Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services
The Two Stratford Stations
In this post, Stratford station is the station handling Greater Anglia and London Overground, Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, with Stratford International station handles High Speed services.
The Elizabeth Line And The Great Western Railway Services
One of the most important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Paddington, where it connects to the London terminus of the Great Western Railway.
I would expect that quite a few passengers going to the West and Wales on the Great Western Railway, will be transported to Paddington by the Elizabeth Line.
The Elizabeth Line And Greater Anglia Services
Another of the important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Liverpool Street, where the station is the London terminus of the Greater Anglia.
I would expect that quite a few passengers going to East Anglia on the Greater Anglia, will be transported to Liverpool Street by the Elizabeth Line.
Southeastern High Speed One Services
Southeastern runs some High Speed services on High Speed One to provide Kent with an improved service to London.
Current services are
- London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Faversham.
- London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory.
- London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West.
Note
- All trains are one train per hour (tph).
- All trains stop at Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International.
- All trains are run by 140 mph Class 395 trains.
There has also been talk of running a fourth service to Hastings and Eastbourne via Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
St. Pancras Station
All of these trains terminate in three platforms; 11 to 13 at St. Pancras International station.
St. Pancras is not the ideal terminal for the Southeastern High Speed services.
- St. Pancras is not on the Elizabeth Line.
- St.Pancras doesn’t have good connections to Heathrow.
- All connections to the Underground are a long walk.
- Eurostar services are a longer walk.
- East Midland services are also a longer route, with stairs and escalators for good measure.
St. Pancras station was designed by a committee, as a museum to Victorian architecture, rather than as a working station.
Ebbsfleet International Station Must Be The Largest Parkway Station In The UK
It holds nearly five thousand cars and it is served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
Thanet Parkway Station Will Open This Year
Thanet Parkway station is under construction.
- It will have nearly three hundred parking spaces.
- It will be served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
- It should open in May 2023.
This station will need a good connection to London.
Could An Interchange Between The Elizabeth Line And Southeastern High Speed Services Be Provided At Stratford?
Such an alternative interchange would be popular with passengers.
- The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves the West End, the Northern section of the City of London, East London, Liverpool Street, Paddington and the West End directly.
- The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves Canary Wharf, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross. Reading, St. Pancras and Victoria with a change at Whitechapel.
- The Central Line, which shares platforms with the Elizabeth Line serves Bank and the West End directly.
- The Overground is easily accessed for travel across North London to Richmond.
- The Jubilee Line is easily accessed for travel to London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster.
It would be connected to two large parkway stations and lots of parking all over Kent.
I believe that Stratford must be promoted as an alternative terminus for Southeastern High Speed Services.
Today, I walked both ways between two Stratford stations.
These pictures show the route I took between Stratford and Stratford International stations, through the Eastfield Shopping Centre.
Note.
- I went through the Shopping Centre.
- I passed Marks & Spencer’s large food hall, excellent toilets and a Food Court.
- By the Food Court is an exit that leads to an entrance to Stratford International station.
- The walk took about 10 minutes.
- It was vaguely level.
- Lifts by-passed the escalators.
- One thing that makes the journey to London easier, is to travel in the Eastern end of the train, as the lifts and escalators at Stratford International station, are at that end.
It does need some better signage, but they were doing a bit of refurbishment, so that may already be underway.
It could be a very high quality interchange and it is already better than St. Pancras.
Coming back I took the longer route outside the Shopping Centre.
Note.
- I just turned left out of the entrance, walked along the road and turned right past the bus station.
- If the weather had been colder or wetter, I’d have gone back via the Shopping Centre.
- The walk took about 12 minutes.
I think normally, I’d go back through the Shopping Centre, as there’s a Marks and Spencer Food Hall on the route and it’s slightly quicker and often warmer.
Could Stratford Station Be A London Superhub Station?
When you consider the stations connected to Stratford in London, East Anglia and Kent, it has an excellent collection.
- Airports – Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southend and Stansted
- Cities – Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Southend-on-Sea
- London Main and Terminal Stations – Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, Farringdon, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo
- Major Areas – Canary Wharf, City of London, Hampstead, Olympic Park and West End
- Ports – Dover, Felixstowe, Folkestone and Harwich
You can even get a train to Slough, with a change at Whitechapel.
I would think it already is a London Superhub Station.
Battery EMUs Envisaged In Southeastern Fleet Procurement
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the first paragraph.
Southeastern has invited expressions of interest for the supply of new electric multiple-units with an optional battery capability for operation away from the 750 V DC third-rail network.
This article on bidstats is entitled Supply Of And Maintenance Support For New Rolling Stock For Southeastern, and gives more details.
These are my thoughts.
Southeastern HighSpeed Services
There would appear to be no changes in this contract to the Class 395 trains, that work on High Speed One, as this is said in the bidstats article.
Full compatibility with Southeastern infrastructure (excluding High Speed 1 infrastructure)
which appears to rule out running on High Speed One.
In addition, this article on Rail Magazine is entitled Southeastern’s Class 395 Javelin Train Sets Are To Receive A £27 million Facelift.
Southeastern Have Both 75 and 100 mph Trains
In addition to their Class 395 trains, Southeastern have the following trains in their fleet.
- Class 375 trains – 100 mph – 10 x 3 cars
- Class 375 trains – 100 mph – 102 x 4 cars
- Class 376 trains – 75 mph – 36 x 5 cars
- Class 465 trains – 75 mph – 129 x 4 cars
- Class 466 trains – 75 mph – 36 x 2 cars
- Class 707 trains – 100 mph – 18 x 5 cars
Note.
- Running a mixed fleet of 75 and 100 mph trains can’t be very efficient.
- The Class 465 and 466 trains are the oldest trains and date from 1991-1994.
- They are often to be seen in ten-car formations of 2 x 465 trains and a Class 466 train.
- Another twelve Class 707 trains are planned to join Southeastern.
I would expect the Class 465 and Class 466 trains to be replaced first.
What Length Will The New Trains Be?
If you look at the new suburban electric trains, they have the following lengths.
