has four bay platforms facing towards London and Beckenham Junction.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the track layout at the station.
The tracks reduce from four to two at Orpington station, which probably means that tram-trains should probably not go further than Orpington station.
Bromley South station is another possibility for a terminus for tram-trains and this map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the station layout.
The tram-trains would probably use the two Northern tracks.
At present there are the following services between Birkbeck and Beckenham Junction stations.
- 2 trains per hour between London Bridge and Beckenham Junction
- 6 trams per hour between East Croydon and Beckenham Junction
Looking at the frequencies, I suspect that if two of the trams per hour, were tram-trains and ran to Bromley South and Orpington, this could be accommodated in the timetable.
I think that this route would have the following advantages.
- Bromley South and Orpington stations would be valuable interchanges to Southeastern’s and Thameslink’s Kentish destinations.
- Running tram-trains between Birkbeck and Beckenham Junction stations as tram-trains on a double-track line, must improve capacity and reliability.
- Bromley town centre has been touted as an extension to Tramlink.
Bromley South station, might not be Bromley town centre, but it is only a short walk.
However, if it were needed, I suspect that a single-track spur to serve the town centre could be created to the West of Bromley South station.
This Google Map shows the Southern end of Bromley High Street and Bromley South station.
It could probably use battery power to pull up the short hill to Bromley town centre.
- The terminal tram stop could be at the South end of the pedestrianised area.
- The on-street route would be single-track, bi-directional and electrically dead.
- A second tram stop could be provided by Bromley South station.
- The maximum frequency to a single platform would probably be two trams per hour.
In some ways, the town centre tram stop is a bay platform for Bromley South station, that can only be used by tram-trains with a battery capability.
Onward From Harrington Road To Crystal Palace
It was always hoped that Tramlink could be extended to Crystal Palace station and this has been developed as Route 5.
The Wikipedia entry for Harrington Road tram-stop says this.
Transport for London once had plans to extend the Tramlink system to Crystal Palace. These plans were known as Extension D or Tramlink route 4, and would have involved a junction to the north of Harrington Road, with the extension joining the existing railway in the opposite direction to the current line 2.
The planned extension to Crystal Palace was formally dropped by Transport for London in 2008.
But using tram-trains could make this a more flexible low-cost option.
- Battery power could be used to go to the terminus at Crystal Palace Parade.
- Battery trams would be very easy to install in a park, if required.
- A charging station, like a Railbaar, could be provided at the terminus, if the battery running looked like needing assistance.
- Tram-trains could go past Crystal Palace to a station with a suitable bay platform.
This Google Map shows the route.
Note Crystal Palace in the North West corner, by the running track and Birkbeck station in the South East.
New tram stops have been proposed at Penge Road and Anerley Road and as the lroute will be run by tram-trains, I suspect that an innovative island station design could serve both tram-trains and trains.
Crystal Palace station, which in a couple of years will have six tph from the well-connected Whitechapel, would benefit from a Tramlink connection.
Onward From Elmers End To Catford
Elmers End station has six trams per house from East Croydon.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note how it connects to the Hayes Line and I doubt if it would be difficult to allow through running of tram-trains between East Croydon and stations to the North on the Hayes Line.
The logical Northern terminus would probably be in a new Catford Interchange, which Transport for London have talked about to combine Catford and Catford Bridge stations.
This Google Map shows the two stations and Catford town centre.
A tram-train could probably run on batteries to the town centre, perhaps with a terminus at Catford Broadway by Lewisham Town Hall and the Broadway Theatre.
But with the right design of the new interchange, the tram-train could go further North to a station with a handy bay platform, if that was deemed necessary.
Increasing The Frequency On The Sutton Loop Line
As I said earlier stations on the Western side of the loop, generally get about two tph in both directions, but those on the Eastern side get an extra two tph going between Victoria and Epsom.
The trains on the line are typically eight-car trains of a variety of types. Capacity may be a problem, but a line like this needs at least four tph all day.
There could also be a case for an extra station to serve St. George’s Hospital and perhaps another as part of the development at Hackbridge.
There is a Hackbridge Masterplan on Wikipedia. This is the first paragraph.
The London Borough of Sutton is working to make Hackbridge the ‘UK’s first truly sustainable suburb’. There has been a regeneration scheme in Hackbridge which has a number of developments on many sites. These are mentioned as part of the Hackbridge Regeneration. Detailed plans include proposals for new eco-friendly homes, more shops, leisure and community facilities, jobs, sustainable transport and pedestrian/ cycle initiatives, improved networks and open spaces.
