The Anonymous Widower

Electrification Of The Hope Valley Line

This news story from the Department of Transport is entitled Yorkshire And The Humber To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.

This is said about the Hope Valley Line.

The Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield will also be electrified and upgraded, with the aim of cutting journey times from 51 to 42 minutes and increasing the number of fast trains on the route from 2 to 3 per hour, doubling capacity.

The fast trains are currently TransPennine’s service between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes.

  • Between Platform 13 at Manchester Piccadilly station and Sheffield station is 42.6 miles.
  • At the Manchester end, there will be electrification between Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations, which is 8.7 miles and takes typically 17 minutes.
  • After the electrification of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield, there will be electrification between Dore & Totley and Sheffield stations, which is 4.2 miles and takes typically 8 minutes.

The gap in the electrification between Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove stations will be 29.7 miles.

But it will not be an easy route to electrify.

  • At the Western end, there is the Disley Tunnel, which is 3535 metres long.
  • In the middle, there is the Cowburn Tunnel which is 3385 metres long, that is also the deepest tunnel in England.
  • At the Eastern end, there is the Totley Tunnel, which is 5700 metres long.

Yorkshire doesn’t have an Underground railway, but the combined length of these three tunnels is 7.84 miles, which means that over 26 % of the electrification needed between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield will have to be installed in tunnels.

Could The Route Be Run Using Battery-Electric Trains?

Consider.

  • The gap in the electrification between Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove stations will be 29.7 miles.
  • There is electrified sections at Dore & Totley and Hazel Grove stations, which will be able to charge the trains.
  • Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains have demonstrated a battery range of 84 miles.
  • A Stadler Akku train has demonstrated a battery range of 139 miles.
  • Hitachi are developing a battery-electric version of TransPennine’s Class 802 train.
  • If all trains can run on batteries or be self-powered, there would be no need to electrify the long and possibly difficult tunnels.

I believe that it would be possible to electrify all passenger services between Manchester and Sheffield using appropriate battery-electric trains.

Freight would be a problem and I suspect that hydrogen-hybrid and other self-powered locomotives could handle the route.

Could The Complete TransPennine Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Class 802 trains?

These are the various electrified and unelectrified sections.

  • Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway – Electrified – 5.7 miles – 10 minutes
  • Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park  – Not Electrified – 25.2 miles – 30 minutes
  • Trafford Park and Hazel Grove  – Electrified – 12.6 miles – 28 minutes
  • Hazel Grove and Dore & Totley  – Not Electrified – 29.7 miles – 35 minutes
  • Dore & Totley and Sheffield  – Electrified – 4.2 miles – 6 minutes
  • Sheffield and Doncaster  – Not Electrified – 18.6 miles – 25 minutes
  • Doncaster and Cleethorpes  – Not Electrified – 52.1 miles – 78 minutes

Note.

  1. This is a total of 125.6 miles without electrification.
  2. The Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield time is 56 minutes.
  3. The distance is 37.8 miles.
  4. That is an average speed on 40.5 mph.
  5. Most of the line between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield has an maximum speed of 70 mph, but there is a short length of track with a 50 mph speed and another longer one with 90 mph.

To achieve 40 minutes between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield would need an average speed of 60.7 mph. Given the improvements being carried out by Network Rail at the current time, I believe that forty minutes between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield should be possible.

I’ll look at a train going East.

  • The train will leave Liverpool Lime Street with a reasonably full battery after charging using the current electrification in the station.
  • The train will leave Liverpool South Parkway with a full battery after charging using the current electrification from Liverpool Lime Street.
  • The train will arrive at Trafford Park with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Hazel Grove.
  • The train will arrive at Dore & Totley with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the Midland Main Line electrification to Sheffield.
  • The train will arrive at Doncaster with a battery perhaps two-thirds full and the train would wait until it had enough charge to reach Cleethorpes.

I’ll look at a train going West.

  • The train will leave Cleethorpes with a full battery after charging using the new electrification in the station.
  • The train will arrive at Doncaster with a battery perhaps two-thirds full and the train would wait until it had enough charge to reach Sheffield.
  • The train will arrive at Sheffield with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the Midland Main Line electrification to Dore & Totley.
  • The train will arrive at Hazel Grove with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Trafford Park.
  • The train will arrive at Liverpool South Parkway with a battery perhaps two-thirds full, but the route is electrified to Liverpool Lime Street.

Note.

  1. If the battery range on a full battery was over 90 miles, the two most easterly sections could be run without any charging at Doncaster.
  2. If the battery range was over 125.6 miles, the journey could be done by starting with a full battery.
  3. If every time the train decelerated, regenerative braking would recover energy, which could be reused.
  4. The only new electrification needed will be a short length at Cleethorpes station, that would charge the trains.

I certainly believe that Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes services could be run by battery-electric trains.

Could The Complete TransPennine Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes Service Be Run By Battery-Electric Class 802 trains Without The Midland Main Line Electrification?

In this section, I’m assuming, that there is no electrification at Sheffield.

These would be the various electrified and unelectrified sections.

  • Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway – Electrified – 5.7 miles – 10 minutes
  • Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park  – Not Electrified – 25.2 miles – 30 minutes
  • Trafford Park and Hazel Grove  – Electrified – 12.6 miles – 28 minutes
  • Hazel Grove and Cleethorpes  – Not Electrified – 104.6 miles – 143 minutes

Note.

  1. This is a total of 129.6 miles without electrification.
  2. The battery range of the train, should probably be around 120 miles to make sure the train could run between Hazel Grove and Cleethorpes.
  3. One diesel power-pack could be installed for emergency use.

I’ll look at a train going East.

  • The train will leave Liverpool Lime Street with a reasonably full battery after charging using the current electrification in the station.
  • The train will leave Liverpool South Parkway with a full battery after charging using the current electrification from Liverpool Lime Street.
  • The train will arrive at Trafford Park with a battery perhaps 80 % full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Hazel Grove.
  • The train would then eek out what power it had left to reach Cleethorpes.

If necessary, the train could stop in the electrified Doncaster station to top up the batteries from the East Coast Main Line electrification for the run to Cleethorpes.

I’ll look at a train going West.

  • The train will leave Cleethorpes with a full battery after charging using new electrification in the station.
  • The train will arrive at Doncaster with a battery perhaps 57 % full and the train would wait if needed, until it had enough charge to reach Hazel Grove.
  • The train will arrive at Hazel Grove with a battery perhaps one-thirds full, but it will be fully charged on the current electrification to Trafford Park.
  • The train will arrive at Liverpool South Parkway with a battery perhaps one-thirds full, but the route is electrified to Liverpool Lime Street.

Note.

  1. If the battery range on a full battery was over 105 miles, the Eastern section could be run without any charging at Doncaster.
  2. If the battery range was over 129.6 miles, the journey could be done by starting with a full battery.
  3. If every time the train decelerated, regenerative braking would recover energy, which could be reused.
  4. The only new electrification needed will be a short length at Cleethorpes station, that would charge the trains.

However, it might be prudent to electrify the through platforms at Sheffield, so that they could be used for emergency charging if required.