- c2c – Class 720 trains – 5 cars
- Greater Anglia – Class 720 trains – 5 cars
- Northern – Class 331 trains – 3 and 4 cars
- Southeastern – Class 707 trains – 5 cars
- South Western Railway – Class 701 trains – 5 and 10 cars
- West Midlands Trains – Class 730 trains – 3 and 5 cars
Note.
- Southeastern already run five-car trains as pairs.
- A significant proportion of existing suburban trains are five-car trains.
- Great Western, Hull Trains, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express run five-car Hitachi trains, with more companies to follow.
- A pair of five-car trains make a pair of a convenient length for most platforms.
I would be fairly confident, that the new trains will be five-car trains, with the ability to run as pairs.
What Will Be The Operating Speed Of The New Trains?
To match the speed of the Class 375 and Class 707 trains, I would expect them to be 100 mph trains.
The Quietness Of Battery-Electric Trains
All of the battery-electric trains I have ridden, have been mouse-quiet, with none of the clunking you get for a lot of electric trains.
This is said in the bidstats article says this about the interiors
Interiors suitable for metro & mainline operation.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of these trains on commuter routes to attract passengers.
Battery Power
This is said in the bidstats article about battery power.
Inclusion of options for traction batteries with capability for operation in depots and sidings without the need for external power supply, and with the capability to operate on the main line where power supply is not available due to isolations or incidents, or for non-electrified line sections of up to 20 miles.
Although Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains are not in service yet, I find it interesting that the proposed Southeastern trains will be similarly-fitted with a small battery for depot and siding operation.
The twenty mile battery range is specific and I wonder if it will be used innovatively. I suspect it could be a bit longer in the future, as battery technology improves.
Possible Electrified Routes Using Battery Power
These are a few possibilities.
The Hoo Branch
In Effort To Contain Costs For Hoo Reopening, I discussed running electric trains to a proposed Hoo station.
I made these two points.
- Hoo junction to Hoo station is no more than five or six miles.
- There are also half-a-dozen level crossings on the route, which I doubt the anti-third rail brigade would not want to be electrified.
It would appear that a battery-electric train with a range of twenty miles would handle this route easily.
- Charging would be on the nearly thirty miles between Hoo junction and Charing Cross station.
- No charging would be needed at Hoo station.
There may be other possibilities for new routes locally to open up new housing developments.
The Sheerness Line
The Sheerness Line has the following characteristics.
- It is double-track
- It is electrified
- It is less than eight miles long.
- For most of the day, the service is one train per hour (tph)
- There are two tph in the Peak.
- Would two tph attract more passengers to the line?
- Does the power supply on the Sheerness Line limit the size and power of trains that can be run on the line?
- Is there a need for one train per day to London in the morning and a return in the evening?
- Could the Sheerness Line be run more economically with battery trains. providing a two tph service all day?
The Isle of Sheppey needs levelling up, perhaps 100 mph trains to London using battery power on the Sheerness Line, might just make a difference.
The Medway Valley Line
The Medway Valley Line has the following characteristics.
- It is double-track
- It is electrified
- It is less than twenty-six and a half miles long.
- For most of the day, the service is two tph.
- In the Peak there are HighSpeed services between Maidstone West and St.Pancras International stations.
If electrification was removed between Paddock Wood and Maidstone West stations, the HighSpeed services could still be run and battery-electric trains with a twenty mile range could still run the Tonbridge and Strood service.
The Marshlink Line
The Marshlink Line has the following characteristics.
- It is mainly single-track with a passing loop at Rye station.
- It is not electrified
- It is 25.4 miles between the electrified Ashford International and Ore stations.
- Services are irregular and less than one tph.
If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of thirty miles, it should be able to handle the Marshlink Line.
The service between Eastbourne and Ashford International stations would need to be moved between the Southern and Southeastern operations.
The Uckfield Branch
The Uckfield Branch has the following characteristics.
- It is a mixture of single- and double-track.
- It is not electrified South of Hurst Green Junction.
- It is 24.7 miles between the electrified Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield station
- Services are one tph.
If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of thirty-miles, it should be able to handle the Uckfield Branch, with a charging system at Uckfield station.
Will Battery-Electric Trains Allow Some Lines To Have Their Electrification Removed?
There are several reasons, why electrification might be removed.
- It is on a line, where the electrification needs upgrading.
- It is on a line, where there are lots of trespassers.
- Possibly at a level-crossing or a stretch of track with several.
- Possibly in a tunnel, with a large inflow if water.
- It is a depot or siding, where safety is important to protect the workforce.
Obviously, the electrification would not be removed unless battery-electric trains can handle all possible services.
These are surely some possibilities for electrification removal.
The Hayes Line
The Hayes Line has the following characteristics.
- It is double-track
- It is electrified
- It is less than eight miles to Ladywell Junction, where the branch joins the main line at Lewisham.
- It is currently run by Class 465 and Class 466 trains, which will likely be changed for the new trains with a battery capability.
- Services are four tph.
If the proposed battery-electric train had a range of twenty-miles, it would be able to handle the route between Ladywell junction and Hayes station.
Erith Loop, Crayford Spur and Slade Green Depot
This map from Cartometro.com shows the Erith Loop, the Crayford Spur and the Slade Green Depot.
Note.
Not many trains take the Erith Loop or the Crayford Spur.
- The distance between Slade Green and Barnehurst is less than a mile-and-a-half.
- Dartford station is off the South-East corner of the map.
- The distance between Barnehurst and Dartford is less than three miles.
- The distance between Slade Green and Crayford is less than two miles-and-a-half.
- The distance between Crayford and Dartford is less than two miles.
- The main line through Slade Green would need to remain electrified, as electric freight trains use the line.
I suspect, that quite a lot of electrification could be removed here, much to the disgust of the copper thieves.
It might even be possible to build on top of the depot.
Level Boarding As A Policy
In his Informed Sources column in the August 2021 Edition of Modern Railways, Roger Ford says this.
GBR might, for example, set level boarding as a long-term policy.
By GBR, Roger means Great British Railways.
