Vere Promises East Midlands Bi-Modes In 2022
The title of this post is the saqme as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
East Midlands Railway will have its entire bi-mode fleet in traffic by December 2022, according to Baroness Vere, the Government’s transport spokesman in the House of Lords.
This statement means that whoever manufactures the trains has just over three years from today to design, build and test the trains.
This paragraph from the article talks about how Bombardier and Hitachi would design the trains.
It’s known that Bombardier and Hitachi are interested in the contract, but both will be supplying new designs, with the former offering a bi-mode Aventra while the latter will offer an AT300 (the Intercity Express Programme platform) but with shorter vehicles.
What do we know about these two trains?
Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra
In the July 2018 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article entitled Bi-Mode Aventra Details Revealed.
As is typical with Bombardier interviews, they give their objectives, rather than how they aim to achieve them.
In Bombardier Bi-Mode Aventra To Feature Battery Power, I said this.
The title of this post is the same as this article in Rail Magazine.
A few points from the article.
- Development has already started.
- Battery power could be used for Last-Mile applications.
- The bi-mode would have a maximum speed of 125 mph under both electric and diesel power.
- The trains will be built at Derby.
- Bombardier’s spokesman said that the ambience will be better, than other bi-modes.
- Export of trains is a possibility.
Bombardier’s spokesman also said, that they have offered the train to three new franchises. East Midlands, West Coast Partnership and CrossCountry.
Very little more can be gleaned from the later Modern Railways article.
Consider.
- Aventras are designed to a modular concept.
- Bombardier have finally got the software for the train working to a high standard.
- The trains are designed for ease of manufacture, at a high rate.
- Development of the bi-mode train must have started before June 2018.
- Christian Wolmar disclosed the objective of a 125 mph Aventra in February 2017.
- I have seem references to Aventras, being tested at 110 mph.
On the balance of probabilities, I think it is very possible that Bombardier can deliver a full fleet of 125 mph bi-mode trains with batteries before the end of 2022.
Hitachi AT-300
Consider.
- Class 802 trains are a version of the AT-300 train, which in turn are a member of Hitachi’s A-Train family.
- Class 802 trains are successfully in service on the Great Western Railway.
- Class 385, 395, 800 and 801 are all members of the A-train family and are closely related to the Class 802 train.
- The A-Train is a modular family.and different numbers of cars and car length, shouldn’t be a problem.
- Hull Trains ordered their fleet of five Class 802 trains in November 2016 and they will enter service around December 2019 or early in 2020.
- First Group ordered five AT-300 trains in March 2019 and they will enter service in Autumn 2021.
If the order has been placed in the last few months, there is every chance that Hitachi could deliver a fleet of new bi-mode trains for service in December 2022.
Stadler Flirt
These aren’t mentioned in the Rail Magazine article, but they were mentioned as a possibility for the order in an article by Roger Ford, which was entitled East Midlands IC125 Dilemma, in the June 2019 Edition of Modern Railways.
This is an extract from Roger’s article.
In theory, Stadler should be in pole position. Itis also supplying Abellio’s Greater Anglia franchise, where Flirt bi-modes are running on test.
As they haven’t had any serious problems yet, and they are Swiss, everyone thinks they are amazingly efficient and wonderful. Whjich may turn out to be the case.
In the end, Roger rates their chances as slim.
But Stadler certainly has the technical capability to produce a 125 mph bi-mode train.
Electric Trains To Corby
When the electrified St. Pancras and Corby service opens in December 2020, a round trip will take three hours.
This means that as few as three trains would be needed to provide the service.
The specification would be.
- Electric traction
- Twelve cars and 240 metres long.
- 125 mph capability.
- Three trains and a spare would probably be needed by December 2020, with a further three trains by December 2021.
Abellio would also probably like the trains to be very similar for drivers and staff.
Currently, it appears that the electric services to Corby, will be run initially by cascaded Class 360 trains.
- But with a bit of juggling of production, Bombardier, Hitachi and Stadler might be able to manufacture, the four trains needed to start the service in December 2020.
- Abellio also have Class 360 and Class 379 trains working on Greater Anglia, that are likely to be replaced before December 2020.
So they have a sensible back-stop.
How Many Trains Will Abellio Need?
The current service is two trains per hour to both Nottingham and Sheffield.
These are fastest times.
- London and Nottingham is one hour forty minutes
- London and Sheffield is two hours
Even if there is a bit of a speed increase, it looks like at least eight trains will be needed for both services.
As to train length, I doubt five cars will be enough on all trains.
- Some services are currently run by six and eight-car HSTs.
- Have Abellio promised more seats?
- Abellio will be extending some Sheffield services to Rotherham, Barnsley and Leeds.
- It has already been stated that the Corby trains will be 240 metres long
- So will we see a uniform fleet of longer trains?
There are some short platforms, so I suspect Abellio will buy a mixture of full-length 240 metre-long trains and half-length 120 metre-long trains, as several train companies have done.
I feel we could see something like eight full length trains and perhaps twelve half-length trains.
I have calculated that seven full-length trains are needed for Corby.
Adding this up gives the following.
- Eight full-length bi-mode trains of ten-cars.
- Seven full-length electric trains of ten-cars.
- Twelve half-length bi-mode trains of five-cars
This gives a total of 27 trains of a total of 210 cars, of which 140 are bi-mode and 70 are electric.
All of this is based on running the current service with new trains.
abellio Greater Anglia have not not just done this in East Anglia, but have purchsed extra trains to add new services and increase frequencies.