Northern Train’s Service Between Sheffield And Manchester Piccadilly Via The Hope Valley Line

There is a one train per hour (tph) Northern service between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly.

  • The Class 195 diesel train takes 78 minutes.
  • The distance is 42 miles.
  • The first mile or so at the Manchester end is electrified.
  • Trains seem to take about sixteen minutes to turn round at Manchester Piccadilly.
  • Trains seem to take about nine minutes to turn round at Sheffield.
  • The service runs via Reddish North, Brinnington, Bredbury, Romiley, Marple, New Mills Central, Chinley, Edale, Hope, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford and Dore & Totley.
  • The max speed is generally 60 mph to the West of New Mills Central and 70 mph to the East, with short lower speed sections.

There would appear to be two ways to run this route withy battery-electric trains.

  • As Manchester Piccadilly station is fully-electrified and trains could be connected to the electrification for upwards of twenty minutes, trains will certainly be able to be fully-charged at Manchester. As the round trip is only 84 miles, could trains run the service without a charge at Sheffield.
  • Alternatively, there could be a dedicated electrified platform at Sheffield. But the problem with this, is that currently this service uses a random platform at Sheffield.

It looks like, if the train has the required range, that charging at the Manchester end would be the better solution.

Liverpool And Norwich Via The Hope Valley Line

This service uses a similar route between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield, as the Liverpool and Hull service and then it meanders, through the East Midlands.

  • Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway – Electrified – 5.7 miles – 11 minutes
  • Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park  – Not Electrified – 25.2 miles – 33 minutes
  • Trafford Park and Hazel Grove  – Electrified – 12.6 miles – 26 minutes
  • Hazel Grove and Dore & Totley  – Not Electrified – 29.7 miles – 28 minutes
  • Dore & Totley and Sheffield  – Electrified – 4.2 miles – 6 minutes
  • Sheffield and Nottingham – Being Electrified – 40.6 miles – 52 minutes
  • Nottingham and Grantham – Not Electrified – 22.7 miles – 30 minutes
  • Grantham and Peterborough – Electrified – 29.1 miles – 29 minutes
  • Peterborough And Ely – Not Electrified – 30 miles – 31 minutes
  • Ely and Norwich – Not Electrified – 53.7 miles – 56 minutes

This is a total of 161.3 miles without electrification.

But as Sheffield and Nottingham and Grantham and Peterborough will be fully electrified, this route will be possible using a battery-electric train.

Electrifying Sheffield Station

I said earlier in this post, that electrifying Sheffield station would be an option for electrifying the Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly service.

If this were to be done, it would have collateral benefits for other services that terminate at Sheffield, which could be charged whilst they turned around.

I wrote about Sheffield station as a battery-electric train hub in Could Sheffield Station Become A Battery-Electric Train Hub?

Conclusion

I believe that full electrification of the Hope Valley Line is not needed, if battery-electric trains are used.

I also believe that battery-electric trains and the current improvements being carried out on the Hope Valley Line will enable a forty minute time between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield.

 

 

October 15, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

High Speed Two To Barrow-in-Furness

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

Barrow-in-Furness Used To Have A Service To London

Barrow-in-Furness station doesn’t have a direct service to London.

This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry, describes how it used to be.

The present station was formerly known as Barrow Central, and at one time it was a terminus for British Rail long-distance or InterCity services. From October 1947 until May 1983 these included sleeper services to and from London Euston. A sleeper service in the London direction only was briefly reintroduced between May 1987 and May 1990.

Note.

  1. I find it interesting, that the area had both InterCity and sleeper services.
  2. There are some big employers like BAe Systems and British Nuclear Fuels in the area.
  3. Rishi Sunak has announced that the Cumbrian Coast Line will be upgraded.
  4. A High Speed Two service could improve low-carbon access to the Lake District.
  5. Grimsby/Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, which probably has a similar economic profile to Barrow-in-Furness appears to be getting a service from London as I wrote about in Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route. So why shouldn’t Barrow-in-Furness have a similar service?

It is my view that Barrow-in-Furness station could support a sprinkling of services.

The Current Barrow-in-Furness Service

Barrow-in-Furness station’s current services are described in these two paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry.

Services to the north are provided on Monday-Saturday by Northern, with services approximately hourly during the day to Whitehaven and Carlisle. One train per day operates to Sellafield specifically for workers at Sellafield nuclear plant (BNFL). Evening trains run only as far as Millom. There are 19 northbound departures each weekday; 15 of these go to Carlisle, three to Millom and one to Sellafield. There are 20 arrivals from the northern part of the line: 15 from Carlisle, three from Millom, one from Maryport and one from Sellafield. Some of these services continue along the Furness Line to Lancaster and Preston.

To the south, there are a mixture of stopping services to Lancaster and a number of through services to Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly. These operate on a broadly hourly frequency, with a few peak extras throughout the week (including Sundays).

Hard facts on what the improvements to the line will be, have not been reported. But it does seem that a doubling of frequency to two trains per hour (tph)  is being proposed.

What Are The Government’s Plans?

This news story from the Government is entitled North West To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.

Proposed improvements in Cumbria are contained in this paragraph.

A brand new £2.5 billion fund to transform local transport in 14 rural counties, smaller cities and towns. This new money could pay for new stations, further electrification, bus corridors and new integrated public transport networks. The Energy Coast Line between Carlisle, Workington and Barrow will be upgraded, improving capacity and journey times, enabling trains every 30 minutes between Carlisle, Workington and Whitehaven. The upgrade will also accommodate major new freight demands from the new coal mine and provide regular services for the Westlakes Science Park, Nuclear Academy and Sellafield. This could support the creation of over 18,000 jobs.

I have my thoughts.

Will The Route Be Electrified?

The Cumbrian Coast and the Furness Line effectively form a near 120 mile loop between Carnforth and Carlisle stations on the West Coast Main Line.

  • A journey from one end to the other takes about three hours and 18 minutes.
  • Main towns and places served include Barrow-in-Furness, Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.
  • A train between Carnforth and Carlisle can stop at as many as 29 stations.
  • The route is not electrified, but it connects to the electrified West Coast Main Line at both ends at Carnforth and Carlisle.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Carnforth.

Note.

  1. The red line is the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Lancaster.
  2. Carlisle is to the North.
  3. Lancaster is to the South.
  4. The black line going North-West is the Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness.
  5. The black line going East is the Bentham Line to Settle and Leeds.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Carlisle.

Note.

  1. The red line is the West Coast Main Line between Scotland and Carnforth.
  2. Scotland is to the North.
  3. Carnforth is to the South.
  4. The black line going South-West is the Cumbrian Coast Line to Workington, Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness.
  5. The black line going East is the Settle and Carlisle Line to Settle and Leeds.

If it were to be fully electrified, it could be a diversion route for electrified trains on the West Coast Main Line.

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

The specification says this about the unit and train formation.

The nominal length of the Unit shall be 200m. It has been determined that all Units should
be the same length, with no requirement for a Unit to be capable of being lengthened or
shortened. This supports the overall HS2 business case.

The Unit shall be capable of Normal Operation as a single Unit or as two coupled Units.

On the Wikipedia entry for the Cumbrian Coast Line, there is a picture of a very long steam-hauled train on the line.

