The Anonymous Widower

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

I wrote this post before Rishi Sunak made his speech.

I went to Manchester and Liverpool yesterday by train.

I took the 10:33 from Euston and this a summary of my journey.

  • The train left Euston half a minute early.
  • It arrived at Stafford (133.5 miles) at 11:50 and left at 11:52.
  • It arrived at Crewe (158.0 miles) at 12:08 and left at 12.10.
  • It arrived at Wilmslow (176.9 miles) at 12:25 and left at 12:27.
  • It arrived at Stockport (183.0 miles) at 12:35 and left at 12:37.
  • It arrived in Manchester Piccadilly (188.9 miles) at 12:46.
  • It was two minutes late into Manchester and more or less on time at the other stops.

Note.

  1. The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Colwich and Stafford.
  2. Euston and Manchester had been timetabled at two hours and eleven minutes.
  3. This is an average speed of 86.5 mph.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as one hour and fifty-four minutes.
  5. This will be an average speed of 99.4 mph.

Coming home, I took the 18:48 from Liverpool Lime Street and this a summary of my journey.

  • The train left Liverpool on time.
  • It arrived at Runcorn (13.2 miles) at 18:58 and left at 19:02.
  • It arrived at Crewe (35.8 miles) at 19:26 and left at 19:28.
  • It arrived at Milton Keynes (143.8 miles) at 20:27 and left at 20:29.
  • It arrived in Euston (183.6 miles) at 21:00.
  • It was five minutes late into Crewe and two minutes early at Euston.

Note.

  1. The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Stafford, Colwich, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Nuneaton.
  2. Liverpool and Euston had been timetabled at two hours and twenty minutes.
  3. This is an average speed of 78.7 mph.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as two hours and three minutes.
  5. This will be an average speed of 89.6 mph.

This map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the junction North of Lichfield, where High Speed Two connects to the Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

The Trent Valley Line is no Victorian double-track slow-speed bottleneck.

  • The route between Rugby and Crewe is generally three or four tracks, with only one short stretch of double track, through Shugborough tunnel.
  • The speed limit is generally 110 mph, with 90 mph at Shugborough.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 and Class 807 trains could be running at up to 140 mph on the route, if digital signalling were to be installed.
  • This speed would probably be attained by High Speed Two trains.

London Euston and Stafford would only have under twenty miles of slower line and that could be 140 mph, so High Speed Two  times on the route could be very fast.

This second map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between High Speed Two’s two Birmingham stations and Lichfield.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phases 1 and 2a are shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. At the top of the map, can be seen the junction, where High Speed Two to the North splits, that was shown in the previous map.
  4. The large blue dot in the West at the bottom of the map, is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
  5. The other large blue dot is Birmingham International station.
  6. The three sections of High Speed Two to London, Birmingham Curzon Street and the North meet at a triangular junction between the two Birmingham stations.
  7. High Speed Two to the East Midlands, branches off to the East North of the triangular junction.

This third map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between Lichfield and Crewe.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phase 2a is shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map, where at the South end of the orange section.
  4. The junction at Lichfield is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. The lighter blue route to the East, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the new tracks of High Speed Two.
  6. The darker blue route to the West, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the existing route of the Trent Valley Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  7. The Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line at Stafford.

These are a few thoughts and questions.

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And London?

Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to go between the two Birmingham stations and then head South,

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North?

Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to turn North and then take one of the two routes to the North; High Speed Two or Trent Valley Line/West Coast Main Line.

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North If High Speed Two Between Birmingham And The North Is Scrapped?

If High Speed Two is scrapped from the Northern point of the triangular junction to the North, there will be no way that trains could go North from Birmingham Curzon Street.

  • The overcrowded Birmingham New Street station will still be the link to the North of England and Scotland for Birmingham.
  • How would trains connect to the future branch to East Midlands Parkway, which connects just North of the triangular junction?

I suspect that a short stub will be built North of the triangular junction to connect to the Trent Valley Line, which is currently, the main route of trains between London and the North through the West Midlands, for trains that don’t go through Birmingham.

Trains Between London And Stafford

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and seventeen minutes between London and Stafford.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Stafford.

  • Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and seventeen minutes.
  • Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-five minutes.

Note.

That is a time saving of twenty-two minutes.

High Speed Two Trains will use the link between the junction at Lichfield and the Trent Valley Line.

How Many Avanti West Coast Services Use The Trent Valley Line?

These trains use the Trent Valley Line.

  • London and Holyhead – 8 tpd
  • London and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph, which is planned to increase to 2 tph
  • London and Manchester Piccadilly – 2 tph
  • London and Blackpool North – 1 tpd
  • London and Glasgow – 1 tph

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day
  2. tph is trains per hour

This is roughly six tph.

Would It Be Possible To Finish High Speed Two At The Lichfield Junction And Connect It To The Trent Valley Line?

This is a repeat of the first map.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

If the Eastern branch North from the junction were to be scrapped, all trains between London and North would go via Stafford.

As all these tracks are planned and must be at an advanced stage, that is ready for construction, I feel the route would be feasible.

It would have these benefits.

  • Birmingham Curzon Street services and the North-West of England and the West of Scotland would be possible.
  • Services between London and Stafford will be twenty-two minutes faster, than they are now.
  • Time savings will also apply to services from London to Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and all stations between Crewe and Glasgow.

The capacity of the Trent Valley Line would be the limiting factor.

Time Savings Between Crewe And Preston

According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, these will be the fastest times to Crewe and Preston.

  • Crewe – 0:56
  • Preston 1:18

Note.

  1. The fastest Preston service runs non-stop between Euston and Preston.
  2. Crewe and Preston are 51 miles apart.

A time of 22 minutes between Crewe and Preston, means the average speed is 139 mph.

Does this mean that High Speed Two will improve between Crewe and Preston to allow 140 mph non-stop running?

But 22 minutes is certainly an improvement on the current time between Crewe and Preston for Scottish trains of 40 minutes.

Time Savings Between Crewe And Liverpool

The upgrading of the line between might save another couple of minutes between Crewe and Weaver junction.

