World’s First Solar-Powered Trains Are Coming To England
The title of this post, is the same as that on this article on Lonely Planet.
This is the first paragraph
The first ever solar unit to directly supply a railway line with electricity has been put in place in England, paving the way for the world’s first solar-powered trains
I am not sure yet about this technology., powering large sections of the UK’s railways.
But the technology does have applications, if it is combined with energy storage.
Boosting Power With Third-Rail Electrification
Third-rail electrification has a problem, in that it needs to be fed with power every few miles. Inevitably, as timetables get busier, there are areas, where there is not enough power to supply the trains.
These systems can provide that fill-in power.
Note that 25 KVAC overhead electrification doesn’t have the problem, as the wires themselves distribute the electricity.
This means that the Great Western Main Line electrification is only supplied with power from the electricity grid at three places; the two ends and one in the middle.
Electrification In Visually-Sensitive Places
Look at this picture of Brunel’s magnificent Wharncliffe Viaduct.
It has been recently electrified and some groups object to the electrification of Grade I Listed structures like this.
Most modern electric trains can be dual-voltage and can work on both electrification systems used in the UK; 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third rail. They can also change between electrification systems at maximum speed
So could we see selective use of solar-powered third-rail electrification in visually-sensitive areas?
Possibly! But battery/electric trains may be a better alternative!
Charging Battery-Electric Trains
There are some branch lines, that will be served by battery-electric trains in the future.
These solar-powered systems could be used to provide the energy to charge the batteries for the return journey.
Powering Remote Stations
Stations are increasingly needing better electricity supplies with more lighting and various ticket and parking machines, and charging for electric cars will become more important.
Solar power systems and batteries could be used.
Conclusion
Solar power will be increasingly used on the railways, with a large number of stations like Blackfriars and the recently-opened White Hart Lane.
But that will happen, irrespective of the result of the Aldershot trial, as many stations are easy places to install solar panels, either on the roof or redundant spaces.
This Google Map shows one of my local stations; Haggerston.
It was rebuilt and reopened in April 2010, so solar panels were probably not thought about for the station.
From my helicopter, it appears that the stations at Dalston Junction, Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street, which were all built at the same time, don’t have solar rooves either.
Perhaps Transport for London and/or Network Rail should rent their roof areas to companies, who run solar farms?
I’m sure there’s a mutually beneficial deal in there somewhere!
As to powering trains, I’m sure they that Riding Sunbeams has a place on third-rail networks, where power needs boosting.
However, electric trains with batteries might be a better option in other applications.
Around The Fife Circle Line
Although, I’ve been to Scotland many times, I’d never knowingly been over the Forth Bridge in good light.
So I went all the way round the Fife Circle Line and took these pictures.
The route was fairly busy and I very much feel that the three-car Class 170 train could at times be rather small for the route.
The Fife Circle Line
This map from Wikipedia shows the stations on the Fife Circle Line.
Consider.
The route is double-track.
- The distance from Dalmeny to Glenrothes with Thornton station via Comdenbeath is 22.3 miles
- The distance from Dalmeny to Glenrothes with Thornton station via Kirkcaldy is 21.4 miles
- The train I was on waited a couple of minutes at Glenrothes with Thornton station before turning to Edinburgh.
In addition my pictures show the following.
- Many of the bridges are high- enough to allow electrification.
- On the East side of the Circle, there are some old stone bridges that would need to be raised for electrification.
- Some of the stations are step-free with ramps.
Overall, it is a typically-Scottish neat-and-tidy line, that needs some improvement, like longer electric trains and some improved stations with step-free access.
Electrification Of The Fife Circle Line
In my view, there are two major obstacles to full-electrification of the Fife Circle Line.
The Forth Rail Bridge
I feel that engineers could electrify the Forth Rail Bridge without too much difficulty.
But that is not the problem.
- The bridge is on the main route between Edinburgh and Aberdeen and North East Scotland and electrification would cause major disruption during the installation.
- There is also the Heritage Lobby, who would probably be totally against major changes to a World Heritage Site.
For these reasons, I don’t think that the Forth Bridge will be electrified.
The Stone Bridges On The Eastern Side Of The Circle
There are nearly a dozen stone arch bridges on the route through Kirkcaldy and raising these for electrification would cause major disruption to one of Scorland’s main rail routes.
Third-Rail Electrification Of The Fife Circle Line
In my view, this would be an option to get round the problems of disruption and the Forth Rail Bridge.
But, third-rail electrifrication is still-considered a method non-grata, despite being used successfully for over a hundred years in Merseyside and South of London.
I do wonder, if Brexit will make it easier to install third-rail systems.
Certainly, Hitachi who would probably make most of the electric trains that would use the Forth Rail Bridge and the Fife Circle Line have the technology for third-rail trains, which they used on the Class 395 trains for HighSpeed commuter services to Kent.
I do wonder, if Brexit will make it easier to install third-rail systems.
Battery-Electric Trains On The Fife Circle Line
In Hitachi Plans To Run ScotRail Class 385 EMUs Beyond The Wires, I discussed Hitachi’s plan to fit batteries to Class 385 trains, so they could run on unelectrified lines.
The Fife Circle Line would be an ideal route for battery-electric trains.
This map shows the rail lines to the South of the Forth Rail Bridge.
Note.
- An unelectrified line, through South Gyle and Edinburgh Gateway stations, connects the Forth Bridge to the main electrifield Edinburgh and Glasgow Line through Edinburgh Park station.
