Will Zero-Carbon Freight Trains Be Powered By Battery, Electric Or Hydrogen Locomotives?
These are a few initial thoughts.
We Will Not Have A One-Size-Fits-All Solution
If you consider the various freight and other duties, where diesel locomotives are used, you get a long list.
- Light freight, where perhaps a Class 66 locomotive moves a few wagons full of stone to support track maintenance.
- Intermodal freight, where a Class 66 locomotive moves a long train of containers across the country.
- Stone trains, where a Class 59 or Class 70 locomotive moves a very heavy train of aggregate across the country.
- Empty stock movements, where a diesel locomotive moves an electrical multiple unit.
- Supporting Network Rail with trains like the New Measurement Train, which is hauled by two diesel Class 43 power cars.
- Passenger trains at up to and over 100 mph.
I can see a need for several types of zero-carbon locomotive.
- A light freight locomotive.
- A medium freight locomotive, that is capable of hauling many intermodal trains across the country and would also be capable of hauling passenger services.
- A heavy freight locomotive, capable of hauling the heaviest freight trains.
- A Class 43 power car replacement, which would probably be a conversion of the existing power cars. Everybody loves InterCity 125s and there are over a hundred power cars in regular service on railways in the UK.
There are probably others.
The UK Hydrogen Network Is Growing
Regularly, there are news items about companies in the UK, who will be providing green hydrogen to fuel cars, vans, buses, trucks and trains.
Hydrogen is becoming a fuel with a much high availability.
The UK Electricity Network Is Growing And Getting More Resilient
We are seeing more wind and solar farms and energy storage being added to the UK electricity network.
The ability to support large numbers of battery-electric buses, cars, trucks and trains in a reliable manner, is getting more resilient and much more comprehensive.
There Will Be More Railway Electrification
This will happen and installation will be more innovative. But predicting where electrification will be installed, will be very difficult.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells Now Have Rivals
Hydrogen fuel cells are normally used to convert hydrogen gas to electricity.
But over the last few years, alternative technology has evolved, which may offer better methods of generating electricity from hydrogen.
- Rolls Royce have developed a beer keg-sized 2.5 MW generator, that could run on hydrogen, which I wrote about in Our Sustainability Journey.
- Honeywell are possibly going the same route, which I wrote about in Honeywell Introduces Power Source For Hybrid-Electric Aircraft.
- JCB have converted diesel engines to run on hydrogen, which I wrote about in JCB Finds Cheap Way To Run Digger Using Hydrogen.
Fuel cells will not be having it all their own way.
Batteries Are Improving Their Energy Density
This is inevitable. and you are starting to see improvements in the fabrication of the battery packs to get more kWh into the space available.
In Wrightbus Presents Their First Battery-Electric Bus, I said this about the Forsee batteries used in the new buses from Wrightbus.
The Forsee brochure for the ZEN SLIM batteries gives an energy density of 166 Wh per Kg. This means that the weight of the 454 kWh battery is around 3.7 tonnes.
A one-tonne battery would have a capacity of 166 kWh.
- It is the highest value I’ve so far found.
- Technology is likely to improve.
- Other battery manufacturers will be striving to match it.
For these reasons, in the rest of this post, I will use this figure.
Some Example Locomotives
In this section, I shall look at some possible locomotives.
Conversion Of A Class 43 Power Car
There are two Class 43 power cars in each InterCity 125 train.
- The diesel engine is rated at 1678 kW.
- The transmission is fully electric.
- These days, they generally don’t haul more than five or six intermediate Mark 3 coaches.
I would see that the biggest problem in converting to battery power being providing the means to charge the batteries.
I suspect that these power cars would be converted to hydrogen, if they are converted to zero-carbon.
- I would estimate that there is space for hydrogen tanks and a small gas-turbine generator in the back of the power car.
- Much of the existing transmission could be retained.
- A zero-carbon power car would certainly fit their main use in Scotland and the South-West of England.
- I doubt hydrogen refuelling would be a problem.
They may even attract other operators to use the locomotives.
A Battery-Electric Locomotive Based on A Stadler Class 88 Locomotive
I am using this Class 88 locomotive as a starting point, as the locomotive is powerful, reliable and was built specifically for UK railways. There are also ten already in service in the UK.
In Thoughts On A Battery Electric Class 88 Locomotive On TransPennine Routes, I started the article like this.
In Issue 864 of Rail Magazine, there is an article, which is entitled Johnson Targets A Bi-Mode Future.
As someone, who has examined the mathematics of battery-powered trains for several years, I wonder if the Age of the Hybrid Battery/Electric Locomotive is closer than we think.
A Battery/Electric Class 88 Locomotive
After reading Dual Mode Delight (RM Issue 863), it would appear that a Class 88 locomotive is a powerful and reliable locomotive.
-
- It is a Bo-Bo locomotive with a weight of 86.1 tonnes and an axle load of 21.5 tonnes.
- It has a rating on electricity of 4,000 kW.
- It is a genuine 100 mph locomotive when working from 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The locomotive has regenerative braking, when working using electrification.
- It would appear the weight of the diesel engine is around seven tonnes
- The closely-related Class 68 locomotive has a 5,600 litre fuel tank and full of diesel would weight nearly five tonnes.
The locomotive would appear to be carrying between 7 and 12 tonnes of diesel-related gubbins.
Suppose that the diesel-related gubbins of the Class 88 locomotive were to be replaced with a ten tonne battery.
Using the Forsee figures, that I quoted earlier, this battery would hold 1660 kWh.
At the power level of the 700 kW of the Caterpillar C27 diesel engine in the Class 88 locomotive, that would give more than two hours power.
It looks to me, that a battery-electric Class 88 locomotive could be a very useful locomotive.
It might even be able to haul freight trains in and out of the Port of Felixstowe, which would be a big advantage in decarbonising the port.
Certainly, methods to charge battery trains on the move, are being developed like the system from Hitachi ABB Power Grids, that put up short sections of 25 KVAC overhead electrification, which would be driven by a containerised power system.
These systems and others like them, may enable some battery-electric freight trains to work routes like.
- Felixstowe and Ipswich.
- Ipswich and Peterborough
- Peterborough and Nuneaton.
- Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln
- Birmingham and Oxford
None of these routes are fully-electrified.
But because of the power limit imposed by the batteries, these locomotives will need to be recharged at points on the route.
This Google Map shows the Ipswich and Peterborough route crossing the Fen Line at Ely station.
Note.
- Ely Dock junction in the South-West corner, where the line from Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds joins the lines through Ely.
- Ely station towards the North-East corner of the map.
- Passenger trains run through the station.
But freight trains can take a route on the Eastern side of the station, which is not electrified.
At Ely station, a loop like this can be electrified using the existing electrification power supply, but at other places, systems like that from Hitachi ABB Power Grids can be used to electrify the loop or an appropriate section of the route.
These short sections of electrification will allow the train to progress on either electric or battery power.
A Hydrogen-Electric Locomotive Based on A Stadler Class 88 Locomotive
In The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive, I looked at creating a hydrogen-powered locomotive from a Class 68 locomotive.
I decided it was totally feasible to use readily available technology from companies like Rolls-Royce and Cummins to create a powerful hydrogen-powered locomotive.
The Class 68 locomotive is the diesel-only cousin of the electro-diesel Class 88 locomotive and they share a lot of components including the body-shell, the bogies and the traction system.
I suspect Stadler could create a Class 88 locomotive with these characteristics.
- 4 MW using electric power
- At least 2.5 MW using hydrogen power.