It all sounds good to me. This is a Google Map of the area.
Hackbridge
Note the rail line going up the map with Hackbridge station about a quarter of the way up.At the top of the map, is an icon indicating the BedZed Pavilion.
If they are truly into green transport, it strikes me, that there needs to be another station between Hackbridge station and Mitcham Junction station, which is the next one to the North. As the Tramlink through Mitcham Junction runs down the eastern side of the site and has a stop at Beddington Lane on the north east corner, I would also feel that there scope for extensions to the through Hackbridge.
So for frequency and environmental reasons, I think there is a strong case to improve the Sutton Loop Line.
The obvious way to increase the service would be to have two tph start and finish in a bay platform, at the proposed Streatham Common transport interchange. Not only would it provide four tph on the whole loop, but if the trains were scheduled correctly, all stations on the loop would have the following services to Blackfriars.
- 2 tph direct.
- 2 tph with a change at Streatham Common.
- 2 tph direct via Sutton
- 2 tph via Sutton with a change at Streatham Common.
With good design the change at Streatham Common could be a walk across the platform.
I don’t think that the extra services would need to be eight-car trains, but why use tram-trains?
The tram-trains major advantage is that they could go walkabout to perhaps serve some of the new developments or hospitals like St. Helier or the Royal Marsden.
Using The Sutton Loop Line As A Reversing Loop For Trams From Croydon
This Google Map shows Mitcham Junction station.
I don’t think it would be too difficult to add chords to the junction, so that a tram-train coming from Croydon could transfer from Tramlink to the Sutton Loop Line. The tram-train would then go round the loop including passing through Wimbledon station on the opposite face of the Tramlink platform.
After returning to Mitcham Junction, the tram-train would return to Croydon.
It may seem a long way round, but there’s probably only a couple of minutes in it.
But it would need a chord at Streatham Common for the tram-trains to by-pass the station.
This Google Map shows the location of the proposed Streatham Common interchange.
The current Streatham Common station is in the East, The interchange would be built, where the lines cross.
The chord would be built to the South of where the two lines of the Sutton Loop meet, at the bottom of the map.
The track could be adjusted, so that tram-trains could go round the loop both ways.
Will The Victoria-Epsom Service Call At Streatham Common Interchange?
Stops with modern trains are much quicker than they used to be only a few years ago.
So If the design of Streatham Common station and the timetable could allow a fast interchange, it might improve journey times for those living on the Wimbledon side of the Sutton Loop Line, which don’t get direct services from Victoria.
The Proposed Tramlink Extension To Sutton
The proposed Tramlink route Between South Wimbledon And Sutton is possibly a worthwhile extra public transport link to throw into the mix. It is described under Extension A in the Wikipedia entry for Tramlink. This is said.
In July 2013, Mayor Boris Johnson affirmed that there is a reasonable business case for Tramlink to cover the Wimbledon – Sutton corridor. A map has been released showing the planned route. It would leave the existing route just to the east of Morden Road and head along the A24 and A297 to Rosehill Roundabout, then the B2230 through Sutton town centre, ending at the station. A loop via St Helier Hospital and a possible extension to Royal Marsden Hospital also are shown.
This is a map of the route.
So how would third-rail tram-trains using the Sutton Loop Line affect the proposed Tranlink Extension to Sutton?
- There are at least four tph in both directions on the Sutton Loop Line.
- The trams will reach Sutton, but only running as trains.
- St. Helier Hospital is not served.
- Tram-trains could possibly serve the Epsom Downs Branch, in addition to the direct services to Victoria.
I describe how third-rail tram-trains could serve the Epsom Downs Branch and the Royal Marsden Hospital in Could Third-Rail Tram-Trains Work The Epsom Downs Branch?
Hackney Does A Bicester
Hackney is developing a name for being a centre of designer outlet stores.
It’s certainly a lot closer than Bicester Village.
There’s also quite a few railway arches leading towards Hackney Central/Hackney Downs station complex, which could make a whole lot more designer outlets or fashion workshops.
But at least the Council has its finger on the pulse and are consulting about what to do with the area.
Let’s hope they get it right!
Forget Drones, Flying Diggers Are More Fun!
I took these pictures at Hackney Wick this morning.station
As to progress, it appears that the subway has been slotted into the gap in the embankment created yesterday
This picture gives a distant view of the site on the North side of the tracks.
The subway appears not to be there anymore and it could actually be in position.
This must be good progress.
The Anonymous Widower 