If vibrant Liverpool and sleepy East Anglia can do it, then surely all trains can be this way.
The pictures show the particularly bad example of a Class 395 train.
It is very surprising to me, that these trains didn’t have level boarding as many of the platforms they serve were new when the trains were introduced.
I blame the Treasury!
But this is what can be done.
The pictures show Greater Anglia’s Class 745 and Class 755 trains.
As I’m not getting any younger, I would like to see Roger’s suggestion made the standard.
Will Hitachi Announce A High Speed Metro Train?
As the UK high speed rail network increases, we are seeing more services and proposed services, where local services are sharing tracks, where trains will be running at 125 mph or even more.
London Kings Cross And Cambridge/Kings Lynn
This Great Northern service is run by Class 387 trains.
- Services run between London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn or Cambridge
- The Class 387 trains have a maximum operating speed of 110 mph.
- The route is fully electrified.
- The trains generally use the fast lines on the East Coast Main Line, South of Hitchin.
- Most trains on the fast lines on the East Coast Main Line are travelling at 125 mph.
When in the future full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is implemented on the East Coast Main Line, speeds of up to 140 mph should be possible in some sections between London Kings Cross and Hitchin.
The Digswell Viaduct Problem
I also believe that digital signalling may be able to provide a solution to the twin-track bottleneck over the Digswell Viaduct.
Consider.
- Airliners have been flown automatically and safely from airport to airport for perhaps four decades.
- The Victoria Line in London, has been running automatically and safely at over twenty trains per hour (tph) for five decades. It is now running at over 30 tph.
- I worked with engineers developing a high-frequency sequence control system for a complicated chemical plant in 1970.
We also can’t deny that computers are getting better and more capable.
For these reasons, I believe there could be an ERTMS-based solution to the problem of the Digswell Viaduct, which could be something like this.
- All trains running on the two track section over the Digswell Viaduct and through Welwyn North station would be under computer control between Welwyn Garden City and Knebworth stations.
- Fast trains would be slowed as appropriate to create spaces to allow the slow trains to pass through the section.
- The train drivers would be monitoring the computer control, just as they do on the Victoria Line.
Much more complicated automated systems have been created in various applications.
The nearest rail application in the UK, is probably the application of digital signalling to London Underground’s Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.
This is known at the Four Lines Modernisation and it will be completed by 2023 and increase capacity by up to twenty-seven percent.
I don’t think it unreasonable to see the following maximum numbers of services running over the Digswell Viaduct by 2030 in both directions in every hour.
- Sixteen fast trains
- Four slow trains
That is one train every three minutes.
Currently, it appears to be about ten fast and two slow.
As someone, who doesn’t like to be on a platform, when a fast train goes through, I believe that some form of advanced safety measures should be installed at Welwyn North station.
It would appear that trains between London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn need to have this specification.
- Ability to run at 125 mph on the East Coast Main Line
- Ability to run at 140 mph on the East Coast Main Line, under control of full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling.
This speed increase could reduce the journey time between London Kings Cross and Cambridge to just over half-an-hour with London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn under ninety minutes.
The only new infrastructure needed would be improvements to the Fen Line to King’s Lynn to allow two tph, which I think is needed.
Speed improvements between Hitchin and Cambridge could also benefit timings.
London Kings Cross And Cambridge/Norwich
I believe there is a need for a high speed service between London Kings Cross and Norwich via Cambridge.
- The Class 755 trains, that are capable of 100 mph take 82 minutes, between Cambridge and Norwich.
- The electrification gap between Ely and Norwich is 54 miles.
- Norwich station and South of Ely is fully electrified.
- Greater Anglia’s Norwich and Cambridge service has been very successful.
With the growth of Cambridge and its incessant need for more space, housing and workers, a high speed train between London Kings Cross and Norwich via Cambridge could tick a lot of boxes.
- If hourly, it would double the frequency between Cambridge and Norwich until East-West Rail is completed.
- All stations between Ely and Norwich get a direct London service.
- Cambridge would have better links for commuting to the city.
- Norwich would provide the quality premises, that Cambridge is finding hard to develop.
- London Kings Cross and Cambridge would be just over half an hour apart.
- If the current London Kings Cross and Ely service were to be extended to Norwich, no extra paths on the East Coast Main Line would be needed.
- Trains could even split and join at Cambridge or Ely to give all stations a two tph service to London Kings Cross.
- No new infrastructure would be required.
The Cambridge Cruiser would become the Cambridge High Speed Cruiser.
London Paddington And Bedwyn
This Great Western Railway service is run by Class 802 trains.
- Services run between London Paddington and Bedwyn.
- Services use the Great Western Main Line at speeds of up to 125 mph.
- In the future if full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is implemented, speeds of up to 140 mph could be possible on some sections between London Paddington and Reading.
- The 13.3 miles between Newbury and Bedwyn is not electrified.
As the service would need to be able to run both ways between Newbury and Bedwyn, a capability to run upwards of perhaps thirty miles without electrification is needed. Currently, diesel power is used, but battery power would be better.
London Paddington And Oxford
This Great Western Railway service is run by Class 802 trains.
- Services run between London Paddington and Oxford.
- Services use the Great Western Main Line at speeds of up to 125 mph.
- In the future if full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is implemented, speeds of up to 140 mph could be possible on some sections between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway.
- The 10.3 miles between Didcot Parkway and Oxford is not electrified.
As the service would need to be able to run both ways between Didcot Parkway and Oxford, a capability to run upwards of perhaps thirty miles without electrification is needed. Currently, diesel power is used, but battery power would be better.
Local And Regional Trains On Existing 125 mph Lines
In The UK, in addition to High Speed One and High Speed Two, we have the following lines, where speeds of 125 mph are possible.
- East Coast Main Line
- Great Western Main Line
- Midland Main Line
- West Coast Main Line
Note.
- Long stretches of these routes allow speeds of up to 125 mph.
- Full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling is being installed on the East Coast Main Line to allow running up to 140 mph.
- Some of these routes have four tracks, with pairs of slow and fast lines, but there are sections with only two tracks.
