Cutting Emissions – Cleaner, Greener Turbostars
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Engineer.
It is a detailed technical description about how one of Chiltern Trains’s Class 168 trains has been converted to hybrid power.
This extract from the article gives the results of the conversion.
In July 2021, to celebrate Chiltern Railways’ 25th anniversary, the prototype was used to carry a number of invited guests to Bicester for a celebration lunch. The unit achieved speeds of up to 100mph during this demonstration run and operated with emission free battery power into/out of Marylebone and Bicester. The converted train is expected to reduce CO2 by up to 25%, nitrous oxide by up to 70%, particulates by up to 90% and fuel consumption by up to 25%. There was also an expectation that engine noise level will be reduced by 75%.
The article finishes by discussing how all 450 cars of the combined Class 168/170 fleet could be converted.
The article also hopes that the new Chiltern contract could lead to a full conversion of the fleet to hybrid operation.
It is an article well-worth a read.
A Chiltern Class 68 Locomotive At Marylebone Station
As I was passing through Marylebone station, I took these pictures of a very clean Class 68 locomotive.
If I’m going to Birmingham, I generally use Chiltern, as often you get to travel in one of these well-restored Mark 3 coaches hauled by a Class 68 locomotive.
With the Mark 3 coach, you get a full size table and a large window to enjoy the countryside.
- The Class 68 locomotives were all built by Stadler in Spain, within the last ten years.
- The UK has a fleet of 34 Class 68 locomotives.
- They are powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine.
- The only problem with the trains is that the Class 68 locomotives are diesel.
But is Caterpillar working on a simple solution?
Search the Internet for “Caterpillar Hydrogen” and you find press releases and other items, like this press release, which is entitled Caterpillar to Expand Hydrogen-Powered Solutions to Customers.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find out, that Stadler and Caterpillar were working on a program to provide a solution to convert Class 68 locomotives to hydrogen.
UK’s First 100mph Battery-Diesel Hybrid Train Enters Passenger Service
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on ITV.
These are the first three paragraphs.
The UK’s first 100mph battery-diesel hybrid train is entering passenger service to cut carbon emissions and boost air quality.
It was developed by adding a powerful battery to a 20-year-old diesel train to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25%, according to owner Porterbrook.
The firm added that the two-carriage train, named HybridFLEX, also provides a 75% decrease in noise and a 70% decrease in nitrogen oxide.
The battery-diesel hybrid transmission is from MTU, who are a Rolls-Royce company and they go further with this press release which is entitled World Premiere: MTU Hybrid PowerPack From Rolls-Royce Enters Passenger Service.
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce, Porterbrook and Chiltern Railways are making rail history together with a climate-friendly world premiere: A hybrid diesel-battery-electric train that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 25% entered passenger service in the UK today for the first time. The so-called HybridFLEX train is powered by two mtu Hybrid PowerPacks and is operated by Chiltern Railways on the route between London Marylebone and Aylesbury. Together with the leasing company Porterbrook and Chiltern Railways, Rolls-Royce has converted a Class 168 DMU into the HybridFLEX train. The partners are proving that existing rail vehicles can be used in a climate-friendly way without the need to install complex and expensive new infrastructure. It is the world’s first regular passenger operation with mtu Hybrid PowerPacks, of which 13 have already been ordered.
This is significant for the railways of the UK.
The train that has been converted is a Class 168 train, which itself had been converted from a Class 170 train, when it transferred to Chiltern Railways in 2016.
I think this means that all Bombardier Turbostars in Classes 168, 170, 171 and 172 can probably be fitted with MTU Hybrid PowerPacks.
That is the following numbers of trains and cars.
- Class 168 – 28 trains – 86 cars
- Class 170 – 139 trains – 372 cars
- Class 171 – 20 trains – 56 cars
- Class 172 – 39 trains – 93 cars
Note.
- This totals to 226 trains and 607 cars.
