Hertfordshire County Council’s Aspiration For A Watford Junction And Aylesbury Service
This article on Ian Visits is entitled Watford Junction Station Could Become A “Super-Hub”.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A new Watford Junction to Aylesbury rail service, along with a new link between Stevenage and Luton are two of the proposals being put forward by Hertfordshire Council.
The proposals are contained in this document on the Hertfordshire County Council web site, which is entitled Rail Strategy.
In TfL Seeks New Procurement Plan For Metropolitan Line Extension, I proposed a service run by Chiltern Railways between Watford Junction and Amersham stations.
The rest of this article is a rewrite of part of that linked post, which explores the possibilities of a service between Watford Junction and Aylesbury stations.
This Was My Original Simple Proposal
I think it would be possible to design a simpler link with the following characteristics.
- Watford station would remain open.
- A four trains per hour (tph) link would run all day between Watford Junction and Amersham stations.
- Stops would be at Watford High Street, Vicarage Road, Cassiobridge, Croxley, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Chalfont & Latimer.
No-one would get a worse service than currently and the new stations of Cassiobridge and Vicarage Road, would make rail an alternative for many travellers.
The cross-Watford service would give access to these London services.
- Chiltern at all stations between Croxley and Amersham.
- London Midland at Watford Junction.
- Metropolitan Line at Croxley, Rickmansworth and Amersham.
- Virgin Trains at Watford Junction,
- Watford DC Line at Watford High Street and Watford Junction
The Bakerloo Line at Watford Junction and Watford High Street, could possibly be added, if the line is extended. Which I doubt, it will be!
Hertfordshire is proposing the terminal is Aylesbury, which seems to be a good idea. But I’ll examine that later.
The next few sections, will cover various issues with the route.
New Track
There would need to be new track between Croxley and Watford High Street stations.
Will The New Stations Have Two Platforms?
All proposals have shown new stations on the new track at Cassiobridge and Vicarage Road.
I believe that money can be saved by creating two much simpler stations.
- Only one platform, but probably an island platform with two faces like Watford High Street station.
- No expensive footbridge if possible.
- Only one lift.
Cassiobridge would be more complicated because of the viaduct connecting the line towards Croxley station.
This visualisation shows the viaduct and the location of Cassiobridge station.
Cassiobridge station will be behind the trees towards the top-right of the image.
Would The New Track Be Single Or Double-Track?
There is space for double-track and the two ends of the route are already electrified double-track.
But surely the viaduct shown above would be much more affordable, if it were to be built for only one track!
Trains would need to pass at places East of Croxley station, but then if the line was double-track through and to the East of Cassiobridge station, trains could pass with impunity.
Consider.
- The Borders Railway looks to have too much single-track
- The Barking Riverside Extension is being built with a double track.
Too much single-track is often regretted.
Why Four Trains Per Hour?
Four trains per hour (tph) is becoming a standard, as it encourages Turn-Up-And-Go behaviour from travellers.
It also fits well with keeping the four tph Metropolitan Line service to Watford station, as this could give a same platform interchange at Croxley station.
Would The New Track Be Electrified?
The only part of the route that is not electrified is the about three miles of new track between the Watford Branch and the Watford DC Line.
All current electrification is either third-rail or to the London Underground standard. and any future electrification would probably be to the London Underground standard, so that S Stock can work the route.
I believe that the Class 710 trains will have a limited onboard energy storage capability, which could enable the trains to bridge the cap in the electrification between Watford High Street and Croxley stations.
How much would not electrifying the new track save?
How Long Will A Journey Take From Amersham Or Aylesbury To Watford Junction?
Consider.
- Amersham to Croxley takes about 30 minutes, but it does involve a change to a bus.
- The Overground takes three minutes between Watford Junction and Watford High Street stations.
- Chiltern Railways achieve a twelve minute time between Amersham and Rickmansworth.
I suspect that a modern train like one of London Overground’s Class 378 trains could do the journey in a few minutes under half-an-hour.
As Amersham to Aylesbury takes about sixteen minutes, that looks like a trip between Aylesbury and Watford Junction would take about forty-five minutes.
Amersham Or Aylesbury?
My original plan used Amersham, as it has a turnback facility.
But Aylesbury looks to have space as this Google Map shows.
It should also be noted that the forty-five minute journey time between Aylesbury and Watford Junction stations, would give a two hour round trip, with relaxed fifteen minute turnround times.
This would allow time to top-up the batteries.
What Class Of Train Could Be Used?
Four-car Class 378 trains or the new Class 710 trains would be ideal. As the Class 378 train is out of production, it would have to be Class 710 trains or something similar from Bombardier. But other manufacturers might have a suitable train.
Battery power would be required, but that is becoming a standard option on metro trains like these.
How Many Trains Would Be Needed?
If the trains could do an Out-and-Back journey in an hour, then four trains would be needed to provide a four tph service.
A two-hour time would need eight trains.
Will The Link Have Any Other Services?
I have seen to plans to use the line for any other passenger or freight services.
Will There Be Infrastructure Issues At Existing Stations?
As all of the trains, I’ve mentioned and the London Underground S Stock trains, share platforms all over North West London, the answer is probably no, with the exception of a few minor adjustments to signs and platforms.
Croxley Station
Croxley station would be unchanged.
