The Anonymous Widower

GC Applies For Manchester Paths

The title of this post, is the same as that of a short news item in the August 2026 Edition of Modern Railways.

This is the body of the news item.

Open Access Operator Grand Central has applied to operate five trains per day between St. Pancras International and Manchester Piccadilly from December 2029. These would operate via the Midland Main Line using GC’s five-car Class 180 DMU fleet currently employed on its East Coast Main Line operations. These are due to be replaced by a fleet of tri-mode Class 820s being constructed by Hitachi Rail, which were ordered last year and are being financed by Angel Trains.

Meanwhile, GC is also bidding to operate trains between London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads, running via the South West Main Line and Salisbury. The operator says that under these proposals, trains would begin operating from December 2027 with seven trains per day running using stock currently off lease.

These are my thoughts on the St. Pancras International and Manchester Piccadilly service.

The Route Between The Midland Main Line And Manchester Piccadilly

This OpenRailwayMap shows Dore Junction, where the Midland Main Line meets the Hope Valley Line between Chesterfield and Sheffield stations.

Note.

  1. Dore Junction is a triangular junction in the middle of the map.
  2. Dore and Totley station is on the North point of the junction, which leads to Sheffield station.
  3. Dore & Totley Station – 1st April 2025 shows the station before and after its rebuilding.
  4. The South-East point of the junction leads to Chesterfield station.
  5. The South-West point of the junction leads to the Hope Valley Line and eventually to Manchester Piccadilly station.

There are three routes that trains can take between the Midland Main Line at Chesterfield station and the Hope Valley Line.

  • They can take the Dore South Curve shown in the map.
  • They can go directly into Sheffield station and reverse.
  • They can go via Barrow Hill and enter Sheffield station from the East.

Note.

  1. The first route doesn’t call at Sheffield.
  2. The second route is taken by trains between Liverpool and Norwich.
  3. I wrote about the third route in Reinstatement Of The Barrow Hill Line Between Sheffield And Chesterfield.

The reinstatement of the Barrow Hill Line may ease operations in Sheffield and allow a new station or two.

The Current Hope Valley Service Between Manchester Piccadilly And Sheffield

There are two passenger services between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield stations.

  • A Northern Trains local train that stops everywhere.
  • An East Midlands Railway faster train, that only stops at Stockport.

Both trains are hourly.

The Northern End Of Grand Central’s St. Pancras International And Manchester Piccadilly Service

I would feel that the ideal route for Grand Central’s new service would call at Chesterfield, Sheffield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.

Hopefully, it could use the Barrow Hill Line to avoid a reverse at Sheffield.

Where Would Grand Central’s St. Pancras International And Manchester Piccadilly Service Call On The Midland Main Line?

East Midlands Railway services to Sheffield call at Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Long Eaton, Derby and Chesterfield.

I would expect Grand Central’s service would only call at a selection of those stations.

Would St. Pancras International Be Able To Handle The Extra Trains?

East Midlands Railway run the following services from St. Pancras International.

  • Nottingham
  • Sheffield
  • Corby

Note.

  1. All services are two trains per hour (tph)
  2. Nottingham and Sheffield services can be five- or ten-car trains.
  3. Corby services can be four- or eight-car trains.
  4. There are only four East Midlands Railway platforms at St. Pancras International, but they are 260 metres long.
  5. 260 metre platforms will take a pair of five-car Class 800/801/802 Hitachi trains, which have the standard Hitachi car length of 26 metres. The architects got that right,
  6. Each platform can take one ten-car train or two five-car trains.
  7. East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 trains are 120 metres long.
  8. East Midlands Railway’s Class 360 trains are 80 metres long.
  9. Grand Central Trains’s Class 180 trains are 116.52 metres long.
  10. The train length of Grand Central Trains’s Class 820 trains has not been disclosed, but if they had the standard Hitachi car length of 26 metres, they’d be 130 metres long.

I am fairly certain, that St. Pancras International can handle two Hitachi trains in the same platform.

This leads me to believe that Grand Central Trains Class 180 and Class 820 trains could also share a platform with an East Midlands Railway Class 810 train.

The Route And Electrification Between Manchester Piccadilly And Hazel Grove

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Manchester Piccadilly end of the route.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
  2. Tracks shown in red are electrified  with 25 KVAC overhead.
  3. Tracks shown in mauve are the Manchester Metrolink.
  4. Manchester Piccadilly station is indicated by the blue arrow.
  5. Hazel Grove station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  6. Between Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations is fully-electrified.
  7. The red knot of electrified tracks close to Manchester Piccadilly station is Longsight depot.
  8. The Southern red knot of electrified tracks is Stockport station.
  9. Manchester Piccadilly and Hazel Grove stations are 8.7 miles apart and local trains take about 15 minutes.