- There is also another unelectrified line, that connects the Forth Rail Bridge to Linlithgow, Falkirk and Glasgow.
- Shown in yellow is a proposed chord, which would create another route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Electrification as far as Dalmeny station, which is between the Forth Bridge and the proposed chord would enable LNER’s bi-mode Class 800 trains to use electric power for a few extra miles.
As I said earlier, the distance between Dalmeny and Glenrothes with Thorntonh station is under twenty-five miles using either the Western or Eastern side of the Fife Circle Line.
- Twenty-five miles is well within range of a battery-electric train, that has charged the battery using the electrification between Edinburgh and Dalmeny.
- Most quoted ranges for battery-electric trains are in the order of sixty miles, so a well-designed train could probably do a complete round trip from Dalmeny station.
- A charging point could be provided at Glenrothes with Thorton station to top up the batteries, whilst the train waits to return, if that were deemed necessary.
In my view, the Fife Circle Line is an ideal route for battery-electric trains. Especially, as the only new infrastructure required is as follows.
- Electrification to Dalmeny station, which may be under consideration anyway.
- Provision of a charging station at Glenrothes with Thornton station.
It is undoubtedly, the lowest cost way to provide new electric trains on the Fife Circle Line.
How Big Would The Batteries Need To Be?
I use a figure of three kWh per vehicle mile for the energy consumption of an electric multiple unit running on a typical route. My reasoning for this figure is given in How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?.
On that basis a three-car Class 385 train would need a battery capacity of 3x3x50 or 450 kWh to do a complete trip around the Fife Circle Line.
Note that Vivarail are talking about putting 424 kWh in a three-car Class 230 train.
This page on the Vivarail web site is entitled Battery Train Update.
This is a paragraph.
Battery trains are not new but battery technology is – and Vivarail is leading the way in new and innovative ways to bring them into service. 230002 has a total of 4 battery rafts each with a capacity of 106 kWh and requires an 8 minute charge at each end of the journey. With a 10 minute charge this range is extended to 50 miles and battery technology is developing all the time so these distances will increase.
So it looks like Vivarail manage to put 212 kWh under each car of their two-car train.
Surely, Hitachi have the technology to put 450 kWh in a three-car Class 385 train.
Trains On The Levenmouth Rail Link
In Scottish Government Approve £75m Levenmouth Rail Link, I talked about using Class 385 trains with batteries on the Levenmouth Rail Link.
The same Class 385 trains with batteies could do both routes.
Extension To The Borders Railway
There has been suggestions, that Borders Railway and Fife Circle Line trains run back-to-back across Edinburgh.
It is just over thirty miles between Newcraighall, where the electrification from Edinburgh ends, and Tweedbank.
With a charging station at Tweedbank, Class 385 trains with batteries could run both routes.
Conclusion
It appears that running battery-electric Class 385 trains on the Fife Circle Line and the Levenmouth Rail Link is a feasible option.
It would also be superb publicity for the company, who supplied the trains, if videos were shown of the trains on the Forth Rail Bridge.
Scottish Government Approve £75m Levenmouth Rail Link
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
The plan seems to have been well-received by politicians and the media.
I’ve always thought this line to be a good candidate for reopening.
- It is only five miles long.
- It would serve Scotland’s largest town without a rail station.
- There must be freight opportunities for freight, as the line could serve Scotland’s largest distillery.
There is more here on the Wikipedia entry for the Levenmouth Rail Link under Cost, Feasibility And Services.
Could The Levenmouth Rail Link Be Part Of A Bigger Picture?
The Fife Circle Line is an important route into Edinburgh for commuters, shoppers and visitors.
This map from Wikipedia shows the stations on the Fife Circle Line.
Consider.
- The route is not electrified.
- A train starting in Edinburgh and going rund the loop would cover about sixty miles.
- Trains have a frequency of four trains per hour (tph)
It would appear that it would be the sort of service that would be ideal for electric trains, like ScotRail’s Class 385 trains, where a fleet of perhaps eight trains could provide the current service.
But there is a big obstacle to electrification; the Forth Rail Bridge.
It would be a difficult engineering project, that would cause massive disruption and one that would probably be strongly opposed by the Heritage lobby.
This map from Wikipedia shows the proposed Levenmouth Rail Link.
Note how it connects to the Fife Circle Line at Glenrothes with Thorton and Kirkcaldy stations.
I estimate that the distance between Leven and Edinburgh stations would be about 31 miles.
Could Battery-Electric Trains Work To Glenrothes with Thorton And Leven?
Consider these facts abut battery-electric trains.
- Bombardier ran a battery-electric train on the 11.5 mile Mayflower Line in public service for three months, without a hitch in 2015.
- Hitachi, Siemens, Stadler and Vivarail have sold battery-electric trains.
- Hitachi are running battery-electric trains in Japan.
- Ranges of upwards of fifty miles are being claimed.
- Battery-electric trains are a quality experience for passengers.
.As the Edinburgh and Leven and dinburgh and Glenrothes with Thorton routes are about thirty miles, I believe it is now possible to run battery-electric trains on these two routes.
- They would be charged at the Edinburgh end using the existing electrification.
- Charging stations would be needed at Leven and Glenrothes with Thornton.
- Electrification could also be erected as far as Dalmeny station at the Edinburgh end, which would reduce the range on batteries by about seven miles.
There would be no difficult engineering and the Forth Rail Bridge would look the same as the day it was built!