What Times Would Be Possible Via High Speed Two And The Trent Valley Line?

These times are based on the following.

  • The twenty-two minute saving to Stafford, as all High Speed Two services to the North-West of England and the West of Scotland will go via Phase 1 of High Speed Two and Stafford.
  • A saving of eighteen minutes will be applied to Scottish services because of savings between Crewe and Preston.

This would give these times in hours:minutes.

  • Blackpool – 2:10
  • Carlisle – 2:35
  • Chester – 1:28
  • Crewe – 1:08
  • Glasgow – 3:50
  • Holyhead – 3:10
  • Lancaster – 2:03
  • Liverpool Lime Street – 1:41
  • Llandudno Junction – 2:24
  • Macclesfield – 1:30
  • Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe – 1:52
  • Oxenholme – 1:54
  • Preston – 1:46
  • Runcorn 1:31
  • Stafford – 0:55
  • Stockport – 1:35
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 1:10
  • Warrington – 1:22
  • Wigan 1:33
  • Wilmslow – 1:25

I have calculated extra services to Blackpool and North Wales.

Adding The Lichfield And Crewe Section

Consider.

  • My calculations indicate that London and Crewe will take 1:08.
  •  The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, gives the fastest time to Crewe as 0:56.

This indicates that adding the section of High Speed Two between Lichfield and Crewe will save a further twelve minutes.

Conclusion

I strongly believe that an upgraded Trent Valley Line linked to a shortened High Speed Two at Lichfield could improve journey times between London, Birmingham and the North.

There are certainly savings to be made.

See Also

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Wigan

October 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

High Speed Two To Crewe

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of  speculation of my own.

Sample Times Between London And Crewe

These are selected times from the 27th September 2023.

  • 07:30 – Glasgow Non-Stop – 1:29
  • 07:33 – Manchester Piccadilly – 1:37 – Stops at Stafford
  • 07:43 – Liverpool Lime Street – 1:40 – Stops at Milton Keynes
  • 08:30 – Glasgow Non-Stop – 1:29
  • 08:33 – Manchester Piccadilly – 1:37 – Stops at Stafford
  • 08:43 – Liverpool Lime Street – 1:40 – Stops at Milton Keynes
  • 09:02 – Holyhead – 1:40 – Stop at Stafford
  • 15:02 – Chester – 1:40 – Stops at Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley and Stafford

Note.

  1. The 07:30 and 08:30 Glasgow services appears to be pathed for one of the Class 390 Pendolino electric trains and were run by Pendolinos.
  2. The 07:33 and 08:33 Manchester services appears to be pathed for one of the Pendolino electric trains and were run by Pendolinos.
  3. The 07:43 and 08:43 Liverpool services appears to be pathed for one of the new Class 807 electric trains, but were run by Pendolinos.
  4. The 15:02 Chester service appears to be pathed for one of the new Class 805 bi-mode trains.
  5. All services except the Glasgow services stop at Crewe.
  6. As London Euston and Crewe is 158 miles, the non-stop Glasgow services average 107 mph, the one-stop Manchester service averages 98 mph and the one-stop Liverpool service averages 95 mph.

I have some further thoughts.

How Long Does A Stop Take?

I’ve looked at some stops of Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester services

Crewe

Looking at timings between Weaver Junction and Norton Bridge, I have found the following times.

  • Glasgow-Euston – 23 minutes
  • Liverpool-Euston – 28 minutes

Note.

  1. Manchester services don’t go through Weaver Junction.
  2. Weaver Junction and Norton Bridge are respectively North and South of Crewe.
  3. The Liverpool service stops at Crewe, where it has a dwell time of two minutes.
  4. The Glasgow service goes straight through Crewe.

The Crewe stop takes a total of 5 minutes of which 3 minutes are deceleration and acceleration to and from linespeed.

Stafford

Looking at timings between Norton Bridge and Colwich, I have found the following times.

  • Glasgow-Euston – 7½ minutes
  • Liverpool-Euston – 7½ minutes
  • Manchester -Euston – 14 minutes

Note.

  1. Norton Bridge and Colwich are respectively North and South of Stafford.
  2. The Manchester service stops at Stafford, where it has a dwell time of two minutes.
  3. The Glasgow and Liverpool services go straight through Stafford.

The Stafford stop takes a total of 6½ minutes of which 4½ minutes are deceleration and acceleration to and from linespeed.

Milton Keynes

Looking at timings between Weedon and Bletchley, I have found the following times.

  • Glasgow-Euston – 11½ minutes
  • Liverpool-Euston – 16 minutes
  • Manchester -Euston – 12½ minutes

Note.

  1. Weedon and Bletchley are respectively North and South of Milton Keynes.
  2. The Liverpool service stops at Milton Keynes, where it has a dwell time of one minute.
  3. The Glasgow and Manchester services go straight through Milton Keynes.

The Milton Keynes stop takes a total of 4 minutes of which 3 minutes are deceleration and acceleration to and from linespeed.

Average Speeds Between Crewe And London

London Ruston and Crewe is 158 miles according to Real Time Trains.

So what would times would various average speeds deliver?

  • 100 mph – 95 minutes
  • 110 mph – 86 minutes
  • 120 mph – 79 minutes
  • 125 mph – 76 minutes
  • 130 mph – 73 minutes
  • 140 mph – 68 minutes

Obviously, any average speed with over 125 mph running, will need full digital signalling.

Liverpool And London In Two Hours

Tucked away beside the Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions article in the December 2022 Edition of Modern Railways is a report on Avanti West Coast’s application for a second service between Euston and Liverpool.

This is said.

Avanti West Coast has applied for access rights for its second hourly Euston to Liverpool service, starting from December 2023, although a phased introduction of the new service is likely. This would make use of Avanti’s new fleet of 10×7-car Class 807 Hitachi EMUs, which are expected to enter service from Autumn 2023. The ‘807s’ would be deployed on the current hourly Liverpool service, on which a call at Liverpool South Parkway would be added. (provision is made for this in the December 2022 timetable.).