Full electrification would have these advantages.

  • In the next few years several 21st century electrical multiple units will be looking for new places to operate.
  • I am fairly certain, that a fully-electrified Cumbrian Coast Line could act as a diversion for High Speed Two and the West Coast Main Line between Carnforth and Carlisle.
  • It would enable occasional High Speed Two services to Carlisle via Barrow-in-Furness, Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.
  • It would also allow electrified freight trains to the new coal mine at Workington and to Sellafield.

But trains from the coal mine would probably need to have hydrogen-hybrid locomotives to get across the Pennines to Teesside for export.

Partial Electrification Of The Line

Partial electrification would probably need the following.

  • Installation of electrification between Carnforth and Barrow-in-Furness, so that High Speed Two services can reach Barrow-in-Furness.
  • Installation of electrification from Carlisle for enough miles towards Workington to be able to charge the local trains.
  • The local trains would need to be able to run about seventy miles on batteries.

Partial electrification would be more affordable, but it would allow the following.

  • Battery-electric trains to work between Carnforth and Carlisle.
  • It would enable occasional High Speed Two services to Barrow-in-Furness
  • Hydrogen-hybrid locomotive-hauled freight trains to the new coal mine at Workington and to Sellafield.

Rail passengers in, to and from Cumbria would probably see a similar level of improvement to that with full electrification.

What Time Would Be Possible At The Present Time?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, two hours and twenty-five minutes is the fastest time between London Euston and Lancaster.
  • Trains are timed to take one hour and four minutes with the nine stops, between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
  • To save time some stops could be cut between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.

This would give a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness time of three hours and twenty-nine minutes, but by removing perhaps five stops, the time could be around three hours and fifteen minutes.

What Time Would Be Possible When High Speed Two Lite Opens To Handsacre Junction?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, two hours and three minutes will be the fastest time between London Euston and Lancaster, after High Speed Two opens to Handsacre junction.
  • Trains are timed to take one hour and four minutes with the nine stops, between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
  • To save time some stops could be cut between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.

This would give a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness time of three hours and seven minutes, but by removing perhaps five stops, the time could be under three hours.

What Frequency Would Be Needed?

LNER seem to run their secondary services to places like Harrogate and Lincoln using a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).

That could be an ideal frequency.

 

Would There Be A Path For The Train To And From London Euston?

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

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.
  4. The nine paths to the right of the vertical black line will not be needed for some time. If ever!
  5. It looks like a maximum of only eleven paths will be needed to the South of Birmingham.
  6. It looks like a maximum of only fourteen paths will be needed to the North of Birmingham.

In Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?, I totted up all the services through Stafford after High Speed Two Lite opened to Handsacre junction and got these figures.

  • Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
  • Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
  • North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
  • South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
  • Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.

I accounted for services moving from the West Coast Main Line to High Speed Two.

Consider.

  • A large proportion of the route between Preston and Handsacre junction, where the route would join High Speed Two Light has two dedicated high speed tracks and two tracks for freight and local services.
  • Digital signalling on High Speed Two has been designed to handle eighteen trains per hour (tph) at 225 mph.
  • Surely, the two dedicated high speed tracks, if fitted with High Speed Two digital signalling could handle say 16 tph at 140 mph.
  • Network Rail are good at juggling trains to squeeze in more services.
  • Extra paths could be created by splitting and joining trains at Crewe or Preston.

My Control Engineering training and practice tells me that it should be possible to add perhaps two tph between Lancaster and Euston.

Could High Speed Two’s Lancaster Service Be Extended To Barrow-in-Furness?

I don’t see why some services could be extended the 34.8 miles to Barrow-in-Furness.

Would Much Work Be Needed At Barrow-in-Furness?

This Google Map shows Barrow-in-Furness station.

Note.

Trains to and from Carnforth come and go from the South East.

Trains to and from Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington and Carlisle come and go from the North West.

There are three platforms.

Work needed to be done would include.

  • Creation of a 200 metre platform for the High Speed Two trains.
  • Electrification.
  • Addition of charging facilities to the platform for the local trains, which would probably be standard electrification.

Passengers would walk across between the High Speed Two and local trains.

Conclusion

I believe that High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains could be under three hours between Barrow-in-Furness and London Euston, when High Speed Two Lite opens from Handsacre junction.

 

October 9, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

UK’s First Battery-Powered Trains Hit The Tracks

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

The UK’s first battery-powered passenger trains have started running on Merseyside.

These two paragraphs outline the article.

The trains, which are part of the Liverpool City Region’s £500m publicly owned fleet, will run from the new £80m Headbolt Lane station in Kirkby.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said the move helps to pave the way “for cleaner and greener” transport.

I particularly liked this paragraph.

The battery technology – which removes the need for a live third rail – could see the Merseyrail network running to previously inaccessible places, including Manchester, Wrexham, Warrington, Preston and Runcorn, according to a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority spokesperson.  

After the trouble, I had on Tuesday, when I tried to get from Manchester to Saint Helens, Manchester is also a city that’s difficult to leave.

October 5, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Improving Trains Between London And Bradford

Current Services Between London And Bradford

LNER services run between Kings Cross  and Bradford Forster Square stations.

  • Two trains per day (tpd) run between Bradford and London in the early morning.
  • Two tpd run between London and Bradford in the evening.
  • Trains take two and three-quarter hours.
  • Stops are at Shipley, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Retford Grantham and Stevenage.
  • Trains seem to be generally a pair of five-car Class 801 trains.

Note.

  1. Trains reverse at Leeds.
  2. The timetable seems a bit lopsided, as there is no early morning train to Bradford or an evening one to London.
  3. Harrogate gets a one train per two hours (tp2h) service to and from London.

The timetable could do with an improvement.

Grand Central services run between Kings Cross  and Bradford Interchange stations.

  • Four tpd run between Bradford and London.
  • Four tpd run between London and Bradford.
  • Trains take three and a quarter hours.
  • Stops are at Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor
  • Trains are five-car Class 180 trains, which have seen better days.

Note.

  1. The timetable seems a bit lopsided, as there is no early morning train to Bradford or an evening one to London.

The timetable and the trains could do with an improvement.

LNER’s New Ticketing And Nine-Ten Car Trains

LNER have introduced the selling of  Advanced Tickets from machines or the Booking Office as late as five minutes before the train leaves.

  • My last three trips from Leeds to London cost me £33.55, £33.75 and £33.55 with my Senior Railcard.
  • All were bought less than ten minutes before the train left.
  • In two of the journeys, I spread out in two seats
  • Trains were either a pair of five-car Class 801 trains or a nine-car InterCity 225.

I took these pictures after my last return from Leeds on Tuesday.

Note.

  1. Two of the three trains I’ve taken lately have arrived 3-4 minutes early.
  2. Not a great increase, but I do wonder if LNER are seeing what is possible with the new digital signalling.
  3. The British Rail era; InterCity 225 seems to hold its own against the new Hitachi train.

I wouldn’t be surprised that LNER intend to both run high-capacity trains between London and Leeds and fill them by competitive pricing.

