Green Light For Major Transpennine Improvements
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railnews.
These paragraphs outline the project.
Improvements on the Transpennine route in West Yorkshire have been given the green light, after a Transport and Works Act order was signed by the transport secretary on 27 June, six months earlier than planned.
The cost of the upgrades was described as ‘multi-billion’ by Network Rail, which said it was the ‘biggest milestone’ so far on the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme.
The improvements will be carried out between Huddersfield and Westtown in Dewsbury, and include quadrupling the double line and remodelling track layouts as well as major renovations at Huddersfield, Deighton and Mirfield and a new station at Ravensthorpe. In addition, there will be a flyover near Ravensthorpe to separate the Wakefield and Leeds lines and reduce conflicting movements.
Effectively, Grant Shapps fired the starting gun for this project four days ago.
I have written various posts on the upgrade and they can be read from this link.
The Transpennine Route Upgrade Web Site
The project now has its own comprehensive web site, which is named the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
A Reply To Peter Robins About Electrification
Peter Robins made this very perceptive comment.
The main point of TPU isn’t electrification, though, it’s upgrading the track to remove bottlenecks, improve lines speeds, add capacity. This is mainly what the Hudd-Dew TWA order is about. If you electrify the line while you’re doing that, then you increase the number of connecting places/lines which are within range of current batteries.
I think that Lds-CF will also have to wait for the post-IRP review, meaning the full upgrade will be a long time coming.
This Hitachi infographic shows the specification of their Regional Battery Train.
Note.
- It is a 100 mph train.
- Batteries can be charged when travelling under wires or 10-15 mins static.
- Range on batteries is 90 km. or 56 miles.
- My experience of Hitachi bi-modes is that pantographs on these trains can go up and down, with all the alacrity of a whore’s drawers.
Hitachi have stated that they will be testing a Class 802 train with batteries later this year.
Could Hitachi Battery Trains Be Charged On The Electrification Between Huddersfield And Dewsbury?
Looking at the data from RealTimeTrains for this route it appears that the fastest time I can find between Huddersfield And Dewsbury is eleven minutes.
Would this be enough time to fully-charge the battery? If not the electrification could perhaps be extended for a couple of miles.
How Many Of Transpennine Express (TPE)’s Services Could Be Decarbonised, if Huddersfield And Dewsbury Were To Be Electrified?
I’ll look at each service that uses this route.
Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle
This is an hourly service that calls at Newton-le-Willows, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, York, Northallerton, Darlington and Durham.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria is electrified.
- Colton Junction and Newcastle is electrified.
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury will be electrified by the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 25.8 miles
- Dewsbury and Colton Junction – 29.3 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Leeds, which could be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 29.3 miles.
It looks to me that Liverpool Lime Street And Newcastle could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
Manchester Airport And Redcar Central
This is an hourly service that calls at Gatley, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby and Middlesbrough.
- Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria is electrified.
- Colton Junction and Northallerton is electrified.
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury will be electrified by the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 25.8 miles
- Dewsbury and Colton Junction – 29.3 miles
- Northallerton and Redcar Central – 28.8 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Leeds, which could be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 29.3 miles.
- I suspect that charging could be needed at Redcar end of the route. Middlesbrough would probably be best, as it could also charge the LNER services, if they used battery power from Northallerton.
It looks to me that Manchester Airport And Redcar Central could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
Manchester Piccadilly And Hull
This is an hourly service that calls at Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Leeds, Selby and Brough.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria is electrified.
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury will be electrified by the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
- Leeds and Neville Hill Depot is electrified.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 25.8 miles
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 29.3 miles
- Neville Hill Depot and Hull – 50 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Huddersfield and Leeds, which could be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 50 miles.
- I am sure that charging would be needed at Hull end of the route. Hull would probably be best, as it could also charge the Hull Trains, LNER and Northern Trains services, if they used battery power from the East Coast Main Line.
- Alternatively, there could be electrification between Hull and Brough. or Neville Hill and Micklefield. The latter would knock eight miles off the unelectrified section and is needed to allow electric trains to access Neville Hill Depot under electric power.
It looks to me that Manchester Piccadilly and Hull could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield
This is an hourly service that calls at Stalybridge, Mossley, Greenfield, Marsden, and Slaithwaite.
- Manchester Piccadilly is electrified.
- Huddersfield is electrified.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield – 25.5 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield, which would be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 25.5 miles.
