Extending The Elizabeth Line – High Speed Trains On The Elizabeth Line
This may seem rather fanciful, but could it be the way to maximise the use of the Elizabeth Line?
- I feel that the Elizabeth Line will eventually serve other destinations like Basingstoke, Beaulieu, Oxford, Southend and Swindon.
- The capacity of the Elizabeth Line will grow to over thirty trains per hour (tph) under control of digital signalling.
These are a few thoughts.
The Design Of The Trains
As any train would have to be compatible with the platform-edge doors in the central tunnel of the Elizabeth Line, the trains would have to be dimensionally identical to the current Class 345 trains.
- Nine cars
- Possibility of lengthening to ten cars.
- 204.73 metres long.
- 6 sets of doors per carriage
- Ability to run under full digital signalling.
They would be designed for a higher speed of at least 110 or 125 mph, to enable running on the fast lines of these routes.
- East Coast Main Line
- Great Western Main Line
- Midland Main Line
- West Coast Main Line
They would also be able to run at 100 mph on the Chiltern Main Line, the Great Eastern Main Line and the North Kent Line.
The faster running would ease scheduling of the trains.
Extra facilities could include.
- Toilets
- Tables
- A third-rail capability for running in Kent.
Effectively, it would be a Class 345 train with more features and considerably more grunt.
Note that in A High Speed Train With An IPEMU-Capability, I started the post with the following.
Bombardier were reported by Ian Walmsley in the April 2016 Edition of Modern Railways, to be developing Aventra, with a 125 mph capability.
Bombardier have also told me, that all Aventras will be wired so they could be fitted with on-board energy storage.
Could it be that the design of a Class 345 train could be modified to run at higher speeds? I wouldn’t be surprised.
Oxford To Southend Victoria
This could be a typical route.
- Between Oxford and Paddington, it would follow a route similar to the GWR’s Oxford service with stops at just Reading and Slough.
- At Paddington the train would take the Central Tunnel of the Elizabeth Line and travel under London, at the same speed as the other trains.
- It would emerge at Stratford and move to the Great Eastern Main Line.
- It would probably stop at Stratford, Romford, Shenfield and all stations to Southend Victoria.
Note.
- Digital signalling would enforce the precise timekeeping needed.
- Much of the Oxford and Paddington section would be up to speeds of at least 125 mph.
- Times in the Central Tunnel of the Elizabeth Line would be identical to the current Class 345 trains.
- Much of the Stratford and Southend section would be up to speeds of at least 100 mph.
I estimate that total time would be a few minutes under two hours.
Connecting To The Central Tunnel Of The Elizabeth Line At Royal Oak
I discuss this in Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connecting Great Western Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel.
Connecting To The Central Tunnel Of The Elizabeth Line At Stratford
I discuss this in Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connecting Great Eastern Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel.
Connecting To The Central Tunnel Of The Elizabeth Line At Abbey Wood
This map from cartometro.com shows the track layout at Abbey Wood.
Note.
- The Elizabeth Line is shown in purple.
- The North Kent Line is shown in black.
- The North Kent Line platform to London is the Southernmost platform and is numbered 1.
- The North Kent Line platform from London is the other Southern platform and is numbered 2.
- The Elizabeth Line platforms are numbered 3 and 4.
- Platform 4 is the Northernmost platform.
At present the Elizabeth Line service to Abbey Wood station is twelve tph, with each platform handling six tph.
This picture shows trains in both Platform 3 and 4 looking towards the station buildings.
Note.
- Platform 3 is on the right.
- Platform 4 is on the left.
In Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion, I talk about this proposal as described in this article on Ian Visits.
One of the key features of Crossrail To Ebbsfleet (C2E) project is that instead of all trains terminating at Abbey Wood, trains will terminate as follows.
- Abbey Wood – 4 tph
- Northfleet – 4 tph
- Gravesend – 4 tph
This will mean that 8 tph would pass through Abbey Wood station.
- Platform 4 could certainly handle the four that terminated on the Elizabeth Line.
- Platform 3 would need to handle eight tph in both directions or sixteen tph to fulfil the proposed C2E service.
- This would be one train every 225 seconds.
I believe that digital signalling could handle this easily and safely.
I am fairly sure that the track layout at Abbey Wood allows eight tph to go both ways between the North Kent Line and the Elizabeth Line Central Tunnel.
The Maximum Capacity At Abbey Wood Station
Because of the current track layout at Abbey Wood, I believe that without track modifications, Abbey Wood station will not be able to handle more than 12 tph.
Thameslink
These proposed trains would also be compatible with Thameslink, as this route has no platform edge doors.
No platform extensions would be needed, as the Class 345 trains are shorter than the 12-car Class 700 trains.
If they were 125 mph trains, then this would ease timetabling on the East Coast Main Line, as the trains could mix it with the expresses on the fast lines.
Could These High Speed Trains For The Elizabeth Line Have A Cruising Speed Of 140 mph?
It is likely, when full authority digital ERTMS signalling is installed on main lines out of London, that 140 mph will be possible on some at least these routes.
- East Coast Main Line
- Great Western Main Line
- Midland Main Line
- West Coast Main Line
The extra speed would maximise capacity.
Could An Oxford And Cambridge Service Be Run Via The Lizzie Line?
This article on the BBC is entitled East-West Rail: Part Of £5bn Scheme ‘Appears To Be Unachievable’.
These are the first four paragraphs.
A £5bn rail project “appears to be unachievable” in parts, a government report said.
The East-West Rail scheme will create a link from Oxford to Cambridge, with services being introduced in stages.
Stage two, between Oxford and Bedford, and stage three, between Bedford and Cambridge, have “major issues”, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority said.
A spokesman for East-West Rail said the delivery programme was “under review”.
As someone, who used to live near Cambridge, I have seen the transport routes improve in East Anglia, but not the area’s connections to the rest of the country.
The article describes Stage 2 and 3 of the East West Railway like this.
Stage two involves predominantly upgrading existing infrastructure, between Bletchley and Bedford, to allow services between Oxford and Bedford.
Stage three involves building a new line, between Bedford and Cambridge, to extend the railway and facilitate services from Oxford to Cambridge.
So if the Government feel that the major issues and opposition should lead to cancellation of the scheme to the East of Bedford or even Bletchley, what are the problems and alternatives?
Freight
The Port of Felixstowe is the UK’s busiest container port and it handles 48% of Britain’s containerised trade.
Having lived as a teenager in Felixstowe and in Suffolk for probably half my life, there is only one certainty about the port in my mind. It will get bigger and will generate more rail and road traffic in East Anglia.
- The roads have improved greatly, since the 1960s, when I used to cycle between Ipswich and Felixstowe, along a two-lane single carriageway road.
- The renamed A14 has replaced the A45 and now connects the port to the M1 and the M6.
- Tens of long freight trains every day now connect Felixstowe with the rest of the country.
- The East West Railway will be a very useful link between Felixstowe and South Wales and the West of England.
- Global warming will mean the decarbonisation of heavy freight, with more traffic on an electrified railway.
Felixstowe’s connections to the North and Midlands may have improved greatly, but they will need to be improved a lot more.
The Port of Southampton is the UK’s second busiest container port.
- Most freight trains from Southampton go North via Basingstoke, Reading and Oxford.
- A plan some years ago was for an Electric Spine, that would have connected the Port of Southampton to the Northern cities.
- The Electric Spine would have envisaged electrification of the East West Railway to the West of Bedford and electrified connections with the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
- The Midland Main Line is now planned to be fully electrified, under the the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands.
Southampton, like Felixstowe will be in need of improved transport connections.
In an ideal world, an electrified East West Railway, would improve freight connections between the UK’s two busiest container ports and major cities in the UK.
Problems With Freight
Could this be the major problem East of Bletchley, where the residents living along the route, don’t want to see large numbers of freight trains running close by?
In this document on the East-West Rail Consortium web site, this is said.
Note that doubling of Warren Hill Tunnel at Newmarket and
redoubling between Coldham Lane Junction and Chippenham Junction is included
in the infrastructure requirements. It is assumed that most freight would operate
via Newmarket, with a new north chord at Coldham Lane Junction, rather than
pursuing further doubling of the route via Soham.
Will the residents of Newmarket object to a double-track freight railway through the town? Freight trains and horses are not a good mix.
I do wonder, if freight trains hauled by noisy and unfriendly diesel locomotives are one of the reasons a full Oxford and Cambridge railway is losing its appeal and becoming a vote loser for the Government.
Cambridge Has An Accommodation And Commuting Problem
There is a shortage of accommodation in Cambridge for offices, laboratories, workshop and above all workers.
So it looks to the surrounding towns and cities to provide help.
London and Ely have good links, but the city needs better links to Bedford, Bury St. Edmunds, Haverhill, Ipswich, Norwich, Kings Lynn, Peterborough, Soham, Stansted Airport, Stevenage, Sudbury and Thetford.
Cambridge may be the place in the South East with the largest numbers of commuters from London.
Cambridge Needs A Decent Rail Network
In my view Cambridge needs at least the following services in trains per hour (tph)
- Colchester via Haverhill, Sudbury and Marks Tey – 2 tph
- Ipswich via Newmarket, A14 Parkway, Bury St. Edmunds, Stowmarket and Needham Market – 2 tph
- King’s Lynn via Cambridge North, Ely and Downham Market – 2 tph
- Oxford via Bedford, Milton Keynes/Bletchley and Bicester – 2 tph
- London King’s Cross via Cambridge South – 2 tph
- Norwich via Cambridge North, Ely, Thetford, Attleborough and Wymondham – 2 tph
- Peterborough via Cambridge North, Ely and March – 2 tph
- Stansted Airport via Cambridge South and Audley End – 2 tph
- Stevenage via Royston and Hitchin – 2 tph
- Wisbech via Cambridge North, Ely and March – 2 tph
Note.