Pendolinos would then operate the second service each hour, calling at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth.

A linespeed project is in progress to raise the permissible speed for non-tilting trains on the West Coast Main Line, and Avanti’s new Hitachi trains will take advantage of this.

I’ll take a quick look at the Crewe and Runcorn section.

  • It is 22.5 miles.
  • It takes 19 minutes.
  • That is an average speed of 71 mph.
  • Crewe and Weaver Junction has a speed limit of at least 110 mph
  • Runcorn and Weaver Junction has a speed limit of at least 90 mph for most of the way.
  • If with their superior performance, the new Class 807 trains could average 90 mph between Crewe and Runcorn, they would take 15 minutes.
  • Achieving the 90 mph average may need a bit of track realignment and some signaling changes.

The four minutes saved would be enough to handle the extra stop at Liverpool South Parkway.

Consider.

  • Currently, Pendolino trains do Liverpool and Crewe in 38 minutes, which includes the stop at Runcorn.
  • My calculation with the Class 807 trains, shows that with a bit of extra signalling, the new trains could do Liverpool and Crewe in 38 minutes with the two stops.
  • The stop at Crewe will subtract 5 minutes from the base journey time.
  • The stop at Milton Keynes will subtract 4 minutes from the base journey time.

This means the base journey time between Crewe and London will be 73 minutes.

This would indicate that the trains would be running at 130 mph to achieve the two hours.

But there are five accelerations and five decelerations on a journey between London and Liverpool and the new Class 807 trains are the Lotuses of Hitachi’s family of AT-300 trains; lightweight and powerful.

Suppose they could save thirty seconds for each acceleration and deceleration.

The base journey time between Crewe and London will be 78 minutes.

This would indicate that the trains would be running at over 120 mph to achieve the two hours.

I certainly feel, that Liverpool and London in two hours is certainly possible using the new Class 807 trains.

London and Crewe with two stops would be times at one hour and twelve minutes.

But what about the Pendolinos?

  • My last return trip from Liverpool did a practice call at Liverpool South Parkway and still arrived in London a few minutes early.
  • The Pendolinos will still benefit from any improvements, between Crewe and Runcorn, which could reduce the Liverpool and Crewe time from 38 minutes to 34 minutes.
  • The stop at Crewe will subtract 5 minutes from the base journey time.
  • The stops at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth will both subtract 4 minutes from the base journey time.

This means the base journey time between Crewe and London will be 73 minutes, which is the same as for the Class 807 trains.

This would indicate that the trains would be running at 130 mph to achieve the two hours.

Could this average speed be achieved by the selective application of full digital signalling, perhaps on the Trent Valley Line?

But it does appear to me, that the Pendolinos can get very close to two hours between London and Liverpool.

London and Crewe with three stops would be times at one hour and sixteen minutes.

Crewe And London Non-Stop

Consider.

  • Pendolinos between London and Glasgow, go non-stop between London and Crewe.
  • I have calculated that Pendolinos between London and Liverpool, will take one hour and sixteen minutes with three stops between London and Crewe.
  • The three stops take a total of thirteen minutes.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see London and Glasgow Pendolinos take one hour and three minutes between London and Crewe.

This would knock twenty-six minutes off journey times between London and Glasgow.

Conclusion

I believe that with relatively minor improvements on the West Coast Main Line and the Liverpool branch, the following can be achieved.

  • Liverpool and London can be around two hours with new Class 807 trains or Pendolinos.
  • Liverpool and London services can increase their calls in the Midlands.
  • London and Glasgow services can be nearly half-an-hour faster.
  • The fastest London and Crewe services could be just over an hour using Pendolinos.

I also believe that the only serious infrastructure needed is some track realignment and some updated signalling.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

September 30, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Diesel Power Of The Class 805 Trains

Avanti West Coast’s new Class 805 trains, will probably start running between London Euston and Chester, Shrewsbury and North Wales before the end of the year.

But will they have the 560 kW engines of the Class 800 trains or the the 700 kW engines of the Class 802 trains?

On this page of Eversholt Rail’s web site, there is a detailed specification for a Class 802 train.

It says these trains have a top speed of 110 mph on diesel.

But it also says this about the design of the trains.

They have been designed to meet the operational requirements of the West of England route and are used on services out of London Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance.

The class 802 is almost identical to the class 800, the differences are that class 802s have a higher rated engine output to tackle the gradients through Devon and Cornwall, and a superior diesel range to provide the IET experience to the wider Greater Western Network, they also have a larger brake resistor which reduces brake pad usage and requires less maintenance.

Wikipedia also says that these are the diesel engine sizes in the three main classes of these Hitachi AT 300 trains.

  • Class 800 train – 560 kW – Three engines for five cars
  • Class 801 train – 560 kW – One emergency engine for five cars
  • Class 802 train – 700 kW – Three engines for five cars
  • Class 810 train – 735 kW – Four engines for five cars

All these four trains have similar bodyshells and running gear, so I suspect that to run at similar cruising speeds, similar amounts of power will be needed.

If the Class 802 train has a speed of 110 mph on diesel, then a rough estimate of the cruising speed of a train with the 560 kW engines can be estimated by doing this simple calculation. Note that air resistance is proportional to the square of the speed.

Square root (110*110 *560/700) = 98.4 mph

I have looked on OpenRailwayMap at all the tracks to the West of Wolverhampton, where these trains will run and the highest maximum operating speed I can find is 90 mph.

As the Class 805 trains have a reprofiled nose, which could be more aerodynamic, they may be able to cruise at 90 mph.

I believe that a train with three 560 kW engines will suit Avanti West Coast purposes well.

What Is The Operating Speed Of The Class 810 trains?

I can use a similar calculation to estimate the maximum operating speed of the Class 810 trains, that will operate on the Midland Main Line.

Consider.

  • The Class 802 train has a total power of 2100 kW
  • The Class 810 train has a total power of 2940 kW
  • The Class 810 train with only three working engines has a total power of 2205 kW

I can estimate the cruising speed by doing this simple calculation, which is similar to the one for the Class 805 train.