- Trains would be charged at both ends of the route.
It looks to me that Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
Huddersfield And Leeds
This is an hourly service that calls at Deighton, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, Batley, Morley and Cottingley
- Huddersfield is electrified.
- Leeds is electrified.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 29.3 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield, Deighton, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury and Leeds, which would be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 29.3 miles.
- Trains would be charged at both ends of the route.
It looks to me that Huddersfield and Leeds could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
York And Scarborough
This is an hourly service that calls at Malton and Seamer
- York is electrified.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- York And Scarborough – 42.1 miles
Note.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 42.1 miles.
- Trains would be charged at both ends of the route.
It looks to me that York and Scarborough could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
How Many Of Northern Trains’s Services Could Be Decarbonised, if Huddersfield And Dewsbury Were To Be Electrified?
I’ll look at each service that uses this route.
Wigan North Western And Leeds
This is an hourly service that calls at Daisy Hill, Atherton, Walkden, Salford Crescent, Salford Central, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Walsden, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge, Brighouse, Mirfield, Dewsbury, Morley and Cottingley
- Wigan North Western is electrified.
- Salford Crescent and Manchester Victoria is electrified.
- Heaton Lodge East junction and Dewsbury is electrified.
- Leeds is electrified.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Wigan North Western and Salford Crescent – 16 miles
- Manchester Victoria and Heaton Lodge East junction – 37.6 miles
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 29.3 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Wigan North Western, Salford Crescent, Salford Central, Manchester Victoria, Mirfield, Dewsbury and Leeds, which would be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 37.6 miles.
- Trains would be charged at both ends of the route.
It looks to me that Wigan North Western and Leeds could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
Huddersfield And Castleford
This is an occasional service that calls at Deighton, Mirfield and Wakefield Kirkgate.
As it is run by buses at the moment, I can’t get the data to work out if it could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
But I suspect it can, after looking at a map.
How Many Of Grand Central’s Services Could Be Decarbonised, if Huddersfield And Dewsbury Were To Be Electrified?
I’ll look at each service that uses this route.
London King’s Cross And Bradford Interchange
This is a four trains per day service that calls at Doncaster, Pontefract Monkhill, Wakefield Kirkgate, Mirfield, Brighouse, Halifax and Low Moor.
- King’s Cross and Doncaster is electrified.
- Mirfield is electrified.
This leaves the following sections without electrification.
- Doncaster and Mirfield – 34.8 miles
- Mirfield and Bradford Interchange – 17.3 miles
Note.
- There are also stops under the wires, at Mirfield, which would be used to top up the battery.
- The largest unelectrified section would be 34.8 miles.
- Trains would need to be charged at Bradford Interchange, during the turnround of around an hour.
- It is likely, that some electrification will be erected in the Bradford area, to improve services to Leeds.
It looks to me that London King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange could be served using a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar.
Conclusion
It looks like electrifying between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will enable a Hitachi Regional Battery Train or similar to work all passenger routes, that run on that section of track.
How Much Electrification Will There Be In The TransPennine Route Upgrade?
My visit to Mirfield station which I wrote about in Mirfield Station – 16th December 2021, has prompted me to write this post.
This document on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled Transpennine Route Upgrade , says this about the Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury) section of the project.
Throughout this eight-mile section of the route, we’re proposing to double the number of tracks from two-to-four, electrify from Huddersfield to Dewsbury and make big improvements to the four stations in this section – Huddersfield, Deighton, Mirfield and Ravensthorpe; where we also need to separate the lines going to/from Leeds from the lines going to/from Wakefield, with either a bridge or a tunnel.
This map of the lines was clipped from this article on Modern Railways, shows the proposed track layout.
Note.
- The fast lines are shown in pink.
- The slow lines are shown in blue.
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury stations are eight miles apart and trains typically take ten minutes.
- All fast trains stop at Huddersfield.
- The intermediate stations between Huddersfield and Dewsbury are all on the slow lines.
There will only two tracks West of Huddersfield and East of Dewsbury.
This would very much appear to be a layout built for speed.
These are my thoughts.
The Fastest Run Between Dewsbury And Huddersfield
There will be eight miles of electrified fast line between Dewsbury And Huddersfield and the time will depend on the following.
- The operating speed of the new fast lines.
- How long it takes the trains to accelerate to and decelerate from the operating speed.
- The distance travelled during acceleration and deceleration.
