The Anonymous Widower

New Chiltern Railways Trains Set To Unlock 10,000 More Seats A Day

The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Chiltern Railways.

This picture from Chiltern Railways shows the train at Marylebone.

These three paragraphs are from the press release and add more details.

Chiltern Railways today (Tuesday 14 October) showcased for the first time its newest (Mark 5A) trains, set to add 10,000 more seats for customers each weekday from December 2026.

The trains, to be introduced between London to West Midlands from early 2026, will enable Chiltern to deliver more capacity across each of its West Midlands, Aylesbury, and Oxford routes as part of the operator’s efforts to deliver better journeys for customers.

The newest fleet will consist of 13 modern trains set to transform customer journeys during 2026. The trains will replace Chiltern’s oldest carriages, which are nearly 50 years old, with state-of-the-art equivalents, and provide a significant improvement to the on-board experience.

Today, I also received an update from Modern Railways, which was entitled Chiltern Railways Mk 5As To Enter Traffic Early Next Year, and included this delivery schedule.

From December 2026 there will be ten Mk 5A sets in traffic each day, with one ‘hot spare’ and one undergoing maintenance. That leaves one extra set which, CR has suggested, could eventually be pressed into traffic.

I have a few thoughts.

How Do The Trains Compare Physically?

These are basic figures for the two different types of train sets.

  • The current Mark 3 are five-car sets of 23 metres coaches, that weigh about 36 tonnes. The driving van trailer is 18.83 metres and 43.7 tonnes
  • The future Mark 5A are four-car sets of 22.2 metres coaches, that weigh about 43 tonnes. The driving trailer is 22.37 metres and 43 tonnes.

Lengths and weights of various sets will be as follows.

  • Mark 3 – five-car and driving van trailer – 133.83 metres and 223.7 tonnes.
  • Mark 5A – four-car and driving trailer – 111.17 metres and 215 tonnes
  • Mark 5A – five-car and driving trailer – 155.57 metres and 258 tonnes

Note.

  1. Chiltern Railways and TransPennine Express use the same Class 68 locomotives.
  2. The five-car Mark 3 and the four-car Mark 5A sets are quite similar in length and weight
  3. This could mean that both sets would perform similarly with the same locomotives on the same route.
  4. I wouldn’t be surprised that the new Platform 4 at Birmingham |Snow Hill station will be able to handle all configurations.

I almost feel that when CAF designed the Mark 5A sets for TransPennine Express, they also had Chiltern in mind as another possible sale.

How Many Trains Would Be Needed To Run Between London Marylebone And Birmingham?

Consider.

  • Trains currently run half-hourly on the route between 06:00 to 23:30, which is up to 36 services per day.
  • When Platform 4 is operational at Birmingham Snow Hill station, all services could probably stop at both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.
  • A round trip between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill stations currently takes about five hours.

I’m fairly certain that to run a half-hourly core service would need ten trains.

Could Chiltern Develop Another Network On The Other Side Of Birmingham?

Consider.

  • Trains could run twice an hour from 06:00 to 23:30, which is up to 36 services per day.
  • When Platform 4 is operational at Birmingham Snow Hill station, all services could probably stop at both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.
  • Chiltern Railways already run several services a day to Stourbridge Junction.
  • Chiltern Railways have run services to Kidderminster station in the past.
  • Wrexham & Shropshire used to run locomotive-hauled Mark 3 four-car sets with driving van trailers, as far as Wrexham via Shrewsbury.

It looks to me, that with the right rolling stock configurations, Chiltern’s network can be developed on the other side of Birmingham.

  • Destinations could include Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Chirk, Ruabon and Wrexham General.
  • Some services would need longer trains.

Obviously services would only be run if they were viable.

Would It Help Growth In A Town Or Area, If It Had A Rail Connection To London And/Or The Nearest Major City?

I know Lincoln is on the other side of the country, but I asked Google AI if Lincoln’s rail link to London has brought growth to the city and received this answer.

Yes, Lincoln’s rail link to London has brought significant growth by improving tourism, business travel, and student mobility, and is expected to spur further economic benefits through faster journey times and increased services. The direct link has made Lincoln more accessible for visitors and is a key part of the city’s long-term strategy for economic growth and development.

That was fairly definite.

How would that apply to an extended Chiltern Main Line.