But in addition to the 4 tph between Baker Street and Watford, there would be 4 tph between Watford Junction and Amersham.
Platform 1 would handle.
- Baker Street to Watford
- Amersham to Watford Junction
Platform 2 would handle.
- Watford to Baker Street
- Watford Junction to Amersham
This would mean that if the trains alternated, the maximum wait for a connection would be about 7.5 minutes.
What I feel would be the two most common connections, would just involve a wait on the same platform.
I suspect that those, who timetable trains, would come up with a very passenger-friendly solution.
Watford Station
A property developer once told me, that the most profitable developments, are those where a railway station is involved.
So would the development of the extension involve a rebuild of Watford station to provide the following?
- A modern future-proofed station, with all the capacity that might be needed in the next forty years or so.
- Appropriate housing or commercial development on top of the new station.
- Sensible amounts of parking for travellers.
With four tph to and from London in the basement, it would surely be a profitable development.
Watford Junction Station
Watford Junction station has four bay platforms 1-4, that handle the three tph service on the Watford DC Line.
At stations like Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace, Dalston Junction, Highbury and Islington and New Cross, single platforms handle four tph with ease for London Overground services.
This means that handling four tph to Amersham in addition to current services would not be difficult.
The only work, that I think should be done, is make sure that these platforms are long enough to take two of the future Class 710 trains working as an eight-car train.
There could even be two platforms left for Bakerloo Line services, if it were to be decided, that these services would go to Watford Junction.
Elton John Plays Vicarage Road Stadium
This or some football matches at Vicarage Road Stadium, would be the biggest test of the Link.
Note the following.
- Some stations like Watford High Street can already handle longer trains than the hundred metre long, five-car Class 378 trains they currently do.
- Some stations like Croxley can handle the 133 metre long S Stock trains used on the Metropolitan Line.
So to future-proof the Link for massive one-off events would it be sensible to make the platforms long enough for eight-car trains or two Class 710 trains working as a pair?
Benefits
The benefits of this approach are as follows.
- Watford station keeps its current service to London.
- Watford gets a four tph link across the South of the town, serving the Shopping Centre, the Hospital and the Stadium.
- Amersham or Aylesbury to Croxley stations get a link to the West Coast Main Line.
- It could be built as a single track line without electrification.
- Trains to run the services could be more easily available.
- Simple island platform-based stations could be built at Cassiobridge and Vicarage Road.
In addition, Chiltern Railways, London Midland, London Overground and Underground, all gain a feeder railway bringing travellers to their services to and from London.
Cost Savings
Note.
- Transport for London needs cost savings on this project.
- Redevelopment of Watford station as a station with oversite development could raise a lot of money.
- The Croxley Link could be built as a single-track link without electrification and run initially using battery-electric trains.
I also feel, that building the line this way would deliver it earlier, thus improving cash-flow.
The simple link would need at the minimum.
- A single- or double-track railway without electrification between Croxley and Watford High Street stations.
- Two stations with island platforms at Cassiobridge and Vicarage Road
- A viaduct to connect Cassiobridge station to the Watford Branch.
- Some Class 710 trains or similar.
If skates were worn, the link could probably open in 2025.
Battery Trains To Be Tested In Denmark
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Suppliers are to be invited to test battery-powered trains on regional lines in late 2020 and early 2021, ahead of a potential order which could see battery trains enter passenger service from 2025.
This order follows on from three confirmed or possible German battery train orders in Schleswig-Holstein, Baden-Württemberg and Chemnitz.
So far interest in battery trains in the UK, has not been so strong, with only orders in Wales.
Thoughts On A Tri-Mode AT-300 Between Waterloo And Exeter
Note that in this post, I’m using the Class 802 train as an example of Hitachi’s AT-300 train.
In writing my post called What Would Be The Range Of A Tri-Mode Class 802 Train?, I realised that an efficient tri-mode train with electric, battery and diesel power could have a range of over a hundred miles.
Suppose a Class 802 train was built with the following characteristics, were designed for service on the West Of England Line.
- Five cars, which would seat around 350 passengers.
- Two diesel engines replaced with batteries of the same seven tonne weight.
- At least 840 kWh or perhaps as much as 1,500 kWh of battery power could easily be installed.
- One 700 kW diesel engine would be retained for electrification failure and to boost battery power.
- All electrical equipment on the train will use the minimum amount of electricity.
- Regenerative braking to batteries.
- Aerodynamics would be improved, as I believe Hitachi are doing.
- I believe that the train could have an energy consumption to maintain 100 mph on the West Of England Line around two kWh per vehicle-mile.
So what would be the range of a five-car train on just 840 kWh of batteries?
- The train would consume 10 kWh per mile.
So this would give a range of 84 miles.
The diesel engine could be key.
- At 100 mph, the train does a mile in thirty-six seconds.
- In this time, the diesel engine can generate up to 7 kWh.
- The train would need just 3 kWh per mile from the batteries to maintain 100 mph.
This would give a range of 280 miles,
This is more than enough for the 125 miles between Basingstoke and Exeter St. Davids stations.
Other people read books in the evening, I do puzzles and mathematical exercises.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I calculated that a forty-year-old InterCity 125 needs 2.83 kWh per vehicle mile to maintain 125 mph. Surely, modern trains can halve that figure.
