Beeching Reversal – Increased Services To Nottingham And Leicester, via Syston And Loughborough From Melton Mowbray
This is one of the Beeching Reversal projects that the Government and Network Rail are proposing to reverse some of the Beeching cuts.
It is one of a pair of submissions from the local MP; Alicia Kearns. The other is More Stopping Services At Radcliffe-on-Trent And Bottesford Stations On The Poacher Line Between Grantham And Nottingham.
When I heard of the MP’s submissions, I wrote MP Campaigns To Extend Train Services For Melton Borough and the following uses that post as a starting point.
Wikipedia says this about services at Melton Mowbray station.
- There is an hourly off-peak service in both directions between Stansted Airport and Birmingham, that calls at Cambridge, Peterborough, Oakham and Leicester.
- East Midlands Railway and their predescessor have added services to London via Corby and to Derby and East Midlands Parkway.
When you consider, that both Bottesford and Melton Mowbray are the same Council and Parliamentary constituency, it does seem that a more direct train service is needed between Bottesford and Melton Mowbray stations.
It does seem to me that some innovative thinking is needed.
If the current plans to fulfil British Rail’s ambition of an Ivanhoe Line running from Lincoln to Burton-on-Trent via Nottingham, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough and Leicester, are carried out, that will give important towns to the West of Leicester much better rail connections.
Given that High Speed Two is coming to East Midlands Hub station at Toton and there will be a Bedford and Leeds service run by Midlands Connect using High Speed Two classic-compatible trains, that I wrote about in Classic-Compatible High Speed Two Trains At East Midlands Hub Station, I wonder if in the interim, there should be more trains between Derby and Melton.
- Intermediate stations would be Syston, Sileby, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway Long Eaton and Spondon.
- An hourly frequency would double the service frequency at smaller stations like Sileby and Barrow-upon-Soar.
- The Southern terminal could be Melton station, but I feel Corby or Peterborough stations would be better, as this would improve services at Oakham station. We should not forget Rutland!
- As Corby will be an electrified two-platform station with a two trains per hour (tph) service to London, this could work quite well as a Southern terminus.
- Peterborough would have advantages and give a good connection to Cambridge, London and Scotland, but improvements to the current Birmingham and Stansted Airport service would have similar effects.
This route would be just as valuable after High Speed Two opens through the East Midlands Hub station, as it will give fast ongoing connections to Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and York.
Electrification Of The Midland Main Line
I feel strongly, that full electrification of the Midland Main Line could be a step to far.
- Electrification, through Leicester station will mean a complete closure of the station for a couple of years.
- Electrification of the route North of Derby, through the Derwent Valley Mills, which is a World Heritage Site, will be opposed by the Heritage Taliban with all their might.
But.
- Electrification of the route between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield via Chesterfield will take place in conjunction with High Speed Two
- Electrification to Market Harborough, which is sixteen miles South of Leicester will happen.
- East Midlands Railway’s new Class 810 trains could be fitted with a battery option giving a range of between 55 and 65 miles.
- Pantographs on these trains can go up and down with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers.
If the easier section of electrification between Leicester and Derby stations, were to be installed, this would enable the following routes to be run using battery-equipped Class 810 trains.
- London and Derby, where battery power would be used through Leicester.
- London and Nottingham, where battery power would be used through Leicester and between East Midlands Parkway and Nottingham.
- London and Sheffield, where battery power would be used through Leicester and between Derby and Clay Cross Junction.
- Lincoln and Burton-on-Trent, where battery power would be used South of Leicester and North of East Midlands Parkway.
- Derby and Corby, where battery power would be used between Syston and Corby.
There would also be the service between Derby and Norwich, which might be able to be run by a similar train.
Conclusion
I think the ideal way to achieve the MP’s objective would be to extend a proportion of London St. Pancras and Corby services to the Midland Main Line.
But the problem with this, is that the Corby trains will be Class 360 trains, which are electric, so the thirty-six mile route between Corby and the Midland Main Line would need to be electrified.
On the other hand, a shuttle train could be used between Corby and Leicester.
They would call at Oakham, Melton Mowbray and Syston stations.
If the Midland Main Line to the North of Leicester were to be electrified, Battery electric trains could be used on the route, with charging at Leicester and Corby.
Dore And Totley Station – 13th July 2020
These pictures show Dore and Totley station.
These are my thoughts on the station and the tracks through it.
The Midland Main Line And High Speed Two
The two tracks, that are furthest away from the station platform are the Midland Main Line between Sheffield and Chesterfield, Derby and the South.
- These tracks will be taken over by High Speed Two.
- They will be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead electrification between Clay Cross North junction and Sheffield station.
- The trains on the Midland Main Line will continue to use the electrified tracks.
- East Midlands Railway have ordered bi-mode Class 810 trains, which will each be 120 metres long or 240 metres long, when running as a pair.
- CrossCountry’s Class 220 trains are 187 metres long running as a pair.
- I estimate that the faster trains were doing around 100 mph, as they passed Dore and Totley station. I shall measure it properly next time, I go to Sheffield on a train.
Note.
- High Speed Two’s trains will probably be going through at the same speed as East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 trains.
- High Speed Two will be running their 200 metre long classic-compatible trains to and from Sheffield, so except that there will be two more trains in every hour, there will be little difference.
- Both the High Speed Two and the East Midlands Railway trains will be running on electric power between Sheffield and Chesterfield stations.
- It is likely that other services will use electric power on the Midland Main Line.
- There will be no platforms on the High Speed tracks at Dore and Totley station.
I would suspect that there will be little disruption to train services through the area, whilst the electrification is installed, judging by the disruption caused during electrification between Bedford and Corby.
Dore Junction
Dore Junction is a triangular junction, that connects the Hope Valley Line and the Midland Main Line to the South of Dore and Totley station.
This Google Map shows Dore Junction.
Note.
- Dore and Junction station is at the North of the Map.
- Dore West Junction is in the South West corner of the map and leads to the Hope Valley Line.
- Dore South Junction is in the South East corner of the map and leads to Chesterfield on the Midland Main Line.
This second Google Map shows Dore South Junction.
Could this junction be improved to increase capacity and efficiency?
- The Southern track of the triangular junction is only single track.
- It is a major route for stone trains between Derbyshire and London and the South.
If Network Rail have any ideas for Dore Junction, then surely, when the works in the area are being carried out, is the time for them to be performed.
Platform Length At Dore And Totley Station
I took these two pictures when I arrived at Dore and Totley station.
As the train was formed of two two-car Class 150 trains and the train fits the platform, it would appear that the platform is about eighty metres long.
An Extra Platform At Dore And Totley Station
There may be no plans to put platforms on the Midland Main Line, but plans exist for an extra track through the station, that will connect to the Hope Valley Line.
This Google Map shows Dore and Totley station and the Midland Main Line.
The second platform wouldn’t be the widest platform,. but I’m sure a second track and a safe platform could be squeezed in.
- A bridge with lifts would be needed.
- The current single platform at the station is around eighty metres long, but as I said in Beeching Reversal – Sheaf Valley Stations, the platforms must be long enough to take a pair of Class 185 trains or a five-car Class 802 train, which is probably around 140 metres.
I wonder if more space is needed, the Midland Main Line could be realigned to give more space and better performance.
A Turnback At Dore And Totley Station
In Beeching Reversal – Sheaf Valley Stations, I said this about a possible turnback at Dore and Totley station.
This Google Map shows Dore & Totley station and the area to the South.
Note.
- There would appear to be a lot of space between the Midland Main Line and the single track, that leads between Dore & Totley station and the Hope Valley Line.
Flying my helicopter, as low as I dare, it looks like the area is either a rubbish dump or very low grade businesses.
Crossrail has designed turnbacks at Abbey Wood and Paddington stations, that will handle twelve tph.
I believe that it would be possible to design a turnback at Dore & Totley station, that would handle eight trains per hour, if not twelve tph.It might even be possible to squeeze in some overnight stabling.
Whilst I was at Dore and Totley station, I met a couple, who were perhaps a few years older than me, who had grown up in the area.
He could remember local steam services between Sheffield and Dore and Totley stations, where there had been a turntable to the South of the station to reverse the locomotive.
Conclusion
After what I saw on my visit to Dore and Totley station, I would suspect that the station can be updated to the standard required to allow four tph between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield stations.
It could also be a station that will attract passengers.