  • Politicians are always saying growth is important.
  • An extended Chiltern Main Line servicewould improve connections of a lot of places to London and Birmingham.
  • Shrewsbury is the easiest connection for West Wales.
  • Surely a rail connection to a major city, might tempt someone to open a branch or a new factory.

Would a rail service make people feel more included?

 

October 19, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Midlands Rail Hub Looks To The Future With Preferred Alliance Partners

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Network Rail.

The press release has a spectacular picture, which I’m showing here.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two’s Curzon Street station is on the left.
  2. Birmingham Moor Street station is in the centre.
  3. There appears to be parkland between the two stations.
  4. Is that the West Midlands Metro running across in front of Moor Street station?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway lines in the area.

Note.

  1. Electrified tracks are shown in red.
  2. Tracks without electrification are shown in black.
  3. West Midlands Metro tracks are shown in mauve.
  4. The red tracks going diagonally across the map are the four electrified tracks going into Birmingham New Street station.
  5. Birmingham New Street station is off the map to the West.
  6. To the North of the tracks going into Birmingham New Street station, there are the seven  platforms of High Speed Two’s Curzon Street station.
  7. The four platforms without electrification are shown South of the tracks into Birmingham New Street station.
  8. Two platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station are through platforms, that pass under Birmingham City Centre to Birmingham Snow Hill station.
  9. The other two platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station are bay platforms.
  10. The West Midlands Metro appears to take a loop around the stations.

But when you get into the words of the press release, there are a lot of vegetables and very little meat.

  • The Midlands Rail Hub could cost around £1.75bn if delivered in full.
  • The government’s recent spending review committed to progress the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub.
  • Alongside this, planning is underway to begin to deliver two smaller but significant upgrades to benefit passengers as quickly as possible.
  • The Alliance partners will be VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke, AtkinsRéalis, Siemens Mobility, and Network Rail.

These four paragraphs indicate the work, that could be done.

The biggest change will be connecting the Chiltern main line, which runs into Moor Street, with the Camp Hill lines which run towards the South West and East Midlands via two new chords in Bordesley, near Birmingham city centre.

The transformation of the network will include running more train services on key routes through Birmingham and significantly improving connections for the millions of people who use the railway every day.

Work will be prioritised to explore how smaller, but vital, pieces of work which will provide passengers and communities with quicker benefits, including new journey options and more trains can be delivered as soon as possible.

They include reopening platform 4 at Snow Hill station so additional Chiltern Railways services can run directly between Birmingham’s business district and London Marylebone, and redeveloping Kings Norton station and the lines through it so extra Cross City trains can be added and new Midlands Rail Hub-enabled services can call there.

Three projects are specifically mentioned.

  1. The new chords in Bordesley.
  2. The reopening of platform 4 at Snow Hill station.
  3. The redeveloping of Kings Norton station.

I shall now look at each in detail.

The New Chords At Bordesley

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks going into and around Birmingham Moor Street station.

 

Note.

  1. Electrified tracks are shown in red.
  2. Tracks without electrification are shown in black.
  3. West Midlands Metro tracks are shown in mauve.
  4. The red tracks going diagonally across the map are the four electrified tracks going into Birmingham New Street station.
  5. Birmingham New Street station is off the map to the West.
  6. To the North of the tracks going into Birmingham New Street station, there are the seven  platforms of High Speed Two’s Curzon Street station.
  7. The black track running NW-SE is the Chiltern Main Line between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations.
  8. Birmingham Moor Street station is indicated by the blue arrow in the North-West corner of the map.
  9. The black track running NE-SW is the Camp Hill Line, that allows services to cross Birmingham.

Two new chords will be built where the Chiltern Main and the Camp Hill Lines cross, to allow services on the Camp Hill Line to call at Birmingham Moor Street station.

Consider.

  • The press release described these chords as the biggest change.
  • The chords will probably not be fully used, until the new stations are built on the Camp Hill Line.
  • There may be need for extra platforms at Birmingham Moor Street station to accommodate any new services.

For these reasons, I suspect that these chords could well be the project that is pushed back to a later date.

The Reopening Of Platform 4 At Snow Hill Station

This OpenRailwayMap shows the track layout at Birmingham Snow Hill station.

Note.