- As each car has an engine, this will be an order of 607 PowerPacks, if all trains were to be converted.
This could certainly help to meet the Government’s aim of getting rid of all diesel only trains by 2040.
Can The CAF Civities Be Converted?
There are three Classes of CAF Civity diesel multiple units; 195, 196 and 197, all of which have Rolls-Royce MTU engines.
Could these be converted to hybrid operation by the swapping of the current diesel engines for MTU Hybrid PowerPacks?
I would suspect they could, as the CAF Civity trains might have been designed after MTU disclosed plans of the MTU Hybrid PowerPack to train builders prior to its announcement in September 2018.
Conclusion
MTU Hybrid PowerPacks could go a long way to eliminating diesel-only trains on UK railways. They could even run the diesels on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to lower their carbon-footprint further.
The Future Of The Class 68 Locomotives
This post has been brought on by the comments to two posts I have written today.
- Direct Rail Services Disposes Of Heritage Locomotives
- Suppliers Sought For New Bi-Mode Locomotives For TransPennine Express And Great Western Railway
Both Direct Rail Services and TransPennine Express are major users of Class 68 locomotives, with each having a fleet of fourteen locomotives.
In addition, Chiltern Railways has a smaller fleet of six locomotives.
- Direct Rail Services use their locomotives for various passenger and freight duties, including the important one of moving nuclear material around the country.
- TransPennine Express use their locomotives on their passenger services across the North of England.
- Chiltern Railways use their locomotives on their passenger services between London and Birmingham and sometimes Oxford.
The design was a bespoke one by Stadler for Direct Rail Services and the first one entered service in 2014.
The picture shows one of TransPennine’s Class 68 locomotives at Scarborough. As the picture shows, they are a smart and purposeful-looking locomotive, that wouldn’t look out of place in the right livery on the front of the Royal Train.
It has some good features.
- It is a 100 mph locomotive.
- It seems to be well-liked by operators.
- It can haul both passenger and freight trains.
- It can act as a Thunderbird or rescue locomotive.
But they have three problems; emissions, noise and diesel.
This is from Wikipedia.
The locomotive’s propulsion system is compliant with Stage III A of the European emission standards, but not the more stringent Stage III B requirements.
But noise is a another problem and this has caused council action in Scarborough.
More important than emissions or noise, is the fact, that the locomotive is diesel-powered, so the fleet will probably have to be retired from the railway, at a time, when there is still useful life left in the locomotives.
The Class 68 locomotive is a member of the Stadler Eurolight family, of which there are three versions.
All follow similar design principles, differing mainly in dimensions, with Spain, Taiwan and the UK ordering upwards of twenty-thirty locomotives.
The UKLight branch of the family has two other members.
The Class 88 locomotive is an electro-diesel version of the Class 68 locomotive and the development of the design is described in this extract from the Class 88 locomotive’s Wikipedia entry.
Amid the fulfillment of DRS’ order for the Class 68, Stadler’s team proposed the development of a dual-mode locomotive that could be alternatively powered by an onboard diesel engine or via electricity supplied from overhead lines (OHLE). Having been impressed by the concept, DRS opted to place an order for ten Class 88s during September 2013. Having been developed alongside the Class 68, considerable similarities are shared between the two locomotives, amounting to roughly 70 percent of all components being shared.
According to Wikipedia, the type had a smooth entry into service.
The Class 93 locomotive will be the next development of the UKLight branch of the family, when it is delivered in 2023.
It will be a tri-mode locomotive, that will be capable of being powered by 25 KVAC overhead electrification, an onboard diesel engine and batteries.
It will be a 110 mph locomotive.
It can haul both passenger and freight trains.
Rail Operations Group have ordered 30 locomotives.
This is the first paragraph of the section in Wikipedia called Specification.