Hyperdrive Innovation And Hitachi Rail To Develop Battery Tech For Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Engineer.
This is the introductory sub-title.
Hyperdrive Innovation and Hitachi Rail are to develop battery packs to power trains and create a battery hub in the North East of England.
The article gives this information.
- Trains can have a range of ninety kilometres, which fits well with Hitachi’s quoted battery range of 55-65 miles.
- Hitachi has identified its fleets of 275 trains as potential early recipients.
Hitachi have also provided an informative video.
At one point, the video shows a visualisation of swapping a diesel-engine for a battery pack.
As a world-class computer programmer in a previous life, I believe that it is possible to create a battery pack, that to the train’s extremely comprehensive computer, looks like a diesel-engine.
So by modifying the train’s software accordingly, the various power sources of electrification, diesel power-packs and battery packs can be used in an optimum manner.
This would enable one of East Midlands Railway’s Class 810 trains, to be fitted with a mix of diesel and battery packs in their four positions under the train.
Imagine going between London and Sheffield, after the High Speed Two electrification between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield has been erected.
- Between St. Pancras and Market Harborough power would come from the electrification.
- The train would leave the electrified section with full batteries
- At all stations on the route, hotel power would come from the batteries.
- Diesel power and some battery power would be used between stations. Using them together may give better performance.
- At Clay Cross North Junction, the electrification would be used to Sheffield.
For efficient operation, there would need to be electrification or some form of charging at the Sheffield end of the route. This is why, I am keen that when High Speed Two is built in the North, that the shsared section with the Midland Main Line between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield station, should be built early.
Hitachi have said that these trains will have four diesel engines. I think it will more likely be two diesel engines and two batteries.
The World’s First Battery-Electric Main Line
I suspect with electrification between Sheffield and Clay Cross North Junction, that a train fitted with four batteries, might even be able to run on electric power only on the whole route.
In addition, if electrification were to be erected between Leicester and East Midlands Parkway stations, all three Northern destinations would become electric power only.
The Midland Main Line would be the first battery electric high speed line in the world!
Hitachi On Hydrogen Trains
The press release about the partnership between Hitachi and Hyperdrive Innovation is on this page on the Hitachi web site.
This is a paragraph.
Regional battery trains produce zero tailpipe emission and compatible with existing rail infrastructure so they can complement future electrification. At the moment, battery trains have approximately 50% lower lifecycle costs than hydrogen trains, making battery the cheapest and cleanest alternative zero-emission traction solution for trains.
I have ridden in two battery-electric trains and one hydrogen-powered train.
I would rate them out of ten as follows.
- Class 230 train – 6 – Battery
- Class 379 train – 8 – Battery
- Coradia iLint – 4 – Hydrogen
It’s not that the iLint is a bad train, as the power system seems to work well, but the passenger experience is nowhere near the quality of the two battery trains.
In my view, battery vehicles are exceedingly quiet, so is this the reason?
On the other hand, it could just be poor engineering on the iLint.
Conclusion
This is as very big day in the development of zero- and low-carbon trains in the UK.
MP Campaigns To Extend Train Services For Melton Borough
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Melton Times.
This is the introductory sub-title.
A campaign has been launched by the Melton’s MP to improve services passing and operating from the town station and the one at Bottesford.
Alicia Kearns has submitted two bids to the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
- More regular services on the Poacher Line to Bottesford station.
- Increased services to Nottingham and Leicester via Syston and Loughborough from Melton Mowbray station.
I’ll now look at the two proposals in more detail.
More Regular Services To Bottesford
Wikipedia says this about services at Bottesford station.
- The service is generally every two hours to Nottingham in the West and Skegness in the East.
- Some trains call at Grantham and give connection to the East Coast Main Line.
- LNER services at Grantham connect to Doncaster, King’s Cross, Leeds, Lincoln, Peterborough, Stevenage, Wakefield and York.
- Bottesford is in the Borough of Melton and their is no direct rail service between Bottesford and Melton. A typical journey takes over two-and-a-half hours with two changes, that can include a wait of an hour at Leicester station.
- Bottesford is in the County of Leicester. There is no direct rail service between Bottesford and Leicester.
I think the MP has a point and an improved and more frequent service at Bottesford could be very beneficial.
- Many routes like this in the UK have an hourly service and I suspect many communities along the Poacher Line would benefit from this frequency.
- All services calling at Grantham for East Coast Main Line services would be useful.
- Do services have a good interchange at Nottingham for Midland Main Line services?
It looks like improvements at Bottesford wouldn’t require any new expensive infrastructure, but they would need more trains.
More Services Through Melton
Wikipedia says this about services at Melton station.
- There is an hourly off-peak service in both directions between Stansted Airport and Birmingham, that calls at Cambridge, Peterborough, Oakham and Leicester.
- East Midlands Railway and their predescessor have added services to London via Corby and to Derby and East Midlands Parkway.
When you consider, that both Bottesford and Melton Mowbray are the same Council and Parliamentary constituency, it does seem that a more direct train service is needed between Bottesford and Melton stations.
It does seem to me that some innovative thinking is needed.
If the current plans to fulfil British Rail’s ambition of an Ivanhoe Line running from Lincoln to Burton-on-Trent via Nottingham, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough and Leicester, are carried out, that will give important towns to the West of Leicester much better rail connections.
Given that High Speed Two is coming to East Midlands Hub station at Toton and there will be a Bedford and Leeds service run by Midlands Connect using High Speed Two classic-compatible trains, that I wrote about in Classic-Compatible High Speed Two Trains At East Midlands Hub Station, I wonder if in the interim, there should be more trains between Derby and Melton.
- Intermediate stations would be Syston, Sileby, Barrow-upon-Soar, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway Long Eaton and Spondon.
- An hourly frequency would double the service frquency at smaller stations like Sileby and Barrow-upon-Soar.
- The Southern terminal could be Melton station, but I feel Corby or Peterborough stations would be better, as this would improve services at Oakham station. We should not forget Rutland.
- As Corby will be an electrified two-platform station with a two trains per hour (tph) service to London, this could work quite well as a Southern terminus.
- Peterborough would have advantages and give a good connection to Cambridge, London and Scotland, but improvements to the current Birmingham and Stansted Airport service would have similar effects.
This route would be just as valuable after High Speed Two opens through the East Midlands Hub station, as it will give fast ongoing connections to Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and York.
Electrification Of The Midland Main Line
I feel strongly, that full electrification of the Midland Main Line could be a step to far.
- Electrification, through Leicester station will mean a complete closure of the station for a couple of years.
- Electrification of the route North of Derby, through the Derwent Valley Mills, which is a World Heritage Site, will be opposed by the Heritage Taliban with all their might.
But.
- Electrification of the route between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield via Chesterfield will take place in conjunction with High Speed Two
- Electrification to Market Harborough, which is sixteen miles South of Leicester will happen.
- East Midlands Railway’s new Class 810 trains could be fitted with a battery option giving a range of between 55 and 65 miles.
- Pantographs on this trains can go up and down with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers.
If the easier section of electrification between Leicester and Derby stations, were to be erected, this would enable the following routes to be run using battery=equipped Class 810 trains.
- London and Derby, where battery power would be used through Leicester.
- London and Nottingham, where battery power would be used through Leicester and between East Midlands Parkway and Nottingham.
- London and Sheffield, where battery power would be used through Leicester and between Derby and Clay Cross North Junction.
- Lincoln and Burton-on-Trent, where battery power would be used South of Leicester and North of East Midlands Parkway.
- Derby and Corby, where battery power would be used between Syston and Corby.
There would also be the service between Derby and Norwich, which might be able to be run by a similar train.
Conclusion
The MP’s plan is worth pursuing.
Could Some of Hitachi’s Existing Trains In The UK Be Converted To Battery-Electric Trains?
The last five fleets of AT-300 trains ordered for the UK have been.
- Avanti West Coast – Bi-Mode, 13 x five-car, unknown number of diesel engines, that could be replaced by batteries.
- Avanti West Coast – Electric, 10 x seven-car, no diesel engines or batteries
- East Midlands Railway – Bi-Mode, 33 x five-car, Class 810 train with four diesel engines and 125 mph on diesel.
- East Coast Trains – Electric, 5 x five-car, Class 803 train with battery for emergency hotel power.
- Hull Trains – Bi-Mode, 5 x five-car, Standard Class 802 train with three diesel engines.