A Grand Central Train Failure On Tuesday

This was my journey to Bradford on Tuesday,

  • I was supposed to take the 1057 Grand Central service to Bradford Interchange, where it was timed to arrive at 1400.
  • But the train didn’t run and we were all advised to get on the 1103 to Leeds and change at Doncaster.
  • We arrived at Doncaster in Platform 4, a minute late at 1240 and got straight on a Grand Central train in the opposite Platform 6.
  • We left Doncaster at 1251, which was sixteen minutes late.
  • But we arrived in Bradford Interchange more or less on time at 1401.

Despite leaving six minutes late from Kings Cross and changing trains at Doncaster, we arrived at Bradford on time.

Battery-Electric Trains Between London and Bradford Interchange

I feel that my journey on Tuesday indicated.

  • Electric trains between London and Doncaster can easily meet the current timetable.
  • The Grand Central train went between Doncaster and Bradford Interchange was sixteen minutes faster than the timetable.

I wouldn’t be surprised that London and Bradford Interchange could be a few minutes under three hours.

Consider.

  • It has been said that between Bradford Interchange and Leeds will be electrified.
  • Bradford Interchange and Doncaster does not have electrification, but is only 52 miles.
  • Electrification of Bradford Interchange station, will allow battery-electric trains to be charged in around 10-12 minutes.
  • Most inter-city battery-electric trains have a battery range of at least eighty miles.
  • Digital signalling is being installed between London and Doncaster to allow 140 mph running and more trains in the timetable.

I believe that a battery-electric train with sufficient range, charging South of Doncaster and at Bradford Interchange could go between London and Bradford Interchange in 5-10 minutes under three hours.

Bradford Interchange and all the other stations North of Doncaster on the route could probably also have a one tp2h service to and from London and the South.

Splitting And Joining Of Trains

Consider.

  • Pairs of the Hitachi Class 801 trains have the ability to split and join en route, during a station stop extended by a few minutes.
  • Platforms are long enough to handle splitting and joining at Doncaster, Leeds and York.
  • Currently, three services to and from London go past Leeds; Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Skipton. All these services reverse in Leeds station, when they pass through.
  • The reversing in Leeds station takes about 8-9 minutes.
  • The track between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square is electrified.
  • Leeds and Harrogate is not electrified and is 19.3 miles.
  • The track between Leeds and Skipton is electrified.
  • Bradford Forster Square has a service of two tpd.
  • Harrogate has a service of one tp2h.
  • Skipton has a service of one  tpd.

In the Wikipedia entry for LNER, this is said.

From December 2019, LNER introduced a Harrogate to London service six times a day. LNER expected to introduce two-hourly services to Bradford and a daily service to Huddersfield by May 2020 when more Azuma trains had been introduced, however the latter has not yet been introduced.

Note.

  1. The Huddersfield service would have to reverse in Leeds station, like those to Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate and Skipton.
  2. Leeds and Huddersfield is not electrified and is 17.1 miles.
  3. Leeds and Huddersfield is being electrified.

Could LNER’s plan be to give Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Huddersfield and Skipton stations a two-hourly service , as the Wikipedia extract indicated, they intend to do for Bradford?

  • All trains enter and leave Leeds to and from the West.
  • Pairs of five-car trains would split and join at Leeds.
  • Bradford Forster Square and Skipton services would be served by electric trains.
  • Harrogate and Huddersfield services would be served by bi-mode or battery-electric trains.
  • Horsforth, Keighley and Shipley could also get a one tp2h service to London.

It looks like services via Leeds could be much improved.

In a two-hour period the Leeds area will have the following trains to and from London Kings Cross.

  • Two trains between London and Leeds via Peterborough, Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate
  • One train between London and Bradford Forster Square via Stevenage, Grantham, Retford (Bradford-bound only), Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Shipley.
  • One train between London and Harrogate via Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds and Horsforth
  • One train between London and Huddersfield via Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds
  • One train between London and Skipton via Peterborough, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Shipley (London-bound only) and Keighley.

Note.

  1. Stops between London and Leeds would be adjusted to satisfy passenger numbers.
  2. Currently, there are a total of four trains in a two hour period.
  3. Six trains will be fitted in by having two London and Leeds trains and two pairs of five-car trains, that joined and split at Leeds.

There is still only four train paths needed in a two hour period between London and Leeds.

Digital Signalling Between London And Doncaster

The East Coast Digital Programme has its own web site, which gives this introduction to the programme.

The East Coast Digital Programme is delivering the next generation of train travel – creating a better performing East Coast Main Line for passengers and everyone else who uses and depends on it.

As part of the programme, traditional lineside signals will be removed and replaced with state-of the art digital signalling to improve the reliability of the train service.

The new technology continuously communicates with each train, providing signalling information directly to a computer screen in the driver’s cab. It boosts reliability, reduces carbon emissions and provides a more punctual service for customers.

In the first stage, digital signalling will be introduced on the Northern City Line, between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. It will then be progressively rolled out on the southern section of the East Coast Main Line (between London King’s Cross and the Stoke Tunnels, near Grantham).

It is expected that the first trains to operate on the East Coast Main Line using digital signalling technology will run in 2025, with all improvements expected to be completed by the end of the decade.

As a result of this programme, the East Coast Main Line will be GB’s first intercity mainline to be upgraded to digital. It lays the foundation for further improvements across the network, creating a more efficient railway fit for the future.

There is also a video.

Benefits of digital signalling will include.

  • 140 mph running instead of 125 mph.
  • An increase in the number of train paths.
  • Trains will be able to be run closer together.

As a Graduate Control Engineer, I also believe that digital signalling will enable better control of trains through bottlenecks.

A computer solution would surely be more affordable than some massive civil engineering.

What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?

I put my thoughts in What Will Be The Fastest Times Possible Between London King’s Cross And Leeds?.

Conclusion

The original High Speed Two specification gave a time of one hour and twenty-one minutes between Euston and Leeds.

I suspect that time will be approached before 2040.

September 15, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Alstom And VMS Present New Battery-Powered Train

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.

This is the sub-heading.

Alstom and the Central Saxony transport authority, Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (VMS) in Germany have unveiled a new battery-powered train developed by Alstom.

These first four paragraphs are very information rich.

A total of eleven Coradia Continental battery-electric trains have been ordered by VMS. These trains will enter service in 2024 on the Chemnitz-Leipzig line.

The Coradia Continental battery-electric train has a range of up to 120 kilometres and can be operated under catenary as well as on non-electrified sections of line. The three-car trains are 56 metres long and can seat up to 150.

The new train can also reach maximum speeds of 160 km/h in battery mode. The capacity of the high-performance lithium-ion batteries is calculated to guarantee catenary-free operation on the Chemnitz-Leipzig line without sacrificing performance.

Müslüm Yakisan, president of Alstom Region DACH, said: “Alstom’s ambition is to be the global leader in sustainable mobility, reducing emissions and pollution in catenary-free operation. The presentation of the first battery-powered train developed by Alstom is an important step in this direction.

These seem to be a very useful battery-electric train.

  • Battery or catenary operation
  • Three-cars of 19 metres
  • Fifty seats per car
  • 100 miles per hour

A three-car Class 730 train has the following characteristics.

