£2.1bn North Wales Rail Overhaul Plans Unveiled
The title of this post is the same as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A £2.1bn plan to overhaul north Wales’ railway network has been unveiled by Welsh Transport Secretary Ken Skates, but with no funding commitment from the UK government so far.
These three introductory paragraphs add more detail.
The proposals include more services, the introduction of pay-as-you-go “tap in tap out” technology, electrification of lines and a Metro-style service linking Wrexham and Liverpool.
Promising the plans would mean “better stations and more trains”, Welsh ministers have committed an initial £13m, with substantial UK government cash needed to realise the proposals.
The UK government has been asked to comment.
Having lived in Liverpool for seven years, I can understand how this upgrade will benefit Wales and also bring the area closer to Liverpool and Merseyside, to the benefit of the wider region.
There is also this press release from the Welsh Government, which is entitled “METRO IS GO” with Network North Wales.
This press release says plans include.
- Commencing work on the line between Wrexham and Liverpool as the crucial first phase of delivering metro services direct between the two cities.
- Doubling train services between Wrexham and Chester next May.
- Bringing forward the introduction of 50% more services across the North Wales mainline from December 2026 to next May – resulting in a new service from Llandudno to Liverpool and extending the Manchester Airport service to Holyhead in place of Llandudno.
- Upon completion of rail line works at Padeswood, increase train services between Wrexham and Bidston to 2 trains per hour within the next three years, ahead of the introduction of 4 trains per hour that will run direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035.
- The existing Borderlands Line will also be renamed the Wrexham – Liverpool line.
- Key stations on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be improved in the next 12 months.
- Trains operating on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be wrapped to reflect the communities and football clubs they serve.
- Introducing Pay as You Go tap in tap out technology – covering connections between Gobowen and Rhyl, and along the full length of the Wrexham -Liverpool line
- Working with Network Rail to determine the feasibility of a rapid delivery of a new test railway station at Deeside Industrial Park, to gauge demand for permanent services to the park.
- A new, multi-million pound electrification innovation fund to develop a plan to decarbonise the railway in North Wales and enable more frequent metro services and additional stations
- Match funding for step-free access at Shotton and Ruabon stations.
- Working with local authorities to develop plans for Gateway multi-modal interchanges at Holyhead, Bangor, Caernarfon and Wrexham.
- A new T13 bus service – connecting Rhyl, Ruthin, Denbigh and Wrexham.
- Examining options to re-open stations and build new stations to serve employment growth areas.
- A new bus network specifically designed to link communities with industrial estates in the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone.
It all seems very comprehensive.
The Current Wrexham And Liverpool Route
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways of North Wales between Chester, Flint and Wrexham Central.
Note.
- Wrexham Central station is at the bottom of the map indicated by the blue arrow.
- Chester is in the North-East corner of the map, where three orange tracks meet.
- The orange track running East from Chester is the North Wales Coast Line to Crewe
- The orange track running West from Chester is the North Wales Coast Line to Shotton, Flint and then on to Llandudno, Bangor and Holyhead.
- The orange track running South from Chester goes to Wrexham.
- The yellow track running North from Chester is Merseyrail to Liverpool.
- Flint station is in the North-West corner of the map, with Shotton station between Chester and Flint stations.
- The yellow track running North from Wrexham Central station to Shotton station is the Borderlands Line to Bidston for Liverpool.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the two Wrexham stations and the lines to Liverpool and Chester.
Note.
The orange track running North-South is the Chester and Shrewsbury Line, which runs through Wrexham General station.
The yellow track running North -West is the Borderlands Line to Shotton and Bidston for Liverpool.
Wrexham Central station is on an extension of the Borderlands Line.
This third OpenRailwayMap shows where the Borderlands Line crosses the River Dee on the Hawarden Bridge.
Note.
- Running across the South-West corner of the map is the River Dee.
- The orange track in the South-West corner of the map is the North Wales Coast Line between Chester and Holyhead.