Each fleet seems to be tailored to the needs of the individual operator, which is surely as it should be.
I can make some observations.
Fast Electric Trains
Both all-electric fleets on the list, will run on routes, where speed will be important.
- The Avanti West Coast Class 807 trains on the West Coast Main Line, will have to be able to keep up keep with the Class 390 trains, that have the advantage of tilt for more speed.
- The East Coast Trains Class 803 trains on the East Coast Main Line, will have to work hard to maintain a demanding schedule, as I outlined in Thoughts On East Coast Trains.
Any reduction in weight will improve the acceleration.
- The seven tonne MTU 12V 1600 R80L diesel engines can be removed to reduce the weight.
- As a five-car Class 800 train with three diesel engine weighs 243 tonnes, this could save nearly 9 % of the train’s weight.
- East Coast Trains feel they need an appropriately-sized battery for emergency hotel power. Could this be because the catenary is not as good on the East Coast Main Line as on the West?
- Perhaps, Avanti West Coast feel a battery is not needed, but they could obviously fit one later. Especially, if there was already a ready-wired position underneath the train.
The extra acceleration given by 100% electric operation, must make all the difference in obtaining the required performance for the two routes.
Why Four Diesel Engines In A Class 810 Train?
The Class 810 trains are an update of the current Class 800/Class 802 trains. Wikipedia described the differences like this.
The Class 810 is an evolution of the Class 802s with a revised nose profile and facelifted end headlight clusters, giving the units a slightly different appearance. Additionally, there will be four diesel engines per five-carriage train (versus three on the 800s and 802s), and the carriages will be 2 metres (6.6 ft) shorter due to platform length constraints at London St Pancras.
Additionally, in this article in the October 2019 Edition of Modern Railways, which is entitled EMR Kicks Off New Era, this is said.
The EMR bi-modes will be able to run at 125 mph in diesel mode, matching Meridian performance in a step-up from the capabilities of the existing Class 80x units in service with other franchises.
The four diesel engines would appear to be for more power, so that these trains will be able to run at 125 mph on diesel.
In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I calculated that a Class 801 train, which is all-electric, consumes 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile.
- At 125 mph a train will in an hour travel 125 miles.
- In that hour the train will need 125 x 5 x 3.42 = 2137.5 kWh
- This means that the total power of the four diesel engines must be 2137.5,
- Divide 2137.5 by four and each diesel must be rated at 534.4 kW to provide the power needed.
The MTU 12V 1600 R80L diesel engine is described in this datasheet on the MTU web site.
Note on the datasheet, there is a smaller variant of the same engine called a 12V 1600 R70, which has a power output of 565 kW, as compared to the 700 kW of the 12V 1600 R80L.
The mass of the engines are probably at the limits of the range given on the datasheet.
- Dry – 4500-6500 Kg
- Wet – 4700-6750 Kg
It would appear that the less-powerful 12V 100 R70 is about two tonnes lighter.
So where will four engines be placed in a Class 810 train?
- The five-car Class 800 and Class 802 trains have diesel-engines in cars 2, 3 and 4.
- The nine-car Class 800 and Class 802 trains have diesel-engines in cars 2,3, 5, 7 and 8.
- It appears that diesel-engines aren’t placed under the driver cars.
- Five-car AT-300 trains generally have a formation of DPTS+MS+MS+MC+DPTF.
- The car length in the Class 810 trains are two metres shorter than those in other trains.
Could it be that the intermediate cars on Class 810 trains will be an MC car, which has both First and Standard Class seating and two identical MS cars both with two smaller diesel engines?
- The two smaller diesel engines will be about 2.6 tonnes heavier, than a single larger engine.
- Only one fuel tank and other gubbins will be needed.
- The shorter car will be lighter in weight.
- MTU may have designed a special diesel engine to power the train.
I would suspect that a twin-engined MS car is possible.
Could The Battery And The Diesel Engine Be Plug-Compatible?
I found this document on the Hitachi Rail web site, which is entitled Development of Class 800/801 High-Speed Rolling Stock For UK Intercity Express Programme.
The document may date from 2014, but it gives a deep insight into the design of Hitachi’s trains.
I will take a detailed look at the traction system as described in the document.
This schematic of the traction system is shown.
Note BC is described as battery charger.
This is said in the text, where GU is an abbreviation for generator unit.
The system can select the appropriate power source from either the main transformer or the GUs. Also, the size and weight of the system were minimized by designing the power supply converter to be able to work with both power sources. To ensure that the Class 800 and 801 are able to adapt to future changes in operating practices, they both have the same traction system and the rolling stock can be operated as either class by simply adding or removing GUs. On the Class 800, which is intended to run on both electrified and non-electrified track, each traction system has its own GU. On the other hand, the Class 801 is designed only for electrified lines and has one or two GUs depending on the length of the trainset (one GU for trainsets of five to nine cars, two GUs for trainsets of 10 to 12 cars). These GUs supply emergency traction power and auxiliary power in the event of a power outage on the catenary, and as an auxiliary power supply on non-electrified lines where the Class 801 is in service and pulled by a locomotive. This allows the Class 801 to operate on lines it would otherwise not be able to use and provides a backup in the event of a catenary power outage or other problem on the ground systems as well as non-electrified routes in loco-hauled mode.
This is all very comprehensive.
Note that the extract says, that both the Class 800 trains and Class 801 trains have the same traction control system. A section called Operation in the Wikipedia entry for the Class 802 train, outlines the differences between a Class 802 train and a Class 800 train.
The Class 802s are broadly identical to the Class 800 bi-mode trains used in the Intercity Express Programme, and are used in a similar way; they run as electric trains where possible, and are equipped with the same diesel generator engines as the Class 800. However, they utilise higher engine operating power – 700 kW (940 hp) per engine as opposed to 560 kW (750 hp) – and are fitted with larger fuel tanks to cope with the gradients and extended running in diesel mode expected on the long unelectrified stretches they will operate on.
I would assume that the differences are small enough, so that a Class 802 train, can use the same traction control system, as the other two train classes.
The Hitachi document also describes the Train Management and Control System (TCMS), the function of which is described as.
Assists the work of the train crew; a data communication function that aids maintenance work; and a traction drive system that is powered by the overhead lines (catenaries) and GUs.
Several trains have been described as computers on wheels. That could certainly be said about these trains.
There would appear to be a powerful Automatic Train Identification Function.
To simplify the rearrangement and management of train configurations, functions are provided for identifying the train (Class 800/801), for automatically determining the cars in the trainset and its total length, and for coupling and uncoupling up to 12 cars in normal and 24 cars in rescue or emergency mode.
Now that would be a sight – One nine-car train rescuing another!
I would assume that this Automatic Train Identification Function has already been updated to add the Class 802 trains and it would appear to me, as a very experienced computer programmer, that in future it could be further updated to cater for the following.
- New classes of trains like the future Class 803 and Class 810 trains.
- The fitting of batteries instead of diesel engines.
Could the Function even be future-proofed for hydrogen power?
There are two main ways for trains to operate when the diesel engine in a car has been replaced by a battery.
- A plug-compatible battery module is designed, that in terms of function looks exactly like a diesel engine to the TCMS and through that the train crew.
- The car with a battery becomes a new type of car and the TCMS is updated to control it, in an appropriate manner.
Both methods are equally valid.
I would favour the first method, as I have come across numerous instances in computer programming, engineering and automation, where the method has been used successfully.
The method used would be Hitachi’s choice.
What Size Of Battery Could Be Fitted In Place Of The Diesel Engine?
Consider.
- 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.
- My engineering knowledge would suggest, that it would be possible to replace the diesel engine with an inert lump of the same mass and not affect the dynamics of the train.
So could it be that a plug-compatible battery module can be fitted, so long as it doesn’t exceed the mass of the diesel engine it replaces?
For an existing Class 800 or Class 802 train, that limit could be seven tonnes.
But for East Coast Train’s Class 803 train, that size would probably be decided by the required train performance.
How much power would a one tonne battery hold?
This page on the Clean Energy institute at the University of Washington is entitled Lithium-Ion Battery.
This is a sentence from the page.
Compared to the other high-quality rechargeable battery technologies (nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal-hydride), Li-ion batteries have a number of advantages. They have one of the highest energy densities of any battery technology today (100-265 Wh/kg or 250-670 Wh/L).