This page on the Eversholt Rail web site, has a data sheet for a Class 802 train, which are used by TransPennine Express and is a bi-mode AT-300 train with three diesel engines.
The data sheet shows that a five-car train can accelerate to 125 mph and then decelerate to a stop in six minutes in electric mode.
A rough estimate gives a distance of 6.25 miles to accelerate and decelerate, so a train will only be at 125 mph for 1.75 miles, which would take 50 seconds.
As trains currently take ten minutes between Huddersfield and Dewsbury, it looks like a saving of three minutes is possible.
This saving could be increased if the trains were able to accelerate and decelerate faster or high speed running were to be possible further towards Leeds.
Will Between Leeds And Dewsbury Be Electrified?
It is likely, that the nine miles of double-track line between Dewsbury and Leeds will be electrified, as this would mean the following.
- TransPennine Express’s Class 802 trains could use electricity all the way between Leeds and Huddersfield.
- Electrification would allow the fast trains to accelerate and decelerate at a maximum rate to and from operating speed, whilst in the new section.
- Electrification would also allow stopping trains to perform their stops on the double-track section to the East of Dewsbury faster.
Timetabling is going to be a challenge.
Will The Slow Lines Between Dewsbury and Huddersfield Be Electrified?
I feel it would be sensible to electrify the slow lines as this would help to make operation simpler and possibly allow stopping services to be run by electric or battery-electric trains.
Battery-Electric Trains Between Huddersfield And Castleford
The current service is as follows.
- It is 21 miles long
- It has a frequency of one train per hour (tph)
- Intermediate stations are Deighton, Mirfield and Wakefield Kirkgate.
- Services seem to take around forty minutes.
- After the completion of the TransPennine Upgrade, all but fifteen miles at the Castleford end of the route, will be electrified.
It looks to me that a battery-electric train with a range of about thirty miles could handle this route.
Battery-Electric Trains Between Wigan And Leeds
The current service is as follows.
- It is 68 miles long
- It has a frequency of one train per hour (tph)
- Intermediate stations are Daisy Hill, Atherton, Walkden, Salford Crescent, Salford Central, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Walsden, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge, Brighouse, Mirfield, Dewsbury, Morley and Cottingley
- Services seem to take around two hours and nine minutes.
- After the completion of the TransPennine Upgrade, the 12.2 mile section to the East of Mirfield station will be electrified.
- Electrification is also planned at the Wigan end of the line and this would electrify the 17.7 mile section between Wigan and Manchester Victoria stations.
- This would leave an electrification gap of 38.1 miles
It looks to me that a battery-electric train with a range of about forty miles could handle this route.
Battery-Electric Trains Between Leeds And Huddersfield
The current service is as follows.
- It is 28 miles long
- It has a frequency of one train per hour (tph)
- Intermediate stations are Bramley, New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange, Low Moor, Halifax and Brighouse.
- After the completion of the TransPennine Upgrade, Huddersfield station will be electrified.
- Under the Integrated Rail Plan for the North And Midlands, it is planned to electrify between Leeds and Bradford Interchange stations.
- This would leave an electrification gap of 18.6 miles
It looks to me that a battery-electric train with a range of about twenty-five miles could handle this route.
Conclusion
By electrifying all the lines in the TransPennine Upgrade, it would allow all the stopping and slower services to be run by battery-electric trains.
This Hitachi infographic shows the specification of the Hitachi Regional Battery Train.
Note that a range on batteries of 90 km is 56 miles.
This train would work all three routes.
I also suspect that CAF’s proposed battery train will have a similar range.
LNER Expands To Huddersfield
This press release from LNER is entitled LNER Announces Direct Services Between Huddersfield And London.
These are the introductory paragraphs.
LNER is proud to announce new Azuma services will be introduced between Huddersfield and London King’s Cross from Monday 18 May 2020.
The daily weekday service in each direction will be LNER’s first direct link between the West Yorkshire market town and the capital.
They will also connect nearby Dewsbury directly with London King’s Cross, after more than a generation of no direct services between Huddersfield and London.
The timetable will be as follows.
The new southbound service will depart from Huddersfield at 05:50 and Dewsbury at 06:01. The Azuma service will arrive in Leeds at 06:16, where it will couple to another five-car Azuma to form the 06:40 Leeds to London King’s Cross service, which will arrive in the capital at 08:51 on weekdays.