Hitachi Plans To Run ScotRail Class 385 EMUs Beyond The Wires
I covered this in more detail in Hitachi Plans To Run ScotRail Class 385 EMUs Beyond The Wires.
Hitachi appear to be serious according to this article of the same name on Rail Engineer.
The article concludes with this paragraph.
Hitachi’s proposal to operate battery trains in Scotland is at an early stage. However, with their use being recommended by the rail decarbonisation task force and the Scottish Government about to pass new climate change legislation, it may not be long before battery trains are operating in Scotland.
Hitachi aren’t stupid and I doubt they could want for a better portfolio of launch routes, than some of those in Scotland.
- Edinburgh and Leven over the Forth Rail Bridge.
- Edinburgh and Grenrothes with Thornton over the Forth Rail Bridge.
- The Borders Railway.
I also show in the related article, that Glasgow to Oban and Mallaig may be possible.
The Rail Network And Electrification To The West Of Edinburgh
This map shows the rail system to the West of Edinburgh.
All lines except for the route through South Gyle and Edinburgh Gateway stations are electrified.
Electrification as far as Dalmeny station, the addition of the new chord (shown in yellow) and fill in electrification to join the chord to the Glosgow wires would open up the possibilities of more routes between Edinburgh and Glasgow and a connection between Glasgow and the Fife Circle.
But battery-electric trains would be needed.
ScotRail has Options For More Class 385 Trains
This is said in the Wikipedia entry for the Class 385 trains.
10 unit optional follow up order after 2020.
So ScotRail seem to have a gateway to the future.
Will Battery-Electric Trains Be Good For Tourism?
I very much doubt, that they’ll be bad for it!
Conclusion
The announcement of the reinstatement of the Levenmouth Rail Link, could be be a collateral benefit of a decision to trial or even order some battery-electric Hitachi Class 385 trains.
Baden-Württemberg Backs Battery Mireos
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
The Land of Baden-Württemberg has decided to order a fleet of 20 Mireo battery-electric multiple units from Siemens Mobility to operate the Netz 8 Ortenau package of regional lines, the state government announced on August 2.
Routes to be operated include.
- The electrified line between Offenburg and Freudenstadt/Hornberg
- Rench Valley Railway between Appenweier and Bad Griesbach – 29.1 km.
- , Acher Valley Railway between Achern and Ottenhöfen. – 10.4 km.
- Harmersbach Valley Railway between Biberach and Oberharmersbach-Riersbach – 10.6 km.
Reading about the area, it could be a nice place to go for an explore.
But it also could be the sort of area, that is ideal for battery-electric trains.
Germany Is Going Green In Local Rail Services
There have been other stories of hydrogen and battery-electric trains in Germany.
- Battery Answer To Schleswig-Holstein’s Diesel Replacement Question
- World’s Largest Fleet Of Fuel Cell Trains’ Ordered
- My First Ride In An Alstom Coradia iLint
- Bombardier Introduces Talent 3 Battery-Operated Train
- Flirt Akku Battery Multiple-Unit Unveiled
- Alpha Trains Commits To Hybrid Retrofit For Diesel Fleet
Manufacturers involved include Alstom, Bombardier, Rolls-Royce MTU, Siemens and Stadler.
Who will win the battle of zero-carbon technologies?
My money is on a new design of train, that is built specifically around battery or hydrogen technology.
- I’m sure Bombardier’s Aventras use battery technology, as an integral part of their excellent design.
- Stadler’s launch of the Class 755 train, shows they’ve got a top-of-the-range platform on which to install battery or hydrogen power.
Will Siemens battery-powered Mireo be another challenger.
Bombardier Doesn’t Seem Too Disappointed On Missing Out On The Abellio East Midlands Railway Order
This article on the Derby Telegraph is entitled Derby’s Bombardier Misses Out On Big Contract To Supply Trains For The East Midlands.
This is two paragraphs from the article.
In a statement, Bombardier said: “Bombardier is clearly disappointed that we have not been selected to supply bi-mode trains for the East Midlands franchise.
“We believe we submitted a competitive bid – on technology, strength of product, deliverability and cost, and will seek formal feedback from Abellio.”
There certainly hasn’t been any published threat of legal action.
The Abellio East Midlands Railway Order From Hitachi.
The order placed was as follows.
Thirty-three five-car AT-300 trains.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Four cars have underfloor diesel-engines.
- 125 mph running.
- 24 metre cars.
- Ability to work in pairs.
- Evolution of a Class 802 train.
- A new nose.
It is a £400 million order.
No Trains For Corby
In How Will Abellio East Midlands Railway Maximise Capacity On The Midland Main Line?, I calculated that the current timetable to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield would need thirty-two trains.
So thirty-three trains would only be enough trains for the bi-mode services to the three Northern termini.
So it looks like Hitachi are not providing any trains for the Corby services! Surely, to have a compatible fleet from one manufacturer would be of an advantage to Abellio East Midlands Railway.
An Ideal Fleet For Corby
Trains between London and Corby take around 70-75 minutes, with a round trip taking three hours.
This means that to run a one train per hour (tph) service to Corby needs three trains and a two tph service will need six trains.
As trains go wrong and also need servicing, I would add at least one spare train, but two is probably preferable.
It would have the following characteristics.
- All electric.
- 125 mph running, as they will need to keep out of the way of the Hitachi bi-modes.
- 240 metres long.
- A passenger-friendly interior, with loys of tables.