Using these figures, a one-tonne battery would be between 100 and 265 kWh in capacity, depending on the energy density.
This table can be calculated of battery weight, low capacity and high capacity.
- 1 tonne – 100 kWh – 265 kWh
- 2 tonne – 200 kWh – 530 kWh
- 3 tonne – 300 kWh – 895 kWh
- 4 tonne – 400 kWh – 1060 kWh
- 5 tonne – 500 kWh – 1325 kWh
- 6 tonne – 600 kWh – 1590 kWh
- 7 tonne – 700 kWh – 1855 kWh
As energy densities are only going to improve, the high capacity figures are only going to get larger.
If you look at the design of the Class 803 trains, which could have three positions for diesel engines or batteries, the designers of the train and East Coast Trains can choose the battery size as appropriate for the following.
- Maximum performance.
- Power needs when halted in stations.
- Power needs for emergency power, when the wires come tumbling down.
I suspect, they will fit only one battery, that is as small as possible to minimise mass and increase acceleration, but large enough to provide sufficient power, when needed.
Conversion Of A Five-Car Class 800/Class 802 Train To Battery-Electric Operation
If Hitachi get their design right, this could be as simple as the following.
- Any of the three MTU 12V 1600 R80L diesel engines is removed, from the train.
- Will the other diesel related gubbins, like the fuel tank be removed? They might be left in place, in case the reverse conversion should be needed.
- The new battery-module is put in the diesel engine’s slot.
- The train’s computer system is updated.
- The train is tested.
It should be no more difficult than attaching a new device to your personal computer. Except that it’s a lot heavier.
As there are three diesel engines, one, two or three could be replaced with batteries.
Trains would probably be able to have a mixture of diesel engines and battery modules.
A Class 802 train with one diesel engine and two five-tonne batteries would have the following power sources.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- A 700 kW diesel engine.
- Two five-tonne batteries of between 500 kWh and 1325 kWh.
With intelligent software controlling the various power sources, this train could have a useful range, away from the electrification.
Conversion Of A Five-Car Class 810 Train To Battery-Electric Operation
The process would be similar to that of a Class 800/Class 802 Train, except there would be more possibilities with four engines.
It would also need to have sufficient range to bridge the gaps in the electrification.
Perhaps each train would have the following power sources.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Two 565 kW diesel engines.
- Two four-tonne batteries of between 400 kWh and 1060 kWh.
- Batteries might also be placed under the third intermediate car.
I estimate that with 400 kWh batteries, a train like this would have a battery range of sixty-five miles.
Conclusion
The permutations and combinations would allow trains to be tailored to the best compromise for a train operating company.
Are Hitachi Designing the Ultimate Battery Train?
In Sparking A Revolution, a post based on an article of the same name in Issue 898 of Rail Magazine, I repeated this about the specification of Hitachi UK Battery Train Specification.
- Range – 55-65 miles
- Performance – 90-100 mph
- Recharge – 10 minutes when static
- Routes – Suburban near electrified lines
- Battery Life – 8-10 years
Does this mean that the train can do 55-65 miles cruising at 90-100 mph?
How Much Energy Is Needed To Accelerate A Five-Car Class 800 Train To Operating Speed?
I will do my standard calculation.
- Empty train weight – 243 tonnes (Wikipedia for Class 800 train!)
- Passenger weight – 302 x 90 Kg (Includes baggage, bikes and buggies!)
- Train weight – 270.18 tonnes
Using Omni’s Kinetic Energy Calculator, the kinetic energy at various speeds are.
- 60 mph – 27 kWh
- 80 mph – 48 kWh
- 90 mph – 61 kWh
- 100 mph – 75 kWh
- 125 mph – 117 kWh – Normal cruise on electrified lines.
- 140 mph – 147 kWh – Maximum cruise on electrified lines.
Because the kinetic energy of a train is only proportional to the weight of the train, but proportional to the square of the speed, note how the energy of the train increases markedly after 100 mph.
Are these kinetic energy figures a reason, why Hitachi have stated their battery train will have an operating speed of between 90 and 100 mph?
A 100 mph cruise would also be very convenient for a lot of main lines, that don’t have electrification in the UK.
What Battery Size Would Be Needed?
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.
For comparison, an InterCity 125 train, had a figure of 2.83 kWh per vehicle-mile.
Hitachi are redesigning the nose of the train for the new Class 810 train and I suspect that these trains can achieve somewhere between 1.5 and 3 kWh per vehicle-mile, if they are cruising at 100 mph.
Doing the calculation for various consumption levels gives the following battery capacity for a five-car train to cruise 65 miles at 100 mph
- 1.5 kWh per vehicle-mile – 487 kWh
- 2 kWh per vehicle-mile – 650 kWh
- 2.5 kWh per vehicle-mile – 812.5 kWh
- 3 kWh per vehicle-mile – 975 kWh
These figures don’t include any energy for acceleration to line speed from the previous stop or station, but they would cope with a deceleration and subsequent acceleration, after say a delay caused by a slow train or other operational delay, by using regenerative braking to the battery.
The energy needed to accelerate to operating speed, will be as I calculated earlier.
- 90 mph – 61 kWh
- 100 mph – 75 kWh
As the battery must have space to store the regenerative braking energy and it would probably be prudent to have a ten percent range reserve, I can see a battery size for a train with an energy consumption of 2 kWh per vehicle-mile, that needed to cruise at 100 mph being calculated as follows.
- Energy for the cruise – 650 kWh
- 10% reserve for cruise – 65 kWh
- Braking energy from 100 mph – 75 kWh
This gives a total battery size of 790 kWh, which could mean that 800 kWh would be convenient.
Note that each of the three MTU 12V 1600 diesel engines, fitted to a Class 800 train, each weigh around two tonnes.
In Innolith Claims It’s On Path To 1,000 Wh/kg Battery Energy Density, I came to these conclusions.
- Tesla already has an energy density of 250 Wh/Kg.
- Tesla will increase this figure.
- By 2025, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries will be much closer to 1 KWh/Kg.
- Innolith might achieve this figure. But they are only one of several companies aiming to meet this magic figure.
Suppose two of the MTU 12V 1600 diesel engines were each to be replaced by a two tonne battery, using Tesla’s current energy density, this would mean the following.
- Each battery would have a capacity of 500 kWh.
- The train would have one MWh of installed battery power.
- This is more than my rough estimate of power required for a 65 mile trip.
- The train would have little or no weight increase.
- I also wouldn’t be surprised to find that the exchange of a diesel engine for a battery was Plug-and-Play.
Hitachi would have an electric/battery/diesel tri-mode train capable of the following.
- Range – 55-65 miles
- Out and Back Range – about 20-30 miles
- Performance – 90-100 mph
- Recharge – 10 minutes when static
- Emergency diesel engine.
I feel it would be a very useful train.
Trains That Could Be Fitted With Batteries
The original article in Rail Magazine says this.
For the battery project, positive discussions are taking place with a number of interested parties for a trial, with both Class 385s and Class 800s being candidates for conversion.
So this means that the following operators will be able to use Hitachi’s battery technology o their trains.
- Avanti West Coast – Class 80x trains
- First East Coast Trains – Class 80x trains
- East Midlands Railway – Class 80x trains
- GWR – Class 80x trains
- Hull Trains – Class 80x trains
- LNER – Class 80x trains
- ScotRail – Class 385 trains
- TransPennine Express – Class 80x trains
Although, I based my calculations on Class 80x trains, I suspect that the methods can be applied to the smaller Class 385 trains.
Possible Out-And-Back Journeys
These are possible Out-And-Back journeys, that I believe Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric trains could handle.
- Edinburgh and Tweedbank – 30 miles from Newcraighall
- London Paddington and Bedwyn – 30 miles from Reading
- London Euston and Blackburn – 12 miles from Preston
- London Kings Cross and Bradford – < 27 miles from Leeds
- London Euston and Chester – 21 miles from Crewe
- London Kings Cross and Harrogate – <18 miles from Leeds
- London Kings Cross and Huddersfield – 17 miles from Leeds
- London St. Pancras and Leicester – 16 miles from Market Harborough
- London Kings Cross and Lincoln – 17 miles from Newark
- London St. Pancras and Melton Mowbray – 26 miles from Corby
- London Kings Cross and Middlesbrough – 20 miles from Northallerton
- London Kings Cross and Nottingham – 20 miles from Newark
- London Paddington and Oxford – 10 miles from Didcot
- London Kings Cross and Redcar – 29 miles from Northallerton
- London Kings Cross and Rotherham- 14 miles from Doncaster
- London Kings Cross and Sheffield – 20 miles from Doncaster
- London and Weston-super-Mare – 19 miles from Bristol
Note.
