What Will Happen To The Eighty-Seven Class 350 Trains
At the current time, West Midlands Trains have a fleet of eighty-seven Class 350 trains.
- The trains are being replaced by new Class 730 trains.
- They are of different specifications.
- The interiors vary, but there are a lot of tables.
- All are four-car sets.
- They are 110 mph trains.
- Thirty of the trains are dual-voltage.
- Fifty are owned by Angel Trains.
- Thirty-seven are owned by Porterbrook, who have looked at converting the trains to battery-electric operation.
- They are a bit of a dog’s breakfast, although they are excellent trains.
- The future of the trains is rather uncertain and even Porterbrook’s plans have gone rather quiet.
So perhaps a big dog ought to round up all these trains and turn them into something more useful.
Consider.
- All the trains were built in this century by Siemens in Germany.
- Siemens service the Class 350 trains at Kings Heath Depot in Northampton.
- Siemens have recently opened a factory in Goole to make new trains for the London Underground.
- Siemens are developing the Mireo Plus B, which is a battery-electric multiple unit in Germany.
Siemens must have the knowledge and experience to turn these trains into a quality fleet of battery-electric trains.
- Thirty would be dual-voltage and fifty-seven would be 25 KVAC overhead only.
- All would be 110 mph trains.
- I doubt there would be many places on the UK rail network, where they couldn’t run.
All appear to be in excellent condition, as these pictures show.
I very much feel, that these fleets could be converted into a quality fleet of very useful battery-electric trains.
Charging The Batteries
Most of the charging would be done from existing electrification, but as all trains have pantographs, they could use specially-erected short lengths of 25 KVAC overhead wires or charging systems like the Furrer + Frey Voltap system.
Possible Routes
I will start with the dual-voltage trains.
- Uckfield Branch, where a charger would be needed at Uckfield station.
- Marshlink Line
- Basingstoke and Exeter, where chargers would be needed at Salisbury and Exeter and possibly Yeovil Junction.
I feel with 25 KVAC overhead applications, we will soon run out of trains.
Bolton-Wigan £78m Rail Electrification Project Announced
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is a small electrification project compared to many, but it still includes.
- 13 miles of electrification.
- 450 new overhead line equipment stanchions.
- Modifications to 17 bridges and two level crossings.
- Platform extensions at Westhoughton, Hindley and Ince stations, so that they can handle six-car trains.
Completion is expected to be 2025.
The numbers indicate it could be be a small project with quite a bit of work.
I have a few specific thoughts.
How Far Will The Electrification Go?
This document on the Government web site is entitled Green Light Given For Wigan To Bolton Electrification.
These are two paragraphs.
The track between Wigan North Western station and Lostock Junction near Bolton will receive a £78 million upgrade, targeted to complete in 2024/2025.
Through electrifying almost 13 miles of infrastructure and lengthening platforms, this investment will ensure that CO2 emitting diesel trains are replaced by electric rolling stock. As longer trains with additional capacity, these will provide passengers with greener, more comfortable and more reliable journeys.
Note.
- Lostock junction is on the Manchester and Preston Line which was electrified in 2019.
- As is typical, the electrification continues for a short distance from Lostock junction towards the Wigan stations.
- Wigan North Western station is a fully-electrified station on the West Coast Main Line.
- Wigan Wallgate station is not electrified.
- The distance between Lostock junction and Wigan Wallgate station is 6.9 miles.
- Lostock junction and Wigan Wallgate station is double-track all the way.
- My Track Atlas shows crossovers that allow trains to and from Lostock junction to access some platforms at Wigan North Western.
These facts lead me to these conclusions.
- As thirteen files of electrification would be 6.5 miles of double-track electrification, the new electrification would create a fully-electrified line between Lostock junction and Wigan Wallgate station.
- By electrifying the crossovers at Wigan Station junction, electric trains would to able to access both Wigan stations.
But this does mean, that electric trains can’t run past Wigan Wallgate station, as the wires seem to stop there.
Electrification At Wigan Wallgate Station
Mark Clayton has made this comment to this post.
Yes there is a single track connecting from the track through Hindley to the WCML and vice versa, however at Wallgate there are buildings straddling the line and the station itself. Maybe the track could be lowered, but it could well be a major engineering project to get the wires under Wallgate.
The best picture, that I can get of the tracks under Wallgate is this 3D image from Google Maps.
It does seem a bit tight in terms of height.
I have also looked at several videos of trains going trough the station and I suspect that the tracks may need lowering to get the wires through.
Or they could use some of the discontinuous tricks being used on the South Wales Metro.
It could be difficult, but I don’t think it will be impossible.
I do suspect though for operational reasons, Network Rail and the train operators would want the wires to extend to the station.
- Train operators probably prefer to raise and lower the pantograph in a station, in case anything goes wrong.
- If battery-electric trains should be used on the line, then if necessary, they could wait in the station to charge the batteries.
- If the station is wired, then the West-facing bay-platform can also be wired, so that it could be used for a battery-electric shuttle train to Kirkby or Southport.
It looks to me, that for lots of reasons, the engineers will have to find a way of getting the wires under the low bridge under Wallgate.
Services That Use All Or Part Of The Route Between Lostock Junction And Wigan
These services use all or part of the route.
- 1 tph – Southport and Alderley Edge via Ince (irregular), Hindley, Westhoughton and Bolton
- 1 tph – Southport and Stalybridge via Hindley, Westhoughton and Bolton
- 1 tph – Kirkby and Manchester Victoria via Ince (irregular), Hindley, Daisy Hill, Hag Fold, Atherton, Walkden, Moorside, Swinton and Salford Crescent.
- 1 tph – Wigan Wallgate and Blackburn via Hindley, Daisy Hill, Atherton, Walkden, Swinton and Salford Crescent.
- 1 tph – Wigan Wallgate and Leeds via Daisy Hill, Atherton, Walkden and Salford Crescent.