- Energy efficient
If the last point s to be met, I and many other engineers believe that to save energy, trains must have regenerative braking to batteries on the train.
In Kinetic Energy Of A Five-Car Class 801 Train, I calculated that the kinetic energy of a Class 801 train, with every seat taken was 104.2 kWh
This calculation was performed for a half-length train, so a full electric train for London and Corby would have a kinetic energy of 208.4 kWh, if it was similar to one of Hitachi’s Class 801 train.
The reason the kinetic energy of a train is important, is teat if a train brakes from full speed and has batteries to handle the energy generated by regenerative braking, the batteries must be big enough to handle all the energy.
So a ten-car train similar in capacity and weight to a Class 801 train would need batteries capable of handling 208.4 kWh.
I’ll give a simple example.
A train similar to a Class 801, is full and running using electrification at 125 mph. It is approaching a station, where it will stop.
- The train’s computer knows the mass and velocity of the train at all times and hence the kinetic energy can be calculated.
- The train’s computer will constantly manage the train’s electricity supply, so that the batteries always have sufficient capacity to store any energy generated by braking.
- As the train brakes, the energy generated will be stored in the batteries.
- As the train moves away from the station, the train’s computer will use energy from the overhead electrification or batteries to accelerate the train.
Energy will constantly be recycled between the traction motors and the batteries.
I don’t know what battery capacity would be needed, but in my experience, perhaps between 300-400 kWh would be enough.
Any better figures, gratefully accepted.
When you consider that the battery in a Tesla car is around 60-70 kWh, I don’t think, there’ll be too much trouble putting enough battery power underneath a ten-car train.
Onward To Melton Mowbray
This page on the Department for Transport web site is an interactive map of the Abellio’s promises for East Midlands Railway.
These are mentioned for services to Oakham and Melton Mowbray.
- After electrification of the Corby route there will continue to be direct service each way between London and Oakham and Melton Mowbray once each weekday, via Corby.
- This will be operated with brand new 125mph trains when these are introduced from April 2022.
This seems to be a very acceptable minimum position.
Surely, in a real world driven by marketing and finance and more and more passengers wanting to travel regularly by train to places like London, Luton Airport and Leicester, there will come a time, when an hourly service on this route is needed.
Could a Corby service be extended to Melton Mowbray using battery power, at perhaps a slower speed of 90 mph?
Accelerating away from Corby, the train would need 108 kWh of energy to get to 90 mph with a full train.
- There would be a continuation of the electrification for perhaps a couple of hundred metres after Corby station.
- The train would probably leave Corby with a full battery, which would have been charged on the journey from London.
Once at cruising speed, the train would need energy to maintain line speed and provide hotel power.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I calculated the figure for some high-speed trains.
This was my conclusion.
In future for the energy use of a train running at 125 mph, I shall use a figure of three kWh per vehicle mile.
So I will use that figure, although I suspect the real figure could be lower.
I will also assume.
- Corby to Melton Mowbray is 26.8 miles.
- It’s a ten-car train.
- Regenerative braking is seventy percent efficient.
- The train is running at 90 mph, between Cotby and Melton Mowbray, with an energy of 108 kWh
Energy use on a round trip between Corby and Melton Mowbray, would be as follows.
- Accelerating at Corby – 108 kWh – Electrification
- Stop at Oakham – 32.4 kWh – Battery
- Corby to Melton Mowbray – 804 kWh – Battery
- Stop at Melton Mowbray – 32.4 kWh – Battery
- Stop at Oakham – 32.4 kWh – Battery
- Melton Mowbray to Corby – 804 kWh – Battery
This gives a total of 1705.2 kWh
The battery energy need gets a lot more relaxed, if there is a charging station at Melton Mowbray, as the train will start the return journey with a full battery.
Energy use from Corby to Melton Mowbray would be as follows.
- Accelerating at Corby – 108 kWh – Electrification
- Stop at Oakham – 32.4 kWh – Battery
- Corby to Melton Mowbray – 804 kWh – Battery
This gives a total of 836.4 kWh.
Energy use from Melton Mowbray to Corby would be as follows.
- Accelerating at Melton Mowbray- 108 kWh – Battery
- Stop at Oakham – 32.4 kWh – Battery
- Melton Mowbray to Corby – 804 kWh – Battery
This gives a total of 944.4 kWh.
The intriguing fact, is that if you needed a train to go out and back from Corby to Melton Mowbray, it needs a battery twice the size of one needed, if you can charge the train at Melton Mowbray., during the stop of several minutes.
Charging The Train
This page on the Furrer + Frey web site, shows a charging station..
It might also be possible to erect a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification. This would also help in accelerating the train to line speed.
This Google Map shows Melton Mowbray station.
It looks to be a station on a large site with more than adequate car parking and I suspect building a bay platform with charging facilities would not be the most difficult of projects.
More Efficient Trains
I also think that with good design electricity use can be reduced from my figure of 3 kWh per vehicle mile and the regenerative braking efficiency can be increased.
Obviously, the more efficient the train, the greater the range for a given size of battery.
Onward To Leicester
If the train service can be extended by the 26.8 miles between Corby and Melton Mowbray, I wonder if the electric service can be extended to Leicester.
Under current plans the Northern end of the electrification will be Market Harborough.
In Market Harborough Station – 11th July 2019, I wrote about the station after a visit. In my visit, I notices there were a lot of croaaovers to the North of the station.
As it was a new track alignment, I suspect that they were new.