- Provided that the Out-And-Back journey is less than about sixty miles, I would hope that these stations are comfortably in range.
- Leicester is the interesting destination, which would be reachable in an Out-And-Back journey. But trains from the North stopping at Leicester would probably need to charge at Leicester.
- I have included Blackburn as it could be a destination for Avanti West Coast.
- I have included Melton Mowbray as it could be a destination for East Midlands Railway.
- I have included Nottingham, Rotherham and Sheffield as they could be destinations for LNER. These services could prove useful if the Midland Main Line needed to be closed for construction works.
- I’m also fairly certain, that no new electrification would be needed, although every extra mile would help.
- No charging stations would be needed.
I suspect, I’ve missed a few possible routes.
Possible Journeys Between Two Electrified Lines
These are possible journeys between two electrified lines, that I believe Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric trains could handle.
- London St. Pancras and Eastbourne via Hastings – 25 miles between Ashford and Ore.
- Leeds and York via Garforth – 20 miles between Neville Hall and Colton Junction
- London Kings Cross and Norwich via Cambridge – 54 miles between Ely and Norwich.
- Manchester Victoria and Leeds via Huddersfield – 43 miles between Manchester Victoria and Leeds.
- Preston and Leeds via Hebden Bridge – 62 miles between Preston and Leeds.
- Newcastle and Edinburgh – Would battery-electric trains get round the well-publicised power supply problems on this route?
Note.
- I am assuming that a range of 65 miles is possible.
- If the trains have a diesel-generator set, then this could be used to partially-charge the battery in places on the journey.
- Leeds and York via Garforth has been scheduled for electrification for years.
- Preston and Leeds via Hebden Bridge would probably need some diesel assistance.
- London Kings Cross and Norwich via Cambridge is a cheeky one, that Greater Anglia wouldn’t like, unless they ran it.
- As before no new electrification or a charging station would be needed.
I suspect, I’ve missed a few possible routes.
Possible Out-And-Back Journeys With A Charge At The Destination
These are possible Out-And-Back journeys, that I believe Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric trains could handle, if the batteries were fully charged at the destination.
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52 miles from Doncaster.
- London Paddington and Cheltenham – 42 miles from Swindon
- London Kings Cross and Cleethorpes via Lincoln – 64 miles from Newark
- London Euston and Gobowen – 46 miles from Crewe
- London Euston and Wrexham – 33 miles from Crewe
- London Kings Cross and Hull – 45 miles from Selby
- London Kings Cross and Shrewsbury – 30 miles from Wolverhampton
- London Kings Cross and Sunderland 41 miles from Northallerton
- London Paddington and Swansea – 46 miles from Cardiff
- London Paddington and Worcester – 67 miles from Didcot Parkway
- London St. Pancras and Derby – 46 miles from Market Harborough
- London St. Pancras and Nottingham – 43 miles from Market Harborough
Note.
- I am assuming that a range of 65 miles is possible.
- If the trains have a diesel-generator set, then this could be used to partially-charge the battery in places on the journey.
- I am assuming some form of charging is provided at the destination station.
- As before no new electrification would be needed.
I suspect, I’ve missed a few possible routes.
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line could possibly be run between London St. Pancras and Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield without the use of diesel.
Consider.
- The route will be electrified between London St. Pancras and Market Harborough.
- In connection with High Speed Two, the Midland Main Line and High Seed Two will share an electrified route between Sheffield and Clay Cross North Junction.
- London St. Pancras and Derby can be run with a charging station at Derby, as Market Harborough and Derby is only 46 miles.
- London St. Pancras and Nottingham can be run with a charging station at Nottingham, as Market Harborough and Nottingham is only 43 miles.
- The distance between Clay Cross North Junction and Market Harborough is 67 miles.
- The distance between Sheffield and Leeds is 38 miles.
It looks to me that the range of East Midlands Railway’s new Class 810 trains, will be a few miles short to bridge the gap on batteries, between Clay Cross North Junction and Market Harborough station, but Leeds and Sheffield appears possible, once Sheffield has been electrified.
There are several possible solutions to the Clay Cross North and Market Harborough electrification gap.
- Fit higher capacity batteries to the trains.
- Extend the electrification for a few miles North of Market Harborough station.
- Extend the electrification for a few miles South of Clay Cross North Junction.
- Stop at Derby for a few minutes to charge the batteries.
The route between Market Harborough and Leicester appears to have been gauge-cleared for electrification, but will be difficult to electrify close to Leicester station. However, it looks like a few miles can be taken off the electrification gap.
Between Chesterfield and Alfriston, the route appears difficult to electrify with tunnels and passig through a World Heritage Site.
So perhaps options 1 and 2 together will give the trains sufficient range to bridge the electrification gap.
Conclusion On The Midland Main Line
I think that Hitachi, who know their trains well, must have a solution for diesel-free operation of all Midland Main Line services.
It also looks like little extra electrification is needed, other than that currently planned for the Midland Main Line and High Speed Two.
North Wales Coast Line
If you look at distance along the North Wales Coast Line, from the electrification at Crewe, you get these values.
- Chester – 21 miles
- Rhyl – 51 miles
- Colwyn Bay – 61 miles
- Llandudno Junction – 65 miles
- Bangor – 80 miles
- Holyhead – 106 miles
It would appear that Avanti West Coast’s new AT-300 trains, if fitted with batteries could reach Llandudno Junction station, without using diesel.
Electrification Between Crewe And Chester
It seems to me that the sensible thing to do for a start is to electrify the twenty-one miles between Crewe and Chester, which has been given a high priority for this work.
With this electrification, distances from Chester are as follows.
- Rhyl – 30 miles
- Colwyn Bay – 40 miles
- Llandudno Junction – 44 miles
- Bangor – 59 miles
- Holyhead – 85 miles
Electrification between Crewe and Chester may also open up possibilities for more electric and battery-electric train services.
But some way will be needed to charge the trains to the West of Chester.
Chagring The Batteries At Llandudno Junction Station
This Google Map shows Llandudno Junction station.
Note.
- It is a large station site.
- The Conwy Valley Line, which will be run by battery Class 230 trains in the future connects at this station.
- The Class 230 train will probably use some of Vivarail’s Fast Charging systems, which use third-rail technology, either at the ends of the branch or in Llandudno Junction station.
The simplest way to charge the London Euston and Holyhead train, would be to build a charging station at Llandudno Junction, which could be based on Vivarail’s Fast Charging technology or a short length of 25 KVAC overhead wire.
But this would add ten minutes to the timetable.
Could 25 KVAC overhead electrification be erected for a certain distance through the station, so that the train has ten minutes in contact with the wires?
Looking at the timetable of a train between London Euston and Holyhead, it arrives at Colwyn Bay station at 1152 and leaves Llandudno Junction station at 1200.
So would it be possible to electrify between the two stations and perhaps a bit further?
This Google Map shows Colwyn Bay Station,
Note how the double-track railway is squeezed between the dual-carriageway of the A55 North Wales Expressway and the sea.
The two routes follow each other close to the sea, as far as Abegele & Pensarn station, where the Expressway moves further from the sea.
Further on, after passing through more caravans than I’ve ever seen, there is Rhyl station.
- The time between arriving at Rhyl station and leaving Llandudno Junction station is nineteen minutes.
- The distance between the two stations is fourteen miles.
- Rhyl and Crewe is fifty-one miles.
- Llandudno Junction and Holyhead is forty-one miles.
It would appear that if the North Wales Coast Line between Rhyl and Llandudno Junction is electrified, that Hitachi’s proposed battery trains can reach Holyhead.
The trains could even changeover between electrification and battery power in Rhyl and Llandudno Junction stations.
I am sure that electrifying this section would not be the most difficult in the world, although the severe weather sometimes encountered, may need some very resilient or innovative engineering.
It may be heretical to say so, but would it be better if this section were to be electrified using proven third-rail technology.
West of Llandudno Junction station, the electrification would be very difficult, as this Google Map of the crossing of the River Conwy shows.