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- The two services that terminate at Wigan Wallgate sometimes terminate in Wigan North Western station.
- Wigan Wallgate station would appear to get up to five tph to Manchester, via a variety of routes.
I wonder how many of these services could be run by a battery-electric train, with a performance like the Hitachi Regional Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note 90 kilometres is 56 miles.
I will look at each route in detail.
Southport And Alderley Edge
The only section without electrification will be between Wigan Wallgate and Southport stations, which is a distance of 17.4 miles.
With a battery range of 56 miles, a battery-electric train should be able to run a return trip between Wigan Wallgate and Southport stations on battery power and have time for a leisurely turnround in Southport.
The batteries would be charged on the fully electrified section of the line between Wigan Wallgate and Alderley Edge stations.
Southport And Stalybridge
There are two sections without electrification.
- Wigan Wallgate and Southport stations – 17.4 miles
- Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge stations – 7.6 miles
With a battery range of 56 miles, a battery-electric train should be able to run a return trip on both sections without electrification.
The batteries would be charged on the fully electrified section of the line between Wigan Wallgate and Manchester Victoria stations.
Kirkby And Manchester Victoria
There are two sections without electrification.
- Wigan Wallgate and Kirkby stations – 12.1 miles
- Hindley and Salford Crescent stations – 13.4 miles
With a battery range of 56 miles, a battery-electric train should be able to run services on both sections without electrification.
The batteries would be charged on the two fully electrified sections of the line between Wigan Wallgate and Manchester Victoria stations.
Wigan Wallgate And Blackburn
There are two sections without electrification.
- Hindley and Salford Crescent stations – 13.4 miles
- Manchester Victoria and Blackburn stations – 39.4 miles
The first section could be easily run by a battery electric train, but the second section would need a charger at Blackburn station to return to Manchester Victoria station.
The batteries would be charged on the two fully electrified sections of the line between Wigan Wallgate and Manchester Victoria stations.
Wigan Wallgate And Leeds
There are two sections without electrification.
- Hindley and Salford Crescent stations – 13.4 miles
- Manchester Victoria and Leeds stations – 50.2 miles
The first section could be easily run by a battery electric train.
But the second section would be very much touch-and-go with a battery-electric train with a range of 56 miles, despite the fact that both Manchester Victoria and Leeds stations are electrified.
It should also be noted that Network Rail has plans in the TransPennine Upgrade to electrify the route between Leeds and Heaton Lodge junction between Mirfield and Brighouse stations. This would reduce the second section without electrification to a more manageable 37.1 miles.
I suspect that by the time the TransPennine Upgrade is complete, battery range would have improved to allow Manchester Victoria and Leeds stations to handle the route.
Battery-Electric Trains That Could Run The Services Through Wigan Wallgate Station
I have used the Hitachi Regional Battery Train as an example of a train that might run the services through Wigan Wallgate station.
- It has an operating speed of 100 mph.
- It could be based on a Class 385 train, which have three or four cars.
- It would have a battery range of 56 miles.
I suspect a demonstration train will run by 2025, which is the expected date of completion of the Lostock and Wigan electrification project.
But other manufacturers and rolling stock companies could also supply trains, with this specification.
- Alstom could create a battery-electric train based on an Electrostar, like a Class 379 or Class 387 train.
- CAF are developing a battery-electric train based on a Class 331 train.
- Porterbrook are developing a battery-electric train, based on a Class 350 train.
- Stadler could probably deliver a battery-electric Flirt based on a Class 755 train.
Competition would hopefully result in an excellent train, that would be suitable for many routes in the UK.
Northern’s Battery Plans And CAF
I suspect though that CAF could be the front runner as Northern already have forty-three Class 331 trains in service.
In Northern’s Battery Plans, I describe how CAF and Northern are planning to convert a number of three-car Class 331 trains into four-car battery-electric trains.
- The fourth car would contain batteries.
- Batteries would also be added to the PTS (pantograph) car.
I suspect that the battery range could be arranged so that all routes suitable for battery-electric operation could be handled.
In this article on Rail Magazine, which is entitled Northern Plans More New Trains After CAF Milestone, this is a paragraph.
A CAF source confirmed that a lot of work was ongoing with Northern, including the continued development of a battery EMU that is planned to be tested on the Oxenholme-Windermere route.
As the article dates from January 2021, things should be progressing.
Possible routes for battery-electric operation could be.
- Northumberland Line – Under construction
- Csrlisle and Newcastle – 61.5 miles between electrification at both ends
- Wigan Wallgate and Leeds via Dewsbury – 50.2 miles between electrification at both ends
- Manchester Victoria and Leeds via Hebden Bridge – 49.8 miles between electrification at both ends
- Leeds And Carlisle via Settle – 86.8 miles between electrification at both ends.
- Leeds and Morecambe – 37.8 miles between electrification.
- Manchester Airport and Barrow-in-Furness – 28.7 miles from electrification
- Manchester Airport and Windermere – 10.9 miles from electrification
Note.
- The distance is the longest section without electrification.
- Some routes have electrification at both ends.
- Some need an out-and-back journey at one end of the route.
I was surprised that the Settle and Carlisle Line could be included and as battery technology improves it certainly will be possible.
What a tourist attraction that line would be if worked by battery-electric trains.
Conclusion
This electrification of just 6.5 miles of double-track between Lostock junction and Wigan Wallgate station seems to be one of the smaller electrification projects.
But on closer examination, when linked to a fleet of battery-electric trains with a range of perhaps forty miles, the electrification enables battery-electric trains to run these services.
- Southport And Alderley Edge
- Southport And Stalybridge
- Kirkby And Manchester Victoria
With a charging station in Blackburn station, then the Wigan Wallgate And Blackburn service can be added.
It also looks that with the completion of the TransPennine Upgrade between Huddersfield and Leeds, that it might even be possible to run Wigan Wallgate and Leeds using battery-electric trains.