So I would feel, that these trains are a minimum order, if Abellio are not doing any expansion.
Daily Telegraph Report – 19th July 2019
A report in the Daily Telegraph on the 19th July 2019, which is entitled Blow For Bombardier’s Derby Plant As £600m Train Contract Goes To Hitachi, says the order has gone to Hitachi.
- Value is quoted at £600million.
- A formal announcement is expected next week.
Has next week already passed without an announcement from Abellio?
I do find it strange, that there has been no reference to the Telegraph report in local sources around Derby.
This article on Railway Gazette is entitled Trains Ordered For 2021 Launch Of ‘High-Quality, Low Fare’ London – Edinburgh Service.
FirstGroup have ordered AT-300 trains.
- All-electric.
- Five trains of five-cars.
- A total order value of £100 million.
- Order placed in March 2019
- Service starting in Autumn 2021
This works out at four million pounds per car.
Earlier, I calculated that Abellio needed to buy 140 bi-mode cars and seventy electric ones.
Assuming that Abellio run the Corby services with refurbished Class 360 trains, then 140 carriages will cost £560 million.
But this would mean the following.
- Abellio would be running two separate fleets on the Midland Main Line.
- The Corby services would run below the operating speed of the route.
- Expansion would mean the purchase of more trains.
This is very different to their philosophy in Abellio Greater Anglia.
- Class 745 and Class 755 trains are very similar to drivers and other staff.
- Both trains can operate at 100 mph on the Great Eastern Main Line.
- Abellio Greater Anglia have significantly increased the size of their train fleet.
I believe that Bombardier, Hitachi and Stadler can all met this schedule.
- Deliver four 125 mph electric trains by a date early enough for a December 2020 start for Corby services.
- Deliver another three 125 mph electric trains by December 2021 for two trains per hour to Corby.
- Deliver the fleet of 125 mph bi-mode electric trains by December 2022 for Derby,Nottingham, Sheffield and beyond.
At four million pounds for a car for a Hitachi train, this works out at £840 million.
So could it be, that Hitachi have thrown in a good discount to make sure of the order.
It will be very interesting, when Abellio announce their order.
Interim Trains
Baroness Vere also discussed the other trains on the Midland Main Line.
This was the final two paragraph from the article.
As it stands, the 12 High Speed Trains cannot operate in passenger traffic beyond December 31 2019 this year, as they will not meet new accessibility regulations.
When announcing the Abellio contract win in April, Government confirmed that four Class 180s would transfer from Hull Trains to EMR. There was also the possibility that the LNER HSTs could also transfer to the MML, although these do not meet the disability requirements either.
So what is going to happen?
It appears that the four Class 180 trains and the twenty-seven Class 222 trains of various lengths will have to manage.
But I do think, that Baroness Vere’s statement.
East Midlands Railway will have its entire bi-mode fleet in traffic by December 2022.
Is very welcome, as the HSTs will retire on the 31st December 2019 and there will be less than three years of a reduced fleet.
These points should also be noted.
- In December 2020, when the electrification goes live and new electric trains start running between London and Corby, there will be a few more Class 222 trains available.
- The Corby electric trains, will also add capacity between London and Kettering.
- I don’t think it unlikely, that some other trains are rustled up to fill the gaps using perhaps Mark 4 coaches and Class 43 locomotives.
I hope for Abellio’s and their passengers sake, that what Baroness Vere said, comes true!
Could Abellio Go For A Safety-First Solution?
Consider.
- Abellio Greater Anglia’s new Class 745, Class 755 and Class 720 trains are all running, if not years, but a few months late.
- There has been nothing serious and Greater Anglia only has one fleet that is not PRM-compliant; the London and Norwich expresses.
- Providing all goes reasonably well with the introduction of the new Class 745 trains, Greater Anglia’s fleet will be fully PRM-compliant, by the end of the year.
But if they had opted for off-the-shelf Hitachi Class 801 trains for London and Norwich, there might have been less worry. On the other hand, Hitachi way of making trains, by shipping the bodies from Japan probably doesn’t lead itself to high productio rates.
But for Midland Main Line services, Abellio East Midlands Railway aren’t looking at a large fleet of trains.
I estimate they could need.
- Eight full-length bi-mode trains of ten-cars.
- Seven full-length electric trains of ten-cars.
- Twelve half-length bi-mode trains of five-cars
Now that Hitachi’s big orders are coming to an end, Abellio can probably be sure, they will get the main line trains on time and with the minimum of fuss.
Going the safety-first route of buying a fleet of Hitachi trains could deliver the trains that are needed urgently.
- Four 125 mph electric trains by a date early enough for a December 2020 start for Corby services.
- Another three 125 mph electric trains by December 2021 for two trains per hour to Corby.
- A fleet of 125 mph bi-mode electric trains by December 2022 for Derby,Nottingham, Sheffield and beyond.
It might be a bit tight for the Corby electrics, but other trains that could work the route in the interim are available.
Abellio could do a lot worse than give Hitahi the order, if they could deliver early!
Conclusion
If any of the three train manufacturers can supply new trains for the St. Pancras and Corby service to the tight timetable, Abellio would surely be very pleased, as they would only have one train type to introduce on the route.
But I do think, that there is a possibility, that a good discount has won it for Hitachi!
Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – A New Station At Barnsley Dearne Valley
This station will be to the East of Barnsley in the vicinity of the village of Goldthorpe.
In Changes Signalled For HS2 Route In North, I used this map of the proposed High Speed Two and Northern Powerhoiuse routes in East Yorkshire.
Note, these points about High Speed Two.