- Some services already exist.
- Some of these services duplicate each other to give 4 tph or even 6 tph on certain routes.
- Some services could be back-to-back through Cambridge.
- A 14 Parkway station is a new station proposed by the East West Railway. I wrote about it in detail in Soham Station – 14th December 2021.
- Haverhill would be served by a rebuilt Stour Valley Railway.
- Wisbech would be served by restoring the railway to March.
To complete the network there would be a two tph service between Peterborough and Ipswich, which would go via March, Ely, Soham, A 14 Parkway, Bury St. Edmunds, Stowmarket and Needham Market.
Oxford Could Probably Argue that It Needs A Decent Rail Network Like Cambridge
Oxford would argue this and they have a point.
The East West Railway Is The Odd Line Out
Looking at the rail networks at Cambridge and Oxford, it appears, that with the exception of Cotswold services at Oxford and a few CrossCountry services, it appears that the East West Railway is a bit of an odd line out, as everything else is a local service.
The Effects Of Not Building The Bedford And Cambridge Section Of The East-West Railway
What will it mean, if the Bedford and Cambridge Section of The East-West Railway is not built?
- Cambourne will not get the promised station.
- Bedford and Cambridge journeys will be by bus, train via London or private car.
- Commuting into Cambridge from the West will be difficult.
- Milton Keynes and Cambridge journeys will be by bus, train via London or private car.
- Oxford and Cambridge journeys will be by bus, train via London or private car.
- Train journeys between Cambridge and much of the rest of the UK, will need to go via London.
It would appear that by not building the third section of the East West Railway, a lot of potential passengers will be denied a rail service.
Could Services Be Run Using Existing Infrastructure Through London?
The Elizabeth Line will eventually be able to handle a lot more services than it does at present.
Would Extending The Elizabeth Line To Oxford Be A Good Start?
Consider.
- Oxford has two services to London; Chiltern to Marylebone and Great Western Railway (GWR) to Paddington.
- The GWR service to Paddington stops only at Reading and Slough, has a frequency of two tph and takes under an hour.
- The fastest journey between Oxford and Liverpool Street using a fast GWR train and the Elizabeth Line takes one hour and 20 minutes.
- Only 10.6 miles of the route between Oxford and Paddington is without electrification.
- There is also a two tph stopping shuttle train between Oxford and Didcot Parkway stations and a two tph stopping train between Paddington and Didcot Parkway.
I feel that combining the two Didcot Parkway services and moving them to the Elizabeth Line would be an experiment worth trying.
This would give 2 tph direct to the following stations.
- Bond Street for the West End
- Canary Wharf for finance.
- Farringdon for Cambridge, Gatwick and Brighton.
- Hayes & Harlington for Heathrow.
- Liverpool Street for the City of London, Cambridge and Stansted
- Reading for Wales and the West.
Note.
- No-one would have a worse service than currently, but many passengers would avoid a change on their journey.
- Services could terminate at either Abbey Wood or Shenfield stations.
- Services could be an extension of the two tph to Reading or additional services.
- Between Didcot Parkway and Oxford is shown on OpenRailwayMap, as proposed for electrification.
- There may need to be some new platforms at Didcot Parkway station.
- I estimate that between Oxford and Liverpool Street would take one hour and fifty minutes.
It certainly looks, that it would be possible to replace the current GWR service between Oxford and Paddington, with an all-electric Elizabeth Line service.
The direct stopping service between Oxford and Liverpool Street would be thirty minutes slower, than the current fastest train.
The current fastest train between Liverpool Street and Cambridge takes 71 minutes, so with a change at Liverpool Street Oxford and Cambridge would probably be just over three hours.
Google Maps estimate a driving time of two hours between the two University Cities.
Could The Elizabeth Line Be Extended To Cambridge?
There is no train connection between the Elizabeth Line and the West Anglia Main Line at Liverpool Street station, although the walk for passengers is not that long.
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connecting West Anglia Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel, I describe how it could be possible to connect the West Anglia Main Line to the Elizabeth Line at Stratford station.
This connection would allow services from Cambridge, Harlow and Stansted to anywhere on the Elizabeth Line to the West of Stratford.
Oxford and Cambridge and Heathrow and Stansted would be distinct possibilities.
Could A High Speed Limited Stop Service Run Between Oxford And Cambridge?
In Extending The Elizabeth Line – High Speed Trains On The Elizabeth Line, I proposed running faster long-distance trains through the Central Tunnel of the Elizabeth Line.
- They would have to be dimensionally identical to the Class 345 trains to fit the platform edge doors.
- They would have a long-distance interiors.
- In the Central Tunnel, they would behave like 345 trains. with Paddington to Stratford taking 19 minutes.
- But on main lines like the Great Western Main Line, they could rattle along at 125 mph.
If the trains could keep up with Class 802 train performance between Oxford and Paddington and enter the Central Tunnel quickly, these times could be possible.
- Oxford and Paddington – 55 minutes
- Paddington and Stratford – 19 minutes
- Stratford and Tottenham Hale – 14 minutes
- Tottenham Hale and Cambridge – 65 minutes
Just over two-and-a-half hours, without a change of train, sounds fine to me.
What About The Trains From Great Malvern?
The fast services between Paddington and Oxford, run twice an hour, with the service formed of one hourly Paddington and Oxford service and another hourly Paddington and Great Malvern service.
- If Oxford gets electrified soon, this will mean that the Oxford and Paddington service would be all-electric.
- But the Great Malvern service would need to be able to handle 65.5 miles of line without electrification each way.
- The speed limits between Oxford and Great Malvern vary between 70 and 100 mph.
I’m certain that Stadler could design and build a train, with the following characteristics.
- Class 345 dimensions.
- 125 mph performance.
- Ninety miles range on battery power.
The trains would be charged between Paddington and Oxford and by a charger at Great Malvern.
Conclusion
Would an Oxford and Cambridge service through Central London be an alternative to the East-West Railway?
Perhaps not an alternative, but an addition?
The Quality Of The Ride On The Lizzie Line
This morning I went from Moorgate station to Paddington station on the Lizzie Line.
I was in a virtually empty car and I could gauge a good estimate of ride quality.
In my opinion, the gold standard in the UK for some time has been the British Rail Mark 3 coach.
- But Mark 3 coaches don’t always run on modern slab track, which must give a smoother ride.
- Each track under London also has its own tunnel, so there is no buffeting, when you pass a train going in the opposite direction.
- Acceleration is also very smooth, due to the high proportion of powered axles.
I am getting very close to naming the Class 345 train, as the new gold standard.
Elizabeth Line To Ebbsfleet Extension Could Cost £3.2 Billion
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Ian Visits.
These is the first paragraph.
A report looking at transport upgrades across the southeast of England suggests that extending the Elizabeth line into Kent would cost around £3.2 billion. The report, by Transport for the South East (TfSE) also supports the proposal and looks at how it could be funded.
This image from the Abbeywood2Ebbsfleet consultation, shows the proposal.
Note, that there doesn’t appear to be too much new infrastructure, except for a proper connection between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations. References on the Internet, say that the similar-sized Luton DART connection at Luton Airport, cost around £225 million.
As the quoted cost is £3.2 billion, I would assume, that installation of digital signalling on the North Kent Line and the trains that use it, is one of the major costs.
I have some thoughts.
Improvement Is Needed
There are endless jokes, which have a punchline something like, “If you want to go to X, I wouldn’t start from here.”
On Monday, I intend to go to visit my friend; Ian, who lives at Longfield in Kent. Abbey Wood is the nearest Elizabeth Line station to Longfield and it is only seventeen miles away from Abbey Wood, but the quickest way you can do it by train is 64 minutes with a change at Rochester or 79 minutes going back into London and coming out from Victoria.
As before, I leave London, I will be having breakfast with another friend in Moorgate, the Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood will be a good place to start.
If I got the trains right, I can get between Moorgate and Northfleet in 41 minutes. Northfleet is just 5.5 miles from Longfield.
If Ian, wants to go to London, he usually drives to Ebbsfleet, where there is lots of parking and gets the Highspeed trains to Stratford or St. Pancras. Trains take 12 and 19 minutes to and from the two London termini, but go nowhere near to Canary Wharf, the City of London, Liverpool Street, Oxford Street, Paddington, West London and Heathrow.
I believe that for Ian and the other nearly million residents of West Kent, that the following should be done as soon as possible.
- Extend the Elizabeth Line to Gravesend, which would give 300,000 more people a local Elizabeth Line station.
- Build a people-mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations, which would create a high-capacity rail hub for North-West Kent, with connections to London, Heathrow and the Continent, and massive parking.
Heathrow and Northfleet would take under an hour and a quarter on a direct train.
Current Services Between Abbey Wood And Gravesend
Currently, these services run at some point on the North Kent Line between Abbey Wood And Gravesend stations.
- Southeastern – London Cannon Street and London Cannon Street – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.
- Southeastern – London Cannon Street and Dartford – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Dartford.
- Southeastern – London Charing Cross and Gravesend – 2 tph – Via Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
- Southeastern HighSpeed – London St Pancras and Ramsgate via Faversham – 1 tph – Via Ebbsfleet International and Gravesend.