- Hydrogen power could come from Rolls-Royce’s 2.5 MW generator based on a small gas-turbine engine.
- 100 mph on both electricity and hydrogen.
- It would have power output on hydrogen roughly equal to a Class 66 locomotive on diesel.
- It would have a range comparable to a Class 68 locomotive on diesel.
This locomotive would be a zero-carbon Class 66 locomotive replacement for all duties.
A Larger And More Powerful Hydrogen-Electric Locomotive
I feel that for the largest intermodal and stone trains, that a larger hydrogen-electric locomotive will be needed.
Conclusion
In the title of this post, I asked if freight locomotives of the future would be battery, electric or hydrogen.
I am sure of one thing, which is that all freight locomotives must be able to use electrification and if possible, that means both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third rail. Electrification will only increase in the future, making it necessary for most if not all locomotives in the future to be able to use it.
I feel there will be both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric locomotives, with the battery-electric locomotives towards the less-powerful end.
Hydrogen-electric will certainly dominate at the heavy end.
DfT To Have Final Say On Huddersfield Rebuild Of Rail Station And Bridges
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
As part of the £1.4bn Transpennine Route Upgrade. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is to rule on planned changes to Huddersfield’s 19th century rail station and not the Kirklees council, in what is to be a huge revamp of the line between Manchester and York.
According to the article eight bridges are to be replaced or seriously modified.
As Huddersfield station (shown) is Grade I listed and three other Grade II listed buildings and structures are involved, I can see this project ending up with a substantial bill for lawyers.
But then, to have a world-class railway across the Pennines, a few eggs will need to be broken.
Electric Trains Across The Pennine
This page on the Network Rail web site describes the Huddersfield To Westtown (Dewsbury) Upgrade.
When the upgrade and the related York To Church Fenton Improvement Scheme is completed, the TransPennine route between Huddersfield and York will be fully-electrified.
As Manchester To Stalybridge will also have been electrified, this will mean that the only section without electrification will be the eighteen miles across the Pennines between Stalybridge and Huddersfield.
Will this final eighteen miles ne electrified?
Eighteen miles with electrification at both ends will be a short jump for a Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, the specification of which is shown in this Hitachi infographic.
The Class 802 trains of TransPennine Express are able to be converted into these trains.
The trains could work these routes.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough
- Manchester Airport and Redcar
- Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh via Newcastle
- Manchester Airport and Newcastle
- Manchester Piccadilly and Hull
- Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes
Note.
- I suspect some more Class 802 trains with batteries will be needed.
- The trains would either use battery or diesel power to reach Hull, Redcar and Scarborough or there could be a few miles of electrification to stretch battery range.
- Will the Class 68 diesel locomotives be replaced with Class 93 tri-mode locomotives to haul the Mark 5A coaches to Scarborough.
- Manchester Airport and Cleethorpes could be a problem and will probably need some electrification around Sheffield and Grimsby.
This would just mean TransPennine’s two short routes to be decarbonised.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield
- Huddersfield and Leeds
As except for the eighteen mile gap between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, these two routes are fully-electrified, I suspect that a battery-electric version of a 110 mph electric train like a Class 387 or Class 350 train could run these routes.
Conclusion
It looks like if these sections of the TransPennine Express network are upgraded and electrified.
- York and Church Fenton
- Huddersfield and Westtown
- Manchester and Staylebridge
Together with a few extra miles of electrification at strategic points, that TransPennine Express will be able to decarbonise.
Shooter Urges Caution On Hydrogen Hubris
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in the January 2021 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is the first paragraph.
Vivarail Chairman Adrian Shooter has urges caution about the widespread enthusiasm for hydrogen technology. In his keynote speech to the Golden Spanner Awards on 27 November, Mr. Shooter said the process to create ‘green hydrogen’ by electrolysis is ‘a wasteful use of electricity’ and was skeptical about using electricity to create hydrogen to then use a fuel cell to power a train, rather than charging batteries to power a train. ‘What you will discover is that a hydrogen train uses 3.5 times as much electricity because of inefficiencies in the electrolysis process and also in the fuel cells’ said Mr. Shooter. He also noted the energy density of hydrogen at 350 bar is only one-tenth of a similar quantity of diesel fuel, severely limiting the range of a hydrogen-powered train between refuelling.
Mr. Shooter then made the following points.
- The complexity of delivering hydrogen to the railway depots.
- The shorter range available from the amount of hydrogen that can be stored on a train compared to the range of a diesel train.
- He points out limitations with the design of the Alstom Breeze train.
This is the last paragraph.
Whilst this may have seemed like a challenge designed purely to promote the battery alternatives that Vivarail is developing, and which he believes to be more efficient, Mr. Shooter explained: ‘I think that hydrogen fuel cell trains could work in this country, but people just need to remember that there are downsides. I’m sure we’ll see some, and in fact we should because competition improves the breed.’
i think Mr. Shooter may have made several good points.
These are my thoughts.
Creating Green Hydrogen
I haven’t done an analysis of the costs of creating green hydrogen from electrolysis, but I have a feeling, that electrolysis won’t be the only way to create large amounts of carbon-free hydrogen, in a few years.
These methods are currently available or under development or construction.
- The hydrogen tram-buses in Pau have a personal electrolyser, that provides hydrogen at 350 bar.
- London’s hydrogen buses will be provided with hydrogen from an electrolyser at Herne Bay by truck. Will the trucks be hydrogen-powered?
Some industrial processes like the Castner-Kellner process create hydrogen as a by-product.
In Shell Process To Make Blue Hydrogen Production Affordable, I describe the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process, which appears to be a way of making massive amounts of carbon-free hydrogen for processes like steel-making and cement production. Surely some could be piped or transported by truck to the rail depot.
In ITM Power and Ørsted: Wind Turbine Electrolyser Integration, I describe how ITM Power and Ørsted plan to create the hydrogen off shore and bring it by pipeline to the shore.
Note.
- The last two methods could offer savings in the cost of production of carbon-free hydrogen.
- Surely, the delivery trucks if used, must be hydrogen-powered.
- The Shell Blue Hydrogen Process uses natural gas as a feedstock and converts it to hydrogen using a newly-developed catalyst. The carbon-dioxide is captured and used or stored.
- If the local gas network has been converted to hydrogen, the hydrogen can be delivered to the depot or filling station through that gas network.
I very much feel that affordable hydrogen can be supplied to bus, train, tram or transport depot. For remote or difficult locations. personal electrolysers, powered by renewable electricity, can be used, as at Pau.
Hydrogen Storage On Trains
Liquid hydrogen could be the answer and Airbus are developing methods of storing large quantities on aircraft.
In What Size Of Hydrogen Tank Will Be Needed On A ZEROe Turbofan?, I calculated how much liquid hydrogen would be needed for this ZEROe Turbofan.
I calculate that to carry the equivalent amount of fuel to an Airbus A320neo would need a liquid hydrogen tank with a near 100 cubic metre capacity. This sized tank would fit in the rear fuselage.
I feel that in a few years, a hydrogen train will be able to carry enough liquid hydrogen in a fuel tank, but the fuel tank will be large.
In The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive, I calculated how much liquid hydrogen would be needed to provide the same amount of energy as that carried in a full diesel tank on a Class 68 locomotive.
The locomotive would need 19,147 litres or 19.15 cubic metres of liquid hydrogen, which could be contained in a cylindrical tank with a diameter of 2 metres and a length of 6 metres.
Hydrogen Locomotives Or Multiple Units?