- It by-passes Sheffield and Barnsley and enters Leeds from the East, via Junction 2.
- It goes via Junction 1 to link up with the East Coast Main Line to York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
- It links to the Leeds and Hull route at Junction 1.
- It has a Southern route via Chesterfield directly into Sheffield.
The current main route between Sheffield and Leeds is the Wakefield Line.
- It is thirty nine miles long.
- It is not electrified, except North of Wakefield Westgate station
- Trains stop at Meadowhall, Rotherhall Central, Swinton, Bolton-on-Dearne, Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Moorthorpe, Fitzwilliam, Sandal & Agbrigg, Wakefield Westgate and Outwood.
- Services take an hour and thirteen minutes
- The route is not very busy, with only, a total of around 4-6 trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
The Northern Powerhouse Rail improvements will see four tph between Sheffield and Leeds
- Journey times will be twenty-eight minutes.
- Some trains will extend past Sheffield to London St. Pancras.
- These fast services will probably stop less often.
- They will probably be backed up by stopping trains at perhaps two tph.
- I suspect the trains will be 125 mph bi-mode trains with batteries.
- I doubt there will be full electrification, as train developments will achieve the same objectives, in a more affordable manner.
- There will be full digital signalling to increase the capacity.
So where does the proposed Barnsley Dearne Valley station fit in?
- It will be on both the Wakefield Line and High Speed Two.
- It will have fast local trains between Leeds and Sheffield at four tph.
- It will have High Speed Two services between London and Leeds via East Midlands Hub at a frequency of at least two tph.
- It will have High Speed Two services between London and Newcastle via East Midlands Hub and York at a frequency of st least two tph.
- As I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Turn-Up-And-Go service on major legs of High Speed Two, will Barnsley Dearne Valley have four tph?
- Stopping trains to and from Sheffield could be at a frequency of four tph and be tram-trains.
The station would be a quality one, with ,lots of parking.
Barnsley would be welcomed to the Twenty-First Century.
I also believe, that the Wakefield Line could be improved, sooner rather than later.
I have flown my virtual helicopter along the route between Rohterham Central and Fitzwilliam stations.
- It is at least double-track all the way.
- It would appear to be fairly straight.
- There is plenty of room on either side, so third and possibly fourth tracks could be added.
- There are no level crossings and very few bridges.
- The stations are simple, but could be easily upgraded to full step-free access.
- Electrification could be a lot easier than some of the TransPennine routes.
So one way to give early benefits could be.
- Electrify between Sheffield and Fitzwilliam.
- Improve line speed to at least 100 mph and possibly 110-125 mph.
- Make all stations step-free.
- Build the Wakefield Line station at Barnsley Dearne Valley.
- East Midlands Railway could run two tph between Leeds and Sheffield using 125 mph bi-mode trains, with stops at Barnsley Dearne Valley, Swinton and Rotherham Central.
- Perhaps one tph could be between Leeds and London.
- Extend the Sheffield tram-train to Barnsley Dearne Valley.
I don’t think much of the engineering would be difficult and an opening date of 2023 would probably be possible.
The proposal would give these advantages.
- Twenty-eight minutes journeys between Leeds and Sheffield at a frequency of four tph.
- One or possible two tph between Leeds and London calling at Barnsley Dearne Valley and Rotherham Central.
- Extension of Leeds local electric trains to Barnsley Dearne Valley.
- A four tph tram-train service between Sheffield and Barnsley Dearne Valley.
- A direct service between Barnsley Dearne Valley and Doncaster is also a possibility.
The idea of a station at Barnsley Dearne Valley is a brilliant idea.
East Midlands Parkway Station – 11th July 2019
I took these pictures at East Midlands Parkway station.
These are some of my thoughts.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station
The station is dominated by the coal-fired Ratcliffe-on-Spar power station, with its eight massive cooling towers.
When I was leaving Liverpool University in the late-1960s, I don’t think any of my fellow students thought coal had a future.
Several of my group of Electrical Engineers went into nuclear engineering, but many like me went into computing, electronics and instrumentation.
But still the Government ploughed on with mining coal and burning the filthy stuff to produce electricity.
Now the current government has decided, that they’ll all be gone by 2025!
And good riddance to them!
It has amazed me, they have survived this long.
I can remember reading in the Guardian in the 1980s of proposals by enlightened thinkers to retrain miners as insulation teams to insulate our terrible pre-war housing stock, which wastes vast amounts of energy.
But politicians of the left, including some who are still around today, glory in the honest toil of working in a coal mine.
I’m afraid, that I’ve met so many children of miners, whose major advice from their father, was to never go down a mine except as a tourist.
Burning coal, has been one of the worst cul-de-sacs of the human race.
An Inadequate Train Service
I have scarcely been to a station with such an inadequate train service.
Logic suggests, that it would have a service something like two or four trains per hour (tph) to major cities within half-an-hour.
But read what is said under Services in the Wikipedia entry for the station.
Here’s the first two paragraphs.
Fears were raised by various bodies, notably East Midlands Airport, about the service pattern proposed for the new station.
Donington Park motor racing circuit is nearby, and its owners have expressed their desire for spectators to use the station or coach services when travelling to the circuit. The owners are also in support of any future light rail transport to East Midlands Airport itself.
On my visit, I took a train from Leicester and then had to wait nearly an hour to get one back to where I started.
Abellio certainly have scope to improve the service.
In Leicester Station – 11th July 2019, I wrote that I felt that if Abellio apply similar logic to that which they are applying in East Anglia, that there could be a significant improvement in services on the Midland Main Line, to the North of Leicester.