There will be a long list of stations, previously served by diesel trains, that will now only be served by electric or battery-electric trains.
- Appley Bridge
- Atherton
- Bescar Lane
- Burscough Bridge
- Daisy Hill
- Gathurst
- Hag Fold
- Hindley
- Hoscar
- Ince
- Kirkby
- Meols Cop
- Moorside
- New Lane
- Orrell
- Parbold
- Pemberton
- Rainford
- Southport
- Swinton
- Upholland
- Walkden
- Wigan Wallgate
- Westhoughton
That is a total of twenty-four stations.
Never in the field of railway engineering, has one small section of electrification delivered electric trains to so many stations.
Where Are All The Battery-Electric Trains?
Consider these dates and notes
February 10th, 2015
, I wrote Is The Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) A Big Innovation In Train Design?, after an excellent first ride in Bombadier’s experimental battery-electric multiple unit or BEMU based on a Class 379 train.
October 10th, 2018
I wrote Battery Class 230 Train Demonstration At Bo’ness And Kinneil Railway, after a ride on Vivarail’s Class 230 train in Scotland.
October 15th, 2018
This article on Railway Gazette, which was entitled BatteryFLEX Desiro EMU Conversion Proposed, announced Porterbrook’s plan to convert their Class 350/2 trains to battery-electric operation.
September 30th, 2019
I wrote Battery Electrostars And The Uckfield Branch.
I indicated that according to Modern Railways, battery Electrostars were on their way to replace Class 171 trains, that need to be cascaded to East Midlands Railway by September 2021.
February 28th, 2020
I wrote Northern’s Battery Plans.
This described a plan by Northern Trains and CAF to convert three-car Class 331 trains into four-car battery electric trains, by adding a battery car.
July 6th, 2020
I wrote Hyperdrive Innovation And Hitachi Rail To Develop Battery Tech For Trains, which announced Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train, which is shown in this Hitachi infographic.
Hitachi are now testing Class 803 trains, which have batteries, but only for hotel purposes and not traction.
Although, I do suspect that the batteries in Class 803 trains will be very similar to those in other Hitachi trains.
It’s just not good engineering to do the same job twice and all Hitachi trains are members of the same A-train family.
August 12, 2020
In Converting Class 456 Trains Into Two-Car Battery Electric Trains, I mused on some remarks made by Mark Hopwood, who then was the interim Managing Director of South Western Railway.
December 15th, 2020
Hitachi released a press release which was entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%.
This is the Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Details given in the press release include.
- A five-car train will be used as the prototype.
- The objective is fuel savings of 20 %.
- Battery power will be used in stations.
I have read elsewhere that testing will start in 2022, with trains entering service a year later.
In addition, I have written many posts on this blog about the possible deployment of battery-electric trains.
There are certainly a lot of ideas and aspirations for the development and use of battery trains, but except for the Class 803 trains, which only use batteries for emergency hotel power and are now under test, no battery-electric trains have been seen on the UK rail network.
I have a few thoughts.
Existing Trains That Could Be Converted To Battery-Electric Trains
The following trains would appear to be candidates for conversion to battery-electric operation for passenger operations.
- Class 350 trains – 87 trains of four cars – 110 mph – Will be replaced by Class 730 trains.
- Class 360 trains – 21 trains of four cars – 110 mph – In service with East Midlands Railway between St. Pancras and Corby, but with batteries could extend the route to Oakham and Melton Mowbray.
- Class 379 trains – 30 trains of four cars – 100 mph – Have been replaced by Class 745 trains and now filling in for late delivery of new Class 720 trains.
- Class 385 trains – 24 trains of four cars – 100 mph – In service with Scotrail and could be upgraded to Regional Battery Trains.
- Class 385 trains – 46 trains of three cars – 100 mph – In service with Scotrail and could be upgraded to Regional Battery Trains.
- Class 387 trains – 107 trains of four cars – 110 mph – Some are being replaced with new trains and it appears that some may be available for conversion. There must also be question marks over Heathrow and Gatwick Express services.
Note.
- All trains have an operating speed of 100 or 110 mph.
- I suspect most of the 100 mph trains could be upgraded to 110 mph trains.
- There is a total of nearly three hundred four-car trains.
In addition, there are other trains like Class 377 trains, Class 444 trains, Class 450 trains and Class 707 trains. that could be converted to battery-electric operation should it be necessary or the trains were withdrawn from service due to being replaced with new trains.
We could have access to over five hundred battery-electric trains, if all were to be converted.
Does that mean that until fleets start to wear out, we will not need to buy any new electric multiple units for the standard gauge UK rail network?
A Comparison Between A Hitachi Regional Battery Train And An Existing Electric Multiple Unit With Added Batteries
If you compare an Hitachi Regional Battery train based on a four-car Class 385 train with a four-car Class 350 train you get the following with Hitachi figures first.
- Cars – 4 – 4
- Operating Speed – 100 mph – 110 mph
- Seats – 273 – 270
- Length – 92 metres – 82 metres
- Dual-voltage – Probably possible – Yes
The two trains could share a route and few passengers would complain or even notice the difference.
Will Battery-Electric Trains Have Collateral Benefits?
All these trains, that are available to conversion to battery-electric trains are modern 100 mph four-car units that meet all the regulations.
They will offer a better standard of service than say a Class 156 diesel train, but most importantly, their size will mean that most services in the UK would be run by a four-car train, which would help to ease overcrowding in a lot of places.
Where Are The Battery Electric Trains?
Could it be that someone has added up the number of trains we already have and has decided that with decarbonisation to the fore, that by using a mix of battery-electric trains and discontinuous electrification, we can create a unified electric train network in England, Scotland and Wales, without ordering large fleets of new trains.
The specification for the UK’s standard battery-electric local train may need to emerge first, but I suspect that train manufacturers and upgraders like Wabtec, want to make sure they create a battery-electric train to these standards.