  1. The two lilac tracks are the West Midlands Metro.
  2. The two orange tracks are the two through tracks between Birmingham Moor Street and Stourbridge Junction stations.
  3. Platform 3 is the Southbound track to Birmingham Moor Street on the right.
  4. Platform 2 is the Northbound track to Stourbridge Junction on the left
  5. Platform 1 is a loop on left.
  6. Platforms 1, 2 and 3 are all bi-directional.
  7. The closed Platform 4 is on the right and is shown by the black track.

I would expect that this reopening could be fairly straightforward and may also have worthwhile benefits.

  • Would an extra platform, allow all Chiltern services to serve both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Show Hill stations?
  • Chiltern would probably find it easy to extend services from Birmingham to the North-West of the city.
  • In this century, services have run as far as Wrexham from Marylebone.
  • If all Chiltern services terminated at Birmingham Show Hill station would this have operational and/or marketing advantages?
  • If all Chiltern services terminated at Birmingham Show Hill station would this, make it easier for some passengers to get a train to London and the South?
  • If all Chiltern services terminated at Birmingham Show Hill station would this release a platform at Birmingham Moor Street station for other services?

These are a few pictures of Birmingham Snow Hill station.

Platform 4 at Birmingham Snow Hill station could be a Build One Platform-Get One Free At Another Station situation!

The Redeveloping Of Kings Norton Station

This will probably be needed for running services on the Camp Hill Line, so why not get some of the work done early, so the rebuilding doesn’t effect existing services?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Eastern end of Kings Norton station

Note.

  1. Electrified tracks are shown in red.
  2. Tracks without electrification are shown in black.
  3. The station has four platforms, but some are unused.
  4. Two platforms are on an island, with a single platform on either side.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Western end of Kings Norton station.

The notes to the previous map apply.

These two paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry for Kings Norton station, describe the station.

With the development of both bus and tram services, the need for such a large facility reduced from the 1930s onwards. The result is that today although all four platforms remain in place, only the outer two are in passenger use, with the middle island platforms now derelict.

Refurbished as part of the Cross-City line in 1978, it retained some of its original features following refurbishment, unlike the other ‘cross city line’ stations. The original station building survived, leased out for commercial purposes, until it was demolished in February 2006 for safety reasons. An extension car park provides a Park and Ride facility.

Disabled-access doesn’t seem to be the best either.

These pictures show the station.

Note.

  1. As I guessed, there is no disabled-access.
  2. But there are Braille  markings on the handrails down to the platforms.
  3. Two CrossCountry trains are seen going through the station.
  4. The local Class 730 trains, lights and information screens appeared to be new.
  5. Three platforms are electrified, but the fourth is not.
  6. The electrification structure could probably be used to electrify the fourth platform.
  7. Only the two outside platforms ; 1 and 4 are in use, with the central island platforms ; 2 and 3 left derelict.
  8. There is car parking and possibly space for more.
  9. The two active platforms are 150 metres long and the six-car Class 730 trainstrains appear to be 144 metres long.
  10. The Class 220 trains, that are run by CrossCountry Trains appear to be 93 metres long.

It was one of the scruffiest stations, that I’ve ever seen.

These are my thoughts on the station.

Handling The Camp Hill Line

Refurbishing Kings Norton Station

I don’t feel, that this will be the most horrendous of jobs, as it is very much a job, where all the rubbish and wild forest is removed and new platforms and a bridge are built.

 

 

 

August 29, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Interesting Comment From Lord Peter Hendy

This article on Modern Railways is entitled Chiltern FINALLY Signs Mk 5 Deal.

This extract from the article describes the deal.

An agreement for Chiltern Railways to lease the Mk 5A coaches previously operated by TransPennine Express and owned by Beacon Rail Leasing has been signed – and the trains are due to replace the current Mk 3 stock in phases from 2026. A 10-year lease has been agreed for the vehicles.

Chiltern will take on all 13 five-car sets as well as the spare Driving Trailer and the dedicated pool of 14 Class 68 locomotives.

The article also, has this excellent quote from Lord Peter Hendy, who is the Rail Minister at the end.

This government is putting passengers back at the heart of the 21st century railway by investing to make journeys easier, greener, and more comfortable.

“We are continuing to support Chiltern as they develop a plan to introduce additional services into their timetable, giving people more opportunities to work, live, and socialise.

I agree with much of what Lord Peter Hendy says, but could we see some actions to back up the words.

I have a few thoughts.

Lumo To Glasgow

I wrote about this new service in Lumo Will Extend Its King’s Cross And Edinburgh Service To Glasgow.