The Class 93 locomotive has been developed to satisfy a requirement for a fast freight locomotive that uses electric power while under the wires, but is also capable of self-powered operations. Accordingly, it is capable of running on diesel engines, from overhead wires, or from its onboard batteries. These batteries, which occupy the space used for the braking resistors in the Class 88, are charged via the onboard transformer or regenerative braking; when the batteries are fully charged, the locomotive only has its friction brakes available. The diesel engine is a six-cylinder Caterpillar C32 turbocharged power unit, rated at 900 kW, conforming with the EU97/68 stage V emission standard. The batteries units are made of Lithium Titanate Oxide and use a liquid cooling solution, enabling rapid charge and discharge.
It is a truly agnostic locomotive, that can take its power from anywhere.
The last paragraph of the specification compares the locomotive to the Class 66 locomotive.
In comparison with the Class 66, the Class 93 can outperform it in various metrics. In addition to a higher top speed, the locomotive possesses greater acceleration and far lower operating costs, consuming only a third of the fuel of a Class 66 along with lower track access charges due to its lower weight. ROG has postulated that it presents a superior business case, particularly for intermodal rail freight operations, while also being better suited for mixed-traffic operations as well. Each locomotive has a reported rough cost of £4 million.
It is no ordinary locomotive and it will change rail freight operations in the UK.
I have a feeling that the Class 93 locomotive could be a lower-carbon replacement for the Class 68 locomotive.
But I also believe that what Stadler have learned in the development of the Class 93 locomotive can be applied to the Class 68 locomotive to convert them into zero-carbon locomotives.
It may be just a matter of throwing out the diesel engine and the related gubbins and replacing them with a large battery. This process seems to have worked with Wabtec’s conversion of diesel locomotives to FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives.
Rolls-Royce And Flanders Electric Plan To Develop Hybrid Retrofit Solution For Mining Trucks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this Press Release from Rolls-Royce.
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce and Flanders Electric have agreed to develop a retrofit solution for hybridizing mining trucks with mtu engines, batteries and hybrid control systems, and Flanders drive train solutions. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding enabling them to offer a scalable retrofit kit for hybridizing mining trucks in a wide range of mining applications.
This looks to be a promising application of a version of MTU Mybrid PowerPack technology, that is being trialled on a Class 168 train on Chiltern Railways.
They are claiming a CO2 reduction of twenty percent.
HybridFLEX Battery-Diesel Train Continues Programme Of Testing
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Global Railway Review.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The HybridFLEX battery-diesel train is currently undertaking a programme of tests between Duffield and Wirksworth, prior to returning to Chiltern Railways in the summer.
Fitted with a Rolls Royce MTU hybrid drive, the HybridFLEX will cut noise emissions in stations and deliver zero emissions when operating under battery power.
All seems to be going well, according to the article.
I like the concept, as to replace a diesel engine with a diesel-battery hybrid power pack must surely be a sensible way to at least partially decarbonise.
In the UK, the following diesel multiple units are fitted with modern MTU engines and could be candidates from a replacement power pack.
- Class 168 train – 19 trains – 82 diesel engines
- Class 170 train – 136 trains – 350 diesel engines
- Class 171 train – 20 trains – 56 diesel engines
- Class 172 train – 39 trains – 93 diesel engines
- Class 195 train – 58 trains – 149 diesel engines
- Class 196 train – 26 trains – 80 diesel engines
- Class 197 train – 77 trains – 180 diesel engines
That is a total of 990 diesel engines.
As some of the Class 196 and Class 197 trains have yet to be delivered, I do wonder, if it would be sensible to deliver them as diesel-battery hybrid trains.
The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive
If we are going to decarbonise the railways in the UK and in many countries of the world, there is a need to replace diesel locomotives with a zero-carbon alternative.
In looking at Airbus’s proposal for hydrogen powered aircraft in ZEROe – Towards The World’s First Zero-Emission Commercial Aircraft, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of powering freight locomotives using gas-turbine engines running on liquid hydrogen.