  • three cars of 20 metres
  • 199 seats.
  • 90 miles per hour

Can we have a battery version soon? Please!

 

August 24, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Chiltern Sets Out New Fleet Ambitions

The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the September 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.

These are the first three paragraphs.

Chiltern Railways deserves to be the next operator to order new trains, its Managing Director Richard Allan has told Modern Railways.

On 7 August the operator published a tender notice seeking proposals for the supply of between 20 and 70 new or converted low-emission trains. This followed the unveiling on 19 July of its ‘RightRoute’ vision setting out the case for investment in new trains, which was presented to stakeholders and parliamentarians in Westminster.

Chiltern is prioritising replacement of its Class 165 DMU fleet, which comprises 89 vehicles. It carried out a pre-market engagement exercise last Autumn, and Mr. Allan said the view is that a battery train would be suitable for the Marylebone to Aylesbury route, either operating solely on battery power or additionally picking up power from the London Underground four-rail system South of Amersham.

These are my thoughts.

Electrification At Amersham

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Amersham station.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
  2. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
  3. All three platforms are electrified.

The track layout allows both Chiltern and London Underground trains to pass through Amersham station on electrified lines.

Electrification Between Amersham And Harrow-on-the-Hill

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Northwood station.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
  2. All four platforms are electrified.
  3. Some sections are only double-track.

All tracks between Amersham And Harrow-on-the-Hill stations are electrified.

Electrification At Harrow-on-the-Hill

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Harrow-on-the-Hill station.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
  2. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
  3. All six platforms are electrified.

The track layout allows both Chiltern and London Underground trains to pass through Harrow-on-the-Hill station on electrified lines.

Electrification Between Harrow-on-the-Hill And Finchley Road

Willesden Green station is typical of the stations on this section

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification at Willesden Green station

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in pink are electrified with the London Underground four-rail system.
  2. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
  3. The two tracks South of the station are the Chiltern tracks.
  4. All Chiltern Trains along this route use these two separate tracks, that are not electrified.

Stations with this layout include Northwick Park, Preston Road, Wembley Park, Neasden, Dollis Hill, Willesden Green, Kilburn and West Hampstead.

The Chiltern Tracks Alongside The Metropolitan Line

I took these pictures as I journeyed from West Hampstead to Harrow-on-the-Hill.

Note.

  1. The Chiltern Tracks are those farthest from the train without electrification.
  2. There also seemed a lot of graffiti, where the tracks weren’t electrified.
  3. Platforms 1 and 2 at Harrow-on-the-Hill station are electrified and used by Chiltern’s diesel trains.

Finding a Jubilee or Metropolitan Line train with clean enough windows for photography was difficult.

Distances Between Stations

These are the distances, times and electrification, between selected stations, between Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.

  • Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.2 miles – 13 minutes – Not Electrified
  • Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham – 14.3 miles – 24 minutes – Electrified
  • Amersham and Aylesbury – 15.3 miles – 23 minutes – Not Electrified
  • Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway – 2.3 miles – 7 minutes – Not Electrified

Note.

  1. The 24 minutes between Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham, should be enough to fully-charge the batteries.
  2. Harrow-on-the-Hill to Marylebone and return is 18.5 miles.
  3. Amersham to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return is 35.2 miles.

As Merseyrail’s Class 777 trains  have achieved 83.9 miles on battery power, I am fairly sure that Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway could be achieved by a battery electric multiple unit, that has been designed for the route.

Rolling Stock

Bombardier built the Class 378 Electrostar train, so that it would run on the London Underground four-rail system to Richmond. so I’m sure that Alstom could build Aventras, that could use the Underground electrification.

I’m also sure that other UK trains manufacturers and suppliers like CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler have the expertise.

The article mentions between twenty and seventy trains. The number probably depends on the train length.

I think we’ll see some interesting bids.

Train Charging Issues

The main charging will be done between Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham using the London Underground four-rail system already installed for the Metropolitan trains between London and Amersham and Chesham.

As the electrification will be powering six trains per hour in both directions between Harrow-on-the-Hill  and Amersham and charging the batteries on the Chiltern trains, I wouldn’t be surprised to find, that the power system will be uprated.

I also suspect, that the trains could have the ability to use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, as this could allow short lengths of electrification to be used to charge the trains at terminal stations.

Speed Issues

If you look at the speeds and times, you get the following.

  • Current Chiltern Class 165 trains are 75 mph trains.
  • Current Underground S Stock trains are 62 mph trains.
  • Chiltern take 33 minutes between Amersham and Marylebone.
  • Trains in both services run every half hour.
  • There is also an every half hour service between Chesham and Aldgate, which means there are six trains per hour between Chalfont & Latimer and Harrow-on-the-Hill.
  • I suspect Chiltern set the timetable, by going through first with the slower Amersham and Chesham services following.
  • This means that if the new Chiltern trains are 100 mph trains, it shouldn’t make much difference to the operation of the trains.

But the faster Chiltern trains could knock eight minutes off the time between Amersham and Harrow-on-the-Hill stations.

In an ideal world, where TfL had more money, faster Underground trains would allow more services to the area.

Leamington Spa Services

Chiltern Railways run two local services from Leamington Spa station.

  • One service goes to Stratford-on-Avon, which is a distance of 15.3 miles.
  • The other service goes to Birmingham Moor Street, which is a distance of 22.7 miles.
  • Both services are run by Class 165 diesel trains.
  • Both services have a frequency of one train per two hours.

I suspect that these services could be run using battery-electric trains with charging at Leamington Spa.

Timescale

This is said about timescale.

Under the plans set out in its ‘RightRoute’ prospectus, Chiltern wants to agree scope and funding for new trains this year and launch the first new trains by 2027 between London and Aylesbury, and upgrade infrastructure and trains on the West Midlands route between 2028 and 2035.

West Midlands Route

This is said about the West Midlands route.

Mr Allan said that after ‘165’ replacement consideration would be given to the best solution for the main line between London and the West Midlands, including whether this would involve partial or full electrification, with a rolling stock solution to succeed the Class 168 DMUs and loco-hauled sets to be devised accordingly. Chiltern’s Interim Engineering & Safety Director Tim Sayer told Modern Railways one potential option the Government and Network Rail are keen on is third party funding of electrification, which could be built into a manufacturer’s contract for new stock.

Note.

  1. I must admit that I like the idea of bundling rolling stock and electrification in one contract.
  2. After all, rolling stock and maintenance have been bundled together for some years and it seems to work.
  3. I disclose some of Hitachi’s thinking in Solving The Electrification Conundrum, which is based on an article in Modern Railways.

I wonder if Hitachi will come up with a solution something like this.

  • A number of five-car battery-electric trains.
  • High quality interiors.
  • They would serve Birmingham Moor Street, Oxford and Stratford-on-Avon.
  • Short lengths of electrification in terminals and perhaps at strategic locations in the middle. Banbury?
  • Automation as needed.

It could be a service that’s a viable alternative to High Speed Two for some passengers.

Charging At London Marylebone Station

I recently took these pictures at Marylebone station.

Note.

  1. It is a surprisingly spacious station and I feel that Furrer+Frey or some other specialist company could add some form of charging to the platforms.
  2. In its simplest form it would be a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
  3. Charging would be performed using the train’s pantograph.