- Very reliable.
- A range as long as feasibly possible.
- Long-lasting
So with this technology change from pure-electric, bi-mode and diesel trains to pure-electric and battery-electric, is everybody making sure, that it ends up as a success, rather than a disaster?
Over the last few years, there have been a lot of late train deliveries for various reasons and releasing battery-electric trains too early might not be prudent.
Northern Rail Apologises Over Disruption On Durham Coast Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Northern Echo.
These is the first two paragraphs.
Easington MP Grahame Morris has invited Northern Rail executives and the Rail Minister to travel on the Durham Coast Line following “another weekend of rail chaos”.
As the football season kicked off and Seaham Food Festival attracted thousands of people, travellers were left angry and disappointed as they were unable to board overcrowded rail services at Horden and Seaham train stations.
The article then goes on to say that this has been an ongoing problem for several years.
I would have thought that to maximise revenue on any transport service, it is best to provide enough stagecoaches, charabancs, buses, trams or trains.
Could this business naivety be why the original Northern went bust?
What Should The Government Do?
As Northern is now run by the Government’s Operator Of Last Resort, it is up to the Government.
In Boris Johnson Backs Station Opening Which Could See Metro Link To County Durham, I report on an exchange between Boris Johnson and an MP in Prime Minister’s Questions.
These are my two main improvements.
Reopen Ferryhill Station And The Leamside and Stillington Lines To Create A New Route
Boris Johnson talked about reopening Ferryhill station, which could be key to opening up a second route between Teesside and Newcastle and Sunderland.
- Ferryhill station would be on the East Coast Main Line and electrified to handle battery-electric trains.
- Ferryhill terminal would be an ideal Southern terminal for a reopened Leamside Line, which most stakeholders seem in favour of, as it would take the pressure off the East Coast Main Line to the South of Newcastle and connect large areas to the rail network and in particular, the Tyne and Wear Metro.
- Ferryhill station would be at the Northern end of the freight-only Stillington Line, which runs South-Eastwards from the East Coast Main Line at Ferryhill to Stockton and Hartlepool or Middlesbrough.
- A combination of the Leamside and Stillington Lines would open up a second route between the two conurbations.
It might also be possible to run a semi-fast York and Newcastle service via Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby, Stockton, Ferryhill and the Leamside Line.
- This service would only run on the East Coast Main Line, where there were four tracks to the South of Northallerton.
- It could be run by a battery-electric train.
- A battery-electric train could be charged at York, Ferryhill and Newcastle.
This article on the Northern Echo is entitled ‘Rapid’ Progress On Reopening Leamside Line, Connecting County Durham And Washington.
Things don’t seem to be standing still.
There would appear to be lots of scope for rail development between the Tyne and Wear in the North and the Tees in the South.
If the go-ahead is given by Government to develop the Leamside and Stillington Lines, the great thing is that construction of the new route will not affect anything on the important East Coast Main Line, as Network Rail would just be creating a railway by-pass around one of busiest sections of main line, that will be used by local and freight trains.
Two routes through the area, would certainly double the capacity, if both had an hourly train.
Battery-Electric Trains
I mentioned battery-electric trains as the rolling stock for a possible semi-fast service between York and Newcastle.
We are accumulating a large pile of surplus Class 350, 387 and 379 trains.
- They are being replaced by modern units.
- They were built within the last twenty years.
- They are all high-quality four car trains.
- They can all be modified for a 110 mph operating speed, so could venture on the East Coast Main Line if needed.
These trains have been mentioned several times as possibilities for conversion to battery-electric trains.
With a few strategically-placed charging systems, these would be ideal trains for services in the area.
Conclusion
It would be a great improvement for train services in the North-East.
My first step would be to convert the Hexham and Nunthorpe service via Newcastle, Sunderland, Seaham, Horden and Middlesbrough to battery-electric operation, by adding charging at Hexham and Nunthorpe stations.
Some are keen on hydrogen trains for this route, but these will have a longer gestation period.
I would also suspect that travellers in the North-East would prefer jam today, rather than possibly inferior jam sometime in the future.
Battery-electric trains based on the train classes I named would also be ideal for the Northumberland Line and the Salburn and Bishop Auckland service.
Is This The Shape Of Freight To Come?
This article on Rail Advent is entitled Eversholt Rail Unveils First Swift Express Freight Train In Doncaster.
It is a full report on the first of a new breed of freight trains based on redundant 100 mph electric multiple units.
Three Rail Problems
The rail industry, its financiers and customers have a lot of problems, they’d like to solve, but these three seem to be coming together to create a whole new industry.
Rolling Stock Leasing Companies Have A Surplus Of Redundant Rolling Stock
Most of the released rolling stock has been made redundant because of the arrival of new trains.
- Some trains and locomotives, like Greater Anglia’s Class 379 trains and Class 90 locomotives will probably be passed on to other operators.
- Some trains like Greater Anglia’s Class 315 trains and Govia Thameslink Railway‘s Class 313 trains and Merseyrail‘s Class 507 trains and Class 508 trains will probably only be fit for scrapping.
- Climate change ambitions will probably finish off anything which is elderly and diesel-powered.
What will be left will be a an assortment, which will contain a lot of trains with these characteristics.
- Four cars
- Can run in formations of 4, 8 and 12 cars
- Electrically-powered.
- Some trains are even dual voltage.
- 100 mph operating speed.
- Good reliability.
- Easy maintenance and modification if needed.
Many were even built over thirty years ago by British Rail Engineering Ltd.
As someone, who used to part-own a company that leased trucks to operators, I know that to maximise cash-flow and ultimately profits, you don’t want them sitting in a yard or a siding.
Conversion to zero carbon is one option.
- Porterbrook have said they will convert the Class 350 trains, that they own to battery-electric operation.
- Porterbrook have also converted some Class 319 trains to electro-diesel Class 769 trains.