Given the opposition of the Transport Minister to open access services, I didn’t think this innovative service would be approved.

  • But it does add an affordable passenger-friendly service to London and Glasgow routes.
  • It will certainly be an easier route to London for some in Scotland.
  • It also adds some much-needed direct services between Newcastle and Glasgow.

Did Lord Peter Hendy have words to help Lumo get its approval?

As I wrote in Could London And Central Scotland Air Passengers Be Persuaded To Use The Trains?, I also believe that this new Lumo service could persuade more air passengers to take the train to Scotland.

Lumo To Stirling

I wrote about this service in ORR: Open Access Services Given Green Light Between London And Stirling.

  • First Group has taken over Grand Union Trains and the service will now be run by Lumo, who will use diesel Class 222 trains.
  • But Lumo will have the option of running their electric Class 803 trains on the route, as it is fully electrified, when their fleet receives more trains.

This was another service, that I didn’t think would be approved, as no other services on the West Coast Main Line were approved, as Network Rail objected.

But it certainly meets the words in Lord Peter Hendy’s statement.

Like Lumo’s service to Glasgow, when the Stirling service gets electric trains, it will surely cut carbon emissions of travellers to Central Scotland.

Chiltern’s Replacement Trains

Chiltern Railways are replacing this fleet of locomotive hauled trains.

  • 8 Class 68 locomotives
  • 25 Mark 3 coaches
  • 6 Driving Van Trailers

As services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations consist of one locomotive, five coaches and one driving van trailer, that means there are two spare locomotives, one spare coach and one spare driving van trailer, if there are five rakes of coaches in service.

The new fleet will be.

  • 14 Class 68 locomotives
  • 52 Mark 5A coaches
  • 14 Driving Van Trailers

If services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations consist of one locomotive, four coaches and one driving van trailer, that means there are one spare locomotive and one spare driving van trailer, which gives a possible thirteen rakes of coaches in service.

There are certainly enough to expand Chiltern’s services. The obvious destination would surely be Oxford. These pictures show the two North-pacing platforms at Oxford station.

The platforms would be shared with East-West Rail, but they are around 160 metres in length.

The Modern Railways article quote Arriva Group Managing Director UK Trains Amanda Furlong as saying this.

Upgrading our fleet is a vital next step in Chiltern’s modernisation plans and an important part of Arriva’s wider ambition to support the transition to more sustainable rail travel across the UK and Europe.

We are proud to support this important milestone for Chiltern Railways, which is a great example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration with Government to deliver practical improvements for passengers. We look forward to seeing these upgraded trains improve journeys and lower emissions across the network.

She certainly would agree on some issues with Lord Peter Hendy.

So will Chiltern Railways do something to reduce the carbon footprint of their fourteen Class 68 locomotives?

  • The Class 68 locomotives don’t have too many miles on the clock.
  • Chiltern have already run some their Class 68 locomotives on HVO, so this must be a possibility.
  • In total there are thirty-four Class 68 locomotives in service all of which have Caterpillar engines, so a conversion to zero-carbon power could be worthwhile.

I asked Google for an AI Overview on How many diesel locomotives have caterpillar engines worldwide? I got this answer.

While a precise worldwide count of diesel locomotives powered by Caterpillar (CAT) engines is difficult to pinpoint, it’s estimated that hundreds, if not thousands, of locomotives are equipped with CAT engines. Caterpillar has a long history of supplying engines to the rail industry, with engines like the 3500 series powering both mainline and switcher locomotives. Additionally, CAT engines are also used in generator sets for Head End Power (HEP) in passenger locomotives.

Note.

  1. It appears that, Caterpillar might have given up making truck engines because of emission issues.
  2. London Marylebone and Oxford is 66.8 miles
  3. London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill is 112.3 miles.

Perhaps one of the consultants like Ricardo could convert these locomotives to run on hydrogen.

 

August 7, 2025 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chiltern Railways Seeks Fleet Proposals

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Business UK.

These are the first two paragraphs.

Chiltern Railways has invited proposals from established rolling stock owners for the lease and maintenance of between 25 and 70 existing vehicles to operate inter-city and regional services on the Chiltern Main Line between London Marylebone and Birmingham.

The operator is seeking either ‘self-powered’ multiple units or locomotive-hauled coaches, which can operate at 160 km/h in fixed formations of five or six passenger vehicles.