It appears that the turnround time in Marylebone is typically twelve minutes or more, which should be adequate to fully charge a train.

Charging At Oxford Station

These pictures show the bay platforms at Oxford station, where Chiltern services terminate.

I wouldn’t be surprised, if these two platforms were designed for future 25 KVAC overhead electrification.

Marylebone And Oxford Services

Marylebone and Oxford are only 66.7 miles apart and I believe that a battery electric train would be able to shuttle between the two terminals, charging as required after each journey.

Charging At Birmingham

These pictures show the bay platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station, where some Chiltern services terminate.

Note.

  1. Currently, Birmingham Moor Street station has two through platforms and two bay platforms.
  2. None of the platforms are electrified.
  3. Some plans include adding two more bay platforms to the station.
  4. Electrifying the bay platforms 3 and 4, would allow the charging battery electric trains from London.

The two through platforms could also be electrified to help Birmingham’s local trains decarbonise and allow London services to reach Birmingham Snow Hill station.

Marylebone And Birmingham Services

Consider.

  • Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street are only 111.7 miles apart.
  • Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations are only 0.6 miles apart.
  • Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations could be easily connected by an electrified line.
  • Stadler are talking of battery-electric trains having a range of over 125 miles.
  • It might be sensible to electrify Banbury to give the batteries a top up.

I believe that a battery electric train would be able to shuttle between Marylebone and Birmingham, charging as required after each journey.

 

Conclusion

It seems a sound plan!

 

August 21, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Morley Station – 17th August 2023

These pictures show Morley station, which is currently being upgraded.

I was rather surprised at the lack of any sign of electrification.

There was no sign of any gantries for overhead electrification, either installed or ready to installed.

In Is There Going To Be Full Electrification Between Leeds And Huddersfield?, I said this.

I have now found this document on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury).

This statement is included under proposals.

Electrification of the railway from Huddersfield to Ravensthorpe – and right through to Leeds.

Because there is a dash in the words, has electrification to Leeds, been a recent addition?

I also showed this map, that I have copied from the Network Rail document

Note the railway lines shown in red. Are these the ones to be electrified? As they go from Huddersfield to Westtown, I think the answer is probably in the affirmative.

Surely, if there were going to be electrification through Morley, they’d have at least put the gantries up by now or installed the bases for them by now?

These are some distances from Real Time Trains.

  • Leeds and Morley – 4.6 miles
  • Morley and Dewsbury – 5,5 miles
  • Dewsbury and Huddersfield 8 miles

Note.

  1. Leeds and Dewsbury are only 10.1 miles apart, which would be an easy journey for a battery-electric train.
  2. Trains typically take eighteen minutes between Dewsbury and Huddersfield, which would surely be more than enough time to charge the batteries on a train.
  3. It also appears that the only trains through Morley station are passenger services run by TransPennine Express or Northern Trains.

It certainly looks to me, that the section of the route between Dewsbury and Leeds though Morley station is to be run using battery-electric trains.

August 18, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | 3 Comments

Southeastern Keen On Battery EMUs

The title of this post, is the same as that of a small section in the August 2023 Edition of Modern Railways.

This is said.

Southeastern is to seek pre-qualification interest from manufacturers and leasing companies for a replacement fleet for the Networker Class 465 and 466 inner-suburban stock, now over 30 years old. The company intends to compare the price of new and cascaded stock.

Southeastern MD Steve White told Modern Railways his preference is for a bi-mode EMU, capable of working off both the third rail supply and batteries. Battery EMUs were originally proposed for the Networker replacements so they could work through services to the unelectrified Isle of Grain branch, after Medway Council put forward plans to restore passenger services on the Hoo peninsular to serve new housing there.

Despite the extension of services to Sharnal Street on the Isle of Grain having since been put on hold by Medway Council on cost grounds (p13, May issue).

Southeastern is still pursuing battery EMUs, even though the company’s existing network is all electrified on the third rail system.

Merseyrail is already adopting battery EMU technology, with seven of the new fleet of 53×4-car Class 777 units being equipped with batteries to enable them to serve the unelectrified extension to Headbolt Lane (p82, July 2022 issue).

Mr. White says there are a number of reasons battery EMUs are attractive.

    • Increasing levels of mental health issues in society have led to trespass being a major issue the railway: battery EMUs would make it feasible to keep trains moving at slow speed when the current supply has to be switched off to protect a trespasser.
    • Battery EMUs would be able to keep moving on occasions when the third rail supply fails, due to technical failures or ice on the conductor rail. This would avoid the compounding of problems, as when delayed passengers got out on the track at Lewisham in March 2018 when the third rail iced up, forcing Network Rail to cut the electricity supply and making it more difficult to get trains moving again.
    • Battery EMUs would make it feasible to remove third rail from depots, making them safer places in which to work. A train cleaner was electrocuted and died at West Marina depot in St. Leonards in May 2014, and the Office of Road and Rail has well-publicised concerns on safety grounds about any extensions to the third rail system.
    • Battery EMUs would be able to cater for service extensions on unelectrified lines, such as the Isle of Grain.

Mt. White says the trespass issue is the major driver, and if the principle of battery EMUs becomes established it might prove feasible to remove the third rail from platform areas at inner-suburban stations with a persistent trespass problem. He points out this approach might unlock extension of third rail to routes such as the Uckfield line, allowing station areas to be left unelectrified. Replacement of DMUs by electric stock on the Uckfield branch would eliminate diesel working at London Bridge, with air-quality and carbon removal benefits for the capital.

There are a 5-star hotel and a major hospital close to the diesel-worked plstform at London Bridge.

I will now look at some of the issues in detail.

Range Of A Battery EMU

I discuss range of battery EMUs in these posts.

Note.

  1. Both trains are built by Stadler.
  2. 135 km. is 84 miles.
  3. A Bombardier engineer told me eight years ago, that the prototype battery-electric Class 379 train had a range of sixty miles.

I feel it is reasonable to assume that a 100 mph battery-electric train, designed to replace Southeastern’s Networkers could have a range of at least sixty miles.

Distances Of Cannon Street Metro Services

These are distances of services from Cannon Street.

  • Erith Loop via Greenwich, Woolwich Arsenal and Bexleyheath – 28.5 miles
  • Gravesend – 24.5 miles
  • Orpington – 12.6 miles
  • Grove Park – 7.1 miles
  • Slade Green – 14.5 miles

Note.

  1. The Erith Loop services start and finish at Cannon Street station.
  2. The Gravesend service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  3. The Orpington service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  4. Grove Park and Slade Green are depots.

If trains could be fully charged at Cannon Street station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of forty miles.

Charging At Cannon Street

Consider.

  • All Cannon Street services arrive at the station via London Bridge station.
  • All Cannon Street services leave the station via London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically take 4-5 minutes between Cannon Street and London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Cannon Street station before leaving.
  • Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from London Bridge to London Bridge would probably take a minimum of fifteen minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between London Bridge and Cannon Street would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

I suspect that with some slight timetable adjustments, all Cannon Street services  could be run using battery EMUs.

Distances Of Charing Cross Metro Services

These are distances of services from Charing Cross.