The Route And Electrification Between Hazel Grove And Sheffield

This OpenRailwayMap shows the route between Hazel Grove and Sheffield.

Note.

  1. Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
  2. Tracks shown in red are electrified  with 25 KVAC overhead.
  3. Tracks shown in mauve are the Manchester Metrolink and Sheffield Supertram.
  4. Stockport and Hazel Grove can be picked out on the electrified tracks in the North-East corner of the map
  5. Dore and Totley station is indicated by the blue arrow.
  6. Sheffield station is to the North-East of Dore and Totley station.
  7. The mauve tracks are the Sheffield Supertram.
  8. Leading West from Dore and Totley station is the Hope Valley Line which connects Sheffield and Hazel Grove stations.
  9. Dore and Totley and Hazel Grove stations are 29.7 miles apart.
  10. Leading South-East from Dore and Totley station is the Midland Main Line to Chesterfield, Derby and the South.
  11. The electrification from St. Pancras International finishes just North of Market Harborough station.

Dore and Totley and Market Harborough stations are 67.1 miles apart.

Will Tri-Mode Trains We Able To Go Between St. Pancras International And Manchester Piccadilly Stations

It would appear that the gap in the electrification between Market Harborough and Hazel Grove is a few miles under a hundred miles.

Both Hitachi Rail and CAF have said that their five-car trains should be able to handle up to 122 miles.

So there should be enough range to go via Barrow Hill, which would remove the reversal at Sheffield station.

 

These are my thoughts on the London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads service.

The Route Between Bristol Temple Meads And Salisbury

Currently, there are two Great Western Railway services between Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury.

  • One  calls at Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh and Warminster.
  • One calls at Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster.

Note.

  1. Both services call at Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster.
  2. Only Bath Spa and Westbury have a frequent service to London.
  3. There are five other stations, that are called at occasionally by Bristol Temple Meads and Salisbury services.

I do feel that Grand Central Trains have a lot of scope to create a very passenger-friendly timetable.

August 25, 2026 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Could There Be Better Transport Connections Between Leeds/Bradford and Glasgow/Edinburgh?

I shall start this post with eleven questions, that I will ask Google AI.

How Many People Live In the Greater Leeds/Bradford Area?

I received this answer from Google AI.

The greater Leeds-Bradford urban and larger urban zone has an estimated population of about 1.65 million to 2.4 million people. The core combined Leeds-Bradford continuous built-up area holds roughly 1.66 million people, while the wider Leeds City Region and Larger Urban Zone reaches approximately 2.4 million.

How Many People Live In the Greater Glasgow Area?

I received this answer from Google AI.

The Greater Glasgow urban area has an estimated population of over 1 million people. Depending on how the boundaries are drawn, the wider NHS health board region contains about 1.2 million, and the broader Glasgow City Region counts roughly 1.8 million residents.

How Many People Live In the Greater Edinburgh Area?

I received this answer from Google AI.

The greater Edinburgh metropolitan or wider city region has an estimated population of approximately 912,000 to 1.35 million, depending on the regional boundary used. The City of Edinburgh council area itself holds 531,370 residents.

How Many Sheduled Air Services Are There Between Leeds/Bradford and Glasgow Airports?

I received this answer from Google AI.

There are currently zero direct, scheduled non-stop air services operating between Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) and Glasgow Airport (GLA).

How Many Scheduled Air Services Are There Between Leeds/Bradford and Edinburgh Airports?

I received this answer from Google AI.

There are currently zero direct, scheduled non-stop air services operating between Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) and Edinburgh Airport (EDI).

How Many Scheduled Direct Rail Services Are There Between Leeds or Bradford and Glasgow?

I received this answer from Google AI.

There is typically only 1 scheduled direct train service per day in each direction between Leeds and Glasgow (operated via CrossCountry), and n0 direct scheduled services between Bradford and Glasgow.

How Many Sheduled Direct Rail Services Are There Between Leeds or Bradford and Edinburgh?

I received this answer from Google AI.

There are typically only 1 to 2 scheduled direct train services per day running from Leeds to Edinburgh (usually operated by CrossCountry or via select extensions), taking roughly 3 hours. Bradford has zero regular scheduled direct rail services to Edinburgh; journeys from Bradford require at least one change (commonly transferring at Leeds).

How Long Does It Take To Drive Between Leeds And Glasgow?

I received this answer from Google AI.

Driving between Leeds and Glasgow takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes to 4 hours and 15 minutes under normal conditions, covering a distance of roughly 210 to 222 miles via the A1(M) and M74.

How Long Does It Take To Drive Between Leeds And Edinburgh?