It does appear that only existing vehicles will be allowed.

These are my thoughts.

A Very Tight Timescale

The Rail Business UK article, says this about entry into service.

Requests to participate are required by February 2. Driver training is planned for 2024, and entry to passenger service for early 2025.

This requirement probably means that new trains are not allowed, as I doubt any manufacturer could deliver them by early 2025.

Although, I could envisage a proposal, where a couple of trains are delivered early for driver training and the other trains are delivered, as soon as they are refurbished or perhaps even built.

100 mph Trains With At Least Five Cars

The second paragraph from the Rail Business UK article is very definite about speed and the length of trains.

The operator is seeking either ‘self-powered’ multiple units or locomotive-hauled coaches, which can operate at 160 km/h in fixed formations of five or six passenger vehicles.

It does appear, that this paragraph, rules out multiple units, with less than five coaches. Unless it counts a two-car Class 175 train and a three-car Class 175 train working together as a five-car fixed formation. They would though be 100 mph trains.

Noise Restrictions

This noise restriction must be met according to the Rail Business UK article.

The trains must also offer a reduction in ambient noise compared to Chiltern’s existing MkIII coaches hauled by a Class 68 diesel locomotive.

This could be a difficult condition to meet for some trains and probably rules out diesel locomotives.

What Fuels Can Be Used?

This is the only restriction in the Rail Business UK article.

Any diesel-powered trains should be compatible with use of alternative fuels, such as HVO, from the service introduction date.

Chiltern have experience of this fuel.

‘Self-Powered’ Multiple Units Or Locomotive-Hauled Coaches

i am tending towards the former for the following reasons.

  • I was told by someone, that between London and Norwich, ‘self-powered’ multiple units are faster than locomotive-hauled coaches.
  • Without the locomotive and the driving van trailer, you may get more passengers in a shorter train. This might avoid some platform lengthening.
  • The Chiltern route to Birmingham has around a dozen stops and the lighter ‘self-powered’ multiple units may save time.
  • Battery-electric ‘self-powered’ multiple units can be very quiet.
  • Chiltern have had complaints about noise from diesel locomotives.

The last two points probably clinch it.

The Operating Speed Of The Chiltern Main Line

I have followed the Chiltern Main Line on OpenRailwayMap and virtually all of it is faster than 75 mph, with several sections of 90-100 mph running.

Hence the need for 100 mph trains!

What Distances Are Involved

The route can be split into sections.

  • London Marylebone and High Wycombe – 28.1 miles
  • High Wycombe and Banbury – 41 miles
  • Banbury and Warwick – 21.8 miles
  • Warwick and Birmingham Moor Street – 20.8 miles

Note.

  1. The total distance is 111.7 miles.
  2. High Wycombe and Warwick are 62.8 miles apart.

No sections are too challenging.

 

Could A Battery-Electric Train Handle The Route?

In The Data Sheet For Hitachi Battery Electric Trains, these were my conclusions for the performance.

  • The battery pack has a capacity of 750 kWh.
  • A five-car train needs three battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
  • A nine-car train needs five battery-packs to travel 100 miles.
  • The maximum range of a five-car train with three batteries is 117 miles.
  • The maximum range of a nine-car train with five batteries is 121 miles.

It would appear that a five-car train with three batteries could handle the route, but there would need to be some form of charging at both ends of the route. This might not be too easy to arrange, as all three terminal stations are not the most spacious.

Could A Tri-Mode Train Handle The Route?

LNER have taken the tri-mode route with their new trains, which I wrote about in First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line.

These trains could be a possibility, especially if they used battery power in stations where there have been complaints of noise.

I suspect CAF’s tri-mode trains could also be run on HVO, as it is likely they’ll have Rolls-Royce mtu engines, which can use the fuel.

As Hitachi’s Class 802 trains also use Rolls-Royce mtu engines and Hitachi are developing a tri-mode version, these trains are also a possibility.

Although tri-mode trains are a possibility, I doubt that delivery would be easy by the beginning of 2025.

Unless, the Government has tipped off CAF and/or Hitachi and they are already building some trains that can be completed as tri-modes.

After all, CrossCountry, Grand Central, South Western Railway and TransPennine may need tri-mode trains for their routes.

What About Hydrogen?

I don’t think, there is a hydrogen train, that would be suitable and could start driver training this year.

So, unless someone like Stadler says they have a train, hydrogen looks to be a non-starter.