Suppose Hitachi, improve the aerodynamics and the energy consumption of the train, such that it is 1.5 kWh per vehicle mile, which is a figure I don’t consider impossible.
This would give a range with 840 kWh batteries of 112 miles.
With selective use of the diesel engine and a charging station at Exeter, this train could easily run between Waterloo and Exeter.
Passenger Capacity
The passenger capacity of the current Class 159 trains is 392 in two three-car trains working as a pair.
A five-car Class 802 train would probably seat 350 passengers in comfort.
Train Length
These are the train lengths.
- A pair of three-car Class 159 trains are 156 metres long.
- A five-car Class 802 train is 130 metres long.
So it would appear, there would be no platform length problems.
Conclusion
A tri-mode Class 802 train or AT-300 would appear to be ideal for Waterloo and Exeter.
Details of the AT-300 trains, that have been ordered by East Midlands Railway and the West Coast Partnership are not very comprehensive, but do say, the following.
- Five-car trains will have four engines instead of three. Would they be smaller, with an added battery? Or will they use MTU Hybrid PowerPacks.
- They will have a new nose. For better aerodynamics?
, But I believe they will make extensive use of battery traction to reduce the use of diesel.
What Would Be The Range Of A Tri-Mode Class 802 Train?
In Could Cirencester Be Reconnected To The Rail Network?, I speculated about the routes of a battery-electric version of a Class 800 train.
I said this.
As Hitachi have stated they will be using battery power to extend ranges of their trains, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the current trains modified to have batteries instead of some of their current diesel engines.
Such a train would would be ideal for the following routes.
- Paddington and Bedwyn – 13 miles
- Paddington and Cheltenham – 43 miles
- Paddington and Oxford – 10 miles
- Paddington and Weston-Super-Mare – 19 miles
The distance is the length that is not electrified.
I don’t think it improbable, that London Paddington and Swansea will be achieved by a battery-electric train based on the current Hitachi train designs.
So was it a serious idea or mad speculation?
Under Powertrain in the Wikipedia entry for theClass 800 train, this is said.
Despite being underfloor, the generator units (GU) have diesel engines of V12 formation. The Class 801 has one GU for a 5-9 car set. These provide emergency power for limited traction and auxiliaries if the power supply from the overhead line fails. The class 800/802 electro-diesel or Bi-Mode has 3 GU per five car set and 5 GU per nine car set. A 5 car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/4 respectively and a 9 car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/5/7/8 respectively.
This means that a five-car Class 800 or Class 802 train has three engines and an all -electric Class 801 train has a single engine.
If you were building a tri-mode Class 802 train, could two of the diesel engines be replaced by batteries.
- Hitachi have stated that trains can be changed from one class to another by adding or removing engines.
- Trains would always have at least one diesel engine for emergencies, just as the Class 801 trains do.
- Each MTU 1600 R80L diesel engine weighs just under seven tonnes.
Fourteen tonnes of batteries would probably store about 840 kWh of energy, if the most efficient batteries are used. That would not be a problem if Hitachi came calling.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I calculated that a five-car Class 801 train needs 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile to cruise on electricity at 125 mph.
Dividing 840 by 5 cars and 3.42 kWh per vehicle file gives a range of forty-nine miles.
- The trains would need regenerative braking to the batteries.
- Battery energy density is increasing.
- Train aerodynamics could be improved, to reduce the power needed.
- Secondary routes like the Golden Valley Line are unlikely to have an operating speed higher than 110 mph, which would reduce the power needed.
I am coming round to the opinion, that Hitachi could design a battery-electric train based on the current Class 80X trains, that could reach Swansea from Paddington, without touching a drop of diesel.
- The batteries would need to be recharged before returning to London.
- I am assuming that the electrification is up and working between Paddington and Cardiff.
- Could the overhead rails in the Severn Tunnel be removed or replaced with engineering plastic or ceramic, as they corrode so much?
- Two five-car trains with batteries could work together as they do now.
Hitachi would need to get the software absolutely right.
Could The Diesel Engine Be Used To Increase Battery Range?
Lets assume that a tri-mode Class 802 train is running on a 125 mph main line.
It enters a section without electrification.
- It is cruising at 125 mph
- The batteries have a capacity of 840 kWh and have been charged on previous electrification.
- The train needs 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile to maintain speed.
- It’s a five-car train so it will need 17.1 kWh per mile.
- The train will take approximately thirty seconds to cover a mile and in that time the diesel engine will produce 5.83 kWh.
- So the net energy use of the train will be 11.27 kWh per mile.
This would give the train a range of 74.5 miles at 125 mph.
Obviously, a good driver, aided by a powerful Driver Assistance System could optimise the use of power to make sure the train arrived on time and possibly minimised carbon emissions.
What Would Be The Ultimate Range?
I think it would be possible to reduce the electricity consumption by means of the following.
- Slower operating speed.
- Better aerodynamics.
- More efficient train systems.
- Improved Driver Assistance Systems.
I think an energy consumption of 2.5 kWh per vehicle-mile could be possible, at perhaps a cruise of 100 mph
I can do the calculation without diesel assistance.
- It’s a five-car train so it will need 12.5 kWh per mile.
This would give the train a range of 67.2 miles at 100 mph on batteries alone.
I can also do the calculation again with diesel assistance.