I received this answer from Google AI.

Driving between Bradford and Glasgow takes about 3.5 to 4 hours under normal conditions. The total distance is roughly 200 miles (322 km), mostly following the A1(M) or M6 motorways depending on your chosen route.

How Long Does It Take To Drive Between Bradford And Glasgow?

I received this answer from Google AI.

Driving between Leeds and Glasgow takes about 3 hours and 50 minutes to 4 hours and 15 minutes under normal conditions, covering a distance of roughly 210 to 222 miles via the A1(M) and M74.

How Long Does It Take To Drive Between Bradford And Edinburgh?

I received this answer from Google AI.

Driving between Bradford and Edinburgh takes about 4 hours to 4.5 hours under normal traffic conditions. The total driving distance is roughly 196 to 202 miles, primarily heading north via the A1(M) or M1 and A69/M74 routes.

But I do think that Northern England and Scotland could be getting closer together in the next few years.

Consider.

  • LNER stopped running between King’s Cross and Glasgow a couple of years ago.
  • No airlines fly between Leeds/Bradford and Glasgow or Edinburgh Airports.
  • TransPennine Express run direct rail services between both Liverpool and Manchester, and Glasgow.
  • There are only occasional  direct rail services between Leeds or Bradford, and Glasgow or Edinburgh.
  • Driving is not an easy or quick option.
  • Lumo run a few limited rail services between Glasgow and Stirling, and London.

There is a big gap in rail and air services between the 1.5 million people in Leeds/Bradford and nearly 2 million in Central Scotland.

But.

  • Between Bradford and Carlisle is the Settle and Carlisle Line.
  • The Settle and Carlisle is one of the most scenic lines in Europe, if not the world.
  • The Settle and Carlisle is not electrified.
  • Until 1974, it was used by the Thames-Clyde Express between London St. Pancras and Glasgow.
  • Avanti have used the route for engineering diversions, using their new five-car Class 805 trains in pairs.
  • Bradford Forster Square station has been updated so that ten-car trains on the route can call at both Leeds and Bradford Forster Square stations
  • I believe that in a couple of years, LNER will have CAF tri-mode trains and Hitachi battery-electric trains, that will be able to bridge the gap in the electrification between Skipton and Carlisle.

Selected Kings Cross and Bradford Forster Square services could be extended to Skipton, Settle, Carlisle, Dumfries, Kilmarnock and Glasgow.

There will be three major benefits.

  1. Several towns and cities will gain a London service.
  2. The extra services will help to take on the airlines between London and Glasgow.
  3. Leeds and Bradford will be connected to Glasgow.

No major infrastructure would need to be created.

I have other thoughts.

Can Ten-Car Trains Use The Settle And Carlisle?

This article on the BBC is entitled Rail Operator Crosses Picturesque Line.

There is a picture in the article of two Avanti five-car Class 805 trains crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle and Carlisle Line.

If they can do it, I suspect that a new 10-car CAF Class 897 train can also run on the line.

Could High-Class Food Be Served Between London And Glasgow?

Google AI gives this history of Pullman Dining on current GWR services.

Great Western Railway (GWR) has been running Pullman Dining on its Intercity Express Trains (Class 800 and sister Class 802 units) for about seven years, since the new Hitachi-built fleets rolled out fine-dining menus around 2017 to 2018 to replace the legacy High Speed Train (HST) sets.

In On The 10:45 From Paddington, I describe one of the best simple meals I’ve ever had.

I’m sure there are a few Scottish chefs, who could create a Scottish-themed menu for services to Scotland via the Settle and Carlisle.

Passengers Would Have A Choice Between London And Glasgow

These would be the options.

  • Fast – Ryanair and lose a lot of brownie points.
  • All-Electric Semi-Fast – Avanti or Lumo.
  • Slower, but enjoying the scenery and why not a meal – LNER via Settle and Carlisle.

Five trains per day each way would add 3,000 seats per day, which would be around 15 of Ryanair’s 737s per day.

Will Leeds/Bradford Airport Have A Glasgow Or Edinburgh Flight Some Time Soon?

Consider.

  • Between Leeds-Bradford and Glasgow airports is 177.4 miles.
  • Between Leeds-Bradford and Edinburgh airports is 159.5 miles.
  • The all-electric Eviation Alice has a range of 250 miles with 10 passengers.
  • The all-electric  Heart Aviation ES-30 has a range of 220 miles with 30 passengers.

Google AI gives this view on when the Heart Aviation ES-30 will enter service.

The Heart Aerospace ES-30 hybrid-electric airplane is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2028, though some industry analysis and program updates suggest development adjustments could stretch the timeline closer to 2029 or 2031.

The Eviation Alice doesn’t give a date at present.