- Three tph – Fast trains between Leicester and Sheffield via Derby and Chesterfield
- One tph – Stopping train between Leicester and Sheffield via Derby and Chesterfield
- Three tph – Fast trains between Leicester and Nottingham
- One tph – Stopping train between Leicester and Nottingham
- One tph – Stopping train between Leicester and Lincoln
As the new trains will have a better performance, more could stop at East Midlands Parkway to even out the terrible stopping pattern.
Station Usage
Wikipedia gives the station usage as just over 300,000 passengers per year.
This compares with Louthborough station, which is the next station to the South having a usage of 1,300,000 passengers per year.
Even the new Ilkeston station further North with only two platforms and of a much simpler design, had a usage of 250,000 passengers in its first year.
As this Google Map shows, the car parking has attracted a few takers.
I do question though, if the station should ever have been built!
I hope Abellio have a plan to breathe some life into the station.
Megabus
Note the Stagecoach Megabus in the pictures.
This provides services all over Yprkshire and is decribed under Multi-Modal in the Wikipedia entry for the station.
This is the first paragraph.
From 30 March 2009, the station has been used as an interchange station for combined multi-modal journeys using Megabus-branded services run by Stagecoach (the operators of both East Midlands Trains and of Megabus). The MegabusPlus services transport passengers from cities in the north of England to East Midlands Parkway, where passengers transfer to rail for the service to London.
At a first glance, it looks like a crazy idea.
But Stagecoach wouldn’t run it, if it wasn’t needed or profitable.
Charging Battery Electric Trains
In The Mathematics Of Fast-Charging Battery Trains Using Third-Rail Electrification, I showed how a third-rail-based fast charging sstem, like that proposed by Vivarail could transfer several hundred kWh to the batteries of a train stopped in the station, for a few minutes.
East Midlands Parkway station with pairs of tracks between generously-spaced platforms with a gap between the tracks, would be an ideal location for such a charging system.
- The two third-rail would be laid together between the two tracks.
- The third-rails could be shielded, but as they would only be live with a train on the top, would it be necessary?
- The driver would only need to stop the train in the correct position, but they do that anyway.
- An adequate electricity supply shouldn’t be too much of a problem!
In a three minute contact between the train and the third-rail, I believe it would be possible to transfer up to 200 kWh to the batteries of the train.
Conclusion
This station has problems.
I’ll be interested to see how Abellio attract more passengers and use the station to passengers and their own benefit.
Leicester Station – 11th July 2019
I took these pictures at Leicester station today.
These are a few of my thoughts.
Long Straight Platforms
The two main platforms for trains to and from London are long and straight and can easily accommodate the longest trains that do or will use the station.
Wide Spacious Platforms
The two island platforms are wide and spacious.
In my time at the station, I didn’t see any trains use the outer platforms and I do wonder if the station is used to the maximum capacity allowed by the layout.
The Station Could Have More Trains And Be A Better Interchange
When you arrive at Ipswich station on a fast train from London, one of the half-hourly services has an easy connection to either Bury St. Edmunds and Cambridge, Felixstowe, Lowestoft and/or Peterborough. and staff and information screens are there to speed you on your way.
Leicester station doesn’t seem to welcome you to continue your journey elsewhere
Abellio And Ipswich Station
Abellio with their new trains and timetable, will be increasing frequencies, so that Suffolk’s County Town with a population of 133,000, will have the following services.
- Two trains per hour (tph) to Bury St. Edmunds. – Doubled from current.
- One tph to Cambridge – A second hourly service will be available with a change at Ely.
- One tph to Felixstowe – Might be doubled, now thst the Felixstowe branch has more capacity.
- Three-four tph to London – Faster and up from two expresses and a stopping train per hour.
- One tph to Lowestoft – Better timetable and faster.
- Three tph to Norwich – Up from two tph
- One tph to Peterborough – Doubled from current one train per two hours.
The creation of the East-West Rail Link will see a doubling of the service to Cambridge and one train per two hours to Oxford.
Applying Abellio’s East Anglian Rules To Leicester
Leicester is a city and County Town, with a population of 330,000.
These appear to be the current services.
- Two tph to Birmingham
- One tph to Cambridge, Peterborough and Stansted Airport
- Two tph to Derby
- One tph to Lincoln – Stopping train via Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.
- Four tph to London
- Two tph to Nottingham
- Two tph to Sheffield
Leicester doesn’t seem to have the sort of train service the City deserves.
This is the London, Ipswich and Norwich philosophy as proposed by Abellio and in the process of being delivered.
- New maximum-length and maximum-speed high-capacity Class 745 trains will provide more seats on the route.
- A fifty per-cent increase in train frequency from two tph to three tph.
- Four express services per day, only stopping at Ipswich, have been introduced, giving a ninety minute service between London and Norwich.
- Four trains per day between Lowestoft and London.
What would a similar philosophy for London Midland Main Line, look like at Leicester?
- Three tph to Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield.
- Six tph to London
- Three tph to Nottingham
- All trains would be maximum-length with a capacity at least similar to a 2+8 HST.
- Greater Anglia’s Class 745 trains will have 757 seats in two classes and a buffet. Expect a similar specification on the Midland Main Line.
- Services will be faster, with I suspect no trains taking longer than an hour from Leicester to London or Sheffield.
- Could there be a couple of non-stop trains every hour between London and Leicester?
This service would be a lot better and it only needs.
- An extra tph between London and Sheffield via Derby and Chesterfield
- An extra tph between London and Nottingham.