- The yellow track is the Borderlands Line between Wrexham and Bidston for Liverpool.
- The Borderlands Line crosses the River Dee on the Hawarden Bridge.
- Shotton station is a poor interchange between the two lines.
- Hawarden Bridge station is North of the river.
This fourth OpenRailwayMap shows where the Borderlands Line joins Merseyrail’s Wirral Line at Bidston station.
Note.
- Bidston station is in the vNorth-West corner of the map.
- The yellow track running West from Bidston station is Merseyrail to West Kirby.
- The yellow track running South from Bidston station is the Borderlands Line to Wrexham.
- The yellow track running North from the triangular junction to the East of Bidston station is Merseyrail to New Brighton.
- The yellow track running East from the triangular junction to the East of Bidston station is Merseyrail to Liverpool via Birkenhead North, Birkenhead Park, Conway Park and Hamilton Square stations.
- Birkenhead Central station is in the South-Eastern corner of the map and is on Merseyrail’s branches to Chester and Ellesmere Port stations.
Services from Chester, Ellesmere Port, New Brighton and West Kirby all combine at Hamilton Square to go round the stations under the centre of Liverpool; James Street, Moorfields, Lime Street, Central and James Street (again).
Wrexham And Liverpool Improvements
These plans concern the Borderlands Line or the Wrexham and Liverpool Line.
- Commencing work on the line between Wrexham and Liverpool as the crucial first phase of delivering metro services direct between the two cities.
- Upon completion of rail line works at Padeswood, increase train services between Wrexham and Bidston to 2 trains per hour within the next three years, ahead of the introduction of 4 trains per hour that will run direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035.
- The existing Borderlands Line will also be renamed the Wrexham – Liverpool line.
- Key stations on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be improved in the next 12 months.
- Trains operating on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be wrapped to reflect the communities and football clubs they serve.
- Introducing Pay as You Go tap in tap out technology – covering connections between Gobowen and Rhyl, and along the full length of the Wrexham -Liverpool line
- Working with Network Rail to determine the feasibility of a rapid delivery of a new test railway station at Deeside Industrial Park, to gauge demand for permanent services to the park.
- A new, multi-million pound electrification innovation fund to develop a plan to decarbonise the railway in North Wales and enable more frequent metro services and additional stations
- Match funding for step-free access at Shotton and Ruabon stations.
- Examining options to re-open stations and build new stations to serve employment growth areas.
There looks a lot to do, but none of the actions would appear to be that large and expensive.
Running Class 777 Trains Between Wrexham Central Station And Liverpool City Centre
Consider.
- There is no way, that the Office of Road and Rail will allow any more third rail electrification.
- Class 777 trains could be fitted with pantographs, if the trains need to be charged on the tracks past Bidston station.
- Siemens Mobility have developed a Rail Charging Converter, that I wrote about in Technology Behind Siemens Mobility’s British Battery Trains Hits The Tracks.
- I suspect Stadler have some similar technology for the Class 777 trains.
- Wrexham Central station is a single platform station.
- Bidston and Wrexham Central stations are 27.5 miles apart or a 55 mile round trip.
- In New Merseyrail Train Runs 135km On Battery, I describe how a Class 777 train ran for over eighty miles on battery power.
In Liverpool City Centre, trains would join services from Chester, Ellesmere Port, New Brighton and West Kirby and go round a loop through James Street, Moorfields, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Central and James Street.
This Google Map shows Wrexham Central station.
Note.
- The single track, with the platform alongside.
- There would be plenty of space on the North side of the track to put up a short length of overead wire to charge the trains.
- The station appears to be surrounded by a shopping centre.
One platform should be able to handle four trains per hour (tph)
This second Google Map shows Bidston station.
Note.
- Bidston station is indicated by the station symbol.
- Merseyrail’s line between West Kirby and Liverpool runs through the station.
- Trains to Liverpool take the Eastern point of the triangular junction.