An Unusual Solution

As I said on the previous section about hydrogen, the time-scale is tight and this probably cuts out totally new trains.

But we may have an unusual solution, that surprised everyone.

Consider.

  • I have stated that I believe that a five-car Class 802 train with three battery packs has a range of 117 miles.
  • The range  would be enough to go between London Marylebone and Birmingham.
  • So why not put in short lengths of overhead electrification at High Wycombe, Banbury and Warwick, where the train can have a quick splash and dash?

I am certain, that a unusual strategy like this can be made to work.

Conclusion

I suspect we’ll see an innovative solution, that gives ISquared what they want.

 

January 12, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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

Chiltern Railways Seeks Proposals For Low-Emission Multiple-Unit Fleet

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

These are the first three paragraphs.

Chiltern Railways is seeking proposals for the supply of between 20 and 70 new or converted ‘low-emission’ multiple units.

The operator has called for ‘established’ rolling stock manufacturers, owners and modifiers to propose vehicles which would provide a ’meaningful’ reduction in the emissions and external noise compared to its existing diesel multiple-units, particularly in urban areas.

The envisaged five-year framework agreement has an estimated value of up to £400m, including supply and maintenance of the fleet, refuelling infrastructure and any depot modifications.

I have my thoughts.

Chiltern’s Rolling Stock

Chiltern Railways have two different types of rolling stock; diesel multiple units and rakes of coaches haled by diesel locomotives.

Chiltern’s Diesel Multiple Units

Chiltern has these diesel multiple units.

  • Class 165 diesel trains – 28 x two-cars – 56 cars
  • Class 165 diesel trains – 11 x three-cars – 33 cars
  • Class 168 diesel trains – 9 x two-cars – 18 cars
  • Class 168 diesel trains – 9 x three-cars – 27 cars
  • Class 168 diesel trains – 10 x four-cars – 40 cars

Note.

  1. The trains were built between 1990 and 2004.
  2. The Class 165 trains are 75 mph units, whereas the Class 168 trains are 100 mph units.
  3. These total to 67 trains and 174 cars.
  4. This is an average train length of 2.6 cars.

Could a fleet of three-car low-emission 100 mph trains fit Chiltern’s requirements?

  • They could work in pairs for six-car units for Birmingham Moor Street and Oxford.
  • There may be a need for some four-car units.

But how will they be powered?

  • Pure diesel will surely give out too many emissions!
  • Would an mtu Hybrid PowerPack lower emissions enough?
  • Could hydrogen-power be used, either with fuel-cells or a hydrogen internal combustion engine?

In Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet, I wrote about Alstom’s proposed Hydrogen Aventra.

A version of these trains could be ideal, if Children could source the fuel economically.

Chiltern’s Diesel-Hauled Rakes Of Coaches

Chiltern have four rakes of Mark 3 coaches hauled by Class 68 locomotives.

These could be replaced by pairs of three-car low-emission’ multiple units.

Conclusion

A fleet of seventy three-car ‘low-emission’ multiple units, powered by hydrogen could be an innovative solution to the trains to run Chiltern’s services.

 

 

 

August 8, 2023 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Walk Around High Speed Two Works In Birmingham – 19th July 2023

The plan was simple.

I intended to go to Birmingham Moor Street station and see what I could see of the High Speed Two works in a circular walk from the station.

I took these pictures.

Note.

  1. At the beginning and end of this gallery, there are some pictures taken from the train, that was entering or leaving Birmingham Moor Street station.
  2. The boxy building is the Grade I Listed Birmingham Curzon Street station, that will be incorporated into the High Speed Two station.
  3. I didn’t expect to see a memorial to the Katyn massacre.

I can see a very large amount of development happening in this area.

July 23, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , | 2 Comments

Five New Railway Stations Considered For West Midlands

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

This is the first paragraph.

Transport authorities in the West Midlands are considering the case for building five new stations at Balsall Heath, Coventry East (Binley), Foleshill, Castle Bromwich and Tettenhall.

The location of the stations is as follows.

Note.

  1. Balsall Heath station would require construction of the Bordesley Chords and extra capacity at Moor Street Station.
  2. Coventry East station will benefit from the opening of High Speed Two, will will allow more local services.
  3. Castle Bromwich station would also benefit from the extra capacity from High Speed Two and the Midland Rail Hub.

Railways in Central Birmingham appear to be having a big sort out.