- Enough new maximum-length trains, which will probably be bi-mode trains, that are scheduled to arrive in 2022.
Four tph between London and Sheffield and London and Nottingham would surely be the ideal, but there just isn’t the capacity to the South of Kettering and in St. Pancras station.
So will we see extra services on the Midland Main Line to boost services North of Leicester?
- One tph between Leicester and Sheffield via Louthborough, East Midlands Parkway, Long Eaton, Derby and Chesterfield.
- One tph between Leicester and Sheffield via Louthborough, East Midlands Parkway, Ilkeston, Langley Mill, Alfreton and Chesterfield.
- One tph between Leicester and Nottingham via Louthborough, East Midlands Parkway and Beeston.
- The one tph Leicester to Lincoln service could also be included.
The services would be as follows.
- Trains would probably be shorter versions of the maximum-length bi-mode Midland Main Line trains.
- They would use the outer platforms at Leicester station to give cross-platform interchange with the frequent London trains.
- Services could possibly be extended past Sheffield to Leeds and past Nottinghm to Newark or Lincoln.
Leicester’s excellent platform design would see an increase in the number of trains and hopefully passengers.
Leicester And East-West Services
I also think, that there is sufficient capacity in Leicester station to add the following East-West services.
- Four tph to Birmingham
- Four tph to Cambridge
- Four tph to Peterborough
The following should be noted.
- Abellio has a substantial interest in all three stations and Leicester.
- The routes are often run by two-car Class 170 trains.
- The trains are often full.
- There is only short sections of lines that are electrified.
I believe that there should be the following service between Birmingham and Cambridge.
- Four tph
- At least four-car bi-mode trains.
- At least a 100 mph capability.
- Stops would include Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Stamford, Peterborough, March and Ely.
- At the Birmingham end, services could go via Birmingham International and Coventry.
- At the Cambridge end. perhaps two tph could be extended to Audley End and Stansted Airport.
- At Leicester there would be an easy interchange to London, the East Midlands and Sheffield.
- At Peterborough, there would be an easy interchange to London, Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland
It could be argued that if there is a need for a Cambridge and Oxford rail link, then Britain’s fastest growing high-technology hub, needs to have a high quality rail link to Birmingham via Leicester, Coventry and Birmingham International.
One overcrowded hourly two-car diesel train is not suitable for this important rail route.
Currently, trains take two hours forty-five minutes between Birmingham and Cambridge, which means with a fifteen minute turnround at either end, twenty-four trains would be needed for the service.
So it is probably not feasible, but I suspect it could be an aspiration for Abellio.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see Abellio try to take over the Birmingham and Stansted Airport service from CrossCountry.
- Greater Anglia’s four-car Class 755 trains would double the capacity and be able to use electrification at both ends of the route.
- Greater Anglia have a few spare Class 755 trains, so is this takeover in their ambitions.
- Would the service be easier for Abellio to run, than CrossCountry?
This is a service to watch over the next couple of years.
Class 755 Trains In The East Midlands
I also suspect that Class 755 trains could be in Abellio’s plans for the East Midlands. Lincolnshire’s railways are little different to those of East Anglia.
The Bridges At The Southern End Of The Station
A trusted source told me, that one of the problems of electrifying through Leicester station with 25 KVAC overhead wires, is that the bridges at the Southern end of the station are a problem.
The general impression, I got was that the structure under the bridges is so complicated, that there would need to be a massive reconstruction of the railway.
To make matters worse a major sewer is in or under the bridges.
So if this meant that the railway had to be closed for a number of months, is this the reason for only electrifying as far as Market Harborough?
Surely, if the Midland Main Line is only to be partly-electrified, then Leicester would be a better changeover point.
Charging Battery Electric Trains
In The Mathematics Of Fast-Charging Battery Trains Using Third-Rail Electrification, I showed how a third-rail-based fast charging sstem, like that proposed by Vivarail could transfer several hundred kWh to the batteries of a train stopped in the station, for a few minutes.
Leicester station with the two tracks between widely-spaced platforms with a gap between the tracks, would be an ideal location for such a charging system.
- The two third-rail would be laid together between the two tracks.
- The third-rails could be shielded, but as they would only be live with a train on the top, would it be necessary?
- The driver would only need to stop the train in the correct position, but they do that anyway.
In a three minute contact between the train and the third-rail, I believe it would be possible to transfer up to 200 kWh to the batteries of the train.
Conclusion
Leicester station is a station, that suits the ambitions of the City.
But the unimaginative train service as provided by Stagecoach, is very fourth-rate and has left Abellio with a lot of scope to improve the train service throughout the East Midlands.
Stagecoach have only themselves to blame for losing the franchise.
East Midlands Railway’s New Look
The title of this post, is the same as a short article in Issue 882 of Rail Magazine.
What is interesting, is that it shows a visualisation of a Class 360 train in the new livery.
In Abellio East Midlands Railway’s Plans For London And Corby, I came to this conclusion.
I wouldn’t be surprised, if East Midlands Railway brought in Class 379 or Class 360 trains as a stop-gap and replaced them with electric versions of the bi-modes in 2022.
The best solution would be to obtain three twelve-car all-electric versions of the bi-modes by December 2020, to run the initial service.
Hitachi has a 125 mph electric Class 801 train and a 125 mph bi-mode Class 802 train.
Stadler has a 125 mph electric version of Greater Anglia’s Class 745 train and I suspect a compatible 125 mph bi-mode train.
Bombardier are working on a 125 mph bi-mode Aventra and have been quoted as saying Aventras can be stretched to 125 mph.It will be interesting to see what trains East Midlands Railway chooses.