- Trains to New Brighton take the Northern point of the triangular junction.
- Trains to West Kirby and Wrexham take the Westerly lines, from Bidston station.
Work will probably need to be done at the junction, where the West Kirby and Wrexham line split.
I discuss the work at Padeswood in Train Frequency Focus In North Wales Transport Commission’s Interim Recommendations.
It doesn’t seem to me, that to be able to run 2 or even 4 tph between Wrexham Central and Liverpool, is going to need a large budget. Although, a few extra Class 777 trains, with a battery-electric capability, will be needed.
But this corner of Wales will have one of the world’s first battery-electric international trains.
New And Improved Services And Stations
These plans concern new and improved services and stations on the Borderlands Line or the Wrexham and Liverpool Line.
- The existing Borderlands Line will also be renamed the Wrexham – Liverpool line.
- Key stations on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be improved in the next 12 months.
- Trains operating on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be wrapped to reflect the communities and football clubs they serve.
- Introducing Pay as You Go tap in tap out technology – covering connections between Gobowen and Rhyl, and along the full length of the Wrexham -Liverpool line
- Match funding for step-free access at Shotton station.
- Examining options to re-open stations and build new stations to serve employment growth areas.
Deeside Industrial Park Station
This is planned for Deeside Industrial Park station.
Working with Network Rail to determine the feasibility of a rapid delivery of a new test railway station at Deeside Industrial Park, to gauge demand for permanent services to the park.
This Google Map shows Deeside Industrial Park
Note.
Shotton station is in the South West corner of the map.
Hawarden Bridge station is indicated by the red arrow.
The double-track Borderlands Line runs between the two stations and then Northwards between the warehouses and factories of the estate.
This second Google Map shows the area to the North of the two stations in greater detail.
Note.
- Flintshire Bridge Converter Station is the Southern end of the 2.2 GW Western HVDC Link from Scotland.
- Toyota’s Deeside Solar Park.
- The Borderland’s Line running between the substation and the solar park.
It does appear there could be plenty of space for a station.
Network Rail on Merseyside certainly have access to to a temporary station, as these pictures show of one’s use at Liverpool South Parkway station, which I wrote about in Liverpool South Parkway Station Stands In For Lime Street.
Note.
- It was mainly built of scaffolding.
- It was long enough for an eleven-car Class 390 train.
It could certainly be rearranged to make a temporary two-platform station.
But why a temporary station?
- It may turn out, that Bidston and Wrexham Central is too long for battery-electric trains.
- But Deeside Industrial Park station would be about half-way, so an ideal place for a pit-stop.
- It’s also got plenty of electricity.
- Toyota might also want to see how it helps the operation of their engine plant.
Network Rail might want to try out the idea of building a temporary station elsewhere in the future.
Never Mind Heathrow: Gatwick Airport Is Close To Getting A New Runway
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
A friend passed through at Gatwick Airport yesterday, so I went twish him well. For a change , I took a Metrobus from Sutton station to the South terminal – This route is free and doesn’t need a ticket with a Freedom Pass!
The bus was no ordinary bus, but a brand new Wrightbus hydrogen double decker from Ballymena.
It took a round-about route, as its main function is to bring local workers and passengers into the airport and handle traffic to Redhilll and Reigate, and East Surrey Hospital.
But if this is the shape of buses to come, then I’m for it. Quality was more coach than bus and performance was sparkling with little or no noise and vibration.
Gatwick and Metrobus are building a network of local hydrogen buses to bring workers and passengers into the airport and I suspect, if the Airport has the fuel, they’ll use it for other purposes, like air-side vehicles, aircraft tow-trucks and car park buses.
Gatwick unlike Heathrow has a close-by source of electricity to produce hydrogen in the soon-to-be-extended 1.6 GW Ramplion offshore wind farm, just off Brighton.
Airbus are talking about bringing hydrogen aircraft into service by 2035 and I believe that by this date we’ll be regularly seeing hydrogen-turboprops on short routes.