- It’s a five-car train so it will need 12.5 kWh per mile.
- The train will take thirty-six seconds to cover a mile and in that time the diesel engine will produce 7 kWh.
- So the net energy use of the train will be 5.5 kWh per mile.
This would give the train a range of 153 miles at 100 mph on batteries with diesel assistance.
How Many Places Could Be Reached With A Fifty-Mile Range?
Setting a limit of fitly miles would allow running these routes on partial battery power, split down by companies who run the Hitachi trains.
Great Western Railway
These routes could certainly be run using a tri-mode Class 802 train.
- Paddington and Bedwyn – 13 miles
- Paddington and Cheltenham – 43 miles
- Paddington and Oxford – 10 miles
- Paddington and Swansea – 46 miles
- Paddington and Weston-Super-Mare – 19 miles
- Swindon and Bristol via Bath – 39 miles
Note.
- The distance gives the length of the longest section of the route without electrification.
- Certain routes like Bedwyn, Oxford and Weston-super-Mare probably wouldn’t need a charging station at the final destination.
- GWR could probably run a few other routes, without adding substantial new infrastructure.
- Tri-mode Class 802 trains, might be able to avoid electrification through Bath.
But surely the the biggest gain is that they would reduce GWR’s carbon footprint.
Hull Trains
I very much feel that with a charging station at Hull station, a tri-mode Class 802 train could bridge the forty-four mile gap between Beverley and the electrified East Coast Main Line at Temple Hirst Junction.
- The train could top up the battery every time it stops in Hull station.
- The 700 kW diesel engine could add 700 kWh in the hour long trip with no wires.
If a tri-mode Class 802 train could bridge this gap, then Hull Trains could go zero carbon.
LNER
These routes could certainly be run using a tri-mode Class 802 train.
- Kings Cross and Bradford – 14 miles
- Kings Cross and Harrogate – 18 miles
- Kings Cross and Huddersfield – 17 miles
- Kings Cross and Hull – 36 miles
- Kings Cross and Lincoln – 16 miles
- Kings Cross and Middlesbrough – 21 miles
Note.
- The distance gives the length of the longest section of the route without electrification.
- Certain routes like Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Lincoln and Middlesbrough probably wouldn’t need a charging station at the final destination.
- LNER could probably run a few other routes, without adding substantial new infrastructure.
- Using both battery and diesel power, the train would be able to make Cleethorpes and Grimsby after Lincoln.
But surely the the biggest gain is that they would reduce LNER’s carbon footprint.
TransPennine Express
These routes could certainly be run using a tri-mode Class 802 train.
- Leeds and Huddersfield – 17 miles
- Liverpool and Edinburgh – 34 miles
- Liverpool and Hull – 34 miles
- Liverpool and Scarborough – 34 miles
- Manchester Airport and Middlesbrough – 34 miles
- Manchester Airport and Newcastle- 34 miles
Note.
- The distance gives the length of the longest section of the route without electrification.
- TransPennine Express services all suffer because of the long gap across the Pennines.
- Network Rail are planning to partly electrify Dewsbury and Huddersfield, which would reduce the major gap to just eighteen miles.
As with GWR, Hull Trains and LNER, the carbon footprint would be reduced.
Conclusion
A tri-mode Class 802 train would be a good idea.
It should be noted that GWR, Hull Trains and TransPennine Express are all First Group companies.
Boris Johnson Vows New Life For High Streets And Axed Rail Lines
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Boris Johnson is promising to revitalise “left behind” high streets through tax cuts for pubs and shops and reversing some of the Beeching rail cuts to branch lines.
The article gives a map of the lines and here is a list of them.
- Newcastle and Ashington/Blyth.
- Bristol and Portishead
- Camp Hill Line
- Willenhall and Darlaston
- Thornton-Cleveleys and Fleetwood
- Okehampton and Exeter
- March and Wisbech
- Uckfield and Lewes
- A new station he building of a station at Skelmersdale.
I will suggest other possibilities and add them here.
- West Hampstead and Hounslow – Part of the West London Orbital Railway
- Brent Cross and Kew – Part of the West London Orbital Railway
- Cirencester – See Could Cirencester Be Reconnected To The Rail Network?
There could be several!
The Technology Is With Us!
Anyone who follows railway technology, as I do, knows that technology coming on stream will ease the creation of these routes.
- Modern digital in-cab signalling, as already used on Thameslink.
- Battery-electric trains.
- Innovative charging for battery-electric trains.
- Hydrogen-powered trains.
- Tram-trains
- Automatic train control
- Remote services in simple depots.
- Better bridge-raising and other construction techniques.
Many of these new routes will be able to use a standard train.
Fuel Cell Train To Be Tested In The Netherlands
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel-cell multiple-unit is to be tested on the Groningen – Leeuwarden line after an agreement was signed at the Klimaattop Noord NL climate summit by manufacturer Alstom, the province of Groningen, local operator Arriva, infrastructure manager ProRail and energy company Engie.
You can get a flavour of some of the Dutch railways in the area from The Train Station At The Northern End Of The Netherlands.
Hydrogen powered trains are also part of the future plans for the use of hydrogen, which I wrote about in The Dutch Plan For Hydrogen.
The Railway Gazette article gives more details on how they will be introducing low carbon trains in the network around Groningen and the wider Netherlands.