Given the option, I suspect some travellers would prefer to fly.

 

August 8, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Food, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do LNER Have Some Cunning Plans For The Serenzas?

Along with some others, I was surprised, when LNER ordered a fleet of new trains in 2023, to run alongside the Azumas, that it wasn’t some more Azumas.

I wrote about the order in First Tri-Mode Long Distance Trains For The East Coast Main Line.

Why Didn’t LNER Just Order More Azumas?

 

I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.

When London North Eastern Railway (LNER) needed additional trains for the East Coast Main Line, they chose to order 10 new “tri-mode” (electric, diesel, and battery) trains from Spanish manufacturer CAF in November 2023 rather than buying more Hitachi Azumas.

Why LNER Didn’t Order More Azumas?

Desire for New Technology: LNER wanted cutting-edge “tri-mode” capability—incorporating battery technology alongside electric and diesel power—to reduce carbon emissions and future-proof the fleet. Hitachi’s corresponding tri-mode platform was centered in Italy, making CAF a more ready and accessible option with an established UK manufacturing platform in Newport, Wales.

Procurement and Pricing: Industry discussions and reports noted varying challenges with Hitachi regarding pricing and availability for small add-on batches, prompting a competitive procurement process where CAF ultimately won the contract to replace remaining older InterCity 225 sets.

Operational Resilience: The new CAF battery-hybrid trains provide unique operational flexibility for diversions on un-electrified routes (such as the Joint Line) that standard electric Azumas cannot traverse under their own power without external help.

These are my current thoughts on LNER’s plans for the Serenzas.

Will The Serenzas Run To Harrogate?

As the seven trains per day to Harrogate use diesel between Leeds and Harrogate, I suspect the new trains will take over Harrogate services and run silently on batteries North of Leeds, which is less than 40 miles out and back.

How will the lack of noise affect ridership? London Kings Cross and Harrogate will be an interesting test case, as it looks like from the in service date of the trains of 2028, that they could be one of the first battery-electric train services, run over a distance of over two hundred miles.

So it will be an interesting test route in several ways for the new Serenzas.

Could The Serenzas Go Further Than Harrogate?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrification in Yorkshire between Bradford, Harrogate, Leeds and York.

Note.

  1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
  2. Unelectrified lines are shown in black.
  3. Lines in the process of being electrified are shown in dotted red and black.
  4. The City of Bradford is in the South-West corner of the map.
  5. The electrification entering the city from the North goes to Bradford Forster Square station, where LNER services from London terminate.
  6. On the opposite side of the city centre is Bradford Interchange station, where Grand Central services from London terminate.
  7. North of Bradford is the electrified triangular junction at Shipley station
  8. Trains go West from Shipley junction to Skipton, where the electrification ends and the iconic Settle and Carlisle line to Carlisle and eventually Glasgow.
  9. Trains go North from Shipley junction on an electrified line to Ilkley station.
  10. Trains go East from Shipley junction on an electrified line to Leeds station.
  11. From the Leeds area an unelectrified line leads to the North and Harrogate station, which is marked by a blue arrow.
  12. The City of York is in the North-East corner of the map.
  13. A partially-electrified line leads from Leeds to York.
  14. The Leeds and York line is being fully-electrified so that electric trains can reach Neville Hill depot in Leeds.
  15. Harrogate and York are connected by an unelectrified line, that goes via Knaresborough.

Between Bradford, Harrogate, Leeds and York, there are a coomprehensive layout of lines many oy of which are electrified.

Could The Serenzas Go On From Harrogate To York?

Consider.

  • Leeds and York is only 38.8 miles via Harrogate, so I suspect that this is possible using battery power.
  • Harrogate has seven trains per day (tpd) from London Kings Cross via Leeds, at a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).
  • York has six tpd from London Kings Cross, at a frequency of one tp2h.

Could LNER be thinking of a train, that does a Grand Tour of Yorkshire from London Kings Cross?

  • It could call at Stevenage, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Horsforth, Harrogate, Knaresborough, York, Doncaster, Retford and Peterborough.
  • It is the sort of concept, that is made possible by using a tri-mode train, that can go anywhere, there’s a railway.
  • Was an idea like this, thought up by CAF to sell trains?

It is certainly possible.

Could The Serenzas Go On From Bradford Forster Square To Glasgow?

Consider.

  • Until 1974, there used to be a Thames-Clyde Express, which has this Wikipedia entry.
  • The route was between London St. Pancras and Glasgow Central.
  • Intermediate stops were Luton, Kettering, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield, Leeds, Skipton, Settle, Carlisle, Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
  • LNER  gave up serving Glasgow in 2024.
  • Currently, Leeds and Bradford have no direct train service to Glasgow.
  • The Settle and Carlisle route is one of the most scenic railway lines in Europe, if not the world.
  • Do any airlines fly Leeds/Bradford and Glasgow? No according to Google AI!