Square root (110*110 *2940/2100) = 130 mph

I can also do it for a train running on three engines.

Square root (110*110 *2205/2100) = 113 mph

I looks to me, that the following is possible.

  • As Class 810 trains can achieve the maximum speed of 125 mph on both diesel and electric power, the timetable is independent of the progress of the electrification.
  • If the 125 mph sections are ignored, the fastest sections of line have a maximum speed of 110 mph, which could be possible on three engines.
  • North of the electrification, where the maximum speed is only 110 mph, engines could be selectively rested to avoid overheating.

Four engines give a lot of interesting options.

I can’t wait to take a ride.

Could The Class 810 Trains Be Fitted With Batteries?

When, the electrification reaches Market Harborough station, there will be no 125 mph sections on the Midland Main Line, which are not electrified.

This Hitachi infographic shows the Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train.

A Class 810 version of this train would have three diesel engines and one battery pack.

  1. It would have all the features of the infographic.
  2. My calculations give it a top speed of 113 mph on a route, where the maximum speed North of the electrification is 110 mph.
  3. I also suspect, it could bridge any small gaps in the electrification.

It would have the very positive effects of saving fuel and cutting pollution in stations.

September 29, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

High Speed Two To Manchester

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of speculation of my own.

The Current Manchester Piccadilly Services

Currently, there are three trains per hour (tph) between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly.

The services stop as follows.

  • Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport
  • Nuneaton, Stoke-on-Trent and Stockport
  • Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport

Note.

  1. One service goes via Crewe.
  2. Two services go via Stoke-on-Trent.
  3. All services go via Stockport.
  4. A London and Manchester Piccadilly train could go via Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Rugby, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport.
  5. A London and Manchester Piccadilly train could go via Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport.

The two trains detailed would mean that Manchester wouldn’t lose any connectivity.

I would expect that Manchester Piccadilly needs at least three tph to and from London.

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Full Size Services will only run to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly  after Phase 2b is completed to Manchester Piccadilly.
  4. Classic-Compatible Services will be able to run to to Manchester Piccadilly after Phase 2a is completed.
  5. Two London and Manchester Piccadilly trains will call at just Old Oak Common and Manchester Airport.
  6. A third London and Manchester Piccadilly train will call at Old Oak Common, Birmingham International and Manchester Airport.
  7. Two Birmingham Curzon Street and Manchester Piccadilly trains will call at just Manchester Airport.
  8. Despite Wilmslow and Stockport being shown in the list of stations on the left hand side of the graphic, no High Speed Two services appear to call at the two stations.

The graphic of High Speed Two services also shows these Full-Size services to Manchester Piccadilly.

  • Three tph to London Euston
  • Two tph to Birmingham Curzon Street

Some or all of these services will surely be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.

What services will run to Manchester between the opening of Phase 2a and the opening of Phase 2b?

I will now give some possibilities for services.

London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Crewe, Wilmslow And Stockport

I shall look at the 07:33 train to Manchester Piccadilly on the 20th September 2023.

  • It was a service via Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport
  • It was a nine-car Class 390 train or Pendolino, which left on time.
  • Euston and Manchester Piccadilly are 188.9 miles apart.
  • The train called at Crewe at 09:08 and left at 09:10.
  • The average speed between London Euston and Crewe is 70.7 mph.
  • The train arrived in Manchester Piccadilly on time at 09:44.
  • The journey took two hours and 11 minutes
  • The average speed was 86.5 mph.
  • The Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly section is 30.9 miles and the train is scheduled to take 34 minutes.
  • The average speed between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly is 54.5 mph.
  • The example train slows past Crewe because of two stops at Wilmslow and Stockport.

When Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens a replacement for this service via Crewe, could operate as follows.

  • It could use High Speed Two between and Crewe.
  • It could use the current route between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly.
  • It would probably use a 200 metre long High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised, that the current Pendolino service between Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport was retired.
  • The new High Speed Two service could take over the path currently used by the current Pendolino service, between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly.
  • The train could stop at Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport as required.
  • If it stopped at Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport, it would restore some of the connectivity to smaller places.

According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, these will be the timings.

  • London Euston and Crewe – 56 minutes
  • London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly Phase 2a – One hour and 30 minutes
  • London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly Phase 2b – One hour and 11 minutes

From these figures and the times of the 07:33, I can deduce these journey times for trains via Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport.

  • Currently, Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly takes 34 minutes.
  • High Speed Two after Phase 2a will also take 34 minutes.

I am surprised that sectional timings on this section of the West Coast Main Line are the same as current timings. Digital signalling and the faster acceleration and deceleration of the new trains, are quite likely to decrease times.

Because they are both 34 minutes, does that mean that services will stop at Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport?

London and Macclesfield Via Stafford And Stoke-on-Trent

This map of High Speed Two in North West England was captured from the interactive map on the High Speed Two web site.

Note.

  1. The map dates from around October 2020.
  2. The current West Coast Main Line (WCML) and Phase 2a of High Speed Two are shown in blue.
  3. Phase 2b of High Speed Two is shown in orange.
  4. The main North-South route, which is shown in blue, is the WCML passing through Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western as it goes North.
  5. The Western Branch, which is shown in blue, is the Liverpool Branch of the WCML, which serves Runcorn and Liverpool.
  6. High Speed Two, which is shown in orange, takes a faster route between Crewe and Wigan North Western.
  7. The Eastern Branch, which is shown in orange, is the Manchester Branch of High Speed Two, which serves Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
  8. The route in the East, which is shown in blue, is the Macclesfield Branch of High Speed Two, which serves Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield.

The route of Northern Powerhouse Rail between Manchester Airport and Liverpool has still to be finalised.

The London and Macclesfield service is as follows.