So is it the interntion to turnback services at Market Harborough or are the crossovers preparation for links to stabling sidings?
It got me asking if battery-electric trains could reach Leicester.
- Leicester and Market Harborough are only fourteen miles apart.
- There are no stops in between.
- Using my three kwH per vehicle mile, this would mean that a ten car train would use 420 kWh between the two stations at 125 mph.
I certainly believe that a Northbound train passing Market Harborough with fully-charged batteries could reach Leicester, if it had an adequate battery of perhaps 700 kWh.
As at Melton Mowbray, there would probably need to be a charging station at Leicester.
The picture shows the station from the Northern bridge.
The platforms shown are the two main lines used by most trains. On the outside are two further lines and one or both could be fitted with a charging station, if that were necessary.
An Example Electric Service Between London And Leicester
If they so wanted, Abellio East Midlands Railway could run 125 mph battery-electric services between London and Leicester.
The Current Timings
The fastest rains go North in around 66-67 minutes and come South in seventy.
So a round trip would take around two and a half hours.
Five trains would be needed for a half-hourly service.
I feel it would be very feasible, if Abellio East Midlands Railway wanted to increase services between London and Leicester, then this could be done with a fleet of zero-carbon battery-electric trains, using battery power between Leicester and Market Harborough.
A Non-Stop London And Leicester Service
I wonder what would be the possible time for an electric express running non-stop between London and Leicester.
- Currently, some diesel Class 222 trains are timetabled to achieve sixty-two minutes.
- Linespeed would be 125 mph for much of the route.
- There is no reason, why the fourteen mile section without electrification North of Market Harborough couldn’t be run at 1235 mph on battery-power, once the track is upgraded to that speed.
- iIn the future, modern digital signalling, as used by Thameslink, could be applied to the whole route and higher speeds of up to 140 mph may be possible.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a battery-electric train travelling between London and Leicester in fifty minutes before 2030.
A fifty-minute service would result in a two-hour round trip and need just two trains for a frequency of two tph.
It would surely be a marketing man’s dream.
It should be noted that Abellio has form in this area and have introduced Norwich-in-Ninrty services on the slower London and Norwich route.
London And Leicester Via Corby, Oakham And Melton Mowbray
I have been very conservative in my calculations of battery size.
With real data on the terrain, the track profile, the train energy consumption, regenerative braking performance and the passengers, I do wonder, if it would be possible to run on battery power between Corby and Leicester via Oakham and Melton Mowbray.
- The distance would be 62 miles on battery power.
- Trains could serve Syston station.
- Using times of current services London and Leicester would take two hours fifteen minutes.
I suspect it would be possible, but it would be a slow service.
Would These Services Be An Application For Bombardier’s 125 mph Bi-Mode Aventra With Batteries?
Could Bombardier’s relaxed reaction to not getting the main order, be because they are going to be building some of their proposed 125 mph bi-mode trains with batteries, that will be able to work the following routes?
- London and Melton Mowbray via Corby and Oakham.
- London and Leicester via Market Harborough.
But I think that the main emphasis could be on a non-stop high-speed service between London and Leicester.
I have been suspicious that there is more to Bombardier’s proposed train than they have disclosed and wrote Is Bombardier’s 125 mph Bi-Mode Aventra With Batteries, A 125 mph Battery-Electric Aventra With Added Diesel Power To Extend The Range?
Since I wrote that article, my view that Bombardier’s train is a battery-electric one, with diesel power to extend the range, has hardened.
These Midland Main Line trains will run in two separate modes.
- On the Southern electrified sections, the trains will be 125 mph electric trains using batteries for regenerative braking, energy efficiency and emergency power in the case of overhead line failure..
- On the Northern sections without electrification,the trains will be battery-electric trains running at the maximum line-speed possible, which will be 125 mph on Leicester services.
There will be an optimum battery size, which will give the train the required performance.
Is there any need for any diesel engines?
Quite frankly! No! As why would you lug something around that you only need for charging the batteries and perhaps overhead supply failure?
- Batteries would only need to be charged at the Northern end of the routes. So use a chasrging station, if one is needed!
- Batteries can handle overhead supply failure, automatically.
Who needs bi-modes?
How Big Would The Batteries Need To Be?
A full train would have a kinetic energy of around 200 kWh and I said this about battery capacity for handling the energy from regenerastive braking.
I don’t know what battery capacity would be needed, but in my experience, perhaps between 300-400 kWh would be enough.
Any better figures, gratefully accepted.
To handle Corby to Melton Mowbray and back, I estimated that 1,800 kWh would be needed, but if the train had a top-up at Melton Mowbray a capacity of 1,000 kWh would be sufficient.
Pushed, I would say, that a battery capacity of 2,000 kWh would be sufficient to run both routes without a charging station, at the Northern end.
I also believe the following will happen.
- Trains will get more efficient and leighter in weight.
- Batteries will increase their energy density.
- Charging stations will charge trains faster.
- Battery costs will fall.
This would mean that larger battery capacities can be achieved without the current weight and cost penalty and the achievable range after the end of the wires will increase.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see ranges of over fifty miles in a few years, which with a charging station at the destination, means battery-electric trains could venture fifty miles from an electrified line.
A few other suggested routes.