As someone, whose software planned the Channel Tunnel, I think it reasonable by 2035, the following projects will be completed.
- Zeroavia are talking of converting aircraft to hydrogen in the next few years.
- A number of short-haul hydrogen aircraft are in service.
- Gatwick’s new runway and terminals are built.
- Ramplion is pumping hydrogen to the airport.
- The station has been updated.
- The Thameslink frquency of trains will have been increased.
Gatwick could be the first major airport to use large amounts of hydrogen, to cut emissions.
Stratford Station – New Gittins Road Entrance
I’ve been meaning to check out this new entrance at Stratford station for some time, as it opened in July 2024.
It is only a simple entrance with a gate-line, ticket machines, information displays and a warm hut for a ticket checker.
Transport for London and other transport operators could do with a few of these entrances, to cut off travelers, who don’t think they should pay.
London And Newcastle In A Day By Lumo
On Monday, the weather for yesterday in the North-East seemed set fair, I was able to get tickets on Lumo both ways for a reasonable price and the new Northumberland Line had opened.
So I decided to go for it.
My outward journey was on the 10:45 and the return was on the 17:52, which gave me more than enough time to take a train to Ashington and back.
I took these pictures as I arrived in and changed cmy trains at Newcastle.
Note.
- The weather in Geordieland was gorgeous.
- Is there another station in the UK, with an approach with such a large number of bridges over a large river.
- I took the bridge pictures from the lobby of the train.
- The blue railway bridge is on the East side of the train.
- The modern road bridge is on the West side of the train.
- In The Bridges of Newcastle, there are more pictures of Newcastles’s bridges.
- To change trains, I had to cross from one side of the station to the other on a stiff bridge without lifts.
- The Northumberland Line trains run every thirty minutes.
These are some further thoughts on Newcastle station, which I will write later.
Timings Going North
The train left Kings Cross at 10:45½, which was just thirty seconds late.
It arrived in Newcastle at 13:48, which was four minutes late.
The journey time had been three hours and two and a half minutes.
Timings Going South
The train left Newcastle at 17:52, which was on time.
It arrived in Kings Cross at 21:17, which was thirty-three minutes late.
The thirty-three minute delay, must raise the possibility of delay repay.
It does!
Three Hours London Newcastle?
These timings must raise the possibility of a sub-three hour time. on the train, between London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.
The digital signalling that is currently being installed, with perhaps a few timetable tweaks should do it for both Lumo and LNER.
Could The Trains Absorb The Airline Passengers?
Consider.
- In 2023, 437,735 passengers flew between London Heathrow and Newcastle airports.
- This is just 1,200 passengers per day.
- A five-car Class 803 train has 403 seats.
It would appear that a few extra trains and some targeted marketing, could convert London and Newcastle into an all-electric train route.
Seats
Train seats are a bone of contention to many rail passengers these days.
I first rode on Lumo to Scotland in 2021 and wrote about it in London To Edinburgh On Lumo, where I was fairly complimentary about the seats.
They certainly are better than some train seats I have ridden in.
Am I Tired Today?
Not particularly! But I wasn’t very energetic during my four hours in the North.
Tickets For Onward Journeys
The main purpose of my trip was to ride the Northumberland Line to Ashington.
I made the mistake of not buying my ticket for the second train in London, as I hadn’t realised that my train from London and the Ashington train used different sides of the station.
- It was a stiff walk for me between trains.
- In order to buy a ticket, you need to pass through the barriers twice to get to the ticket office or a machine.
- There was no ticket facilities on the far side of the station, where the Lumo train arrived.
- The ticket machines didn’t accept contactless cards.
- Information was lacking.
The outcome was that I nearly missed my train to Ashington.
So to be sure of catching your connection, if you are changing trains at Newcastle, make sure you buy your tickets before you leave your first station.