  • There will be one tph
  • There are intermediate stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
  • Macclesfield has a long electrified bay platform, which looks like it will take a 200 m High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train.
  • Macclesfield Station And High Speed Two has pictures of the station.
  • Four tph operate between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly via Macclesfield.
  • Timings from London would be 55 minutes to Stafford, 70 minutes to Stoke-on-Trent and 90 minutes to Macclesfield.

In some ways, I was surprised about this High Speed Two service.

But it does give an easy connection to Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

London and Manchester Piccadilly via Macclesfield, Stafford And Stoke-on-Trent

Currently, Avanti West Coast run a service between London and Manchester which runs as follows.

  • It calls at Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport
  • It also passes through Watford Junction, Nuneaton, Tamworth and Lichfield Trent Valley.
  • It could pass through Stafford.
  • It would mean that Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent were served by 2 tph.
  • It is run by a Pendolino.
  • It has a frequency of 1 tph.
  • The current service takes two hours and 6 minutes.
  • A few minutes would be added for each extra stop.

I believe it could be a very useful service.

I wonder if it could be run as a complimentary service to High Speed Two to serve more places on the route.

A Second High Speed Two Service Between London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Crewe, Wilmslow And Stockport

So far, I have mapped out three possible services.

  • High Speed Two – London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Crewe, Wilmslow And Stockport – One hour and thirty minutes
  • High Speed Two – London and Macclesfield Via Stafford and Stoke – One hour and thirty minutes
  • Pendolino – London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport – Two hours and 6 minutes plus 4 minutes for each extra stop.

I suspect that four tph could be a good frequency.

The simplest extra service would probably be another High Speed Two London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Crewe, Wilmslow And Stockport.

But it could be another Pendolino service to serve more places.

I believe a service pattern could be arranged with these features.

  • Major cities and towns between London and Manchester have at least two tph.
  • A larger number of towns and cities have at least one tph.

Note that many stations on the route already have Pendolino services.

Phase 2b Would Be The Ultimate Solution

Phase 2b which will involve a tunnel via Manchester Airport to new platforms in Manchester Piccadilly could be the ultimate solution.

Phase 2b is also needed so that full-size High Speed Two trains can be run to Manchester Piccadilly.

But it will be difficult, expensive and disruptive to build.

Conclusion

I believe it could be easy to plan four services between London and Manchester Piccadilly or Macclesfield.

  • High Speed Two Full-Size train – London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Crewe, Wilmslow And Stockport – One hour and eleven minutes
  • High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train – London and Macclesfield Via Stafford and Stoke – One hour and thirty minutes
  • High Speed Two Full-Size train – London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Crewe, Wilmslow And Stockport – One hour and eleven minutes
  • Pendolino – London and Manchester Piccadilly Via Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport – Two hours and 6 minutes plus 4 minutes for each extra stop.

Note.

Services 1 and 3 are identical, but don’t need to be.

Service 4 could be run by a High Speed Two Classic-Compatible train.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

September 24, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

High Speed Two To Liverpool

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of  speculation of my own.

The Current Liverpool Service

I shall look at the 08:43 train on the 18th September 2023.

  • It was a nine-car Class 390 train or Pendolino, which left on time.
  • Euston and Liverpool Lime Street are 193.7 miles apart.
  • The train called at Milton Keynes Central, Crewe and Runcorn
  • The train arrived at Crewe at 10:24 and left at 10:26.
  • The train arrived at Runcorn at 10:43 and left at 10:44.
  • The train arrived at Liverpool Lime Street at 11:04 on time.
  • The journey took two hours and 21 minutes
  • The average speed was 82.4 mph.
  • The Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street section is 39.7 miles and the train is scheduled to take forty minutes.
  • The average speed between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street is almost exactly 60 mph.
  • The slower average speed is because the train is slowing for a gradual stop in Liverpool and the only fast section is the 110 mph section between Crewe and Weaver Junction, where the Liverpool Branch leaves the West Coast Main Line.
  • There is one train per hour (tph).

There are probably only limited ways that time can be saved between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.

  • The West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Weaver Junction takes twelve minutes and has an operating speed of 110 mph, so saving a few minutes might be possible, by upgrading the speed on this line with digital signalling to allow 140 mph running.
  • It might be possible to save a couple of minutes at the Runcorn stop by using the superior performance of the new Class 807 or High Speed Two trains.
  • The slowing down into and accelerating out of Liverpool might be improved by digital signalling and trains with better performance.

It should be noted that Liverpool Lime Street station was recently remodelled to improve operation of the station and the tracks connecting it to Runcorn.

I would be fairly sure that Network Rail and Avanti West Coast have got Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street times to a minimum. As this route will become part of High Speed Two, I suspect that Network Rail/Avanti have done extensive computer simulations of the route, to make sure they get it as quick and efficient as possible.

The New Class 807 Trains

The Class 807 trains, which enter service this year or early next, are the Lotuses in Hitachi’s AT 300 family of high speed trains.

  • They are electric only and have no heavy diesel engines or traction batteries.
  • They don’t even have emergency batteries for when the catenary fails.
  • They have a redesigned nose. Is it more aerodynamic?
  • As with all the other Hitachi high speed trains, they are capable of 125 mph, or 140 mph if the signalling permits.

These trains will undoubtedly have faster acceleration and deceleration and could probably knock minutes off the timings at all the stops.

A Second Hourly Train To Liverpool

Tucked away beside the Grand Union Sets Out Stirling Ambitions article in the December 2022 Edition of Modern Railways is a report on Avanti West Coast’s application for a second service between Euston and Liverpool.

This is said.

Avanti West Coast has applied for access rights for its second hourly Euston to Liverpool service, starting from December 2023, although a phased introduction of the new service is likely. This would make use of Avanti’s new fleet of 10×7-car Class 807 Hitachi EMUs, which are expected to enter service from Autumn 2023. The ‘807s’ would be deployed on the current hourly Liverpool service, on which a call at Liverpool South Parkway would be added. (provision is made for this in the December 2022 timetable.).

Pendolinos would then operate the second service each hour, calling at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth.

A linespeed project is in progress to raise the permissible speed for non-tilting trains on the West Coast Main Line, and Avanti’s new Hitachi trains will take advantage of this.