- Porterbrook have also converted a Class 319 train to hydrogen operation.
- Eversholt Rail Group and Alstom are converting Class 321 trains to hydrogen operation.
I also believe that the redundant Class 379 trains will also be converted to battery-electric operation.
But there will still be a substantial number of quality trains, that need a second life.
The Growth Of Parcel Freight
Parcel freight traffic driven by on-line shopping, has boomed in the pandemic.
This type of traffic often originates from outside of the UK and enters the country at places like London Gateway or East Midlands Airport.
Much of it is currently distributed to large cities by truck, which in this day and age is not a green option, or even an option at all.
Rail Operations Group have leased ten Class 769 trains and 9 Class 319 trains with the intention of running parcel services under the Orion brand. I wrote about this proposal in A Freight Shuttle For Liverpool Street Station Planned.
Road Congestion
Road congestion is getting worse and there is bir much point in having product stuck on the motorway, when it can be running along at a 100 mph on an electrified rail line.
The Need For Just-In-Time Deliveries
Many factories these days work on the Just-In-Time principle, with product delivered just as its needed.
As an example Toyota build their cars at Burnaston near Derby, but the engines are built in North Wales. I suspect that they go across the country by truck.
Looking at maps, the engine plant could be rail connected and I feel one could be arranged at Burnaston.
Do they keep a good stock of engines at Burnaston?
I can see several situations like this needing a regular company train.
Fast Food
Because of Brexit we will need to be growing more of our own food.
Traditionally, the Class 43 power cars of InterCity 125 trains carried flowers and fish up from Cornwall.
So will we see rail provide an alternative.
Conclusion
Put these problems together and you can see a fair number of four-car electric multiple units being converted to short 100 mph electric freight trains.
Eversholt Rail Group‘s Swift Express Freight Train is very much a demonstrator for their ideas and it has some expected and unexpected features.
Based On A Class 321 train
The train is based on a four-car Class 321 train.
I rode one recently and I timed it at over 90 mph on the way to Southend.
Trolley Cages
Pictures in the Rail Advent article show a stripped-bare interior with a steel floor, with another picture showing three supermarket trolley cages arranged across the train.
One estimate in the article says that each coach can handle over fifty of these cages and up to nine-and-a-half tonnes of cargo.
Four Seats And A Toilet
Eversholt feel that some of the trains could be used in a Travelling Post Office mode and there may be a need for sorting en route, so two first-class seats, two second-class seats and a toilet are provided.
This train would enable an Anglo-Scottish parcel service.
- It might stop several times en route.
- At each stop parcels would be rolled out and in, perhaps with the help of a Harrington Hump.
- The on-train staff would sort the incoming parcels and put them in the required trolley for offloading.
I don’t think though, they’ll be delivering postal orders.
A Last Mile Capability
The article also disclosed that Eversholt were thinking of fitting a Last-Mile capability to the Swift Express Freight Train.
Batteries were mentioned and they would obviously work.
But one development recently is Porterbrook’s HydroFlex train, which has converted a Class 319 train to hydrogen power.
- The conversion was done by Birmingham University.
- It appears that all the hydrogen gubbins is underneath the floor, so cargo capacity would not be reduced.
I suspect underfloor hydrogen power could be very viable in an express freight train.
Fleet Size
The article talks of a fleet size of twenty and also says that the first train has been leased to an unnamed parcel distributor in the UK.
Vivarail At COP26
This press release from Network Rail is entitled Network Rail And Porterbrook To Showcase Britain’s Green Trains Of The Future At COP26.
These two paragraphs are from the end of the first section of the press release.
It is envisaged that the HydroFLEX may also be used to transport visitors to see the Zero Emission Train, Scotland’s first hydrogen powered train.
Network Rail is also in the earlier stages of planning a similar event with Vivarail to bring an operational battery train to COP26.
Vivarail have taken battery trains to Scotland before for demonstration, as I wrote about in Battery Class 230 Train Demonstration At Bo’ness And Kinneil Railway.
Will other train companies be joining the party?
Alstom
It looks like Alstom’s hydrogen-powered Class 600 train will not be ready for COP26.
But I suspect that the French would not like to be upstaged by a rolling stock leasing company and a university on the one hand and a company with scrapyard-ready redundant London Underground trains on the other.
I think, they could still turn up with something different.
They could drag one of their Coradia iLint trains through the Channel Tunnel and even run it to Scotland under hydrogen power, to demonstrate the range of a hydrogen-powered train.
Alstom have recently acquired Bombardier’s train interests in the UK and there have been rumours of a fleet of battery-electric Electrostars, even since the demonstrator ran successfully in 2015. Will the prototype turn up at COP26?
Alstom’s UK train factory is in Widnes and I’ve worked with Liverpudlians and Merseysiders on urgent projects and I wouldn’t rule out the Class 600 train making an appearance.
CAF
Spanish train company; CAF, have impressed me with the speed, they have setup their factory in Newport and have delivered a total of well over a hundred Class 195 and Class 331 trains to Northern.
I wrote Northern’s Battery Plans, in February 2020, which talked about adding a fourth-car to three-car Class 331 trains, to create a battery-electric Class 331 train.
Will the Spanish bring their first battery-electric Class 331 train to Glasgow?
I think, they just might!
After all, is there a better place for a train manufacturer looking to sell zero-carbon trains around the world to announce, their latest product?
Hitachi
A lot of what I have said for Alstom and CAF, could be said for Hitachi.
Hitachi have announced plans for two battery-electric trains; a Regional Battery Train and an Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train.
I doubt that either of these trains could be ready for COP26.
But last week, I saw the new Hitachi Class 803 train speeding through Oakleigh Park station.
This is not a battery-electric train, where battery power can be used for traction, but according to Wikipedia and other sources, it is certainly an electric train fitted with batteries to provide hotel power for the train, when the overhead electrification fails.