I don’t think anybody would want to see electrification around the famous castle.
Electrification Across Anglesey
Llanfairpwll station marks the divide between the single-track section of the North Wales Coast Line over the Britannia Bridge and the double-track section across Anglesey.
From my virtual helicopter, the route looks as if, it could be fairly easy to electrify, but would it be necessary?
- Llandudno Junction and Holyhead is forty-one miles, which is well within battery range.
- There is surely space at Holyhead station to install some form of fast-charging system.
One problem is that trains seem to turn round in only a few minutes, which may not be enough to charge the trains.
So perhaps some of the twenty-one miles between Llanfairpwll and Holyhead should be electrified.
London Euston And Holyhead Journey Times
Currently, trains take three hours and forty-three minutes to go between London Euston and Holyhead, with these sectional timings.
- London Euston and Crewe – One hour and thirty-nine minutes.
- Crewe and Holyhead – Two hours and four minutes.
The big change would come, if the London Euston and Crewe leg, were to be run on High Speed Two, which will take just fifty-five m,inutes.
This should reduce the London Euston and Holyhead time to just under three hours.
Freight On The North Wales Coast Line
Will more freight be seen on the North Wales Coast Line in the future?
The new tri-mode freight locomotives like the Class 93 locomotive, will be able to take advantage of any electrification to charge their batteries, but they would probably be on diesel for much of the route.
Conclusion On The North Wales Coast Line
Short lengths of electrification, will enable Avanti West Coast’s AT-300 trains, after retrofitting with batteries, to run between Crewe and Holyhead, without using any diesel.
I would electrify.
- Crewe and Chester – 21 miles
- Rhyl and Llandudno Junction – 14 miles
- Llanfairpwll and Holyhead – 21 miles
But to run battery-electric trains between London Euston and Holyhead, only Rhyl and Llandudno Junction needs to be electrified.
All gaps in the electrification will be handled on battery power.
A Selection Of Possible Battery-Electric Services
In this section, I’ll look at routes, where battery-electric services would be very appropriate and could easily be run by Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric trains.
London Paddington And Swansea
Many were disappointed when Chris Grayling cancelled the electrification between Cardiff and Swansea.
I went along with what was done, as by the time of the cancellation, I’d already ridden in a battery train and believed in their potential.
The distance between Cardiff and Swansea is 46 miles without electrification.
Swansea has these services to the West.
- Carmarthen – 32 miles
- Fishguard – 73 miles
- Milford Haven 71 miles
- Pembroke Dock – 73 miles
It looks like, three services could be too long for perhaps a three car battery-electric version of a Hitachi Class 385 train, assuming it has a maximum range of 65 miles.
But these three services all reverse in Carmarthen station.
So perhaps, whilst the driver walks between the cabs, the train can connect automatically to a fast charging system and give the batteries perhaps a four minute top-up.
Vivarail’s Fast Charging system based on third-rail technology would be ideal, as it connects automatically and it can charge a train in only a few minutes.
I would also electrify the branch between Swansea and the South Wales Main Line.
This would form part of a fast-charging system for battery-trains at Swansea, where turnround times can be quite short.
I can see a network of battery-electric services developing around Swansea, that would boost tourism to the area.
Edinburgh And Tweedbank
The Borders Railway is electrified as far as Newcraighall station and the section between there and Tweedbank is thirty miles long.
I think that a four-car battery-electric Class 385 train could work this route.
It may or may not need a top up at Tweedbank.
The Fife Circle
The Fife Circle service from Edinburgh will always be difficult to electrify, as it goes over the Forth Rail Bridge.
- The Fife Circle is about sixty miles long.
- Plans exist for a short branch to Leven.
- The line between Edinburgh and the Forth Rail Bridge is partly electrified.
I believe that battery-electric Class 385 train could work this route.
London Kings Cross and Grimsby/Cleethorpes via Lincoln
The Cleethorpes/Grimsby area is becoming something of a renewable energy powerhouse and I feel that battery trains to the area, might be a significant and ultimately profitable statement.
LNER recently opened a six trains per day service to Lincoln.
Distances from Newark are as follows.
- Lincoln – 17 miles
- Grimsby – 61 miles
- Cleethorpes – 64 miles
A round trip to Lincoln can probably be achieved on battery alone with a degree of ease, but Cleethorpes and Grimsby would need a recharge at the coast.
Note that to get to the Cleethorpes/Grimsby area, travellers usually need to change at Doncaster.
But LNER are ambitious and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them dip a toe in the Cleethorpes/Grimsby market.
The LNER service would also be complimented by a TransPennine Express service from Manchester Airport via Sheffield and Doncaster, which could in the future be another service run by a Hitachi battery train.
There is also a local service to Barton-on-Humber, which could be up for improvement.
London Waterloo And Exeter
This service needs to go electric, if South Western Railway is going to fully decarbonise.
But third-rail electrification is only installed between Waterloo and Basingstoke.
Could battery-electric trains be used on this nearly two hundred mile route to avoid the need for electrification.
A possible strategy could be.
- Use existing electrification, as far as Basingstoke – 48 miles
- Use battery power to Salisbury – 83 miles
- Trains can take several minutes at Salisbury as they often split and join and change train crew, so the train could be fast-charged.
- Use battery power to the Tisbury/Gillingham/Yeovil/Crewkerne area, where trains would be charged – 130 miles
- Use battery power to Exeter- 172 miles
Note.
- The miles are the distance from London.
- The charging at Salisbury could be based on Vivarail’s Fast-Charging technology.
- The charging around Yrovil could be based on perhaps twenty miles of third-rail electrification, that would only be switched on, when a train is present.
I estimate that there could be time savings of up to fifteen minutes on the route.
To Be Continued…
Sparking A Revolution
The title of this post is the same as that of an article in Issue 898 of Rail Magazine.
The sub-title is.
When it comes to powering a zero-enissions train with no overhead line infrastructure, battery power is clearly the answer, according to Hitachi.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Over the next decade around 1,000 diesel-powered vehicles will need to be replaced with vehicles that meet emissions standards.
Hitachi, which has been building bi-mode trains for the UK since 2012, and electric trains since 2006, says that retro-fitting old vehicles alone will not be good enough to improve capacity, reliability or passenger satisfaction.
Battery power is the future – not only as a business opportunity for the company, but more importantly for the opportunities it offers the rail industry.
Speaking is Andrew Barr of Hitachi Rail.
Some important points are made.
- Hitachi has identified various towns and cities, where battery trains would be useful including Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hastings, Leeds and Manchester.
- Andrew Barr says he gets a lot of questions about battery power.
- Battery power can be used as parts of electrification schemes to bridge gaps, where rebuilding costs of bridges and other infrastructure would be too high.
- Battery trains are ideal for decarbonising branch lines.
- Batteries could be fitted to Class 385, 800, 802 and 810 trains.
Hitachi would like to run a battery train with passengers, within the next twelve months.
The article also gives the specification of a Hitachi battery train.
- Range – 55-65 miles
- Performance – 90-100 mph
- Recharge – 10 minutes when static
- Routes – Suburban near electrified lines
- Battery Life – 8-10 years
These figures are credited to Hitachi.
Hitachi are also thinking about tri-mode trains.
- Batteries could be installed on Class 800-802/810 trains.
- Battery-only power for stations and urban areas.
- 20% performance improvements or 30% fuel savings.
These is also credited to Hitachi.
Costs And Power
This is an insert in the article, which will apply to all applications with traction batteries.
This is said.
The costs of batteries are expected to halve in the next five 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 2025 and £47/kWh in 2030.
United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) is also predicting that battery energy density will double in the next 15 years, from 700 Wh/l to 1,400 Wh/l in 2035, while power density (fast charging) is likely to increase four times in the same period from 3 kW/kg now to 12 kW/kg in 2035.
In Batteries On Class 777 Trains, I quoted a source that said that Class 777 trains are built to handle a five tonne battery.
I estimated the capacity as follows.
Energy densities of 60 Wh/Kg or 135 Wh/litre are claimed by Swiss battery manufacturer; Leclanche.
This means that a five tonne battery would hold 300 kWh.
Hitachi’s figures are much higher as it looks like a five tonne battery can hold 15 MWh.
Batteries will be going places on Hitachi trains.
Could High Speed Two Have A Station At Ashby-de-la-Zouch?
This morning, I was listening to Andrew Bridgen, who is the Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire, giving the reasons for a strong opposition to High Speed Two.
