Japanese Car Rental Firms Discover New Trend Of Renting Vehicles For A Nap Or Quiet Lunch
The title of this post is the same as that of this story on The World News.
It was flagged up first on BBC Breakfast.
But is it any difference to my behaviour?
I generally get up, do all my daily chores and have a bath.
Then, I’ll go out about nine and take an Overground train or a bus to somewhere quiet for breakfast.
I will sometimes go as far as Richmond for breakfast in Leon.
And if the weather is hot like is it is now, I might even just sit on an air-conditioned train and read my paper or watch the news on my phone, stopping where I fancy for a coffee or a drink.
All I need to ensure, is that at some point, I stop off at a Marks and Spencer to get the food I need for supper.
Courtesy of my Freedom Pass, all this travel costs me a big fat zilch.
I call it Freedoming.
Today, though I’m roaming a bit further; Manchester. Hopefully, I’ll get a ride in one of the new Class 195 trains to Manchester Airport.
Comparing Class 195 And Class 769 Trains
This may seen a strange comparison to do.
- In the blue corner is an upgraded forty-year-old four-car bi-mode Class 769 train from British Rail via Brush at Louthborough.
- In the red corner is a new three-car diesel Class 195 train from CAF.
So how do they compare?
Seats
- The Class 769 train shows 255 Standard Class and 12 First Seats in an example layout in the brochure.
- The Class 195 train has 204 seats according to Wikipedia.
The seats per car in both trains are almost identical.
Diesel Power
- The Class 769 train has two 390 kW diesel engines and electric transmission.
- The Class 195 train has three 390 kW diesel engines and a ZF Ecolife six-speed transmission.
So it would appear that the Class 195 train is more powerful, but Class 769 train has an electric transmission, which doesn’t need to change gear.
I look forward to riding in both trains.
Operating Speed
- The Class 769 train has a 100 mph operating speed on electricity and has been designed for 91 mph on diesel power.
- The Class 195 train has a 100 mph operating speed.
The proof of the pudding will be in the timetables and journey times.
Conclusion
The two trains are fairly evenly matched for a lot of routes.
Northern Connect Between Chester And Leeds To Start In May
This article on the BBC is entitled New Rail Services Aim To Ease Overcrowding.
This is an extract.
Northern will be adding direct services between Chester and Leeds.
I think this will be the proposed Northern Connect service.
- The route is via Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford Interchange stations.
- Only the twenty-two miles between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Victoria stations is electrified.
- Wikipedia says that the service will be run using a Class 195 train.
Looking at the current timetable, these times are achieved.
- Chester and Newton-le-Willows – 38 minutes
- Newton-le-Willows and Manchester Victoria – 18 minutes
- Manchester Victoria and Leeds – 75 minutes
This totals up to two hours and eleven minutes.
The Class 195 train is a 100 mph diesel multiple unit and may knock a few minutes from this time.
On my trip to Wigan last month, I heard a rumour from a driver, that the Chester and Leeds service would be run by Class 769 trains.
- These trains could use electrification between Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Victoria stations.
- They would be slightly slower, than the new Spanish trains on diesel.
It will be interesting to see, which trains Northern use for the service.
Between Hebden Bridge And Burnley Manchester Road Stations In The Snow
I took these pictures from a train between Hebden Bridge and Burnley Manchester Road stations on the Calder Valley Line.
I believe that the area has some of the most scenic rail lines in the UK.
Electrification
It runs between the hills with lots of bridges and viaducts.
There are four tunnels; Weasel Hall , Castle Hill , Horsfall and Millwood on this section of the route.
It would not be an easy line to electrify with 25 KVAC overhead wires, from an engineering, political or environmental point of view.
This is a route though that needs to be improved.
I travelled on a Class 158 train, which are a 90 mph diesel multiple unit. But it was struggling to do 40 mph in the conditions.
Conclusion
Electrification may be an ideal, but Network Rail should first improve the line, so that the current trains and the future 100 mph Class 195 trains can realise their full potential.
Northern Opens £23m Blackburn Depot As Part Of Great North Rail Project
The title of this post is the same as this article in Rail Technology Magazine. This is said.
Northern and Network Rail have spent £23m on a new train maintenance depot in Blackburn, opened by rail minister Paul Maynard last week.
The facility has been built with a range of modern equipment and will be used to maintain as many as 30 diesel trains.
In addition to the new King Street Depot, Northern will also open a new operations building opposite Blackburn station. The two facilities are part of NR’s Great North Rail Project, which is expected to invest more than £1bn in improvements by 2022.
It certainly looks like Network Rail and Northern are preparing well for more services in the North West.
I took this picture as I passed on my way to Manchester Victoria, soon after I left Blackburn station.
This Google Map shows the location of the depot with respect to Blackburn station.
Note.
- Blackburn station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- Burnley is to the North-East and Preston to the South West.
- The traincare depot was being built, when this map was taken and is to the right of the red arrow on the map.
From the picture, it would appear that trains have to go into and out of the depot in the Blackburn direction.
But if most trains start and finish their journeys at the station, that probably isn’t a problem.
Good points include.
- At least though the depot is probably within walking distance of the busy station and trains won’t have to go long distances to be services and refuelled.
- There would appear to be plenty of space.
- The depot is ready for Northern‘s new Class 195 diesel multiple units.
Will the depot be used to refuel thew Class 769 trains, if they work through Blackburn?
Riding The Penistone Line
The Penistone Line from Sheffield to Barnsley, Penistone and Huddersfield was the line originally selected for the tram-train trial.
I wrote about the tram-train trials in The Penistone Line And Rotherham Tram-Train Trials.
Sheffield To Penistone
I took these pictures between Sheffield and Penistone
Note.
- Barnsley Interchange is a combined train and bus station, that does the town proud.
- There are several level crossings, including one in the middle of Barnsley.
- Some stations are rather basic.
- The Class 144 train, I rode is totally inadequate for the line.
The line certainly needs improvement to stations and trains.
Penistone Station
Penistone station is an unusual station, in that it is a two-platform station without any form of bridge, subway or controlled level crossing.
Note that to cross the line, passengers just walk across on a uncontrolled pedestrian crossing.
This Google Map shows the layout of the station.
It certainly has a lot of space and possibilities.
Wikipedia says this about services to the station.
On Monday to Saturday, trains operate every hour in each direction towards Huddersfield and Sheffield via Barnsley. On Sundays, these run every two hours each way.
There are proposals by Alliance Rail to run a 4 trains-per-day service between Huddersfield and London Kings Cross, via Worksop, Sheffield and Penistone, giving Penistone a direct train to London 4 times a day.
So Alliance Rail, think the station has possibilities too!
Conclusion
Tram-trains like the Class 399 tram-train could easily climb the hill to Penistone to provide a perhaps two trains per hour service to Sheffield.
But the line would need to be electrified or hybrid diesel tram-trains, as in Chemnitz will need to be used.
So perhaps Northern‘s plan for the Northern Connect service, which would use more powerful Class 195 diesel multiple units, might be better suited to the Penistone Line.
The Anonymous Widower 