It is likely, that by the end of the decade large sections of these four 125 mph lines will have been upgraded, to allow faster running.
If you have Hitachi and other trains thundering along at 140 mph, you don’t want dawdlers, at 100 mph or less, on the same tracks.
These are a few examples of slow trains, that use two-track sections of 125 nph lines.
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Leicester and Lincoln – Uses Midland Main Line
- East Midlands Railway – 1 tph – Liverpool and Norwich – Uses Midland Main Line
- East Midlands Railway – 2 tph – St. Pancras and Corby – Uses Midland Main Line
- Great Western Railway – 1 tph – Cardiff and Portsmouth Harbour – Uses Great Western Main Line
- Great Western Railway – 1 tph – Cardiff and Taunton – Uses Great Western Main Line
- Northern – 1 tph – Manchester Airport and Cumbria – Uses West Coast Main Line
- Northern – 1 tph – Newcastle and Morpeth – Uses East Coast Main Line
- West Midlands Trains – Some services use West Coast Main Line.
Conflicts can probably be avoided by judicious train planning in some cases, but in some cases trains capable of 125 mph will be needed.
Southeastern Highspeed Services
Class 395 trains have been running Southeastern Highspeed local services since 2009.
- Services run between London St. Pancras and Kent.
- Services use Speed One at speeds of up to 140 mph.
- These services are planned to be extended to Hastings and possibly Eastbourne.
The extension would need the ability to run on the Marshlink Line, which is an electrification gap of 25.4 miles, between Ashford and Ore.
Thameslink
Thameslink is a tricky problem.
These services run on the double-track section of the East Coast Main Line over the Digswell Viaduct.
- 2 tph – Cambridge and Brighton – Fast train stopping at Hitchin, Stevenage and Finsbury Park.
- 2 tph – Cambridge and Kings Cross – Slow train stopping at Hitchin, Stevenage, Knebworth, Welwyn North, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Potters Bar and Finsbury Park
- 2 tph – Peterborough and Horsham – Fast train stopping at Hitchin, Stevenage and Finsbury Park.
Note.
- These services are run by Class 700 trains, that are only capable of 100 mph.
- The fast services take the fast lines South of the Digswell Viaduct.
- South of Finsbury Park, both fast services cross over to access the Canal Tunnel for St, Pancras station.
- I am fairly certain, that I have been on InterCity 125 trains running in excess of 100 mph in places between Finsbury Park and Stevenage.
It would appear that the slow Thameslink trains are slowing express services South of Stevenage.
As I indicated earlier, I think it is likely that the Kings Cross and King’s Lynn services will use 125 mph trains for various reasons, like London and Cambridge in under half an hour.
But if 125 mph trains are better for King’s Lynn services, then they would surely improve Thameslink and increase capacity between London and Stevenage.
Looking at average speeds and timings on the 25 miles between Stevenage and Finsbury Park gives the following.
- 100 mph – 15 minutes
- 110 mph – 14 minutes
- 125 mph – 12 minutes
- 140 mph – 11 minutes
The figures don’t appear to indicate large savings, but when you take into account that the four tph running the Thameslink services to Peterborough and Cambridge stop at Finsbury Park and Stevenage and have to get up to speed, I feel that the 100 mph Class 700 trains are a hindrance to more and faster trains on the Southern section of the East Coast Main Line.
It should be noted, that faster trains on these Thameslink services would probably have better acceleration and and would be able to execute faster stops at stations.
There is a similar less serious problem on the Midland Main Line branch of Thameslink, in that some Thameslink services use the fast lines.
A couple of years ago, I had a very interesting chat with a group of East Midlands Railway drivers. They felt that the 100 mph Thameslink and the 125 mph Class 222 trains were not a good mix.
The Midland Main Line services are also becoming more complicated, with the new EMR Electric services between St. Pancras and Corby, which will be run by 110 mph Class 360 trains.
Hitachi’s Three Trains With Batteries
Hitachi have so far announced three battery-electric trains. Two are based on battery packs being developed and built by Hyperdrive Innovation.
Hyperdrive Innovation
Looking at the Hyperdrive Innovation web site, I like what I see.
Hyperdrive Innovation provided the battery packs for JCB’s first electric excavator.
Note that JCB give a five-year warranty on the Hyperdrive batteries.
Hyperdrive have also been involved in the design of battery packs for aircraft push-back tractors.
The battery capacity for one of these is given as 172 kWh and it is able to supply 34 kW.
I was very surprised that Hitachi didn’t go back to Japan for their batteries, but after reading Hyperdrive’s web site about the JCB and Textron applications, there would appear to be good reasons to use Hyperdrive.
- Hyperdrive have experience of large lithium ion batteries.
- Hyperdrive have a design, develop and manufacture model.
- They seem to able to develop solutions quickly and successfully.
- Battery packs for the UK and Europe are made in Sunderland.
- Hyperdrive are co-operating with Nissan, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Newcastle University.
- They appear from the web site to be experts in the field of battery management, which is important in prolonging battery life.
- Hyperdrive have a Taiwanese partner, who manufactures their battery packs for Taiwan and China.
- I have done calculations based on the datasheet for their batteries and Hyperdrive’s energy density is up with the best
I suspect, that Hitachi also like the idea of a local supplier, as it could be helpful in the negotiation of innovative applications. Face-to-face discussions are easier, when you’re only thirty miles apart.
Hitachi Regional Battery Train
The first train to be announced was the Hitachi Regional Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- It is only a 100 mph train.
- The batteries are to be designed and manufactured by Hyperdrive Innovation.
- It has a range of 56 miles on battery power.
- Any of Hitachi’s A Train family like Class 800, 802 or 385 train can be converted to a Regional Battery Train.
No orders have been announced yet.
But it would surely be very suitable for routes like.
- London Paddington And Bedwyn
- London Paddington And Oxford
It would also be very suitable for extensions to electrified suburban routes like.
- London Bridge and Uckfield
- London Waterloo and Salisbury
- Manchester Airport and Windermere.
