Bath Spa Station – 28th July 2020
I took these pictures as I twice passed through Bath Spa station.
These are my thoughts.
Electrification Gantries On The Platforms
As somebody, whose eyesight is on the wane, I am not a lover of electrification, where the gantries are bolted to the platforms. These pictures show some installations of this type at Crouch Hill station.
Would electrification gantries like these, be appropriate in Bath Spa station?
Could Lightweight Electrification Gantries Be Placed Between The Tracks?
These pictures show the wide gap between the two tracks in Bath Spa station.
Could double-track lightweight structures, based on a design like this be placed between the tracks?
These structures are made out of laminated wood and are surely a possibility.
A Makeover For Bath Spa Station
If you look at much of the woodwork and paint in the fabric of the station, it appears tired and in need of refurbishment.
Whether the station is electrified or not, the station will need a high-class makeover.
Services Through Bath Spa Station
Three train companies run services through Bath Spa station.
- CrossCountry which only operates diesel trains.
- Great Western Railway operates Class 800 electro-diesel trains and some assorted diesel trains.
- South Western Railway only operates Class 159 diesel trains.
There are also some freight services hauled by diesel locomotives.
Trains leave Bath Spa station using one of three routes via either.
- Bristol Temple Meads station, which is 11.5 miles away without electrification.
- Chippenham station, which is where the electrification to London starts and is 13 miles away.
- Westbury station, which is on the Reading and Taunton Line and 17 miles away without electrification.
Most trains seem to go via Bristol Temple Meads station.
- The distance between Bristol Temple Meads and Chippenham stations are 24.5 miles.
- The distance between Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury stations are 28.5 miles.
Neither distance is that long.
An Alternative To Full Electrification
When I look at the distances between Bristol Temple Meads, Chippenham and Westbury stations, they tell me that they are within the range of Hitachi’s Class 800 train with a battery electric capability or Regional Battery Train, which is described in this infographic from the company.
The proposed 90 km or 56 mile range would even be sufficient take a train between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads stations on a return trip.
Notes for each station follow.
Bristol Temple Meads
Charging facilities would be needed.
Destinations in battery range would include.
- Bristol Parkway – 6 miles
- Cardiff Central – 5 miles to the electrified Great Western Main Line.
- Cheltenham Spa – 41 miles
- Gloucester – 39 miles
- Taunton – 45 miles
- Weston-super-Mare – 19 miles
Note.
- Return trips to Bristol Parkway and Western-super-Mare would be possible.
- The other destinations will need charging facilities.
Bristol Temple Meads station could become a major hub for battery trains.
All local services and all passing longer distance services could be trains with a battery capability.
I write more about Britol Temnple Meads station as a battery train hub in Bristol Temple Meads Station – 28th July 2020.
Chippenham
A train would leave Chippenham station with a full battery after charging on the fully-electrified route from London.
Chippenham and Weston-super-Mare would be in battery range with a charging facility at Weston-super-Mare station.
It should be noted that every extra mile of electrification past Chippenham, can be added to the distance electric trains with a battery capability can reach.
Westbury
Charging facilities would be needed.
Destinations in battery range would include.
- Salisbury – 24 miles.
- Southampton – 49 miles to the electrified South Western Main Line, at Southampton Central station.
- Weymouth – 53 miles to the electrified South Western Main Line at Dorchester Junction.
Note.
- A return trip to Salisbury would be possible.
- Trains would need to have the capability to access 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- A few extra miles of electrification may make operation South from Westbury station easier, more reliable and allow more destinations to be included.
Westbury station could be a major hub for battery trains.
This Google Map shows Westbury station and the lines around it.
I would probably electrify a few miles either side of Westbury, so that passing trains could be in contact with the overhead wires for perhaps five to ten minutes and take a good long drink.
- Electrification could be either 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC overhead.
- Newbury, where the electrification to London starts is 42 miles away and trains can pick it up at speed.
- Taunton is 47 miles away and could be electrified to Exeter St. Davids.
Great Western Railway could run all their services between London Paddington and the South-West using Class 800 trains with a battery capability.
Conclusion
The prolitical, heritage and engineering problems of electrifying through Bath Spa station can be voided, by electrification and charging facilities at stations like Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Westbury and Weston-super-Mare.
Beeching Reversal – St Anne’s Park Station
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
This Google Map shows the proposed site of St. Anne’s Park station, between British Temple Meads and Keynsham stations.
The station is about four-five miles from Bristol Temple Meads station.
- Bristol Temple Meads station is to the West of the map.
- St. Anne’s Park station will be to the East of the map.
- The station has up to two stations per hour.
The Great Western Main Line between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath runs through the site of St. Anne’s station.
Conclusion
There are quite a few stations like this that councils want to reopen.
Battery Electric Class 800 Trains Between London Paddington And Bristol Temple Mead Stations
Hitachi have changed the rules on electrification, by the announcement of the development of battery electric trains in collaboration with Hyperdrive Innovation, which I wrote about in Hyperdrive Innovation And Hitachi Rail To Develop Battery Tech For Trains.
The proposed train is described in this Hitachi infographic.
It will have a range on battery power of 90 km or 56 miles.
Currently, services between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads stations are as follows.
- The frequency is two trains per hour (tph)
- Services call at Reading, Didcot Parkway (1tph), Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa.
- Services use the electrification between London Paddington and Chippenham.
- Services use diesel power between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads.
- Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads are 24.5 miles apart.
It looks to me that a well-driven Class 800 train with Hyperdrive Innovation’s clever batteries replacing some or all of the diesel engines could run between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads stations and back without using a drop of diesel.
It might be a bit tight, but it would certainly be possible, if there were more electrification between Bath Spa and Chippenham stations.
- From this article on the BBC, which is entitled Box Tunnel Reopens After Network Rail Electrification Work, it appears that a lot of the pre-electrification work has been completed.
- This would reduce the distance without wires to perhaps 18-20 miles.
As the Class 800 trains have agile pantographs, I’m sure that it will be possible for battery electric Class 800 trains to run between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads stations.
Electrification At Bristol Temple Meads Station
This will surely happen and with full electrification, the following will be possible.
- Trains would be able to recharge before returning to Chippenham.
- Trains would be able to extend the service using battery power to Weston-super-Mare, which is only twenty miles away.
- Trains would be able to use the power whilst waiting in the station.
It appears that trains that run between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads station, use a selection of platforms in Bristol.
Would it be sensible to reduce the number of platforms used and electrify them first, so that battery electric trains could charge their batteries?
Could A Battery Electric Train Run Between Bristol Temple Means And Taunton Stations?
Consider.
- These two stations are 46 miles apart via Weston-super-Mare, so if there was charging at Taunton, this service might be possible.
- The direct route is a couple of miles shorter.
- A train with full batteries at Taunton, would reach well past Exeter.
Could a battery-electric service be of use in creating Great Western Railway’s timetable, as in the Peak services are extended to Weston-super-Mare and Taunton stations?
It would certainly be lower carbon. than a current journey.
Would The Railway Through Bath Need To Be Electrified?
This would depend on three main factors.
- There is a certain amount of opposition to electrification in the centre of Bath.
- Can all passenger trains through the city be made zero-carbon without electrification?
- Can all freight trains through the city be made zero-carbon without electrification?
I would feel that all passenger trains could be run by appropriate trains, but freight would be a problem under existing technology.
I wouldn’t be surprised, if no electrification was ever erected through Bath!
The Anonymous Widower 