Are these Class 803 trains already fitted with their batteries? And if they are, have they been tested?
And who is building the batteries for the Class 803 trains?
The traction batteries for Hitachi’s two battery-electric trains are to be produced by Hyperdrive Innovation of Sunderland, which is not far from Hitachi’s train factory at Newton Aycliffe.
As an engineer, I would suspect that a well-respected company like Hyperdrive Innovation, can design a battery-pack that plugs in to Hitachi’s trains, as a diesel engine would. I would also suspect that a good design, would allow an appropriate size of battery for the application and route.
I feel it is very likely, that all batteries for Hitachi’s UK trains will be designed and build by Hyperdrive Innovation.
If that is the case and the Class 803 trains are fitted with batteries, then Hitachi can be testing the battery systems.
This document on the Hitachi Rail web site, which is entitled Development of Class 800/801 High-speed Rolling Stock for UK Intercity Express Programme, gives a very comprehensive description of the electrical and computer systems of the Hitachi trains.
As an engineer and a computer programmer, I believe that if Hyperdrive Innovation get their battery design right and after a full test program, that Hitachi could be able to run battery-electric trains based on the various Class 80x trains.
It could be a more difficult task to fit batteries to Scotland’s Class 385 trains, as they are not fitted with diesel engines in any application. Although, the fitting of diesel engines may be possible in the global specification for the train.
It is likely that these trains could form the basis of the Regional Battery Train, which is described in this infographic.
Note.
- The Class 385 and Regional Battery trains are both 100 mph trains.
- Class 385 and Class 80x trains are all members of Hitachi’s A-Train family.
- Regional Battery trains could handle a lot of unelectrified routes in Scotland.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hitachi bring a battery-equipped train to COP26, if the Class 803 trains have a successful introduction into service.
Siemens
Siemens have no orders to build new trains for the national rail network in the UK.
But there are plans by Porterbrook and possibly other rolling stock leasing companies and train operators to convert some redundant Siemens-built trains, like Class 350 trains, into battery-electric trains.
According to Wikipedia, Siemens upgraded East Midlands Railways, Class 360 trains to 110 mph operation, at their Kings Heath Depot in Northampton.
Could Siemens be updating one of the Class 350 trains, that are serviced at that depot, to a prototype battery-electric Class 350 train?
Stadler
Stadler have a proven design for diesel-electric, battery-electric and hydrogen trains, that they sell all over the world.
In the UK, the only ones in service are Greater Anglia’s Class 755 trains, which are diesel-electric bi-mode trains.
The picture shows one of these trains at Ipswich.
- They are 100 mph trains.
- Diesel, battery or hydrogen modules can be inserted in the short PowerPack car in the middle of the train.
- Diesel-battery-electric versions of these trains have been sold for operation in Wales.
- The interiors of these trains are designed for both short journeys and a two-hour run.
There is a possibility, that these trains will be upgraded with batteries. See Battery Power Lined Up For ‘755s’.
Conclusion
Times will be interesting in Glasgow at COP26!
A New Reston Station
This page on the Scotland’s Railway web site, gives an overview of the project to build a new Reston station on the East Coast Main line about 3.5 miles North of Berwick-upon-Tweed station.
This is the project summary given on the web page.
Network Rail has developed proposals to create a new station at Reston in the Scottish Borders.
We worked with local partners and stakeholders to develop plans for the station and liaised with the local community in advance of submitting a planning application to Scottish Borders Council.
Planning consent was granted in February 2021 and the team are gearing up to deliver a challenging programme of work to create the new station.
The page also says that work on the station started in March 2021. Certainly, by May 2021, there was quite a bit happening.
This Google Map shows the village of Reston.
Note.
- The A1 running East-West at the top of the map.
- Main Street running East-West across the middle of the map.
- The East Coast Main Line runs North West-South East across the South-West corner of the map.
The station would appear to be East of the road called The Orchard.
Station Facilities
Looking at the video the station appears to have the following facilities.
- Two platforms.
- About seventy car-parking spaces, which is designed to be expanded
- Five disabled car-parking spaces.
- Electric car charging.
- Bicycle storage
- Full step-free access, at the South-Eastern end of the station.
There does not appear to be any avoiding line for freight trains or a bay platform to reverse trains.
But there appear to be a pair of crossovers to the North of the station site.
Distances Between Reston Station And Selected Towns
This are road distances between Reston station and selected towns.
- Duns – 10 miles
- Galashiels – 38 miles
- Hawick – 47 miles
- Kelso – 26 miles
Are there plans for new housing in the area?
Services Between Newcastle And Edinburgh
The following services run between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
- CrossCountry – 1 tph – Plymouth and Edinburgh/Glasgow – Stops at Alnmouth (irregular), Berwick-upon-Tweed (irregular), Dunbar (1tp2h)
- East Coast Trains – 5 tpd – London Kings Cross and Edinburgh – Stops at Morpeth
- LNER – 1 tph – London Kings Cross and Edinburgh – Stops at Berwick-upon-Tweed
- LNER – 1 tph – London Kings Cross and Edinburgh – Stops at Alnmouth (1tp2h)
- TransPennine Express – 1 tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh – Stops at Morpeth
Note.
- tpd is trains per day.
- tph is trains per hour.
- tp2h is trains per two hours.
- All services are run by 125 mph trains
- All services stop at Edinburgh and Newcastle.
- A typical service averages around 88.9 mph between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
The timetable appears to be arranged to ensure at least 4 tph between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
I have a few thoughts.
How Many Services Should Call At Reston?
On an urban line, stopping frequencies of services of up to four or even six tph are common, which would probably be in excess of what is needed at Reston.
Most rural main or secondary lines have frequencies of one or two tph.
I would suggest that if you’re designing and building a station, that will cost several million pounds, then the station must have at least an hourly service, but that two tph would be much more preferable.
In an ideal world, there might be two tph.