The article also says this about other stations, being planned in the West Midlands.

These planned new stations will add to expansion of the region’s rail network that is already underway, with new stations being built on the Camp Hill line in south Birmingham at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road, and on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line serving Darlaston and Willenhall. A new station is also planned at Aldridge, with funding allocated subject to business case. The City of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire District and Staffordshire County councils have also looked at the case for a new station at Brinsford, which will be considered alongside the case for nearby Tettenhall Station.

In the last part of the article, Andy Street talks about the funding secured.

It certainly looks like station builders in the West Midlands will have lots of work to do.

March 1, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riding Birmingham’s New Hydrogen-Powered Buses

I went to Birmingham today and took one of their new hydrogen buses on route 51 to Perry Barr and another one back.

Note.

  1. As the pictures show Perry Barr is a bit of traffic bottleneck because of the reconstruction of Perry Barr station an other developments in the area, because of the Commonwealth Games, which are going to e held in Birmingham in 2022.
  2. The route goes past the High Speed Two site.
  3. Birmingham is a city of highways, flyovers, underpasses and roundabouts.
  4. The buses have wi-fi and charging points for phones.

I very much feel that the buses are the best hydrogen-powered vehicles, that I’ve travelled in, as they are smooth, comfortable, quiet and seem to have excellent performance.

Birmingham Buses Have Their Own Hydrogen Electrolyser

London bring their hydrogen in by truck from Runcorn, where it is created by electrolysis, for their hydrogen-powered buses.

On the other hand, Birmingham Buses have their own electrolyser at the Tyseley Energy Park.

This Google Map shows Tyseley Energy Park.

Note.

  1. The Birmingham Bus Refueler hadn’t opened, when this map was last updated.
  2. Tyseley Energy Park is only a few miles from the City Centre and route 51.
  3. I estimate that the Tyseley Energy Park occupies around four hectares.

This page on the Tyseley Energy Park web site described the refuelling options that are available.

  • Fuels available include hydrogen, biomethane, compressed natural gas, diesel, gas oil and AdBlue.
  • There are a range of charging options for electric vehicles.

The 3 MW electrolyser was built by ITM Power of Sheffield, which I estimate will produce nearly 1.5 tonnes of hydrogen per day.

According to this page on the Wrightbus website, a hydrogen-powered double-deck bus needs 27 Kg of hydrogen to give it a range of 250 miles. The refuelling of each bus takes eight minutes.

So the current fleet of twenty buses will need 540 Kg of hydrogen per day and this will give them a combined range of 5000 miles.

It would appear that the capacity of the electrolyser can more than handle Birmingham’s current fleet of twenty buses and leave plenty of hydrogen for other vehicles.

Could Other Towns And Cities Build Similar Energy Parks?

I don’t see why not and it looks like ITM Power are involved in a proposal to build an electrolyser at Barking.

Some would feel that London ought to follow Birmingham and create its own hydrogen.

 

 

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January 7, 2022 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

CrossCountry’s Bournemouth And Manchester Piccadilly Service

Whilst I was at Basingstoke station yesterday one of CrossCountry‘s services between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly came through, so I took these pictures.

It was a long formation of Class 220 trains.

Could This Service Be Replaced By Hitachi Regional Battery Trains?

This Hitachi infographic gives the specification of the Hitachi Regional Battery Train.

I feel that in most condition, the range on battery power can be up to 56 miles.

I can break the Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly route into a series of legs.

  • Bournemouth and Basingstoke – 60 miles – 750 VDC third-rail electrification
  • Basingstoke and Reading – 15.5 miles – No electrification
  • Reading and Didcot North Junction – 18 miles – 25 KVAC overhead electrification
  • Didcot North Junction and Oxford – 10 miles – No electrification
  • Oxford and Banbury – 22 miles – No electrification
  • Banbury and Leamington Spa – 20 miles – No electrification
  • Leamington Spa and Coventry – 10 miles – No electrification
  • Coventry and Manchester Piccadilly – 101 miles – 25 KVAC overhead electrification

Note.

  1. 63 % of the route is electrified.
  2. The short 15.5 mile gap in the electrification between Basingstoke and Reading should be an easy route for running on battery power.
  3. But the 62 mile gap between Didcot North Junction and Coventry might well be too far.

The train would also need to be able to work with both types of UK electrification.