- Newcastle and Carlisle
It would also be a very sound choice to extend electrified routes in Scotland, which are currently run by Class 385 trains.
Hitachi InterCity Tri-Mode Battery Train
The second train to be announced was the Hitachi InterCity Tri-Mode Battery Train, which is described in this Hitachi infographic.
Note.
- Only one engine is replaced by a battery.
- The batteries are to be designed and manufactured by Hyperdrive Innovation.
- Typically a five-car Class 800 or 802 train has three diesel engines and a nine-car train has five.
- These trains would obviously be capable of 125 mph on electrified main lines and 140 mph on lines fully equipped with digital in-cab ERTMS signalling.
Nothing is said about battery range away from electrification.
Routes currently run from London with a section without electrification at the other end include.
- London Kings Cross And Harrogate – 18.3 miles
- London Kings Cross And Hull – 36 miles
- London Kings Cross And Lincoln – 16.5 miles
- London Paddington And Bedwyn – 13.3 miles
- London Paddington And Oxford – 10.3 miles
In the March 2021 Edition of Modern Railways, LNER are quoted as having aspirations to extend the Lincoln service to Cleethorpes.
- With all energy developments in North Lincolnshire, this is probably a good idea.
- Services could also call at Market Rasen and Grimsby.
- Two trains per day, would probably be a minimum frequency.
But the trains would need to be able to run around 64 miles each way without electrification. Very large batteries and/or charging at Cleethorpes will be needed.
Class 803 Trains For East Coast Trains
East Coast Trains have ordered a fleet of five Class 803 trains.
- These trains appear to be built for speed and fast acceleration.
- They have no diesel engines, which must save weight and servicing costs.
- But they will be fitted with batteries for emergency power to maintain onboard train services in the event of overhead line failure.
- They are planned to enter service in October 2021.
Given that Hyperdrive Innovation are developing traction batteries for the other two Hitachi battery trains, I would not be the least bit surprised if Hyperdrive were designing and building the batteries for the Class 803 trains.
- Hyperdrive batteries are modular, so for a smaller battery you would use less modules.
- If all coaches are wired for a diesel engine, then they can accept any power module like a battery or hydrogen pack, without expensive redesign.
- I suspect too, that the battery packs for the Class 803 trains could be tested on an LNER Class 801 train.
LNER might also decide to replace the diesel engines on their Class 801 trains with an emergency battery pack, if it were more energy efficient and had a lighter weight.
Thoughts On The Design Of The Hyperdrive innovation Battery Packs
Consider.
- Hitachi trains have a sophisticated computer system, which on start-up can determine the configuration of the train or whether it is more than one train running as a longer formation or even being hauled by a locomotive.
- To convert a bi-mode Class 800 train to an all-electric Class 801 the diesel engines are removed. I suspect that the computer is also adjusted, but train formation may well be totally automatic and independent of the driver.
- Hyperdrive Innovation’s battery seem to be based on a modular system, where typical modules have a capacity of 5 kWh, weighs 32 Kg and has a volume of 0.022 cu metres.
- The wet mass of an MTU 16V 1600 R80L diesel engine commonly fitted to AT-300 trains of different types is 6750 Kg or nearly seven tonnes.
- The diesel engine has a physical size of 1.5 x 1.25 x 0.845 metres, which is a volume of 1.6 cubic metres.
- In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I calculated that a five-car Class 801 electric train, needed 3.42 kWh per vehicle-mile to maintain 125 mph.
- It is likely, than any design of battery pack, will handle the regenerative braking.
To my mind, the ideal solution would be a plug compatible battery pack, that the train’s computer thought was a diesel engine.
But then I have form in the area of plug-compatible electronics.
At the age of sixteen, for a vacation job, I worked in the Electronics Laboratory at Enfield Rolling Mills.
It was the early sixties and one of their tasks was at the time replacing electronic valve-based automation systems with new transistor-based systems.
The new equipment had to be compatible to that which it replaced, but as some were installed in dozens of places around the works, they had to be able to be plug-compatible, so that they could be quickly changed. Occasionally, the new ones suffered infant-mortality and the old equipment could just be plugged back in, if there wasn’t a spare of the new equipment.
So will Hyperdrive Innovation’s battery-packs have the same characteristics as the diesel engines that they replace?
- Same instantaneous and continuous power output.
- Both would fit the same mountings under the train.
- Same control and electrical power connections.
- Compatibility with the trains control computer.
I think they will as it will give several advantages.
- The changeover between diesel engine and battery pack could be designed as a simple overnight operation.
- Operators can mix-and-match the number of diesel engines and battery-packs to a given route.
- As the lithium-ion cells making up the battery pack improve, battery capacity and performance can be increased.
- If the computer, is well-programmed, it could reduce diesel usage and carbon-emissions.
- Driver conversion from a standard train to one equipped with batteries, would surely be simplified.
As with the diesel engines, all battery packs could be substantially the same across all of Hitachi’s Class 80x trains.
What Size Of Battery Would Be Possible?
If Hyperdrive are producing a battery pack with the same volume as the diesel engine it replaced, I estimate that the battery would have a capacity defined by.
5 * 1.6 / 0.022 = 364 kWh
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch, which is not very challenging.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
As a figure of 3.42 kWh per vehicle-mile to maintain 125 mph, applies to a Class 801 train, I suspect that a figure of 3 kWh or less could apply to a five-car Class 800 train trundling at around 80-100 mph to Bedwyn, Cleethorpes or Oxford.
- A one-battery five-car train would have a range of 24.3 miles
- A two-battery five-car train would have a range of 48.6 miles
- A three-battery five-car train would have a range of 72.9 miles
Note.
- Reducing the consumption to 2.5 kWh per vehicle-mile would give a range of 87.3 miles.
- Reducing the consumption to 2 kWh per vehicle-mile would give a range of 109.2 miles.
- Hitachi will be working to reduce the electricity consumption of the trains.
- There will also be losses at each station stop, as regenerative braking is not 100 % efficient.
But it does appear to me, that distances of the order of 60-70 miles would be possible on a lot of routes.