Wales’ Public Transport Priorities All Wrong, Expert Says
The title of this post, is the same as that if this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
The Welsh government has got its priorities wrong over public transport, an expert has said.
These five paragraphs outline the story.
Ministers should have improved bus and train services before reducing speeds from 30mph to 20mph on many Welsh roads, said Stuart Cole, Emeritus Professor at University of South Wales.
He said public transport facilities should have been “put in before any other anti-motorist legislation”.
The Welsh government said current arrangements were complex across Wales.
But Prof Cole said the Welsh government had “gone about it the wrong way round” although “what they’ve done is not in itself a bad idea”.
He said he wanted to see Wales emulate the Netherlands, where there’s been massive investment in trains and buses to entice motorists out of their cars.
I agree with Professor Cole and I feel that the Welsh Government’s approach has been all stick and no carrot!
He also criticises the lack of a Welsh travel card.
The article gives a classic example of bad transport planning.
Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire, which happens to be Transport Minister Lee Waters’ constituency, is a good example of how buses and trains are not integrated.
The bus station is a mile away from the train station, and there are no buses linking the two.
In fact there are no buses at all from the railway station.
There must be other examples like this all over the country.
Perhaps we need a UK-wide complaints department for idiocies like this.
Gatwick Airport – 23rd November 2023
I went to Gatwick Airport to see the new railway station.
Note.
- As at Reading and Leeds stations, space has been created by building a wide concourse over the tracks.
- The experience certainly seemed better.
- Most platforms have up and down escalators and lifts.
- There were still a few things that needed to be finished.
But for me, as a man with a Freedom Pass and a Senior Railcard, the ticketing to Gatwick is still a pain.
- If I go to Heathrow or London City, I use my Freedom Pass to get to the Airport.
- If I go to Eurostar, I use my Freedom Pass to get to St. Pancras station.
- If I go to Stansted, I use my Freedom Pass to get to Liverpool Street station and buy a ticket for Stanstead Express.
If I go to Gatwick, Luton or Southend airports, I use my Freedom Pass to get to a station with a Booking Office and then buy an extension ticket from the Zone 6 boundary to the airport.
I believe there are three solutions.
Make It Possible To Link A Bank Card To A Freedom Pass
It should be possible to do something like the following.
- Touch in at Moorgate.
- Take the Elizabeth Line to Farringdon.
- Take Thames to Gatwick Airport.
- Check out at Gatwick Airport.
The credit card associated with the Freedom Pass would then be charged the fee for between the Zone 6 boundary and Gatwick Airport.
The credit card would be entered through the Freedom Pass web site.
On a related matter I believe that the Freedom Pass web site could be a nice little earner for Transport for London, by doing the following.
- Selling rail tickets on a best-priced basis. Savings are to be had by selling tickets for Freedom Pass holders from the Zone 6 boundary.
- Managing Railcards.
- Selling Transport for London merchandise.
Nobody would pay more than they do now, but Transport for London would pick up some commission from selling tickets.
Develop A Flexible App That Works With A Freedom Pass And Phone Payments
Similar to the first option, but the app charges accordingly.
Put Gatwick Airport In Zone 6
The management of Gatwick Airport might like to attract more travellers, so they would pay from the Zone 6 boundary for Freedom Farm users.
Conclusion
I would find the first two options acceptable, providing the charges were no more than now!
Collecting National Rail Tickets
I took this picture at the Elizabeth Line entrance at Tottenham Court Road station this morning.
Transport for London are telling people they must go to a National Rail station to pick up National Rail tickets.
There are good reasons, why some passengers like to pick up their tickets at the station, where they enter the rail network.
If I go to Gatwick, as I have a Freedom Pass, I need to buy a ticket from East Croydon to Gatwick.
My normal way to get to Gatwick would be to take a bus to Moorgate and get the Elizabeth Line or the Metropolitan Line one stop to get Thameslink.
But I wouldn’t pass a ticket machine.
I count download the ticket to my phone, as my left hand can’t be relied on to retrieve it.