- Thameslink – Luton and Rainham – 2 tph – Via Abbey Wood, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- I have only indicated stations, where trains stop between Abbey Wood and Gravesend stations.
Aggregating these trains gives the following totals for each station.
- Abbey Wood – 6 tph
- Belvedere – 4 tph
- Erith – 4 tph
- Slade Green – 6 tph
- Dartford – 6 tph
- Stone Crossing – 4 tph
- Greenhithe – 4 tph
- Swanscombe – 4 tph
- Northfleet – 4 tph
- Gravesend – 5 tph
As stations get at least four tph, with more important ones getting 5 or 6 tph, it appears to be a well-constructed timetable.
Effect Of Changing The London Cannon Street And London Cannon Street From The Erith Loop To A Dartford Service
This should make no difference to the numbers, as the service is now clear of the Elizabeth Line after Slade Green.
Effect Of Cutting Back The London Charing Cross and Gravesend Service To Dartford
This service between London Charing Cross and Gravesend has a frequency of 2 tph and calls at Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Northfleet and Gravesend.
Cutting it back to Dartford adjusts the totals as follows.
- Abbey Wood – 6 tph
- Belvedere – 4 tph
- Erith – 4 tph
- Slade Green – 6 tph
- Dartford – 4 tph
- Stone Crossing – 2 tph
- Greenhithe – 2 tph
- Swanscombe – 2 tph
- Northfleet – 2 tph
- Gravesend – 3 tph
Some of the frequencies have halved.
Effect Of Adding Eight tph To Northfleet And Four tph To Gravesend On The London Charing Cross and Gravesend Service
The Elizabeth Line Extension is proposed to add the following trains to the service.
- 8 tph will continue from Abbey Wood to Northfleet.
- 4 tph will continue from Abbey Wood to Gravesend.
This adjusts the totals as follows.
- Abbey Wood – 6 tph
- Belvedere – 12 tph
- Erith – 12 tph
- Slade Green – 14 tph
- Dartford – 12 tph
- Stone Crossing – 10 tph
- Greenhithe – 10 tph
- Swanscombe – 10 tph
- Northfleet – 10 tph ( 4 tph – Terminating, 6 tph – Passing through)
- Gravesend – 7 tph ( 4 tph – Terminating, 3tph – Passing through)
Note.
- These surely are frequencies, that will satisfy the most picky traveller.
- There are freight trains running on the route.
- The tightest section would appear to be between Abbey Wood and Dartford, although Dartford and Northfleet is only two tph less.
- West of Northfleet it gets easier.
- But I do think though, that full digital signalling between Abbey Wood and Gravesend would be able to handle it.
- 14 tph is a frequency that is less than that of the central sections of the East London Line, the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink.
- I have flown my virtual helicopter along the line and there may be places to add a third track, which would add more capacity.
I believe that it is possible to achieve the passenger train frequencies in the last table.
Abbey Wood East Junction
This Google Map shows the track layout to the East of Abbey Wood station.
Note.
- There are crossovers so trains can run between the Elizabeth Line platforms on the North side of Abbey Wood station and the North Kent Line.
- There is space on either side of the railway.
- I have my doubts that the current track layout would be able to handle twelve Elizabeth Line, six North Kent Line and possibly a freight train in every hour, especially where flat junctions are involved.
I can see a flyover or dive-under being built in this area to handle the trains efficiently.
Abbey Wood Power Change-Over
Some thoughts.
- I will assume, that the change-over between 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail power will take place in or near Abbey Wood station.
- This would avoid any erection of electrification gantries to the East of Abbey Wood station.
- If the Office of Road and Rail refuse to allow any more third rail, I could see a Headbolt Lane solution being applied, where batteries are used to bridge the 1.4 mile gap between Abbey Wood station with its 25 KVAC overhead electrification and Belvedere station with its 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
- North Kent Line trains would take their existing route between Abbey Wood and Belvedere stations.
- Also, if a comprehensive and efficient track layout is used here, then there might be cost savings if the Elizabeth Line trains supplied their own power from batteries.
An efficient junction to the East of Abbey Wood station, coupled with well-thought out electrification could be key to successfully handling the nearly 20 tph at Abbey Wood station.
Belvedere, Erith And Slade Green Stations
Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green stations are on a double-track section of the line.
- The three stations are not step-free.
- There appear to be a lot of industrial sites, that could be developed for housing.
- There might be the possibility of adding an extra track in places.
- Luckily, there are no level crossings.
- There are some footbridges over the railway, that probably need updating to step-free
I suspect that developing the housing on this route will be most important.
Slade Green Depot
This Google Map shows Slade Green depot and the large triangular junction opposite the depot.
Note.
- Slade Green station is at the top of the map.
- Slade Green depot is in the South-East corner of the map.
- The West point of the junction leads to Bexleyheath.
- The West and North points of the junction are connected by the Erith Loop.
- The South point of the junction leads to Dartford.
There are rail capacity problems in this area.
- Slade Green depot is not big enough.
- One train service goes both ways on the Erith Loop between Slade Green and Bexleyheath every thirty minutes, which could be a block on increasing train frequencies between Abbey Wood and Dartford stations.
- The proposal is saying that the Slade Green and Bexleyheath service will go via Dartford station, where it will probably reverse.
I can see comprehensive redevelopment of the depot and the junction to remove the capacity problems and perhaps build a lot of housing.
- If the Erith Loop is not used could the centre of the junction be developed with a much-needed extension to the depot?
- The depot might be moved elsewhere or perhaps rebuilt with tower blocks on the top.
I think that moving the Slade Green and Bexleyheath service via Dartford could mean that the Erith Loop isn’t needed, so this might free up space to increase the size of the depot.
Dartford Station
This Google Map shows Dartford station and the area around the station.
Note.
- The station has four long platforms.
- It should be able to handle the 12 tph in both directions.
- There is a lot of new developments by the station.
- The station is step-free.
- There are some pictures of Dartford station in Dartford Station – June 27th 2022.
But I do suspect that the station probably needs extra capacity and a substantial rebuild.
Stone Crossing, Greenhithe And Swanscombe Stations
Stone Crossing, Greenhithe and Swanscombe stations will be handling 10 tph.
- Greenhithe is a new station with full step-free access.
- But Stone Crossing and Swanscombe stations may need improvement to bring them up to Elizabeth Line standards.
- More details of Stone Crossing station are given in Stone Crossing Station – June 27th 2022.
- More details of Greenhithe station are given in Bluewater Shopping Centre By Train.
- More details of the current state of Swanscombe station are given in Swanscombe Station – June 27th 2022.
- The one level crossing in the area was closed in 2018.
- There may be scope to add an extra track at places in this section.
I feel that these three stations could be fairly easy to bring up to the required standards.
Northfleet Station
Northfleet station is a station, which in the words of estate agent; Roy Brooks, would have a lot of potential.
This Google Map shows the station.
Note.
- The two tracks through the station are the North Kent Line.
- The other two tracks are freight sidings.
- The car-parks at Ebbsfleet station are in the South-West corner of the map.
- There appears to be a large cleared site to the North-West of the station.
These pictures show the station.
The requirements for the station will be as follows.
- The ability to handle 6 tph passing through.
- The ability to be able to handle 4 tph, that terminate at the station.
- Terminating four tph, will probably need two platforms for all eventualities.
- Full step-free access.
- An interchange with Ebbsfleet International station is also needed.
- Is car parking needed?
There is certainly enough space.
The Pedestrian Link Between Northfleet And Ebbsfleet Stations
This is part of the plan and is shown on the first map in this post.
This Google Map shows Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
Note.
- The large Ebbsfleet International station towards the bottom of the map.
- Northfleet station on the North Kent Line in the North East corner of the map.
- The two stations are about five hundred metres apart as the crow flies.
There has been a lot of pressure in the past to build a pedestrian link between the two stations, as reported by the Wikipedia entry for Northfleet station.
The station is very close to Ebbsfleet International station (the NNE entrance is only 334 yards (305 m) from Northfleet’s station), but passengers (using public transport) will find it far easier to access Ebbsfleet International from Gravesend or Greenhithe, as these stations are more accessible and offer easy access to Fastrack bus services. The walking route between the two stations is 0.6 miles (1 km) or 0.8 miles (1.3 km) and a suitable pedestrian link has not been built because of funding issues and objections from Land Securities.
Why when Ebbsfleet International station was built in the early 2000s for opening in 2007, was a pedestrian link not built between the two stations?
How much did omitting the link save?
Luton Airport are building the Luton DART, which is a people mover to connect Luton Airport Parkway station with the airport.
- It is 1.4 miles long.
- It is fully automated.
- It might have an extra station serving the mid-stay parking.
- It appears to be taking three years to build.
All of this very comprehensive system appears to be costing around £200 million.
I doubt that a simple pedestrian link, like a bridge with travellators, would have cost more than a few tens of million pounds.
Will Northfleet/Ebbsfleet Become A Major Railway Hub?
If Northfleet station and the connection to Ebbsfleet is well designed,, I can see this station becoming a major railway hub.
- It would have Eurostar Continental services.
- It would have HighSpeed services to London and Kent.
- It would have Elizabeth Line services to London and Heathrow.
- It would have Thameslink and Southeastern services.
- The station would have lots of parking.
I also feel in the future that more Continental services will be developed.
- Adding extra platforms for Continental services could be easier than at St. Pancras.