If some way could be found to bridge the 62 mile gap reliably, Hitachi’s Regional Battery Trains could work CrossCountry’s service between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly.

Bridging The Gap

These methods could possibly  be used to bridge the gap.

A Larger Battery On The Train

If you look at images of MTU’s Hybrid PowerPack, they appear to show a basic engine module with extra battery modules connected to it.

Will Hitachi and their battery-partner; Hyperdrive Innovation use a similar approach, where extra batteries  can be plugged in as required?

This modular approach must offer advantages.

  • Battery size can be tailored to routes.
  • Batteries can be changed quickly.

The train’s software would know what batteries were fitted and could manage them efficiently.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train able to handle a gap only six miles longer than the specification.

Battery And Train Development

As Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train develops, the following should happen.

  • Useable battery capacity will increase.
  • The train will use less electricity.
  • Actions like regenerative braking will improve and recover more electricity.
  • Driving and train operating strategies will improve.

These and other factors will improve the range of the train on batteries.

A Charging Station At Banbury Station

If some form of Fast Charge system were to be installed at Banbury station, this would enable a train stopping at Banbury to take on enough power to reliably reach Oxford or Coventry depending, on their final destination.

This method may add a few minutes to the trip, but it should work well.

Electrification Of A Section Of The Chiltern Main Line

This could be an elegant solution.

I have just flown my helicopter between Bicester North and Warwick Parkway stations and these are my observations.

  • The Chiltern Main Line appears to be fairly straight and has received a top class Network Rail makeover in the last couple of decades.
  • There are a couple of tunnels, but most of the bridges are new.
  • Network Rail have done a lot of work on this route to create a hundred mph main line.
  • It might be possible to increase the operating speed, by a few mph.
  • The signalling also appears modern.

My untrained eye, says that it won’t be too challenging to electrify between say Bicester North station or Aynho Junction in the South and Leamington Spa or Warwick Parkway stations in the North. I would think, that the degree of difficulty would be about the same, as the recently electrified section of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Corby stations.

The thirty-eight miles of electrification between Bicester North and Warwick Parkway stations would mean.

  • The electrification is only eight-and-a-half miles longer than Bedford and Corby.
  • There could be journey time savings.
  • As all trains stop at two stations out of Banbury, Leamington Spa, Warwick and Warwick Parkway, all pantograph actions could be performed in stations, if that was thought to be preferable.
  • Trains would be able to leave the electrification with full batteries.
  • The electrification may enable some freight trains to be hauled between Didcot and Coventry or Birmingham using battery electric locomotives.

Distances of relevance from the ends of the electrification include.

  • London Marylebone and Bicester North stations – 55 miles
  • London Marylebone and Aynho junction – 64 miles
  • Didcot North and Aynho junctions – 28 miles
  • Leamington Spa and Coventry stations – 10 miles
  • Leamington Spa and Birmingham Snow Hill stations – 23 miles
  • Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon stations – 15 miles
  • Warwick Parkway and Birmingham New Street stations – 20 miles
  • Warwick Parkway and Birmingham Snow Hill stations – 20 miles
  • Warwick Parkway and Kidderminster – 40 miles
  • Warwick Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon stations – 12 miles

These figures mean that the following services would be possible using Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train.

  • Chiltern Railways – London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street
  • Chiltern Railways – London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill
  • Chiltern Railways – London Marylebone and Kidderminster
  • Chiltern Railways – London Marylebone and Stratford-upon-Avon
  • CrossCountry – Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly
  • CrossCountry – Southampton Central and Newcastle
  • Midlands Connect – Oxford and Birmingham More Street – See Birmingham Airport Connectivity.

Other services like Leicester and Oxford via Coventry may also be possible.

As I see it, the great advantage of this electrification on the Chiltern Main Line is that is decarbonises two routes with the same thirty-eight miles of electrification.

Conclusion

CrossCountry’s Bournemouth And Manchester Piccadilly service could be run very efficiently with Hitachi’s proposed Regional Battery Train.

My preferred method to cross the electrification gap between Didcot North junction and Coventry station would be to electrify a section of the Chiltern Main Line.

  • The electrification would be less than forty miles.
  • I doubt it would be a challenging project.
  • It would also allow Hitachi’s proposed trains to work Chiltern Main Line routes between London Marylebone and Birmingham.

I am fairly certain, that all passenger services through Banbury would be fully electric.

 

August 15, 2020 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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