- A slow train that stopped at all the larger stations, which could include East Linton, Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Almouth and Morpeth.
- A fast train that stopped just once at Reston station between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Note.
- Like Reston station, East Linton station is also under construction.
- Reston station, is likely to have a selection of buses to Galashiels and other towns in the Borders.
- Reston station has space for a sensible amount of parking.
I would also expect bus and train services to obey these conditions.
- Be timetabled to arrive and leave at the same time each hour.
- Run from early until late.
- Provide an easy interchange, so that travellers don’t have to endure too much unfriendly weather.
- Have a comprehensive ticketing system to attract passengers.
I also think that a warm waiting room and cafe should be provided.
Will Reston Station Have A Direct Service To London And The South?
Both of LNER’s services between Edinburgh and London call at York, Darlington and Newcastle, with only one service calling at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
This Google Map shows the location of Berwick-upon-Tweed station.
Note.
- The long island platform between the tracks.
- There are 124 parking spaces.
- The A1 is some distance away to the West.
It all looks very cramped.
So if, one of LNER’s London services stopped at Reston, would it be better for all travellers and operators.
I would suggest that it would probably be ideal if one of LNER’s two services stopped at Berwick-on-Tweed and the other stopped at Reston.
It would also probably be a good idea for ticketing to consider Reston as a Berwick-on-Tweed station.
Will ERTMS Signalling Be Used Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
I don’t think this is a question of will, but more one of when.
- It will enable trains to run at up to 140 mph.
- It will handle trains efficiently, when they are running at different speeds.
- It will allow the increasing of the frequency of trains on the double-track route.
- All trains on the route will probably be fitted with equipment to run under in-cab digital ERTMS signalling in a few years.
I would expect that ERTMS signalling could be used to run an increasingly complex pattern of trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Will There Be 140 mph Running Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
I have flown my helicopter along the route between Edinburgh and Newcastle and ridden it in a 125 mph train many times.
Given how Network Rail have squeezed increased speeds out of routes like the Midland Main and Great Eastern Main Line, I have no doubt that some 140 mph running will be possible between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
I estimate that with a substantial amount of 140 mph running between Edinburgh and Berwick-on-Tweed could save as much as fifteen minutes on current timings.
What Trains Will Be Used Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
Consider.
- It is a fully-electrified double-track railway.
- There will be 125 mph and possibly 140 mph express trains passing through.
I suspect that to avoid getting in the way of the expresses, trains with at least a 110 mph capability would be needed.
Some of the redundant Class 350 trains would probably do fine.
How Will LNER’s Extra Paths Affect Trains Between Edinburgh and Newcastle?
In the December 2020 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled LNER Seeks 10 More Bi-Modes.
This is the last paragraph.
Infrastructure upgrades are due to prompt a timetable recast in May 2022 (delayed from December 2022), from which point LNER will operate 6.5 trains per hour out of King’s Cross, compared to five today. As an interim measure LNER is retaining seven rakes of Mk. 4 coaches hauled by 12 Class 91 locomotives to supplement the Azuma fleet and support its timetable ambitions until new trains are delivered.
In A New Elizabethan, I suggest that one of these extra paths could be used to run a third hourly service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.
I would think it likely, that it only would only stop at Newcastle, if it provided a fast service between the two capitals.
Is Reston Station About Borders Unemployment?
This post has been up for a few days now and there have been comments about the cost of this station and the more-than-adequate car-parking provision for the small villages.
This article on the Southern Reporter is entitled Unemployment In Borders Up Almost 120% Year On Year.
Could it be that one of the purposes with its expandable car-parking is to allow people to get to jobs in Edinburgh and Newcastle?
- It should also be noted that Britishvolt are planning to build a £4 billion battery factory at Blyth, which according to reports will employ between three and five thousand people.
- It is a distance of seventy miles and Google says it will take nearly an hour-and-a-half.
- I suspect a 110 mph train between Reston and Bebside stations on the Northumberland Line would take about forty-five minutes.
- Bebside station is on the Northumberland Line and will have a shuttle bus to the Britishvolt factory.
- Porterbrook are developing a battery/FLEX version of their 110 mph Class 350 trains.
By choosing to build a station will the possibility of large amounts of parking are the Scottish Government doing the best for the unemployed in the Borders?
You can imagine a scenario in the employment office at Britishvolt.
- They are getting a lot of letters and e-mails asking about jobs.
- Someone does a bit of counting and realises their planned car-park is too small.
- Problems are outlined to ministers in the UK and Scottish Governments.
- The reopening of the Northumberland Line and the building of Reston station do appear to have been accelerated.
Perhaps the rail developments are a small price for both governments to pay to secure a £4 billion investment,
Conclusion
There’s a lot more to Reston station, than first appears.
The Future Of West Midlands Trains’s Class 350 Trains
Currently, West Midlands Trains have four sub-fleets of Class 350 trains.
- Class 350/1 – 30 trains – Leased from Angel Trains
- Class 350/2 – 37 trains – Leased from Porterbrook
- Class 350/3 – 10 trains – Leased from Angel Trains
- Class 350/4 – 10 trains – Leased from Angel Trains
Note.
- All are 110 mph trains
- The trains are capable of being modified for 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
Under Future the Wikipedia entry for Class 350 trains says this.
West Midlands Trains announced that they would be replacing all 37 of their 350/2 units for Class 350/4 units cascaded from TransPennine Express and brand new Class 730 units which both can travel up to speeds of 110 mph.
In October 2018, Porterbrook announced it was considering converting its fleet of 350/2s to Battery electric multiple units for potential future cascades to non-electrified routes.
As West Midlands Trains have ordered 45 Class 730 trains for express services, it looks like they will be expanding services on the West Coast Main Line and around the West Midlands.
But it does appear that as many as thirty-seven trains will be returned to Porterbrook.
Class 350 Trains With Batteries
I believe that if fitted with batteries, these trains would meet or be very near to Hitachi’s specification, which is given in this infographic from Hitachi.