- It could be an ideal terminus for sleeper trains to and from the Continent.
- I might be the ideal terminus for very long distance trains to and from the Continent.
Northfleet/Ebbsfleet has something that St. Pancras lacks – space.
Gravesend Station
Gravesend station is a rebuilt step-free station with three platforms, as these pictures show.
But is it the right station, for the end of the Elizabeth Line?
These points are in favour.
- There is a bay platform, that could handle 4 tph.
- The station is step-free.
- The station has had a recent refurbishment.
- It has HighSpeed services to London and East Kent.
- Gravesend is a town of 74,000 people.
- Passengers can change between through trains by just staying on the same platform.
But these points are against.
- The station is on a cramped site in the town centre.
- There is no train stabling nearby.
- Adding lots of car parking may be difficult.
- Suppose adding the Elizabeth Line to the town was very successful and it was felt more services were needed. Could Gravesend station cope?
These are the times for the various services.
- HighSpeed to St. Pancras – 25 minutes
- HighSpeed to Stratford – 17 minutes
- Southeastern to Charing Cross – 65 minutes
- Thameslink to Abbey Wood- 28 minutes
- Thameslink to London Bridge – 60 minutes
I estimate that the Elizabeth Line will take just over 50 minutes to Tottenham Court Road.
This last timing in itself is a good reason for the Elizabeth Line to serve Gravesend.
But I don’t think the Elizabeth Line has to start there.
I am worried that the Elizabeth will be too successful.
- It serves Central London, Paddington and Heathrow.
- It will have a frequency of four tph from and to Gravesend.
- It will have trains with a very large capacity.
- The trains will have wi-fi and 4G connections.
I don’t think the cramped Gravesend station will be able to cope with the needs of expansion.
- An extra platform.
- Handling trains that need to be turned back to London.
- More car parking.
Northfleet/Ebbsfleet will have the parking and eight tph on the Elizabeth Line, so surely the best solution is to have the actual Elizabeth Line terminal station to the East of Gravesend.
- Travellers to the West of Gravesend will use Northfleet/Ebbsfleet.
- Travellers in Gravesend will use Gravesend station by walking, cycling or using a local bus.
- Travellers to the East of Gravesend will use the new terminal station.
The Elizabeth Line extension is supposedly costing £3.2 billion, so it should serve as many potential passengers as possible.
The Elephant In The Garden Of England
It is proposed that the new Lower Thames Crossing is built to the East of Gravesend.
This map from the Department of Transport, shows the route.
Note.
- The new crossing, which is shown in red, bypasses the Dartford Crossing on the M25.
- The A226 runs between Gravesend and Higham via a junction with the new crossing at Chalk.
- Northfleet is to the West of Gravesend.
This Google Map shows the area between Chalk and Higham.
Note.
- Chalk in the North-West corner of the map.
- Higham in the South-East corner of the map.
- The A226 running between Chalk and Higham.
- Higham station on the North Kent Line about half-way up the East side of the map.
- The North Kent Line running across the top of the map between Gravesend and Higham stations via Hoo Junction.
The Lower Thames Crossing will run North-South across this map to the East of Chalk and according to the Department of Transport map to the West of Thong.
I should admit, that I don’t drive, so the Lower Thames Crossing will be of no use to me, but I have friends in Kent and most seem to be in favour of the new crossing.
Reopening The Hoo Branch To Passenger Trains
In Effort To Contain Costs For Hoo Reopening, I wrote about an article in the April 2022 Edition of Modern Railways with the same title.
This is the first paragraph of the Modern Railways article..
Medway Council is working with Network Rail and other industry players in an effort to make restoration of a passenger service to Hoo on the Isle of Grain branch feasible. The Council was awarded £170 million from the Housing Infrastructure Fund in 2020 to support schemes to facilitate building of 12,000 new houses in the area, with £63 million of the HIF money for reinstatement of services on the Hoo Branch.
The article mentions, this new infrastructure.
- A new station South of the former Sharnal Street station.
- Works to level crossings, of which there are six between Gravesend station and proposed site of the new Hoo station.
- A passing place at Hoo Junction, where the branch joins the North Kent Line.
- A passing place at Cooling Street.
It looks like we may have the smaller project of reopening the Hoo branch railway, whilst a major road and tunnel is built through the area.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the North Kent Line between Gravesend and Higham stations.
Note.
- Gravesend station is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Higham station is at the Eastern edge of the map.
- The railway shown in orange is the North Kent Line.
- The railway shown in yellow is the Hoo branch.
- The railway shown in red is the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
It looks like the path of the new crossing could follow a similar path to the overhead power cable shown on this map.
According to Modern Railways, the main reason for reopening the Hoo Branch for passenger trains is to provide rail access for new housing on the Isle of Grain.
- Improving the Hoo branch will also help the freight services to the various docks and installations on the Isle of Grain.
- Will the builders of the new crossing, use the Isle of Grain for the supply of aggregates and the disposal of tunnel spoil?
- Remember that barges on the Thames were used to remove the tunnel spoil from London for both Crossrail and the Battersea extension to the Northern Line.
My knowledge of major projects is saying to me, that before the major works of the new crossing are started, this branch railway must be updated, otherwise it will cause problems in the future.
Could this be why, the Hoo branch reopening has been mentioned in both the April and July 2022 Editions of Modern Railways? Perhaps a sensible decision has been made, that means the Hoo branch will be improved first, to speed the construction of the new Lower Thames Crossing.
Could The Elizabeth Line Be Extended To The Proposed Hoo Station?
The proposed Hoo station is to be just South of the former Sharnal Street station.
- This is under ten kilometres from Hoo Junction, where the North Kent Line is electrified.
- A single platform could handle 4 tph, but provision for two platforms would be prudent.
- A couple of sidings could provide stabling.
- Services would join the North Kent Line at Hoo Junction.
- Services would use battery power between Hoo Junction and Hoo station.
- If charging were needed at Hoo station a short length of 25 KVAC overhead electrification would be needed.
- There is plenty of power available locally to power any electrification.
This Google Map shows the possible location of the station.
Note.
- The A 289 road running NE-SW across the map from a roundabout in the North-East corner of the map.
- The A 289 leads from the roundabout in the South-West corner of the map to the Medway Tunnel to Chatham.
- Sharnal Street is between the two roundabouts.
- The single-track railway crosses the A 289 at right-angles, about 500 metres South of Sharnal Street.
- There is even a high voltage power line going through the area to the South of the railway.
It seems to be an ideal place for a station with good road access, space and plenty of power to charge battery vehicles and trains.
I took these pictures of where the A289 crosses over the railway on June 27th 2022.
Note.
- The substation site, which is marked with Network Rail logos. It looks like power has been provided to the site.
- The high-voltage line passing to the South of the site.
- There were trucks carrying tunnel segments. Is there a factory on the Isle of Grain and will it produce segments for the Lower Thames Crossing?
- The Sharnal Street bridge over the railway.
It certainly looks like Network Rail have been planning a station there for some time.
Around The Isle Of Grain
I took these pictures of the Isle of Grain on June 27th 2022.
Note.
- There is a lot of housing planned on the island.
- Someone wants to build a theme park.
- The road past the station leads to the Medway Tunnel.
All these factors would add to the case for the station.
Battery-Electric Class 345 Trains
There would be a need to develop a third-rail battery/electric version of the Class 345 trains.
In this article in Global Rail News from 2011, which is entitled Bombardier’s AVENTRA – A new era in train performance, gives some details of the Aventra’s electrical systems. This is said.
AVENTRA can run on both 25kV AC and 750V DC power – the high-efficiency transformers being another area where a heavier component was chosen because, in the long term, it’s cheaper to run. Pairs of cars will run off a common power bus with a converter on one car powering both. The other car can be fitted with power storage devices such as super-capacitors or Lithium-ion batteries if required. The intention is that every car will be powered although trailer cars will be available.
Unlike today’s commuter trains, AVENTRA will also shut down fully at night. It will be ‘woken up’ by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift
This was published over eleven years ago, so I suspect Bombardier have refined the concept.
A Simple Extension Of The Elizabeth Line
The branch to Hoo station could be a very simple extension of the Elizabeth Line.
- There appear to be no challenging engineering problems.
- Parking and cycling routes could be provided as required at the station.
- The centre of Gravesend would be under ten minutes from Hoo station.
- There would be a same-platform change for HighSpeed services at Gravesend station.
- The developers of the housing would be over the moon.
- Workers for the Lower Thames Crossing and the big energy projects on the Isle of Grain could reverse commute from London.
- The station would only be a few minutes more than an hour from Central London.
- The station could also double as a Park-and-Ride for Chatham and Gillingham.
- Buses could connect Hoo station to Chatham and Gillingham.
It could prove to be a very valuable station for the Isle of Grain and the Medway Towns.
The Contactless Ticketing Conundrum
This is said on the Transport for London website.
Contactless pay as you go is accepted throughout the Elizabeth line.
So it’s just a case of Have Card Will Travel!
So this will mean, that contactless ticketing will have to be accepted at all stations East of Abbey Wood.
Everybody will love that!
Are There Any Other Possible Elizabeth Line Destinations In Kent?
Train companies, since the days of British Rail have run Peak time commuter trains to bring workers into London in the morning and take them home in the evening.
There will be four tph passing through Gravesend and they don’t all have to go to and from Hoo station.
Digital signalling will give flexibility as to which stations the trains could serve.
Possibilities include.
Gillingham
Gillingham station may be a possibility.