Remember, that the Rail Minister; Lord Hendy, is an Economic Geography graduate of Leeds University, so he must know something about Yorkshire and its people.

I believe a modern-day Thames-Clyde Express could be run, by extending a number of LNER’s London and Bradford Forster Square services.

  • The route would be between London Kings Cross and Glasgow Central.
  • Intermediate stops would be Stevenage, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Shipley, Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Settle, Carlisle, Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
  • The route is now substantially electrified.
  • It would take on the airlines on the London and Glasgow route.
  • Class 805 bi-mode trains have used the Settle and Carlisle.

This could become one of the great railway journeys of Europe.

 

 

August 6, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Centrica Buys Severn Gas Power Station In South Wales

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

This is the sub-heading.

The owner of British Gas says the plant, acquired from the troubled Calon Energy for £370 million, will help secure supplies during the green transition

These three introductory paragraphs add more details to the story.

The owner of British Gas has acquired the troubled Severn gas power station in south Wales for £370 million after issuing a less than positive future profit guidance.

The combined-cycle gas turbine plant was owned by Calon Energy, which had gone into administration shortly after the start of the pandemic in 2020 when the power station was, for a while, mothballed.

Centrica said it acquired the plant to shore up its energy generation resources and secure electricity supplies during the UK’s green transition.

I think there a lot more to this story, than initially meets the eye.

The Location

The Google Map shows the location of the Severn Power station on the River Usk, to the South of Newport in South Wales.

Note.

  1. Severn power station is indicated by the red arrow in the South-West of the map.
  2. The River Usk enters the sea to the West of the site.
  3. The RSPB Newport Wetlandsare South of the site.
  4. The long rectangle in the middle of the map is the former Llanwern steelworks, which is now a CAF train factory.
  5. Newport is also a major station on the main line between London Paddington and Cardiff.

This second Google Map shows the power station site at a larger scale.

I wouldn’t be surprised, that Centrica could fit other equipment on and around the power station site.

  • Centrica and/or National Grid might want to put an interconnector across the Severn Estuary.
  • There might be a need to connect to wind farms in the Severn Estuary.
  • Centrica are building a bunkering facility for ships running on low carbon fuels at Grain LNG Terminal. Will they build one here?
  • Centrica could build a HiiROC electrolyser to create hydrogen for difficult to decarbonise industries and bunkering ships.

The site has a lot of potential.

May 8, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Environment, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Could A Feeder Network Of Local Trains Be Developed For HS2 At Lancaster Station?

Lancaster station is one of the less important stations that will be served by High Speed Two.

I visited in May 2025 and afterwards wrote Lancaster Station – 23rd May 2025.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railway network around Lancaster.

Note.

  1. The red track on the East side of the map is the electrified West Coast Main Line.
  2. The location of Lancaster station is indicated by a blue arrow.
  3. Morecambe, where the Eden Project North is being developed and the important port of Heysham are on the coast to the West of Lancaster.
  4. Oxenholme station is towards the North-East corner of the map, on the main line.
  5. The Windermere branch connects to the main line at Oxenholme station.
  6. HS2 will use the West Coast Main Line and call at Lancaster and Oxenholme.

North of Oxenholme, HS2 calls at Penrith and Carlisle, before going on to Glasgow and Scotland.

West of the main line, the map is dominated by the waters of Morecambe Bay, which in recent decades has produced a lot of our gas, but is now transitioning to an area, that will produce a few gigawatts of wind power.

North of Morecambe Bay, there is the Lake District, with the shipbuilding at Barrow and the nuclear waste processing at Sellafield on the coast.

It is an important area of England, where there is a lot going on!

Tying it all together is the yellow ribbon of the Cumbrian Coast Line, which connects Carnforth and Carlisle on an hourly basis.

  • The service calls at Grange-over-Sands, Barrow-in-Furness, Millom, Ravenglass, Drigg, Seascale, Sellafield, St Bees, Whitehaven, Workington, Maryport, Aspatria, Wigton and other places.
  • Four services a day link Carlisle and Lancaster stations.
  • Carlisle and Lancaster stations are 120.5 miles apart via the coast and according to Google AI, the journey takes between three and three-and-a-half hours.
  • In  From Barrow-in-Furness To Ravenglass, From Ravenglass to Sellafield and From Sellafield To Carlisle, there are some images, that give a flavour of the route.

This is a route, that is worth decarbonising.

Consider.