The evening northbound service will depart from London King’s Cross at 18:03 and will be formed of two five-car Azuma trains, which will split in Leeds, with one train continuing to Skipton and the other to Dewsbury, arriving at 20:45 and then Huddersfield at 20:58.
Joining and splitting is definitely being brought to Yorkshire by LNER.
I wonder, if there will be a London to Huddersfield service in the reverse direction in a few months.
Could Battery-Electric Hitachi Trains Work TransPennine Express’s Services?
Before I answer this question, I will lay out the battery-electric train’s specification.
Hitachi’s Proposed Battery Electric Train
Based on information in an article in Issue 898 of Rail Magazine, which is entitled Sparking A Revolution, the specification of Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train is given as follows.
- Based on Class 800-802/804 trains or Class 385 trains.
- Range of 55-65 miles.
- Operating speed of 90-100 mph
- Recharge in ten minutes when static.
- A battery life of 8-10 years.
- Battery-only power for stations and urban areas.
- Trains are designed to be created by conversion of existing Class 80x trains
For this post, I will assume that the train is five cars long. This is the length of TransPennine Express’s Class 802 trains.
TransPennine Express’s Services
These are TransPennine Express services that run in the North of England and to Scotland.
I shall go through all the services and see how they would be affected by Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train.
Liverpool Lime Street And Edinburgh
- The service runs at a frequency of one train per hour (tph)
- Intermediate stations are Newton-le-Willows, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle and Morpeth
The service is 305 miles long and takes four hours and 25 minutes.
The route can be divided into sections, some of which are electrified and some of which are not!
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria – 32 miles – Electrified
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 26 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Not Electrified
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 9 miles – Not Electrified
- Leeds and Colton Junction – 20 miles – Not Electrified
- Colton Junction and Edinburgh – 220 miles – Electrified
Note that the distance between Manchester Victoria and Colton Junction, which is the only section of the route without electrification is sixty-three miles, which is just within the 55-65 mile battery range of Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train.
That is too close for my liking, as what happens, if the train gets delayed by an operational incident.
In this article on the BBC, which was published in August 2019 and is entitled Detailed TransPennine £2.9bn Rail Upgrade Plans Unveiled, the following is said.
- The route between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will be electrified.
- Parts of this route will have two extra tracks.
- The plans will be going to full consultation, later in the year.
This would mean that a route summary would be like this.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria – 32 miles – Electrified
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 26 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Electrified
- Dewsbury and Colton Junction – 29 miles – Not Electrified
- Colton Junction and Edinburgh – 220 miles – Electrified
The two sections without electrification are well within the 55-65 mile battery range of Hitachi’s proposed battery electric train.
It should also be noted that the electrification between Newcastle and Edinburgh is rather down on power and needs upgrading.
I would suspect that Hitachi’s proposed battery electric train could handle this power deficiency by using the batteries.
Liverpool Lime Street And Scarborough
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Lea Green, Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Leeds, Garforth, York, Malton and Seamer
The service is 142 miles long and takes two hours and 58 minutes.
The route can be divided into sections, some of which are electrified and some of which are not!
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria – 32 miles – Electrified
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 26 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Not Electrified
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 9 miles – Not Electrified
- Leeds and Colton Junction – 20 miles – Not Electrified
- Colton Junction and York – 6 miles – Electrified
- York and Scarborough – 42 miles – Not Electrified
Between Liverpool Lime Street and Colton Junction, the route is identical to the Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh service.
The improvement of the section between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will also benefit this service and mean that a route summary would be like this.
- Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria – 32 miles – Electrified
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 26 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Electrified
- Dewsbury and and Colton Junction – 29 miles – Not Electrified
- Colton Junction and York – 6 miles – Electrified
- York and Scarborough – 42 miles – Not Electrified
As Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train has a range of 55-65 miles on battery power, it looks to me that this service could be handled by the train.
It would need a Fast Charge system at Scarborough to recharge the batteries to be able to return to York.
But, as the timetable allows a generous turn-round, fully-charging the batteries shouldn’t be a problem.
Manchester Airport And Newcastle
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham and Chester-le-Street
The service is 162 miles long and takes three hours and one minute.
The route can be divided into sections, some of which are electrified and some of which are not!
- Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria – 13 miles – Electrified
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 26 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Not Electrified
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 9 miles – Not Electrified
- Leeds and Colton Junction – 20 miles – Not Electrified
- Colton Junction and Edinburgh – 86 miles – Electrified
Between Manchester Victoria and Colton Junction, the route is identical to the two Liverpool Lime Street services, that I discussed previously.