Maidstone West
Maidstone West station may be a possibility.
Rainham
Rainham station has three platforms and is already served by two Thameslink tph to Luton through Central London, which use the bay Platform 0
Some might argue that two Elizabeth Line tph should extend from Abbey Wood to Rainham, to give a four tph service between Abbey Wood and Rainham.
This would be a North Kent Metro.
Rochester
Rochester station has three platforms and Platform 3 can turn trains back to London.
It is already used by Thameslink to turn Peak services.
Project Management
The project may be budgeted to cost £3.2 billion, but it is a small number of independent projects.
- Digital signalling
- Electrification changeover at Abbey Wood station.
- An efficient junction East of Abbey Wood.
- Rebuild Belvedere station with step-free access.
- Rebuild Erith station with step-free access.
- Rebuild Slade Green station with step-free access.
- Extend Slade Green depot.
- Upgrade Dartford station.
- Rebuild Stone Crossing station with step-free access.
- Upgrade Greenhithe station.
- Upgrade Swanscombe station.
- Rebuild Northfleet station with step-free access and two extra bay platforms.
- Install people mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
- Upgrade the Hoo Branch.
- Build Hoo station.
Note.
- Gravesend station would only need minimal updating.
- As I said before, I suspect the digital signalling will be the biggest cost.
- Choosing the optimal order is good project management!
- Projects that create fare revenue should be done early, especially if they don’t interfere with services on the railway.
The first projects, that I would develop would be these.
- Rebuild Northfleet station with step-free access and two extra bay platforms.
- Install people mover between Northfleet and Ebbsfleet stations.
- Upgrade the Hoo Branch.
- Build Hoo station.
As I said earlier, this project needs to be developed with the Lower Thames Crossing.
Conclusion
This seems an excellent plan.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Will There Be A Need For Long Distance Class 345 Train?
I wrote Crossrail To Heathrow, Reading And Southend in August 2017.
This was a section in that post.
The Long Distance Class 345 Train
Adding Oxford and/or Southend to Crossrail services, may need a sub-class of Class 345 train to be created, due to the length of the journey. Toilets would be the obvious addition.
As an example, the safeguarded Reading and Gravesend service would be eighty-three miles.
- A Reading and Paddington service takes fifty-seven minutes for the thirty-six miles.
- At that speed Reading and Gravesend would take two hours and eleven minutes.
- Even Reading and Shenfield will will take only nine minutes less than two hours.
Will all passengers be able to hold on for these lengths of time?
100 mph Capability
Greater Anglia’s Class 720 trains are 100 mph trains, but their sisters on the Elizabeth Line are only 90 mph trains.
So if the trains are to work perhaps to Gravesend, Oxford or Southend would a 100 mph capability be needed?
Conclusion
If the Elizabeth Line is extended, there may be a need for trains to be updated.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – An Extension To Southend Airport
The Wikipedia entry for Crossrail, has a section for an extension to Southend Airport, where this is said.
Stobart Aviation, the company that operates Southend Airport in Essex, has proposed that Crossrail should be extended beyond Shenfield along the Shenfield–Southend line to serve Southend Airport and Southend Victoria. The company has suggested that a direct Heathrow-Southend link could alleviate capacity problems at Heathrow. The extension proposal has been supported by Southend-on-Sea City Council.
I have written about extending Crossrail to Southend before in Council Launches Campaign To Extend Crossrail To Southend-on-Sea.
In that post, I gave these reasons.
- Extra capacity between London and Southend
- A more intensive service to Southend Airport
- A twenty-four hour service to Southend Airport
- Enabling housing
- Taking pressure from Liverpool Street
I came to the conclusion, that extending the Elizabeth Line to Southend could have a lot going for it.
Times Change
But that post was written nearly four years ago and times change and they will change more in the next few years.
The Elizabeth Line Trains Are Shorter Than The Liverpool Street And Southend Victoria Trains
This has also happened and the pair of five-car Class 720 trains, that Greater Anglia use for Southend Victoria services are over thirty metres longer than the Elizabeth Line’s nine-car Class 345 trains.
This would mean that there would be no need for platform lengthening along the route to Southend Victoria.
Zero-Carbon Aircraft Are Under Development
Zero-carbon aircraft like the Heart Aerospace ES-19 could be in service by 2027. These aircraft will probably have a limited range of around 400 km and a charge time of 40 minutes.
- Southend Airport’s position on the East side of London would enable the creation of zero-carbon flights to places like Amsterdam, Brussels, Lille, Paris and Rotterdam.
- A quick estimate indicates that aircraft like the ES-19 could fly from Southend to Amsterdam and recharge in around two hours.
- Intensively scheduled, these electric aircraft could make several round trips per day.
- Would almost silent electric aircraft be able to fly twenty-four hours per day?
These flights could seriously increase the number of passengers to Southend Airport before the end of the decade.
More Housing
I think more housing will be built between Shenfield and Southend, which will increase the need for more services past Shenfield.
The Great Eastern Main Line Will Have Full Digital Signalling
More and more trains will be running on the Great Eastern Main Line and like other main lines in the UK, it will receive full digital signalling, which would probably be applied to the Shenfield and Southend Line.
This would give the extra capacity to Southend Victoria, that running the Elizabeth Line to Southend Airport and Southend Victoria would need.
Possible Services
I think there are two main possible options, but there may be others.
- A long Elizabeth Line extension all the way to Southend Victoria.
- A short Elizabeth Line extension only as far as Southend Airport.
My feelings are as follows.
- The Greater Anglia service should remain as it is with three trains per hour (tph) calling at all stations to Shenfield, Stratford and Liverpool Street.
- Perhaps three or four Elizabeth Line tph would extend to Southend Victoria, calling at all stations.
- All Elizabeth Line trains would call at all stations to and from London, as they do now!
Full digital signalling would handle the extra trains.
Conclusion
I think it will be unlikely that the Elizabeth Line will be extended to Southend in the next few years, but before the end of the decade, I can certainly see limited Elizabeth Line services going all the way to Southend Victoria.
Alstom And Eversholt Rail Sign An Agreement For The UK’s First Ever Brand-New Hydrogen Train Fleet
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Alstom.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Alstom, Britain’s leading train manufacturer and maintenance provider, and Eversholt Rail, leading British train owner and financier, have today announced a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at delivering the UK’s first ever brand-new hydrogen train fleet.
The two companies have agreed to work together, sharing technical and commercial information necessary for Alstom to design, build, commission and support a fleet of ten three-car hydrogen multiple units (HMUs). These will be built by Alstom in Britain. The new HMU fleet will be based on the latest evolution of the Alstom Aventra platform and the intention is that final contracts for the fleet will be signed in early 2022.
This is an Alstom visualisation of the train.
The first thing I notice is that the train doesn’t have the same aerodynamic nose as this current Class 710 train, which is one of the London Overground’s Aventras.
Note how the lights, coupler position and the front-end structure are all different.
These are my further thoughts on the design.
The Aventra’s Traction System
In this article in Global Rail News from 2011, which is entitled Bombardier’s AVENTRA – A new era in train performance, gives some details of the Aventra’s electrical systems. This is said.
AVENTRA can run on both 25kV AC and 750V DC power – the high-efficiency transformers being another area where a heavier component was chosen because, in the long term, it’s cheaper to run. Pairs of cars will run off a common power bus with a converter on one car powering both. The other car can be fitted with power storage devices such as super-capacitors or Lithium-ion batteries if required. The intention is that every car will be powered although trailer cars will be available.
Unlike today’s commuter trains, AVENTRA will also shut down fully at night. It will be ‘woken up’ by remote control before the driver arrives for the first shift
This was published over ten years ago, so I suspect Bombardier (or now Alstom) have refined the concept.
Bombardier have not announced that any of their trains have energy storage, but I have my suspicions, that both the Class 345 and Class 710 Aventra trains use super-capacitors or lithium-ion batteries, as part of their traction system design.
- I was told by a Bombardier driver-trainer that the Class 345 trains have an emergency power supply. When I said “Batteries?”, He gave a knowing smile.
- From the feel of riding on Class 710 trains, as a Control Engineer, I suspect there is a battery or supercapacitor in the drive system to give a smoother ride.
I also feel that the Aventra has been designed, so that it can accept power from a large variety of sources, which charge the battery, that ultimately drives the train.
The Formation Of A Three-Car Aventra
The only three-car Aventra is the Class 730/0 train.
I have not seen one of one of these trains in the metal and the formation can’t be found on the Internet. But Wikipedia does show the pantograph on the middle car.
In The Formation Of A Class 710 Train, I said this.
Here is the formation of the train.
DMS+PMS(W)+MS1+DMS
The plates on the individual cars are as follows.
DMS – Driving Motored Standard
-
- Weight – 43.5 tonnes
- Length – 21.45 metres
- Width 2.78 metres
- Seats – 43
The two DMS cars would appear to be identical.
PMS 
-Pantograph Motored Standard
-
- Weight – 38.5 tonnes
- Length – 19.99 metres
- Width 2.78 metres
- Seats – 51
The signifies a wheelchair space.
MS1 – Motored Standard
-
- Weight – 32.3 tonnes
- Length – 19.99 metres
- Width 2.78 metres
- Seats – 52
It is similar in size to the PMS car, but has an extra seat.
So could the formation of a three-car Aventra be?
DMS+PMS(W)+DMS
I have just removed the MS1 car.
This would mean that a three-car Aventra has the following dimensions and capacity.