We have only seen first generation hydrogen trains so far.
This picture shows the Alstom Coradia iLint, which is a conversion of a Coradia Lint.
It is a so-so train and works reasonably well, but the design means there is a lot of transmission noise.
This is a visualisation of an Alstom Breeze or Class 600 train.
Note that the front half of the first car of the train, is taken up with a large hydrogen tank. It will be the same at the other end of the train.
As Mr. Shooter said, Alstom are converting a three-car train into a two-car train. Not all conversions live up to the hype of their proposers.
I would hope that the next generation of a hydrogen train designed from scratch, will be a better design.
I haven’t done any calculations, but I wonder if a lighter weight vehicle may be better.
Hydrogen Locomotives
I do wonder, if hydrogen locomotives are a better bet and easier to design!
- There is a great need all over the world for zero-carbon locomotives to haul freight trains.
- Powerful small gas-turbine engines, that can run on liquid hydrogen are becoming available.
- Rolls-Royce have developed a 2.5 MW gas-turbine generator, that is the size of a beer-keg.
In The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive, I wondered if the Rolls-Royce generator could power a locomotive, the size of a Class 68 locomotive.
This was my conclusion.
I feel that there are several routes to a hydrogen-powered railway locomotive and all the components could be fitted into the body of a diesel locomotive the size of a Class 68 locomotive.
Consider.
- Decarbonising railway locomotives and ships could be a large market.
- It offers the opportunities of substantial carbon reductions.
- The small size of the Rolls-Royce 2.5 MW generator must offer advantages.
- Some current diesel-electric locomotives might be convertible to hydrogen power.
I very much feel that companies like Rolls-Royce and Cummins (and Caterpillar!), will move in and attempt to claim this lucrative worldwide market.
In the UK, it might be possible to convert some existing locomotives to zero-carbon, using either liquid hydrogen, biodiesel or aviation biofuel.
Perhaps, hydrogen locomotives could replace Chiltern Railways eight Class 68 locomotives.
- A refuelling strategy would need to be developed.
- Emissions and noise, would be reduced in Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street stations.
- The rakes of carriages would not need any modifications to use existing stations.
It could be a way to decarbonise Chiltern Railways without full electrification.
It looks to me that a hydrogen-powered locomotive has several advantages over a hydrogen-powered multiple unit.
- It can carry more fuel.
- It can be as powerful as required.
- Locomotives could work in pairs for more power.
- It is probably easier to accommodate the hydrogen tank.
- Passenger capacity can be increased, if required by adding more coaches.
It should also be noted that both hydrogen locomotives and multiple units can build heavily on technology being developed for zero-carbon aviation.
The Upward Curve Of Battery Power
Sparking A Revolution is the title an article in Issue 898 of Rail Magazine, which is mainly an interview with Andrew Barr of Hitachi Rail.
The article contains a box, called Costs And Power, where this is said.
The costs of batteries are expected to halve in the next years, before dropping further again by 2030.
Hitachi cites research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) which expects costs to fall from £135/kWh at the pack level today to £67/kWh in 2030 and £47/kWh in 3030.
United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) are predicting that battery energy density will double in the next 15 years, from 700 Wh/l to 1400 Wh/l in 2-35, while power density (fast charging) is likely to increase four times in the same period from 3 kW/kg to 12 kW/kg in 2035.
These are impressive improvements that can only increase the performance and reduce the cost of batteries in all applications.
Hitachi’s Regional Battery Train
This infographic gives the specification of Hitachi Regional Battery Train, which they are creating in partnership with Hyperdrive Innovation.
Note that Hitachi are promising a battery life of 8-10 years.
Financing Batteries
This paragraph is from this page on BuyaCar, which is entitled Electric Car Battery Leasing: Should I Lease Or Buy The Batteries?
When you finance or buy a petrol or diesel car it’s pretty simple; the car will be fitted with an engine. However, with some electric cars you have the choice to finance or buy the whole car, or to pay for the car and lease the batteries separately.
I suspect that battery train manufacturers, will offer similar finance models for their products.
This paragraph is from this page on the Hyperdrive Innovation web site.
With a standardised design, our modular product range provides a flexible and scalable battery energy storage solution. Combining a high-performance lithium-ion NMC battery pack with a built in Battery Management System (BMS) our intelligent systems are designed for rapid deployment and volume manufacture, supplying you with class leading energy density and performance.
I can envisage that as a battery train ages, every few years or so, the batteries will get bigger electrically, but still be the same physical size, due to the improvements in battery technology, design and manufacture.
I have been involved in the finance industry both as a part-owner of a small finance company and as a modeller of the dynamics of their lending. It looks to me, that train batteries could be a very suitable asset for financing by a fund. But given the success of energy storage funds like Gore Street and Gresham House, this is not surprising.
I can envisage that battery electric trains will be very operator friendly, as they are likely to get better with age and they will be very finance-friendly.
Charging Battery Trains
I must say something about the charging of battery trains.
Battery trains will need to be charged and various methods are emerging.
Using Existing Electrification
This will probably be one of the most common methods used, as many battery electric services will be run on partly on electrified routes.
Take a typical route for a battery electric train like London Paddington and Oxford.
- The route is electrified between London Paddington and Didcot Junction.
- There is no electrification on the 10.4 miles of track between Didcot Junction and Oxford.
If a full battery on the train has sufficient charge to take the train from Didcot Junction to Oxford and back, charging on the main line between London Paddington and Didcot Junction, will be all that will be needed to run the service.
I would expect that in the UK, we’ll be seeing battery trains using both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third rail electrification.
Short Lengths Of New Strategic Electrification
I think that Great Western Railway would like to run either of Hitachi’s two proposed battery electric trains to Swansea.
As there is 45.7 miles pf track without .electrification, some form of charging in Swansea station, will probably be necessary.
The easiest way would probably be to electrify Swansea station and perhaps for a short distance to the North.
This Google Map shows Swansea station and the railway leading North.
Note.
- There is a Hitachi Rail Depot at the Northern edge of the map.
- Swansea station is in South-West corner of the map.
- Swansea station has four platforms.
Swansea station would probably make an excellent battery train hub, as trains typically spend enough time in the station to fully charge the batteries before continuing.
There are other tracks and stations of the UK, that I would electrify to enable the running of battery electric trains.
- Leeds and York, which would enable carbon-free London and Edinburgh services via Leeds and help TransPennine services. This is partially underway.
- Leicester and East Midlands Parkway and Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield – These two sections would enable EMR InterCity services to go battery electric.
- Sheffield and Leeds via Meadowhall, Barnsley Dearne Valley and the Wakefield Line, which would enable four trains per hour (tph) between Sheffield and Leeds and an extension of EMR InterCity services to Leeds.
- Hull and Brough, would enable battery electric services to Hull and Beverley.
- Scarborough and Seamer, would enable electric services services to Scarborough and between Hull and Scarborough.
- Middlesbrough and Redcar, would enable electric services services to Teesside.
- Crewe and Chester and around Llandudno Junction station – These two sections would enable Avanti West Coast service to Holyhead to go battery electric.
- Shrewsbury station – This could become a battery train hub, as I talked about for Swansea.
- Taunton and Exeter and around Penzance, Plymouth and Westbury stations – These three sections would enable Great Western Railway to cut a substantial amount of carbon emissions.
- Exeter, Yeovil Junction and Salisbury stations. – Electrifying these three stations would enable South Western Railway to run between London and Exeter using Hitachi Regional Battery Trains, as I wrote in Bi-Modes Offered To Solve Waterloo-Exeter Constraints.