The improvement of the section between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will also benefit this service and mean that Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train could handle this route with ease.
Manchester Airport And Redcar Central
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Gatley, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby and Middlesbrough
The service is 162 miles long and takes three hours and fifteen minutes.
The route can be divided into sections, some of which are electrified and some of which are not!
- Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria – 13 miles – Electrified
- Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield – 26 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Not Electrified
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 9 miles – Not Electrified
- Leeds and Colton Junction – 20 miles – Not Electrified
- Colton Junction and Northallerton – 35 miles – Electrified
- Northallerton and Redcar Central – 29 miles – Not Electrified
Between Manchester Victoria and Colton Junction, the route is identical to the previously discussed services.
The improvement of the section between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will also benefit this service and mean that Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train could handle this route with ease.
As with the Scarborough service, a Fast-Charge system would probably be needed at Redcar Central.
Manchester Piccadilly And Hull
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Leeds, Selby and Brough
The service is 94 miles long and takes two hours and four minutes.
The route can be divided into sections, some of which are electrified and some of which are not!
- Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield – 25 miles – Not Electrified
- Huddersfield and Dewsbury – 8 miles – Not Electrified
- Dewsbury and Leeds – 9 miles – Not Electrified
- Leeds and Hull – 52 miles – Not Electrified
Between Huddersfield and Leeds, the route is identical to the previously discussed services.
The improvement of the section between Huddersfield and Dewsbury will also benefit this service and mean that Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train should be able to handle this route.
As with the Scarborough and Redcar Central services, a Fast-Charge system would probably be needed at Hull.
Manchester Piccadilly And Huddersfield
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Stalybridge, Mossley, Greenfield, Marsden and Slaithwaite
The service is 25 miles long and takes forty-three minutes.
The route is without electrification.
Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train should be able to handle this route with ease.
The train could charge at either end using the electrification.
Huddersfield And Leeds
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Deighton, Mirfield, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, Batley, Morley and Cottingley
The service is 17 miles long and takes thirty-six minutes.
Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train should be able to handle this route with ease.
The train could charge at Leeds using the electrification.
Manchester Airport And Cleethorpes
- The service runs at a frequency of one tph
- Intermediate stations are Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Meadowhall Interchange, Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Barnetby, Habrough and Grimsby Town
The service is 124 miles long and takes two hours and fifty-eight minutes.
he route can be divided into sections, some of which are electrified and some of which are not!
- Manchester Airport and Stockport – 16 miles – Electrified
- Stockport and Sheffield – 37 miles – Not Electrified
- Sheffield and Doncaster – 19 miles – Not Electrified
- Doncaster and Cleethorpes – 52 miles – Not Electrified
There would need to be some en route charging and surely the easiest way to achieve this would be to extend the electrification at Doncaster to Sheffield.
As with the other services, a Fast-Charge system would probably be needed at Cleethorpes.
Manchester Airport And Glasgow Central Or Edinburgh Waverley Via Preston
This service is all-electric.
Conclusion
Hitachi’s proposed battery-electric train can handle all of TransPennine’s routes without using one drop of diesel.
What I have found interesting, is that the eight miles of electrification between Huddersfield and Dewsbury appears to make the operation of a battery-electric train a lot easier.
It looks like someone at Hitachi and Network Rail have taken a calculator to a decent hostelry and worked out a cunning plan!
Is There Going To Be Full Electrification Between Leeds And Huddersfield?
This article on Rail Technology Magazine is dated 23/08/19 and is entitled Network Rail Reveals Detailed £2.9bn Upgrade Plans For TransPennine Route and it prompted me to write this post of the same name.
The Rail Technology Magazine article talks about a comprehensive upgrade to the Huddersfield Line is planned that includes.
- Improvement between Huddersfield and Westtown
- Grade separation or a tunnel at Ravensthorpe
- Rebuilding and electrification of eight miles of track.
- Possible doubling the number of tracks from two to four.
- Improved stations at Huddersfield, Deighton, Mirfield and Ravensthorpe.
I have now found this document on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury).
This statement is included under proposals.
Electrification of the railway from Huddersfield to Ravensthorpe – and right through to Leeds.
Because there is a dash in the words, has electrification to Leeds, been a recent addition?
It certainly doesn’t fit with the Rail Technology Magazine article.