Note.

  1. The current Liverpool service stops at Milton Keynes Central, Crewe and Runcorn.
  2. Liverpool South Parkway station is too short for the longest Pendolinos or Class 390/1 trains.
  3. When the second service is implemented will it stop at Milton Keynes Central, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway?
  4. Will the Pendolinos only stop at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth?

Will Avanti West Coast use the trains to take advantage of their strengths?

  • The new lighter Class 807 trains will use their superior acceleration and deceleration to  execute fast stops at more stations.
  • The shorter Class 807 trains will call at Liverpool South Parkway.
  • The current Pendolinos will use their tilt to run as fast as possible between London Euston and Liverpool.

I also suspect that Avanti West Coast will adjust the stopping pattern to attract passengers. I read somewhere, that a stop at Nuneaton to connect to Leicester, Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport, was a possibility.

More Details Of A Second Hourly Train To Liverpool – 30th September 2023.

Real Time Trains is now showing the details of the second service between London Euston and Liverpool.

These are the future timings of the 09:13 train from Liverpool.

  • Liverpool – Leave at 09:13
  • Runcorn – Arrive at 09:28 and leave at 09:29½
  • Crewe – Arrive at 09:49 and leave at 09:56
  • Stafford – Arrive at 10:14½ and leave at 10:16½
  • Lichfield Trent Valley – Arrive at 10:29½ and leave at 10:31½
  • Tamworth – Arrive at 10:36½ and leave at 10:38½
  • Nuneaton – Arrive at 10:49 and leave at 10:51
  • Milton Keynes Central – Arrive at 11:21 and leave at 11:23
  • Euston – Arrive at 11.59

Note.

  1. This service has not been activated yet.
  2. It is pathed for a Class 80x train.
  3. There are seven stops.
  4. It will take two hours and 46 minutes.
  5. Liverpool and Crewe will take 36 minutes.
  6. There are two other inactivated services like this running through Birmingham and Northampton.

Could these services have  been timetabled to test connectivity?

High Speed Two Classic Compatible Trains

These High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains are to be built for High Speed Two.

  • They will be able to run on both High Speed Two and current high speed lines like the East Coast Main Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  • They will have an operating speed of 205 mph on High Speed Two.
  • They will be able to operate at appropriate speeds on existing high speed lines. Typically, that is 125 mph, but with full digital signalling that is 140 mph.
  • They are two hundred metres long and are sixty metres shorter than an eleven-car Pendolino.
  • They are being built by a Hitachi-Alstom joint venture.

This document on the Government web site is the Train Technical Specification for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.

Introducing The High Speed Two Classic Compatible Trains Into Service

Consider.

  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street services can be run by eleven-car Pendolinos.
  • It looks like after the introduction of the second service between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street is introduced, it will be run by Pendolinos and it could be a two-stop service.
  • The High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains should be able to run any service currently run by an eleven-car Pendolino.

So will Avanti West Coast use this second hourly London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street service to introduce the new High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains into public service?

  • It would make sure the trains and existing track and signals were fully debugged.
  • It would inform the public that High Speed Two is on its way.
  • It would be good marketing for High Speed Two.
  • They might shave a few minutes off journey times.
  • It could use all the existing infrastructure.
  • It will provide work for Alstom in Derby.

I feel Avanti West Coast just might!

London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street Before Phase 2a Of High Speed Two Opens

According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, these are the fastest timings.

  • London Euston and Crewe – One hour and 30 minutes
  • London Euston and Runcorn – One hour and 53 minutes
  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – Two hours and 3 minutes

Currently, the fastest London and Liverpool Lime Street trains take two hours and 21 minutes, so are the Class 807 trains going to be eighteen minutes faster?

From these figures and the times of the 0843, I can deduce these journey times.

  • Currently, Crewe and Runcorn takes 17 minutes and the Class 807 train will take 23 minutes
  • Currently, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street takes 20 minutes and the Class 807 train will take 10 minutes
  • Currently, Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street takes 38 minutes and the Class 807 train will take 33 minutes

It looks like there may be slight problems with Wikipedia’s figures. But they were published before Avanti West Coast had run a Class 807 train between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street. I think we’ll have to wait and see what turns up on Saturday, the 9th of December 2023, when the timetables change.

But I do feel now that the Class 807 trains will achieve London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street in two hours and three minutes.

London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street After Phase 2a Of High Speed Two Opens

According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, these are the timings.

  • London Euston and Crewe – 56 minutes
  • London Euston and Runcorn – One hour and 14 minutes
  • London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street – One hour and 32 minutes

From these figures and the times of the 0843, I can deduce these journey times.

  • Currently, Crewe and Runcorn takes 17 minutes and High Speed Two will take 18 minutes
  • Currently, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street takes 20 minutes and High Speed Two will take 18 minutes
  • Currently, Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street takes 38 minutes and High Speed Two will take 36 minutes

There doesn’t seem to be much of a saving between today’s Pendolino and High Speed Two between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.

Could it be that the work to improve Liverpool Lime Street station and its approaches a few years ago sorted out a lot of problems and Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street is now almost to the standard needed for High Speed Two?

If savings are made anywhere by High Speed Two, it could be between Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street.

Looking at the operating speeds on OpenRailwayMap, there appears to be a 30 mph section of track for a couple of miles out of Liverpool Lime Street, which includes a sharp curve.

This Google Map shows the approaches to Lime Street station.

Note.

  1. The tracks across the top of the map are the main electrified Liverpool and Manchester tracks.
  2. The building in the middle is Alstom Traincare’s Liverpool Depot.
  3. The line to Runcorn enters the map in the South-East corner and curves around the depot to join the tracks into Lime Street station.
  4. The operating speed gradually reduces from 30 mph on this map to less than 15 mph in Lime Street station.

Perhaps, this 30 mph section is to be improved to gain the couple of minutes.

I also think, that savings could be possible at Runcorn station.

If when the second service starts, the Pendolinos don’t stop at Runcorn, that would save a few minutes.