Bedwyn, Harrogate, Lincoln and Oxford may be possible without charging before the return trip.
Cleethorpes and Hull would need a battery charge before return.
A Specification For A High Speed Metro Train
I have called the proposed train a High Speed Metro Train, as it would run at up to 140 mph on an existing high speed line and then run a full or limited stopping service to the final destination.
These are a few thoughts.
Electrification
In some cases like London Kings Cross and King’s Lynn, the route is already electrified and batteries would only be needed for the following.
- Handling regenerative braking.
- Emergency power in case of overhead line failure.
- Train movements in depots.
But if the overhead wires on a branch line. are in need of replacement, why not remove them and use battery power? It might be the most affordable and least disruptive option to update the power supply on a route.
The trains would have to be able to run on both types of electrification in the UK.
- 25 KVAC overhead.
- 750 VDC third rail.
This dual-voltage capability would enable the extension of Southeastern Highspeed services.
Operating Speed
The trains must obviously be capable of running at the maximum operating speed on the routes they travel.
- 125 mph on high speed lines, where this speed is possible.
- 140 mph on high speed lines equipped with full digital in-cab ERTMS signalling, where this speed is possible.
The performance on battery power must be matched with the routes.
Hitachi have said, that their Regional Battery trains can run at up to 100 mph, which would probably be sufficient for most secondary routes in the UK and in line with modern diesel and electric multiple units.
Full Digital In-cab ERTMS Signalling
This will be essential and is already fitted to some of Hitachi’s trains.
Regenerative Braking To Batteries
Hitachi’s battery electric trains will probably use regenerative braking to the batteries, as it is much more energy efficient.
It also means that when stopping at a station perhaps as much as 70-80% of the train’s kinetic energy can be captured in the batteries and used to accelerate the train.
In Kinetic Energy Of A Five-Car Class 801 Train, I showed that at 125 mph the energy of a full five-car train is just over 100 kWh, so batteries would not need to be unduly large.
Acceleration
This graph from Eversholt Rail, shows the acceleration and deceleration of a five-car Class 802 electric train.
As batteries are just a different source of electric power, I would think, that with respect to acceleration and deceleration, that the performance of a battery-electric version will be similar.
Although, it will only achieve 160 kph instead of the 200 kph of the electric train.
I estimate from this graph, that a battery-electric train would take around 220 seconds from starting to decelerate for a station to being back at 160 kph. If the train was stopped for around eighty seconds, a station stop would add five minutes to the journey time.
London Kings Cross And Cleethorpes
As an example consider a service between London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes.
- The section without electrification between Newark and Cleethorpes is 64 miles.
- There appear to be ambitions to increase the operating speed to 90 mph.
- Local trains seem to travel at around 45 mph including stops.
- A fast service between London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes would probably stop at Lincoln Central, Market Rasen and Grimsby Town.
- In addition, local services stop at Collingham, Hykeham, Barnetby and Habrough.
- London Kings Cross and Newark takes one hour and twenty minutes.
- London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes takes three hours and fifteen minutes with a change at Doncaster.
I can now calculate a time between Kings Cross and Cleethorpes.
- If a battery-electric train can average 70 mph between Newark and Cleethorpes, it would take 55 minutes.
- Add five minutes for each of the three stops at Lincoln Central, Market Rasen and Grimsby Town
- Add in the eighty minutes between London Kings Cross and Newark and that would be two-and-a-half hours.
That would be very marketing friendly and a very good start.
Note.
- An average speed of 80 mph would save seven minutes.
- An average speed of 90 mph would save twelve minutes.
- I suspect that the current bi-modes would be slower by a few minutes as their acceleration is not as potent of that of an electric train.
I have a feeling London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes via Lincoln Central, Market Rasen and Grimsby Town, could be a very important service for LNER.
Interiors
I can see a new lightweight and more energy efficient interior being developed for these trains.
In addition some of the routes, where they could be used are popular with cyclists and the current Hitachi trains are not the best for bicycles.
Battery Charging
Range On Batteries
I have left this to last, as it depends on so many factors, including the route and the quality of the driving or the Automatic Train Control
Earlier, I estimated that a five-car train with all three diesel engines replaced by batteries, when trundling around Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire or Wiltshire could have range of up to 100 miles.
That sort of distance would be very useful and would include.
- Ely and Norwich
- Newark and Cleethorpes
- Salisbury and Exeter
It might even allow a round trip between the East Coast Main Line and Hull.
The Ultimate Battery Train
This press release from Hitachi is entitled Hitachi And Eversholt Rail To Develop GWR Intercity Battery Hybrid Train – Offering Fuel Savings Of More Than 20%.
This is a paragraph.
The projected improvements in battery technology – particularly in power output and charge – create opportunities to replace incrementally more diesel engines on long distance trains. With the ambition to create a fully electric-battery intercity train – that can travel the full journey between London and Penzance – by the late 2040s, in line with the UK’s 2050 net zero emissions target.
Consider.
- Three batteries would on my calculations give a hundred mile range.
- Would a train with no diesel engines mean that fuel tanks, radiators and other gubbins could be removed and more or large batteries could be added.
- Could smaller batteries be added to the two driving cars?
- By 2030, let alone 2040, battery energy density will have increased.
I suspect that one way or another these trains could have a range on battery power of between 130 and 140 miles.
This would certainly be handy in Scotland for the two routes to the North.
- Haymarket and Aberdeen, which is 130 miles without electrification.
- Stirling and Inverness, which is 111 miles without electrification, if the current wires are extended from Stirling to Perth, which is being considered by the Scottish Government.
The various sections of the London Paddington to Penzance route are as follows.
- Paddington and Newbury – 53 miles – electrified
- Newbury and Taunton – 90 miles – not electrified
- Taunton and Exeter – 31 miles – not electrified
- Exeter and Plymouth – 52 miles – not electrified
- Plymouth and Penzance – 79 miles – not electrified
The total length of the section without electrification between Penzance and Newbury is a distance of 252 miles.
This means that the train will need a battery charge en route.