- Weight – 125.5 tonnes
- Length – 62.89 metres
- Seats – 137
There will probably be a difference between these figures and those of a three-car Class 730 train, as those trains have end-gangways.
Could All The Hydrogen Gubbins Fit Underneath The Train?
These pictures show the space underneath a Class 710 train.
If you also look at Alstom’s visualisation of their Hydrogen Aventra on this post, there would appear to be lots of space under the train.
It should also be noted that Birmingham University’s engineers have managed to put all of the hydrogen gubbins underneath the floor of Porterbrook’s Class 799 train.
Looking at my pictures, you can see the following.
- The two DMS (Driving Motored Standard) cars have large boxes underneath
- The MS1(Motored Standard) car is fairly clear underneath. But this will probably not be there in a three-car train.
- The PMS (Pantograph Motored Standard) car has some space underneath.
If more space needs to be created, I suspect that the cars can be lengthened, between the bogies. The Class 710 trains have twenty metre intermediate cars, whereas some versions have twenty-four metre cars.
I believe that Aventras have been designed, so that various power sources could be installed under the floor.
When the Aventra was designed, over ten years ago, these could have included.
- A diesel generator and all the fuel tanks and cooling systems.
- A battery or other energy storage system.
Since then two other suitable power sources have been developed.
- Rolls-Royce, Honeywell and others have developed small and powerful gas-turbine generators.
- Ballard Power Systems and others have developed hydrogen fuel cell generators.
If you look at the proportions of the Alstom hydrogen train and the pictures of Class 710 trains, I feel that the Alstom train could have the longer twenty-four metre cars.
It may be a tight fit compared to creating the Alstom Coradia iLint hydrogen train, but I would feel it is possible to install a fuel cell or cells, the required cooling and the hydrogen tanks, having seen cutaway drawings of hydrogen-powered double-deck buses on the Wrightbus web site.
Interestingly, the Alstom press release doesn’t mention fuel cells, so could the train be powered by a small gas turbine?
I think it is unlikely, but it is technically feasible.
Does The Alstom Hydrogen Aventra Have Longer Cars?
I have been looking at pictures of Aventras on Wikipedia and in my own archive.
It appears that only Aventras with twenty-four metre carriages have five windows between the pair of double-doors in the intermediate carriages.
This picture shows the PMS car from a Class 710 train.
The PMS car is to the right and has four windows between the doors.
This is the side view of one of Greater Anglia’s Class 720 trains.
It has twenty-four metre intermediate cars and five windows.
It looks to me that the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra will have twenty-four metre cars.
This will give an extra four x 2.78 metres space under the train compared to a Class 710 train.
It would also appear that the Aventras with twenty-four metre cars also have an extra window in the driving cars, between the doors.
Does the four metre stretch make it possible to position tubular hydrogen tanks across the train to store a practical amount of hydrogen?
Is The Alstom Hydrogen Train Based On A Three-Car Class 730/0 Train?
I have just found this video of a three-car Class 730/0 under test.
And guess what! It has five windows between the doors.
But then it is a train with twenty-four metre cars.
It looks to me, that Alstom have looked at the current Aventra range and decided that the three-car Class 730/0 could be the one to convert into a useful train powered by hydrogen.
So if it is a Class 730/0 train with hydrogen gubbins under the floor, what other characteristics would carry over.
- I suspect Aventras are agnostic about power and so long as they get the right quantity of volts, amps and watts, the train will roll along happily.
- But it means that the train can probably use 25 KVAC overhead electrification, 750 VDC third-rail electrification, hydrogen or battery power.
- I wouldn’t be surprised if if could use 15 KVAC and 3KVDC overhead electrification for operation in other countries, with perhaps a change of power electronics or transformer.
- The interior layout of the trains can probably be the same as that of the Class 730/0 trains.
- The Class 730/0 trains have an operating speed of 90 mph and this could be good enough for hydrogen.
This could be a very capable train, that could find a lot of applications.
Could The Proposed Alstom Hydrogen Aventra Be Considered To Be A Class 730/0 Train With A Hydrogen Extender?
It appears that the only difference between the two trains is that the proposed Alstom Hydrogen Aventra has a hydrogen propulsion system, that can be used when the electrification runs out.
The hydrogen fuel cell will convert hydrogen into electricity, which will either be used immediately or stored in a battery on the train.
The Class 730/0 trains have already been ordered to run services on Birmingham’s electrified Cross-City Line.
There are plans to expand the line in the future and I do wonder if the proposed Alstom Hydrogen Aventras could be the ideal trains for extending the network.
How Does The Alstom Hydrogen Aventra Compare With The Class 600 Breeze Train?
The Class 600 train, which is based on the British Rail-era Class 321 train seems to have gone cold.
If it was a boxing match, it would have been stopped after the fourth round, if not before.
This Alstom visualisation shows the Class 600 train, which is also known as the Breeze.
I have a feeling that Alstom have done their marketing and everybody has said that the Class 600 train wouldn’t stand up to a modern train.
- When you consider that each end of the train is a hydrogen tank, I wonder if possible passenger and driver reaction has not been overwhelmingly positive.
- The project was announced in January 2021 and in the intervening time, hydrogen technology has improved at a fast pace.
- There could even be a battery-electric version of the proposed Alstom Hydrogen Aventra.
- The modern train could possibly be lengthened to a four or five car train.
It does strike me, that if Alstom are going to succeed with hydrogen trains, that to carry on with the Class 600 train without an order into the future is not a good idea.
How Does The Alstom Hydrogen Aventra Compare With The Alstom Coradia iLint?
The Alstom Coradia iLint is the world’s first hydrogen train.
It is successfully in service in Germany.
These are some characteristics of the Coradia iLint from the Internet.
- Seats – 180
- Length – 54.27 metres
- Width – 2.75 metres
- Height – 4.31 metres
- Operating Speed – 87 mph
- Range – 370-500 miles
- Electrification Use – No
The same figures for the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra are as follows.
- Seats – 164
- Length – 72 metres
- Width – 2.78 metres
- Height – 3.76 metres
- Operating Speed – 90 mph
- Range – Unknown
- Electrification Use – Unknown, but I would expect it is possible.
Note.
- I have taken figures for the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra from the Class 730/0 train and other Aventras.
- The number of seats is my best estimate from using the seat density of a Class 710 train in a 24 metre long car.
- The width and height seem to be standard for most Aventras.
- Alstom have said nothing about the range on hydrogen.
- I am surprised that the Aventra is the wider train.
But what surprises me most, is how similar the two specifications are. Had the designer of the original Lint hoped to sell some in the UK?
What Is The Range Of The Alstom Hydrogen Aventra?
When they launched the Breeze, Alstom were talking about a range of a thousand kilometres or just over 620 miles.
I have talked to someone, who manages a large bus fleet and they feel with a hydrogen bus, you need a long range, as you might have to position the bus before it does a full day’s work.
Would similar positioning mean a hydrogen train needs a long range?
I suspect it would in some applications, but if the train could use electrification, as I suspect the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra can, this must help with positioning and reduce the range needed and the amount of hydrogen used.
Would Alstom aim to make the range similar to the Coradia iLint? It’s probably a fair assumption.
Could the Alstom Hydrogen Aventra Be Extended To Four Or Five Cars?
I don’t see why not, as Aventras are designed to be lengthened or shortened, by just adding or removing cars, just like their predecessors the Electrostars were.
I can certainly see routes, where a longer Alstom Hydrogen Aventra could be needed and if Alstom have also decided that such a train could be needed, they will surely have investigated how to lengthen the train.
Applications In The UK
These are links to a few thoughts on applications of the trains in the UK.
- Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And Extension Of The Birmingham Cross-City Line
- Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And The Reopened Northumberland Line
- Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And Great Western Branch Lines Between Paddington And Oxford
- Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And The Uckfield Branch
There are probably a lot more and I will add to this list.
Applications Elsewhere
If the Coradia iLint has problems, they are these.
- It can’t use overhead electrification, where it exists
- It has a noisy mechanical transmission, as it is a converted diesel multiple unit design.
The Alstom Hydrogen Aventra can probably be modified to use electrification of any flavour and I can’t see why the train would be more noisy that say a Class 710 train.
I suspect Alstom will be putting the train forward for partially-electrified networks in countries other than the UK.
Conclusion
This modern hydrogen train from Alstom is what is needed.
It might also gain an initial order for Birmingham’s Cross-City Line, as it is a hydrogen version of the line’s Class 730/0 trains.
But having a hydrogen and an electric version, that are identical except for the hydrogen extender, could mean that the trains would be ideal for a partially-electrified network.
There could even be a compatible battery-electric version.
All trains would be identical to the passenger and probably the driver too. This would mean that mixed fleets could be run by an operator, with hydrogen or battery versions used on lines without electrification as appropriate.
Crossrail’s New Opening Plan
This article on the excellent and well-informed IanVisits is entitled Crossrail Changes Its Staged Opening Plans.
Ian states that Crossrail will be split into two routes.
- Shenfield and Paddington
- Abbey Wood and Heathrow/Reading
Frequencies will be reduced, but Ian states there could be two positive benefits.
- Abbey Wood and Paddington could open earlier in 2022.
- The full integrated service could be brought forward six months.
Why is this possible?
These are my thoughts.
The Covid-19 Pandemic
The current TfL Rail service between Shenfield and Liverpool Street stations coped well before the pandemic and now with reduced passenger numbers it is able to handle current passenger loads without a problem.