  • There is a couple of gigawatt of wind power in the bay to charge any batteries with green electricity or make green hydrogen.
  • There is a project called BARROW GREEN HYDROGEN, which is located in Barrow-in-Furness.
  • Both hydrogen and battery-powered trains could handle the hundred and twenty miles of the Cumbrian Coast Line.
  • A zero-carbon train running silently round the Lake District could be a tourist attraction in its own right.
  • Hydrogen-powered buses could provide the local transport.

Given the scenery and the closeness to the Lake District and High Speed Two, I suspect that major train manufacturers like Alstom, CAF and Siemens will be keen to bid.

 

April 20, 2026 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Next Generation: LNER Reveals Exciting New Details Of Upcoming East Coast Main Line Trains

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

This is the sub-heading.

A new generation of comfort and speed is coming for LNER customers on the East Coast Main Line with the introduction of 10 state-of-the-art intercity trains, delivering improved journey experiences.

These two paragraphs introduce the trains.

LNER has released a fleet name and the latest interior images of the trains, built by manufacturer CAF and financed by Porterbrook, to show customers what they can expect following their introduction to the UK rail network in the coming years.

The new fleet will help support and accommodate strong demand for rail travel on the East Coast Main Line. Since Covid, LNER has seen a year-on-year increase in customers, with more than 24 million customers in 2024-25. The introduction, in December 2025, of a new, transformative timetable has brought an extra 60,000 seats per week across the route, and new CAF-built trains will further grow capacity and reliability.

Note.

  1. The trains will be ten cars long.
  2. The trains will be tri-mode trains, which will be able to use 25 KVAC Overhead electricity, diesel and battery power.
  3. The trains will have a top speed of 125 mph.
  4. The trains will be named Serenza.

The trains will be numbered as Class 897 trains.

I have some further thoughts.

What Diesel Engines Will Be Used?

I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.

The British Rail Class 897 Civity, designed by CAF for London North Eastern Railway, are tri-mode electro-diesel multiple units. While they are built for electric, battery, and diesel operation, specific details regarding the engine manufacturer for the Class 897’s diesel power units have not been officially announced or detailed in public documentation.

Information on the specific model of the diesel engines (e.g., Cummins, MAN) is not available in the provided search results.

CAF’s other diesel-multiple units built in the UK,  as eight of these Class 897 trains will be, have German-made Rolls-Royce mtu diesel engines.

Consider.

  • American diesel-engine manufacturer; Cummins is specifically-mentioned by Google AI.
  • Cummins have a large diesel engine factory in Darlington, just round the corner from Darlington station.
  • Cummins are known to be decarbonising the company and are producing a range of diesel-engines, that can be converted to run in a carbon-zero mode on hydrogen.
  • Wrightbus now produce the Streetdeck Ultroliner EU6 with a Cummins engine. They also say on their web site, that the bus can be decarbonised, by converting to electric power.
  • Stadler produce the Class 99 locomotive with a Cummins engine.

An alternative and possibly simpler way to decarbonise the Streetdeck Ultroliner EU6s, the Class 99 locomotives and the Class 897 trains might be to convert the diesel engines to zero-carbon hydrogen?

I asked Google AI how many railway locomotives use Cummins diesel engines and received this reply.

More than 13,000 Cummins rail engines are in operation globally, powering various locomotives and railcars. They are heavily utilized in both passenger and freight applications, with over 10,000 underfloor engines in service for diesel railcars. They are commonly found in locomotives built by companies like Siemens and Stadler.

Replacing that number of diesel engines will be a large amount of work. And what better place to base the European side of that business, than in the historic railway town of Darlington?

Will The Class 897 Trains Be Able To Take The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line?

As I write this post,  some trains will be replaced by coaches at the weekend, so there is not much point in my mind for tri-mode trains not to be able to take the Diversion using the onboard diesel and battery power.

Google AI gave this answer.

Yes, the Class 897 “Serenza” trains, designed for LNER, are expected to be capable of using the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line (GNGE). As tri-mode electro-diesel multiple units, they are designed for flexibility and can utilize battery power to navigate routes like the GNGE through Lincoln during engineering works or overhead wire issues.

I suspect it could also allow combining services like Lincoln and Middlesbrough if required.

Will The Class 897 Trains Be Able To Take Services To The North Of Scotland?

Google AI gave this answer.

Yes, LNER’s new Class 897 tri-mode trains are designed to operate across their entire network, including routes to Scotland, utilizing electric, diesel, or battery power. These 10-car units will replace older fleets, supporting, as noted by The Anonymous Widower, services from London to the North of England and Scotland, with deployment scheduled to begin from 2027.

Thanks, for the link, Google!

Will LNER Take On The Airlines To Scotland?

Consider.