These general points are made.
- The Netherlands has nearly a thousand kilometres of lines without electrification.
- Alstom has forty-one orders for their hydrogen-powered Coradia iLints.
They will also be refurbishing the 51 Stadler GTW trains in the area.
The main improvement, is that they will be fitted with batteries to handle regenerative braking and cut their carbon footprint.
The Railway Gazette article also says this.
A further 18 new Stadler Wink trainsets have been ordered which will be able use overhead electrification or hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel, with batteries for regenerated braking energy. These will be designed so that their engines can be replaced with larger batteries when the planned 1·5 kV DC discontinuous electrification of the routes is completed.
The Stadler Wink appears to be the another train from the Flirt family, which is the successor to the GTW.
The Dutch seem to be moving very firmly towards a zero-carbon railway in the North.
Collateral Benefits For The UK
What areas of the UK would be ideal places to adopt a similar philosophy to that which the Dutch are using in the North of the Netherlands?
I think they will be areas, where there are lots of zero carbon electricity, railways without electrification and terrain that’s not to challenging.
These areas come to mind.
- East Anglia
- Lincolnshire
- East Yorkshire
- Far North and North East Scotland.
Note.
-
- The only electrification in these areas is the main lines to Norwich and Cambridge in East Anglia.
- All areas have Gigawatts of offshore wind farms either operating or under development.
- Vivarail are proposing to run battery-electric trains between Wick and Turso, as I wrote about in Is This The Most Unusual Idea For A New Railway Service in The UK?
- With the exception of East Yorkshire, the train operating company is Abellio, who are Dutch railways, by another name.
- East Anglia is already using Stadler Flirt Class 755 trains, that can be fitted with batteries.
I also believe that Hitachi will soon be providing battery-electric versions of their AT300 trains. I wrote about this in Thoughts On The Next Generation Of Hitachi High Speed Trains.
Battery electric AT300 trains could provide long distance services to the areas I listed.
Conclusion
What is happening in the North of the Netherlands, will be watched with interest in the UK.
‘Earthquake Mode’ Battery Packs To Be Fitted To N700S Shinkansen Fleet
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the Railway Gazette.
The Japanese are fitting batteries into the latest N700S Shinkansen trains.
- Eight of the sixteen cars will be fitted with batteries.
- It is quoted that they may be for rescue modes at low speed.
- The batteries seem to be a proven component from Toshiba.
I would be very surprised if they didn’t handle the regenerative braking.
I feel in a few years time, no manufacturer will build a train without batteries, as it will save energy and provide a rescue mode.
Shapps Wants ‘Earlier Extinction Of Diesel Trains’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the East London and West Essex Guardian.
This is the first two paragraphs of the article.
The phasing out of diesel trains from Britain’s railways could be intensified as part of the Government’s bid to cut carbon emissions.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs he is “hugely concerned” that the current policy means diesel trains will continue to operate until 2040.
In some ways the positioning of the article in a newspaper serving East London and West Essex is a bit strange.
- The only diesel trains in the area are freight trains, after the electrification of the Gospel Oak and Barking Line.
- Grant Schapps constituency is Welwyn and Hatfield, which is twenty or so miles North of London.
It looks to me to be a syndicated story picked up by the paper.
But as it reports what he said to the Transport Select Committee, there is a strong chance that it is not fake news.
How Feasible Would It Be To Bring Forward The 2040 Diesel Extinction Date?
Government policy of an extinction date of 2040 was first mentioned by Jo Johnson, when he was Rail Minister in February 2018.
This article on Politics Home is entitled Rail Minister Announces Diesel Trains To Be Phased Out By 2040, gives more details about what Jo said.
Since then several developments have happened in the intervening nearly two years.
Scores Of Class 800 Trains Are In Service
Class 800 trains and their similar siblings can honestly be said to have arrived.
Currently, there appear to be over two hundred of these trains either delivered or on order.
Many have replaced diesel trains on Great Western Railway and LNER and stations like Kings Cross, Paddington and Reading are becoming over ninety percent diesel-free.
It should be noted that over half of these trains have diesel engines, so they can run on lines without electrification.
But the diesel engines are designed to be removed, to convert the trains into pure electric trains, when more electrification is installed.
Midland Main Line Upgrade
This line will be the next to be treated to the Hitachi effect, with thirsty-three of the second generation of Hitachi’s 125 mph trains.
- The Hitachi trains will use electrification South of Melton Mowbray and diesel power to the North.
- The trains will have a redesigned nose and I am sure, this is to make the trains more aerodynamically efficient.
- The introduction of the trains will mean, that, all passenger trains on the Midland Main Line will be electric South of Melton Mowbray.
- St. Pancras will become a diesel-free station.
Whether High Speed Two is built as planned or in a reduced form, I can see electrification creeping up the Midland Main Line to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield and eventually on to Leeds.
Other Main Line Routes
The Midland Main Line will have joined a group of routes, that are run partly by diesel and partly by electricity.
- London and Aberdeen
- London and Bradford
- London and Cheltenham
- London and Harrogate
- London and Hull
- London and Inverness
- London and Lincoln
- London and Middlesbrough
- London and Penzance via Exeter and Plymouth.