I have used Crossrail from Paddington to Heathrow and Reading during the pandemic and Crossrail’s nine-car trains are handling passenger numbers with ease.
It would appear to me, that by using two platforms at Liverpool Street and Paddington stations, the benefits of Crossrail have been delivered to the East and West of the massive Greater London conurbation.
Stratford Station
Stratford station is more or less complete with respect to Crossrail.
- It can handle ten-car trains, if they run in the future.
- The two dedicated platforms for Crossrail, can probably handle the maximum frequency of trains, the line will ever carry.
But Stratford’s biggest advantage is the connections to the Central and Jubilee Lines, and the North London Line of the London Overground, which between them give access to most of Central and North London.
Ealing Broadway Station
A few weeks ago, a fully step-free Ealing Broadway station opened, as I wrote about in Ealing Broadway Station – 31st May 2021.
As with Stratford station, Ealing Broadway station is ready for any future Crossrail service.
It also has connections to the Central and District Lines to give access to most of Central London.
Can The Underground Cope In Central London?
All Lines except the Northern and Piccadilly Lines have seen improvement to signalling and/or trains in recent years and in my meandering around London, they seem to be coping well with the current passenger levels.
Liverpool Street Station
I use Liverpool Street station regularly and changes are happening at the station.
- Platforms have been lengthened so that ten-car Crossrail trains can be handled.
- The main entrance to the Underground was updated a few years ago and has a very wide gateline.
- A wider gateline is being installed for Crossrail and other suburban services on the East side of Liverpool Street station.
- A new entrance to Crossrail has been completed in front of Broadgate and appears ready to open, as I observed in Crossrail’s First Inclined Lift Is Now Available To View!.
A second high capacity step-free entrance has opened on Moorgate. When Crossrail opens through Liverpool Street station opens it will enable the following.
Passengers will be able to walk underground between Liverpool Street and Moorgate, with a substantial section of the route up and down escalators. I described the route in detail in London’s First Underground Roller Coaster.
The Crossrail entrance inside the Underground station at Liverpool Street station is now visible.
Note.
- Crossrail is behind the two pairs of massive stainless-steel doors.
- Peeping through the window, construction appeared to be almost at completion.
- If you turn right here, you take the escalator down to the Central Line.
Eventually, Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations could even be considered a single station with a massive escalator connection between the two original stations.
Liverpool Street And Stratford Stations Together Give Crossrail A Comprehensive Under/Overground Connection
These Under/Overground lines connect to either or both stations.
- Central Line – Connects to both stations, but at Stratford it’s a cross-platform interchange with Crossrail. Ideal for Oxford Street, the City of London and St. Paul’s.
- Circle Line – Connects to Liverpool Street. Ideal for Euston, Kings Cross, Paddington, St. Pancras, Victoria and large parts of South Central and West London.
- Hammersmith And City Line – Connects to Liverpool Street. Ideal for Euston, Kings Cross, Paddington, St. Pancras and large parts of West London.
- Jubilee Line – Connects to Stratford. Ideal for Bond Street, Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster.
- Lea Valley Lines – These Overground Lines connect to Liverpool Street. Ideal for Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Waltham Forest and North East London and South East Hertfordshire.
- Metropolitan Line – Connects to Liverpool Street. Ideal for Euston, Kings Cross, Paddington and St. Pancras, Wembley Stadium and North-West London.
- North London Line – This Overground Line connects to Stratford. Ideal for Acton, Brent, Dalston, Hackney, Hampstead and a large proportion of North and West London.
Liverpool Street and Stratford certainly have comprehensive connections to the Underground and Overground.
Liverpool Street And Shenfield Is Signalled With TPWS
TPWS is the only signalling system used on the section of Crossrail between Liverpool Street And Shenfield stations.
It offers these benefits, as opposed to the ETCS used in Crossrail’s core tunnel.
- It eased the replacement of the original Class 315 trains with new Class 345 trains.
- It allows Crossrail’s trains to share tracks with other trains not fitted with ETCS.
- Drivers only have to handle one signalling system on the route.
The single signalling system must make commissioning and operating the service between Liverpool Street And Shenfield stations easier.
Liverpool Street Station Gives Crossrail Flexibility In The East
The distance between the two current Crossrail platforms at Liverpool Street station and the steel doors will probably be no more than a couple of minutes walk with just a couple of steps down into the Underground station, which can be by-passed by a lift.
Currently, the service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield station has a frequency of eight trains per hour (tph)
- These trains are currently nine-cars long.
- The two Crossrail platforms at Liverpool Street have been lengthened to handle ten-car trains.
- The gateline for the Crossrail platforms is being improved to handle a higher volume of passengers.
If overcrowding should become a problem between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, then there is a quick fix of adding a tenth car to the trains, which would increase capacity by eleven percent.
The extra cars would be borrowed from Crossrail trains sitting in sidings, that are not needed because of the reduced train frequencies.
When Crossrail opens between Abbey Wood and Paddington stations, passengers needing to go between say Ilford and Paddington will be able to take the short walk between both pairs of Crossrail platforms at Liverpool Street station.
But the big advantage comes, when Crossrail starts running between Shenfield and Paddington.
Trains can be gradually swapped between Liverpool Street and Paddington as a terminus.
If there is a problem in Crossrail’s central tunnel, then services can be swapped back to Crossrail’s two current platforms in the National Rail station.
It looks to be a well-designed system.
Could The Pedestrian Route Between Liverpool Street And Moorgate Stations Be Opened Early?
This article on IanVisits is entitled Northern Line Bank Branch To Close For 4 Months Next Year.
The Northern Line will be closed between Moorgate and Kennington stations from the 15th January to mid-May.
Extra buses will obviously be run between Moorgate and Kennington to help during the closure.
- Finsbury Square is already used to turn buses and could be used as a Northern terminal.
- London Bridge has a bus station and could be used to turn buses.
- In his article Ian talks of buses between Oval and the City.
- The 21 and 141 bus routes run between Moorgate and London Bridge.
Would opening the pedestrian link help a lot of people by providing an easier route between Bank and Moorgate stations, by using the Central Line to Liverpool Street and then the tunnel?
- It would be fully step-free.
- Passengers from say St. Paul’s or Chancery Lane stations on the Central Line needing to get to say Angel station might find it an easier route.
- The weather isn’t always good enough for a walk.
It would be an escalator connection par excellence.
I suspect that this pedestrian route could open before January 15th.
- It will obviously need to be open when Crossrail opens between Abbey Wood and Paddington.
- As a pedestrian route, it will improve connectivity at both Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations.
- The Crossrail station at Liverpool Street, has been handed over to Transport for London.
- It could allow the opening up of the step-free tunnel from the Northern and Northern City Lines to the new entrance at Moorgate station.
Could the last point be the most significant, as it would make the Northern Line platforms at Moorgate station fully step-free in time for the blockade between Moorgate and Kennington stations?
As Transport for London have accepted Liverpool Street station, opening of the pedestrian route is surely their sole decision.
Could The Pedestrian Route Between The Bakerloo Line And Crossrail Be Opened Early?
Access to the Bakerloo Line at Paddington is being transformed by two projects.
- The addition of a step-free pedestrian tunnel, which will be around eighty metres long, that will link the Bakerloo Line and Crossrail.
- A new step-free entrance and booking hall for the Bakerloo Line,that will replace the current Praed Street entrance.
This page on the Transport for London web site, which is entitled Paddington Bakerloo Ticket Hall, gives more details of the new entrance.
Transport for London indicate that the second project will be completed by mid-2022.
But I do wonder, if after Paddington station is handed over to Transport for London, if this tunnel could be opened to give interim step-free access to the Bakerloo Line, until either Crossrail or the new entrance opens.
When Crossrail and these two projects are completed, will this mean that the Bakerloo Line will see a lot more passengers?
Abbey Wood And Paddington
Crossrail between Abbey Wood And Paddington has the following characteristics.
- It is a new twin-track railway, that it doesn’t share with other trains.
- Most of the route is in tunnel, with just three sections on the surface.
- The route is signalled with ETCS.
- All new underground stations will have platform-edge doors.
It is very much a railway designed to the highest modern standards.
The Surface Section At Abbey Wood
The surface section at Abbey Wood has these purposes.
- To provide an interchange station with the North Kent Line.
- To turn back trains towards the West.
- To provide stabling for trains and service trains to enable a smooth operation of the Abbey Wood and Paddington section of Crossrail.
This map from cartometro shows the track layout to the East of Plumstead station.
Note.
- Crossrail is shown in purple.
- Abbey Wood station has two platforms for Crossrail and two for the North Kent Line.
- The platforms appear to be numbered one to four from the South.
- There appears to be a turnback for Crossrail trains in Platform 3, which also appears to have crossovers to connect to the North Kent Line.
- Crossovers to the West of Abbey Wood station allow trains to use either Crossrail platform.
- These crossovers also allow access to the sidings at Plumstead.
- The Plumstead tunnel portal can be seen below Plumstead Depot.
If Abbey Wood station follows the two National Rail platforms at Liverpool Street in handling a total of 8 tph, then initially Abbey Wood could handle this frequency of trains.
Ian says this in the first article about the frequencies of Crossrail during testing.
Before the blockade, Crossrail was testing the line with an 8 trains per hour (8tph) service, but this week they are going to be ramping that up to 12tph, which will mirror the timetabled service that the line will offer when it opens early next year.
Note that 12 tph will require Abbey Wood station to handle 6 tph on each platform.