  • The Class 897 trains running as diesel tri-modes will probably emit less carbon dioxide, than the current Class 800/802 diesel bi-modes.
  • If the Class 897 trains could run as hydrogen tri-modes, they could probably be zero-carbon trains.
  • Hydrogen would not be needed South of Stirling or Edinburgh.

Think of the advertising possibilities to change travellers from the airlines to the trains.

Hydrogen-tri-mode trains make sense

Will The Class 897 Trains Be Able To Take Services To The New Destinations In South Yorkshire?

By reading a map, I feel that this route will be possible.

  1. Retford, where the train would leave the East Coast Main Line
  2. Worksop, where there is a good cafe with excellent cakes.
  3. Woodhouse for Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
  4. Sheffield with a reverse.
  5. Meadowhall for the shopping.
  6. Barnsley Interchange
  7. Wakefield Kirkdale.
  8. Leeds

Note.

The route I mapped out is not much different to Hull Trains’s route to Sheffield, that I wrote about in FirstGroup Applies To Run New London To Sheffield Rail Service.

  1. Trains could go on from Leeds to York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line.
  2. Trains could go on from Leeds to Settle, Carlisle, Lockerby, Motherwell and Glasgow Central on the Settle and Carlisle Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  3. I do like the idea of a King’s Cross and Glasgow service on the Settle and Carlisle.

There are certainly interesting possibilities for trains to take a number of routes through South Yorkshire.

 

 

February 2, 2026 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How To Take A Ride On A New Docklands Light Railway Train

This article on the BBC is entitled After Delays, New Trains Finally Arrive On The DLR.

This is the sub-heading.

The first of 54 new trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is now in service, featuring “the latest technology”, according to Transport for London (TfL)

These two paragraphs add more details.

The new carriages are air-conditioned, have mobile device charging points and dedicated spaces for wheelchair users.

They will replace the oldest trains in the DLR fleet, some of which have been in service for more than three decades, with “modern, high-capacity trains designed to meet the needs of a growing city”, said TfL.

I travelled to West Ham station this morning and took these pictures on a journey to Woolwich Arsenal.

Note.

  1. The Docklands Light Railway and the Jubilee Line are on the same level and connected by the bridge in West Ham station.
  2. The old DLR trains have red bodywork and the new trains have light blue bodywork.
  3. The first train through was a test train.
  4. The last row of pictures show the comparative length of the two trains at Woolwich Arsenal station.

These are some more detailed thoughts.

The Length Of The New Trains

The original cars are 28 metres long.

  • Running as a 2-car train, the trains are 56 metres long.
  • Running as a 3-car train, the trains are 84 metres long.
  • The new 5-car trains are 86.7 metres long.

I asked Google AI how many seats were in a DLR train and received this answer.

A DLR (Docklands Light Railway) train’s seat count varies by the specific rolling stock, but newer trains have a higher capacity; for example, the new B23 rolling stock is a 5-coach unit replacing older, coupled 3-car trains and offers a total capacity of 790 passengers, with 156 seats. Older trains typically consist of two cars and have 70 seats per car for a total of 140 seats.

Newer B23 Rolling Stock:
Each 5-coach train has 156 seats.
It can carry a total of 790 passengers.

Older Trains:
These trains generally consist of two cars coupled together.
Each car has 70 seats, making for a total of 140 seats in a typical two-car train.
Older, single-unit trains may have had fewer seats, as a current 3-car train had about 680 passengers in total capacity.

West Ham Was A Good Place To Start A First Ride

Consider.

  • At the present time, there aren’t many trains running on the DLR.
  • There may only be a couple of trains running between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal.
  • West Ham is an island platform, so the train goes by on both sides, which also makes it easy to get on a single train.
  • West Ham is a well-connected station.

I did have to wait about thirty minutes for the train to arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , | Leave a comment

Battery-Powered Train Breaks Distance Record

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

This is the sub-heading.

A battery-powered train has broken the world record for the longest railway journey on a single charge.

These three introductory paragraphs add more details.

The Great Western Railway (GWR) train – a specially adapted former District Line train – travelled overnight along a 200-mile (322km) route from Reading and back again, via London Paddington and Oxford.

It reached 140 miles (225km), breaking the record on Brunel’s Maidenhead Bridge at about 04:00 BST.

The previous record of 139 miles (224km) was set by German train company Stadler Deutschland in Berlin on 10 December 2021.

This was an impressive demonstration of the capabilities of battery-electric trains.

Will This Record Be Beaten?

200 miles is impressive, but there was also this paragraph in the article.

At the end of the journey GWR said there was a remaining battery charge of 22% which it estimated would have allowed the train to travel about a further 58 miles (93km).

So it looks like 258 miles should be possible.

Four other companies are also developing battery-electric trains.