The Class 807 and the High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains with their superior acceleration and deceleration could save a couple of minutes in the stop at Runcorn.

I very much feel that as the Pendolinos manage to achieve Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street in 38 minutes, that Pendolinos on the second service, Class 807 and the High Speed Two Classic Compatible trains, will all manage 36 minutes or less on the route.

London Euston And Liverpool Lime Street After Phase 2b Of High Speed Two Opens

There will be no changes as the full-size High Speed Two trains are not planned to run into Liverpool Lime Street.

Conclusion

It looks to me, that the Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street leg of High Speed Two is more or less complete.

Times between London and Liverpool will be as follows.

  • Before High Speed Two Phase 2a – 2 hours and 3 minutes
  • After High Speed Two Phase 2a – 1 hour and 32 minutes
  • After High Speed Two Phase 2b – 1 hour and 32 minutes

I believe that for many this will be fast enough, especially as it’s nearly complete.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

September 20, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Thoughts On Rail Capacity Between London And The North

This is just a rough calculation to see how many trains can be run between London and the North.

I shall do the calculation by station.

Euston

Trains are.

  • Avanti – Birmingham – 1 tph (trains per hour)
  • Avanti – Blackpool North – 1 tpd (trains per day)
  • Avanti – Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd
  • Avanti – Edinburgh via Birmingham – 1 tp2h – (trains per two hours)
  • Avanti – Glasgow – 1 tph
  • Avanti – Glasgow via Birmingham – 5 tpd
  • Avanti – Holyhead – 8 tpd
  • Avanti – Liverpool – 1 tph
  • Avanti – Manchester – 3 tph
  • WMT – Birmingham – 2 tph
  • WMT – Crewe – 1 tph

This gives totals of  9 tph, 1 tp2h and 16 tpd

King’s Cross

Trains are.

  • Grand Central – Bradford – 4 tpd
  • Grand Central – Sunderland – 6 tpd
  • Hull Trains – Beverley – 2 tpd
  • Hull Trains – Hull – 5 tpd
  • LNER – Bradford- 2 tpd
  • LNER – Edinburgh – 3 tp2h
  • LNER – Harrogate – 1 tp2h
  • LNER – Hull – 1 tpd
  • LNER – Leeds – 3 tp2h
  • LNER – Lincoln – 1 tp2h
  • LNER – Middlesbrough – 1 tpd
  • LNER – Skipton – 1 tpd
  • LNER – Sunderland – 1 tpd
  • LNER – York- 1 tp2h
  • Lumo – Edinburgh – 5 tpd

This gives totals of  9 tp2h and 28 tpd

Marylebone

Trains are.

  • Chiltern – Birmingham – 2 tph

This gives totals of  2 tph

St. Pancras

Trains are.

  • EMR – Corby – two tph
  • EMR – Nottingham – two tph
  • EMR – Sheffield- two tph

This gives totals of  6 tph

Grand Totals

Grand totals are  17 tph, 10 tp2h and 44 tpd

I will assume.

  • 10 tp2h is equivalent to 5 tph.
  • 44 tpd is equivalent to 3 tph if trains start journeys between 0600 and 2100.

This means that currently, there is the equivalent of 25 tph between London and the North.

The Effect Of High Speed Two

The capacity of High Speed Two is 17 tph, so, that appears to be a 68 % increase in paths to the North.

Consider.

  • Assume we need 25 tph between London and the North.
  • 17 tph will be on High Speed Two.
  • 8 tph will be on classic routes like the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line.
  • High Speed Two trains are 400 metres long.
  • Current trains are about 240 metres long.

I have done a weighted calculation, which shows that passenger capacity between London and the North, will increase by around 45 %.

High Speed Two will surely release paths between London and the North on the classic routes, that could accommodate somewhere around 17 tph.

These could be used for.

  • Services not suitable for High Speed Two
  • New services
  • Freight services
  • Open access services

There is a lot of capacity that can be reused.

What Will Happen To Classic Routes Between London And The North?

Consider.

  • The East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster, is being upgraded with full digital signalling to allow running at up to 140 mph and increased train frequencies.
  • Similar upgrades will be surely be applied to the other classic routes between London and the North.
  • Important destinations, that will not be served by High Speed Two, like Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Luton, Milton Keynes and Peterborough could be given high speed connections, to Birmingham, London and Manchester.
  • The East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line will all be electrified with some sections of quadruple track in a few years.
  • Currently, the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line are mainly 125 mph lines and these could be upgraded to 140 mph with digital signalling.

I could envisage the East Coast Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line being developed into a secondary 140 mph network based on the existing  stations lines and services.

Conclusion

High Speed Two is going to have a lot of collateral benefits in Middle England.

 

July 21, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

East-West Rail: Aylesbury Spur

This map from East West Rail shows the complete route of the East West Railway between Oxford and Cambridge.

Note the spur to Aylesbury, which is shown dotted, which the legend says means it is a Potential Future Section of the EWR.

The papers in the area have different views.

  • This article on Bucks Herald is entitled Aylesbury Spur Excluded From Government’s Latest East West Rail Route Outline.
  • This article on Buckinghamshire Live is entitled East West Rail Aylesbury ‘Spur’ Plans Remain On The Table As Route Announced For £5bn Project.

So what do I feel about the Aylesbury Spur?

Train Services

In the Wikipedia entry for the East West Railway, it is stated that there will be an hourly service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central stations, that would call at Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley.

Wikipedia also states that there will be no Marylebone and Milton Keynes or Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly services.

I am surprised that a Marylebone and Milton Keynes service is ruled out, for these reasons.

  • A Marylebone and Milton Keynes service would give Winslow a direct service to London.
  • Aylesbury Vale Parkway has an hourly service from Marylebone, which could be extended to Milton Keynes Central to create the service.
  • Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Marylebone have as many as three trains per hour (tph) in the Peak. Does this make timetabling of an hourly Marylebone and Milton Keynes  service difficult?

The Wikipedia entry for Aylesbury Vale Parkway, says this about a Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway service.