Transport for London also intend to simulate 24 tph through the central section, which will be the Peak frequency when the line fully opens.
The Surface Section At Custom House
This map from cartometro shows the track layout around Custom House station.
Note.
- Crossrail is shown in purple.
- The DLR is shown in light green.
- The tunnel portal for the central Crossrail tunnel is to the West of Custom House station.
- The tunnel portal for the Connaught tunnel is in the area of the former Connaught Road station.
- Between the other end of the Connaught tunnel and Woolwich station, some of the route is in a cutting.
- There are crossovers either side of Custom House station.
I suspect a lot of the complications are because an old route was reused.
The Surface Section At Paddington
This map from cartometro shows the track layout around Paddington station.
Note.
- The Crossrail station at Paddington is a straight-through two platform station.
- The Royal Oak portal, where Crossrail comes to the surface is just to the West of Royal Oak Underground station.
- Two lines are labelled CRL Eastbound and CRL Westbound are connected to the Crossrail lines.
- Between and around these lines is Paddington New Yard
- There are two full crossovers between Paddington New Yard and the Royal Oak portal.
To reverse at Paddington, trains proceed to Paddington New Yard, where the driver changes ends and then returns to Paddington, when needed.
Trains for Reading and Heathrow use the CRL Eastbound and CRL Westbound lines to connect to Crossrail’s Western surface tracks and the Central core tunnel.
It all looks well-designed to my untrained eye.
Platform Edge Doors
This page on the Crossrail web describes the platform edge doors.
This is the first paragraph.
Crossrail has installed floor-to-ceiling platforms screen doors at each of the eight new underground stations on the Elizabeth line – that’s roughly 4 kilometers of platform edge screens in total.
The new stations between Abbey Wood and Paddington are,
- Paddington
- Bond Street
- Tottenham Court Road
- Farringdon
- Liverpool Street
- Whitechapel
- Canary Wharf
- Custom House
- Woolwich
This is eight underground stations and one surface station; Custom House.
So does it mean that Custom House station doesn’t have platform edge doors?
I took these pictures of Custom House station today.
Note.
- The Crossrail trains were running at a frequency of 8 tph.
- , The pictures don’t show any platform edge doors or structures capable of supporting platform edge doors.
Could the regulations allow a surface station like Custom House to be built without doors, or were they left out to save money?
Safety is assured by being able to shut off all entrances to the platforms.
But it does appear that between Custom House and Paddington stations, passengers and trains are separated by platform edge doors.
- Platform edge doors are controlled by the signalling, so with the correct interlocking a lot of things are possible.
- Suppose, a station is not ready for passengers, then by locking the doors closed, trains can still pass through.
- Does this mean that at stations like Liverpool Street, where passengers might need to walk between the Moorgate and Liverpool Street ends of the station to change trains, that these pedestrian routes could be opened? I think it does?
It does appear to me, that platform edge doors are the key to opening a partially-completed railway.
When Could Abbey Wood And Paddington Open?
It strikes me that the following conditions must be met.
- Paddington station must be handed over to Transport for London.
- Platform edge doors at all stations must work reliably.
- The trains must work reliably with the signalling.
It looks like Bond Street, Paddington and Whitechapel stations, are the only stations that have not been handed over to Transport for London.
- I suspect, as Paddington is a terminal station, it must be handed over.
- Crossrail have said they could live with Bond Street opening later.
- Whitechapel appears to have been a difficult station to build, so perhaps it could open later.
Could Crossrail open partially, earlier than anyone thinks?
Perhaps this post called Your First Crossrail Service May Arrive In Time For Christmas, was based on fact and not rumour in the Sunday Times.
How Covids-Unfriendly Is A Class 345 Train?
These pictures show Crossrail’s Class 345 trains.
Note.
- This example was a nine-car train going to Heathrow.
- It is 205 metres long and can carry 1500 passengers.
- As with most London Underground trains, most of the passengers sit longitudinally.
- Having watched people on these trains several times in the last few weeks and feel that the design encourages social-distancing
But there are other big advantages, when it comes to suppressing the virus.
- Each car has three sets of sliding doors on each side, which is more than most trains. As the lobbies on the train are spacious, does this help the maintaining of social-distancing, when entering and leaving the train.
- The trains are walk-through, so if you end up with a car, that is full of mask deniers, it is easy to move.
- The trains have full air-conditioning, which should reduce the amount of virus in the air.
I hope Transport for London are watching the statistics for the covids, to see if they go up or down, as more new trains are introduced on Crossrail routes.
How Would Opening Crossrail Affect The Covids In London?
There seems to be very little on the Internet about this, that I can find, Partly because if you search for Crossrail and Covid-19 you get lots of articles about how the virus is delaying construction.
These are a few of my thoughts.
The Class 345 Trains
Crossrail’s Class 345 trains are 205 metres long and can hold 1500 passengers.
- The passenger density is 7.3 passengers per metre, but the trains have three doors per car, as opposed to others like the Class 700 trains, which have a similar passenger density and only two doors.
- Would the space and the wide doors, make social-distancing easier at all times?
- I’ve ridden these trains several times during the pandemic and their full air-conditioning for the tunnels, would surely be ideal to help keep the trains free of the virus, by changing the air regularly.
- The trains are walk-through, which means you can walk-away from someone who looks dodgy.
There will probably be some better trains to reduce the spreading of the virus, but I doubt there will be that many.
The Stations
I’ve only been in two Crossrail stations.
These are pictures taken in the Woolwich station box.
And these pictures were taken inside the Canary Wharf station box
Note.
- I think we can assume that the platforms and associated station tunnels are not small.
- All underground platforms will have platform edge doors.
- The stations will be fully air-conditioned.
- Both picture sets were taken in 2013.
Will passengers be safer and less likely to contract the virus compared to the cramped stations of the Central Line?
Crossrail Will Increase Capacity On London’s Rail System
Crossrail will add nearly twenty per cent of extra capacity to London’s East-West rail network.
That will have two major effects.
- More passengers will use rail transport, rather, than buses or their own cars.
- There will be more space, that will make social-distancing easier on rail journeys.
I can’t see either increasing the spread of the covids.
Will Passengers Who Can, Swap To Crossrail From Other Lines?
Consider.
- The Central Line will have interchanges with Crossrail at Stratford, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Ealing Broadway.
- Stratford and Ealing Broadway currently takes 52 minutes on the Central Line and will take 27 minutes on Crossrail.
- The Hammersmith and City Line will have interchanges with Crossrail at Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Paddington.
- Whitechapel and Paddington currently takes 40 minutes on the Hammersmith and City Line and will take 13 minutes on Crossrail.
- The Jubilee Line will have interchanges with Crossrail at Canary Wharf, Stratford and Bond Street.
- Stratford and Ealing Broadway currently takes 32 minutes on the Jubilee Line and will take 15 minutes on Crossrail.
Looking at speed alone, there will be good reasons to change to Crossrail for many.
But there will also be journeys that currently require a change will be direct because of Crossrail.
- Slough and Liverpool Street or Canary Wharf
- Woolwich and Heathrow
- Gidea Park and Paddington,
And there will be round-the corner journeys with a cross-platform interchange at Whitechapel.
Ilford and Canary Wharf currently takes 33 minutes and will take 17 minutes after Crossrail opens.
I am absolutely sure, that after Crossrail opens, passengers will use the route for a faster journey and one because of more spacious trains and stations, a more socially-distanced one.
An Air-Conditioned Journey
The proportion of time on a typical journey in London, spent in an air-conditioned train or station will increase.
This can only be a good thing for fighting the covids.
Conclusion
It looks to my eye, that Crossrail will not increase the spread of the covids and it could be a powerful weapon to reduce the levels of the virus across London.
I think it should be opened as soon as possible.
Could Crossrail Be Opened In Sections?
Unlike some of London’s Underground lines, which were provided with below-ground turnbacks, there appears to be no turnback on Crossrail between Whitechapel and Paddington.
Compare that with the Piccadilly Line, which has turnbacks at Wood Green and Hyde Park Corner, which are near the end of the central tunnel.
Crossrail does have crossovers at Custom House, Whitechapel and between Farringdon and Tottenham Court Road, so could any of these be used to improvise a turnback.
What effects would there be if say a four trains per hour (tph) preview service were to be run between Abbey Wood and Whitechapel?
- It would allow Crossrail to test systems.
- It would improve connections to Canary Wharf.
- It would give Londoners and others a small cup of much-needed cheer.
I also doubt, it would increase the number of cases of the covids in London, if everybody behaved themselves.
It would need Abbey Wood, Woolwich, Custom House, Canary Wharf and Whitechapel stations to be certified safe to open.
- Abbey Wood station is already open for National Rail services and could surely be easy to finish and certify.
- Woolwich, Custom House and Canary Wharf are more or less independent buildings and again should be easy to open.
- Only Whitechapel looks difficult with a lot of work to do.
Perhaps the preview service should terminate at Custom House? But that doesn’t include the important Canary Wharf!
- Could trains just pass through Whitechapel station and still use the turnback? The platform edge doors would ensure safety.
- Could trains even use an improvised turnback on the Western side of Farringdon, where there is a crossover?
- As stations at Liverpool Street and Farringdon became available, they could be added to the route.
I’m sure that there’s a solution in there, that could allow Crossrail to open gradually, rather than as a big bang.
I hope Crossrail are looking at it, as the design and architecture of this railway could be a weapon in the fight against covids.
The Anonymous Widower 