It also doesn’t fit with this article on the BBC, which is dated 20/08/19 and is entitled Detailed TransPennine £2.9bn Rail Upgrade Plans Unveiled.
Electrification is mentioned in the second paragraph.
Network Rail has also announced it intends to electrify the line between Huddersfield and Dewsbury and double the number of tracks from two to four.
And in the sixth paragraph.
Network Rail said the proposed major overhaul and electrification work would be carried out on an 8-mile (13km) section of the route, with the “first round” of consultations starting with those living closest to the railway.
The two news sites seem to have used the same source.
The BBC also uses this map, that I have copied from the Network Rail document
Note the railway lines shown in red. Are these the ones to be electrified? As they go from Huddersfield to Westtown, I think the answer is probably in the affirmative.
I seems to me, that Rail Technology Magazine and the BBC are using a common source and could it be an earlier version of the Network Rail document.
But the map, I have shown, shows the electrification only going as far as Westtown, despite coming from a document, that states twice that the electrification is going as far as Leeds.
It is certainly sloppy documentation.
Track Layouts
This document on the Digital Railway web site is dated 16/08/18 and is entitled Transpennine Route Upgrade SDO1 ETCS – Analysis.
Significantly, it is written by the Digital Railway – Joint Development Group (JDG), which consists of representatives of Siemens, Hitachi, ARUP and Network Rail.
It is mainly about using digital signalling called ETCS on the Transpennine Route, but it does give these track layouts between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.
This is the current layout.
There is also this full four-track layout, which I assume was the original plan.
It is more complicated and involved the building of bridges in the area of Ravensthorpe station.
There is also a reduced four-track layout, which I assume was developed as the track analysis progressed.
It is not a massive upgrade from the current layout.
As I see it, if the reduced layout can handle the required number of services, it has major advantages over the full scheme.
- There are no changes to track layout between Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury stations.
- Rebuilding Ravensthorpe station should be a smaller project.
- The current and reduced layout have three tracks between Mirfield and Ravensthorpe stations.
- There are no expensive new bridges to be built.
To make the scheme work there is a small amount of bi-directional running on the centre track, which is made possible by using digital signalling on the route.
Track Usage
By using bi-directional running on the centre track between Ravensthorpe and Mirfield stations, which is controlled by ETCS, the track layout is simplified, with three tracks instead of four.
- Slow trains from Huddersfield to Dewsbury will dive under the Brighouse lines and call in/pass Platform 1 at Mirfield station before going straight on to Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury. This is as trains do now.
- Slow trains from Dewsbury to Huddersfield will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 2 at Mirfield station before turning South-West on to Huddersfield. This is as trains do now.
- Fast trains from Huddersfield to Dewsbury will call in/pass Platform 3 at Mirfield station and then cross over to the top track and go straight on to Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury.
- Fast trains from Dewsbury to Huddersfield will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 4 at Mirfield station before turning South-West on to Huddersfield.
- Trains from Brighouse to Wakefield will call in/pass Platform 1 at Mirfield station and then cross to the centre track and go straight on to Wakefield. This is as trains do now.
- Trains from Wakefield to Brighouse will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 2 at Mirfield station and go straight on to Brighouse.
Note.
- Platforms at Mirfield station are numbered 1 to 4 from the North
- The slow lines between Mirfield and Huddersfield are shown in black.
- The fast lines between Mirfield and Huddersfield are shown in blue.
- Passengers can use Platforms 1/2 as a cross-platform interchange between slow Huddersfield-Leeds and Brighouse-Wakefield services.
I also think it likely, that the proposed layout will improve the timetable.
Does The Reduced Layout Produce A Cost Saving?
In one of the first jobs I did at ICI Plastics Division, I simulated a chemical process on an analogue computer. My mathematics showed they could use much smaller vessels, which meant the height of the plant could be reduced by a few metres. I remember the engineer in charge of the project being very pleased, when he told me, that height costs money.
- The reduced layout removes three bridges, which must mean a cost saving.
- There is probably less track to lay
The negative is that digital signalling with ETCS must be installed through the area. This is going to be installed on the UK network, so it probably needs little more than shuffling the installation order.
On balance, when all things are considered, I suspect if the reduced layout can be used, there will be substantial cost savings on the project.
Problems At Morley Station
Morley station is two stations after Dewsbury station on the route towards Leeds.
Unusually for Wikipedia, the entry for Morley station has a large section entitled Current Problems.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The increase in demand, combined with growth elsewhere on the line, means that overcrowding in the morning peak, particularly for commuters heading towards Leeds, is becoming more of an issue.