I think there are three possibilities.
- Trains can take up to seven minutes for a stop at Plymouth. As London and Plymouth trains will need to recharge at Plymouth before returning to London, Plymouth station could be fitted with comprehensive recharge facilities for all trains passing through. Perhaps the ideal solution would be to electrify all lines and platforms at Plymouth.
- Between Taunton and Exeter, the rail line runs alongside the M5 motorway. This would surely be an ideal section to electrify, as it would enable battery electric trains to run between Exeter and both Newbury and Bristol.
- As some trains terminate at Exeter, there would probably need to be charging facilities there.
I believe that the date of the late 2040s is being overly pessimistic.
I suspect that by 2040 we’ll be seeing trains between London and Aberdeen, Inverness and Penzance doing the trips without a drop of diesel.
But Hitachi are making a promise of London and Penzance by zero-carbon trains, by the late-2040s, because they know they can keep it.
And Passengers and the Government won’t mind the trains being early!
Conclusion
This could be a very useful train to add to Hitachi’s product line.
Alstom To Join Stagecoach’s Southeastern Franchise Bid
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in Global Rail News.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Stagecoach has announced that Alstom is to become part of its bid for the new Southeastern franchise.
The move, which is subject to approval by the Department for Transport (DfT), will make Alstom a 20 per cent shareholder in the new train operating company.
I think the pairing of a train manufacturer with a train operator could be something that we’ll see more often. Remember that two of Abellio’s UK franchises; Greater Anglia and West Midlands Trains, have placed substantial orders for Bombardier Aventras.
UK rail franchises are not very similar, with often a mixture of different types of route.
In the case of the Southeastern franchise, there are the following.
- High speed commuter routes.
- Intense metro services.
- Long-distance commuter routes.
- Branch lines with low frequencies.
- Extensions over lines without electrification.
Having a train manufacturer involved in the process, must help in formulating a high-class bid.
So how will Alstom’s expertise help in the formulation of the bid?
Highspeed Commuter Trains
The current fleet of Class 395 trains will need to be expanded, as the new franchise will be offering extra services to Hastings and Eastbourne, with the possible addition of a second London terminal.
The easy route would be to go to Hitachi and order some extra Class 395 trains. But these would have to be built with some method of using the Marshlink Line, which is not electrified. In Hitachi’s Thoughts On Battery Trains, I discussed Hitachi’s published thoughts on using battery trains on this line.
I don’t doubt that Hitachi could provide the trains.
Alstom have a lot of expertise in high speed trains and would have no problem producing a train with the following performance.
- 140 mph on high speed lines.
- 100 mph on third rail DC lines.
Could they have done the calculations and found that their hydrogen power technology could drive a train from Ashford to Ore at the 60 mph operating speed of the Marshlink Line?
In an article in the October 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled Celling England By The Pound, Ian Walmsley says this in relation to trains running on the Uckfield Branch.
A modern EMU needs between 3 and 5 kWh per vehicle mile for this sort of service.
If I assume that the extra trains will be five cars and will be efficient enough to need only 3 kWh per vehicle mile for the 25 miles without electrification of the Marshlink Line, this gives an energy requirement of 375 kWh.
- Electrification between London and Ashford would charge the batteries at the Ashford end.
- Electrification between Hastings and Eastbourne would charge the batteries at the Hastings end.
- Hydrogen-power would continuously top up the batteries en-route between Ore and Ashford.
- Electrification at Ashford and Hastings would probably be able to do a lot of the acceleration to the 60 mph operating speed.
- Rye station could be electrified to make the stop easier.
Only Alstom know what size of battery and hydrogen power-pack would be needed.
If they could produce a high speed train, that could extend its range by the use of hydrogen power, it would be a very public demonstration of the capabilities of the technology.
Commuter Fleet Replacement
A lot of the current fleet is coming to the end of its life and I would expect the new franchise will replace the trains. A proportion of the trains also have an operating speed of 75 mph and are lacking in some of the features passengers like.
So perhaps, Alstom would be looking forward to building trains for the new franchise.
They’ve even got a suitable design in Siemens Class 707 train, that was built for South West Trains, which was run by Stagecoach.
Conclusion
It looks to me, that Alstom have two trains; one in reality and one on the drawing board, that could enable Stagecoach to put forward a creditable bid for the Southeastern franchise.
But these trains will not be one-off specials for the Southeastern franchise.
The high speed train with a range extended by hydrogen would be a unique bi-mode train for 125 mph routes like the East Coast Main Line, Great Western Main Line, Midland Main Line and West Coast Main Line.
Think.
- London Euston to Chester
- London Euston to Barrow-in-Furness
- London Kings Cross to Hull
- London Kings Cross to Sunderland
- London Paddington to Oxford
And that’s just the UK!
London St. Pancras to Hastings and Eastbourne would be the ideal route for a demonstrator. Especially, for the French!
The commuter unit may not be as unique, but the Siemens design is proven and it would be a competitor to Bombardier’s Aventra.
Hitachi’s Thoughts On Battery Trains
On page 79 of the January 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, Nick Hughes, who is the Sales Director of Hitachi Rail Europe outlines how the manufacturer is embracing the development of battery technology.
He is remarkably open.
Hitachi’s Battery Development
Nick Hughes says this.
Hitachi has for many years seen great potential in battery technology.
We began studying on train storage energy systems in 2003. Working jointly qith operational partners in Japan and in the UK, we developed a realistic solution based on a lithium-ion battery, that could store the braking energy and reuse it for the traction.
Then came our V-train 2 (nicknamed the Hayabusa), which was tested on the Great Central Railway in 2007, using hybrid battery/diesel power and regenerative charging. This was the world’s first high-speed hybrid train.
This picture show the Hayabusa running in the UK.
If you think it looks familiar, you are right! It’s a modified Class 43 locomotive from an InterCity 125. The locomotive; 43089, is still in service with East Midlands Trains. But without the batteries!
When the remaining members of the team, who had developed the InterCity 125 in the 1970s, saw these pictures, I suspect it was celebrated with a call for a few swift halves!