- Ashford and Southampton
- Birmingham and Stansted Airport
- Carliswle and Newcastle
- Doncaster and Peterborough via Lincoln (CS)
- Edinburgh and Tweedbank (CS)
- London Euston and Chester
- London St. Pancras and Hastings
- London Waterloo and Salisbury (CS)
- Manchester and Sheffield (CS)
- Norwich and Nottingham (CS)
- York and Hull via Scarborough (CS)
Note.
- Stations marked (CS) would need a charging station.
- Some routes would only need 100 mph trains.
I think that a 125 mph battery train will have a big future.
Conclusion
I have a feeling that Bombardier are right to be not too disappointed.
« Previous | Next »
Solar Panel Pilot For Aldershot
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the August 2019 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the two paragraphs.
Solar panels are to be installed on derelict land near Aldershot station as part of an experiment into whether renewable energy can be used to power trains.
A total of 135 discrete solar panels are being installed and are expected to go live in August. The Riding Subnbeams ‘First Light’ demonstrator project is a collaboration between climate change charity 10:10, Community Energy South and Network Rail, alongside a consortium of specialist consultants and university departments.
I wrote about the company and its ideas in Solar Power Could Make Up “Significant Share” Of Railway’s Energy Demand, which I posted in December 2017.
I won’t repeat myself, but I will say that since I wrote the original article, a compatible development has happened.
In Vivarail Unveils Fast Charging System For Class 230 Battery Trains, I wrote about Vivarail’s charging system for battery trains, which uses battery-to-battery power transfer to charge batteries on trains, through standard third-rail technology.
I do feel that the 10:10 and Vivarail ought to be talking, as I feel that between them, they could come up with some good joint ideas.
Getting To The Proposed Morecambe Eden Project By Train
I originally wrote this post as part of Thoughts On The Morecambe Bay Eden Project, in August 2018, but I now feel it is better as a standalone post!
Current Train SAervices To Morecambe
Morecambe is served by the Morecambe Branch Line, This diagram from Wikipedia, shows how Morecambe is well-connected to Lancaster and the West Coast Main Line.
Note.
- The line has two stations in the town at Bare Lane and Morecambe and another at the nearby Heysham Port.
- Service between Morecambe and Lancaster seems to have a frequency of two trains per hour (tph) and a journey time of around ten minutes.
- There are also upwards of three services a day to and from Skipton and Leeds, which reverse at Lancaster.
I don’t think that a train every half-hour, is sufficient to serve a major attraction.
Possible Expansion Of The Train Service
As both Bare Lane and Morecambe stations have two platforms and there used to be extra tracks along the route, I think it would be possible to create a railway system to Morecambe that could include.
- Two tph to and from Lancaster.
- Trains to and from Leeds via Lancaster, Carnforth, Hellifield for the Settle & Carlisle Railway and Skipton
- Trains to and from Windermere via Lancaster, Carnforth and Oxenholme Lake District.
- Trains to and from Carlisle via Lancaster, Carnforth, Barrow and the Cumbrian Coast Line.
There is tremendous scope to expand rail services in an area of scenic beauty, that includes the Lake District and the Pennines.
Creating an iconic attraction at Morecambe could be a catalyst to develop the rail services in the wider area.
A decent rail service with good provision for bicycles and wheelchairs, might also encourage more tourism without the need for cars.
The West Coast Main Line And High Speed Two
The West Coast Main Line, which will also be used by High Speed Two trains in the future goes between Lancaster and Carlisle.
- Trains to and from Morecambe, Windermere and Barrow will have to share with the 125 mph trains on the West Coast Main Line.
For this reason, I feel that the specification for local trains must be written with care.
Battery Trains Between Morecambe And Lancaster
In my view, the short Morecambe and Windermere Branch Lines are ideal for services that use battery trains, which would charge the batteries on the electrified West Coast Main Line.
- All trains between Lancaster and Morecambe could use battery power.
- Morecambe to Windermere could even be a 125 mph electric train on the West Coast Main Line, that used batteries on the short branch lines at either end.
Consider
- Bombardier are talking about a 125 mph bi-mode Aventra with batteries. Diesel power would not be needed, so add more batteries.
- Battery trains are talking about ranges of thirty miles, in a few years.
- Batteries would be charged on the West Coast Main Line.
- The trains would not be slow enough to interfere with the expresses on the West Coast Main Line.
How cool is that?
The battery-powered trains would surely fit in well with the message of the Eden Project.
Hydrogen-Powered Trains Between Morecambe And Leeds
In my view these routes would be ideal for environmentally-friendly hydrogen-powered trains.
- Morecambe and Leeds
- Lancaster and Carlisle via Barrow and Workington
- Carlisle and Newcastle
- Carlisle and Leeds via the Settle and Carlisle Line.
All passenger trains in Cumbria would be zero-carbon.
Conclusion
Morecambe and the Eden Project could be at the centre of an extensive zero-carbon rail network.
These major cities would have direct electric trains to Lancaster, which would be a short local train ride away.
- Birmingham
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
All journeys could be zero-carbon.
Industry Urged To Decide On Alternative Technology
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
The rail industry needs to decide on the right approach to alternative technology as soon as possible, to ensure the industry can continue to reduce emissions.
Speaking to the All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group, Anthony Perratt of the RSSB, outlined how there was a huge opportunity to replace ageing Sprinter trains with new units powered by alternative energy sources like batteries and hydrogen.
The Size Of The Opportunity
Sprinter trains in service of stored in the UK include.