By showing, a Class 360 train in their new livery, are they attempting to do one or all of the following.
- Get better terms for the nine interim trains they may need.
- Get better terms and earlier delivery for enough new twelve-car electric trains to run a 125 mph service between London and Corby.
- Trying to get better terms with the leasing companies to take back Class 379 and Class 360 trains, currently at Greater Anglia.
The Dutch can be tough negotiators.
Abellio’s Plans For Nottingham And Matlock Via Derby
This page on the Department for Transport web site is an interactive map of the Abellio’s promises for East Midlands Railway.
These are mentioned for services between Nottingham and Matlock via Derby..
Enhanced Sunday Service Providing An Hourly Service For Most Of The Day
Surely, this should be happening now!
Increased Community Rail Partnership Funding
Always a good thing!
Refurbished, Modern Trains
As with their plans for Nottingham to Norwich, they use the same words about the trains.
So will all these routes from around Nottingham be run using four-car Class 222 trains?
I can’t think what other suitable higher-capacity trains are available.
Except Class 170 trains and they are generally only two-cars, which probably isn’t large enough.
Brand-New Bi-Mode Trains For Long Term Use By Abellio East Midlands Railway
This page on the Department for Transport web site is an interactive map of the Abellio’s promises for East Midlands Railway.
These trains are proposed for working on several routes and some of their features are given.
In this section, I will try to ascertain, what they will be like.
These trains will replace the interim Mark 4 Coach/Class 43 locomotive sets on the Midland Main Line from April 2022.
They will also be used on the following services.
- London – Lincoln.
- London – Oakham – Melton Mowbray
- London – Leeds – York
Features include.
- More reliable service
- Improved comfort
- Passenger information system
- Free on-board Wi-Fi
- At-seat power sockets
- USB points
- Air conditioning
- Tables at all seats
- increased luggage space
- On-board cycle storage
I think it wouldn’t be speculating too much, to expect that shorter versions of these trains would also be used on other routes of the franchise.
I also think, that these trains will have other properties.
Ability To Run At 125 mph On Both Electric And Diesel Power
Bombardier, Hitachi and Stadler are proposing or have built fast bi-mode trains, which run at the same speed on both diesel and electric power.
- Bombardier are proposing a 125 mph Aventra with batteries.
- Hitachi’s 125 mph Class 800 trains are running at 125 mph on electric power, but can they achieve the 125 mph on diesel needed for the Midland Main Line?
- Stadler’s 100 mph Class 755 trains, will be running between London and Norwich at this speed from next month.
As parts of the Midland Main Line, that will not be electrified by 2022, to have a 125 mph operating speed, it is essential that the trains can do this speed on either power source.
Ability To Switch Power Source At Line Speed
Some trains do this, but others don’t!
To run as fast a timetable as possible, it is essential. Hitachi’s Class 800 trains can do it!
240 Metre Long Trains
Consider.
- The notes on the interactive map, says that Corby services will be this length in the Peak.
- 240 metre long platforms will be needed at St. Pancras for Corby services.
- Thameslink services are already this length.
These points lead me to the conclusion, that the new bi-mode trains can be up to 240 metres long.
Passenger Capacity
A seven-car Class 222 train has the following properties.
- 236 Standard Class seats.
- 106 First Class seats.
- 161.8 metres long
As the interiors of the existing and proposed trains seem similar with lots of tables and comfort, adjusting for the longer bi-mode train gives the following numbers of seats.
- 349 Standard Class seats.
- 157 First Class seats
There will be a large increase in the number of seats.
Step-Free Access Between Train And Platform
Stadler are the masters of this and are providing it on Merseyrail and on the Great Eastern Main Line.
Other companies will have to follow suit!
Hitachi in particular and surprisingly seem to design their trains with a big step.
This picture shows the step up into a Class 395 train at St. Pancras station. It is unacceptable!
Step-free access improves the dwell time of trains at stations and is essential on any high-frequency service.
Digital Signalling
This will be essential to run the trains faster and closer together, so that more services can be run between London and the Midlands,
140 mph Running
IDigital signalling could even enable 140 mph running on sections of the route.
Improved Dwell Times
The performance of these trains and easy access, will mean that every station stop will be faster and will enable two pssenger benefits.
- Journeys will be faster by a few minutes.
- It will be possible to add extra station stops, with only a small penalty of overall journey times.
I doubt passengers will be unhappy.
High Speed Two Compatibility
High Speed Two should reach the East Midlands Hub station in 2032 and Sheffield station in 2034.
Between Clay Cross North Junction and Sheffield, High Speed Two and Midland Main Line services will use the same sixteen mile electrified railway.
Good project management probably says that this joint electrified line is created early, by say 2025. This would obtain maximum benefit to the City of Sheffield and the surrounding area.
As it is likely, that the new bi-mode trains will still be in service to past 2034, whatever is decided, these bi-modes must be able to run on High Speed Two infrastructure.
Conclusion
Even if, the current service pattern of two trains per hour to Derby, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Sheffield is maintained, there will be a large increase in capacity.
But if a fully-digital railway is created with 125 mph trains, I can see the Midland Main Line becoming one of the finest high speed railways in the world, that has been created by updating a classic rail line built in the Nineteenth Century.
Operating speed and capacity will be up there with the East Coast and West Coast Main Lines.
I can see Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield having a four trains per hour service from London in times of 75, 90 and 120 minutes respectively.
By comparison, High Speed Two is looking at a sub-ninrty ,minute time between London and Sheffield.