A better solution for me and many others with a Freedom Pass would be to link it to a bank card, so that the extra could be automatically charged.
Conclusion
Transport for London have no imagination.
53 Train Stations To Benefit From Tap-In Tap-Out Rollout
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news story from the UK Government.
This is the sub-heading.
Passengers across the South East of England will benefit from ‘Pay As You Go’ technology by the end of December 2023.
The news story has these three bullet points.
- £20 million of government funding marks the first phase of the government’s commitment to extend Pay As You Go to a further 200 stations in the South East
- The department is also working with Great British Railways transition team (GBRTT) to agree Pay As You Go pilots in the Greater Manchester and the West Midlands by the end of the year
- Both form part of the government’s plan to make fares and ticketing simpler and more convenient for passengers
If I look at the list of 53 stations to be added in this first phase, several are ones I have regularly used.
- Beaconsfield
- Bletchley
- Bricket Wood
- East Tilbury
- Gerrards Cross
- High Wycombe
- Kempton Park
- Southend Central
- Southend East
- St Albans Abbey
- Staines
- Windsor & Eton Riverside
With the Government saying that this list of stations in the South East, will rise to 200, I suspect that the number of listed stations, where I go regularly will increase.
At present, if I go to a contactless station like Gatwick Airport, which is outside of the Freedom Pass area, I have to buy an extension ticket, either before I board the train or I have to get off somewhere like East Croydon and tap-out with my Freedom Pass and tap-in with my bank card.
Surely, a better system, would be to be able to link a bank card to my Freedom Pass. This would enable my bank card to be charged excess on my Freedom Pass.
Chaos As Train Passengers Locked In At Lake District Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Cumbria Crack.
These two paragraphs outline the story.
Passengers on a delayed train had to climb over spiked fences after they discovered they were locked in at Oxenholme station.
People on a delayed Avanti West Coast service from London arrived at the Lake District station to find that staff had gone home for the evening, locking up behind them.
I have arrived late at several stations in London after they have closed and there is always a signed route out, when the staff have locked up and gone home.
These pictures show Crofton Park station.
Note.
- The exits out of the station are always open.
- The exits have contactless readers.
- The exits also allow a step-free route from one platform to another.
- There is CCTV on the exits.
Exits like these can surely be provided at Oxenholme station.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Improving The Route To Windsor & Eton Central Station
This post is now complete.
I took the Elizabeth Line to Slough station, for onward travel to Windsor & Eton Central station today and took these pictures along the route.
Note.
- I joined the Elizabeth Line at Moorgate station and took a train all the way to Paddington station.
- As a Freedom Pass holder, I use the Elizabeth Line for nothing.
- I changed between the Central and Western sections of the Elizabeth Line at Paddington.
- I also bought my Slough and Windsor & Eton Central ticket at Paddington from a machine, for the princely sum of £2.10. It was with a Senior Railcard.
- There is a lot of building going on along the route.
- The diesel train on the Slough-Windsor & Eton Line was a three-car Class 165 train.
I have some thoughts on how to improve the train service to Windsor.
What Do I Mean By Improving?
I don’t mean direct trains, as that would be impossible for various reasons.
- Platform length at Windsor & Eton Central station would be a problem.
- Flat crossing across the fast lines would slow the expresses.
- To make the running efficient, a flyover would need to be built. The disruption of building it and the cost would be immense.
What is needed, is a system, which means that getting from Central Elizabeth Line stations to Windsor & Eton Central station is as easily as possible.
Windsor Is One Of Our Premier Tourism Destinations
I suspect that on passenger numbers; Bicester Village, Cambridge, Oxford and Windsor are the four most visited tourist sites by rail from London.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to provide some of the services to these destinations, with the exception of Cambridge, with British Rail-era diesel multiple units.
Could A Four-Car Train Be Run On the Slough-Windsor & Eton Line?
I took this picture of the Slough end of the three-car Class 165 train in Windsor & Eton Central station.