A Hydrogen-Powered Equivalent Of A Class 68 Locomotive
The Class 68 Locomotive is a modern diesel locomotive used on UK railways.
This is a brief specification
- It can pull both passenger and freight trains.
- It has an operating speed of 100 mph.
- The diesel engine is rated at 2.8 MW
- It has an electric transmission.
- It has a 5,000 litre diesel tank.
- It weighs 85 tonnes.
- It is 20.5 metres long.
There are thirty-four of these locomotives in service, where some haul passenger trains for Chiltern Railways and TransPennine Express.
Rolls-Royce’s Staggering Development
Staggering is not my word, but that of Paul Stein, who is Rolls-Royce’s Chief Technology Officer.
He used the word in a press release, which I discuss in Our Sustainability Journey.
To electrify aviation, Rolls-Royce has developed a 2.5 MW generator, based on a small gas-turbine engine, which Paul Stein describes like this.
Amongst the many great achievements from E-Fan X has been the generator – about the same size as a beer keg – but producing a staggering 2.5 MW. That’s enough power to supply 2,500 homes and fully represents the pioneering spirit on this project.
This generator is designed for flight and the data sheet for the gas-turbine engine is available on the Internet.
- It has a weight of under a couple of tonnes compared to the thirteen tonnes of the diesel engine and generator in a Class 68 locomotive.
- It is almost as powerful as the diesel.
- It looks to be as frugal, if not more so!
- Rolls-Royce haven’t said if this gas-turbine can run on aviation biofuel, but as many of Rolls-Royce’s large engines can, I would be very surprised if it couldn’t!
Rolls-Royce’s German subsidiary; MTU is a large producer of rail and maritime diesel engines, so the company has the expertise to customise the generator for rail applications.
Could this generator be modified to run on liquid hydrogen and used to power a Class 68-sized locomotive?
- The size of the generator must be an advantage.
- Most gas-turbine engines can be modified to run on natural gas and hydrogen.
- Its power output is electricity.
- There’s probably space to fit two engines in a Class 68 locomotive.
In addition, a battery could be added to the transmission to enable regenerative braking to battery, which would increase the efficiency of the locomotive.
Storing Enough Hydrogen
I believe that the hydrogen-powered locomotive should carry as much energy as a Class 68 locomotive.
- A Class 68 locomotive has a capacity of 5,000 litres of diesel fuel.
- This will have a mass of 4.19 tonnes.
- Each kilogram of diesel can produce 47 Mega Joules of energy.
- This means that full fuel tanks contain 196,695 Mega Joules of energy.
- Each litre of liquid hydrogen can produce 10.273 Mega Joules of energy
This means that to carry the same amount of energy will need 19,147 litres or 19.15 cubic metres of liquid hydrogen.
- This could be contained in a cylindrical tank with a diameter of 2 metres and a length of 6 metres.
- It would also weigh 1.38 tonnes.
The E-Fan-X aircraft project must have worked out how to store, similar amounts of liquid hydrogen.
Note that I used this Energy And Fuel Data Sheet from Birmingham University.
Running On Electrification
As the locomotive would have an electric transmission, there is no reason, why it could not run using both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
This would enable the locomotive to haul trains efficiently on partially electrified routes like between Felixstowe and Leeds.
Hydrogen-Powered Reciprocating Engines
When it comes to diesel engines to power railway locomotives and big trucks, there are few companies bigger than Cummins, which in 2018, turned over nearly 24 billion dollars.
- A large proportion of this revenue could be at risk, if governments around the world, get serious about decarbonisation.
- Cummins have not let the worst just happen and in 2019, they acquired Hydrogenics, who are a hydrogen power company, that they now own in an 81/19 partnership with Air Liquide.
- Could all this expertise and Cummins research combine to produce powerful hydrogen-powered reciprocating engines?
- Other companies, like ABC and ULEMCo are going this route, to modify existing diesel engines to run on hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and diesel.