- Class 150 – 135 x two-car, 2 x three-car
- Class 153 – 70 x one-car
- Class 155 – 7 x two-car
- Class 156 – 114 x two-car
- Class 158 – 147 x two-car, 21 x three-car
- Class 159 – 30 x three-car
These add up to 516 trains, with a total of 1035 cars.
In the Wikipedia entry for the Class 710 train, this is said.
TfL announced that it had placed a £260m order for 45 four-car Bombardier Aventra EMUs.
This works out at nearly £1,500,000 for each car of a modern train.
This means that replacement of the Sprinters, with new independently-powered trains, would be project of the order of £1.5billion.
That is a market, that would be very much desired by a train builder.
Battery, Diesel Or Hydrogen Power?
Diesel power is probably not a good idea, if it can be avoided.
The following points about hydrogen- and battery-powered trains should be noted.
- Most hydrogen-powered trains are battery-powered trains, with a hydrogen fuel-cell to recharge the batteries.
- Battery technology is improving fast.
- Systems to rapidly charge batteries will be available in a couple of years.
- Battery-powered trains can use existing electrification to charge the batteries.
- Hydrogen-powered trains may need a large tank for the hydrogen, which limits passenger capacity.
- Hydrogen-powered trains need a refuelling structure, which may be more difficult to install, than a charging system for battery trains.
I feel that innovative engineers will be able to find ways to enable battery-powered trains on routes that need independently powered trains.
Conclusion
I don’t think, that we’ll see many long-term applications of hydrogen-powered trains in the UK.
The High Speed Local Train
If Great Western Railway (GWR) are going to run a train service between Paddington and Bedwyn, they need an electric train which can power itself on the last thirteen miles between Newbury and Bedwyn, which is not electrified and is unlikely to be so in the next couple of decades.
The train must also be capable of cruising at 125 mph on the fast lines of the Great Western Main Line between Reading and Paddington.
GWR have no choice, but to run the service with a five-car Class 802 train.
When Hitachi were designing these 125 mph trains in Japan, I don’t suspect that running a service over a distance of 66.5 miles between London and a small village in Berkshire, was in the specification.
This morning, I took the 10:05 service from Paddington to Bedwyn, with the intention of returning on the 11:41 from Bedwyn to Paddington.
These are a few of the pictures that I took.
But things didn’t turn out as planned.
- Nothing serious and some animals got on the tracks between Reading and Swindon, meaning that we were some minutes late into Bedwyn, due to platform congestion at Reading.
- The return journey was consequently delayed.
These are a few observations.
Operating Speed
These were speeds on various parts of the journey.
- I timed the train at 115 mph through Southall and at 123 mph through Hayes & Harlington as the train accelerated out of Paddington.
- The train was doing just short of 125 mph for the major part of the route between London and Reading, until it had to stop because of the congestion.
- The train was doing around 100 mph on the electrified line between Reading and Newbury.
- Between Newbury and Bedwyn, speeds were between 80 and 90 mph.
Similar speeds were attained on the return journey.
Passenger Numbers
As the pictures show, there weren’t that many passengers who were travelling to Bedwyn, although there were more heading back to London.
Many more joined and left the service at the three larger stations of Reading, Newbury and Hungerford.
Now that the service is hourly between Reading and Bedwyn and half-hourly between Reading and Newbury in modern, comfortable trains, I can see passenger numbers growing.
Current Service
There are eleven trains per day, between Paddington and Bedwyn, at an hourly frequency, which take around three hours for a round trip.
So it would appear that three trains are needed for the service.
The service is also supplemented by an hourly stopping shuttle train between Reading and Newbury.
Two years ago, the service was just one three-car diesel train per hour between Paddington and Bedwyn with a few additional stops from long-distance trains.
Bedwyn Station Improvements
I got the impression, that Bedwyn station is probably at its limit for car parking with the current twenty-five spaces and cars all over the place.
This article on the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, is entitled It’s A Rail Problem At Great Bedwyn and indicates that commuters and residents don’t see eye-to-eye with the car parking.
If the car parking were to be increased and usage at the station increased then I feel that a step-free bridge could be needed.
In Winner Announced In The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition, I wrote how the competition was won by this bridge.
So could a factory-built bridge like this be installed at Bedwyn station?
The installation wouldn’t be difficult, but the politics could be.
Other Station Improvements
A quick look at other stations suggest these improvements.
- Hungerford station, which has a large car park, needs a step-free bridge.
- Kinbury station doesn’t have a bridge.
- Midgham station doesn’t have a bridge
- Theale station has improvements planned.
There are level crossings at Hungerford, Kintbury, Thatcham and Midgham.
Future Trains To Bedwyn
In Hitachi Plans To Run ScotRail Class 385 EMUs Beyond The Wires, I discussed how Hitachi were proposing to add battery power to Class 385 trains, which are in the same family as GWR’s Class 802 trains.
So surely, what is a power source for the goose is also a power source for the gander.
As it would only be a journey of thirteen miles both ways between Newbury and Bedwyn, this would surely be an ideal route for the use of battery power.
The other route, where battery power could be used would be between Didcot and Oxford, which is just over ten miles.
A Future Service To Marlborough
I covered this proposal in A Station For Marlborough.
Marlborough would be served by a single-track branch line on an old railway alignment, probably terminating near the large Tesco superstore in a single platform station.
The advantages of doing this would be.
- Marlborough, which is an important market town of 8,500 people would be connected to the rail network.
- Adequate car parking could be provided.
- Creating a station at Marlborough could be an alternative to expanding Bedwyn station, which could be problematical.