We will also need fast chargers for intermediate stations, so that a train can charge the batteries on a long route.
I know of two fast chargers under development.
- Opbrid at Furrer and Frey
- Vivarail’s Fast Charge, which I wrote about in Vivarail’s Plans For Zero-Emission Trains.
I believe it should be possible to battery-electrify a route by doing the following.
- Add short lengths of electrification and fast charging systems as required.
- Improve the track, so that trains can use their full performance.
- Add ERTMS signalling.
- Add some suitable trains.
Note.
- I feel ERTMS signalling with a degree of automatic train control could be used with automatic charging systems, to make station stops more efficient.
- In my view, there is no point in installing better modern trains, unless the track is up to their performance.
The Mathematics Of A Hydrogen-Powered Freight Locomotive
If we are going to decarbonise the railways in the UK and in many countries of the world, there is a need to replace diesel locomotives with a zero-carbon alternative.
In looking at Airbus’s proposal for hydrogen powered aircraft in ZEROe – Towards The World’s First Zero-Emission Commercial Aircraft, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of powering freight locomotives using gas-turbine engines running on liquid hydrogen.
A Hydrogen-Powered Equivalent Of A Class 68 Locomotive
The Class 68 Locomotive is a modern diesel locomotive used on UK railways.
This is a brief specification
- It can pull both passenger and freight trains.
- It has an operating speed of 100 mph.
- The diesel engine is rated at 2.8 MW
- It has an electric transmission.
- It has a 5,000 litre diesel tank.
- It weighs 85 tonnes.
- It is 20.5 metres long.
There are thirty-four of these locomotives in service, where some haul passenger trains for Chiltern Railways and TransPennine Express.
Rolls-Royce’s Staggering Development
Staggering is not my word, but that of Paul Stein, who is Rolls-Royce’s Chief Technology Officer.
He used the word in a press release, which I discuss in Our Sustainability Journey.
To electrify aviation, Rolls-Royce has developed a 2.5 MW generator, based on a small gas-turbine engine, which Paul Stein describes like this.
Amongst the many great achievements from E-Fan X has been the generator – about the same size as a beer keg – but producing a staggering 2.5 MW. That’s enough power to supply 2,500 homes and fully represents the pioneering spirit on this project.
This generator is designed for flight and the data sheet for the gas-turbine engine is available on the Internet.
- It has a weight of under a couple of tonnes compared to the thirteen tonnes of the diesel engine and generator in a Class 68 locomotive.
- It is almost as powerful as the diesel.
- It looks to be as frugal, if not more so!
- Rolls-Royce haven’t said if this gas-turbine can run on aviation biofuel, but as many of Rolls-Royce’s large engines can, I would be very surprised if it couldn’t!
Rolls-Royce’s German subsidiary; MTU is a large producer of rail and maritime diesel engines, so the company has the expertise to customise the generator for rail applications.
Could this generator be modified to run on liquid hydrogen and used to power a Class 68-sized locomotive?
- The size of the generator must be an advantage.
- Most gas-turbine engines can be modified to run on natural gas and hydrogen.
- Its power output is electricity.
- There’s probably space to fit two engines in a Class 68 locomotive.
In addition, a battery could be added to the transmission to enable regenerative braking to battery, which would increase the efficiency of the locomotive.
Storing Enough Hydrogen
I believe that the hydrogen-powered locomotive should carry as much energy as a Class 68 locomotive.
- A Class 68 locomotive has a capacity of 5,000 litres of diesel fuel.
- This will have a mass of 4.19 tonnes.
- Each kilogram of diesel can produce 47 Mega Joules of energy.
- This means that full fuel tanks contain 196,695 Mega Joules of energy.
- Each litre of liquid hydrogen can produce 10.273 Mega Joules of energy
This means that to carry the same amount of energy will need 19,147 litres or 19.15 cubic metres of liquid hydrogen.
- This could be contained in a cylindrical tank with a diameter of 2 metres and a length of 6 metres.
- It would also weigh 1.38 tonnes.
The E-Fan-X aircraft project must have worked out how to store, similar amounts of liquid hydrogen.
Note that I used this Energy And Fuel Data Sheet from Birmingham University.
Running On Electrification
As the locomotive would have an electric transmission, there is no reason, why it could not run using both 25 KVAC overhead and 750 VDC third-rail electrification.
This would enable the locomotive to haul trains efficiently on partially electrified routes like between Felixstowe and Leeds.
Hydrogen-Powered Reciprocating Engines
When it comes to diesel engines to power railway locomotives and big trucks, there are few companies bigger than Cummins, which in 2018, turned over nearly 24 billion dollars.
- A large proportion of this revenue could be at risk, if governments around the world, get serious about decarbonisation.
- Cummins have not let the worst just happen and in 2019, they acquired Hydrogenics, who are a hydrogen power company, that they now own in an 81/19 partnership with Air Liquide.
- Could all this expertise and Cummins research combine to produce powerful hydrogen-powered reciprocating engines?
- Other companies, like ABC and ULEMCo are going this route, to modify existing diesel engines to run on hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and diesel.
I believe it is very likely, that Cummins or another company comes up with a solution to decarbonise rail locomotives, based on a conversion of an existing diesel engine.
Refuelling Hydrogen-Powered Rail Locomotives
One of problems with hydrogen-powered trucks and cars, is that there is no nationwide refuelling network providing hydrogen. But railway locomotives and trains usually return to depots at the end of the day for servicing and can be fuelled there.
Conclusion
I feel that there are several routes to a hydrogen-powered railway locomotive and all the components could be fitted into the body of a diesel locomotive the size of a Class 68 locomotive.
Consider.
- Decarbonising railway locomotives and ships could be a large market.
- It offers the opportunities of substantial carbon reductions.
- The small size of the Rolls-Royce 2.5 MW generator must offer advantages.
- Some current diesel-electric locomotives might be convertible to hydrogen power.
I very much feel that companies like Rolls-Royce and Cummins (and Caterpillar!), will move in and attempt to claim this lucrative worldwide market.
Our Sustainability Journey
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release on the Rolls-Royce web site.
It is sub-titled.
Paul Stein’s Thoughts On Sustainability And Electrification
Paul Stein is Rolls-Royce’s Chief Technology Officer, so what he says is important.
This press release was the source of the information behind Distributed Propulsion ‘Maybe The Only Means’ For Small Electric Flight Progress, which I wrote about Rolls-Royce’s beer keg-sized 2.5 MW generator.
This is the third paragraph.
We’ve taken great steps at Rolls-Royce with our three-pillar sustainability approach of developing the gas turbine to even greater efficiency, supporting the introduction of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and creating new, disruptive technologies such as electrification.
These are definitely, the three pillars of wisdom, when it comes to sustainable aviation.
E-Fan X
This paragraph is Paul Stein’s view of the E-Fan X.
One of the great endeavours in the latter category has been our E-Fan X programme in partnership with Airbus. From our side, this has involved creating a hybrid-electric power generation system at a scale never previously seen in our industry, comprised of an embedded AE2100 gas turbine driving a 2.5MW generator and 3000V power electronics and an electric propulsion unit. What has been particularly encouraging has been the amount of industry interest and support for this programme, and I know everyone at Rolls-Royce and Airbus has been truly grateful for that.
He states that the E-Fan has now concluded, but a several valuable lessons have been learned.
2.5 MW Generator
He describes the generator like this.