- London and Sunderland
- London and Swansea
- London and Worcester and Hereford
Once the Midland Main Line is upgraded, these main routes will only be these routes that use pure diesel for passenger routes.
- TransPennine Routes
- Chiltern Route
- London and Exeter via Basingstoke
- London and Holyhead
Plans already exist from West Coast Rail to use bi-mode on the Holyhead route and the Basingstoke route could also be a bi-mode route.
TransPennine and Chiltern will need bespoke solutions.
Some Electrification Has Happened
Electrification has continued at a slow pace and these schemes have been completed or progressed.
- Chase Line
- Between Birmingham and Bromsgrove
- North West England
- Between Edinbugh, Glasgow, Alloa, Dunblane and Stirling.
- Gospel Oak to Barking Line
- Between St. Pancras and Corby.
- Crossrail
In addition London and Cardiff will soon be electrified and a lot of electrification designed by the Treasury in the past fifty years has been updated to a modern standard.
Battery Trains Have Been Developed And Orders Have Been Received Or Promised
Stadler bi-mode Class 755 trains have been delivered to Greater Anglia and these will be delivered as electric-diesel-battery trains to South Wales.
Stadler also have orders for battery-electric trains for Germany, which are a version of the Flirt called an Akku.
In the Wikipedia entry for the Stadler Flirt, this is a paragraph.
In July 2019, Schleswig-Holstein rail authority NAH.SH awarded Stadler a €600m order for 55 battery-powered Flirt Akku multiple unit trains along with maintenance for 30 years. The trains will start entering service in 2022 and replace DMUs on non-electrified routes.
55 trains at €600 million is not a small order.
Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Hitacxhi and Siemens all seem to be involved in the development of battery-electric trains.
I think, if a train operator wanted to buy a fleet of battery trains for delivery in 2023, they wouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a manmufacturer.
Quite A Few Recently-Built Electric Trains Are Being Replaced And Could Be Converted To Battery-Electric Trains
In 2015 Bombardier converted a Class 379 train, into a battery-electric demonstrator.
The project showed a lot more than battery-electric trains were possible.
- Range could be up to fifty miles.
- The trains could be reliable.
- Passengers liked the concept.
Judging by the elapsed time, that Bombardier spent on the demonstrator, I would be very surprised to be told that adding batteries to a reasonably modern electric train, is the most difficult of projects.
The Class 379 trains are being replaced by by brand-new Class 745 trains and at the time of writing, no-one wants the currents fleet of thirty trains, that were only built in 2010-2011.
In addition to the Class 379 trains, the following electric trains are being replaced and could be suitable for conversion to battery-electric trains.
- Thirty Class 707 trains from South Western Railway.
- Thirty-seven Class 350/2 trains from West Miidlands Railway.
- Perhaps twenty Class 387 trains from various sources.
There also may be other trains frm Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect.
All of these trains are too good for the scrapyard and the leasing companies that own them, will want to find profitable uses for them.
Porterbrook are already looking at converting some Class 350 trains to Battery-electric operation.
Vivarail And Others Are Developing Fast Charging Systems For Trains
Battery trains are not much use, unless they can be reliably charged in a short time.
Vivarail and others are developing various systems to charge trains.
Hydrogen-Powered Trains Have Entered Service In Germany
Hydrogen-powered Alstom Coradia Lint trains are now operating in Germany.
Alstom are developing a Class 321 train powered by hydrogen for the UK.
Stadler’s Bi-Mode Class 755 Train
The Class 755 train is the other successful bi-mode train in service on UK railways.
I would be very surprised if Grant Schapps hasn’t had good reports about these trains.
They may be diesel-electric trains, but Stadler have made no secret of the fact that these trains can be battery electric.
Like the Class 800 train, the Class 755 train must now be an off-the-shelf solution to use on UK railways to avoid the need for full electrification.
Class 93 Locomotives
Stadler’s new Class 93 locomotive is a tri-mode locomotive, that is capable of running on electric, diesel or battery power.
This locomotive could be the best option for hauling freight, with a lighter carbon footprint.
As an example of the usability of this locomotive, London Gateway has around fifty freights trains per day, that use the port.
- That is an average of two tph in and two tph out all day.
- All trains thread their way through London using either the North London or Gospel Oak to Barking Lines.
- Most trains run run substantially on electrified tracks.
- All services seem to go to freight terminals.
With perhaps a few of miles of electrification, at some freight terminals could most, if not all services to and from London Gateway be handled by Class 93 locomotives or similar? Diesel and/or battery power would only be used to move the train into, out of and around the freight terminals.
And then there’s Felixstowe!
How much electrification would be needed on the Felixstowe Branch to enable a Class 93 locomotive to take trains into and out of Felixstowe Port?
I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing a lot of these tri-mode freight locomotives.
Heavy Freight Locomotives
One of the major uses of diesel heavy freight locomotives,, like Class 59 and Class 70 locomotives is to move cargoes like coal, biomass, stone and aggregate. Coal traffic is declining, but the others are increasing.
Other countries also use these heavy freight locomotives and like the UK, would like to see a zero-carbon replacement.
I also believe that the current diesel locomotives will become targets of politicians and environmentalists, which will increase the need for a replacement.
There could be a sizeable world-wide market, if say a company could develop a powerful low-carbon locomotive.
A Class 93 locomotive has the following power outputs.