Luton Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Luton station is on the list.
These pictures show the station.
Without doubt, this is the worst station, I’ve found so far in an important town, that is to be made step-free.
There is nothing of any architectural merit at all in this station.
Will Abellio East Midlands Railway Improve Their Service To Luton?
Currently, Luton station has the following.
- Full electrification, which is being upgraded to a high standard for 125 mph running.
- Platforms long enough to accommodate Thameslink’s 242 metre long twelve-car Class 700 trains.
- The Class 700 trains are already fitted for working with digital signalling and this will be added to all trains.
It certainly treats trains better than it does passengers.
From December 2020, the following trains will run through Luton station.
- Two trains per hour (tph) to/from Corby, which will be 240 metre long twelve-car electric trains in the Peak. Why not in the Off Peak?
- Two tph to/from Leicester and Nottingham
- Two tph to/from Leicester, Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield
At the present time, only the single Corby service stops at Luton.
From 2022, East Midlands Railway will be running new bi-mode trains through the station.
- For compatibility with the electric trains to Corby and to make full use of long platforms, I suspect that these trains could be up to 240 metres long.
- They will have a larger capacity, than the current Class 222 trains.
- They will effectively be electric trains between London and Market Harborough, where the electrification ends.
- They will have fast acceleration and smooth regenerative braking, because of the electric power.
- They could have step-across access between train and platform.
As Luton station is electrified and has long platforms, these trains will be able to stop at Luton (and Luton Airport Parkway) in minutes.
Network Rail intend to make Luton station step-free by 2024.
The improved access will give easier connections between the expresses and Thameslink, and entry/exit to the station.
I can see several trains per hour stopping at Luton.
Conclusion
If money was no object, this station should be totally rebuilt.
But money is an object, so the architects will be struggling.
But by 2024 at the latest and possibly a couple of years earlier Luton station could be sorted for passengers and handling well upwards of a dozen 240 metre long high capacity trains in every hour.
Abellio’s Plans For Nottingham And Crewe Via Derby
This page on the Department for Transport web site is an interactive map of the Abellio’s promises for East Midlands Railway.
These are mentioned for services between Nottingham and Crewe via Derby.. This is an extension of the current service which is two separate services, that need a change at Derby.
Crewe-Derby Services Will Operate With Increased Capacity Compared To Today
Consider.
- Currently, the service between Derby and Crewe takes 43 minutes with another 30 minutes for Derby And Nottingham.
- It is run by a Sprinter with one or two cars.
- The service is hourly.
- I suspect that a well-driven train will be able to do a round trip from Nottingham to Crewe and back in under three hours.
This would mean that three trains are needed to provide the hourly service.
But put four- or five-car Class 222 trains on the route and this would mean.
- Much greater capacity.
- Faster journeys.
- More comfort and facilities.
If a train could do the round trip in under two hours, then just two trains would be needed for the hourly service.
Most Services Will Be Extended To And From Nottingham
I assumed this in the previous section and it appears sensible.
, Later Evening Service Is To Be Provided In Both Directions
Trains can never be too late.
Enhanced Sunday Service With A Regular Hourly service Starting Early In The Morning
You can’t fault that!
Increased Community Rail Partnership Funding
Or that one!
Refurbished Modern Trains
As with their plans for Nottingham to Norwich, they use the same words about the trains.
Read Abellio’s Plans For Norwich And Liverpool, to see what I said.
Wikipedia’s View
The Wikipedia entry for the Crewe-Derby Line says this about services on the route.
The line sees a basic hourly service in each direction with trains calling at all stations on the route however Peartree which is served by 2 Derby bound trains and 3 Crewe bound trains per weekday.
The majority of services on the route since December 2008 have been provided by Class 153 “Super Sprinter” Diesel Multiple Units however Class 158 “Express Sprinter” and Class 156 “Super Sprinter” units are occasionally used. Overcrowding remains a major issue on the route, particularly in the morning and evening peak and a weekends. Passengers are occasionally left behind.
A Class 222 train on this line with a 70 mph operating speed, must provide a better service.
Collateral Benefits
I see these as collateral benefits.
Extra Services Between Derby and Nottingham
If you take this plan with Abellio’s Plans For Norwich And Liverpool, they both have added an hourly service between Derby and Nottingham.
Better Connections To High Speed Two
\Will these extra services connect to High Speed Two at the East Midlands Hub station?
Remember that Abellio’s is an eight year franchise and High Speed Two will arrive in the area, at the time of the end of the franchise.
Abellio’s Plans For Norwich And Liverpool
This page on the Department for Transport web site is an interactive map of the Abellio’s promises for East Midlands Railway.
These are mentioned for services between Norwich and Liverpool.
Splitting Of The Service
Early in the new franchise the Liverpool – Nottingham section will transfer to another operator, which will enable the two halves of the service to better meet the needs of customers.
The section remaining with East Midlands Railway will become a Norwich and Derby service via Nottingham.
This has been said for some time by the Department of Transport.
It is also said that limited services will continue to operate via Stamford and Loughborough.
Looking at trains between Nottingham and Norwich., they take these routes.
- Grantham, Peterborough, Ely, Thetford
- East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Peterborough, Ely, Thetford
The service will be extended from Nottingham to Long Eaton, the future East Midlands Hub and Derby.
Refurbished Modern Trains
It is proposed that the service will be run by refurbished modern trains.
Features include.
- More reliable service
- Improved comfort
- Passenger information system displays
- free on-board Wi-Fi
- at-seat power sockets
- USB points
- Air conditioning
- Tables at all seats
- Increased luggage space.