I believe it is very likely, that Cummins or another company comes up with a solution to decarbonise rail locomotives, based on a conversion of an existing diesel engine.
Refuelling Hydrogen-Powered Rail Locomotives
One of problems with hydrogen-powered trucks and cars, is that there is no nationwide refuelling network providing hydrogen. But railway locomotives and trains usually return to depots at the end of the day for servicing and can be fuelled there.
Conclusion
I feel that there are several routes to a hydrogen-powered railway locomotive and all the components could be fitted into the body of a diesel locomotive the size of a Class 68 locomotive.
Consider.
- Decarbonising railway locomotives and ships could be a large market.
- It offers the opportunities of substantial carbon reductions.
- The small size of the Rolls-Royce 2.5 MW generator must offer advantages.
- Some current diesel-electric locomotives might be convertible to hydrogen power.
I very much feel that companies like Rolls-Royce and Cummins (and Caterpillar!), will move in and attempt to claim this lucrative worldwide market.
Running Battery Electric Trains Between London Marylebone And Aylesbury
This post was suggested by Fenline Scouser in a comment to Vivarail Targets Overseas Markets, where they said.
I have long thought that one UK application that would make sense is the Marylebone – Aylesbury via Harrow on the Hill service, the intermediate electrified section lending itself to full recharge on each trip. ? stabling facility at Aylesbury with overnight charging.
It does look to be an idea worth pursuing.
Current And Future Services
Currently, the services between London Marylebone and Aylesbury are as follows.
- London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe
- London Marylebone and Aylesbury via Amersham
- London Marylebone and Aylesbury Vale Parkway via Amersham
All services are one train per hour (tph)
In the future, it is planned to extend the Aylesbury Vale Parkway service to Milton Keynes, according to information I found on the East West Rail web site.
- It looks like the service will go via High Wycombe, Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Little Kimble, Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale Parkway, Winslow and Bletchley.
- The service will have a frequency of 1 tph.
- Time between Milton Keynes and Aylesbury is quoted as 33 minutes.
- Time between High Wycombe and Milton Keynes is quoted as 63 minutes.
Will this leave the Marylebone and Aylesbury are as follows?
- 1 tph – London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe.
- 2 tph – London Marylebone and Aylesbury via Amersham
Passengers between London Marylebone and Aylesbury would have the same service.
Distances
These are a few distances, of which some have been estimated.
- London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.18 miles.chains
- Amersham and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 14.27 miles.chains – Electrified
- Aylesbury and Amersham – 15.23 miles.chains
- London Marylebone and High Wycombe – 28.11 miles.chains
- Aylesbury and High Wycombe – 15.28 miles.chains
- Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway – 2.25 miles.chains
- Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Calvert – 8.19 miles.chains
- Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 16.40 miles.chains – Estimated
Note that there are eighty chains to the mile.
Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train
Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train, is the only battery electric train intended for the UK network for which a detailed specification has been released.
This infographic from Hitachi gives the specification.
Note that ninety kilometres is fifty-six miles.
I would suspect that battery trains from other manufacturers, like Bombardier, CAF and Stadler, will have a similar specification.
Battery Electric Trains Between London Marylebone And Aylesbury
I’ll take each possible route in turn.
London Marylebone And Aylesbury Via Amersham
The three sections of the route are as follows.
- London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.23 miles – Not Electrified
- Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham – 14.34 – Electrified
- Amersham and Aylesbury – 15.29 miles – Not Electrified
Note.
- The total distance is 38.85 miles
- A typical service takes just under twenty minutes to travel between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham. This should be enough to fully charge the batteries.
- A train going South from Harrow-on-the-Hill could reach London Marylebone and return.
- A train going North from Amersham could reach Aylesbury and return.
I am fairly confident, that a battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train could work this route.
London Marylebone And Aylesbury Vale Parkway Via Amersham
The four sections of the route are as follows.