BEMU In Japan
Nick Hughes goes on to outline the status of Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMUs) in Japan, where Hitachi launched a train called the DENCHA in 2016, on the Chikuhi line.
- The train has a range of up to 50 km on batteries.
- DENCHA is popular with passengers.
- The train won a prestigious award.
I don’t know what it is with battery trains, but the Bombardier/Network Rail BEMU Trial was also liked by those who rode the train. As was I!
Nick Hughes Prediction
Nick Hughes follows his description of the DENCHA, with this.
I can picture a future when these sorts of trains are carrying out similar types of journeys in the UK, perhaps by installing battery technology in our Class 395s to connect to Hastings via the non-electrified Marshlink Line from Ashford for example.
This would massively slice the journey time and heklp overcome the issue of electrification and infrastructure cases not stacking up. There are a large number of similar routes like this all across the country.
It is a prediction, with which I could agree.
Renewable Energy And Automotive Systems
Nick Hughes finishied by saying that he believes storing power from renewable energy and the development of automotive systems will drive battery technology and its use.
Conclusion
It is the most positive article about battery trains, that I have read so far!
Could Class 800/801 Trains Work Southeastern Highspeed Services?
Southeastern Highspeed services are run by Class 395 trains.
These trains are capable of the following.
- 140 mph running on HS1.
- Running on third-rail lines.
- Joining and separating in under a couple of minutes.
As the electric Class 801 trains are also members of Hitachi’s A-train family, I’m sure that they could built to a similar specification.
- The trains are capable of 140 mph on suitable lines.
- Rhird-rail gear can probably be easily added.
- The joining and separating is in the specification.
So I think the answer to my question must be in the afformative.
Filming Trains On Rochester Bridge
This weekend, I’ve been involved in helping a Japanese company take video of Class 395 trains for one of their corporate clients.
These pictures show the filming at Rochester on the magnificent Rochester Bridge over the River Medway.
Filiming Trains At Rochester
I took these pictures at Rochester.
The station is new, as the last picture shows.
I filmed from the North side of the station from a probable development site, where people were working dogs and jogging.
The camera was a top of the range Nikon Coolpix
Thoughts On Highspeed to Hastings
Since I wrote Kent On The Cusp Of Change – Highspeed To Hastings, a couple of months ago, several things have happened.
And Now There Are Three!
Trenitalia has pulled out of bidding for the new Southeastern franchise as reported in this article in the International Rail Journal.
This leaves just three bidders.
- A joint venture of Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui
- Govia
- Stagecoach
The same joint venture were recently awarded the West Midlands franchise.
The new franchise will be awarded in August 2018, with services starting in December 2018.
Electrification Has Been Abandoned
Major electrification schemes have been abandoned, so I suspect it will be even more unlikely that Ashford to Hastings will be electrified.
The Aventras Are Coming
Class 345 trains have started to appear on Crossrail and it is my opinion that they are a fine train.
In An Exciting New Aventra, I laid out the philosophy of the new trains and in How Long Will It Take Bombardier To Fulfil Their Aventra Orders?, I discussed how Bombardier will build the trains, at a rate of twenty-five carriages a month.
The rate comes from this article in The Guardian, which is entitled Full speed ahead for train builders as minister pulls plug on electrification, where I found this useful nugget of information, from the General Manager of Bombardier’s Derby plant.
Building trains in an “ergonomically correct” fashion, he says, means completing and testing the carriage’s constituent parts, then assembling them, rather than wiring them up afterwards – and also takes the risk away from a production line which boasts a rate of 25 carriages per week.
It sounds like Bombardier’s engineers have been drinking and swapping ideas, with Toyota’s production engineers a few miles down the road at Burnaston.
The New South Eastern Franchise
So do we have any clues as to what the new South Eastern franchise will be doing?
South Western Railway
South Western Railway‘s routes have a similar pattern to those of the South Eastern franchise, with an intense suburban network and longer distance services.
You could also argue that Greater Anglia isn’t much different.
Both these other franchises have are replacing their suburban trains with new 100 mph trains with all the trimming like wi-fi and toilets.
Both have chosen a mix of five and ten-car Aventras.
This would appear to give the following advantages.
- The 100 mph trains with excellent acceleration and smooth regenerative braking help to make services faster and more frequent.
- A near identical fleet will help maintenance and crew training.
- It is easier to get the train-platform interface better, if only one class of train calls at a station.
- Platform compatibility with Crossrail and Crossrail 2.
I suspect that the new South Eastern franchise will think on similar lines.
The Networkers Must Be Going
Southeastern currently has a total of 674 Networker carriages, most of which will surely be moved on by the new franchise holder.
I believe that these trains with their 75 mph speed and average performance, is not high enough for efficient timetabling of services and that consequently the new franchise holder will probably replace these trains with 100 mph units.
One choice would be to use a mix of new five and ten-car Aventras as chosen by Greater Anglia and South Western Railway. Replacing Networker carriages with the same number of Aventra carriages would take around six months of production at Bombardier.
The Aventras must be high on the list of new trains, as some of the new trains, may have to use the same platforms as Crossrail, if the line is extended from Abbey Wood station.
The Extra High Speed Trains
To serve Hastings and increase the number of Highspeed services, the new franchise holder, will have to obtain some more trains that can use High Speed 1.
Some of these trains will need the ability to travel on the Marshlink Line between Ashford and Hastings.
Consider.
- It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to have two different types of trains working to Ashford on High Speed 1.
- Class 800 trains, which are closely related to the Class 395 trains have onboard diesel power and might have energy storage to handle regenerative braking.
- Class 395 trains are getting towards ten years old and are approaching the need for a refresh.
- Hitachi have built trains with onboard energy storage in Japan.
- Diesel fuel might not be allowed in the tunnels of High Speed 1.
- Hitachi would probably be very disappointed to not get this order.
More Class 395 trains fitted with either onboard energy storage must be the favourite.
Conclusion
Kent will get Aventras to improve suburban services and more Class 395 trains with batteries for Highspeed services.
The Anonymous Widower 