- No date for introduction is given.
This all sounds fine to me.
The Current Trains On The Route
Before discussing the possible new trains, I will look at the current service, that I have used many times.
Class 158 trains are used,
Normally, a pair of two-car trains run together to make a four-car formation.
- At times, these trains are very overcrowded.
- I don’t think, the trains have a universal access toilet.
- The trains are thirty years old and some detailing is not very good or very last century.
- The air-conditioning may be a bit dodgy.
- Nottingham and Norwich is probably about the maximum comfortable range for passenger on these trainss.
I suspect too, that they have operational problems.
- They are only 90 mph trains and they will share tracks with faster trains.
- As part of this route could be on the East Coast Main Line, scheduling trains would be easier, if the trains were capable of 125 mph.
- On board catering is provided by a trolley. Can it be pushed between the two trains?
Abellio are obviously quite right to promise a better train for both passengers, staff and their bottom line.
An Ideal Train For The Route
An ideal train would have a specification something like this.
- Modern train, built since 2000.
- Five or six cars
- 125 mph operating speed.
- An onboard cafe-bar.
- Universal-access toilet.
It sounds to me, like a Class 222 train with a high-class refurbishment.
Currently, there are these Class 222 trains available to the franchise.
- Four by four-car
- Seventeen by five-cars
- Six by seven-cars.
Many of the Class 222 trains, will be replaced in 2022, when the new bi-mode trains are delivered.
The New Trains For The Route
It does look to me, that East Midlands Trains could do a lot worse, than use refurbished Class 222 trains between Norwich and Derby.
- Their engineers and drivers know the trains well.
- They could be arranged as four or five coaches for the route.
- Tory are 125 mph trains, which must bring journey time savings, especially on the East Coast Main Line.
- Bombardier have proposed, that they could be fitted with batteries to reduce the need to run the engines in stations.
Refurbishing something you know, is probably one of the cheaper options.
How Many Trains Are Needed For An Hourly Service Between Nowich And Derby?
I suspect that running to a well defined timetable that times of around three hours could be achieved between Norwich and Derby.
This would probably mean that a train could go from Norwich to Derby and back in under seven hours.
This would mean that seven trains would be needed for an hourly service running all day.
If the 125 mph trains could use their speed on the East Coast Main Line and perhaps on the Breckland Line, it might be possible to do the round trip in six hours and therefor need a train less.
Would Finding Seven Class 222 Trains Be Possible?
Obviously, once the Midland Main Line routes have been replaced by new bi-mode trains in 2022, there will be a lot of Class 222 trains available and seven trains to run the Norwich and Derby service will not be a problem.
Some other factors will help.
Trains Will Be Released By The London And Corby Electric Service
In December 2020, when the London and Corby service receives electric trains, the current Class 222 trains on this route will become available.
I think that this service currently needs three trains.
More Mark 4 Coach/Class 43 locomotive Sets Could Be Created
In Abellio’s Plans For The Midland Main Line, I described how interim sets could be built by replacing the non-compliant Mark 3 coaches in an InterCity 125, with the compliant Mark 4 coaches from an InterCity 225.
These trains would be used to release some of the Class 222 trains on the Midland Main Line.
Another five Mark 4 Coach/Class 43 Locomotive sets would probably release the same number of Class 222 trains.
Trains Could Be Reorganised With A Better Plan
I have a feeling that by reorganising the Class 222 trains and bringing in more more Mark 4 Coach/Class 43 Locomotive sets, could mean that a better plan on the Midland Main Line could be developed.
As an example, when boarding a train at St. Pancrass, I often notice two trains are in the platform and you have to walk to the far train. This is not efficient and surely slows down the turnround of trains.
Platforms 1 to 4 are reserved for East Midlands services at St. Pancras station.
- Two trains per hour to Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield
- Two trains per hour to Nottingham
- One train per hour to Corby, which goes to two trains per hour in December 2020.
Surely, it would be easier, if the station was organised as follows.
- Sheffield, Nottingham and Corby trains all have their own platform, with one spare for luck!
- All trains are full length, with First Class at the London end
- One train per platform.
This would make things easier for passengers and reduce turnround times.
No More Two Trains Running Together
I think that the practice of train companies running two or more trains together to increase capacity is a bad idea, unless you have no other way.
Consider two four-car trains running together as an eight-car train.
- You have two driving cabs in the middle, which serve no purpose and just take up space. and add useless weight.
- A buffet car in the train can be available to all passengers.
- The First Class seats could be in two separate places on the train.
- With trains like the Hitachi Class 800 trains, onboard staff can only move between trains in a station.
- Walk-through trains allow passengers to position themselves for a convenient and quick exit.
Anybody who procures trains to run in multiple formations all the time, instead of buying longer trains, is generally incompetent.
A Rough Estimate
I have done a very rough estimate and feel that the Midland Main Line services can be run with the following numbers of trains.
- Sheffield services – Ten trains
- Nottingham services – Eight trains
- Corby services – Six trains
As the Corby services will be run by refurbished twelve-car trains, it looks to me that there is a need for eighteen diesel trains for Sheffield and Nottingham services.
I would go for eighteen Mark 4 Coach/Class 43 locomotive sets, with perhaps a couple of spare sets..
Conclusion
The following services should be run with Mark 4 Coach/Class 43 locomotive sets of an appropriate length.
- London and Nottingham
- London and Sheffield
This would release the Class 222 trains for other services like those between Norwich and Derby.
The Anonymous Widower 