- 1,300 kW on hybrid power
- 4,055 kW on electric
It also has a very useful operating speed on 110 mph on electric power.
Compare these figures with the power output of a Class 70 locomotive at 2,750 kW on diesel.
I wonder if Stadler have ideas for a locomotive design, that can give 4,000 kW on electric and 3,000 kW on diesel/battery hybrid power.
A few thoughts.
- It might be a two-section locomotive.
- Features and components could be borrowed from UKLight locomotives.
- It would have a similar axle loading to the current UKLight locomotives.
- There are 54 UKLight locomotives in service or on order for the UK.
- Stadler will have details of all routes run by Class 59, Class 66 and Class 70 locomotives, in the UK.
- Stadler will have the experience of certifying locomotives for the UK.
Stadler also have a reputation for innovation and being a bit different.
Conclusion
All pf the developments I have listed mean that a large selection of efficient zero carbon passenger trains are easier to procure,than they were when Jo Johnson set 2040 as the diesel extinction date.
The one area, where zero carbon operation is difficult is the heavy freight sector.
For freight to be zero-carbon, we probably need a lot more electrification and more electric locomotives.
What Will Happen To Great Western Railway’s Class 387 Trains?
I have been looking at the services that Great Western Railway run using Class 387 trains.
Current services run by these trains are.
London Paddington And Didcot Parkway
This service has the following characteristics.
- The frequency is two trains per hour (tph)
- Services are run by two trains working as a pair.
- Intermediate stops are Ealing Broadway, Southall, Hayes and Harlington, West Drayton, Iver, Langley, Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading, Tilehurst, Pangbourne, Goring and Streatley and Cholsey.
- Journey time is one hour twenty-three minutes, giving a three hour round trip.
I estimate that twelve trains are needed to run this service.
From the 15th December 2019, this service appears to run to a similar timetable.
London Paddington And Reading
This service has the following characteristics.
- The frequency is two tph.
- Services are run by two trains working as a pair.
- Intermediate stops are Ealing Broadway, Southall, Hayes and Harlington, West Drayton, Slough, Burnham, Maidenhead and Twyford
- Journey time is fifty-seven minutes, giving a two and a half hour round trip.
I estimate that ten trains are needed to run this service.
From the 15th December 2019, this service will be run by TfL Rail using Class 345 trains.
Reading And Newbury
This service has the following characteristics.
- The frequency is one tph.
- Services are run by two trains working as a pair.
- Intermediate stops are Reading West, Theale, Aldermaston, Midgham, Thatcham and Newbury Racecourse.
- Journey time is twenty-nine minutes, giving an hour round trip.
I estimate that two trains are needed to run this service.
From the 15th December 2019, this service appears to run to a similar timetable.
Current Trains Needed
Summarising the trains needed gives the following.
- London Paddington and Didcot Parkway – twelve trains
- London Paddington and Reading – ten trains
- Reading and Newbury – two trains.
This gives a total of twenty-four trains.
Trains Needed After 15th December 2019
Summarising the trains needed gives the following.
- London Paddington and Didcot Parkway – twelve trains
- London Paddington and Reading – no trains
- Reading and Newbury – two trains.
This gives a total of fourteen trains.
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express will use twelve Class 387 trains in the near future.
Great Western Railway’s Future Need For Class 387 Trains
Summarising the trains needed gives the following.
- London Paddington and Didcot Parkway – twelve trains
- Reading and Newbury – two trains.
- Heathrow Express – twelve trains.
This gives a total of twenty-six trains.
Great Western Railway have a total of forty-five Class 387 trains. Wikipedia is a bit confusing on this point, but I’m fairly certain this is a correct figure.
This means that Great Western Railway have nineteen trains available for expansion of services.
Great Western Railway’s Class 769 Trains
Great Western Railway have also ordered nineteen dual-voltage bi-mode Class 769 trains.
These are for the following routes.
- Reading – Redhill or Gatwick Airport
- London Paddington – Reading and Oxford
As the spare number of Class 387 trains is the same as that of the bi-mode trains, was it originally intended, that these routes could be run by the Class 387 trains, after Network Rail had joined the electrification together.
But the extra electrification never happened.
So Great Western Railway ordered the bi-modes trains.
Great Western Railway’s Dilemma
The Class 769 trains appear to be running late, so Great Western Railway are running the Gatwick and Oxford services with diesel multiple units, that they’d like to send to the West Country.
Bombardier appear to have moved on with their battery technology, that was successfully trialled using a similar Class 379 train in 2015. I wrote about the possibility of battery Electrostars on the Uckfield Branch last month in Battery Electrostars And The Uckfield Branch.
I believe that both routes would be within range of a battery-electric Class 387 train.
Reading – Redhill or Gatwick Airport
The various sections of the route are as follows.
Reading and Wokingham – Electrified with 750 VDC third-rail.
Wokingham and Aldershot South Junction – Not electrified – 12 miles
Aldershot South Junction and Shalford Junction – Electrified with 750 VDC third-rail.
Shalford Junction and Reigate – Not electrified – 17 miles
Reigate and Redhill/Gatwick – Electrified with 750 VDC third-rail.
To my mind, this is a classic route for a battery-electric train, as it is mainly electrified and both gaps are less than twenty miles long.