  • Maidstone East – 38.9 miles
  • Dartford – 17.1 miles
  • Gravesend – 23.8 miles
  • Hayes – 14.3 miles
  • Sevenoaks – 22.2 miles
  • Grove Park – 8 miles

Note.

  1. The Gravesend service terminates in an electrified bay platform, which could be used to charge the train before return.
  2. The Maidstone East service terminates in an electrified platform.
  3. Grove Park is a depot.

If trains could be fully charged at Charing Cross station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of fifty miles.

Charging At Charing Cross

Consider.

  • All Charing Cross services arrive at the station via London Bridge station.
  • All Charing Cross services leave the station via London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically take 10 minutes between Charing Cross and London Bridge station.
  • Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Charing Cross station before leaving.
  • Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from London Bridge to London Bridge would probably take a minimum of twenty minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between London Bridge and Charing Cross would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

I suspect that with some slight timetable adjustments, all Charing Cross services  could be run using battery EMUs.

Distances Of Victoria Metro Services

These are distances of services from Victoria.

  • Gillingham – 37.2 miles
  • Orpington – 14.7 miles
  • Dartford – 18.9 miles

Note.

  1. The Orpington service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  2. The Gillingham service terminates in an electrified bay platform.
  3. The Dartford service terminates in an electrified platform.

If trains could be fully charged at Victoria station, all services out of the station could be worked by a battery EMU with a range of fifty miles.

Charging At Victoria

Consider.

  • All Victoria services arrive at the station via Shepherds Lane junction.
  • All Victoria services leave the station via Shepherds Lane junction.
  • Trains typically take five minutes between Victoria and Shepherds Lane junction.
  • Trains typically wait at least 7 minutes in Victoria station before leaving.
  • Typically, a battery EMU takes fifteen minutes to charge.

A train running from Shepherds Lane junction to Shepherds Lane junction would probably take a minimum of seventeen minutes, which should be enough to charge the train.

The track between Shepherds Lane junction and Victoria would need a strong level of protection from trespassers.

Conclusion

It certainly appears that if the Networker Class 465 and Class 466 trains were replaced by new trains with the following specification.

  • 100 mph operating speed.
  • Range of fifty miles on battery power.
  • Ability to charge batteries in fifteen minutes.
  • Third-rail operation
  • It might be an idea to add a pantograph, so the trains could use 25 KVAC overhead wires where necessary and charge batteries on a short length of overhead electrification.

Then a substantial part of the Southeastern Metro network could be made safer, by selective removal of third rail at trespassing hot spots.

 

August 12, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Battery Train Deployment Report Commissioned

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the first paragraph.

The Rail Safety & Standards Board has commissioned consultancy WSP to produce evidence-based recommendations for optimising and standardising the adoption of battery-powered trains.

Note.

  1. The train shown in the picture in the article is a Stadler FLIRT Akku.
  2. WSP are a well-respected Canadian engineering consultancy.

To commission a development report sounds to be a sensible act.

August 7, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , | 8 Comments

Electrification Between Newbury And East Somerset Junction

In the August 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled GWR Seeks Opportunities To Grow.

This is the sub-heading.

Managing Director Mark Hopwood tells Philip Sherratt there is plenty of potential to increase rail’s economic contribution.

This is two paragraphs.

The desire to provide electrification to support aggregates traffic from the Mendip quarries could also benefit GWR , says Mr. Hopwood. ‘Having an electric loco would massively help with pathing heavy freight trains through the Thames Valley. If you could electrify from Newbury to East Somerset Junction, a big chunk of the Berks and Hants route would be wired.

Then you can ask how much further you could get on battery power on an IET without running out of juice.’

I have some thoughts.

Where Is East Somerset Junction?

This OpenRailwayMap shows East Somerset junction.

Note.

  1. The East Somerset junction is marked with the blue arrow.
  2. East Somerset junction is 5.2 miles North of Bruton station and 5.4 miles South of Frome station on the Reading and Taunton Line.

As the map shows there is a branch to Merehead Rail Sidings, which is shown in yellow.

This Google Map shows Merehead Rail Sidings.

Note.

  1. It looks like there is a massive quarry to the North of the A361 road, which curves across the map.
  2. It is labelled Torr Works – Aggregate Industries.
  3. Torr Works has a Wikipedia entry.
  4. The rail sidings are South of the A361.
  5. Zooming in on the map, shows that the railway between East Somerset junction and Merehead is single-track and only a few miles long.

Distances from East Somerset junction are as follows.

  • Dorchester junction – 41.2 miles
  • Newbury – 53.4 miles
  • Taunton – 37.2 miles
  • Weymouth – 47.8 miles

Note that it is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail between Weymouth and Dorchester junction.

Range of Battery-Electric Trains

Consider.

  • A Bombardier engineer told me eight years ago, that the battery-electric Class 379 train had a range of sixty miles.
  • Stadler’s FLIRT Akku has a Guinness world record of 139 miles on one battery charge. See this page on the Stadler web site.
  • Even Stadler’s Class 777 trains for Merseyrail have a range of 84 miles on battery power. See New Merseyrail Train Runs 135 km On Battery.

It does appear that five-car battery-electric trains will have ranges in excess of a hundred miles.

I believe that because Hitachi’s battery makers have a good record, they will probably be very ambitious and will want that Guinness record, that Hitachi’s Class 802 trains will have a battery range not far short of the 139 miles of the Stadler FLIRT Akku.

I will be very surprised if Hitachi’s battery-electric version of a Class 802 train, doesn’t have range of at least 125 miles.

But say if they could do say 140 miles, the battery-electric Class 802 train could cover every long-distance route in the UK, which would attract orders for trains to run on the following routes.

  • Cardiff and Swansea
  • Crewe and Holyhead
  • Edinburgh and Aberdeen
  • Edinburgh and Inverness
  • Crewe and Holyhead
  • London Waterloo and Exeter St. Davids

A substantial reward to the battery makers, would probably not be out of order.

Aggregate Trains From The Mendips

Consider.

  • Mining and quarrying companies are under pressure from governments, shareholders and environmentalists to reduce their carbon footprints.
  • Many are replacing diesel-powered mining excavators and trucks, with electric or hydrogen versions.
  • In addition, those companies delivering building products to the construction industry are under pressure to provide low-carbon products.
  • Using rail with electric traction to deliver products to market would cut carbon emissions and might even help sales.

These Mendip quarries appear to be connected to the Reading and Taunton Line.

  • Torr Works – Connects 5.4 miles to the South of Frome.
  • Whatley Quarry – Connects close to Frome.

There may be others.

But these rail-connected quarries, connect at or North of East Somerset junction, to where Mark Hopwood is proposing electrification.

Zero-carbon rail traction could even be possible, by electrifying the short single-track branch lines. or by using hydrogen-electric hybrid locomotives.

GWR’s London And South-West Services

These services use the Reading and Taunton Line to join the Bristol and Exeter Line at Taunton, before going on to Exeter, Plymouth and other destinations in the South-West of England.

These are distances from East Somerset Junction.

  • Exeter – 67 miles
  • Paignton 95.2 miles
  • Penzance – 198.5 miles
  • Plymouth – 119.0 miles
  • Taunton – 37.2 miles

Note.