- It would improve the economics of the Paddington and Bedwyn service.
This is the sort of service, that should be developed.
Other Possible Services
The big advantage of this high speed local service for Great Western Railway, is that when it is on the Great Western Main Line, it becomes just another 125 mph service or once digital signalling is installed a possible 140 mph service.
These routes could have this type of high speed local services.
Great Western Main Line
Great Western Railway has several routes, where Class 800 and Class 802 trains break away from the Great Western Main Line to operate local services.
- Paddington and Bedwyn
- Paddington and Oxford
It could be argued that services to Cheltenham and Hereford are also high speed local services.
East Coast Main Line
In April 2018, I wrote Call For ETCS On King’s Lynn Route.
This post was based on an article in Rail Magazine, which talked about running 125 mph trains on the Kings Cross and Kings Lynn route.
This would make operation of the East Coast Main Line easier with herds of 125 mph trains steaming into and out of London.
I think, improvement would also extend to the Cambridge Line, in addition to the Fen Line.
- Operating speed up from 90 mph to 110 mph plus.
- Full digital signalling.
- Automatic Train Control.
Journey times and frequency to and from London Kings Cross would be improved significantly.
Siemens would probably need to uprate the Class 700 trains for faster running, as 100 mph trains are just too slow!
If you look at the East Coast Main Line between Doncaster and Edinburgh, large sections of the line are only double track.
It is the ambition of train operating companies to run more high speed expresses between London and the North of England and Scotland.
I can see a time, when all trains using the East Coast Main Line will have to confirm with a high minimum speed, otherwise the future plans cannot be fulfiled.
Midland Main Line
By the end of 2020, the Midland Main Line South of Market Harborough, will be a 125 mph electrified railway with a high speed branch to Corby, which will be served by a half-hourly twelve-car electric service.
From 2022, 125 mph bi-mode trains will be running services on the Midland Main Line.
I can see services between St. Pancras and Corby becoming another high speed local service.
- Half-hourly service.
- 125 mph running.
- Limited stop between Corby and London, with stops at Kettering, Luton And Luton Airport Parkway.
- The journey time could even be under an hour.
Selected trains could even use battery power to extend the service to Melton Mowbray.
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line will become increasingly crowded with fast 140 mph trains, especially after the opening of Phase 2a of High Speed Two to Crewe in 2027.
I believe that this will mean that all passenger services using the West Coast Main Line will need to be run using trains capable of at least 110 mph and possibly 125 mph.
The new operation of suburban services on the West Coast Main Line; West Midlands Trains are replacing their fleet with new Class 730 trains. Like the previous trains, they are 110 mph units, but are they capable of upgrading to 125 mph?
If they are upgradeable, they would ease timetabling problems between London and the West Midlands, as they could mix it with Virgin’s Class 390 trains.
Further North, Northern run services like these.
- Barrow and Manchester Airport.
- Blackpool and Manchester Airport
- Windermere and Manchester Airport
Currently, the operator is introducing new Class 195 and Class 331 trains, alongside the Class 319 trains.All of these trains are 100 mph capable, which is probably not fast enough, if they have to use the West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Lancaster, some of which is only double-track.
In Northern Considering Options For More New Trains, I wrote about Northern’s future rolling stock plans.
I suspect some 125 mph trains are in their plans for both the East and West Coast Main Lines.
Implications For Freight
There must surely be pressure for freight trains to go faster.
The 110 mph Class 93 locomotive is on its way, but with rail freight increasing we need to radically think how we run freight trains on a busy passenger line.
Conclusion
We will increasingly see upgrading of suburban services that use 125 mph line and not just around London.
The Mathematics Of Fast-Charging Battery Trains Using Third-Rail Electrification
In Vivarail Unveils Fast Charging System For Class 230 Battery Trains, I talked about how Vivarail are proposing to fast-charge their Class 230 trains.
- The trains are fitted with special high-capacity third rail shoes.
- Third-rail electrification is laid in stations.
- The third rail is powered by a bank of bstteries, that are trickle-charged from the mains or perhaps even solar power.
- When the train connects to the rail, the rail is made live and a fast transfer takes place between third-rail and train.
So how much electricity could be passed to a train during a stop?
The most powerful locomotive in the UK, that can use 750 VDC third-rail electrification is a Class 92 locomotive.
According to Wikipedia, it can produce a power output of 4 MW or 4,000 kW, when working on third-rail electrification.
This means, that in an hour, four thousand kWh will be transferred to the train using conventional third-rail electrification.
Or in a minute 66.7 kWh can be transferred.
In Vivarail’s system, because they are transferring energy between batteries, enormous currents can be passed.
To illustrate how batteries can can deliver enormous currents here’s a video of a guy using two car batteries to weld things together.
These currents are possible because batteries have a low impedance and when the battery on the train is connected to the battery bank on the station, the two batteries will equalise their power.
If we take the example of the Class 92 locomotive and conventional electrification, this would be able to transfer 200 kWh in three minutes or 400 kWh in six minutes.
But I believe that battery-to-battery transfers could be at a much higher current
Thus in a typical one or two minute stop in a station, upwards of 200 kWh could be transferred to the train.
On this page of their web-site, Vivarail say this.
Due to the high currents required for the train Vivarail uses a carbon ceramic shoe able to withstand the heat generated in the process – without this shoe the charge time would make operational running unfeasible.
The devil is always in the details! From what I’ve seen and heard about the company, that would fit!
The Anonymous Widower 