Amongst the many great achievements from E-Fan X has been the generator – about the same size as a beer keg – but producing a staggering 2.5 MW. That’s enough power to supply 2,500 homes and fully represents the pioneering spirit on this project.
The press release discloses that the heart of this staggering generator is a Rolls-Royce AE2100 gas turbine, which powers the latest version of the legendary Lockheed Hercules; the C-130J Super Hercules.
Wikipedia gives this data for the AE2100D2 version of the engine.
- Length – three metres
- Diameter – 0.73 metres
- Weight – 783 kilograms
- Maximum Power Output – 3458 kW
- Fuel Consumption – 0.25/kW/h
It looks like in the E-Fan X application, the engine is not at full power.
Use With Aviation Biofuel
Aviation Biofuel is described like this in the first sentences of its Wikipedia entry.
Aviation biofuel is a biofuel used for aircraft. It is considered by some to be the primary means by which the aviation industry can reduce its carbon footprint. After a multi-year technical review from aircraft makers, engine manufacturers and oil companies, biofuels were approved for commercial use in July 2011.
But it doesn’t necessarily mean growing large amounts of crops and converting it to the fuel. Altalto, who are backed by British Airways, Shell, Oxford University and the British Government are building a plant at Immingham to convert household and industrial waste into aviation biofuel.
I would expect that Rolls-Royce have made sure that the generator will work with aviation biofuel.
A Memory Of Emergency Power Generation
About twenty-five years, there was a major power failure after a thunder storm, where I lived in Suffolk and C and myself went to bed in the dark. We awoke to full power in the morning, after a good night’s sleep with no disturbance.
Imagine my surprise, when I let the dogs out to find parked in the field in front of the house, a very large articulated truck.
I was greeted by an engineer, who asked if I minded, his generator in my field. I seem to remember my response was to offer him a cup of tea, which he refused, as he said he had everything he needed in the truck.
It turned out that the main sub-station for the area had received a direct lightning strike and had been destroyed. So to supply power to all the nearby villages, as my farm was at the end of the supply, it was the most convenient place to plug in a transportable gas-turbine generator. The generator was in the field for about ten days and the whole operation impressed me with its professionalism.
But with this new 2.5 MW generator from Rolls-Royce, there would only need to be a small 3.5 tonne four-wheeled truck, to include the generator, fuel and living quarters for the engineer
We have made a lot of progress in twenty-five years.
A Modern Railway Locomotive
The power of this new Class 68 diesel locomotive, that was built in Spain, by Swiss company Stadler is a very healthy 2,800 kW.
Consider these facts about a Class 68 locomotive.
- Thirty-four of these locomotives have been produced for the UK.
- They are powered by a Caterpillar C175-16 engine, which weighs thirteen tonnes.
- The transmission of these locomotives is electric, which means that the diesel engine drives a generator and the train is driven by electric traction motors.
- The locomotive is equally at home hauling intermodal freight trains and passenger trains for Chiltern Railways or TransPennine Express.
- According to Wikipedia, Class 68 locomotives comply with Stage III A of the European emission standards but not Stage III B. But that is much better than most of our noisy, smelly and polluting diesel locomotives.
Class 68 locomotives are members of the UKLight family of locomotives, which contains, these two other locomotives.
- Already in service is the Class 88 locomotive, which is a bi-mode locomotive, which is capable of running on electrification or the on-board 0.7 MW diesel engine.
- Under development is the Class 93 locomotive, which is a tri-mode 110 mph locomotive, which is capable of running on electrification, the on-board 0.7 MW diesel engine or battery power.
Stadler seem to be able to mix-and-match various power sources to provide versatile and highly-desirable locomotives.
I feel it would be feasible to design a railway locomotive with the following power sources.
- 25 KVAC overhead or 750 VDC third-rail electrification, providing up to perhaps the four MW of a Class 88 locomotive.
- A Rolls-Royce gas-turbine generator running on aviation biofuel, providing up to perhaps three MW.
- Batteries up to a weight of perhaps ten tonnes.
I am sure that it could handle many of the routes still run with diesel locomotives in the UK.
- It would handle all locomotive-hauled passenger services and would be electric-only in stations.
- It certainly solves the problem of hauling long intermodal freight trains between Felixstowe and the Midlands and the North.
- To handle the heaviest stone and aggregate trains, it might need a more powerful generator, but I’m sure Rolls-Royce would oblige.
In Thoughts On A Battery/Electric Replacement For A Class 66 Locomotive, I gave a list of routes, that would need to be handled by a battery electric locomotive.
- Didcot and Birmingham – Around two-and-a-half hours
- Didcot and Coventry – Just under two hours
- Felixstowe and Ipswich – Around an hour
- Haughley Junction and Peterborough – Around two hours
- Southampton and Reading – Around one-and-a-half hours
- Werrington Junction and Doncaster via Lincoln – Around two hours
- Werrington Junction and Nuneaton – Just under two hours
Will Rolls-Royce’s generator be able to supply 2.5 MW for up to four hours?
This would need two-and-a-half tonnes of aviation biofuel, which would be around 3,200 litres, which could be carried in the 5,000 litre tank of a Class 68 locomotive.
It certainly seems feasible to replace diesel locomotives with gas-turbine locomotives running on aviation biofuel, to reduce net carbon emissions and reduce noise and pollution.
But this is not just a UK problem and many countries, who rely on diesel-hauled rail freight, would look seriously at such a locomotive.
Underfloor Mounting In Passenger Trains
These pictures show the space underneath a Hitachi Class 800 train.
The red cap visible in some pictures is the filler for the oil or diesel for the MTU 12V 1600 R 80L diesel engine used to power the trains away from electrification.
This diesel engine has this specification.
- It produces 560 kW of power.
- It weighs around six tonnes.
- Its is about 4 x 2.5 x 1 metres in size.
The diesel engine produces about a fifth of the power as the gas-turbine generator, which is also smaller and very much lighter in weight.
It should also be noted, that a nine-car Class 800 train has five of these MTU diesel engines.
At a first glance, it would appear Hitachi could find one of Rolls-Royce’s gas-turbine generators very useful.
- It might even enable self-powered high speed trains to run on lines without electrification at speeds well in excess of 140 mph.
- I can certainly see, High Speed Two’s classic-compatible trains having one or possibly two of these generators, so they can extend services on lines without electrification.
We shouldn’t forget that one version of British Rail’s Advanced Passenger Train was to be gas-turbine powered.
A Class 43 Diesel Power-Car
Rolls-Royce would need a test-bed for a trial rail application of their 2.5 MW generator and there is probably no better trial vehicle, than one of the numerous Class 43 power-cars waiting to be scrapped. They could probably obtain a complete InterCity 125, if they wanted one for a realistic weight, test equipment and a second power-car for comparison and rescue.
But seriously, if we are going to remove diesel from UK railways by 2040, a solution needs to be found for the GWR Castles, ScotRail’s Inter7Citys and NetworkRail’s New Measurement Train.
One of the great advantages of these staggering (Rolls-Royce’s Chief Technology Officer’s word, not mine!) generators is that they are controlled by Full Authority Digital Engine Control or FADEC.
FADEC will give the pilots in a Hercules or other aircraft, all the precise control they need and I doubt Rolls-Royce will leave FADEC out of their gas turbine generator, as it would give the operator or driver extremely precise control.
A driver of a GWR Castle equipped with two gas-turbine power-cars, would be able to do the following.
- Adjust the power to the load and terrain, with much more accuracy, than at present.