- High Speed Two will reduce the number of services between Leicester and London.
- His constituency does not have a rail station.
- His constituency would do better for the Ivanhoe Line to get a passenger service.
- His constituents are badly affected by the building of the line.
- His constituents will need to drive North to East Midlands Hub station to use High Speed Two.
Some points are valid, although I think no rail company would reduce the number of services between Leicester and London.
The Future Of Services Between Leicester And London
East Midlands Railway currently run four trains per hour (tph) between Leicester and London, with the fastest trains taking five minutes over the hour.
New 125 mph bi-mode Class 810 trains, will be running all main line services on the Midland Main Line from 2023, using electric power between London and Market Harborough.
It is also planned to increase the line speed between London and Market Harborough to 140 mph, so the trains can really use their design speed, by updating the electrification, signalling and track.
From these published plans, I would feel that East Midlands Railway are intending that all Leicester and London services are within the hour.
Reinstatement Of Services On The Ivanhoe Line
This has been promised off-and-on for some time and I wrote about it in Silent Hydrogen Trains On The Cards For New Line Linking Burton And Leicester, after one of my alerts picked up “hydrogen trains”.
The Association Of Train Operating Companies Plan For The Ivanhoe Line
This is taken from the Wikipedia entry for the Ivanhoe Line.
In 2009 the Association of Train Operating Companies published a £49 million proposal (Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network) to restore passenger services to the line that would include reopening stations at Kirby Muxloe, Bagworth and Ellistown, Coalville Town, Ashby de la Zouch, Moira, and Gresley (for Swadlincote). There is also some support in the Leicester area for the line to have new stations to serve Leicester City F.C.’s stadium and the suburb of Braunstone.
Wikipedia also says, it could be developed as a no-frills line.
Given the government’s enthusiasm for reopening lines closed by Beeching, I suspect that this line will be reopened to passenger traffic in the next few years.
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Station
This section of the route map for High Speed Two, shows where the Ivanhoe Line crosses it, just by a major road junction outside Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Note.
- High Speed Two is shown in orange.
- The Ivanhoe Line runs West-East from the West edge of the map and after crossing the A42 and High Speed Two it curves South-East.
Where the two lines cross would it be sensible to build a simple interchange station?
- Andrew Bridgen’s constituency has a electorate of over 72,000.
- The station would be well-connected to the road network via the the M42, A42 and A51.
- There would appear to be plenty of space for parking.
- It would ease the problems of going by train between Leicester and Birmingham.
- A bridge will have to be built at the location of the station to carry High Speed Two over the Ivanhoe Line, so why not design the bridge with simple platforms?
- As High Speed Two’s trains will be designed with fast acceleration and deceleration, the stops would be very quick
- Passengers would only be allowed on the High Speed Two platforms, when trains are in the station.
Perhaps given its location it could be called the Heart of England Parkway station?
The Station Site
This Google Map shows the station site.
Note.
- The Ivanhoe Line is at the bottom of the map.
- There is a spur from the line into the space.
- High Speed Two will run almost North-South parallel to the A42.
It looks like an abandoned open-cast coal-mine or quarry. Does anybody else know better?
Conclusion
There has already been speculation for the building of a similar station, which I wrote about in Should High Speed Two Have A Station At Calvert?, so perhaps it’s not a totally crazy idea,
Perhaps, there are other places, where High Speed Two crosses other main lines, where parkway stations could be built?
Mule Trains Between Liverpool And Norwich
I have done two trips to Liverpool in the last week.
On Saturday, I saw this collection of one-car Class 153 trains with a two-car Class 156 train thrown in.
They were forming one of East Midlands Railway‘s Liverpool and Norwich services.
And then yesterday, I had to travel between Liverpool and Sheffield and this was the collection of trains that took me.
So what was it like?
It started badly, with the driver announcing that because of the late arrival due to an undisclosed problem with the incoming train, that we would be leaving ten minutes after the planned departure time of 1551. He also indicated that our late departure meant that we would be stuck behind one of Northern’s services.
In the end, despite the gloomy faces of passengers we left twelve minutes late at 1603.
It was a bit like one of those classic films, where an ancient train escapes in the nick of time, with a lot of important and assorted passengers.
The asthmatic Cummins diesels under the train could be heard straining.
- But the driver was at the top of his game and the train was running smoothly towards Manchester at close to 75 mph, which is the maximum speed of a Class 153 train.
- At Manchester Piccadilly, the driver had pulled back two minutes.
- There were obviously, no problems on the Dove Valley Line and the driver pulled back another minute before Sheffield, to arrive nine minutes late.
Looking at Real Time Trains, the train ran well until March (The place, not the month!), but there was some form of delay there and sadly it was thirty-four minutes late into Norwich.
The Train Was Clean
I should say there was nothing wrong with the train except for its design and age. It was also as clean as you can get one of these trains. The toilet, that I used was better than many I’ve used on trains and worked as it should.
Customer Service
East Midlands Railway had loaded a trolley and a steward and in the two hours I was on the train, he came through twice. The only problem for me, that he had no card machine, but I did find a fiver in my briefcase.
At least it was very drinkable. Even, if I hate those plastic tubs of milk, as they are difficult to open with one good hand.
Where Did Two Cars Go?
I had been fairly certain, that we had started with six cars, but we only arrived in Sheffield with four Class 153 trains.
I suspect that the trouble that delayed the train, concerned two cars and these were left on the naughty step or the end of Platform 6 in Liverpool Lime Street station.
Being Fair To East Midlands Railway
This service used to be run by a four-car formation of two-car Class 158 trains, but these have been causing trouble lately and they will be replaced by Class 170 trains cascaded from other operators.
But because of late arrivals of new trains the much better Class 170 trains haven’t arrived yet.
The driver, steward and other staff did a good job and I feel that the steward enjoyed it. No-one was abusive and stories were just exchanged, as we climbed across the Pennines in what by Sheffield was a very crowded train.
Class 153 trains may have been built as a stop-gap for short branch lines, but you couldn’t fault their performance.
Unless of course, one caused the delay at March, by expiring in a cloud of blue smoke.
Other Observations
These are other observations.
Scheduled Journey Times
On my journey the scheduled times were
- Liverpool and Manchester Oxford Road – forty-seven minutes.
- Liverpool and Sheffield – one hour and forty-eight minutes.
- Liverpool and Nottingham – two hour and forty minutes.
- Liverpool and Norwich – Five hours and twenty-seven minutes
The train considering the configuration, nearly achieved them.
It’s probably the motoring equivalent of doing the journey in a Morris Minor!
The Nine Stops Were Executed Perfectly
There were nine stops on my journey and eight took less than a minute, with Sheffield taking four, as the driver and crew changed.
A modern train like a Class 755 train, with fast acceleration and level boarding could probably save up to three minutes a time on each stop.
The Route Is A Genuine 75 mph Railway In Good Condition
I was checking the speed of the train on parts of the route and the driver had his motley crew at a steady 75 mph for long periods.
- The train was riding well, indicating to me, that both trains and track were in reasonably good condition.
- Note that 75 mph is the maximum speed of a Class 153 train.
- The train recovered three minutes on the late departure from Liverpool.
I can see a faster train and improvements to the route, some of which are underway, could reduce the journey time by a few minutes.
Could Merseyrail’s New Class 777 Trains Work To The Bay Platform At Oxford Road?
Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains will have the following performance.
- A possible range of perhaps 40-50 miles on battery power.
- An operating speed of 75 mph.
- An acceleration rate of 1.1 m/sec², which is faster than a Class 153 or Class 170 train.
- Fast stops due to regenerative braking, fast acceleration and level boarding.
As Liverpool Lime Street to Oxford Road is thirty four miles of which nine is electrified, I suspect that these new trains could extend Merseyrail’s Northern Line service from Hunts Cross to Manchester Oxford Road.
- Two trains per hour (tph), but I’m sure four tph would transform the area.
- I doubt any track modifications would be needed.
But would Liverpool and Manchester be able to sort out the local politics?
The Future Of The Liverpool And Norwich Service
This service will probably be spilt into two services.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Derby, which could be run by TransPennine Express or Northern Trains.
- Derby and Norwich, which would be run by East Midlands Railway.
As to the trains to be used, consider the following.
The Liverpool and Derby leg would probably need six trains, with the same number needed for Derby and Norwich, or twelve in total.