It was proposed that, if services are extended to the north, trains between Milton Keynes Central and Marylebone would run via High Wycombe and not Amersham.

This dates from 2012.

But.

  • There may be troubles with the timings of a Marylebone and Milton Keynes service between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Milton Keynes.
  • A separate Aylesbury and Milton Keynes service would give a half-hourly service between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Aylesbury, whereas an extended service only gives the current hourly service.

This Google Map shows Aylesbury Vale Parkway station.

Note.

  1. The station only has a single bay platform.
  2. It appears that there is a step-free walk between the car park and the platform.
  3. There is no bridge or need for one.
  4. There is a single through line at the station on the opposite side to the car park, which is mainly used by trains going to the landfill at Calvert.

It looks from this map, that if the single platform were widened to an island platform, that both terminating and through trains could call in the station.

Perhaps though the modifications at Aylesbury Vale Parkway are too complicated or expensive?

The ruling out of the Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly service is probably easier to understand.

Consider.

  • Milton Keynes Central will have a two tph service to Oxford and was planned to have an hourly service from Aylesbury.
  • Milton Keynes Central has an hourly Avanti West Coast service to Manchester Piccadilly via Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport.
  • Milton Keynes Central has an hourly Avanti West Coast service to Liverpool Lime Street via Crewe and Runcorn.
  • Milton Keynes Central has a two-hourly Avanti West Coast service to Edinburgh Waverley via Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Haymarket
  • Milton Keynes Central has a two-hourly Avanti West Coast service to Preston via Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western. Five trains per day (tpd) are extended to Glasgow and two tpd are extended to Blackpool North.

Note.

  1. A train running between Aylesbury and Manchester Piccadilly would probably need to be a 125 mph electric train, which would mean electrifying the East West Railway.
  2. A change at Milton Keynes Central would give access to trains for nearly all North-West England and Southern Scotland.

But because of all the connectivity at Milton Keynes Central, it surely puts pressure on providing an Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central service.

The Track

It is possible to follow the track North from Aylesbury Vale Parkway until it joins the East West Railway to the West of Winsford station.

This Google Map shows the junction, just North of the hamlet of Calvert..

Note.

  1. The East West Railway going across the top of the map.
  2. The single track railway to Aylesbury Vale Parkway coming North and then turning East to join the East West Railway.
  3. The railway from Aylesbury Vale Parkway is still used by trains taking landfill.

The Wikipedia entry for Calvert, says this about the landfill site.

Another of the clay pits is now a landfill site. Waste is collected from Bristol, Bath and London each day and transported using rail via Aylesbury to Calvert. The site has a power station capable of producing 14 MWe of electricity from landfill gas, coming from the decomposition of organic matter to convert it into renewable electricity MW.

Looking at the map and the traffic on Real Time Trains, it would appear that there would be enough capacity for both the freight and an hourly passenger train between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

There is also the slight problem, that High Speed Two will be going through the area, as this map shows.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two is shown in yellow (cutting) and embankment (red).
  2. High Speed Two appears to run either on the same route or alongside the route to Aylesbury.
  3. The East West Railway goes across the top of thye map.
  4. The chord that connects the Aylesbury Spur to the East West Railway can clearly be seen.
  5. The Aylesbury Spur will run along the same route as High Speed Two.
  6. Aylesbury Vale Parkway will be just off the South-East corner of the map.

This page on the High Speed Two web site is entitled Boost for Oxford-Cambridge Connections As HS2 Builds Key East West Rail Bridge, describes the installation of a bridge to take the East West Railway goes over High Speed Two.

This picture is from High Speed Two.

As the landfill at Calvert will still need to be filled, I suspect that High Speed Two will leave the route between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and the East West Railway as a fully-serviceable railway, when they tidy up and leave this section of their route.

It looks to me, that once these tasks are complete.

  • High Speed Two relay all the tracks between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and the East West Railway.
  • The junction between the Aylesbury Spur and the East West Railway is completed.
  • Aylesbury Vale Parkway station is updated.

The Aylesbury Spur as needed by the East West Railway to run passenger services between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes Central could be complete.

And all because of High Speed Two and a landfill site.

Conclusion

I am drawn to the conclusion, that the Aylesbury Spur would not be a difficult railway to build and because it links to the important interchange station at Milton Keynes Central, it could be delivered soon after High Speed Two are finished in the area.

It also appears that Avanti West Coast have already aligned their services with the East West Railway.

 

 

June 3, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Much-Loved Railway Food Carrier Bag

Coming back from Liverpool yesterday on Avanti West Coast, I treated myself to a coffee and a Nakd bar.

I took this picture after I’d cleared away and put all the rubbish in the bag.

These bags seem to be unique to British trains and I’ve never seen one in use on the many foreign trains, I’ve used all over the world.

Yesterday, the train was a Pendolino and I had no trouble carrying my coffee back to my seat, whilst the train tilted.

Were these bags invented by British Rail?

I can never understand, why they are not used by takeaways, as they are ideal for carrying food and drinks without spilling anything and they are much easier to carry and are ideal for collecting up the rubbish to put in a litter bin.

May 5, 2023 Posted by | Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , | 2 Comments

Manchester For The Weekend By Air?

For some weeks now, Manchester has been advertising itself as a weekend break on the giant advertising screen over Silicon Roundabout.

The adverts also seem to be backed by British Airways and are advertising flights from London City Airport.

Perhaps, these are in response to Avanti West Coast’s problems?

April 14, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | 3 Comments

Could The Bombardier Voyagers Be Converted To Hydrogen Power?

Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and East Midlands Trains all run versions of Bombardier Voyager trains.

  • There are 103 sets in service.
  • Lengths are four, five and seven cars.
  • They are 125 mph trains.
  • They are powered by one Cummins QSK19 diesel engine in each car.

Given Cummins’s enthusiasm for hydrogen could these diesel engines be converted to hydrogen power, so the trains could run long distance routes on zero-carbon power?

If there is no need for them in the UK, there are probably lots of places in the world that would like them!

April 8, 2023 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

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