- Shut the engines down and start them quickly, when passing through sensitive areas.
- Cut carbon-dioxide emissions, by simply using a minimum amount of fuel.
I would put a battery in the back of the Class 43, to provide hotel power for the passenger coaches.
Running current MTU engines in the Class 43s, on biodiesel is surely a possibility, but that not an elegant engineering solution. It also doesn’t cut carbon emissions.
As there are still over a hundred Class 43s in service, it could even be a substantial order.
It should also be noted, that more-efficient and less-polluting MTU engines were fitted in Class 43s from 2005, so as MTU is now part of Rolls-Royce, I suspect that Rolls-Royce have access to all the drawings and engineers notes, if not the engineers themselves
But it would be more about publicity for future sales around the world, with headlines like.
Iconic UK Diesel Passenger Trains To Receive Green Roll-Royce Jet Power!
COVID-19 has given Rolls-Royce’s aviation business a real hammering, so perhaps they can open up a new revenue stream by replacing the engines of diesel locomotives,
A Class 55 Locomotive
Why Not?
A Class 55 locomotive is diesel electric and there are thousands of diesel locomotives in the world, built to similar basic designs, that need a more-efficient and more environmentally-friendly replacement for a dirty, smelly, noisy and polluting diesel power-plant.
Marine Applications
The Wikipedia entry for the Cat C175, says this.
The Cat C175 is often used in locomotives and passenger-class ships.
I suspect there will be marine applications for the gas-turbine generator.
Conclusion
I’m very certain that Rolls-Royce’s pocket power station has a big future.
Who said that dynamite comes in small parcels?
’88’ Makes Sizewell Debut
The title of this post, is the same as that of a news snippet in the June 2020 Edition of Modern Railways.
There is a picture of the electro-diesel Class 88 locomotive moving a nuclear flask from Sizewell on the closed Aldeburgh branch line to Crewe.
Note that is about 27-28 miles from the electrification at Ipswich East Suffolk Junction and the siding close to the power station, where flasks are loaded.
This is a classic use of an electric locomotive, that has a Last Mile-capability using an on-board diesel engine.
Many ports in the UK, like these examples are a few miles from the electrified network.
- Felixstowe – 16 miles
- Liverpool – 5 miles
- London Gateway – 4 miles
- Southampton – 2 miles
How many trains could be hauled to and from these and other ports using a Class 88 locomotive or their similar, but more powerful sibling; the Class 93 locomotive?
Conclusion
I suspect there are a number of routes that could be handled by electro-diesel locomotives.
I would like to see a serious analysis of all duties performed by diesel locomotives, like for example; Classes 66, 67, 68 and 70 locomotives, to see how many could be performed by suitably-sized electro-diesel locomotives.
If there is a gap in the market, then a rolling stock leasing company, should fill it!
Just like Beacon Rail Leasing and Clayton Equipment appear to have done with a diesel shunter, which I wrote about in UK Diesel-Battery Hybrid Locomotive Lease Fleet Ordered.
As Beacon Rail Leasing seem to be heavily involved in the leasing of electro-diesel locomotives, perhaps, they’re working on it?
GWR and DfT’s Commitment To The Night Riviera
The May 2020 Edition of Modern Railways has an article, which is entitled West Of England Improvements In GWR Deal.
Under a heading of Sleeper Planning, this is said about plans for the Night Riviera.
Whilst GWR is already developing plans for the short term future of the ‘Night Riviera’ sleeper service, including the provision of additional capacity at times of high demand using Mk. 3 vehicles withdrawn from the Caledonian Sleeper fleet, it is understood the company has been asked to develop a long-term plan for the replacement of the current Mk. 3 fleet of coaches, constructed between 1981 and 1984, as well as the Class 57/6 locomotives, which were rebuilt in 2002-03 from Class 47 locomotives constructed in the early 1960s.
This must show commitment from both GWR and the Department for Transport, that the Night Riviera has a future.
These are a few of my thoughts on the future of the service.
The Coaches
I would suspect that GWR will opt for the same Mark 5 coaches, built by CAF, as are used on the Caledonian Sleeper.
I took these pictures on a trip from Euston to Glasgow.
The coaches don’t seem to have any problems and appear to be performing well.
The facilities are comprehensive and include full en-suite plumbing, a selection of beds including doubles and a lounge car. There are also berths for disabled passengers.
The Locomotives
The Class 57 locomotives have a power output around 2 MW and I would suspect a similar-sized locomotive would be used.
Possible locomotives could include.
- Class 67 – Used by Chiltern on passenger services – 2.4 kW
- Class 68 – Used by Chiltern, TransPennine Express and others on passenger services – 2.8 MW
- Class 88 – A dual-mode locomotive might be powerful enough on diesel – 700 kW
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Stadler come up with a customised version of their Euro Dual dual-mode locomotives.
My First Ride In A Nova 3 Train
Nova 3 is the name that TransPennine Express have given to their new fleet of Mark 5A coaches hauled by Class 68 locomotives.
The first few pictures were taken, when I saw a Nova 3 at Manchester Victoria station and the ither during and after a ride between Manchester Victoria and Leeds stations.
These are a few of my thoughts.
Comfort, Noise And Vibration
It was certainly good and up there with the best.
Tables For Four
There were quite a few tables, but not everyone got one.
Ride And Performance
There was nothing wrong with the ride, but we were only doing 75 mph across the Pennines.
Next time, I’m in the North, I’ll take one of these trains up the East Coast Main Line to Scarborough or Redcar to feel them at a faster speed.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t object to having these coaches with a Class 88 electric locomotive running between London and Nowich via Ipswich.
A Chaotic Morning Peak Across The Pennines
I had intended to ride in one of TransPennine Express’s new trains that are formed of a rake of Mark 5A coaches hauled by a Class 68 locomotive.
As they run between Liverpool Lime Street and Scarbough, I thought it best to buy a return ticket between Manchester Victoria and Leeds.
Problem Number 1 – Northern’s Ticket Machine
Northern’s new ticket machines are fine when they work, but for some reason they wouldn’t respond to my fingers.
I find this with some touch screens, which are mainly in Sweden or IKEA in the UK.
So I bought a ticket from the ticket office intending to catch the next Scarborough train.
This had also happened the day before at Leeds.
Problem Number 2 – The Scarborough Train Didn’t Arrive
As the Scarborough train didn’t arrive, I gave up and took the Newcastle train towards Leeds.
Problem Number 3 – Overcrowding At Huddersfield
I took this picture of the crowds at Huddersfield.
My phone was telling me that the Scarborough train was behind my Newcastle train, so I decided to change at Huddersfield.
But I made a mistake and got on a very crowded train, that was going to Hull via Leeds.
I had to stand to Leeds, but at least I got a roomy and safe standing space.
Problem Number 4 – Class 185 Trains
.The Class 185 trains are just three-cars and totally inadequate for the route.
The trains were ordered in 2003 and were delivered in 2006-2007.
If you read the section entitled Overcrowding And Passenger Feedback, in the Wikipedia entry for the trains., you’ll see from the early days, these trains did not have enough capacity for the route.
I blame the Treasury under Gordon Brown, who specified the trains and as with Class 700 trains, which were also specified by the Treasury, there are serious shortcomings.
Considering that among other routes at this time, the London and Norwich route was being run by eight car trains, what in heaven were they thinking about.
But it was only the North of England! And not London or Scotland!
Problem Number 5 – Crowded Leeds Station
Leeds station was crowded as ever, but it wasn’t helped by an escalator being broken down.