Despite this commuter growth little has been done to bring this station into the 21st century. For example, only one platform is accessible for disabled passengers, there is insufficient parking, access routes to and from the station are often overgrown with weeds, and there are frequent drainage problems which all combine to make the station not as pleasant as other stations in West Yorkshire. In 2012 a “Friends of Morley station” group was formed, and is addressing some of these issues. Work to improve the car park and drainage commenced in February 2013.
To make matters worse, the station is 10-15 minutes walk from the centre of Morley with poor bus and taxi connections.
Would the following help the Friends of Morley Station?
- Longer trains.
- More frequent trains.
- Faster trains to Leeds
- Better bus services.
Electric trains would help solve the first three.
White Rose Station
There are plans to build a new White Rose station in the next couple of years at the White Rose Centre..
This would be between Morley and Cottingley stations.
This station will surely increase the passenger numbers on the Huddersfield Line.
Have Network Rail Designed The Electrification Between Dewsbury And Leeds?
This electrification has been off and on more times, than the lights in an average kitchen, so I suspect there is a workable plan dating from the last century amongst many others.
Would Extending Electrification To Leeds Provide The Power?
Electrification needs a good connection to the National Grid to provide the power needed to run the trains.
The short eight-mile electrification, as originally proposed could probably have been fed from one end; Huddersfield or Dewsbury.
Both locations would need new sub-stations, with Huddersfield possibly needed in the future to power the wires all the way to Manchester.
Leeds is already fully-electrified with electric expresses to Doncaster and London and several electric local services.
So is the easiest and most affordable way to power the eight-mile electrification between Huddersfield and Westtown to run an extension cable between Leeds and Dewsbury?
Network Rail had a similar problem on the Midland Main Line, which I wrote about in Welcome For Extension Of Midland Electrification.
National Grid had provided a power connection near Market Harborough for the Midland Main Line electrification, which was then cancelled North of Kettering North Junction, leaving the electrification to Corby without a power supply.
The problem is being solved, by extending the electrification to Market Harborough and connecting the wires to the power there.
I do wonder, that the most affordable way to power the Huddersfield and Westtown electrified line is to electrify all the way to Leeds and connect to the power there.
Conclusion
Improving services on the Huddersfield Line between Huddersfield and Leeds is going to be very necessary in the next few years, as passenger numbers will surely grow, due to new housing, increased commuting and the opening of White Rose station.
- New or refurbished four-car electric trains would provide more capacity, increased frequencies and faster services,
- Digital signalling with ETCS would allow more trains to run smoothly.
It appears to me, that to electrify all of the Huddersfield Line between Huddersfield and Leeds would be a good idea, if the money can be found.
Has that money been found by developing a more affordable track layout for the proposed TransPennine Upgrade between Huddersfield and Westtown?
But also using the power at Leeds and electrifying all the way between Huddersfield and Leeds, seems to be a bloody great tail, that is wagging the dog of electrification.
Further Electrification
Providing a fully-electrified route between Huddersfield and Leeds, would leave just two sections of the main TransPennine route without electrification.
- Stalybridge and Huddersfield over Saddleworth Moor and through the Standedge Tunnels.
- Leeds and the Northbound East Coast Main Line.
I don’t know about the planning and difficulty of the first route, but from my helicopter the engineering shouldn’t be too difficult, with the exception of the elecxtrification of the Standedge Tunnels, although Wikipedia seems optimistic about the electrifying the main twin-bore tunnel.
During the 2000s, Network Rail proposed reinstating rail traffic through the 1848 and 1871 tunnels to increase capacity on the Leeds-Manchester trans-Pennine route, but after a re-appraisal after the decision to electrify the trans-Pennine line, it was reported in 2012 that reinstatement was unnecessary.
In addition, could it be, that Manchester with lots of electric trains can provide enough power at Stalybridge, where an updated power connection has been recently installed, to power electric trains between Manchester and Huddersfield?
, The second has been planned for years and has a string of advantages.
- Speed up services between Leeds and Newcastle and Scotland.
- Allow LNER to run electric trains between London and Scotland via Leeds.
- Create an electrified route between Neville Hill Depot and York.
- Create an electrified diversion through Leeds for the East Coast Main Line
This section should be electrified for operational reasons on the East Coast Main Line.