  1. Exeter, Paignton, Penzance and Plymouth stations would need short lengths of electrification to charge terminating trains or top-up passing trains.
  2. In Thoughts About Electrification Through Devon And Cornwall, I showed that the average stop time at Plymouth station was eight minutes, which could be enough for the rail equivalent of a Formula One splash and dash.
  3. A 125 mile battery range, not only enables London and Penzance, but also Cardiff and Swansea, and Edinburgh and Aberdeen, when the extra electrification is completed.

Could my estimate of a 125 mile battery range, be Hitachi’s objective for their battery-electric trains?

The Ultimate Battery-Electric Class 802 Train

Hitachi have been totally silent on how the fitting of batteries to Class 802 trains is going.

But Mark Hopwood is more forthcoming in the GWR Seeks Opportunities To Grow article. where this is said.

Meanwhile, GWR had announced plans with Eversholt Rail to trial the replacement of a diesel generator unit with batteries on a Class 802 IET. However, Mr. Hopwood says this would not be useful for GWR and so the trial is not proceeding; instead, a TransPennine Express Class 802 will be the subject of a battery trial.

It sounds to me that another solution is being developed to get trains to run on electric power between London and the South-West.

  • I think we can rule out full electrification on the grounds of cost, disruption, time and the Nimbys and objectors will have a field day.
  • Newbury and Penzance is a distance of 251.9 miles, which would surely need a lot of batteries.

Mark Hopwood’s idea to electrify the 53.4 miles between Newbury And East Somerset junction, is starting to look like a good compromise.

GWR’s Bristol/Gloucester And Weymouth Services

These stopping trains are run by diesel trains and take the following route between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth stations.

  • Keynsham
  • Oldfield Park
  • Bath Spa
  • Freshford
  • Avoncliff
  • Bradford-on-Avon
  • Trowbridge
  • Westbury
  • Frome
  • East Somerset junction
  • Bruton
  • Castle Cary
  • Yeovil Pen Mill
  • Thornford
  • Yetminster
  • Chetnole
  • Maiden Newton
  • Dorchester West
  • Dorchester junction
  • Upwey

Note.

  1. I would assume that there is enough electrification at Bristol Temple Meads and towards Gloucester to charge the trains.
  2. Trains would leave Bristol Temple Meads with a full battery.
  3. The eighteen stops mean that an electric train with regenerative braking will be more efficient.
  4. Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury is not electrified.
  5. Westbury and East Somerset junction will be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification under Mark Hopwood’s proposal.
  6. Trains take sixteen minutes between Westbury and East Somerset junction.
  7. East Somerset junction and Dorchester junction is not electrified.
  8. Dorchester junction and Weymouth is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
  9. Trains take ten minutes between Dorchester junction and Weymouth.

Distances of the various legs are as follows.

  • Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury – 28.3 miles – Not Electrified
  • Westbury and East Somerset junction – 11.4 miles – Electrified
  • East Somerset junction and Dorchester junction – 41.4 miles – Not Electrified
  • Dorchester junction and Weymouth – 6.6 miles – Electrified

The two sections without electrification, should be well within range of a dual-voltage battery-electric train, that has been designed for the route.

GWR’s Cardiff Central And Portsmouth Harbour Service

These stopping trains are run by diesel trains and take the following route between Bristol Temple Meads and Portsmouth Harbour stations.

  • Keynsham
  • Oldfield Park
  • Bath Spa
  • Freshford
  • Avoncliff
  • Bradford-on-Avon
  • Trowbridge
  • Westbury
  • Warminster
  • Salisbury
  • Romsey
  • Redbridge
  • Southampton Central
  • Fareham
  • Cosham
  • Fratton
  • Portsmouth & Southsea

Note.

  1. I would assume that there is enough electrification at Bristol Temple Meads and towards Cardiff Central to charge the trains.
  2. Trains would leave Bristol Temple Meads with a full battery.
  3. The seventeen stops mean that an electric train with regenerative braking will be more efficient.
  4. Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury is not electrified.
  5. Westbury station will be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification under Mark Hopwood’s proposal.
  6. Trains would leave Westbury with a full battery.
  7. Westbury and Redbridge is not electrified.
  8. Redbridge and Portsmouth Harbour is electrified with 750 VDC third-rail electrification.

Distances of the various legs are as follows.

  • Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury – 28.3 miles – Not Electrified
  • Westbury and Redbridge – 46.4 miles – Not Electrified
  • Redbridge and Portsmouth Harbour – 28.5 miles – Electrified

The two sections without electrification, should be well within range of a dual-voltage battery-electric train, that has been designed for the route.

GWR’s Bristol Temple Meads And Salisbury Services

These stopping trains are run by diesel trains and take the following route between Bristol Temple Meads And Salisbury stations.

  • Keynsham
  • Oldfield Park
  • Bath Spa
  • Freshford
  • Avoncliff
  • Bradford-on-Avon
  • Trowbridge
  • Dilton Marsh
  • Warminster

Note.

  1. I would assume that there is enough electrification at Bristol Temple Meads to charge the trains.
  2. Trains would leave Bristol Temple Meads with a full battery.
  3. An electric train with regenerative braking will be more efficient.
  4. Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury is not electrified.
  5. Westbury station will be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification under Mark Hopwood’s proposal.
  6. Trains would leave Westbury with a full battery.
  7. Westbury and Salisbury is not electrified.

Distances of the various legs are as follows.

  • Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury – 28.3 miles – Not Electrified
  • Westbury and Salisbury – 24.4 miles – Not Electrified

The two sections without electrification, should be well within range of a battery-electric train, that has been designed for the route.

GWR’s Swindon And Westbury Services

These stopping trains are run by diesel trains and take the following route between Swindon and Westbury stations.

  • Chippenham
  • Melksham
  • Trowbridge

Note.

  1. This is the Transwilts service.
  2. I would assume that there is enough electrification at Swindon to charge the trains.
  3. Trains would leave Swindon with a full battery.
  4. An electric train with regenerative braking will be more efficient.
  5. Chippenham and Westbury is not electrified.
  6. Westbury station will be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification under Mark Hopwood’s proposal.
  7. Trains would leave Westbury with a full battery.

Distances of the various legs are as follows.

  • Swindon and Chippenham – 16.9 miles – Electrified
  • Chippenham and Westbury – 15.8 miles – Not Electrified

The section without electrification, should be well within range of a battery-electric train, that has been designed for the route.

What Can Be Done If The Electrification Is Not Long Enough?

Some of these routes battery-electric routes may need more electrification to work efficiently.

Despite some routes having both 25 KVAC  overhead and 750 VDC third-rail electrification, any extension of the electrification would be overhead, as new third-rail electrification is effectively banned.

Conclusion

It looks like Mark Hopgood proposal is an excellent idea to enable the decarbonisation of GWR services in Wiltshire and Somerset.

  • Express services would be run by battery-electric Class 802 trains.
  • Local services would be run by battery-electric trains with perhaps three cars.

Some of the local trains would need to be dual-voltage to use both forms of electrification.

 

July 27, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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