I had hoped, that I would have enough time to go to Harrogate, but I felt as it was all so slow, that it was best to go back to Manchester Victoria station, grab something to eat and then go on to Liverpool Lime Street station, which was my intended destination.
Problem Number 6 – Ticket Machine At Leeds Station
I needed a Single from Leeds to Liverpool Lime Street and try as I might, I couldn’t find it on the machine, so I resorted to the Ticket Office again.
Problem Number 7 – Train Failure At Manchester Victoria Station
The train from Leeds to Manchester Victoria was another Class 185 train and I did get a seat.
But where was the new five-car rake of Mark 5A coaches and a Class 68 locomotive?
I did successfully split my journey at Manchester Victoria station, but there seemed to be problems, so I thought I’d go on immediately to Liverpool and arrive in the city with an hour to spare for my meeting.
As if things could be so simple!
A Class 185 train had failed in the platform and it was nearly an hour, before I got away to Liverpool in a train, that arrived in the bay platform 2, which to get to the West, had to come out of the station and reverse. I suspect TransPennine Express were using a driver in both cabs or driving it from the Liverpool-facing cab at all time.
Problem Number 8 – Late Arrival Into Liverpool Lime Street
I arrived in Liverpool about fifteen minutes late for my meeting, with the rain chucking it down, after it being dry in Manchester.
The weather in itself must be unusual!
My Observations
I was having a text conversation with a friend in London and these were my observations to him, with a few other points added by hindsight.
1. Northern’s Ticket Machines
These need reeducation and the dry-finger problem that I suffer with the screens must be fixed.
2. Northern’s Ticket Offices
Northern needs to open more ticket office windows.
3. Where Is The London-Style Contactless Ticketing?
London has proven, that contactless ticketing based on bank cards increases passenger numbers and revenue and has a high level of passenger satisfaction.
\The area of the North between Liverpool and Blackpool in the West and Leeds and Sheffield in the East is in terms of passenger numbers smaller than London’s contactless ticketing area.
I think there are two reasons, why it doesn’t exist now or in the near future.
- The trains are not big enough to cope with the increased traffic.
- It will result in a reduction of ticket offices and their staff and those in charge are frightened of the RMT.
So visitors like me have to suffer an inadequate ticketing system because of timid management.
4. Buying Tickets In The North In The Future
In future, when I go to the North, I’ll plan my journey in detail and buy my tickets from the intelligent and extremely customer-friendly ticket machines in Dalston Junction station.
It’s strange that both Northern and the London Overground are run by Arriva. How can one get it so right and the other so wrong?
Perhaps it’s because the London Overground only deals with one organisation; Transport for London and Northern deals with a myriad rabble of councillors, MPs, pressure groups, all fighting their own corners.
5. All Trains Must Be At Least Six Cars
More capacity is needed and as there is a lack of train paths across the Pennines, because of lack of investment in the tracks for decades, starting with that enemy of the train; Harold Wilson.The simplest way to increase to increase capacity is to make all trains at least six cars.
But I would go father than that.
- Trains running across the Pennines should all be identical.
- Capable of at least 100 mph.
- Capable of 125 mph, when the route includes the West or East Coast Main Lines.
- Fast acceleration away from stops.
- Identical door configuration with wide double doors on all trains.
- Level access between train and platform.
- Short dwell times in stopping stations.
Identical trains improve timekeeping and give a better service to passengers.
If you look at the Paddington and Oxford service it is now run virtually exclusively using Class 800 or 802 trains. I feel as an occasional passenger that it has improved dramatically, in terms of capacity, comfort and reliability for passengers.
6. What Idiot Decided To Buy Three Different Fleets For TransPennine Express?
The sister company of TransPennine Express is Great Western Railway.
Great Western Railway’s main line services are run by two fleets of trains.
- Hitachi Class 800 and Class 802 trains for long distance services.
- Class 387 trains for electric commuter services.
As some of the Class 387 trains are being converted for Heathrow Express and Crossrail are taking over London and Reading services, I can see a time, when all fast services that go to and from Paddington through Reading will be run by the Hitachi trains.
Consider.
- West of Heathrow, the fast lines are reserved for the 125 mph Hitachi trains.
- The 110 mph Class 387 trains to and from Heathrow, don’t get in the way of the faster Hitachi trains.
- Applying digital signalling to increase paths on the fast lines is easier with identical trains.
- Driver training and rostering must be simpler.
It’s not perfect, but it’s an arrangement that can be made to work well.
If a unified fleet is so good, why did TransPennine Express buy three separate fleets?
Class 802 Trains
Nineteen Class 802 trains will be used for these services.
- Liverpool Lime Street to Edinburgh Waverley via Newcastle (from December 2019)
- Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle (until December 2019)
- Manchester Airport to Newcastle
This seems to be a sensible and obvious choice.
- A five-car Class 802 train has eighty percent more seats than a three-car Class 185 train.
- A five-car Class 802 train is shorter than a pair of Class 185 trains.
- The trains are 125 mph trains, that can be upgraded to 140 mph with digital in-cab signalling.
- FirstGroup must have a large amount of experience of running Class 802 trains.
- Class 802 trains have an automatic split and join facility.
- East Coast Trains, Hull Trains and LNER will be running similar Hitachi trains on the East Coast Main Line.
In addition the fleet is future-proofed in two important ways.
- If the TransPennine route is ever electrified, their diesel engines can be removed.
- Extra cars can be added to Class 802 trains to increase capacity
Using Class 802 trains is an excellent choice.
Class 68 Locomotive And Mark 5A Coaches
Twelve rakes of four Mark 5A coaches between a Class 68 locomotive and a driving van trailer, will run these routes.
- Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough via Manchester Victoria.
- Manchester Airport to Redcar Central (In 2019).
I wonder why these services aren’t going to be run by another twelve Class 802 trains.
Consider.
- Pollution would be reduced and the air improved in the electrified Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Airport and Manchester Airport stations, if TransPennine used Class 802 trains on all services from the station.
- Drivers on the routes across the Pennines would more often be driving the same trains.
- The Class 802 trains are in service on the East Coast Main Line, which must make timekeeping better.
- The Class 802 trains can be upgraded to work at 140 mph on the East Coast Main Line.
It’s rather strange!
Class 397 Trains
Twelve Class 397 trains will be replacing ten Class 350 trains.
- The extra two trains are to provide a Liverpool and Glasgow service.
- The Class 397 trains have an extra car over the Class 350 trains.
- The seating capacity of both trains is 296.
- The Class 397 trains are 125 mph trains, which can mix it with Virgin’s Pendelinos.
- The Class 350 trains are only 110 mph trains, which must get in the way of the Pendelionos.
- I suspect that the Class 397 trains can be upgraded to 140 mph in the future.
The Class 350 trains needed to be increased and replaced with a 125 mph train.
But why aren’t they being replaced with more Class 802 trains?
- The Class 802 train is already in service.
- The Class 802 train has 326 seats as against the 296 of the Class 397 train.
- TransPennineExpress are already buying nineteen Class 802 trains.
- If required, an all-electric version could be ordered.
- West Coast Rail plan to run Hitachi trains on the West Coast Main Line.
It’s rather a puzzle, why TransPennine Express has ordered Class 397 trains, as everything suggests that Class 802 trains could run West Coast services.
All Three Fleets Use The Castlefield Corridor
Believe it or not, but TransPennine Express plan to run these services through the Castlefield Corridor.
- Manchester Airport and Glasgow/Edinburgh – Class 397 trains.