Some or all of the Class 387 trains are dual-voltage.
London Paddington – Reading and Oxford
The distance between Didcot Parkway and Oxford is under twelve miles, so a return trip should be well within range of a battery-electric Class 387 train.
There are also plans at Oxford station to put a new bay platform on the London-bould side of the station. This could be fitted with a charging station to avoid any range anxiety.
A Gatwick And Oxford Service
Could the Oxford and Gatwick services be joined together to make a direct Oxford and Gatwick service via Reading?
- I estimate that the service would take around two hours.
- Assuming a fifteen minute turnround at both ends, a round trip would be four and a half hours.
Running a half-hourly service would need just nine trains.
Or eighteen, if they were to run as eight-car trains!
Could this explain the order for nineteen trains, as it’s always a good idea to have a spare?
Conclusion
Great Western Railway can dig themselves elegantly out of a hole of Network Rail’s making by converting the spare Class 387 trains to battery-electric trains.
I’m sure Bombardier have the design available and would be happy to oblige after they have finished conversion of the Heathrow Express units.
There might also be an argument for fitting all Class 387 trains with batteries.
- A more unified fleet.
- Train recovery in the event of electrification failure.
- Better safety in depots.
- Direct services between Paddington and Henley and Bourne End.
- Would it allow Class 387 trains to run between Paddington and Bedwyn?
- Reduced electricity consumption.
It’ll be a decision for the accountants.
One collateral benefit of a successful conversion program for the Great Western Railway, is that it would enable Great Northern’s twenty-eight trains and c2c’s six trains to be easily converted to battery-electric versions.
- Great Northern’s coulde be used by sister company; Southern on the Uckfield Branch and the Marshlink Line.
- c2c trains are soon to be replaced by new trains.
I’m sure that quality four-car battery-electric trains won’t wait long for an operator.
Battery Units Planned For Chemnitz – Leipzig Route
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
I have visited Chemnitz and after a visit to the area I wrote Would I Go Back To Dresden, Chemnitz And Leipzig, where I said this.
I enjoyed my two days spent exploring these three cities in the former East Germany. On a properly planned trip, there is a lot to see to satisfy any particular taste.
This picture sums up Chemnitz, which used to be called Karl-Marx-Stadt.
Although, I did get a reasonable gluten-free lunch in a restaurant under the Rathaus, called the Ratskeller.
Summarising the new battery trains, I can say the following.
- The trains will be eleven three-car battery-powered versions of Alstom’s Coradia Continental multiple-units.
- They will replace diesel-electric locomotives and coaches.
- Trains will generally run in pairs.
- The maximum speed would be increased by 20 kph to 160 kph.
- The current service takes sixty-five minutes and the new trains will knock six minutes off the time.
- Batteries will take thirty minutes to charge at Chemnitz and Leipzig.
Note that the route would appear to be just over seventy kilometres and there are stops at .. Bad Lausick, Geithain and Burgstädt.
A few of my thoughts.
Chemnitz And Leipzig
Consider.
Chemnitz and Leipzig are two of the three largest cities in the German state of Saxony.
- Chemnitz has a population of around 220,000
- Leipzig has a population of nearly 600,000
- The train journey between the two cities takes an hour.
But they only have an hourly train service between them.
Many services of a similar duration in the UK have only hourly services, but there are several that have or aspire to have half-hourly services.
Liverpool and Preston could be an equivalent city-pair in the UK and they currently have a single stopping service every hour.
In the next few years, the following will happen.
- An express Liverpool and Glasgow service will stop at Preston.
- A second stopping service will run via Ormskirk.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Germans doubling the frequency between Chemnitz and Leipzig.
Number Of Trains Needed
Consider.
- The service will take an hour.
- Thirty minutes will be needed to charge the batteries at either end of the route.
This means that a round trip will take three hours, so this will mean.
- Three trains will be needed for the hourly service.
- Six trains will be needed for a half-hourly service.
If all services are run by pairs of three-car trains, there would be a need for twelve new trains to run the half-hourly service.
So perhaps, the service will be half-hourly, with some trains six-cars and others only three-cars.
Charging Time
The charging time seems a bit long to me, but it is using conventional pantographs, rather than a specialist charging station.
Suppose, by using one of these stations like a Railbaar, that the charging time could be reduced to fifteen minutes, this would reduce the round trip to two and a half hours.
This would mean that five trains would be needed for a half-hourly service.
If all services are run by pairs of three-car trains, there would be a need for ten new trains.
This would leave a spare or allow for one being maintained.
Conclusion
Around the world we will be seeing a lot of current diesel services converted into battery-electric services.
How many services are there like Chemnitz and Leipzig?
- Around 50-60 miles.
- Only a few stops.
- Run by noisy and polluting diesel trains.
- Operators need more trains to increase the frequency.
- Operators need new trains to increase the level of customer service.
- Operators need to run faster services.
- There are good electricity supplies to charge the trains at both ends.
Here are a few simple examples from the UK.
- Ashford and Hastings
- Bidston and Wrexham
- Cambridge and Ipswich
- Carlisle and Newcastle
- Didcot and Oxford
- Ely and Norwich
- Ely and Peterborough
- Fife Circle Line
- Ormskirk and Preston
Battery-electric trains will be invading the diesel world.
The Anonymous Widower 