Note that 90 kilometres is 56 miles.
Could West Midlands Trains Run Any Services With Class 350 Trains With Batteries?
I think there are some possibilities
- Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury – 30 miles without electrification between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton – Charging facility needed at Shrewsbury.
- Birmingham New Street and Hereford via Worcester – 41 miles without electrification between Hereford and Bromsgrove – Charging facility needed at Hereford.
- Leamington Spa and Nuneaton via Coventry – 19 miles without electrification – Charging on existing electrification at Coventry and Nuneaton.
- The proposed direct Wolverhampton and Walsall service, that i wrote about in Green Light For Revived West Midlands Passenger Service.
There may also be some services added because of the development of the Midlands Rail Hub and extensions to London services,
Who Has Shown Interest In These Trains?
I can’t remember any reports in the media, about any train operator wanting to lease these trains; either without or with batteries.
Conclusion
It does all seem a bit strange to me.
- As a passenger, I see nothing wrong with these trains.
- They are less than twenty years old.
- They are 110 mph trains.
- They have 2+2 interiors, with lots of tables.
- They could be fitted with batteries if required.
But then, all of those things could be said about Greater Anglia’s Class 379 trains.
Beeching Reversal – Stockport And Ashton Line
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
I came across this railway, when I was writing Macclesfield Station And High Speed Two, as I felt the Stockport and Stalybridge Line could be a useful connection to the proposed High Speed Two terminus at Macclesfield station.
This article on the Quest Media Network is entitled Proposals For New Rail Link Between Ashton And Stockport.
This paragraph described the political backing.
The Labour politicians are backing a bid to the ‘Restoring Your Railway Fund’, which will distribute £500 million of funds to reinstate axed local services and restore stations.
The bid was put forward by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Stockport Council, but also has the backing of Tameside Council.
Not fans of Boris, I would presume!
These paragraphs describe the proposals
It proposes two options – a heavy rail service between Stockport and Manchester Victoria via Denton and Reddish South, and a light rail service connecting with the existing Manchester-Ashton Metrolink line at Ashton Moss in the north, and with the proposed Stockport-East Didsbury line in the south.
The proposals also open possibilities of new stations along the line at Audenshaw, Thornley Lane and Heaton Norris.
These are my thoughts.
Macclesfield As A Terminal
As I said in conjunction with High Speed Two, I believe that Macclesfield station would make a good terminal, where a Stockport-facing platform could be built, which would give step-free access to the hourly High Speed Two train to Stoke, Stafford and London.
Manchester Victoria And Stockport
This route map, which has been clipped from Wikipedia, shows the route between Manchester Victoria and Stockport stations.
Note.
- The connection to Manchester Victoria station joins at Denton Junction.
- There are possible stations at Denton, Reddish South and Heaton Norris.
- Trains to Macclesfield station take the West Coast Main Line from Stockport station.
- At Stalybridge there is a connection to the Huddersfield Line for Huddersfield and Leeds.
Realtimetrains devolves this extra information.
- Manchester Victoria and Stockport are twelve miles apart via Denton.
- It is a busy freight route with upwards of a couple of trains per hour (tph)
- There used to be a station at Miles Platting.
It is a comprehensive route and deserves a lot more than a simple hourly service to Manchester Victoria station.
Battery Electric Trains
Consider.
- Macclesfield, Manchester Victoria and Stockport stations are all fully electrified.
- About twelve miles of track are not electrified.
- Manchester Victoria and Macclesfield stations are twenty-four miles apart.
- I estimate a four-car 100 mph battery electric train like a Class 350 train would do the trip in close to 25 minutes.
It looks like an ideal route for a battery electric train to me.
Two trains would be needed to run a two tph service, with no extra infrastructure.
Conclusion
Develop a service between Manchester Victoria and Macclesfield stations using battery electric trains, with at least a frequency of two tph.
The World’s First Bi-Mode Hydrogen-Electric Train
This news page on the University of Birmingham web site is entitled HydroFLEX Secures Funding For Hydrogen-Powered Train Design.
The page is mainly about the new funding from Innovate UK, that I wrote about in First Of A Kind Funding Awarded For 25 Rail Innovation Projects, but it also includes this significant paragraph.
As well as being the UK’s first hydrogen-powered train, HydroFLEX is also the world’s first bi-mode electric hydrogen train. It will be undergoing mainline testing on the UK railway in the next few weeks.
One of my disappointments in the design of the Alstom Coradia iLint, is that, it is designed as a hydrogen-power only train, where it could surely have had a pantograph fitted, for more efficient working.
Consider.
- I suspect many hydrogen-powered trains will only be doing short distances, where electrification is not available, so daily distances under hydrogen power could be quite short.
- In the UK, a smaller hydrogen tank would certainly ease the design problems caused by a large fuel tank.
- There have been improvements in hydrogen storage in recent years.
The funding award to the project talks about raft production, so are the engineers, aiming to design a hydrogen power-pack on rafts, that could be fitted underneath the large fleets of retired electric multiple units, that are owned by Porterbrook.
Now that would be a game changer.
- Porterbrook have thirty-seven Class 350 trains, that will be replaced in the next few years by new trains. The electric trains are less than a dozen years old and Porterbrook have been talking about fitting batteries to these trains and creating a battery/FLEX train. Would making these trains bi-mode hydrogen-electric trains be better?
- Birmingham wants to open up new rail routes in the city on lines without electrification. What would be better than a hydrogen powered train, designed in the city’s premier university?
- Routes from Birmingham to Burton-on-Trent, Hereford, Leicester, Shrewsbury, Stratford-on-Avon and Worcester would be prime candidates for the deployment of a fleet of bi-mode hydrogen-electric trains.
- Birmingham have already asked ITM Power to build a hydrogen filling station in the city for hydrogen buses.
The Anonymous Widower 