  • Alstom at Derby
  • CAF at Newport
  • Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe
  • Siemens at Goole
  • Stadler in Switzerland.

Note.

  1. All except Stadler have UK factories.
  2. Siemens and Stadler have delivered trains in Germany.
  3. This page on the Hitachi Rail web site is entitled Intercity Battery Trains.
  4. This page on the Hitachi Rail web site is entitled Hitachi Wins New UK Contract To Build Intercity Battery Trains. The customer is Grand Central Trains.
  5. Hitachi have been running a prototype for some months, in the UK.

The competition is hotting up and the record will certainly be soundly beaten.

 

August 20, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

London Underground’s New Piccadilly Line Trains Delayed Until 2026

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

These are the first two paragraphs.

The new air-conditioned trains which Siemens Mobility is supplying for London Underground’s Piccadilly Line are now expected to enter service from the second half of 2026, Transport for London has confirmed.

When the order was signed in November 2018 it was envisaged that the trains would enter service from 2024.

The article also says this about the new CAF trains for the Docklands Light Railway.

The Docklands Light Railway is to implement ‘short-term timetable changes’ on less busy routes from July 21. The reduction in services aims to ensure that reliability can be maintained pending the delayed introduction of new CAF trainsets, which was originally planned for 2023 but is now expected later this year. TfL said the age of the existing trains meant some needed to be retired this summer.

It looks like has two sets of new trains, both being delivered two years late; one being German and the other Spanish.

The only factors I can think both trains being late would be.

  • Bad management of the contracts by Transport for London.
  • Bad documentation of the Piccadilly Line and the Docklands Light Railway, when they were built.
  • Bad project management generally throughout Europe.
  • All politicians will be blaming someone else.

Take your pick!

June 23, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 5 Comments

Support For Edinburgh Tram-Train Scheme

The title of this post, is the title of a third-of-a-page article in the June 2025 Edition of Modern Railways.

This is the first paragraph.

Final-Year civil engineering undergraduates at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus have received warm support for a study in which they recommend reopening the city’s 7.5 mile South Suburban Railway, used for freight and diversions since 1962, using tram-trains.

It looks like they would start in the West at say Edinburgh Gateway or the Airport and would then turn South at Murrayfield to join the South Suburban Railway at Gorgie.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks to the South of Murrayfield stadium.

Note.

  1. The more Westerly-oriented orange tracks lead to Glasgow.
  2. The orange tracks running South-Westerly are the tracks to Carstairs.
  3. The yellow tracks are the South Suburban Railway.
  4. Tram-trains could then go all the way to Brunstane on the Borders Railway.
  5. The blue arrow indicates the tram-stop for Murrayfield.
  6. I would assume that the connection to the South Suburban Railway, is to the East of this stop.
  7. Gorgie East, Craiglockhart and Morningside Road were stations on the South Suburban Railway.

This map shows where the South Suburban and Borders Railways meet in a large triangular junction.

Note.

  1. Newcraighall station on the Borders Railway is in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. Brunstane station is to its North-West almost halfway up the map.
  3. The two stations are the North and South points of the triangular junction, where the South Suburban and Borders Railways meet.
  4. The South Suburban can be seen going West towards Gorgie and Murrayfield.
  5. Edinburgh’s beach at Portobello is in the North-East corner of the map.
  6. Between Murrayfield and Brunstane, there would be an appropriate number of tram stops and a tram-train every fifteen minutes.

Optionally, the route can be extended to Leith on a mothballed freight line.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways and tramways of Edinburgh between Brunstane, Edinburgh Waverley and Leith.

Note.

  1. The orange track running across the bottom of the map is the East Coast Main Line into Edinburgh Waverley station, which is clearly marked.
  2. The pink track is the Edinburgh tram to Newhaven.
  3. Brunstane station is in the South-East corner of the map.
  4. The site of the former Portobello station is marked by the blue arrow.
  5. The yellow track from Portolbello up the coast is a mothballed freight line to Leith Docks.

The proposal suggests that the tram-train route finishes at Leith Docks. One of the reasons, is that this part of Edinburgh, is not well served by public transport.

I have some extra thoughts.

Changing Between Borders Railway and the Tram-Train At Brunstane Station

Brunstane station, is a two-track station, with only one platform, so there may need to be track modifications.

Do Edinburgh’s Urbos Trams Have A Tram-Train Variant?

They do!

Do Edinburgh’s Urbos Trams Have A Battery Variant?

Battery tram-trains charged at either end of the route will be needed.

A battery-electric Urbos 3 tram, can be seen running through the City of Birmingham in England.

Conclusion

The proposal looks feasible to me. But the devil will be in the detail.

 

May 18, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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