It does appear that say a four-car Class 387 train could be fitted into the platform, with perhaps some adjustment to the platform and the track.
Would The Train Be Electric Or Battery-Electric Powered?
Consider.
- The Slough-Windsor & Eton Line is only 2.5 miles long.
- It is single-track.
- Trains take six minutes to do the trip.
- Modern electric trains with better acceleration could probably do the trip in four minutes.
- A battery-electric train will need charging.
This OpenRailMap map shows the electrification at Slough station.
Note.
- 25 KVAC overhead electrification is shown in red.
- The Slough-Windsor & Eton Line leaves the map in the South-West corner of the map and runs into the electrified Bay Platform 1.
- The electrification in Platform 1 could be used to charge a battery-electric train.
- The Slough-Windsor & Eton Line appears to be partially electrified at the Slough end.
I wonder, if the simplest, most-affordable, least risky approach is to electrify the 2.5 miles with 25 KVAC overhead electrification, as it would allow a standard Class 387 train to work the route.
Operation Of The Shuttle
Currently, the Class 165 trains take six minutes between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations, which means that with turning the train at each end of the route, where the driver must walk seventy metres or so to change ends only a three trains per hour (tph) schedule is possible.
If I look at some of the station-to-station stops on the Elizabeth Line, I suspect that a well driven electric train could go between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations in perhaps four minutes. With a well-marshalled stop at either end of the route in perhaps two minutes, it could be possible to do a round trip in twelve minutes, which would allow a four tph service.
Capacity would go up from nine cars per hour to sixteen. or an over seventy percent increase in capacity.
There are several ways that, this shuttle could operate.
- As now, where the drivers have to be fit to change ends in the time.
- Two drivers are used with one in each cab.
- Drivers walk back on arrival at the terminal and then step-up into the next train. This is standard London Underground practice at stations like Brixton and Walthamstow Central.
- The train is fully-automated and the driver sits in either cab with an override, that allows him to take control, if say protestors or criminals get on the track.
As a Control Engineer, I certainly feel the fourth option is possible.
Intriguingly, I suspect the concept could be proved with two drivers in an existing three-car Class 165 train, to see if four tph are possible.
Ticketing
Ticketing is less of a problem now, than it was before March 28th 2022, as from that date Windsor & Eton Central station is now in the contactless area, so you could touch in with your bank card at any station in the London contactless area and touch out at that station.
It’s all explained on this page on the Great Western Railway web site.
I am a Freedom Pass holder, which gives me the ability to get free travel to and from anywhere on the Elizabeth line for free, so getting to and from Slough for nothing, is no problem, if I use the Elizabeth Line.
But I would need a ticket for the section between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations.
Before I got on the Elizabeth Line at Moorgate, I tried to buy an extension ticket between Slough and Windsor & Eton Central stations, from the ticket machines at Moorgate, but it was not possible, so in the end, I made a detour to the ticket office at Paddington and bought the ticket there. But when the Elizabeth Line is fully connected, there will have to be a rethink, as Freedom Pass holders from say Ilford would want a day out in Windsor.
Perhaps the Slough-Windsor & Eton Central line should become a fixed-fare line, where a bank card would be charged say a pound for each journey.
Note that I only paid £2.10 for a return ticket at Paddington with my Senior Railcard.
A Better Interchange At Slough
Currently, the Off Peak frequency of trains at Slough is as follows.
- Slough and Windsor & Eton Central – 3 tph
- Slough and Paddington – Elizabeth Line – 2 tph
- Slough and Paddington – Great Western Railway – 2 tph – Non-stop
- Slough and Paddington – Great Western Railway – 2 tph – Stopping
In TfL Confirms Details Of Reading Services, I wrote that the Elizabeth Line will have 4 tph to London in the Off Peak, with two extra services in the Peak.
This indicates to me, that the Slough and Windsor & Eton Central service needs four tph.
The Anonymous Widower 