A Final Conclusion
Network Rail’s plans seem to have evolved under analysis to be as follows.
- Limited four-tracking and updated track between Huddersfield and Westtown.
- Digital signalling with ETCS between Huddersfield and Leeds.
- Full electrification between Huddersfield and Leeds
- Power for the electrification from Leeds.
Could it even cost less than the allocated £2.9billion?
Dewsbury Station
I broke my journey between Leeds and Huddersfield at Dewsbury station, where I had a very acceptable gluten-free pizza and a glass of cider.
I took these pictures of the station.
Note.
- There appears to be an avoiding line, through the station, which means that faster trains can pass slower ones stopped in the station.
- The station has a step-free bridge, but no toilets.
- The square outside the station has been recently landscaped.
- The station is Grade II Listed.
- The station has four TransPennine Express trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
Overall it is an excellent station with a touch of class, that probably deserves a few more trains.
Electrification
I cover possible electrification between Leeds and Huddersfield in Is There Going To Be Full Electrification Between Leeds And Huddersfield?.
Electrification as far as Leeds, which would offer faster acceleration and shorter station dwell times could offer the following.
- The solution to the problems at Morley station. using longer and faster trains.
- A faster journey time between Leeds and Huddersfield for the stopping trains.
Northern’s new Class 331 trains would probably do just fine.
If the stopping trains could run between Leeds and Huddersfield in perhaps twenty-five minutes, which may or may not be possible after the upgrade, just two trains would be needed for a two tph service.
I could see electrification opening up the following services on the electrified route, through Dewsbury.
- Two tph – Leeds and Huddersfield – Stopping at all stations
- One tph – Leeds and Wigan North Western – Stopping at all stations
- Four tph – Leeds and Huddersfield – Stopping only at Dewsbury and other selected stations.
All except the Wigan service would be electric trains.
Conclusion
Dewsbury station is going to get a much-improved train service.
Proposed Track Layouts Between Huddersfield And Dewsbury
Tracks between Huddersfield and Dewsbury stations are due to be upgraded as part of Network Rail’s £2.9billion project to upgrade the Huddersfield Line between the two stations, that I wrote about in Network Rail Reveals Detailed £2.9bn Upgrade Plans For TransPennine Route.
This document on the Digital Railway web site is entitled Transpennine Route Upgrade SDO1 ETCS – Analysis.
It is mainly about using digital signalling called ETCS on the Transpennine Route, but it does give these track layouts between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.
This is the current layout.
This is a full four-track layout.
This is a reduced four-track layout.
As I see it, if the reduced layout can handle the required number of services, it has major advantages over the full scheme.
- There are no changes to track layout between Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury stations.
- Rebuilding Ravensthotpe station should be a smaller project.
- The current and reduced layout have three tracks between Mirfield and Ravensthorpe stations.
- There are no expensive new bridges to be built.
By using bi-directional running on the centre track between Ravensthorpe and Mirfield stations, which is controlled by ETCS, the track layout is simplified, with three tracks instead of four.
- Slow trains from Huddersfield to Dewsbury will dive under the Brighouse lines and call in/pass Platform 1 at Mirfield station before going straight on to Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury. This is as trains do now.
- Slow trains from Dewsbury to Huddersfield will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 2 at Mirfield station before turning South-West on to Huddersfield. This is as trains do now.
- Fast trains from Huddersfield to Dewsbury will call in/pass Platform 3 at Mirfield station and then cross over to the top track and go straight on to Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury.
- Fast trains from Dewsbury to Huddersfield will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 4 at Mirfield station before turning South-West on to Huddersfield.
- Trains from Brighouse to Wakefield will call in/pass Platform 1 at Mirfield station and then cross to the centre track and go straight on to Wakefield. This is as trains do now.
- Trains from Wakefield to Brighouse will use the centre track from East to West and call in/pass Platform 2 at Mirfield station and go straight on to Brighouse.
Note.
- Platforms at Mirfield station are numbered 1 to 4 from the North
- The slow lines between Mirfield and Huddersfield are shown in black.
- The fast lines between Mirfield and Huddersfield are shown in blue.
- Passengers can use Platforms 1/2 as a cross-platform interchange between slow Huddersfield-Leeds and Brighouse-Wakefield services.
I also think it likely, that the proposed layout will improve the timetable.
Conclusion
I think it is highly likely that the reduced four-track layout will be used.
Unless of course something better is devised.
The Anonymous Widower 