- London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill – 9.23 miles – Not Electrified
- Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham – 14.34 – Electrified
- Amersham and Aylesbury – 15.29 miles – Not Electrified
- Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway – 2.31 miles – Not Electrified
Note.
- The total distance is 41.16 miles
- A typical service takes just under twenty minutes to travel between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham. This should be enough to fully charge the batteries.
- A train going South from Harrow-on-the-Hill could reach London Marylebone and return.
- A train going North from Amersham could reach Aylesbury Vale Parkway and return.
I am fairly confident, that a battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train could work this route.
London Marylebone And Aylesbury Via High Wycombe
The two sections of the route are as follows.
- London Marylebone and High Wycombe- 28.14 miles – Not Electrified
- High Wycombe and Aylesbury – 15.35 miles – Not Electrified
Note.
- The total distance is 43.50 miles
- There is no electrification to charge the trains.
A battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train will need charging to work this route.
However, with charging at both ends, this would be a route for a battery electric train.
At the London Marylebone end, there are two possible solutions.
- Electrify the station traditionally, together with perhaps the tracks as far as Neasden, where the routes split. Either 750 VDC third-rail or 25 KVAC overhead electrification could be used.
- Fit fast charging systems into all the platforms at the station.
Note.
- Turnround times in Marylebone station are typically nine minutes or more, so using a charging system should be possible.
- Power for the electrification should not be a problem, as the station is close to one of London’s central electricity hubs at Lisson Grove by the Regent’s Canal.
The final decision at Marylebone, would be one for the engineers and accountants.
At the Aylesbury end, it should be noted that much of the under twenty miles of track between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury and on to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Calvert us single-track.
So why not electrify from Princes Risborough and Calvert, where the route joins the East West Railway?
The electrification in Aylesbury station could also be used to top-up trains going to London via Amersham.
I would use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, using lightweight gantries like these, which use laminated wood for the overhead structure.
There is also a video.
Electrification doesn’t have to be ugly and out-of-character with the surroundings.
London Marylebone And Milton Keynes Via High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway
The three sections of the route are as follows.
- London Marylebone and High Wycombe- 28.14 miles – Not Electrified
- High Wycombe and Aylesbury – 15.35 miles – Not Electrified
- Aylesbury and Milton Keynes – 16.50 miles – Partially Electrified
Note.
- The total distance is sixty miles
- There is some electrification to charge the trains between Bletchley and Milton Keynes.
A battery electric train, with the range of a Hitachi Regional Battery Train should be able to work this route, if they can work London Marylebone and Aylesbury, with charging at Aylesbury.
Milton Keynes Central is a fully-electrified station.
The picture shows Platform 2A, which is South-facing electrified, five-car platform, which could be used by the Chiltern service.
Train Specification
Consider.
- Chiltern Railway’s workhorse is a Class 168 train, which is a diesel multiple unit of up to four cars, with a 100 mph operating speed.
- The longest leg without electrification could be London Marylebone and Aylesbury via High Wycombe, which is 43.5 miles.
- Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train has a range of fifty-six miles.
- As there is a need to work with London Underground electrification, a dual-voltage train will be needed.
So a battery electric train with this specification would probably be ideal.
- Four cars
- Ability to work with both 750 VDC third-rail and 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- 100 mph operating speed.
- Battery range of perhaps 55 miles.
Could the specification fit a battery-equipped Class 385 train, which will probably be built for Scotland?
Conclusion
I am convinced that battery electric trains can run between London Marylebone and Aylesbury, Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Milton Keynes stations.
The following would be needed.
- A battery electric range of perhaps fifty-five miles.
- Some form of charging at Marylebone and Aylesbury stations.
I would electrify, the single-track route between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.
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.
- 63 % of the route is electrified.
- The short 15.5 mile gap in the electrification between Basingstoke and Reading should be an easy route for running on battery power.
- 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.