Currently, eleven or twelve is needed for the longer service.
Sections of the route like through Manchester and between Grantham and Peterborough are electrified.
There are even sections of route, where 125 mph running is possible.
Run reliably to an hourly frequency, I think that this service could attract passengers, especially, as it would serve Derby and extra stops like Ilkeston and Warrington West could be added.
This leads to the following trains being possibilities.
Class 802 trains – 125 mph bi-mode train of which TransPennine Express have 19 trains.
Class 185 trains – 100 mph diesel train of which TransPennine Express have 51 trains.
Class 810 trains – 125 mph bi-mode train of which East Midlands Railway have ordered 33 trains.
Class 755 trains – 100 mph diesel train of which Greater Anglia have 38 trains, which are based at Norwich.
Alstom Breeze hydrogen trains could be ideal for Liverpool and Derby.
Note.
- Greater Anglia and East Midlands Railway are both subsidiaries of Abellio.
- Developments of Class 755 trains could include battery and hydrogen versions.
- I suspect that 125 mph trains may be required for both legs, to maximise capacity on the East Coast Main Line and Midland Main Line.
The trains will certainly get better.
No News On Hydrogen Trains For The Midland Main Line
In April 2019, I wrote Hydrogen Trains To Be Trialled On The Midland Main Line, which was based on an article on Railway Gazette that is entitled Bimode And Hydrogen Trains As Abellio Wins Next East Midlands Franchise.
I said this in my post.
Abellio will be taking over the franchise in August this year and although bi-mode trains were certain to be introduced in a couple of years, the trialling of hydrogen-powered trains is a surprise to me and possibly others.
This is all that is said in the article.
Abellio will also trial hydrogen fuel cell trains on the Midland Main Line.
It also says, that the new fleet will not be announced until the orders are finalised.
Nothing has been heard since about the hydrogen train trial for the Midland Main Line.
But there have been several related developments, that might have implications for the trial.
East Midlands Railway Has Ordered Hitachi Class 810 Trains For EMR InterCity Services
Class 810 trains are Hitachi’s latest offering, that are tailored for the Midland Main Line.
The trains will have a few differences to the current Class 800,/801/802 trains.
But will they be suitable for conversion to hydrogen power?
Consider.
- The Hitachi trains have a comprehensivecomputer system, that looks at the train and sees what power sources are available and controls the train accordingly.
- Trains have already been ordered in five, seven and nine-car lengths. I have read up to twelve-car trains are possible in normal operation. See Do Class 800/801/802 Trains Use Batteries For Regenerative Braking?
- Hydrogen train designs, with a useful range of several hundred miles between refuelling, seem to need a hydrogen tank, that takes up at least half of a twenty metre long carriage.
- The Hitachi train design has pantographs on the driver cars and can support diesel generator units in the intermediate cars, as it does in current trains.
- The Japanese are researching hydrogen trains.
- The five-car Class 802 trains have 2,100 kW of installed generator power.
I think that Hitachi’s engineers can build another carriage, with the following characteristics.
- It could be based on a Motor Standard car.
- The passenger seats and interior would be removed or redesigned in a shorter space.
- Powered bogies would be as required.
- It would contain a hydrogen tank to give sufficient range.
- Appropriately-sized batteries and fuel-cells would be inside or under the vehicle.
- Regenerative braking would help to recharge the batteries.
- There would probably be no diesel generator unit.
There would need to be a walkway through the car. Stadler have shown this works in the Class 755 train.
A Hydrogen Power car like this would convert a five-car bi-mode diesel-electric train into a six-car hydrogen-electric hybrid train. Or they might just replace one Motor Standard car with the Hydrogen Power Car to create a five-car hydrogen-electric hybrid train, if the longer train would cause problems in the short platforms at St. Pancras.
- The computer system would need to recognise the Hydrogen Power Car and control it accordingly. It would probably be very Plug-and-Play.
- The weight of the train could probably be reduced by removing all diesel generator units.
- The passenger experience would be better without diesel power.
- The range away from the wires would probably be several hundred miles.
The drivers and other staff would probably not need massive retraining.
What Do I Mean By Appropriately-Sized Batteries And Fuel Cells?
I can’t be sure,, but I suspect the following rules and estimates hold.
- The batteries must be large enough to more than hold the kinetic energy of a full five-car train, running at the full speed of 140 mph.
- I estimate that the kinetic energy of the train,will be around 200 kWh, so with a contingency, perhaps battery capacity of between 400-500 kWh would be needed.
- Currently, a 500 kWh battery would weigh five tonnes, which is of a similar weight to one of the diesel generator units, that are no longer needed.
- In How Much Power Is Needed To Run A Train At 125 mph?, I estimated that the all-electric Class 801 train, needs 3.42 kWh per vehicle mile to maintain 125 mph. This means that travelling at 125 mph for an hour would consume around 2,000 kWh or an output of 2,000 kW from the fuel cell for the hour.
- Note that 1 kg of hydrogen contains 33.33 kWh of usable energy, so the hydrogen to power the train for an hour at 125 mph, will weigh around sixty kilograms.
From my past experience in doing chemical reaction calculations in pressure vessels, I think it makes the concept feasible. After all, it’s not that different to Alstom’s Breeze.
I would assume, that the train manufacturers can do a full calculation, to a much more accurate level.
Applying The Concept To Other Hitachi Trains
Once proven, the concept could be applied to a large number of Hitachi bi-mode trains. I suspect too, that it could be applied to all other Hitachi A-train designs, that are in service or on order, all over the world.
In the UK, this includes Class 385, Class 395 and Class 80x trains.
Bombardier Have Said That They’re Not Interested In Hydrogen Power
But Electrostars and Aventras have the same Plug-and-Play characteristic as the Hitachi train.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Bombardier have a Hydrogen Power Car design for an Aventra. All that it needs is an order.
They could also probably convert a five-car Class 377 train to effectively a four-car train, with a Hydrogen Power Car in the middle. This would be ideal for the Uckfield Branch and the Marshlink Lines. I suspect it could be done to meet the timescale imposed by the transfer of the Class 171 trains to East Midlands Railway.
There must be an optimal point, where converting an electric multiple unit, is more affordable to convert to hydrogen, than to add just batteries.
But then everybody has been dithering about the Uckfield and Marshlink trains, since I started this blog!
Stadler Have Shown That a Gangway Through A Power Car Is Acceptable To Passengers In The UK
Stadler’s Class 755 trains seem to be operating without any complaints about the gangway between the two halves of the train.
Stadler Have Two Orders For Hydrogen-Powered Trains
These posts describe them.
- Zillertalbahn Orders Stadler Hydrogen-Powered Trains
- MSU Research Leads To North America’s First Commercial Hydrogen-Powered Train
Stadler also have a substantial order for a fleet of battery Flirt Akku in Schleswig Holstein and they are heavily involved in providing the rolling stock for Merseyrail and the South Wales Metro, where battery-powered trains are part of the solution.
It looks to me, that Stadler have got the technology to satisfy the battery and hydrogen train market.
The Driver’s View Of Stadler
It’s happened to me twice now; in the Netherlands and in the UK.
- Both drivers have talked about hydrogen and Stadler’s trains with the engine in the middle.
- They like the concept of the engine.
- The English driver couldn’t wait to get his hands on the train, when he finished his conversion.
- Both brought up the subject of hydrogen first, which made me think, that Stadler are telling drivers about it.
Or does driving a hydrogen-powered vehicle as your day job, score Greta points in the pub or club after work?
Could The Hydrogen Train On The Midland Main Line Be A Stadler?
Greater Anglia and East Midlands Railway are both controlled by Abellio or Dutch Railways.
In The Dutch Plan For Hydrogen, I laid out what the Dutch are doing to create a hydrogen-based economy in the North of the country.
Stadler are going to provide hydrogen-powered for the plan.
In addition.
- Greater Anglia have bought a lot of Class 755 trains.
- A lot of Lincolnshire and Norfolk is similar to the North of the Netherlands; flat and windy.
- One of these trains with a hydrogen PowerPack, could be an ideal train for demonstrating hydrogen on rural routes like Peterborough and Doncaster via Lincoln.
But the promise was on the Midland Main Line?
Conclusion
Hydrogen trains seem to be taking off!
Even if there’s been no news about the trial on the Midland Main Line.
The Anonymous Widower 