- Manchester Airport and Newcastle – Class 802 trains
- Manchester Airport to Redcar Central – Mark 5A coaches.
Three routes and three different trains!
Was this timetable chosen to confuse staff and passengers?
Possible Reasons For Three Fleets
The only valid reason is that the Hitachi trains can’t work in Scotland.
But it is more likely to do with production schedules at Hitachi or that the fleets were bought by accountants, with very little brain!
I did notice this statement in the Wikipedia entry for the Class 397 trains.
An option for up to 22 extra units was available to TransPennine Express, but it was not exercised.
As 22 trains is close to the nineteen Class 802 trains that were ordered, were TransPennine Express trying to buy a totally-CAF fleet?
7. Track Speed Should Be Improved
Track speeds are slow compared to say the the Great Eastern Main Line,
Improving the track to allow faster speeds may be one of the best decisions to take.
8. There Should Be Better Platform Access At Manchester Victoria And Leeds Stations
These two stations don’t have the best access to the platforms..
They should be improved with more escalators, so that passengers changing trains don’t miss their connections.
Conclusion
Money needs to be spent to remove some of the chaos and constipation in the North.
I
Puzzled By New Fleets For TransPennine Express
TransPennine Express (TPE) are replacing all their trains, but their choice of three different new fleets puzzles me.
The new fleets and their routes are as follows.
Nova1
This is a fleet of nineteen five-car bi-mode Class 802 trains.
According to Wikipedia, they will work the following routes, with probably a frequency of one tph
Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh via Newcastle, which I estimate will take 4:15 hours
Manchester Airport and Newcastle, which takes around 2:45 hours
These two services would probably need nine for the Edinburgh service and six for the Manchester Airport service.
This means that there are four extra trains.
If there is a spare or one in maintenance, that means that two trains are available to boost capacity on busy services if needed, by running a ten-car train.
I doubt that ten-car services to Manchester Airport could be run through the Castlefield Corridor due to the inadequate stations, but Liverpool and Edinburgh might be a route for longer trains.
I have some observations on Nova1.
- The trains are 125 mph trains, that can be upgraded to 140 mph with in-cab signalling.
- The trains will share the East Coast Main Line with LNER’s Azumas, which are other members of te same family of Hitachi trains.
The trains have been authorised to start running services.
Nova2
This is a fleet of twelve electric Class 397 trains.
According to Wikipedia, they will work the following routes,
- Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central, which takes around 3:30 hours.
- Manchester Airport and Edinburgh, which takes around 3:15 hours.
- New route – Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central, which could take around 3:30 hours.
Currently, the two existing routes run at a frequency of one train per two hours, which would probably need at least seven trains.
This probably means that there will be four trains left for the service between Liverpool and Glasgow, if it assumed there is one train spare or in maintenance.
As a round trip between the two cities, would probably take eight hours, it looks like the frequency will be one train per two hours.
This would give the following services, all with a frequency of one train per two hours.
- Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central via Manchester Piccadilly
- Manchester Airport and Edinburgh via Manchester Piccadilly
- Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central
Passengers wanting to go between Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh should keep reading.
I have some observations on Nova2.
- They are 125 mph trains that are replacing the 110 mph Class 350 trains.
- In the next few years, these 125 mph trains will be sharing the West Coast Main Line with faster trains like Class 390 trains and the trains of High Speed Two, both of which should be capable of 140 mph, when running using in-cab signalling.
- I would assume that the trains can be similarly upgraded, otherwise they will have to be replaced.
- There was an option for more trains, but I suspect the success of Class 802 trains on the Great Western Railway led to it not being taken up.,
The trains should come into service later this year.
Nova3
This is a fleet of five-car rakes of Mark 5A coaches, hauled by a Class 68 diesel locomotive.
There are fourteen locomotives and driving van trailers, with enough coaches for thirteen rakes.
I would suspect that TPE are aiming to have twelve trains available for service.
According to Wikipedia, they will work the following routes, which both have a frequency of one train per hour (tph)
- Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough via Manchester Victoria, which takes around 2:45 hours.
- Manchester Airport and Middlesbrough, which takes around 2:45 hours.
So with turnround at both ends, I suspect that a six hour round trip is possible. So to provide the two hourly services across the Pennines, TPE will need six trains for each route.
This explains a fleet size of twelve operational trains.
I have two observations on Nova3.
- They are diesel-powered and will be running at times on electrified lines. But I suspect the diesel Class 68 locomotive could be replaced in the future with an electro-diesel Class 88 locomotive.
- Questions have been raised about the speed of exit and entry from the coaches through single end doors of the coaches.
- They have an operating speed of only 100 mph, but opportunities for higher speeds on the routes are limited to perhaps thirty to forty miles on the East Coast Main Line.
At least they should be in service within a couple of months.
Why Didn’t TPE Order A Unified Fleet?
To summarise TPE have ordered the following trains.
- Nova1 – Nineteen Class 802 trains
- Nova2 – Twelve Class 397 trains.
- Nova3 – Thirteen trains consisting of four coaches topped and tailed by a a Class 68 locomotive and driving van trailer.
All forty-four trains are five cars.
Surely, it would have been easier for TPE to have a fleet, where all the trains were the same.
I suspect that all routes can be run using Class 802 trains, so it as not as if there are any special requirements for the trains.
So why didn’t TPE order a fleet of Class 802 trains?
I can only think of these reasons.
- Hitachi couldn’t supply the required number of trains in the appropriate time-scale.
- ,CAF made an offer that TPE couldn’t refuse.
It should also be born in mind that Great Western Railway and Hull Trains, which like TPE are First Group companies, went down the Class 802 route.
The Future
There are various issues, that will arise in the future.
Nova2 And West Coast Main Line Operating Speed
The new Nova trains are running on TPE’s Northern and Scottish routes and as I indicated earlier, the Nova2 trains might not be fast enough in a few years time for the West Coast Main Line, which will have Class 390 trains running at 140 mph using in-cab signalling.
High Speed Two will surely make this incompatibility worse, unless CAF can upgrade the Nova2 trains for 140 mph running.
Replacing the Nova2 trains with Class 802 trains, which are being built for 140 mph running, would solve the problem.
Nova3 And Class 68 Locomotives
There are powerful reasons to replace diesel locomotives on the UK’s railways, with noise, pollution and carbon emissions at the top of the list.
As Northern Powerhouse Rail is created, there will be more electrification between Manchester and York, adding to the pressure to change the traction.
- There could be a change of locomotives to Class 88 or Class 93 locomotives, which would run using the overhead electrification, where it exists.
- The trains could be changed to Class 802 trains.
The Class 68 locomotive is increasingly looking like an interim solution. At least, it’s a less polluting locomotive, than the dreaded and ubiquitous Class 66 locomotive.
Class 185 Replacement
TPE will still have a fleet of diesel three-car Class 185 trains.
- They are running on routes between Manchester and Hull and Cleethorpes via Huddersfield, Leeds and Sheffield.
- These are best described as just-about-adequate trains and are one of The Treasury’s boob-buys.
- As Northern Powerhouse Rail is created, they will be increasingly running under wires.
- Could it be likely that more capacity will be needed on routes run by these trains?
- The capacity of a Class 185 train is 169 seats, as opposed to the 342 seats of a five-car Class 802 train.
I think it could be very likely that instead of running pairs of Class 185 trains, TPE will replace them with five-car Class 802 trains.
Conclusion
I very much feel, that over the next few years, TPE’s fleet will change further in the direction of a one-unified fleet!
